Some Humor ~

First, we hear alcohol may prevent the virus . . . now research suggests the opposite.  Then we're told heat and humidity has no effect, but wait . . . direct sunlight might quickly kill the virus.

So, if you come across some middle aged woman, standing in the front yard, intoxicated and naked, leave me alone . . . I'm conducting important medical research.

I've finished binding BOO.  It just needs a final steaming and a label.

The hooking is complete on a Trio of Pumpkins.  There is room for one more door prize mat on the linen.  Then three little mats will need binding.  UGH!

~ BEWARE ~

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Be safe and stay healthy.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Binding, a Restart, a Start and a Start ~

Well . . . the hooking is finished and BOO is being bound.  Pattern by American folk artist S. West (paper pattern sold by Buttermilk Basin).  It measures 11 1/2" x 15".  A  birthday gift.

I frogged and restarted a Small Marine Sampler but not enough to bother with a picture.  Another birthday gift in the making.

And yet another birthday gift.  This applique runner is a pattern by Crows on the Ledge.  It is about 13" x 35".  

A little hooked mat that will be another door prize at the Crooked River hook in this October.  A total no brainer piece.  

I finally started putting the mulch down in the flower beds.  The weather hasn't been too cooperative.  (I mowed the lawn today wearing winter gloves.)  6 bags down . . . 34 to go.  I must be a glutton for punishment.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Be safe and stay healthy.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

NOT a Happy Camper ~

NOTE:  Before I hit publish, the designer had already responded to me.  She apologized and refunded my money within minutes.  She is in Italy and said with the situation in her country, she has a problem concentrating.  We can relate, can't we?  I think this was an anomaly and I would not hesitate purchasing from her in the future.  And I really hope to get a corrected version at a later date :)

So last night I started a little cross stitch piece.  The chart was a PDF download from Etsy.  

Working on 32 count linen which I've not used before.  DMC floss, 1 thread over 2.  All was going well . . . until I discovered that the upper case letter E is not charted (but is on the picture of the model).  Easy enough to add the E, but then spacing is all wrong and since I already started stitching on row 2, I cannot just drop one letter from row 1 to row 2.  

Upon further examination, the lower case alphabet, is how shall I say?  WTH???  There is a mystery letter ~ I think it's supposed to be a k.  

Then I notice that the lower case l, n, o, p and q are missing.  (See above picture.)  These are not stitched on the model.  Is the "model" really stitched or is it just a computer rendering?  And no.  I do not find this charming.

I am not a fast stitcher and even slower when watching a show.  Slower yet when it is Man in the High Castle which I find very confusing and needing much concentration.  This is what I accomplished in 2 episodes.  Kind of pathetic.

I have contacted the seller and asked for a corrected chart or a refund.  To be continued . . .

My sun worshiping Molly.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Be safe and stay healthy.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Attention Span of a Gnat ~

That about sums it up.  (Thanks, Carolyn in Texas for that.)  Is it just me, or are you having a hard time concentrating?  My mind is just all over the place.  I am working on binding my hit 'n miss runner . . . so close to being done.

. . . working a little Halloween mat . . . 

. . . and just about ready to start a fall applique runner . . . 

. . . and a little cross stitch piece . . .

. . . and I'm going to try to join Saundra in hooking a cat's paw mat for a rocker.  Now when I get to that may be another story.

. . . and the list goes on.  I have several more small patterns on linen.  Easy pieces that I don't have to think about much.  Most of them will be gifts.  

I have number of these storage cubes from Dollar Tree to keep everything separate.  

Whatever I can do to keep my sanity in these trying times.  I feel I am one of the lucky ones.  I have my house, yard, Molly to walk and I do see my DSO daily.  Plus I have my hooking, applique, and cross stitching.  I'm sure I've asked before, but what do people do who don't have a hobby to fall back on?  Or who are cooped up in an apartment?  I hope and pray that we can soon flatten the curve and get to whatever our new normal will be.

