Spring-y ideas!

This is how I feel....

Instead...I did some rearranging...and spring cleaning...and organizing....

I tend to do this kind of stuff when I'm overwhelmed with things that are out of my control.  I suppose if some Freudian type person cared to analyze they'd say I do this so I would feel like I am in control.  Whatev.... Let's get on with it.

I moved several of my cook books out to the bakers rack.  I'm tired of them all being in the back room. 

 I also moved some decorations I found in a box that I used to have on our sun room at our old house.

 Beach-y kind of stuff.  I'm in the process of putting out some of our vacation pics. 

 I've decided I'm doing anything and everything I can to start Spring early in my mind!  My mind goes to all kinds of places, so surely it can go to Spring!

 

Care to join me?

 

BTW... Thank you for all of the sympathy wishes.  Before that tragic news, I was telling you about the Winter Woolen Workshop.   I had mentioned wanting a couple of things...and I was hoping I didn't cave.  

Welp...I caved. 

 I told myself, "Self, if you make enough money selling stuff, you are going to buy that gorgeous llama hat and beautiful pottery pot."  I did, so I did!  I'm wearing the hat and holding the pot.  You can't hardly see the hat, but it is soft llama and knitted and has tiny sparkles in it.

 Very Springy indeed! 

First spring thing to do....go get a tulip or a hyacinth at your local flower shop or grocery store and put it somewhere in your house where you will see it a lot.  It smells wonderful.  GO!

 Oh yeah...I have to tell you something that made my heart soar.  I was walking to my car when I was at the Winter Woolen Workshop.  As I was walking out....I heard them!  Way up high in the sky...Sandhill Cranes!!!!  Spring is coming I tell ya!

So here is  my plan.  Do fun, colorful (or colourful!) things to make you feel spring-y!  Put the snowman decorations away peeps.  OUT WITH THEM!  So besides adding my little seaside corner to my studio, I've been making yarn cakes out of this old cotton yarn.  I'm making these 'cakes' because it's easier to tote, and easier to store the yarn this way.  I've been putting things away and organizing and such.  It's part of my spring cleaning plan.

This is yarn I've had for years.  Not really that great for much but little mindless projects, which seem to work for me right now.   I'm making these flower coaster thingys....to hook all together and put down the center of my table at Easter time.  (Started that a year ago)

 And I'm making bunting.  Wanted to do that a year ago, but never did.

 Bunting for me, which I shall possibly hang up in the summer.

And bunting for my Dixie Doodle (the boy dog with the girl name.)

  I made him a new bed.  And I'm going to decorate it for him.  He loves it!

 

I got the idea from Dottie Angel's blog.  Dixie thanks you Tif!

 Oh, and I'm making happy springy dishcloths too....No more doing dishes with dull colored dishcloths.  This is just the beginning peeps.  Spring is here......can you feel it?

 So....let's recap.
1) go get a tulip or hyacinth
2) if you have old/cheap yarn, do mindless fun things with it
3) if you don't, surely you have material....make some fun colorful bunting
4) make some bright colored dishcloths....if you don't knit or crochet....go buy some.
5) get out some beachy vacay pics and hang them up.
That should keep you busy for awhile.

And make some plans to get out of the house!  I have lots of plans this weekend.  But for now, this past weekend.  Besides shopping for new clothes...

I took my parents out to eat for their

57 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Let's hear it for my parents!!!!

yaaaaay--clap-clap-clap-clap-way to go parents!

 Then, Sunday my Sister came over with her Mother-in-Law. Then Vickie (our cousin) came over too.  We all made these election buttons for my Sister

.  who is running for Noblesville Township Trustee.  If you live in Hamilton County, please vote for her on May 6.  She would make a good Trustee.  These buttons are a hit already!

 When the election is over, they take the paper off and they have a cute wooly pin to wear!

  
I didn't know these pics were being taken.  They were sent to me so I thought I'd throw them in this long photo heavy post! They are of the beekeeping class we taught.  That's Paul our extension officer and me.

 And this is the beekeeping class.

  Rumor is it's going to get in the 40's this weekend and maybe sunny.  Cross your fingers!   I'll get to see if my bees are alive.
Off to bed with me now.  I have a good mystery to read.
Goodnight!

Cindy Bee

Monday Ripple and a pillow by Alexandra Mackenzie

A couple of weeks ago I was painting some things with chalkboard paint.  I ended up painting this bucket.  I had no real reason for it, I just decided it would look better painted than not.  It was in bad shape.

 The other day while working on my ripple blanket, I decided I needed a place to store the yarn that I wasn't using yet.  I didn't like all of the bags on the floor, around the chair I sit in, when I crochet.

So I put a plastic bag in the bucket (I was afraid of rust or something getting on my yarn) and put the ripple blanket yarn in it.  I still have the yarn I'm actually using in a bag by the chair.  This is my excess, that I will need as my ripple blanket grows.

  And I like that it brightens up a corner of our room.

 So...the ripple....I added about eight rows.  The blanket is very wide.  I'm making it to fit our queen size bed.  And since I had to rip out a few rows, I didn't get as far as I hoped I would.  But I love the way this blue looks with this pink.

