Posted on

What’s on My Bobbin? – Natural Dyeing over the Weekend

Henna, Cutch, and Madder
Henna, Cutch, and Madder – the three natural dyes we used this past weekend. (Please ignore the horrible spinning. These were my very first skeins from Loki, my spinning wheel.)

Natural dyeing was not something I thought I would have more than passing interest.  However, I failed to realized that it taps strongly into my love of foraging.  I love finding plants for the bun sisters to nibble on so they have a varied diet.  But foraging to dye fiber or yarn?  Ehh…  Not so much.

Then came last Sunday.  I spent the afternoon using plant-based dyes with my spinner’s group.  Wow!  That was incredibly fun!  Though the yarn was not as intense as what I dyed in the past using acid dyes, the colors are …well …natural. Continue reading “What’s on My Bobbin? – Natural Dyeing over the Weekend”

Posted on

Minecraft Crochet Patterns – Two of My Favorite Things Meet

Minecraft crochet patterns?  Yes, please!  Whether it’s an iconic Creeper or an adorable cow, the thought of a finished Minecraft crochet project sitting on my bed makes me smile.

Minecraft’s pixilated graphics translate incredibly well into crochet stitches so it’s relatively easy to create one of your favorite characters.  You can even create one of the many blocks that make up the world around you.  Diamonds, anyone?  How about some grass blocks?  Dirt blocks?  The possibilities are as endless as the world seeds.

Continue reading “Minecraft Crochet Patterns – Two of My Favorite Things Meet”

Posted on

WIP Tuesday – How Many WIP’s are too Many?

Game of the Day
Game of the Day – How Many WIP’s Can You See?

Can a crocheter ever have too many WIP’s?  Is it even possible?  I guess it is, especially if there are more WIP hours than hours in a person’s life.  But all the pretty patterns and yarns!  It’s a struggle to choose one over another.

Take for instance the Hygge CAL I am finally working on.  I had to have it when the kit first became available.  And though you couldn’t technically call it a WIP until I started making the 60 chains a few weeks ago, it sat on my bed for over a year.  For over said year I moved it from the bed to the stool every morning and the reverse every evening.

Continue reading “WIP Tuesday – How Many WIP’s are too Many?”

Posted on

Another Fiber-filled Weekend Full of Fun

The Family Collaboration
The Family Collaboration I showed off this weekend

Good grief!  Are there enough F’s in that title for you?  🙂  It truly was a fun fiber-filled weekend.  The anxiety I felt most of last week has subsided now that I am taking Monday to recover.  The blog should be back to normal with daily posts during the week.  I had to take a few days off for my own mental health.

The weather (I must be British) was doomy and gloomy, going from hot to cold with almost constant rain followed by humid days that made me melt like chocolate on the sidewalk.  It was a bad week if you wanted to remain cheerful.

Continue reading “Another Fiber-filled Weekend Full of Fun”

Posted on

WIP Tuesday – My Three Scheepjes Crochet Projects to Date

White and Black Scheepjes Stone Washed yarn
White and Black Scheepjes Stone Washed yarn

I brought all three of my Scheepjes crochet projects with me to the library this morning.  Since I couldn’t make up my mind which one to put in my bag, I took all of them.

With the forecast calling for heat and humidity, the cotton blend of the yarns were a good choice.  It’s usually a temperature control lottery in the library when the weather changes dramatically.  Today the room was relatively comfortable, no doubt because the heat wouldn’t arrive until later in the morning.

Continue reading “WIP Tuesday – My Three Scheepjes Crochet Projects to Date”

Posted on

Working on the Garden This Holiday Weekend

"Supertunia" - Picasso in Blue
“Supertunia” – Picasso in Blue – I love the green edging!

It is the Memorial Day weekend here in the United States, the day that we honor the  brave men and women who gave their lives to keep us the land of the free.  It is also the unofficial start of summer when people gather in groups to eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and various “salads” while drinking an assortment of beverages.

What am I planning on doing today?  Well, I do things a bit differently.  Mom and I are planning a trip to Aldi after we grab lunch at our favorite sit-down Chinese restaurant.  Yeah, we’re weird, but it suits us.  Dad will probably do what he does best:  work around the house and yard, take a nap, and be grumpy.

Remember, no family is “normal”.

Continue reading “Working on the Garden This Holiday Weekend”

Posted on

Working on a New Shawl Idea …or Not

The final color combination
The final color combination

There are two organza bags full of lovely yarn that have been sitting on my shelf for about a year. I made sure to get a nice rainbow selection when I placed the order.  Then I added several more skeins of a creamy white so I would have a neutral to place between each color.

Did I have a pattern in mind when I hit the “Place Order” button on the website?  Are you kidding?  I like to live dangerously.  Who cares about dye lots?  So what if I need 300 more skeins of the yellow?  Pah!  That’s for noobs!

Continue reading “Working on a New Shawl Idea …or Not”

Posted on

WIP Tuesday – Working on Part 2 of the Hygge CAL

In the middle of Part 2 of the Hygge CAL
In the middle of Part 2 of the Hygge CAL

As I continue on to part 2 of the Hygge CAL, I’m still not sure if it will be done in time for the Farm Fair.  The single crochets that make up a majority of the wrap are super easy and I could get through them in a week or two, even with numerous distractions.  I lack the confidence to do the cross stitch on a black surface.  It has been many years since I did any cross stitch work so I am hoping it will be much like riding a bicycle.

Continue reading “WIP Tuesday – Working on Part 2 of the Hygge CAL”

Posted on

A Fiber Swap and Other Fun Stuff this Weekend

What a crazy weather weekend we had!  Saturday was rainy and cold then Sunday was hot and muggy.  I was so grateful that my crochet student gave me a cup of coffee when I came in for our lesson Saturday.  She even turned on the heater since we were both chilled to the bone with the dampness.

Sunday’s fiber swap was a bit nicer when the sun came out for a little bit.  It was so muggy though and the rain was not ready to give up as two showers passed as we spun.

Today’s weather is just about perfect with a few fluffy clouds and a nice breeze that is airing out the damp.  Hopefully, we have a few more days like today before summer hits with a bucket of humidity.

Continue reading “A Fiber Swap and Other Fun Stuff this Weekend”