Cherry Sheep

What do you get when you mix fruity scented Kool Aid and wool yarn? Something that smells really weird...like cherry sheep! It's not a good combination!


But, you also get some pretty yarn...


I played around with Kool Aid dying last weekend for the first time. I've seen yarn dyed this way by fellow knitters for a couple years now. I'm not sure what took me so long to try it. It's easy, quick, cheap and fun!

I found some directions on Knitty. For yarn, I used an eight ounce skein of Lyon Brand Fisherman's Wool in the natural color. I split it into two four ounce skeins, tied them, washed, rinsed and soaked them. Meanwhile, I mixed 3 packages of black cherry Kool aid, 1 cherry, 1 pink lemonade, and 2 lemonade in a pot with some water. I placed the yarn in the pot, added water to cover the yarn (although, it kind of floated), turned on the heat, stirred and pressed the yarn down occasionally, and let it cook until it was almost boiling and the water was clear. That was the amazing part...the water became CLEAR! From deep, dark, red to clear! At that point, I turned off the heat, allowed it to cool down and washed and rinsed it in water that was the same temperature so I wouldn't shock and felt it. Then, I squeezed out the water and hung the yarn to dry.

The directions called for one package of Kool Aid for each ounce of yarn. Being the stubborn person that I am, I only used seven packages for my eight ounces of yarn and it turned out a lot lighter than I had hoped. But, it is very pretty. It has some variation in it too. Some of that might be from the skeins being thick and the color not getting all the way into the sections that were tied (even though they were kind of loose). I'm not sure about the extra dark parts or how to avoid that next time. I'm hoping the variation will add to the "prettiness" factor when it's knitted up.

I'm excited to try this again. There are so many possibilities!

Toasty Me!

I just finished a soft, toasty, warm cowl just for me. It's another cowl made from the free Georgian Lace Cap pattern. I've made several of these for gifts and I've been wanting one for myself ever since the first one. I love these! They're pretty and fun to make. This one is made from a ball of Cotton Ease that I picked up a couple weeks ago on clearance. This cowl cost me less than $3 to make! And, I may have enough yarn left over to make a baby hat.

I used size 7, 16" circular needles and followed the pattern, knitting 7 repeats of the lace chart. Instead of doing the decreases for the hat, I finished it up by knitting four more rows and binding off loosely with a size 8 needle. This cowl is one lace repeat longer than the other ones I made and I love it even more. It's a perfect size to keep my entire neck warm.


I love the color, "Seaspray". It even matches a pair of my favorite turqouise earrings...


The calendar may say "Spring" but it's still wintery around here. There are more storms and cold temps in our forecast for the next week or so. I think I'll be wearing and enjoying this a lot! :-)

Hmmmm?

I've been saving mesh/net bags from produce for a few years now. I just can't throw them out. It seems like it would be so wasteful and it's so much plastic to put into the landfill. I've thought all along that I'd come up with something to use them for. Today, I felt inspired and gathered them up from the basket I save plastic grocery bags in. I have so many more than I thought...


I think that all the red ones came from buying tomatoes. Wow! I love tomatoes but had no idea we'd eaten so many! I also have white ones, yellow ones, even a green, a black, and an orange one.

I was thinking that I could cut them into strips, link them together to make a sort of yarn ball and crochet or knit a bag of some sort. However, my attempts have ended up with a "yarn" that is far from pleasant to work with and it looks pretty bad too. I've searched online to try and find ideas of what to use these for and have come up with nothing. I'm not ready to give up just yet. I have so many and they really seem like they could become something wonderful...or, at least, useful. Do you have any ideas?

Pretty Plates

I'm always watching for transferware but rarely find it...until lately. I found two antique plates and a cup a few months ago. I found another antique plate and two new replicas a few weeks ago. And, last week, I found three more replicas that I couldn't pass up...

This red plate with a chicken will go great with my growing collection of red transferware. I love the gingham border...


I'm always watching for red, blue, brown or black transferware and I usually just find red. Sometimes I find blue plates but I pass them up because they usually have buildings or people on them and I just collect plates with botanical patterns. When I find them with botanical patterns, they're rare and expensive. This one is botanical and definitely fits into my budget. It was only $2!...


