Color to "dye" for

I finally took the plunge and made my first attempt at dyeing my own wool.  

I had all my stuff gathered  and re-read the several helpful tips my blog friends have sent me and I was ready.  The wool was soaked.  I only dyed one yard for a start, 2 different colours.  What's the worse that can happen? 

I think I'm hooked.  I made a half yard of pepperberry red and a half of slate blue

Based on the pictures in the dye book, this is what they are supposed to look like!!  At the moment I only have a limited amount of dye colours so my options are still limited but I can't wait to try again next weekend.   I don't know why I waited so long.  This is fun!

You wanna be my WHAT??

So, the other day I open up Facebook and I had a new friend request.  Those are always exciting.  I mean who doesn't want to make friends, right?  Well.........my jaw dropped to the floor and then I started to laugh.  You know, that evil maniacal kind a laughter.  Mwahahhaha!!!  This story really starts almost 45 years ago.  It was first grade and little Kimmie with her honey coloured ringlets had a special pair of scissors.  My grandfathers sister sent me a pair of pink plastic safety scissors with the handles in the shape of a little bird.  They were so pretty and NO ONE else had a pair like them.   They came all the way from Boston!  They were like this only so much better 

Then, one day I went to reach for them under my desk and THEY WERE GONE.  I looked everywhere, pulling all the stuff out and desperately looking for my extra special scissors.  And then I saw them a few desks away, in the hands of Jane Doe.  And she wouldn't give them back!  I cried and told the teacher and that sticky-fingered first grader told the teacher they were HERS!   I went home and cried to my Mom and she told me to forget it, that maybe "Jane" couldn't afford scissors and needed them more than me and Mom would buy me new scissors.   But they would never be the same.   "Jane" took the scissors home and I never saw them again.  Hrumph, she probably traded them for cigarettes on the playground from some six graders.  Yes it's possible, she was that kind of girl (even at 5 years old) So it's now 45 years later and apparently I'm still not over it.  Lol. I swear when her name popped up its the first thing that came to mind.  The second thing to come to my mind was "are they allowed to Facebook in prison?".  

Ok, she's not really in prison but I always figured she was destined for there.  So as for the Facebook friend request.........

A different kind of bowl

Seems like everyone is talking about some dumb football game today.  Everyone except me  

Instead I focused on a different kind of bowl - my own super bowl

I found a recipe for toasted coconut cupcakes.  It's here  http://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/desserts/toasted-coconut-cupcakes/ If you love anything coconut like me, make these.  I didn't make the frosting because I don't like frosting so I'm calling these coconut muffins.  I don't know if it's a rule or just something I made up but in my mind if it has frosting it's a cupcake and without it's a muffin.  I'm in a blog slump, and a hooking slump.  I picked up my project the other night and looked at it again ........blah

I'm kind of hating it.   And the top half is almost all hooked.  So I have to decide whether to abandon or rip out ALL the background and try again .  For now it sits on the floor. Winter has visited us again with more on the way this week.  I had a few minutes to kill Saturday so popped into the pet store.  Doggie sweaters were on sale so Miss Abby got a couple of new sweaters.  She is so funny in the snow.  I shovelled her a little spot to do her business but she'd prefer to climb up and go in the deep stuff 

Time to make a cup of hot chocolate, eat another muffin and wait for Downton Abbey.

Just another winter weekend

Nothing exciting has been happening so not much to blog about.  But despite the landslide of followers disappearing, I woke up this morning and had 1 new one.  Yay, so whoever you are please don't judge the quality of this blog by this boring post :)   The photo above is what greeted me when I went outside Saturday morning.  Even a snow-hater like me had to admit for a minute that it did look pretty.  A lot of it has melted today so now it looks messy and dirty again.  Oh well, not complaining because after last winter, this years snowfalls have been a blessing!  While I shovelled, Miss Abby frolicked in the new snow.

She loves it.  She runs up the snow drifts, rolls around, buries her head in it.  It's funny to watch but she's a mess of sticky snowballs when we come inside.  Today I decided to rearrange some furniture.  My hooking area is quite cluttered since Abby's pen is still in the middle of the floor.  I still don't dare trust her to free range around the house while I'm at work.  The project is still in progress.  I straightened the hooking area but made the den a disaster.  Lamps and wall hangings need to find new places and after almost giving myself a hernia moving the 4,000 pound bookshelf by myself, I gave up for the day.  I haven't hooked in a week.  But I am slowing gathering supplies for the dye project.  My spoons arrived mid week, the dye book is here, I have a yard of natural wool but am still looking for a cheap stock pot.   And I need to order some dye but I can't decide what color I want to try first.  I'm going to just pick a color later and order the dye recipe.   It's almost time for Downton Abby so time to gather some tv snacks and settle in.  I'm starting to get a little scared that the series will end with Edith and Moseley becoming some kind of heroes and that will completely tick me off.  

