Crochet update

  I wanted to give you a crochet update two weeks ago, and I'm just now getting to it. It seems I cannot keep up lately.  I need a routine.  I have none.  Another subject for another time.

This is Barb's pillow.  She was running a tad behind us.  As you recall we were doing a crochet-a-long, and some (ahem) crocheted ahead rather than along...and then Barb....well, she crocheted behind! (teehee)

 And here are our finished pillows...minus Barb's...because that is hers above.  

Unfinished...but getting there.

 This is an Alexandra Mackenzie pattern...and she had a crochet-a-long on facebook and we all joined in.

 I think they turned out great.

 
This is "K"s pillow.

 This is my pillow.

 This is Groovy Girl's

 And I happened to do the buttons correctly...(just though I'd throw that in)

 Then we made these owls.

 ..

 Aren't they hilarious?  I must say, I missed crochet group when these were made, so I made a couple of them at home...and I got mercilessly made fun of.  Or at least my owl did.

He is so much bigger than the other owlettes.  We got this pattern from Bunny Mummy.

And while I'm showing you crochet projects, I thought I'd give you a ripple update.

And I have to admit I'm so glad I'm a yarn hoarder, because the other day I needed more white, and I had it in my stash! This ripple pattern came from Lucy at Attic 24 (see my side bar).  And Mel (Day to Day - side bar again) got me motivated to get it back out and get busy on it.  She had a crochet a long.  Love those crochet a longs!

And lastly...

Last week, Groovy Girl Yarn had a lot of sales.  And Cascade 220 was on sale for 20% off!  I've looked at that yarn since I started my ripple months ago

....and when it went on sale, I took it as a sign....

so I bought the colors I was going to buy for my ripple originally, before I changed my mind and bought the colors above... (did that make sense?)

And now I'm trying to decide what to make with it.  It'll be another blanket.

I don't know if you remember this book, but it had a pattern in it that I really liked.

It's not this striped blanket, but I do like this.  And it would be easy to do.  Simple garter (knit) stitch.  Just turn your computer sideways to see what it looks like....it's too late to fiddle with the picture!

This is the afghan that I really liked.  Thing is....I don't know if I'd be up to all of that color changing and crocheting those squares together. 

Here is another pattern I found...

And although I love this one, I read the pattern and every one of those squares are four triangles sewn together....not gonna happen.

Do you have any ideas for a knitted or crocheted blanket with several colors of yarn?  I have time to research and I've been looking through books.  I just really like having a blanket going while I'm watching tv in the evening.  Something simple, that I don't have to pay a lot of attention to details.  Lemme' know.

Cindy Bee

Staycation week.

So, this week we have been on vacation....Or as some people call it, staycation.

  We decided to stay home and try to get some things done, and relax, instead of hurrying through stuff.

 It's Thursday, (it's Friday now, started posting this on Thursday) and I'm not getting it all done. BUT, I'm having a great week.

  

We went mushroom hunting, and I didn't find any mushrooms, but I did find Jake, the snake!

One of the things marked off of the list is move beehives.

 Now let me tell you how to move beehives.  You do it when it's dark out, when it's cool out, or when it's raining out. You suit up and you start the smoker....just in case the bees decide to pop out and say Hi.

 And it's easier if you have that moving tool you see around the bottom of the hive, which I borrowed from a friend last year.  As you can see, we did it when it was raining out. We had to move two of them from the house in town, to the country.  You move them during those,rainy, cold, or dark times, because that's when the bees are inside the hive.  We'll talk more about beehives later.  The season is here.  I'll be getting in my hives on Monday.  It's supposed to be sunny and 73.  Keep your fingers crossed that they lived. You never know until you open the hive.

 

I also marked off of the list getting a new cell phone.  Mine was over two years old and some of the updates weren't downloading.  And it's just fun to get a new cell phone sometimes.

Indy fun is on the list.  We had Indy fun Wednesday.  Indy fun is getting the hell out of dodge and having fun in Indianapolis.  We started out at Barnes and Noble.  I got a magazine.  I love this crochet magazine and I've never been able to find it in my town.

 Then we went to Macaroni Grill and ate lunch/dinner.  I had chicken Parmesan 

 and my Shug had fettuccine Alfredo.

 They have the tastiest bread which comes with every meal.

 They seated us right by these bottles of wine, so I had to indulge! 

 I ended up getting two bottles of reds to take home. How could I not?  On Thursdays you can buy them for $15.00 each.

 Then we went to a casino for a couple of hours.  I'm a loser.  Always am. But I had fun trying.  When we left, this is what the sky looked like. 

 

Peeps...this rain has got to stop!
Oh and did I mention that morning we had snow, ice pellets, and rain. 

 Stop I tell ya....

