Pair of Humpback Whales

 

Pair of Humpback Whales on Driftwood Stand

Lion #2

Thought I’d try again but this time a bit smaller. This lounging lion measures approximately 8 1/2” in length and sits 4 1/2” tall. 

 

My First Lion

 My neighbor recently asked me if I could make a lion, so I gave it a try.

It turned out larger than I originally thought it would be. It ended up being about 8 1/2” tall by 14” long which includes the tail (body is about 9” in length). Still I’m happy with this first effort. Of course my eyes go to the parts that need improvement but I’m hoping my neighbor likes it.

My Three Dogs

 These are the three dogs that I have shared my life with- a culmination of over 40 years of life! My late husband brought all three home. He would watch the postings on our local SPCA and ultimately show up with a dog. The first one he brought home in the late 1970’s shortly after we bought our first home. It is the large black dog in the middle- Major. Such a wonderful dog! Sweet gentle Major put up with the birth of our three children and all that living with toddlers brings to a dog’s life. Major was with us thirteen years. One day, when Major started really showing signs of age, my husband came home with Bogart. Although Bogart was a pure bred West Highland terrier he was also a SPCA rescue. Shortly after he joined our family it became clear to us why he had ended up at the dog pound- apparently he had little love for anyone outside of our immediately family. He would make a stealthy beeline for the ankles of any outsider. Although Bogart was unfriendly to visitors, he was also highly intelligent. We quickly learned that whenever the doorbell rang we only needed to look at him and tell him to go to his room and he would rush upstairs on his own and stay there until the visitor left. Bogart lived with us for thirteen years as well. The day Bogart passed my husband and I had a conversation and agreed no more dogs. That “ last day” heartbreak was just to much to bear. So you can imagine my surprise when I got a call at work a few months later from my husband- he was at SPCA and had found the perfect dog. The SPCA won’t save a dog for people so he was walking Maggie around the building and would continue to do so until I got there so no one else could have access to her. I still remember him telling me to hurry up and get there ASAP. Maggie, the little mixed breed on the right, passed away last month..she would have been 15 in May. I’m pretty sure Maggie is the last dog I will share my life with but of course nothings ever certain in life so who knows. But as she may well be my last, I decided to needle felt her. As soon as I did I was filled with guilt because I certainly didn’t love her more than my other dogs so in the end I made all three- one sitting, one standing and one laying down. Every time I look at the three of them I smile.

New Bottle Doll: Mermaid

Look at this bottle! It’s in the shape of a fish! How could it possibly be anything other than a mermaid? At first I was hesitant to use such a unique antique bottle so I went on eBay to see the value- $19.99..haha. It seems no one in the late 60’s had the heart to just throw out this fish bottle after the wine was gone so everyone saved it. If you want to get one of these fish bottles just go to eBay- tons of them there.

 So here she is..a sweet young needle felted mermaid holding a star fish. 

Needle felted Sperm Whale on Driftwood Stand

 

Knitting for the Homeless Project

 A few weeks ago I was watching the news and saw a story about a homeless camp that sprung up in a small park directly across the street from City Hall in Manchester NH. The mayor of Manchester was desperately trying to find an indoor space for these homeless people before the frigid winter temperatures arrived. The first attempt at securing a building fell through at the last minute making the issue that much more desperate. Every night there would be an update on the situation and I would wonder what could I possibly do about it especially with the Covid virus raging. Then I had an idea...why not donate knitted hats, scarfs, and mittens using extra yarn I already had on hand left over from other projects or purchased years ago for something I never ended up making? So I pulled out my yarn stash..

This is just one of two boxes overflowing with complete or partially used skeins of yarn. I honestly don’t even know how I ended up with most of this yarn...but I have more than I ever realized. So I started my project- actually made it a 2021 Resolution to keep myself motivated. 

I started with a simple hat pattern. If I have a complete skein I make a solid hat and when I don’t have a enough of one color I make a striped hat. I have also varied the sizes. 

So at this point I have made 4 hats. For a change of pace, and because I had an abundance of green yarn, I decided to switch gears for a while and make a scarf. Again I chose a simple pattern that could be completed quickly. I also am using a double strand of yarn to make a nice thick cozy scarf. 

I have a long way to go..about 70 more inches on this scarf and still an overflowing  box of yarns. But in this Covid world I also have way too much alone time so this resolution will help me fill that time doing something useful. Perhaps you also have “Covid alone time” to fill and a box of yarn and the skill to turn it into something that someone could use. Happy knitting everyone!

A Pair of Polar Bears

 

Welcome 2021

In order to keep my sanity during the isolation of the Covid 19 pandemic I decided to make scrap quilts for each of my children for Christmas. Since they were presents I was unable to post until now. Here they are:

Unfortunately once I had finished all three quilts the pandemic raged on so I turned my attention to small wall quilts for my dining area and table runners for my kitchen island.

Autumn Leaves Wall Quilt

Christmas Table Runner

Christmas Tree Wall Quilt

And still the pandemic raged on so next an Elf on the Shelf for my 3 year old granddaughter.

 

Once again in an effort to avoid entering stores I created this sweet elf using materials I had on hand. Her head is needle felted wool and her body/outfit is a combination of felt, cotton, and flannel fabrics. She has beaded joints so she can become quite small allowing her to hide in many places to the delight of my granddaughter.