On the Assembly Line

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween.

Guess I'm getting old 'cause I miss the kids trick-or-treating from door-to-door. Now-a-days most children go to events organized by local fire departments and schools. Perhaps it's for the best. I remember walking from house to house in the neighborhood freezing as the sleet/snow fell around us all. The loot we'd bring home was well worth it -- even if it was confiscated and doled out a little at a a time. I remember the joy of dumping a full shopping bag out on the floor and sorting through it for favorite stuff. The first night sister and I were always allowed to eat until we pretty much fell into a sugar coma. Great memories!


Several projects are underway at the Petunia Magpie factory in anticipation of the forthcoming holidays. For example, this trio of googlie-eyed ponies await final assembly. When completed they'll look very similar to the ones below.

Am trying to decide on a color for their mane and tails. Should I stick with the color of their bodies or mix it up a bit? Any suggestions?

These are child-safe. Crocheted by hand using Morning Glory fiberfill and Red Heart yarn (both products made in USA). Machine wash and dry.

Happy "Snow-vember"!

Switching Gears from Quilting to ?

Although I've been working on the Winter Picnic quilted wall hanging, I'm not very happy with the way it is looking. I'm using an outline stitch on the holly leaves, but the back of the work isn't looking like my embroidery usually does (mostly the same on the back as the front). The regular quilting looks great. I haven't quite decided which direction I'm going to go. As I see it there are two options: rip it out and start over OR embroider the holly leaves on the back using embroidery floss. I'm leaning toward option 2. 

In the meantime, several other projects are calling out to me.

I've been working on a crochet baby blanket from The Ultimate Book of Baby Afghans. This pattern is called Lavender and Lace. Caron Simple Soft in Orchid is the yarn shown in this photo. It has a nice reflective sheen that works up pretty. The pattern itself is your basic 3-row repeat; easy to follow along. I only have about eighteen inches finished. I pick it up; crochet a few rows; put it down. The hook size is what's taking me so long. I'm sure it's going to be absolutely gorgeous when it's finished, but really -- a size D hook? Tiny stitches = slow progress. I like to see progress.

Kitty Kat Lullaby is another afghan I've made from this book. The pattern was complex enough that I have "counts" of the row length at the end of several rows to make certain I didn't make any mistakes. My guess is that I made the same mistake more than once and the note was a reminder. (rows 5, 7, 9 and 11 have the note "27 + ch2".) Even so I remember that this pattern was very quick to make. It turned out amazingly well!

There are 22 patterns in this book - both knit and crochet.



Not sure that I'll crochet today though. I'm leaning toward embroidery or quilting. Then again - it's Spring and I have a hankering to work in the garden in the fresh air with birdsong all around me. lol Good thing there are enough hours in the day that I can do both!

Blessings on you and yours today. May the sun shine warm upon your face and a fragrant breeze lift your spirits.

Brought to you in part by....

So here I am listening to http://www.youtube.com and looking out my kitchen window at the sunshine reflecting off the snow. The same sunshine that came out from behind the clouds as I was bringing in the last armload of cherry for the day.




After a week straight of snow, snow and more snow, the sunshine was blindingly bright. My first thought was "Where did I leave my sunglasses". The second random thought was I wonder what the Eskimo Indians did to protect their eyes from the light? [answer HERE]
As the sun brightens the day, I sit here reflecting on my circumstances. Who would have known that I would be unemployed for a year? I don't know of anyone else unemployed for that length of time that doesn't feel defeated. And that's definitely what I'm feeling right now. Hundreds of job applications, all those interviews, all the follow-up phone calls and letters. Still no job.

But the sun is shining and it's the first day of Spring so I'm determined to make the best of this day that I've been given.

All my life people have been telling me that I have a way with words. Friends and family have told me that they can "see" what I'm telling them about in my letters and emails.

"The secret's in the sauce - or so I'm told" says a character from one of my favorite movies. [Fried Green Tomatoes] Here's my opportunity to "give y'all a taste of my sauce". I'll serve it up. You let me know what you do and don't like.

This blog is brought to you in part by:
The Need to Create
I-R-Unemployed N NotLikin'It
Family Members
Facebook Friends
Too Much Time On My Hands <-- for those of you who are listening to this in your head right now. It'll make ya wanna get up and DANCE!