And let me add ~ two, to, and too!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

More Dyeing ~

And I will add ~

Rug hooking is not cancelled

Applique is not cancelled

Cross stitching is not cancelled

{{But of course all must be done solo.}}

I played in the dye pots again last week.  Fractur orange is from the this dye book by Cathy Meyer.  

Turquoise spark is from this dye book.

I love the results.

Yesterday I decided to dye another pot of fractur black for an applique runner I want to stitch.  I don't normally use a sold wool, but had some Dorr wool that I though would dye up nicely.  It did.  However . . . I did not take in to account the shrinkage, so the piece is now not large enough and I did not want to reduce the size of the runner by several inches.

Today more wool is soaking.  I do hope it will work out for the applique runner.  Even though the wool has been previously washed, I still allowed for shrinkage :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Be safe and stay healthy.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren 

Happy Easter ~

I wish you health more than anything this Easter.  A little chocolate wouldn't hurt either.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Hook-y Stuff ~

My hit 'n miss runner is complete and the binding has been started.  The finished size is just over 1' x 4'.  Though I used many worms, the worm farm is far from being depleted.  One of these days I need to sort through the bins.  So many are pieces that will never be used ~ too short, too narrow, too ragged.  

I also hooked this little mat that will be a door prize at the Crooked River hook in this fall.  I need to tweak the nose a bit.  The free pattern can be found here.

I tried taking another picture of my fractur black wool.  This picture came out much better.  It is a smokey grayish color.

Molly . . . just because.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Be safe and stay healthy.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Fraktur Black ~

I dyed wool last week.  Two pots of fraktur black.  I am not too exact with my measuring the dry dyes and the pots differed in size/amount of water.  I wish I knew what wool I put in what pot.  Here are pictures . . . really bad pictures of the dyed wool.  (The before wool pictures are spot on.)  I just can't capture the color.  I'm not sure how to describe it.  Darker than in the pictures, more grayish/black than the blue that is showing on my monitor.  The results are so-so, but the wool is more usable.  Maybe in my next life I will learn to take better pictures.

If you are tired of Coronavirus humor, you can skip the rest of this post :)  I just need to laugh.

Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.

I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe.

I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.

Still haven't decided where to go for Easter --The Living Room or The Bedroom

PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job.

I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone

This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot.

So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them?

Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.

My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

Day 5 of Home schooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.

I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?

I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

Day 6 of Home schooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended.

Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under

REMEMBER, NO STORM LAST FOREVER. HOLD ON, BE BRAVE, HAVE FAITH. Every storm is temporary and we never face the storm alone. God is with us. Always....... and, we have each other.

Thanks so much for stopping.

Be safe and be healthy.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Some Things You Just Can't Un-See ~

Sorry . . . but we MUST laugh!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Happy Birthday ~

Today is Ernestine's 8th birthday.  She was an owner surrender with Ohio Pug Rescue so her birth date is known. 

She was my foster, adopted by DSO in just a few short days.

I wish I could say that she and my Molly are the best of friends . . . sigh.  They get along 98% of the time, but that other 2% is not pretty :(

I hope everyone is "social distancing".  It is so important at this very scary time.  Be safe and stay healthy.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Just a Quickie ~

I hope this post finds you all well and hunkered down the best you can.  I made a quick trip to the grocery store yesterday and was surprised to find it less busy than normal and the shelves were pretty well stocked.  They even had some store brand tp. (It was Aldi's so if you are familiar with them you know they normally do not stock major brands.)  In talking with my Las Vegas son the other evening, he says there is no tp to be found there.

Just ~ finally ~ wanted to share this finish with you.  It was started last April at rug camp with Tricia Travis (what a sweetie).  I wanted to finish it before this year's camp and did, but of course there is no camp.  It has been rescheduled for September so something to look forward to.  

Antique Floral, pattern by Payton Primitives sold by Heavens to Betsy.  The finished size is 20" x 46" which is a big rug for me.  Of course the colors are so much better in person :)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren