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Rain, Rain, Go Away …or Not

Rain on the deck
Rain on the deck

The forecast for the next forever is calling for rain, rain, and even more rain.  Did I mention that it’s going to rain?  I have no problem with rain normally, but something tells me that by the end of the week I am going to be sick of it.  Rain makes the flowers grow and helps replenish the water supply.  Remind me of this when my head is throbbing from a weather headache.

The dandelions in the yard are doing extremely well with the rain that has fallen.  The leaves are competing with their supermarket cousins and the bun sisters are loving it!  Even the plantain leaves are bigger than normal which is great.

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WIP Tuesday – A Bit of a Head Scratcher Today

Today’s blog post is a bit of a head scratcher.  Perhaps it’s the heat.  Perhaps it’s the sudden change in temperature from early March to late June.  It must be my brain melting.  That is the only explanation for it.

Deflated Mokona
“You don’t even look like a rabbit, Mokona.” “Oh, shut up.”

Mokona is doing her best impression of a rug this afternoon.

I’m struggling a bit today with finding an ongoing project to highlight for today’s WIP Tuesday so I turned to the Google machine to look for inspiration.  I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.

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Busy Washing Day on Monday

One of two skeins from an art batt
One of two skeins from an art batt

Normally, washing day happens on Sundays in my house.  It’s the best day since I can usually relax as I wait for the sun to dry my clothes.  This gives me an excuse to play some video games as I “guard” the laundry.

This week I did the clothing laundry as usual, but with a quick tumble in the dryer since the rain just would not let up.  Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and waste the electric just so you don’t smell like a mushroom.

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Beginner Crochet Series – The Half-Double Crochet Stitch into the Chain

Today we are going to be making the half-double crochet stitch into the chain.  The half-double crochet is the next stitch in height after the single crochet.  There are several things to keep in mind when doing this stitch so please pay attention.

This is the stitch that you will probably be redoing the most as you crochet.  It’s not a difficult stitch, but pulling your hook through three loops at once can be a bit annoying.  This is when using your hook and fingers to work together is a necessity as well as learning to relax so your stitches are not tight.

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What’s on My Bobbin? – Rainbow Wishes

The first ply with the some of the fiber
The first ply with the some of the fiber

Once again I am working with a particular Merino top to create a yarn I am calling “Rainbow Wishes”.  The first skein of yarn I spun using this fiber is called “Muddy Rainbow” since the colors mingled together into a muddied mess.

Last year I entered two skein of handspun yarn into the crafting competition at the Burlington County Farm Fair.  I was surprised when both did incredibly well, earning a first and second place.  Competing is not my thing, but I was proud of what I had accomplished in such a short time.

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Keeping My Mind Occupied While I Crochet

Dimholt today
Dimholt today – Starting the lace panel

I try to keep my mind occupied while I crochet or spin.  Unless the crochet pattern is especially difficult, I need some form of entertainment or educational experience.  My mind has to be working or it wanders off somewhere and I loose my stitch count.

I’ve always liked mental activities, not physical ones. When I was in school, I hated gym class, but loved English and History. My ideal gym class would have been sitting in the bleachers reading a good book. Instead I had to move around and waste a precious forty-five minutes of my day doing activities I wasn’t very good at.

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Planes, Outside Spinning, and Weekend Gaming

This past weekend was lovely.  Though the overcast skies threatened rain on Saturday, I took my spinning wheel onto the deck and spun my heart out.  I even managed to get a bit of a sunburn on my right arm before I put my umbrella into an old plant stand I had hanging on the railing.

Somebunny poked her whiskers outside
Somebunny poked her whiskers outside

Sunday was spent playing PC games because there was a threat of rain.  No doubt I would bang my spinning wheel against the door frame as I ran inside to avoid the raindrops.  The only thing I can do while gaming is run my tractor into a building as I hitch up a flatbed trailer or fall into a lava lake as I run across a field.

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Beginner Crochet Series – Moving on to the Second Row

Now that you have tackled the single crochet into the chain stitch row, you are ready to move onto the second row.  You are over the beginner crocheter’s hump.  The rest should be much easier.  Sure, you’ll have stitches that will make your eyes glaze over and your hair turn gray.  But doing the single crochet into the chain row is the hardest to learn because it’s awkward and fiddly.  So pat yourself on the back and get ready for the next adventure into the world of crochet.

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What’s on My Bobbin? – Some of My First Hand Painted Fiber

The Chocolate and Mint Spin
The Chocolate and Mint Spin

Several weeks ago I started making my own hand painted fiber.  After my heavy-handed first attempt at dyeing in a roasting pan, I figured I would have more control with this technique.  And I do indeed.  This is becoming an addictive part of working with fiber.  I try to block at least one day a week to have fun and make a heck of a mess.  This usually falls on Sundays so I can hang the fiber out with the week’s laundry.

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