 I don't have any color combination going on.  I do have a bit of a pattern, but the colors I pick randomly.  I started this blanket months ago, at Groovy Girl Yarn.  I just got it back out when I saw where Mel from One Crafty Mumma was having a ripple-a-long.  I decided to join in.  I was having a hard time getting the hang of it again, which is why I had to rip out some rows.  I think I'm good now though.   It's my stay at home, morning/evening project.  I can't really take it with me anymore as it's too big and heavy to lug around.  But it sure is nice and toasty warm when I'm working on it!

 Now, Groovy Girl Yarn hasn't been talked about in awhile because she is moving.  But I miss my crochet group, so I asked them if they wanted to do a crochet-a-long and make this pillow

 (this is Alexandra's pillow so far.  I love her colors.)

 with Alexandra Mackenzie, during GG's move.  Anyone can join in with Alexandra.  She is posting it on facebook and just doing a row or two a day.  Our crochet group is going to meet at Big Ben Coffee Shop (our local coffee shop) and work on this pattern.  Since I asked them to join me, I thought I'd better make one side of the pillow, just to check out the pattern.  I just finished row eight.

 (I'm using my small leftover ripple yarn.  I want my pillow to match my blanket)

And I'm glad I am working the pattern before meeting, because my first attempt was too tight.  I was using a 4.5 hook, on yarn that suggests a 5 hook, and it was too tight.   The sides were really curling up.

 I re-did it with a 5 then a 5.5, and liked the 5.5 the best.

 I realized this morning that I "met" Alexandra through Mel, on Mel's blog (which is on my sidebar) when she bought a "hottie" (hot water bottle cover) from Alexandra.  What a coincidence that they are both doing crochet-a-longs that I decided to join in on, at the same time.

Cindy Bee

PS - You can find Alexandra on facebook.  I tried to download a link and it didn't work, nor do I want to spend all morning messing on this computer.  Just look up Alexandra Mackenzie.  She sells some of the coolest crocheted stuff....hot water bottle covers, coffee mug thingys, cell phone cozies, and now egg cozies, just in time for Easter.

PPS - Now I'm on my way to Mel's blog to check out other ripple blankets.  It's fun to see all of the color combinations.

PPPS!- Check out Brenda's pillow (from Ladybug Dreams)

Yarn Bombing!

YUP! "Hookin' it with Mr. Lick Lick" You were right!

Groovy Girl got yarn bombed last night.

Twas fun!

Cindy Bee

It's Ripple Tuesday!

Sad to say, the following ripple, was ripped out and started over.

Apparently she wasn't doing her ends correctly and it showed.

Cindy Bee

Ripple blanket and my style!

For years I've been going to garage sales, yarn stores, and fabric stores, buying things based on the fact that they were a good deal, I liked it, or I could make something out of it. But it wasn't always 'me'. I didn't always LOVE it.

One day I was sitting at Groovy Girl Yarn, looking at a shelving unit full of beautiful yarn and I jumped up, pulled out a bunch of colors and said, I wanna make a ripple blanket out of this....these are 'my' colors.

But then....I thought about it. I slept on it. I hoarded the yarn in my very special Hoarder Bee cabinet at the store. And then, I put it all back on the shelf.

Then my cousin Vickie came over, and we went to the yarn store. I was sitting in that same spot and I said, "Vickie, you know me. Start picking out colors for my ripple blanket." So she started with blues. Yup, I love blues. She added some pinks...I Love pinks. Then we both got into and started putting the colors in order.

I love these colors, I love this yarn. So I stashed it in my Hoarder Cabinet.

I still love this yarn and am thinking maybe I will make a blanket out of it too! But, when I went in to buy this yarn.....Ultra Alpalca was on sale for $8.00 a skein! Ultra Alpalca is soooooooooo soft and regularly $10.50 a skein. I couldn't pass up the deal, so off I go..........

Look at this yummy yarn, and there are way more colors than this!

But before I picked out my new yarn, I went out to the car and got my bag of material. And here's where the bag of material came from...

I've been setting up a craft room at our new house whenever I have any spare time. I've been going through boxes of stuff that I've had put away in our basement. Lots of vintage fabric.

and lots of yarn.

See all the blues....and browns....earthtones....Oh sure there's a few brighter colors in dishcloth yarn, but lots of earthtones. Told you I've been collecting for years. I prefer collecting rather than hoarding by the way. Well there isn't one kind of yarn with several colors in my stash. When I would knit, I would knit blankets all one color. But it seems, with crochet, I like changing colors.

So here's what I did. I went through my material and pulled out a few vintage hankies, vintage pillowcases, and some material that I really loved. Then out of that stack, I only allowed myself three or four pieces of each. I made myself pick what made me feel happy. And here it is.....


I love all of these colors.

And while I was picking out my Ultra Alpaca, trying to match the colors Vickie and I picked out, Groovy Girl said, "why don't you go out to your car and get your material that you want to match."

I did.

And here's my yarn for my ripple.

We decided to match this pillowcase.

Funny thing, it matches the table cloth that I have on my table at our current house.

And by the way, we are starting or ripple blankets tomorrow (Tuesday). AND, I talked the Groovy Girl into keeping the Ultra Alpalca on sale through tomorrow night! Come make a ripple with us!

Cindy Bee