New and Used

Just got my order from Hawthorne Threads.  It's a fat quarter bundle of Joel Dewberry's Heirloom in ruby.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, so I will just leave it out where I can see it and pet it while it gels in my head.

Also just received this Sarah London goodie.......

Don't the colors on the book go with the fabric?  Oh if there was some kind of way to combine a quilt with crochet.  I have thought about it many times but there just doesn't seem to be a way to attach them together properly.  Maybe a crochet edging on a quilt?  I don't know.  It's probably just as well, I can go back and forth between yarn and fabric and never get tired of either one. 
I have no progress to report on any of my projects, since I'm giving my house a well deserved cleaning putting out some fall decorations.

I love decorating with books.  My husband and I had a bookstore for 5 years (he kept his day job, I ran the store).  We carried new and used books, gifty items and some vintage knick knacks thrown in.   Every Tues. and Wed. I would shop early at our local flea market (right in our little town!) and pick up tea cups, books, vintage aprons, anything used and cute.  Back at the store I would clean it up, mark it up a bit, and incorporate it into my displays.  It was so fun!!  When we closed, we sold off a lot of inventory,  but I kept quite a bit of the decorations and  other good stuff.  Now when the seasons change I go up to the attic and dig through all my boxes to see what I can come up with. What a lucky duck I am!  Anyway I don't know where all this blabbing came from, I guess I've had too much iced tea  and the caffeine level in my bloodstream is reaching critical levels.

One more thing before I go.... Trish at Notes of Sincerity is having a give away.  She is asking for one 5" square of material in exchange for a chance to win a cute owl candle holder.  Check it out!!!!

Sunday breakfast

Aaaahhhh Sunday morning.  It's blissfully cool and cloudy this morning.  The heatwave has broken and I'm in the mood to bake something.  How about some pumpkin muffins with your coffee?  I wish you could smell them.

And would you like some berries to go with that?

 

From the book Pumpkin Patch Threads by Need'l Love.  They have so many great projects in all their books, you won't know what to make first!

Hope your weekend is glorious!

Snapdragon quilt

Yesterday I went out to the nursery and bought some fall flowers for the front porch.

Snapdragons!   Don't you just love these colors?

My last summer blanket is done.  The colors remind me of the snapdragons.

I'm having a quiet day.  It's 100 degrees outside and I don't want to go anywhere.  The dogs are lying in a heap with their tongues hanging out.  Me too. 

See you when it's cooler : )

September reflections and a Public Service announcement

This is where I go on the weekends for a walk with my sister.  It's called Lodi Lake.  It takes us about an hour to walk  all the way around, because we stop to pick berries, take pictures, and jump through the poison ivy to chase the deer.  We laugh and talk about nonsense.  It's fun and good for me to get out in the fresh air and get some exercise.  Why am I posting about this?  Because September is my birthday month and I always get a bit reflective about the goings on in my life.
I have a challenge for all of you.  Every year during my birthday month I schedule a mammogram, a Pap smear (did you all just clench your legs together a bit?) and a dental cleaning.  All the orifices (ha ha).  Last year I got a colonoscopy. WoooHoo! Talk about good times!    I do it during September because I'm thinking about me (53 this year- ouch!) and I feel kind of guilty if I don't take care of it.
Anyway- to all you gals out there, get your lady parts looked after.  Do it for you.  Do it for your family.  And don't forget to stop on the way home from your exam for some yarn or fabric!!!!  Weeee, the best part.  Better than a sticker or a lollipop.

Coming up..... Fall berries!!!!!!!

Hudson Bay Hexagon update

It's hard to believe I started this over a month ago.  This is the point when your making a blanket,  that you say to yourself , "maybe I could just make it a cushion", and stop right there.  I'm not even half way done.

I just need to hang in there.

And hopefully it will be completed by this fall!

Ok then.  Have a great week!

