I finished the tote bag by Karen Kahle!

And I had the best time hooking it!  It hooked up really fast.  Then came the sewing with a machine part….

And the swearing…. Broke the needle within a few minutes!!!

I am going to change the handle material to a pink wool.  I think the stripes are just too bright.  And I think I’ll add some sort of trim around the top of the bag too.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine’s day!  Mine was great!  He spoils me and I love it!  And he even proved he Listens to me.  A while back I told him I’d like to try my hand at growing an orchid.  He got me two for V. day.  One white, the other lavendar.  Also two more silver charms for my bracelet.  And a pot of daffodils to set out in the spring! 

 

It’s still snowing here and has done so every day since last Friday.  Not sticking on the ground, just looking beautiful.

Have a great week

Peace,

Sheri

Marbelizing Dye Try...

The other night I was studying one of Karen Kahle's pattern books and trying to figure out if she really changes colors every three or four loops. I think I have figured out that yes, she does change colors quite often but I also read that she almost always uses marbelized wool for her backgrounds. Don't you just love her work? I think the soft colors are so feminine and girly. (I've been accused of being "such a girl") I took it as a compliment although I'm pretty sure it was meant as sarcasm. Anyway back to the topic, Karen said the marbelized recipe she used for this particular light pinkish and greenish background were a camel, a burgandy and a dark forrest green colored wools. With the camel color in the middle of the "sandwich". Well I had all of these colored wools so I set out to duplicate her soft palate. Mine didn't exactly turn out soft...





Here is Karen's rug. From her Primitive Spirit website. See how nice and subtle hers is? This is not the exact background I was trying to accomplish, but you understand what I mean.



I guess maybe I let it "stew" too long or added too much soap or too much Jet Dry? I really don't know. It's the first time I have tried this method. Please, any help would be appreciated. Have you done this type of dyeing before and would you like to help me? LOL



More like scary. Maybe good for some Halloween rugs. Orange, black and this bright purplish reddish pink! Or maybe bright hibiscus flowers or a Hawaiian sunset. Now I'm on the right track for these intense colors.


And I'm always saying I like bright colors more than the drab primitive colors. Actually it's my husband that doesn't like the prim colors. He thinks they're depressing. When I lived in a 100 year old farmhouse it was Very primitive. Chipping peeling paint on everything. That was "BM"- before Mickey. He will only put up with a few chippy things in our house. But hey, the poor guy does sleep in a pink bedroom afterall. That's enough compromise for me!


These are the colors I came out with from just the leftover BLOOD water! That's what I've heard it called anyway. What came out of the fabrics as they were marbelizing. LOTS OF COLOR still left in the water! These were pieces of natural wool.


And my baby is sick.


Tuesday night I fed him some vegetable soup. Well the vegis, not the broth. He has an "upset tummy"-- Coming out both ends to be exact. Sorry to be so gross. He's lost just two ounces short of a whole pound. Anyway this morning I called the vet and they said to bring him in this afternoon. The Dr. examined him and I told him about the soup on Tuesday. (And Mickey feeds him people food every morning-usually some ground beef or macaroni and cheese.) He said Jimmie Dean just has some digestive track upset and inflamation. Just upset is to say the least. We were up at midnight last night cleaning the carpet in our bedroom. He gave him an antibiotic shot and a B12 shot. And five days worth of anti-inflamatory pills. No food for another 24 hours and just a tablespoon of water every hour. Poor baby. I can't hardly stand it. My mom asked me when I told her I gave him vegi soup if it wouldn't give him a stomach ache. Boy, do mothers always know best!

I got two new Pro Chem dye books in the mail today . I'll read them and then give my unqualified opinion of them to you tomorrow.

We're nearing the 100 post mark. I think I'll try to write every day until I hit it. Then the give away. I love to give stuff away. Makes me happy. Makes me smile. My mom would say that's good for me!

Have a great Friday night
Peace,
Sheri