Let's find a hobby - hurrah for craft kits!!

It's amazing what you can learn by asking perfect strangers! And even complimenting a perfect stranger is amazing. I've run into two instances where I saw someone wearing a garment that looked custom-made for them. The fit and the color were perfect. And I told them both - one in line at the grocery store, and the other in a restaurant. I think both were a bit taken aback that I would approach them until they realized what I was saying! 

Funny how we are reluctant to interact with a stranger even when they have good news! 

Well, I survived the time change. However, I had the most bizarre dream. I was dreaming in my dream - does that ever happen? DH woke me up to tell me to turn the electricity back on and set the clocks or something to that effect! 

Thankfully, we only have two devices that need to be set manually - the stove and the microwave. Easy peasy - it's already done. The rest change automatically, so if it weren't for those two appliances, the time change would be a non-issue in our house. I don't think "old time" or "new time" - I just think current time! 

I grew up in Saskatchewan, and I had a discussion (I believe I mentioned this on the blog) with someone and was shocked to realize that Saskatchewan stopped changing the time in 1966!!!! Who knew? 

I have more stuff from the magazines, but I have other stuff to share as well. It was the Family and Friends version of the virtual puzzling. It was NOT a competition and was not timed - thank goodness for that- but the first team to finish did so in 33 minutes!!! But there were about 5 of them, so that makes sense. 

The puzzle was cute and YES - it was a Halloween puzzle. But when I opened the box, I knew I was in trouble - the pieces were huge, and I didn't have enough space on my table. 

There's the box wrapped in the shipping label, and before we started, we were able to open the box and remove the plastic wrap. 

The wrapped puzzle

I think this was about the 33-minute mark when the first team was done! I was still working on the border. 

After 33 minutes

At 90 minutes, they called the event done! I think many people were finished, but then again, they were working in groups, and I was working alone. It would have been nice to work with a friend or family member, but hey—at least I was there. And the host said it was fun to work on a surprise puzzle. I agree, but you don't need to buy them this way - get a friend to give you a puzzle wrapped up, and then you have to work on that! 

After 90-minutes

After the Zoom closed, I removed all the pieces from the inside of the frame. It was driving me nuts. 

AH -- some room to work - this is better.

Later in the afternoon, I went back and finished the puzzle, and it took me 2:18 minutes. I timed myself, just for fun! That was 20 minutes faster than the cat puzzle. Both were 500 pieces. It was a Cobblehill with all the crazy shapes, which helps, and yet it doesn't!

The puzzle is done! 

I would have been much faster if I had clued into the picture. Most people started by working on the individual rooms, which I sort of did, but not with the vengeance that other teams did. Imagine if you have five people working on the puzzle and they each take two or three rooms—of course, they are going to be done way before me!!!

I also bought a third puzzle for a virtual event this coming weekend, but I won't be able to attend because of work. I'm glad I participated in the events, and I'm glad I finished the puzzles. It was interesting to learn the times, and I might do some timed "events" myself - perhaps redo these puzzles to see how I do. But speed puzzling? I don't think it's my thing. I love being able to spread out the pieces, take time to do the border, and enjoy the process. 

But I tried, and that's what counts!!

I had to pop out to Michaels for some paint, and while I was there, I browsed the shelves. They have tons and tons of kits, which is great if anyone is looking for a hobby. Everything you need is in the kit. They have their brand - Loops and Threads and seem to be ramping that up. Probably since Joann's is no longer around, they are filling the gap. 

Felting kits

They had all kinds of kits - felting, embroidery, punchneedle, etc. 

Other types of kits at Michaels

They also had some crochet kits. 

Crochet kits

Knitting was a huge deal several years ago, and I think it still is. But crochet seems to have stepped up its game. 

When I later went to Chapters (didn't buy anything), I spotted more crochet kits. 

Crochet kits at Chapters

I spotted this at Michaels - a banner bar. How cute for dressing up a room. So even if you can't "make" things, you can buy the components and make something. 

The Banner Bar at Michaels

And here are some of the components. 

Some components of the Banner Bar

Back to Chapters where diamond art is big, as are those 3D models. Diamond art is huge these days, and Michaels had a ton of it as well. 

Diamond art and 3D model kits

Chapters also had an "adult activity " table with adult puzzle books. And I spotted this sign in Chapters somewhere. 

Why we love hobbies

And this is why we have hobbies!!!! I love it, and it's a shame that some people never experience that. We NEED to encourage young people to get involved. STOP scrolling. 

Someone mentioned in a comment that I must have 30 hours in my day. Nope—I have several things that save me time. No TV- I haven't watched in over 16 years now, although I will watch some movies and mostly learning tools on YouTube. I was watching videos of this young couple rebuilding their house, but in the last video I saw, I think they were still putting the roof on. They have now been living in the house for ten months. Oh -- I guess I'm behind! 