Lovin' the hooky life

I'm thinking about  making a blanket in this color palette for my bedroom.  I love this block from Signed with an Owl.  Check out her blankets.  Go on.  You know you want to start another one.  I need two more arms to finish everything I have going right now.  What on earth did I do with myself before crochet??  I must have had no life.  I know my house was a lot cleaner.  Actually I used to make at least 6 or 7 quilts a year.  So far this year I have made 3.  Definitely a drop in production.  So now I'm spreading the crafting love by crochet hook.  Hope the bloom never wears off.  Thanks to all who have visited or left comments on my blog!!! You are making this even more fun!

Summer blanket wrap-up part two

WARNING!  Rant in progress!  Just need to vent a bit about this yarny mess and then all will be forgotten.

Can you believe this??  Two blocks just let go after everything was blocked and sewn together.  When I found it, I think I just stared at it for a few minutes like a dummy. To say I was mad is a gross understatement.  I have been fighting with this yarn since the very first granny , but I was determined to finish, since I spent the money and then put in the time.  So I performed minor surgery using a different yarn, and I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it holds together!

I was attracted to this yarn because of it's pretty saturated colors.  It's also very soft, but almost too soft.  The blocks were very floppy, and even after everything was blocked, they seemed to not hold their shape.  Maybe this yarn would be better for knitting garments?  I don't know, I'm not a knitter.  When I had to pull out a mistake the yarn was always tangled on itself, and I was constantly backing my hook out because it was soooo splitty.  Two stitches forward, one stitch back. Grrrrrrr.  I had made up several names in my head for this blanket as I was going along...... Fight Club blanket, TheBlanketThat ShallNotBeNamed blanket, The Hot Mess blanket,  blah blah blah.
Anyway, it's done.  I tried to use up every bit of yarn, because I never want to see it again, so I put tassels on the short ends and now I kinda like it.  Reminds me of vanilla confetti cupcakes like the ones here .

Might as well get a good look.  The minute my son uses this blanket and sticks his big hairy toe in one of the holes it will be all over.
The pattern is  from Dutch Girl Diary.  I love her blanket, and just because I want this to work sooo badly, I'm making it again in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes as Erin suggested.  The heathered colors are beautiful AND it just slides on the hook and doesn't fight back!! SOLD : )

On a more positive note-  Happy Birthday to my friend Darla.  Hope you like your present!!

On other bloggy news... check out the incredible giveaway on Little Woolie.  What a beautiful cushion!  Also The Sunroom reminds us that it is International Crochet Day with suggestions and links!  Have a great week!

Anthropologie Love

I went shopping with daughter #2 recently, as it was her birthday and we wanted to enjoy some mother daughter retail therapy/lunch time.  We headed for a lovely outdoor mall called The Fountains, which is almost an hours drive, but was well worth it because our favorite store is there.  If you get the Anthropologie catalog or have been to their store you know what I'm talking about.  Deliciousness everywhere!  I bought these tea cups.  I still can't stop drooling over them every time I pull them out of the cupboard.

Look at those cute flowers! And the handles!!!

Lovvvvve them! And look!  Here is what you will see, as you tip to sip your tea.

 Ok, I'm done squealing about the cups.  I also bought a dress and sweater.  I know.  Here it is my daughter's birthday and I'm buying up the store for moi.  What can I say?  I got caught up in the spirit of the magical shopping moment.

Daughter # 1 is modeling for me today.  Thank you Danielle.  Your in.  You may leave the runway.

As an added bonus, my new dress also matched my Sweet November shawl I made a few months back.  Happy Dance!  By the way, I did buy the birthday girl a few things.  It's not always about me (wink).

Summer blanket wrap up- part one

Finished my baby blanket.  Isn't it cute?

Pattern from the book Embroidery Companion by Alicia Paulson.  Her work is awesome as is her blog.  If you haven't been there, you need to check it out!  This blanket was a nice change of pace from the crochet hook, and it really forced me to slow down a bit.  Most of the stitching was done in chain stitch, and I balked a little at the beginning, thinking that it will be too slow.  But as it turned out what I really needed to do was practice my chain stitch because at the beginning it was questionable.  By the last block it was presentable.  By the way,  I don't have a baby to give this to.  It was love at first sight and I just wanted to make it.  Smile.

Summer blanket wrap up- part two will be coming up shortly.  If I don't light it on fire first or throw it in the river in a bag of rocks.  Yes it was that bad.  Here is a peek.