This one was only $2 too! I broke my own rule of no buildings but this little cottage scene is pretty. This small saucer is so cute and I like it's rippled edge...


Now, I'm officially collecting red and blue. And, now, I think I have enough red plates to hang in a nice grouping on the wall. :-)

Snuggle Set

I just finished knitting up a little gift set for some friends and their brand new baby girl...


I used Bernat Softee yarn in a pretty pink color called "Soft Peach". It's acrylic but it's soft, pretty and will be easy care. It was very splitty to work with though.

For the baby sack I used size 7, 16" circular needles and cast on 100 stitches. I knit the top 15 rows in a 2x2 rib and then knitted until it measured 14" from the cast on edge. I placed a marker every 10 stitches and used the Owlie Sleep Sack pattern as inspiration for decreasing the bottom. It's a little larger and bigger around than the Owlie Sleep Sack I made a few months ago, in hopes that it will fit a little longer.

I switched to size 5 double point needles for the hat and cast on 60 stitches. I knitted a 2x2 rib for 7 rows and continued knitting until it measured 4 1/2 inches from the cast on edge. For the decrease, I knit 8, knit 2 together and repeated around. I placed markers between each repeat to stay on track. I knit one row. Next, I knit 7, knit 2 together and repeated around. I repeated in this manner until I had 4 stitches between markers and then k2tog all the way around. I stopped when I had a total of six stitches left and ran the tail through all the stitches and snugged it up. I think it might be a bit tall. I probably should have just knit to 4 inches (or less) before I started decreasing. I’ll know when the baby tries it on.

I love this baby sack idea and would have loved this when my daughter was baby. It seems like a baby would feel very snuggly and comfy in one of these. I love the pink of this set. It's so pretty! I hope the recipients like it.

Kaleidoscope Shawl

I recently acquired a gorgeous ball of color...


It's "Punta Yarns Merisock Hand Painted". There were 463 yards in the skein and I tried to use every inch that I could. This little ball is all that is left from the Lily Chin "Mock Faroese Shawl" that I finished a couple of weeks ago...


I tried a few different crochet hook sizes and decided on an "I". It made the stitches full and not stringy but left them loose enough to block out and look lacey. Here it is before blocking...


The top really wanted to curve so I went with it. That meant that my foldover-down-the-center technique would work best to keep it symmetrical. I folded it down the center, placed a blocking wire in the fold and used pins to secure it...


Next, I gently stretched it out, being careful to keep points and rows together, shaped it, pinned it, and let it dry...


It has a pretty shape...


The small amount of yardage and this pattern limited the size but it turned out to be a nice small shawlette...


Drapey and lacey...


It'll make a perfect accent to an outfit and a nice splash of color...


The colors...I just can't get enough of them...


Red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, brown...


So pretty!...

Growing Collection

My collection of transferware is growing! I found a two plates and a cup a couple of months ago. Yesterday, I visited one of my favorite little antique shops and found two more...

This one is small but so pretty. I think it's old too...


Here's the back of it...


I like botanical patterns the best and have avoided designs with buildings, people or scenes...until now. I couldn't resist this one because it's so cute. I love the cow, the sheep, the black sheep, more sheep in the background and, of course, all of the flowers around the edge. This plate is a reproduction of a pattern called, "Milk Maid" which was first introduced in 1814. It even came with a plate hanger already on it...


This is another reproduction that I found a few weeks ago at a discount store. The center of the plate is similar to an antique one that I already have but the pattern around the edge is different...


I'd love it if all of my plates were old but transferware has become a challenge to find. So, when I find a plate that I like and it's in a color I like, especially red, I get it! I think I have enough now to hang a nice grouping on the wall.

I'm still considering a large antique transferware pitcher that I saw yesterday. It's gorgeous but it's $38 (not too bad). Hmmm???

Bye Bye Birdies

I like birds. And, I like the trim around the windows of our house. After we moved into our current home (about eight years ago) we realized that pigeons also like the trim around our windows. That's NOT good! They're very messy! We've been trying ever since to keep them off. Our most successful solution has been to hang netting (fine landscape netting that barely shows) from the eaves to just below the top of the windows (the pigeons only seem to like the tops of the windows on the second story). Other than a few times that the netting has fallen and hubby had to re-hang it, it's worked pretty well. Problem solved, right? Well...maybe not.