This is a motto that I found in my tea yesterday that I love, and it helps me to be more aware of how I spend my time. 

A great motto to live by

Other areas where I gain time—STOP SCROLLING. I do scroll, but I do it consciously. I don't let the hours pass by. I get that it's fun to watch all the stuff and you can get sucked down a rabbit hole, but do I really want to live my life watching strangers make money because I'm watching them? 

While these people make videos for fun, they also earn a decent living from the number of people who follow them, like them, and watch their videos. I spotted a video the other day of a man posting about his wife who had some health issues. He was "pleading" for people to sign up so he could get 350K followers, so his wife could make some money and buy some things she deserved. 

At what point will that bubble burst? It will! And then what will all these content creators do? How will they earn a living if no one watches? 

While I enjoy scrolling, I keep it tightly controlled and am happy not to be watching the most up-to-date video. I don't care. 

I also NEVER go into Pinterest, which is a rabbit hole! I won't touch it with a ten-foot pole. My version of Pinterest comes from my head when walking the girls. I look at things, and I use my imagination to dream up ideas. And a single picture can be the starting point for me. I may do some searching (consciously) to expand on the idea, but I don't scroll just to be inspired. 

I wanted to share a couple of other pictures - I guess the magazine treasures will have to wait until tomorrow. 

This was the floor number on one of my hotels. This is made of a felt-type fabric. It reminded me of a young girl (not sure where she lives) who cuts up old yarn and other fibers, adds glue, presses it flat to dry, then cuts it up. 

The floor number

So the "2" shape gets cut from the blue as well as the grey. Then the blue "2" is popped out, and the grey "2" is inserted. 

There is no seam

There was the tiniest gap in this one, so I knew it was the same technique as I had spotted on Instagram. 

The insert isn't quite in position.

I don't want to give you someone else to follow, but here's a short clip of her work, and it's fascinating. I love that a young person is interested in saving the world by making things with recycled textiles. I think she mostly uses yarn, but I've seen others use shredded pieces of textile waste to make the same thing. Can you imagine the insulation factor in that material? 

Speaking of glue, I had to glue some appliqué last night, and I realized that this container of glue I bought MANY years ago is finally empty. So I set it upside down on another container to get the last dregs (come on—you would have done the same). The empty container is now in the garbage, and I have a full container to work with in the future. 

Draining out the last bit of glue!

How about these signs on the bathrooms at Tim's? 

OK—so I recycled one more magazine, but while I was initially searching through the piles, I also pulled this stack out. Some magazines regarding machine embroidery. Seriously??? Why wouldn't I be reading those now instead of waiting until I no longer do machine embroidery? So that stack is also sitting on the puzzle table - hence the small space available to do that large-sized 500-piece puzzle. 

Magazines about machine embroidery

And did you know that PFAFF used to have a magazine? I love the title—especially since the whole thing behind all the connectivity with SVP (Singer, PFAFF, and Husqvarna Viking) these days is CREATIVATE!!! I couldn't find a date on it. 

A PFAFF Creative magazine

And in the magazine, I spotted a flyer for a PFAFF store just a few minutes from my house! Actually, I remember visiting the store - it was inside Bouclair when Bouclair sold fabric. I was not a PFAFF person at the time, so I probably only went there to buy fabric. 

That is all long gone!!!!

Here are my two beauties "begging" to go to the grocery store with me. They stayed home. 

MOM - can we come to the grocery store with you?

After Miss Lexi fluffed up her quilt, she lay in the sun. And now you wonder why that dog sheds like mad!!! I brush her daily, but it does no good. 

Fast asleep in her little world 

We haven't put out Halloween candy in a long time, as our street is mostly adults only now. But we have a couple of new families with kids, so I thought I'd get some mini chocolate bars, and since we were going out for dinner, I left them in a bowl on a small table. That was at 5:30 PM. 

Trick or Treat

When we got home at 7:30 PM, five chocolate bars were left. At 8 o'clock, someone kept ringing my bell because the bowl was empty. I grabbed the bowl and my tea towel and shut off the lights. There were hardly any lights on our street, so I don't know why there were so many kids on it. YES—I know most kids probably took way more than one! That's OK. 

But the houses with kids that I expected to have lights on did not. So next year? I won't hand out candy! 

October was a bit of a crazy month - the weekends just filled up so fast. And there was no time for a Virtual Retreat. BUT there will be one in November - the dates are November 28 and 29. 

And there is no time left to delve into the magazine treasures, so that will have to wait for tomorrow. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!