Garden Green Freshness

Our veggie garden is churning out its first goodness of the season. We planted three varieties of lettuce before it got hot, hot, hot and they have really blossomed into prolific plants. Just look at this tasty dinner salad. Everything but the tomatoes is from our garden!! How cool is that? There is something just so satisfying about making dinner out of your own backyard.

Green is obviously a color very much on my mind this week. Here's a Julie cuff I'm working on ..... in green. You can find the free pattern for it here. If you make one, I found the stitch diagram to be leagues clearer to follow than the written instructions. This is one of those pieces where blocking is a must. Blocking works straightening magic on fine crochet thread motifs like this. Here it is currently being blocked.This link is the best tutorial I have found for blocking crochet for those who would like to know. My tips? 1) A piece of thick foam core covered in paper towels works great for a low-cost blocking surface. 2) Use rust-free, rust-proof pins! Seriously, do not fudge on this or you will not be happy.

Now... if only the local bakery has green frosted doughnuts, this will be a beautiful, if very hot, week :)

Queen Anne Lace Scarves

School is out for the summer! My little munchkins are happy to have their long, carefree summer vacation ahead of them, but yes .. there have been tears of sadness over saying goodbye to their teachers and friends. I don't know how teachers do it bonding with their kids all year long and then having to say goodbye to them all every year. I'd be a complete blubbery mess for sure. This year both my children were blessed with *stellar* teachers. Really exceptional professionals who taught them well, looked out for them, and really cared. For end-of-year thank you gifts, my munchkins worked hard making little bookmarks, baking cookies, and hand-writing notes to them, but I really wanted to do something extra special for them. I found this pattern for the elegant and versitile Queen Anne's Lace scarf, named after the lacy white flower, and thought. . . perfect!. I asked each boy what color clothes their teacher wore to school often, or if they had a favorite color. Answer to question #1: "maybe dark black?". Answer to question #2: "no idea". So .... new strategy. I took them to the yarn store and asked them to pick out a color their teacher would like. Success! One picked "peacock" and the other picked "plum pudding". Love that name, "plum pudding"!

They turned out even prettier than I had imagined! At one point I rolled one to put it away for the evening and thought .. "hey, that looks like a flower blossom rolled that way! How cute!" Can you see the resemblance?So, I rolled them up for packaging. Of course they didn't stay rolled up all on their own, but a little coordinating ribbon did the trick.
Even with everything else going on I managed to get these done just in the nick of time. Even one day early! Which was good timing because I wasn't sure if I would be in town the very last day of school and was able to walk my munchkins to school and drop them off a day early. Yeah!!

Free Pattern: Drop Stitch Scarf

Scarfs are usually thought of as a winter accessory to warm and protect against inclement weather, but scarfs can actually be worn all year long... it just depends how you make them and what you make them out of. A drop stitch scarf is not only lovely to look at, but the huge slits in it created by the dropped stitches create an airy, lightweight fabric that lets cool breezes through. Wool is not a great choice for warmer weather, so you'd want to stick with cool cotton or .... ribbon yarn! Ribbon yarn is thin and thick at the same time, comes in a dazzling array of colors, many of them multi-colored. This is one I recently made in a vibrant, shimmery ribbon yarn.Drop stitch scarfs are VERY easy to make and work up very quickly with a minimum of yarn. I've never needed more than one normal-sized skein per scarf. You can find a free pattern for this scarf here. It is suitable for beginning knitters and the results, whatever yarn used, are always very satisfying. Fringe (not pictured) is optional, but highly, highly recommended to add.

Boo Boo

My littlest munchkin had a big boo boo and it's been stressful for the past few months. I don't talk about my kids online too much or allow their pictures for safety and privacy reasons, but the last phone call from the pediatrician was great news and such a relief! I wanted to say a special thank you to his pediatrician, the wonderful team at St. Vincent's Children's Hospital and his kindergarten teacher for taking such good care of him.

How to Make a Sticky Post on Blogger

This is a useful trick to know: how to make a "sticky post" that always stays at the top of your posts in Blogger. Here's how:

1) Sign into Blogger and click the "Layout" tab at the top.

2) Select "Add a Gadget" and then choose "Text".

3) Complete the "Configure Text" window, click the "Save" button.

4) Drag the text item to the "Blog Posts" section of your layout.

5) Click "Preview" to make sure the sticky post appears at the top, then click "Save".

6) You are done!

Free Pattern: Simplicity Summer Scarf

I needed a quick graduation gift and had been toying with a vine trellis / flower crochet concept for a while, and suddenly, it all just came together! Five hours later ... and this cute, lightweight summer scarf was ready to be wrapped up.

You can see a hint of my famous pumpkin wall in that last shot. And I still can't believe how well that bust made of paper mache turned out! All my jewelry busts were, alas, short and neckless, so after a couple of layers of handmade paper (the cool stuff, with flower petals and leaves pressed in it) and many, many coats of Modgepodge .. Ta Da! You many recognize it from the photos of the scarflettes, its photographic debut :) I am *so* in love with the greater versatility of having a neck!!

