A little ramble

Do you ever get on the internet and go for a little techno-joyride? You know, like when there's nothing special you're looking for, so you just head off in some random direction and you end up somewhere interesting....and that leads you somewhere else.....and that leads you to another somewhere else. That happened to me a couple of days ago.

On my ramble I discovered a wonderful dollmaker who is all about whimsy. While browsing through the patterns she has for sale, I happened upon one for some charming little birds. And as luck would have it, she was offering that pattern for free. So right away I sent off my email request, and very soon it landed in my in box.

This is just the pattern for scraps and doodads and little bits of bright threads and crazy yarns. I pulled out a few pieces from my fabric stash that I thought would make fanciful little bird bodies.

I love it when I find something fun to make that uses up leftovers. Kinda like mystery stew.

I can hardly wait to start in on some bird-building, but unfortunately it will have to wait until Mr. Gadget and I get back. I'll tell you where we're headed in my next post. And if you're thinking Brooklyn.....fuggetaboutit...

Fuggetaboutit!

Last Sunday Mr. Gadget and I drove to Brooklyn to visit Big City Girl and take her to lunch for her birthday. Since parking is sometimes difficult on her street, we suggested she choose a restaurant that was within walking distance. She gave us 3 choices--steak place, Thai, or Mexican--and we all voted for Margueritas.

Much of NYC is safe for pedestrians nowadays, but BCG's neighborhood is an exception. You take your life in your hands when you go out her front door.

That's because there are lots of Polish bakeries. They lurk on every street corner--just waiting for you to let your guard down.

If you're not careful and you walk too close to the door, they'll suck you right in.

There oughta be a law, but even if there was one you know those policemen aren't going to shut down the donut dealers.

After lunch we walked back to BCG's apartment along streets lined with houses...in order to lessen our chances of being mugged by sweetness. Once inside I presented her with my very special birthday gift. I wrapped it in this:

It's the further-felted bowl. It snuggly nested a collection of embroidery supplies. Big City Girl had expressed an interest in learning to stitch. I can only imagine this being akin to a father who loves to fish being asked by his son to buy him a tackle box. I gave her a short tutorial on some of the basic stitches before we left for home. I can only hope she grows to love it. Maybe she'll even become an addict. That would be good because then I won't worry about her. I'll know she's home stitching and safe from the dangers that lurk around every corner.

Cuppa somethin'

A few days ago I went to visit an elder friend who I stop in to see occasionally. I usually take her a few things that I know she'll enjoy. These usually include homemade cookies and sometimes I take her a big bottle of Vodka (the latter compliments of Mr. Gadget.) She suffers from a variety of aches and pains and finds that a little nip of Vodka (or possibly a double shot) after dinner takes the edge off--so much better, she says, than pills, and there's no need to have a doctor write a prescription.

The day before I went to see her she called to ask me to bring my crocheted snake so she could see it....and she also requested that I check the internet to see if I could find a pattern for a crocheted toilet paper roll cover. She said her bathroom needed a little accessorizing and she had a friend who would crochet it for her.

I was happy to comply, and I did find several patterns that fit the category, but most were just too froo-froo. I know that's not a word, but you probably know what I mean. Just too many lacey little picot stitches and whatnot. I did find this one though and I was immediately struck by the whimsy. I decided I had to give it a try. If it didn't work out, or she didn't like it, I'd just put it in Mr. Gadget's basement bathroom and call it a cuppa tea--Mr. G's beverage-of-choice, or maybe I'd stitch some big white French knots on top and call it hot chocolate with marshmallows.


My friend was very pleased with the cover and with my efforts, but I think Mr. Gadget was a little disappointed. I'm sure he was hoping it would be decorating his bathroom. Don't tell him this, but I'm going to make another one just for him. It should be finished in time for his birthday. Maybe I'll throw in a homemade apple pie too. I hope he knows just how lucky he is to have a wife who crochets and can bake too. Maybe he'll take me on another cruise....

