It Has Been A While

I haven't posted on here in a long time. I don't even think anyone has looked at my blog since I last looked at it. *smile*
I have started some new things, spinning, weaving, and more knitting. Having a lot of fun. I am going to take some photos and post them soon.

I recently went on a one day outing, something I do in the Autumn which is my favorite season. I like to go by myself and do what I want. I usually end up in the mountains of PA and just drive until I find a nice quiet spot to stop and regroup. It is so relaxing and I love it. I try to do this once in a while and it just keeps me a little sane, if that is possible. I found this spot, near a creek, and not a soul around, just me and nature. I stopped and stayed here for a bit, took some photos, regrouped and moved on. Left all my worries and anxieties in there and left the creek water carry them off through the rocks and small bends,,,,gone forever...how refreshing! 

This is an old rocker that I reupholstered with some frabric and then made a pillow for. There is this neat little gadget that will make buttons for you out of the fabric you are using. Just cut a small round of fabric, put the little metal button thing on it upside down then hammer in the other piece that kinda goes inside the first. Check it out next time you are in a craft store. Makes great toggle buttons. 

Black and White cross stitch sampler in a frame that I tried to do that crackle painting on, not sure if it is supposed to look like that but that is how it turned out. 

Okay this is opposite of the shelving units in my sewing room. The room is only 8'x8'..so you know I am stuffing my stuff in here. I have gone out to the family room and set up a table and have done some things out there but end up back in the sewing room to do the sewing or whatever...It works though. I call it my Crafting Cacoon.. 

I thought I would sneak this in, so no one would notice. Just a photo of my very small cubby hole I use for a sewing/craft room...it is small and I utilize every inch of space. 

I recently purchased a brown skirt on the reduced rack. I wanted a brown shawl to wear with it and came up with this. It is a coffee Red Heart worsted weight yarn. I used one skein, very simple pattern. Made a long shawl and folded it in half and started joining from the end and headed to the neckline...looks better on though..hehe. 

And the photo of the unfinished heart afghan I posted, well, this is a finished version. My daughter Sara keeps this on her bed and has laid claim to it. It is a nice pattern and is weird because it is crocheted row by row. Meaning, you start out with four inches of fringe, go to the end of the row, leave a 4 inch fringe cut it off, attach the yarn at the beginning again with 4 inches of fringe and so on and so on. I love these patterns and have another afghan started, UFO, which is called spilled paint or something like that. If you want to know where to get patterns, send me an email or something and I will direct you where to go. *smile* 

I started this afghan several years ago. Marcia was talking about UFO's, unfinished projects that are just laying around waiting to be finished, well this is one of many. It has a heart in a diamond pattern and is one of those things that I have to have complete silence and count every stitch. Maybe that is why I haven't finished it yet,,,,,complete silence is golden around here! 

I made myself a very plain crocheted vest. Nothing fancy, but then again I am not into fancy. I am also going to make a navy blue one too. I think this is great. Looks good with a turtle neck and jeans.... 

I made this ruana from some black fleece. I found a Butterick pattern, cut it out and just blanket stitched the edges. You know on a cold windy wintery night, this is great to wrap around my shoulders and keeps me warm. I also wear this on a chilly autumn day. You would be surprised how this light fabric can keep a person warm. Easy to make fun to wear...I give it 5 stars!!!! 

This was a panel that is purchased at the fabric store. All that is needed is for it to be cut out where indicated, sewn, then stuffed and embellished as you wish. I love these panels and look forward to new ones all the time. This is Chris Moose, and Chip my faithful companion (cocker spaniel) thought this was one of his play toys and now Chris is missing a nose,,,I have to fix that someday! 

Need I say more, Raggedy Ann and Andy....I sewed these cute little dolls from a pattern. Inside the pattern there was an iron on transfer for the faces. They are adorable and I tea-dyed the muslin to give it a more of an antiquey look. Is that a word? Antiquey? Well anyway, my sister Jennie collects Raggedy Ann and Andy and I have made her several sets of dolls,,these ones wanted to stay with me however. 

I crochted this too while thinking about the grandchildren I will acquire in the future. It is made from peach baby fingering yarn, crocheted of course and the decorative edge is called the pineapple stitch. It is in the cedar chest for safe keeping, awaiting for the precious angel's arrival, someday, not yet...*smile* NOTHING like being prepared! 

This is the poncho that I crocheted for my daughter. It is navy blue and has a mock turtle neck. On the bed is a granny square afghan, which I made several years ago. It is an easy pattern to start out with and this is the first thing that I teach when some one wants to learn to crochet 

I absolutely love covered bridges. I love to walk inside and feel and hear each creak the floor makes with each step, and it is really nice to hear the water running underneath. This is a covered bridge near me so I get to visit it whenever I feel like it. I can only remember the childhood nursery rhyme, Three Billy Goats Gruff, (yes, I know, they weren't crossing a covered bridge), but it doesn't stop me from looking under neath for the troll. *smile* I think the reason they made covered bridges was years ago when there were only horses and carriages used for transportation, this helped so the horses would not be frightened to cross over the rivers and creeks. If I am wrong then I stand corrected but sounds logical to me. 

Okay, this is really me, I like to play around with my digital camera and went to the mall the other day and saw this cute photo in a window at one of the photo studios there. So, I went home got out the tripod and the digital camera and pushed that button for delay, looked through the little window to size it up and ran in front of it to pose. HA HA..silly me huh? Then I got the notion to play around with the photo imaging and put a heart border around me. I guess it was better than a square..hehe. Well, this is me, Kathy from PA. 

This is the triangle loom I made with the help of the neighbor and my husband. They cut the wood and I finished it. I love it and at first was unable to understand how to do it, but after reading the directions several times, tada, I did it! This is a 6 ' triangle loom, now wishing I would have made a bigger one, because this just isn't big enough for a nice shawl. I had to make two of these blues,,,to make one ruana. I guess that is what it is called. 

One of my favorite things to do to relax is gardening. This is one of many garden spots around my home. I kind of like to naturalize, I think that is what it is called, just letting things grow wherever they want, planting wherever I dig a hole. There is no pattern that I follow, just plant away. Aren't the grape hyacinths wonderful? Chip thought they were too, he tended to lay in them. 

Just wanted to introduce Choc-O-Lot Chip, (Chip for short). He is a chocolate cocker spaniel and has claimed the easy chair in the family room as his own. He is loving and a good companion, but gets into mischief a lot.  

This is me....

Hi, my name is Kathy and I am from Pennsylvania. A small town consisting of 6,000 people and it is more or less cow patty country.
I have many interests including many crafts, gardening, and relaxing in a huge hammock in the back yard on a hot summer evening,,or any evening for that matter.
I will be elaborating more as this is my first entry, the beginning, hopefully no end. *smile*