It usually happens after the holidays. Too much of everything and then nothing much going on. So I've decided to crochet.
I started this afghan several years ago. It was going to be a gift for Big City Girl and her boyfriend. They had just moved in together and purchased a couple of pieces of furniture, and these colors were chosen to complement the ensemble.
Then BCG and BF broke up and I'm not sure who got custody of which piece. I lost all interest in the afghan project and it has resided in a wicker trunk until just a couple of days ago. I decided to finish it (it wasn't too far from the end anyway). I had to buy one more skein of yarn--the green one. Luckily I found it (thanks, Vanna, for not retiring that color!) And while I've been working on it I've realized it will nicely complement the new sleeper sofa we just bought for Mr. Gadget's old office in the basement.
I briefly considered making a new afghan for BCG and her current boyfriend, but I put it right out of my mind. It might not bode well for the relationship, and I have no intention of buying a new sofa.
Just a couple more felted things to share. These are sitting on the mantel. They're the last of the season and I worked on them while watching football with Mr. Gadget.
I've never cared much for football. I'm more of a baseball gal. But I've been paying attention and I'm finally catching on. I like watching Aaron Rodgers. I think he's nice looking and he's smart too. Did you see him on Jeopardy? With his Father Know's Best sweater? Mr. Gadget has one of those sweaters. I like guys in FKB sweaters.
Here's a couple more things I made--long ago. They're on the mantel too. My mantel is over-crowded. I can't make another thing to put there. Well, at least not this year.
The man in the back got a little burned in the oven..heh...heh. I'm going to have to do a little scraping and put some more cinnamon on him. Sometimes I put these guys (I have 8) in the Christmas tree.
So I'm just about done with my Christmas preps, and I'm very happy about that. All the crazy people are out on the road. I should be able to finish everything right here in the comfort and safety of my own home.
I hope your end zones are in sight. Then you can go back to the locker room, get out of those sweaty clothes and get a nice massage....
No, not the blog. Just the needle-felting. I'm doing a little crocheting now....just to give my poking fingers a rest. They seem to be able to hook ok. It's just the poking they're tired of.
So before I hung up my felting needles I did a little free-spirit needling. I grabbed some leftover fiber and let the spirit move me.
I felted a red ball and then added a snowman. Then a few beads, and lastly a hanger. You can never have too many ornaments.
Then I felted a green ball and added a Santa. While I was felting I was thinking about my various doll characters (there must be more than a dozen by now) and how they might look felted onto a ball. But no time now. I'm on to another big project. My Christmas poem.
I used to do a cartoon page to include with our family Christmas cards. It was fun and always well-received. It was just my funny take on all the usual family antics. But it didn't lend itself well to retirement. So last year I switched to poetry. I only have two rules: one, it must be funny, and two, it has to rhyme. Since I was an English major I figured it wouldn't be too difficult. And it isn't, thanks to all the funny rhyming words I make up...
My needle-felted Santa is finished. Although, I'm hardly ever completely finished with any needle-felting project.
I might give him some gold wire glasses, and a little more hair on the side of his head. I sewed his arms close to his body with some red sock yarn....so they wouldn't flail around. I thought about creating something for him to hold, but maybe next year. I was ready to be done.
Now I'll take on number two of three--the paper machine Santa. He just needs paint. I'm also working on some cute felted ornaments. Just something I thought up. I worked on them during today's senior center knitting group and the ladies really liked them. I'll show you next time.
Primitive Santa might have to wait till next year. I think I'm all Santa-ed out.
I'm not a very adventurous gal. I usually just put my big toe in the water so I'm sure not to get in over my head. But when it comes to crafty projects, I always jump right in the deep water without my swimmies.
So I started this big needle-felted Santa a few months ago, thinking I might put him in a craft show. I sewed a cone shape out of an old red sweater and stuffed it to use as the base. No sense using up precious felting fiber for his internal organs.
Now that it's almost Christmas--and his season to shine--I've decided to finish him and keep him for myself....at least for this year. I'm embellishing him with embroidery and will add some beads. I have a fabric Santa I made several years ago that I never took a shine to, but he has an excellent beard. So a transplant is in order. He should look rather dapper when he's done, so stay tuned.
I have a couple more Santas here in the Treehouse that are in various stages of doneness. I had hoped to put them in the craft show, but realized very soon that my Christmas plate was already piled pretty high and there would always be next year.
One is this paper mache guy. I noticed rather late in the game that his big sack of toys seemed to defy gravity, so I took a chisel to him and balanced things out. Then I had to add more clay and repaint, and, well, I just put him on the time-out shelf.
This one will be a primitive Santa. He needs more work. He's a little unbalanced too. I don't think he needs a psychiatrist; a few more beans in his butt should do the trick.
The house decorating will begin this weekend. Mr. Gadget has hauled the tree upstairs along with the boxes of ornaments. We will both assemble the tree, I will fluff it, he will string the lights, and I will decorate it.....while trying not to block his view of the football game. We are well entrenched in our traditions.
