shellebellecreates

top ten things that make me happy

DSC_0066 - Version 2
Originally uploaded by shellebellecreates

1. lovely notes from mo- today's is a rainbow that will grant me 10 wishes
2. painted toe nails- especially purple
3. naps
4. reading to my babies- I am so grateful that j still lets me read to him.
5. family meals
6. reading a good book
7. talking to out of state family
8. hugs
9. letters and packages in the mail
10. bread and butter always puts a smile on my face

finished in february: slippers

A very special little one is turning 10 on Sunday and I wanted to make her a pair of slippers. I thought I would make the french press slippers, I love the pattern. It is easy to knit and I had the pieces finished in no time, only to let them sit around and taunt me. I finally finished the sewing up, and put those babies in the washer to felt. One problem, I have no idea what a size four looks like. I dutifully checked on the felting progress and stopped it when I thought the fabric looked good and they were too small for my gigantic foot. In my head I needed a slipper too small for me and too big for Mo, I should have researched a bit because...

 

 these are tiny, and already well loved, luckily they fit Morgan. I am not sure why they are pilling so badly already. With the birthday only a week away and the recipient living out of state, I picked up the needles and made the ballet slippers from in this great book. They are larger than the first part and you need to use your imagination as to the finished product because they look like this now:

 

On their journey to keep someone's feet toasty warm. I hope they fit!

 Next up: the finished hats...
 

 

Garden Dreaming

Today, I am officially starting my garden. I am ready to start my seeds for luffa, eggplant and peppers. I should probably try tomatoes from seed too. I may even feel ambitious and start the covered garden with greens, I do miss harvesting my own crop of kale and I would love some arugula to spice up my life.  I love the potential of new beginnings!

On my wish list:

- Grow Great Grub, Gayla Trail's new book

-olla, for irrigation

hmm... i should probably sew a new apron, make sure my tools are in order and plan the garden better. Last year some of the garden boxes had grass growing through the weed barrier, manthing is planning an improvement. He also would like to do something more modern than the olla for irrigation, I think drip was on the plan. 

I made the most amazing...

yarn. It started as white fluffy merino top roving. I was in a purple faze- still am- and wanted to explore the color purple. I have a small selection of jacquard dyes, the set has two different reds and blues. My thought was to dye one section with one of the red, and blue, another the other red and blue and the third both purples. While dyeing I let the colors mix on the roving and left very little white- I wish I had left more. It looked like this last year when I was drying it:

I started spinning the singles and it was the only thing I spun all last year! I started with enthusiasm and then lost interest sometime last summer. I started spinning it again since I had two and a half bobbins completed, I was so close to the finish line. I spun, I plied, I washed and it looked like this:

 

I am so happy with the finished yarn. Initially, I was spinning to make thick house socks and now I think it needs to be mittens or something more visible. I love my creation.

Now I am off to make the most amazingly clean kitchen so I can bake delicious bread for the weekend.
  

afternoon walk

Originally uploaded by shellebellecreates

Yesterday I stuck with Amanda's winter manifesto and got outside. I took myself out on a walk in the park. Usually snow falling makes the world quiet but my walk was filled with magpies, crunching snow and the buzz of the snow and electric lines. The snow completely blanketed the path so I had some fun slipping on ice which made me laugh out loud.
Today Mr weatherman said light snow, 1 inch accumulation. I think he was a wee bit mistaken, I think since I shoveled(my time outside ;-) ) at 7 we have had that and more is falling...