We recently started seeing little white balls of foam on the ground on one side of our house. At first, we had no idea what it was...


We kept seeing more and more of it and one day when I was out there I noticed a few pieces falling from the sky. I looked up and quickly realized what it was. Before we were successful in keeping the pigeons off of the trim ledges, they must have scratched off some of the stucco. Even though the pigeons can't go up there anymore because of the netting, the sparrows can and missing stucco makes it possible for them to pick into the foam underneath. They not only picked, they dug tunnels! I saw one fly out of a hole! Argh!

We had to do something and we had to do it quick! We made a trip to Lowe's and bought a really long ladder (not cheap but it's 20 feet to the eaves!), foam to fill up the tunnels and holes, a long slat of aluminum to cover the top of the trim and prevent further damage, and some spikes to keep birds off.

After lots of fiddling and adjusting of the ladder, we finally got it in a good spot, at a good angle, and hubby felt pretty safe. It's really high up there! He sprayed foam into the holes.


While it dried, he drilled holes into the aluminum slat and attached bird spikes with stainless steel wire. The aluminum will protect the top of the window and cover the holes. Attaching the spikes to the one slat also allowed him to attach all six feet at once (they come in 12" sections).


If this doesn't work, I don't know what we'll do!


He had to trim some of the spikes to make them fit around the eaves. And, it was a challenge to put it up there. It's not pretty and some of the foam and damage shows but, hopefully, it will work.


Now that we've figured out how to get the spikes onto the ledge, the other windows should be a little easier. They'll be cheaper too because we now have a big ladder. Who knew little sparrows could be destructive and expensive?! Certainly not us! We'll be working on more windows this weekend. Then, it'll be time to call the window washers!

Fresh Baked

My husband likes to bake bread from time to time and my daughter recently had a craving for stromboli. That works out perfectly for both of them. Hubby made some bread dough and used half for a loaf of bread...


My daughter used the other half to make stromboli. She rolled out the dough, layered on Salchichon, Jamon Serrano and Chorizo Cantimpalo (three spanish meats from Trader Joe's - kind of like salami and prosciutto) and spinach and she made slices on the two sides...


She braided the slices over the top...


Then, she brushed on a mixture she had made on the stove. I think it had olive oil, garlic, basil and some spices...


It was lookin' good as it went into the oven...


The baking bread and stromboli made the house smell wonderful! Mmmm...golden brown...


All done!


She made some sauce to dip it in. I think it had olive oil, green chilis, chili powder, garlic and some mayo, among other things. It was really good!


Delicious!


Hubby's bread was really good too. He tried a new recipe and it was the fluffiest loaf he'd ever made. There's nothing like fresh baked bread...whether it's a loaf or made into stromboli...Mmmmmm!

Adventures in Clay

I've always wanted to try my hand at ceramics but just never got around to it...until now. My daughter took a ceramics class at the local college last semester and had a lot of fun. She decided to take it again and asked me to take it with her. How could I pass up the opportunity to spend time with my daughter, have fun, and try something I've thought about doing for decades?!

It's a lot of fun but I'm learning that ceramics isn't quite as easy as I had thought and that's causing me to appreciate even the simplest of items. I'm also learning that the outcome of ceramics projects aren't always predictable but it kind of adds to the fun. My first project is a perfect example of that. We were asked to make a fruit or vegetable. I chose a pear. It was made with two cup type halves that I put together in the center and then sculpted into a hollow pear shape. It has a hole at the top for a stem (which I still need to add) and a hole at the bottom to release steam and prevent it from exploding when it's fired. After I was done with the sculpting, it was left to dry and then bisque fired to finish drying it and make it hard. I then painted a raku glaze on it and it was fired at a higher temperature (high fire). Then, the fun began!

At the start of class some projects were set into a kiln and fired for about an hour...they became glowing orange hot. At that time, with gloves and long tongs, we each carefully lifted our project out and lowered it into a bucket of newspaper and closed the lid as it caught fire. The projects sat and smoldered for an hour or so and then we carefully took them out and cooled them with water (we had to hurry the process because of the short class time). Then, it was time for a good scrubbing to clean off the black soot.

