Life Can Get in the Way ~

I really thought I would be done with Madi's Favorite by now, but with good weather comes yard work.  I have a small yard . . . but mostly perennials . . . that have gotten totally out of control.  I have dug up many this year and passed them on to friends, and there are plenty more I could dig up.  I finally got the gardens edged . . . but we realize all too well that keeping up with the yard is a never ending task.  I don't plant annuals except in crocks, the old wheelbarrow, etc.  That was on my list for today . . . and mission accomplished.

Son and his girlfriend made it back from Florida without problem.  Duck duty is over 😁.  After just a few days, the grandducks would come running to me when I arrived.  The couple times I did not bring them tomatoes I think I heard them quack, "WTH???".

Here is my progress so far on Madi.  

I hope all is well in your little corner of the world.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Quack, Eat, Poop ~ Repeat

I have duck duty this week. My son and his girlfriend are in Florida, so the grandducks are my responsibility for ten days.  Thankfully they live just ten minutes from me so going there morning and evening isn't too bad.  (I wonder if they will be home this weekend as planned.  They are not sure if they will be able to get gas.  Hopefully by then things will begin to return to normal.)

I have three grandducks, 'Lil Bit, Sadie and Phillipe.  Sadly duck #4 Scrooge was attacked by a hawk a few weeks ago, taken to the avian vet but had to be euthanized.  I must say, ducks are messy creatures 😒

First thing when they are let out in the morning, they head for a swim.

They do love tomatoes.  They devour them in seconds.  

This morning I had no tomatoes for them, just some lettuce.  They stood there, looking at me and I swear I could hear them quacking, "WTH, grandma.  Where are the tomatoes?".

I even get to play farmer Lauren and gather eggs.  I grew up on a small farm, and don't ever remember gathering the eggs.  I guess one is never too old . . . lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs and quacks 😊
Lauren

Happy Mother's Day ~

Happy Mother's Day to one and all ~ whether you have two legged or four legged kids.  Weather In Ohio is more like early March today.  Lots of rain . . . and just a little south and also a little to the east of us that "S" word.  Good excuse not to be doing yard work 😁

I have made some progress on Madi's Favorite, but of course not as much as I would like.  I am a master at frittering away the day and not accomplishing what I would like to.  Oh, the joys of retirement.

I like the rug, but I am not loving it.  I like the colors, but they are not "me".  The corners are drawn pretty wonky and I will need to adjust that one on the right.  The circles are not in the same location in each corner.  I wish I had noticed that earlier.  I know, I can be  (just a bit) anal at times.  Normally I would make the "clamshell" part of each corner identical, but it was not drawn that way, either.  I just have a hard time with wonky, but there is no turning back.

I hope you have enjoyed your day doing what makes you happy.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Men's Ties ~

 

I hope this day finds you well and happy and enjoying life!  Weather in Ohio (and many other places) is less than ideal, but it is early May and we must deal with it often.  Just drizzly enough to prevent yard work (is that a bad thing?), so hopefully I will get a few more loops pulled today.

I got together with my brother's significant other last week.  She mentioned my brother FINALLY cleaned out his ties.  
Me:  What are you doing with the ties (as my ears perk up)?
Lyn:  They are going to the thrift store.
Me:  Can I have them?
Lyn:  With a very puzzled look on her face . . . sure.

I assumed I would be getting a dozen or so ties.  She gave me this.

Fifty+ ties, some silk, some polyester.

At Rug Week at Sauder Village in 2019, there was this little rug I had taken a picture of that I thought was very cool.

A close up of the edge.

I will make something similar for Lyn's birthday.  I know it will be much appreciated!

Adios, mis amigas y amigos.
Gracias for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Not Much Progress ~

I've started on Madi's Favorite.  In fact I think I started this five days ago.  Sadly I don't have much to show.  I'm kind of wishing I had chosen a darker background, but it is what is and I am not changing it.

The teals and the reds are wool I dyed a couple weeks ago.  Somehow the design got a little wonky.  The square is not centered in the star and the star is not centered in the square.  It's primitive . . . so that's my story and I'm sticking to it 😁

Don't you just hate when this happens?

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs😊
Lauren

How do You Eat an Elephant?

How do you bind a rug?  A little each day.  I have the attention span of a gnat, though it has been pointed out to me that gnats are very persistent so I'm not sure where that saying has come from.  My hit 'n miss is finally steamed and bound.  It only needs a label . . . and I am falling behind in labeling my rugs.  It is my largest rug hooked to date.  I hooked it for next to my bed, but I've decided to take the front door rug, put it bedside and put this one by the front door.  Note my little photo bomber.

A smaller version of the same rug about 6' from the larger one.

I have started Madi's favorite by Margo White but not enough is hooked to make it worthwhile posting.  I am using some of the wool I dyed last week.  

Me some days . . . sigh.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Playing in the Dye Pots ~

I believe the #1 rule when dyeing wool is to wear rubber gloves.  You'd think by now I would have learned that lesson.  I am just a slow learner . . . and have the stained fingers to prove it.

Here are the wools before dyeing.  I did have a few smaller pieces, some recycled, that are not shown.

As always, I was not able to capture the richness of the dyed wool.

Taco Bean Red, a pot of dark (bottom two wools) and a pot of light (top three wools) from the Barbara Carroll/Emma Lou Lais dye book (my favorite!).  

Bottom wool was a formula from the same dye book, Turquoise Spark.  The top wool was from another dye book I have not had good luck with.  The wool is pretty, but it was supposed to be a dark mossy green.  

Emma Lou's Putty (old) is one of my favorite dye formulas. The wool on the left used the amount of dye called for.  On the right, I used half again the amount.  Surprisingly, there is not much difference.
 

I had some dye left over from a previous dye session.  Though this color is pleasing, it is nowhere near what I expected.  The formula was called Emma Lou's Hunter.  

Overall, I love the colors I came up with, but could probably never duplicate them.  I try to measure accurately, but don't always succeed.

If you would like to see some amazing cross stitch finishes, hop on over to Angela's blog.  She also has the greenest thumb around.  She often posts pictures of the flowers in her yard.  Not only are the flowers beautiful, so is her photographic ability.  Plus she has the sweetest little furbaby, Jack Jack.  You won't be sorry you paid her a visit.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren