sitting here in a wool sweater!

hi! just checking in to say hello on this chilly chilly may day!!  will. not. turn. on. heat!

 

i've been enjoying every minute of this spring, which has seemed long and lingering. i never like to rush this greening growing season. too often there are a couple of lovely weeks and then, bam! 90 degrees! not my favorite! i'll take this cool weather a bit longer any time! 

only 4 days left of my crochet project. i'll miss it, but maybe i'll get more blogging done when it's over!

remembering the incredible life of maya angelou today. such an amazing and inspiring woman!

 

brimfield!!

this past friday brian and i both took the day off from work and went to brimfield, mass. to the BIG antiques fair. it was really fun despite the drizzly weather. i didn't get many photos in the rain, but i HAD to get one of this adorable little camper with its crocheted tire cover! how cute is that!?!?! if i had a spare tire on my camper i would certainly be working on a crocheted cover as we speak!

we didn't get many things, but i found these aqua pillowcases that are about the best pillowcases i've ever seen! i loooove them!

violet likes them too. is that a little claw i see stuck into my pillow, naughty kitty!! claws and crochet do not mix!

happy monday!

hi!!!!!

boy, it's been a while! i've been taking a lot of pictures and posting them over on instagram (@roscorichmond) and neglecting this space horribly...sorry!!!

for this month of may i have been joining kate over at her beautiful blog foxs lane with her crochet and meditation project. her thought was to crochet one motif a day while taking time for yourself and meditating on something you feel grateful for, and then posting each one on instagram at #motifdaymay for everyone to see.  such a fun and inspiring endeavor!!

instead of making single motifs which i couldn't think of a use for, i decided to make mine very small and use them to cover beach stones. i've seen these on line and always loved them, so figuring the whole thing out has been very exciting! i also made a few pieces for garlands to give my hands a break from that tiny crochet. i've  really enjoyed photographing each one almost as much as making them. here are a few shots.

 so that's what i've been up to. how about you?????

go over to instagram #motifdaymay and see all of the beautiful crochet that's goin' on!

happy sunday to you!

spring in here!

 

my favorite flower in the garden (and i use that term loosely...tangled patch of plants is more like it at this point!) is blooming now. blood root is such a lovely little plant, and it's so nice that it blooms very early in the spring. every night the flower closes back up, and the leaf wraps around it for protection, such a charming habit!

also, i finished another pillow top. i'm loving making this popcorn pattern. it looks cool and has a nice texture. fun!

happy rainy sunday! i hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods!!

i'm still here

after seeing this, i really wanted to give this pattern a try!

i crocheted the top to fit a 16" pillow form.  i had to rip rows out a few times trying to make the circle lie flat, but i finally got it right!  i decided that i didn't want to crochet the back, so i cut a fabric circle 19" in diameter. i wanted to hem the edge of the circle to make a 1/2" hem,  so i  folded the edges in 1/2" and then another 1/2".  i was then left with an extra inch to accommodate the curve of the pillow form(does this make any sense???)

then i did a blanket stitch around the perimeter of the circle at 1/2" intervals. this way i had something to crochet into to attach the front and back together.

 

i did one row of single crochet to attach the front to the back. when i was about two thirds of the way around, i stuck in the pillow form and then finished the row of single crochet with the form inside.

no one in this house is allowed to touch it!

post-holiday laziness

i'm so lucky to have today off!!  time to rewind after the busy day yesterday. we had such a nice christmas with two families, a new cat and a new dog to meet, wonderful food, gifts and most importantly it was so good to spend time with everyone.

today i have been half-heartedly working on a couple of projects. i cut out fabric for two quilt squares, but didn't really feel like sewing them together and did a bit of crocheting and thinking about new things to make. i am just starting on the heel of the socks i'm knitting, so that's something! mostly i've been watching the huge fluffy snowflakes fall outside and just enjoying the day.

my niece made me the beautiful star and the plate with our shared intials on it. (we are both JAR's!) such sweet gifts!

i guess i should GET DRESSED, ahem, and get out there and do a bit of shoveling.

happy boxing day!!

CAT AND QUILTS

hi! i am excited to show you my new set of postcards called "cat and quilts" starring my furry friend, violet!  she loves snuggling up on all of the quilts and crocheted blankets around here, and i got some nice photos of her in the act!

i'll have these for sale at the craft fair, individually and in sets of five. the sets are bundled in wraps made with sweet vintage fabrics and  ric-rac trim.

i have also dusted the cobwebs off of  my long neglected etsy shop, and you can find them there now! if you live outside the united states, please leave me a message here or on etsy and i will be happy to find the shipping cost for your location.

thanks to everyone who reads my blog and leaves such nice comments! i love knowing you're out there!

happy monday!

**note** the colors are best represented in the very first photo. thanks!

weekend in rhode island

this weekend we visited friends in rhode island and did lots of wandering and window shopping.  we went to the risd alumni craft fair which was  fun and inspirational, and as i have a craft fair coming up that i need to be thinking about, that was good!  it was very exciting to see adam reid there, the kitchen gadgets guy from america's test kitchen!!!  working for that show would be my dream job, so i was very geeky and yelled "we love your show!!!", and he seemed genuinely happy to be recognized. very cool!

i also taught my 7-year-old friend, stella, how to crochet, and she picked it right up! it's so awkward starting to crochet or knit and can be frustrating even for an adult, but she was so patient and spent the whole rest of the weekend crocheting! i loved that!!

these photos were taken in warren, ri, a great little town with lots of junk shops and funky buildings.

today we hit the flea market, and i have lots of new treasures to show you. i know you can't wait!!!

hope you enjoyed your columbus day!

it's tuesday!

not much to show from this weekend's flea marketing, but i did find these beautiful potholders!

last night i put the last stitch of quilting in my quilt. the binding fabric is in the dryer right now, and if i can tear myself away from "arrested development" tonight, i just MAY get it finished!!