It is a sad day - -

My sister has passed away and will no longer be adding to this blog. Her family thanks you for your love and support you offered on line. We will miss her.

This blog is on leave until further notice

Due to illness, I will not be able to post to my blog until further notice.

Acute back pain has me incapacitated, and unable to sit at the computer for more than a few minutes at a time.

My stores are also closed.

My Goldfish Plant

Here is my goldfish plant that I have beeen growing for about 2 years. Right now it is prollific with blossoms and is so pretty and a great way to welcome in spring. It does bloom all year, though this is the most blooms it has had at one time.

I have rooted a piece of it and will be selling it in my peppers2 store. It is a bright spot all winter with the little orange blossoms that look like a goldfish, and it is really easy to grow... meaning it takes a lot of abuse, and still flourishes.

Our Blankets

I have talked about doing blankets for Project Linus a lot, and here are what we have so far. The first 8 blankets are done and ready to go to a deserving child. There are 4 more blankets started, and should be done soon.

Hats and mittens are in the works also. We are quite proud that we have been able to do this much without our Audrey. But doing this in her honor keeps us going.

Wordless Wednesday

A Neat Idea

This is a really pretty spring scarf. I took what would normally be a carry-along, and knit it up by itself with size 17 needles. It can be found in my store as of yesterday. There are so many things you could do with this. Use it for a belt, a headband, tie it in a bow and attach it to your purse. It is so light and airy it could be used all summer long.

I am really busy these days crocheting for the Linus Project. I'm trying to also work on items for my store. So, you know I won't be getting into much trouble.......no time!!

Ribbon Knitting

I have had this ribbon yarn for a long time, and was always afraid to try knitting with it. Yes, I was intimidated.

I finally got it out when I found this lovely pattern for a simple collar calling for ribbon yarn. Well, I love it!!. It was really easy to work with, and I really didn't find it a problem. You do have to watch and make sure that you aren't twisting the ribbon too much.

This will be in my Pepper2 Store.

Most of my knitting these days has been for the "Linus Project". They provide Paul Newman's "Hole in the Wall" Camp for cancer kids with blankets for the children to take home. They have about 800 children go through the camp each summer, and each child gets a blanket. Last year we did 10 blankets. We hope to do it again this year.

My sister posted on her blog that she had ordered a "surprise package" from Stitches N Things, and showed a picture of her loot. I was amazed at what she received, so I decided to order one for myself. WOW!! What lovely items. Here is a picture, which does not do it justice. I received some beautiful blue linen, some black linen, a picture frame, some charts, some books with charts, a thread cutter, two kits, and some specialty floss. Besides this... it all came in a tote. I will be using the blue linen right away. The specialty yarn is something I had on my list for the next trip to the craft store. The tote ----- I had just been wishing for a lighter tote to take to my knitting group on Wednesdays. Taa Daa!!! Here it is! The kits are nice, and one is expecially nice because it is a "beginner's" hardanger. I just might try it. Don't know if my eyes will cooperate, but I will try. I may send the books to my stitching friend in Bolton Landing. Since cross stitch is difficult for me anymore with my eyesight not what it was 20 years ago.

For those of you that do cross stitch... try this little surprise package. It is well sorth it, and such fun to receive.

My Ever and Ever On-Going Project

This is a very large round tablecloth. It has stitching in the middle as well as all around the outside edge. I started this about 4 years ago. Got tired of it. Started it again last year.... got tired of it, and now.... here we go again. When it is done it will be beautiful. A whole lot of work for one item!!! This one will be just for me. Just to prove that I have good intentions, I bought a little lamp to match and put on the table where it will go.

When it is done, I will be posting the final result here. Watch for it soon.... or next year.

The Red Bird is Done

In an earlier post, I showed the drawing of this red bird. Now, here it is all done and framed.

This was quite simple to do, and turned out very beautiful.

Sometimes, the simpler, the better.

One More Thing.......Our future in good hands

I live in Senior Housing, a 2 story building with 36 individual apartments. Yesterday, we had a luncheon for the immediate family of our friend and neighbor Audrey.
Her 11 children and their spouses, 28 grandchildren - including some spouses, and great grand children. Approximately 50 people -- or more.
We had this luncheon in our community room and it spilled over into our lobby.
There were many..many teens, and tweens amoung this large group. I was, as I watched this beautiful family, very impressed. With all those children, there was not one with a pouty (I-can't-be-with-my-friends) face or sulking. They did not run around, and they were not obnoxiously boisterous. There was, I saw some friendly teasing and cajolling. Mostly, there was respect and courtesy. Not just with the adults, but with one another. One could see all these children had a mutual love for each other that almost seemed to make them like a single unit.
Audrey raised her children with rules and lots of love, and taught them well. Now, I can see her children are doing the same for their children.
This is Audrey's legacy....... and the world will be a better place for a long time to come.

A Tribute

My beautiful knitting pal Audrey, passed away this morning. In an earlier blog I described the knitting group I belong to, and Audrey was a long time member. Here, as usual, she is crocheting for one of her many grand children.

With 11 children, 28 grand children, and too many to count great grand kids, she had to knit and crochet real fast. She learned to do it fast when her children were little. If she didn't do it fast it would never get done in between taking care of all those children.

She also very often would be knitting and crocheting "chemo caps", hats for preemie's, and mittens and hats by the dozen for the church to give to the less fortunate at Christmas.

Audrey was a beautiful person, inside and out. I am proud to say she was my friend. We will surely miss her.

Je T'Aime........ I Really do like it!

Here is the Je T'Aime that was not yet framed in an earlier post.

I think it came out just loverly, and I'm so glad I had the special linen from my sister for this.

Next, I am framing the red bird, as the embroidery on that is finished.

My latest Creation

Here you see the result of a 3:00 am brain fart. I woke up, and my creative mind was going a mile a minute. I couldn't wait to do this one, as Valentine's Day is close at hand. It has now been posted for sale at my peppers2 store.

There are 2 more ideas that I have now on a little scketch pad, and I will soon be doing those also. One has to do with dandelions, and the other cocktails. .. .. .. Got you curious? Stay tuned.

I am also working like mad on a custom order for my knitting, which is boring because it is just plain knit from here to Albany and back (30 miles). Beautiful when it is done, but no creative ability needed.

Busy Beeee .. That's Me!

I have not posted to my blog recently, because I'm so very busy with my store. I really thought January would be a down month to get some things done just for myself.
I have had several custom orders, and the regular orders,... and well, I just keep packaging them and shipping as fast as I can.
Being on "Etsy", it is expected to give personal service to each and every customer. I do this with glee, and eagerly answer all questions, and order special yarn when called for. I love the people who become my customers, and end up considering them part of my "family".
So now, I am off to order more yarn, and knit like crazy filling orders.
Take a peek at my store... kind of down on inventory, but still a lot to see.
Blessings to all...

I Like It ! uh huh, uh huh

Je t'aime... and some little flowers on monet linen. How good does it get!

The linen is some my sister sent me, and I always said "I like it" when I came across it while chosing linen for my embroidery. When I saw t his "J t"aime" embroidery, I knew I had the right thing for this cloth. I intend to put it in a hoop frame, and put it in my Peppers2 store. This was really fun to do. especially chosing the floss. For the flowers, I used two different colors together.

The little bird has just been transered to linen , and will be my next project in embroidery. You can see the floss colors I have chosen, with bright red for the bird. I will use two colors together (again) for the pine cone.