Competitive 14

I have a little bit of the competitive spirit.  Not just with others, sometimes just for me.  I've taken my Fitbit a little more serious the last 2 weeks.  A couple of weeks ago I hit my 10,000 step goal quite easily, so I tried to do it 2 days in a row.  It's not that easy when you sit at a desk 7 hours a day.  So I did it 2 days in a row and then my competitive streak kicked in and I wondered if I could do it 7 days in a row.  Well........today it is 14 days in a row!   Yay

For the first time EVER I am at the top of my friends leaderboard.

I blacked out the names to spare your shame.  You know who you are........LOL.  I've taken a little good natured jabs from one of my faithful followers over this leaderboard.   Hint, hint, she's not near the top (wink) It was fun to overtake my boss who is a fitness nut.   But I think I've met my goal for awhile and will back off for a bit.  I'm tired.  Not enough "deep couch sitting" lately.   And in celebration of Day 14, I've made myself a little treat

Cracked

We have had a snap of cold weather which has done a number on my skin.  Several fingers are painfully cracked.  Today I went out to buy an assortment of different hand lotions.  So I have stayed away from crafty pursuits this week, trying to not re-open some of these cracks.   Hence the lack of anything blog worthy.   While I was lotion shopping I did stumble upon these.......OMG yummy!

They go perfectly with coffee and baileys ;).  Tonight was a beef stew and biscuit night.  The stew in the slow cooker smelled so amazing.  That smell drove me crazy all afternoon.  Ironically it smelled better than it tasted.  It was a little bland. Disappointing   Guess I will have to have a few more cookies to make up for it.  I'm still waiting for my dye book and spoons to arrive.  Hopefully by next weekend Really, there is nothing much happening here.  Just popped in to say hi Oh oh, looks like somebody wants a little attention. 

Have a great week

Winter weekend

Thanks for all the input on my last post about wool dyeing.  Plus I had lots of emails with tips, tricks, advice and different techniques.  I'm sold!  I've ordered a book and some spoons and I have my super-thrifter friend looking for a big pot or two.  So sometime over the next weeks I will be ready to jump all over it.  Excited to learn this aspect of rug hooking.   Plus, with the sorry state of the Canadian dollar, I won't be ordering a lot of wool from the US for awhile - I'll be making my own colour stash!  I'll keep you posted    I kept busy today despite waking up feeling like death warmed over.  (One of my mothers favourite expressions).  We were supposed to get a big storm late this morning but it didn't start up until after supper.  Being out in the fresh air today helped me feel better so Abby and I went on several short walks throughout the day.  And at supper time my Fitbit buzzed.  I'd hit my 10,000 steps earlier than usual.  It's usually close to bedtime when I hit 10,000 (IF  I hit it)

It's a good thing I walked more today because I bought some storm snacks

Cool branding idea eh!   My little buddy was worn out keeping up with me all day.  She crashed after supper

She's still growing!   And getting a bit less lady like 

I think it's time to rip open those storm chips and do a little hooking.  This is a Lori Brechlin doodle "Snow Bird" 

To dye or not to dye?

Ok rug hookers, I need some advice.  Every once in awhile I get the urge to learn to dye my own wool.  You know when you start a project and can't find that "perfect" color wool in your stash?  Frustrating!   So I have a few questions.  I'm looking for those lovely primitive colours  What is your favourite dye book?   Do you dye in a big pot? Slow cooker? Preference of spoons? Is there a difference? What is the best type/brand of dye? What else do I need?     I appreciate all your help

All that

So yesterday I was strutting around like I was"all that and a bag of chips"

I summoned my inner handy woman and fixed my storm door all by myself!  I replaced the handle and the broken locking mechanism. I was almost done when the nice old fella who lives behind me came over to ask what I was doing.  When he saw he said " oh those are tricky".  Then he noticed I was just tightening the Last few screws.  He high-fived me.  

I was bragging to a friend and she told me to get over myself.  Lol Then I tackled the lamps.  I bought these new lamps at a ridiculous low price at a closing out sale but the shades were ugly.  Before pic

But when you pay $37 for a $140 lamp you can afford new shades.   Here is the new version - so much better

The rest of the weekend I puttered around with Miss Abby by my side 

All rested up for my first full week of work since the holidays.   Sigh.....

Finds and finishes

I finished hooking the pattern from Lori Brechlin.  I think this may go into my favourites list.   It's hooked but not yet bound. (Big surprise)  

You were all so right about the letters.  I am going to hook something else of the end of this linen before I cut it and bind and I think I'll re-open my etsy store soon.  Now to just find another pattern to hook. Now to my finds........I have a friend who is the "thrift store queen". She finds the best stuff.  Finally today I decided to go thrifting with her.  Well........I found some good stuff.   This is a large tablecloth.  Couldn't get a picture without the furry black inspector.  

I also got this little tea strainer and 2 mini muffin tins ($1)

And this pair of pretty floral sheer drapes that I think will look great in the spare room.  I love the old fashioned florals   

She just may have converted me to a thrifty girl :).  Winter temperatures are here.  I was about minus 17 when Abby and I went out for our little walk a bit ago.  The sub zero temps seems to have made her frisky.  She's been a holy terror since we came in.    She even broke one of her own records.  This new toy lasted 5 minutes!!  Grrrrrrrr