Purl Buttons: March 2011

3.30.11

I am all set to sit on the porch and enjoy the weather but the weather has not cooperated. It was nice enough one day to get some pictures even if it was too cold to stay out long.

There are pads for the footstools, also, but they did not fit so I need to take some needle and thread to them.

3.29.11

The story of my pet tulip in pictures. Below, taken early last week

Then, Friday.

Then Saturday morning.

OOOOps...
Too tall too soon...

SUNDAY!!!!!

3.28.11

My herb garden was a gift from Stanley's family Here is how it looked last week.

and this week

It looks like chives, one is basil and I forgot what the third is. Things are growing!

A pig from a niece. Some time ago, after Flat Stanley went home I received a box that had this pig in it, a necklace with pretty colored sand in it, and 3 sets of measuring cups and some measuring spoons. Our house has been missing a one quarter cup measuring cup for such a long time. Even when we tried to replace it and bought a new set, the new set was missing the one quarter size. Flat Stanley must have noticed and now we have all we need.

A hat. It will be a Windschief and I am using Berroco Pure Merino Heather in a nifty blue tone.

3.26.11

My daffodils are supposed to be these three:

Orangery

Mountain Dragon

Moneymaker

It rains today, and is in the 40s. My daffodils and I are staying inside.

3.25.11

What do you think? More of my art photo experiments. Almost quilt-like, right? The bird is a fat little robin spotted Florida not long ago. There was a huge flock of them that day. I will try to clean up some photos for you to enjoy. I did not turn them all into art shots!

Do you see the profile of the woman's face? The bird is like a little hair-barrette. Her jaw and chin are made by the branch that is almost parallel to the bottom of the picture. Her face points to the left. Do you see it?

3.24.11

I am not really here right now. I am taking my first Peyote Beading class and my first Intermediate I basketry class. It is a full day out for me. See you tomorrow.

3.23.11

I used to have a set of wicker doll furniture. I think they were more traditionally wicker, willow maybe, but I do not really remember. This set is made of the same basketry cane I use when making baskets. I bought it when I was making dolls a few years back. After looking it over again, I bet I could make some more--different styles maybe. Maybe even some more in the Heywood style like this?

Wow. Maybe I would not start with this one...

3.22.11

Here is the bottom of the Tennessee basket. I show it to you because it shows the open weave design that the next basket had.

I retro-fitted this with a sturdier bottom so it can really be used as the market basket is was designed to be.

Here it is drying on the porch after its a maple finish. It took four days to dry. I will not be doing any more basket finishes until we have a long stretch of warm, dry weather.

3.21.11

This is the finished basket from my first Nantucket class--my birthday gift.

Below is a Tennessee biscuit basket. At least, that is what I THINK my teacher called it. The handles are wrought by a blacksmith. There are smithing classes nearby and as much as I would like to learn, I don't think I have the arm, neck, and back strength to learn.

3.20.11

Below are three kinds of daffodils:

Orangery, Money Maker, and Mountain Dragon

I also planted the sets of tulips marked yellow/orange. I wonder what color they will bloom?

And of course, my kitchen herbs: chives, parsley, and basil. All of these were planted March 14 and photographed the same day. Pretty soon it will be time to do some comparison photos.

Update: 3/19/20: We are house sitting and just before I left my plants yesterday, one of the tulips showed two blooms! We return tomorrow and I expect to see my first tulip blooms of spring! I wonder if they will be orange-yellow, or if some kids had fun changing the tags around ...

3.19.11

Oranges year-round is one of the promises Floridians think of when the heat makes door handles and seat-belt parts untouchable. These beauties look postcard perfect in my parents' back yard about a month ago.

My son studies photography and has worked on various artistic editing. One he calls lomography--Simulating "the effects of a lomo camera. Photos taken with a lomo camera have high contrast, twisted colors, and a noticabe vignette."

I wonder if that is supposed to be NOTICABLE.

If you want to know more, click the link and scroll to the bottom to read about it.

I wanted to give it a try with just a little color and contrast tweak. What do you think? This is probably not the way it is supposed to be done, but it was fun to play.

3.18.11

I LOVE Dream in Color Classy Yarn. I have these colors: Pansy Go Lightly, In Vino Veritas, and Chinatown Apple.

If you know me at all, you know I started with Pansy. Or, maybe you looked at the pictures.Great socks, worsted weight wool, Lantern Moon needles, what more could anyone want?