If you crochet and want to make a similar pattern, I'm offering it for free on this page. If you make a scarf from the pattern or find wording in the pattern that could be improved, let me know!

Gosh, it is lovely to not have that page be completely empty anymore! Lots of firsts involved .. my first digital pattern, my first PDF, my first HTML to get the PDF to download... etc., etc. Ah .. I love learning new things! :D

Can you Define Your Style in One Picture?

This week I had the pleasure of having my vintage rose button beads selected as an Etsy Item of the Day! Very exciting!

And .. I was tagged by Gracie with the "Style Challenge" to pick one image that describes my style. This was really tough! Because I don't have just one style. If I had to pick though .... how about this Jules Verne type bedroom at the Atlantic Hotel in Dubai. Sleek and modern, but very biological:

Pictures from All4YourFun

The contemporary fusion design coming out of places like Morocco, Hawaii and Thailand looks like "my style" too :) This Moorish fantasy house is in Florida, but you get the idea.

Pictures from Architectural Digest

What's your style? Would you like to take the "Style Challenge"? Play along in blogland by posting a pic (or two) that defines *your* special style!

Kids Learn to Crochet

"Can you teach me mommy?" This is something I've been hearing a lot lately from my eldest son :) So I was thrilled to find this book on teaching kids crochet.It is by far the best book I have found for making crochet concepts understandable to first time beginners of any age. The cheery projects and simple language are geared for kids, but it has such excellent step-by-step instructions that it will demystify crochet for anyone.

He and I have been working through the first few chapters together focusing on the basics: slip knots, chains and single crochet. His hand dexterity is not *quite* developed enough yet, but he is really trying hard because he is just dying to make his own Stripey Stu kitty project!
Speaking of kitties, my little baby kitty is home safe and sound and doing fabulously! Thank you everyone for your concern for her!!

How To: Get Marie Antionette Hair

Regular readers know I'm an addict for movie costumes, esp. historical costumes. Hair, jewelry and makeup are all part of costuming too. Since the current Marie Antoinette trend is still going full-steam ahead in the US, here's a tutorial on how to get Marie Antoinette hair. Unlike some tutorials I've seen that skip steps or gloss over the nuts and bolts, this one is very doable and easy to understand. The French background song is a fun touch too :)

A Pet's Ten Commandments

My poor baby kitty has to go under anesthesia tomorrow at the veterinarian :( I am so worried about her. She's actually a grand old lady in terms of age, but she will always be my little furry baby.

The vet had this posted in the exam room and I wanted to share it. I thought it was very thoughtful and gentle and well-put.

A Pet's Ten Commandments

1) My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any seperation from you is likely to be painful.

2) Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3) Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4) Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5) Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6) Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7) Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8) Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself is something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9) Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10) On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good take of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.

Sherwood Saturday Market Opening Day!!

This weekend was the opening weekend of the local market I vend at. I had a fantastic time and it was so wonderful to reconnect with all my vendor friends, catch up with all my long-time customers, and meet so many lovely new people!Now, this weekend was super stormy, rainy with strong tree-whipping winds. Given the weather and the fact that the local newspaper failed to run their usual article on the market opening, we still had a fantastic turnout and everyone had a blast! As any true Northwesterners will tell you, a little rainy weather is no reason not to get out and about. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it traditionally rains 1 or 2 days out of every three, so you can see where the mentality comes from :)
I made some booth changes this year to try to make set up and take down a little easier on myself. Here's one of the decorative plates I'm trying out. This one is full of Little Tweet package toppers. Love these cuties!And here's the day's best seller. A sweet little bird necklace with blue terbium glass. I have a limited supply of this particular cut and color of glass, so I only have ONE more of these to put out for sale next week.
Ah, and here are two of my new favorites. Asymmetrical necklaces with awesome nature embellishments. The green one has large jade gemstone beads and a lovely red ladybug. And the lighter one has red mountain jade gemstone beads and a cute flower / leaf combo. All feature vintage style, but lead and nickel free, brass.

It has been an insanely busy past four weeks for me! I didn't get everything done I had planned to, but I got my website and blog freshened up, got to market with a full table of lovely wares to sell, and had a *great* visit with my mom. I wish she didn't live so very far away, but I am glad she got to spend a little quality time here with me and the kids. And she agreed to be a pattern tester for me! Whoo hoo!

Crocheted Scarflettes Arrive!

The first crocheted scarflettes are finally in the shop! I've got more in the pipeline at the studio and of course, still working on the patterns. I am so excited to finally have a few of these to show you!
I love using flower brooches, so many of them will come with complementary detachable flower brooches. I've also procured some fabulous vintage jewels I'm using on a select few.
I think I'm going to meet my May 2nd deadline for everything getting done! I've been running a bit behind this week and working into the wee hours of the morning playing "catch-up". Why? Our poor car is dying a slow death from old age and heavy wear and tear, and hubby and I decided now was the time to stop repairing and start scouting for a new vehicle. Car shopping is not high on my list of things I enjoy, but a safe, reliable vehicle, esp. when you have little children, is a must! My mother also is arriving this week for a visit. She's an *awesome* crocheter and I can't wait for her to visit the studio. I'm hoping she'll volunteer to be a pattern tester for me :)