 Then we watched a FUN movie.  You have to watch it.  The name of it is Dolphins Tale.  Harry Connick Jr. is in it and who doesn't love him?  My Shug called it a "goody goody" movie.  And as I was sitting there watching the movie, I looked up and saw this moon shining in our window.  Beautiful!

 Then as I was getting ready for bed, I was taking my earrings out and I swear to Pete, these were the earrings I had in my ears.  All day long...Yup, one in each ear.  I sometimes cannot hold a thought together long enough to even put earrings in!  It's menopause.  I swear it is.  And that's when it started....everything started going to hell in a hand basket.  YUP....it did.

The next morning I tried telling my Shug to just do something fun today.  I was going to crochet group. I told him do not bother moving bricks (the bottom thing on this list)  My friend Cheryl and I are going to start moving them on Monday, for exercise. 

 He did not listen.

 And he got stuck in the mud.

He got stuck in the mud, after he backed over a wheelbarrow, and after we moved a hive that I said we needed to wait until after Monday to move.  I need to go through them first.  He just knew that hive was dead and wanted to move it.  We did.  Big mistake.  It wasn't dead.
 It wasn't raining out.
It wasn't cold out.
It wasn't dark out.
We weren't suited up.
I didn't have the smoker going.
Right after we moved it, out came the bees and they were mad.
 He got stung on his head.
And I heard one buzzing in my ear.  You know how you are trying to sleep at night and a fly buzzes your head all night long.  Well it sounded like that.  I kept yelling "I HEAR IT IN MY HAIR!"  "I don't see it he says."  "WELL I HEAR IT!"  As I run from the beeyard to our room in the basement, grabbing my hair, squishing my hair, flinging my hair with my hand the entire way, flinging my head around because I kept hearing it buzz by my ear.  I ran into the bathroom and I took a comb with big teeth, put it by my scalp and pulled, with my head upside down over the sink and sure enough, a bee fell out and landed in the sink, moving slowly because during one of those flings and squishes, I maimed her.  I promptly grabbed a tissue, squished, and tossed her in the toilet, and flushed.  I WAS DONE!

And while we were taking a break, sitting outside the garage,  we heard something above our heads.  There is an animal of some sort partying in our soffits, inside the attic of the garage.  Great.  Shug set the live trap, which we have yet to catch a thing in so far.....ever! 

Then last night, I sit in my chair watching a STOOPID movie with Kevin Costner in it.  Something about another daughter.  I like Dances with Wolves 100 times better. But here it is...popping up to say Hi....the moon....

A calming presence on a crazy day!

Cindy Bee

Dancing in the Moonlight

 A few weeks ago I was perusing a blog and I saw the cutest painting.  It was an itty bitty painting.  It reminded me of that song "Dancing in the Moonlight".  So romantic.

I don't even remember how I found this blog, or maybe she found me first, who knows!

But I love Melody Lorraine's blog.  Click here and check it out.

  It was during the time I was really busy and stressed, 

commenting little, not blogging at all, but still perusing blogs.  

Anyway, I wanted that picture, so I asked her if it was for sale.

After e-maling back and forth, I sent her a check and I got this in the mail yesterday.

 

 First of all, check out the outside of the envelope...above...with a flower and a honey bee on it.  Caauuute!

 Who wouldn't be all excited to get a package like that in the mail!

 

And look at all of these goodies inside! I only ordered a painting and I got all of this!!

 This bookmark is adorable!  I love this style...reminds me of Beatrix Potter!

 This is a handmade card and she took the time to write a note inside.  When she is famous...I'll have a handwritten note!  

 When I sent her the check for the painting, I quickly enclosed it in an envelope along with an old ledger book I had that was falling apart and popped it in the mail.  That's it.  No cute notes or little odds and ends.  Sorry Melody. 
I knew she liked old ledger papers and she had an old ledger book from her grandmother.  My sale was going to be the first one she wrote in the ledger book!

Would you just look what she made out of the ledger paper.  It's actually long.You can see a better picture of how long it is in the photo above.  I just can't get a good pic of it with my little point and shoot camera.

 








It's actually twice as long as this...it folds out.

This little painting is adorable.  I am going to frame all of this stuff!

   There were also these cute little stickers enclosed!

And here we go! The reason for this post....you know how you just see something and you just love it instantly.   

 

Me and my Shug dancing in the moonlight on our new property. 

 Love it!
Cindy Bee

 PS - Note to the Vintage Folk Painter, I think you and her look like you have a lot in common.  Different style of painting I think, but a like for some of the same artists.

PPS - I noticed where Mel from Day to Day blog posted the final ripple a long post.  But I just got this one finished, so I'll post my ripple along next, in a couple of days.  Please check back for ripple progress.  It's coming along.