Happy 2022! New Outlook, Literally!

I started this blog post before recent world events and while I am concerned and disheartened about what is going on, I prefer not to focus on those events here…..but please do understand that my heart goes out to all who are affected in any way.  Anne x

It’s February of a new year! ALREADY! It seems that time just flies by when you are busy staying home during a pandemic! Life slowed down, yet time just flew by. My knitting mojo was already flailing (for various reasons) and the pandemic didn’t help in that regard at all!

I did turn to reading….and started the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny right from book 1 and thoroughly enjoyed them (again). There is a tv adaptation of these books being made, starring Alfred Melina as Gamache….and I’m looking forward to it with fingers crossed that the production company gives it the same attention as they did “The Crown”. 

WORDLE became a morning ritual! (Have you tried it? Do you love it/hate it now that the NewYork Times has bought it? Do you do any other the Wordle knockoffs? 

Then a big thing happened unexpectedly…

WE MOVED!

Even when you’ve been thinking about that thing for a couple of years…..and after what, 17 months of various levels of lockdown, we decided that it was time to move! (34 years in the same house was enough….we aren’t getting any younger and there was too much grass and garden to maintain!)

We aren’t hoarders by any means…..but as hobbyists we both have significant “stash” of our favourite hobby materials….and that was the first thing that had to be boxed up to tidy our home for sale. Then we assessed what we had and while didn’t actually have much to get rid of, we donated, sold, and trashed. A serious deep clean and the magic touch of a stager and we were ready to go! That was quick! With a firm buyer, we then had to find a house. I do NOT recommend doing it this way….find your house first LOL…but we’ve been talking moving for a few years, looking here and there, and were never able to follow through….so this time it was sell first and this would force us to laser focus on finding a new house.

Well, it was scary there for a while - even with a 3 month closing on our place, with “the holidays” thrown in there…time was pressing! Then, we literally stumbled into the most perfect place for us! (Came to look at two homes here and decided to look at this one which we had originally discounted….and quickly realized it was perfect!)

Our new perfect home needs some TLC….all the major stuff was renewed in the last couple of years (thank you previous owner) but the decor is original (20 years) and needs updated (which is great because you always want to have things your way don’t you!). 

It’s a perfect house as it has the hobby space that we both need. I immediately called dibs on the “den” which looks out onto the street on the main floor, and Hubby decided that the family room upstairs was going to be his model room…so with the important stuff sorted, we just had to close the deal (no small feat in this cutthroat real estate market we are in right now). Whew, we got it and then we had to wait 2 months for the closing of our home to move officially here. 

A painter was hired and he immediately went to work painting everywhere!! Picking two paint colours was itself stressful, but I think it turned out ok. We drove back and forth many times to check on things here while still living there….it’s a 2 hour drive and our poor car was loaded up with fragile stuff we didn’t want going in a moving truck. (Lackie sometimes had to sit on my lap the car was so full.)

There is a global supply problem….don’t you know :) New appliances have been ordered…hopefully to be here by April. Carpeting was ordered….enough for the living/dining room was delivered and installed…but the rest of the house will have to wait until the supply is restocked.

I’m trying to shop local…but in a small community (~12k) I have to admit that Wayfair has become a resource! Fedex, UPS and Purolator are regular visitors.

Through all this my yarn (hobby) stash had been boxed up and was one of the first things to be moved here. It was quite overwhelming to pull it all together and face the reality of SABLE. (Thank you to June for that that acronym, Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. )

5 weeks in situ here in the new place and I have a lovely dedicated sewing/knitting/reading room….my stash has been sorted and resides in easily accessible storage in the basement, and I’m ready to get on with 2022!

The Rowan Spring/Summer 2022 season is here and I’ll be reviewing Rowan Magazine 71 in depth! (I hope you have subscribed to my youtube channel!)

This year I have signed up as an affiliate of Rowan Yarns. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that if you don’t have a local Rowan stockist, or a favourite Rowan stockist, or if you (like me) just like getting parcels in the mail…..you can order direct from Knitrowan.com and if you use one of my affiliate links, you will support me in the production of my Rowan reviews in a small way. Any purchases using my affiliate links earn me a small commission! Thank you!

I’ve just finished recording a review of ABSTRACT by Georgia Farrell….to get back into the swing of recording. It’s been a few months….so it was a good way to get back into the groove….it will be posted shortly!

I do hope you all are well, that you are happy, healthy and knitting (sewing, reading, insert hobby of your choice here) and enjoying life! This week we’ve had two reminders that life is too short and you really have to live every day.

Take care and happy knitting!

Anne x