New Hampshire

We get back to one of our favorite places

 

Goldenrod in full bloom

 

yay!  Santa's Village

 

these three were very excited to see Santa

 

Amanda feeds Blitzen

 

Joe feeds Comet

 

Nellie feeds Donner

 

who then becomes her best friend

 

They even started to make the same faces

 

Dasher tells Gabe a Secret

 

Must have been a good one

 

And I think Danielle enjoyed Santa's light show

 

That blur is Joe, Nellie, and Amanda going down the flume

while I anxiously wait

 

Emo the Elf

yes, that really is his name

 

Nellie and Emo

being all emo

 

Joe has found his dream home

 

And hangs out with his elf friends

 

along the Kancamangus

we have pictures at this spot going back more than sixty years

 

Gabe......

 

beautiful flowers

 

and raspberries!

 

raspberry picking along the Kancamangus

 

among the flowers

 

I wish I knew what these are called

 

Red Raspberry

 

couldn't quite read this marker

 

Oh, the view was nice too, if a bit hazy

 

covered bridges

 

and old barns

 

we planned a picnic at Crawford Notch

 

Crawford Notch had other ideas

 

but it cleared by the time we reached the view to Mt Washington

by the time we reached the Basin the rain was just a memory

 



 

very clear and very cold

 

and so pretty

 

this is our favorite place

 

and always our last stop before heading home

 

'

 

rain or shine

 

we love it

 

the only wildlife we came across

 

the bridge

 

more falls

 

and a the North Conway Scenic Railroad

this was a favorite of my dad's

seeing it today was like having him say hello

hope you are having a nice trip.

And we did.



Outlander in Stitches

 

When did snowmen become popular?

Do you suppose Brianna and Roger taught the kids to

make snowmen? Where the first snowmen in America

built in front of the big house on Fraser's Ridge.

I think maybe they were.

 

Lavender, I love lavender.

My book has a pocket for my embroidery hoop and

other notions,  and my second embroidery project is next to it.

lavender flowers with lavender buttons.

If I could infuse this page with lavender that would be perfection.

 

 

lavender and lace, and this over the top peacock

while there is nothing historic about this particular fabric

the over the top opulence and business scream courtier to me

 

and then there are simple homespun dreams

 

and romantic idylls in the French countryside

 

Toile du Jouy.

 another thing that I love

 

 

brief views of court dress

a bodice for day and one for evening

complete products of my imagination

this is after all a sketch book

 

I am a little obsessed with thistle

such pretty colors

such a sweet looking flower favored by honeybees

and oh, so prickly to touch

 

Halfway through the pages of my summer

sketchbook, it is like a busy book for grown-ups

soft, snuggly, full of pretty things

a summer get away for people like me

people who love to keep a sketch book but have

no particular talent for drawing.

My love for all things Outlander is just an added bonus.

 

Thistle - Yarn doll tutorial

 

 

Here is Thistle

he lives in my flower pot

and this is how he was made

 

 

supplies: yarn pieces, approx. 3 yards for hair, 3-4 yards for body

one full length craft pipe cleaner

one half craft pipe cleaner

one wooden bead

 

fold longer pipe cleaner in half and insert bead on the ends

(these will be the feet)

 

fold 3 yards of scrap yarn in half five times

 and put in through the pipe cleaner loop halfway

 

pull the bead up to the top

as tightly as you can

 

fold smaller pipe cleaner in half

 

wrap around the "body" one time

 

begin wrapping the second yarn around the body as neatly as you can

start at the torso, about halfway down the length separate the pipe cleaners to make the legs

wrap up and down the legs, back up to the torso and then across the arms

leave about 3/8" of pipe cleaner exposed at the end of each limb

 

repeat this step until your doll is as thick as you want it

 

when your doll has reached its desired thickness fold the ends of the pipe cleaners up

this creates the hands and feet and helps keep the yarn in place

end the yarn wrapping up at the neck

 tie it like a scarf with a smaller piece of scrap yarn

 



 

and there you have it

variations are as unlimited as your imagination

and how many scraps have gathered in the bottom of your project bag

 

for example you can use a button with a shank for the head

 

and you can make your doll a girl

 

by taking several yards of yarn and folding in halves

until it is a few inches long and then tuck the yarn halfway between the legs

 

twisting around the yarn hank bend the legs up and

twist them together with the arms

 

begin wrapping around the top of the torso and the arms

leave a long tail hanging out

 

wrap until she looks right to you

end at the neck and tie the tails together with a square not

 

add some bits of greenery

 

 

bead and wire variation

 

or needle felt over the base.

this is a fun and easy project

I have made these with minimal instruction with

kids as young as ten, more hands on help with younger children

you can use yarn, bits of fabric, beads, etc...

you can twist the ends of the hands to hold things.

We make some every year to add to our Christmas tree,

they also make great take along dolls for car rides etc......

you can add a bit of fabric glue at the ends and the knot to make them

more durable.  We have yet to run out of variations or gotten bored

making them. The possibilities really are endless.