Sunday Doodle

I do this not out of boredom, but because of my fidgety nature.  Give my brain something to do truly does help me listen better.  I retain more.  Knitting has the same effect.  Didn't have any fresh paper, but was elated to find a black Pitt pen in the bottom of my bag.

8 New Pieces

All LWI on Test Fabrics 400M cotton. 1 yard cuts.

Testing New Dye.

It's not really new dye, just new to me. I'm talking about Pro-Chem's Pro Liquid Reactive Dye Black LR604. It's a pure color, not a mix, and I love, Love, LUV it!

Here's some samples:






All pieces 36" x 44". Test Fabrics 400M cotton broadcloth. Painted, air dried, steamed for 30 minutes. I plan to color these with mx. We'll just see how that goes.

Boys with Toys...

....sometimes share with their mothers.























He earned the money himself, did all his own research, and let me play with it today. Oh...and his hair still looks great!

April Day

I'm breathing Spring.



I took this picture:



The rest were taken by...



My Daydreamer.

Easter Basket

My family decided...



...that instead of chocolate bunnies...



...they wanted homeless kittehs.



Wish granted.

Visitor: A Springtime Story

A sure sign...



SPRING has come to this northern land.

Bunny's been waiting aaalll winter for a fresh nibble...




Visitor would like some, too.
 




Our Heroine has a better idea!  C'mon!






Mmmmm....that's tasty.





Wrap it all up with a Great Big Hug.




SPRING has come to this northern land!

Grannies and Squares

I come from a long line, not just of crocheters, but of women who could and can work MIRRACLES with a crochet hook. These women, my Mom included, are Champion Crocheters, hooking everything from awful Red Heart slippers to breath-taking fine cotton lace. I could blather for hours about the feats I witnessed while playing near their armchairs.

As it turns out, up to now, I've barely crocheted more than a simple chain, or maybe a bit of trim. My fiber time has been focused on knitting, spinning, sewing, and printing cloth.

But now, my genetics have bitten me firmly on the A-Double-Snakes. I have a sudden, uncontrollable urge to make granny squares. This is not just a blip, a momentary whim. This feeling runs deep, calling on my womanhood, my ancestral lineage. This craving is seducing me to take my place in line with my Mother, my Grandmothers, and countless women before them.

I will, I must, rise up, hoist my hook, and crochet.

What I did...

I cut out some felt,


and shaded it with marker.


And turned it into these!


Aren't they cute?


I'm in the process of refining the patterns and thinking about making lots of them. Who doesn't need an extra pair of ears?

Pen, Paper, Wood, Wool.

Howdy!  Here I am, snow bound again after being lured outdoors by a fake spring.  Hopefully, Real Spring will arrive any minute now.

After a day of fussing and gathering and scanning, looking for camera cords and answering to my name, this post is Finally coming together.  Having just discovered the Picassa collage maker, I will proceed to overuse it in one post.

First up:  a truck load of sketches from several Sundays.  You'll notice I've ditched the circle format when it suits me.



Secondly, one of my children went to Arizona to hang out with Uncle Jeff.  Uncle Jeff has a homemade CNC router used for his amazing all-wood clocks.  Said child was given free reign and came home to surprise his mother (moi) with these wooden versions of my mandalas. He gets bonus points and extra pudding.

























The wooden image on the left is less clear because they didn't program the router to cut deep enough into the wood.

Lastly, there has been yarn, much making of yarn:


Something about winter makes me want to spin and dream of knitted projects.  No knitting--just dreaming of knitting.  And in preparation for this summer's Ren Fest, my satellite has pulled out her drop spindle and begun to hone those skills.  I will be sharing a booth at a small local festival and plan to sell fiber of all ilk, including hand made drop spindles.  Our children will be shunted into the crowd and forced to spin in public as advertisement.  We'll pay them in yum-yums and free time to hang out with the belly dancers.

On the left, is my daughter's first hand spun yarns.  The orange merino is her firstest first, the lime she Koolaid dyed and spun herself.  On the right is her current yarn, something not-merino.  She's starting to get the hang of drafting and is producing what will be a bulky two ply, maybe for some leg warmers or fingerless gloves.

So, there it is, Lemon Drops:  a fresh post and a new week. I'll be back soon!