Up in the air

Since my last posting Mother Nature has  reinforced the notion that humans really are fragile creatures that really shouldn't be wandering around without proper supervision.  The weekend before the East Coast got munched by Sandy, I picked a fight with gravity. Not surprisingly gravity won. One really shouldn't over rotate while apple picking to look at a squash.  It never ends well. So I spent most of my week with ever darkening bruises where the ladder rungs had been stamped into my left side.  It being November, the call for Christmas ornaments to go out the armed services has come again. So my enforced couch time went to making an army of flying pigs and snowmen. Flying pigs somehow seemed appropriate to both military life and current events.  It's been raining and dark here all week, not the best for photography, but these guys and some hats and slippers have to be shipped. So no time to wait on good lighting. I really should make a light box and avoid these problems. That probably wouldn't stop them from all turning towards the wall though. 

Info on Superstorm Sandy  

maps --- Help ---- FEMA 

The Ships Project  - sending 'Hugs from Home' since 2001

KCWC weekend

Reversible work vest for Thing 1 for when he helps his Dad. This started out as a quick project until I got to the button holes. For some reason my buttonhole foot hated this vest. It took two stitches and then had a nervous break down. Getting stuck on the flannel and then going to far over. Three hours later I took it off the machine and put in drawer. The foot and I are taking some time apart.

After spending far to much time contemplating buttons I made a pair of moccasins. Crochet is so much more forgiving than sewing. If something doesn't look quite right, just unravel an go again. 

Monster went to the fair

Took my monster to the Stevens County Fair on Saturday. Past the jams and baked goods, the veggie people held court. Saw some hugging pigs and a Moose Angus. After sneezing my way through the sheep barn I left monster by the rabbits.  The fair provided a perfect cover for a toy drop. There are lots of kids and everyone just thinks you're taking pictures of the exhibits.  Far less traumatic than trying to be inconspicuous at a playground.

http://www.thetoysociety.blogspot.com/

Sun dresses for fall

Finally finished the crocheted collared dresses for Thing 2. My timing is as always off kilter. Hopefully California's north coast will have an Indian summer so she doesn't have to wear a turtle neck under these. The yellow dress (which I really should have ironed before photographing) went together really fast. I should have known that would lead to problems with the plaid. It took me forever to find something that would match the lite blue of the collar in my fabric stash. Then I had the brilliant idea to use a lace pillowslip as lining. My seam ripper got lots of exercise while I tried to get the lace to end up facing the right way. I had to call in Mom to finally get everything pinned and then turned the right direction.

Now I'm onto a camp shirt for Thing 2 and the collar is breaking my brain. I really hope this is building brain cells and not burning them.

Time for more coffee.

FYI: crochet collar pattern is free from Lulu Loves  and the very cool button is from a stash I bought from Lisa of Lil Fish Studios.

Gone to the birds

I think the rain may have melted my brain. I have crocheted a bird house. The original pin is shown below. I used up a skein of mystery acrylic brown thinking it would weather well. Besides birds are messy; I'm hoping the brown will hide the poo. It's hung under cover on my side porch, right under a half finished Swallow nest

                                                              Source: madamebarry.tumblr.com via Dancing on Pinterest

Happy Easter

Rain Day

The last storm that came though brought lots of rain and wind. Sometimes wind and rain, the sort that comes down sideways and beats against the house. It also brought down several trees in the area, a few on top of power lines. While the power company did their thing; I huddled in front of the fireplace with the dog and fiddled with yarn. This is was came of that afternoon - 3 rather odd yarny creatures. I'm not what I'm going to do with them but here they are.

Happy Valentine's Day

 

 

I hope you can spend some time on the couch with your pal today, too.

Brownies & Hearts

It's cold this morning. Like 15 degrees cold.

In all fairness the sun is out,  the birds are singing, and the fields are sparkling white. (Blindingly so.) The landscape has been really beautiful, if a little monochromatic of late. So to counter act winter I made brownies and a crochet heart. (Valentines day is encroaching)  The brownie recipe is an old stand-by  from Fine Cooking.  It's a one pot wonder that makes up in a flash and comes out fabulously fudgy.

Although now that I think of it, I'm not sure I've really ever had a bad brownie. Maybe one with too many nuts. I have a thing about nuts diluting my chocolate.

But I digress; the heart can be found here. The Internet is a buzz with Valentine related stuff these days. Mostly I've been ignoring it, but I needed a little color today.

Toy Society Drop

Mooshy Bunny dropped in Colville courtyard

This bunny is the first (hopefully) of many toy drops this year. After hearing about The Toy Society through Little Fish Studios I just had to make something. I love the whole concept of the group and already have lots of inspiration for toys. 

Velour Mooshy Bunny

This little bunny is made from an old velour jogging suit. At one point while wandering in Costco I must have thought I would become a jogger. I not sure where I got that idea. In actuality I don't run unless something is chasing me. I think squishy bunnies are a much better use for the material. The inspiration and pattern for this bunny came from Chez Beeper Bebe`. (Who is wildly talented.) I've become obsessed with her chickens.

While still thinking about bunnies I made this guy. He'll go to my nephew (Thing 1). I think a seven year old is the right audience for a somewhat demented bunny.

Updates for forgotten stuff

So in July I sent off a box of knits for Japan and then promptly forgot all about them. It's been so long that Ginny at Small Things has changed the button! The deadline for shipping was July 15 and they were hopping to get 400 items to send over. Well Ginny received over 800 and Betsy's final total was 1451! She and her family have been sending boxes over regularly to their son and will be joining him in Japan this September to distribute everything. For more information about this project go Small Things blog and Betsy's blog The Simple Life of a Queen .

I made this chicken a while ago too and just now took a pic of him. He's completely useless and I smile every time I see him. (pattern info is on my Ravelry page) On the topic of things that make me smile, the dancing tomato I found on flicker a while ago. I like this guy so much that I'll be changing my blog title and address in the near future. Well actually just as soon as I can figure out how to do that. If you are a subscriber or add yourself to the followers list (I just added it at the bottom) my new address should be mailed to you automatically. If not, I be giving a days notice before the switch.

No two alike

What is it with slippers? I can never get the second one to come out the same.

This was the look I was aiming for. We'll see how close I get. After I redo that right slipper, the toe is so weird looking. It serves me right for making slippers in July, even thinking about slippers is weird enough. Sorry to everyone in the rest of the country but it's been cold and rainy here for days. My weather widget is way off. I don't know where the sensor is for that thing but it's nowhere near my house.

And now for something completely different --**--

Anyone know what to do with white currants? I've one bush and it's loaded.