Snake fact sheet

Mouthless snakes will not bite.

Some snakes--especially ones of this species--will sit outside on a rock forever if you let them.

Don't believe everything you read in herpatology books.

Many snakes are nothing but a big bunch of fluff.

Some snakes make excellent pets.

They'll cushion your head nicely if you want to nap in front of the TV.

They'll even keep your annoying neighbors off your deck.

Hmmmm.......maybe I need a snake of my own.

Rocks in my head

I picked up this rock the other day when Mr. Gadget and I went to check out a new walking path in town.

I had in mind making another one of these:

Nice round rocks are not easy to find, unless you live near a river. At a beach not far from the Calcondo there are millions of them, but they're at the bottom of a steep hill. The climb back up is difficult, especially with a big bag o' rocks.

But the longer I look at this newly-found rock, the more I realize it's really more of a potato.

If only I'd gathered more of them I could've made a nice stew.

See that green felt the veggies are sitting on? I'm going to make jeweled doll slippers out of it. Whenever I'm in a fabric store, I keep my eyes out for a whimsical flannel print for another one of these:

Last week I found just the thing. I got enough to make two.

Slithering along

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and kind words. I'm finding it helpful to stick to my usual routine as much as possible, and that includes regular trips to the Treehouse.

I've set the hanger project aside for the moment and have moved on to the crocheted snake challenge.

Perhaps it looks more like a slug. Here's what I'm hoping it will look like eventually:

It's a little tricky because each round consists of slipped stitches and single crochets, and there's counting involved. And you know I'm not a math gal. And if there's something good on TV, I'm likely to sink into the crochet pit of despair.

This pattern is from a book of really cute crocheted critters.

I love the crab. It's my zodiac sign. But it looks even more tricky than the snake. That's why I'm practicing on Slithers. I've only ripped him out twice, and now it looks like I may have slipped slightly into that despair pit. It may be due to my habit of turning on that HLN channel and then trying to drink coffee, and maybe have a little snack at the same time, while endeavoring to count stitches. It's a fun project though and I hope I can finish him....before he bites me and I have to go back to hangers.

Home to roost....

....or to collect dust in the china cabinet.

Vinny arrived home a couple of days ago, and what a cushy trip he had! First class all the way. He was lovingly cocooned in bubble wrap and placed in the middle of a huge box surrounded by popcorn. Next time I fly across the country that's how I want to go.

I'm continuing my work on the hanger project.

Single crochet 9 across, turn, single crochet 9 across, turn....till it fits all the way around the hanger. Mindless crochet. Calming. Just what I need right now.

I decided, rather than using 2 wire hangers held together like Grandma did, I'd find something to wrap a single hanger with that would also add some padding. Terry cloth is not the right choice....unless I like being covered with snow....which I don't.

I ran out of yarn while crocheting the orange and yellow strip above, but not to worry. I have some socks made out of this yarn....somewhere. I never liked them much. Not particularly comfortable as I remember. When I find them, I'll start ripping and I'll transform them into a set of pretty hangers. It won't be long before I'll have a festive closet. Wouldn't Grandma be proud!

Stickers

Tech Guy and I had a mutual quirkiness when it came to stickers.

When Mr. Gadget and I took a cruise to the Baltic a few years ago, we were issued stickers for our cameras that allowed us to take pictures in St. Petersburg.
I affixed mine to my camera and have yet to take it off. I like cheap souvenirs.

Among the things we retrieved from TG's apartment was his scale. We decided we'd put it in our closet to replace an old one with a dark dirty smudge that's becoming harder to read...although that is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to a scale.
Tech Guy had certain strong ideas about things. His father and I were usually accepting of his opinions...which he probably found irritating because I'm sure he would have loved nothing more than a spirited debate.

A few days ago, Mr. Gadget took a bottle of Windex out of the cupboard and headed for the basement. He said he was going to clean the scale. TG was never one to dust.

"That's good," I said. "Just don't remove the sticker."