There is some control at the raku stage in that if we use a metalic glaze and put it into the can as quick as possible and shut the lid to reduce the oxygen (reduction) we get more of a metalic look. If it's held it out for a few seconds before reducing the oxygen, you get less metalic and more color. I used a green/copper glaze and held my pear in the air for a few seconds to get some green color before placing it into the bucket for a little copper blush. However, when all was said and done, I realized that I must have used the wrong glaze because my pear is white! I like it though. I think it turned out pretty...


The copper blush is right where I had hoped it would be. How lucky is that?! I still need to add a stem. I think I'll make it black to go with the black on the pear.


I didn't expect all of the black splotches and cracks but I like it.


Here's a close up of the side with copper and the most color and pattern.


Our next assignment was to make three plates using rolled out slabs of clay. I made my first one with leaves and berries. For this project we used colored slip (watered down clay and minerals) to paint on color. There wasn't a red for the berries so I used the next best thing a dark pink/burgandy (or it was supposed to be after firing). Here it is before the first firing...


After firing, glazing and firing again, the berries ended up blue. Hmmmm? And, the many layers of white turned out splotchy. Like I said, this is very unpredictable!


I do like it though. I think the leaves and berries look pretty good.


My second plate had a few surprises too. First, I took the coil out from under the edge a little too soon and parts of the edge drooped. I like the design and the yellow color though.


After the first firing, it had a dark gray/green splotch on one side. I was told that it might go away after the glazing and the second firing. Instead, the whole thing turned gray and really splotchy!


I still like the pattern but I'm not sure I love this plate.


I have one more plate that's undergoing it's first firing this week. I'll post a picture when it's done. I'm also working on a birdhouse that I'm hoping to raku. I can't wait to see how it turns out! This is fun! :-D

Thoughtful Thursday

I'm still here! In fact, I check my blog everyday and read blogs that I like to follow. I even have things I want to blog about. But, I've just been too busy to plan out the posts, take pictures, and spend the time putting it all together. What have I been up to? Well...

I'm taking a ceramics class with my daughter at the local college. That's taking up a couple nights a week along with a little homework time. My daughter took this class last semester and had a lot of fun. She wanted me to take it with her this semester. In fact, she practically begged me to do it. How cool is that? I couldn't pass that up. Not many kids want their moms to take a class with them. It's a great opportunity to spend time with her, have fun, and make memories. Some of my first projects are starting to come out of the kiln and I plan to post some pictures soon.

I've been deep into Spring cleaning. Actually, my husband and daughter have been too. We've been getting rid of stuff that we just don't use, need or want. We've been filling the trash can and taking loads of stuff to donate. It's surprising to have so much going out because we thought we were keeping up on this kind of thing. We take stuff to donate every couple of months or so. Simplifying and cleaning even more feels great! Hubby built some storage into my daughter's walk-in closet and we're making plans for some other home improvement projects too.

The tendonitis in my elbows is doing soooo much better. The physical therapy and time have made a world of difference and I'm doing things I haven't been able to do in a couple of years! It's so exciting! I've been riding my mountain bike again and not just on dirt roads but on rocky, technical trails! Yeeha! All the time off my bike and not being able to do it make it even more fun now that ever. I also went skiing last week! Pretty cool because last winter I couldn't even hold a ski pole! I forgot how much I love to ski! It was one of my best ski days ever! We're planning to go again very soon! I can't wait!

I've been doing very little in the way of knitting, crochet or any other crafty pursuits. It's not for lack of trying. I've tried several patterns that just don't seem to work. And, I've spent a lot of time lately trying to match patterns to stash yarn. That often feels like an impossible task! I did find a pattern and yarn match late one evening that I really liked but didn't have the right size of circular needle to start it. Ugh! The next day I decided I really needed to start on a baby gift instead. So, I'm working on a little sleep sack and hat set now. I'm not sure if I'll get it done in time though...the baby shower is this Saturday! Oh...and I did get out that problem vest project and I've worked on it a little. I really need more hours in the day!

Well, I'd better end this and get started with my day. I have a dog to walk, a load of stuff to donate and a baby gift to knit, among other things. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend! :-)