MY PHILOSOPHY

MY PHILOSOPHY
When we show our respect for the other living things, they respond with respect for us.----Arapaho Proverb

Monday, February 28, 2011

FAREWELL TO WINTER (PROJECTS)

The promise of Spring is definitely in the air.  The birds are eagerly tuning up for the upcoming  mating season and luscious colors have begun peaking out from under all the snow cover.  And boy are my Winter starved eyes soaking it all up!!  Oh, I don't believe for a moment that Winter is completely done with us this early in the ball game.  At the very least we will have our grand finale and who knows how many curtain calls before Old Man Winter finally heads back north chuckling to himself delightedly!!  But I am definitely enjoying this respite!

 I suppose it IS cheating just a bit;  but I did hang my sunburst doily suncatcher in the kitchen window (facing West), surrounded by hearts to let the Sun know how much I am looking  forward to the return of extra daylight hours and the warmer months ahead.



As the season continues to wind down ever so slowly, I too have begun to turn away from the monotony of the pure white cotton thread of all things snowy, and find myself thinking in color once more, searching through  mounds of crochet patterns for those that speak most to me of Spring days!

And so I figured this might be a good opportunity to share the very last of THIS seasons projects with you.

This doily is called Winter's First Snow, always a very special day, when it feels to me like the official kick-off to the entire season, with all its infinite possibilities looming ahead. I'm considering making this one into a suncatcher for next year, to hang in the window to welcome that first snowfall.





Interestingly, as I was leaving the house just the other day, I came across some lovely patches of ice in the driveway.  One of them looked just like an ice doily to me. The wind was positively wicked that morning, and Old Man Winter tried his best to discourage me from my task, what with blowing me around in every which direction, but I was still able to get this shot before I had to run for cover.  Sure would love to have THIS pattern!!!!  Is that a pink flower in the middle?




Winter's Breath Doily is the perfect name for this little beauty!  If one could capture that exhale puff of frosty breath I am certain it would look very much like this!





I call these two the twins, although they do claim that no two snowflakes look exactly alike. Well, I'm sure there must be a mistake in one of them somewhere, so hopefully I haven't gone against the laws of Nature!!  This pattern is formally known as the Cut-Glass Snowflake Doily, and they have both graced my dresser with their icy presence.




Now it so happens that one day last Winter, while riding alongside the river, I just happened to notice all of these round icy doily shapes floating down stream.  They came in every size imaginable and even looked a little like fine  lace! Alas I couldn't find the perfect location to take this shot, so it may be difficult for you to see them as I did, but it does give you a slight hint anyway.  I've named this picture 'Doilies in the Delaware'.






 Called the Mini Snowflake Doily (and jar cover), this little beauty is so delicate.  And  I love that little snowflake in the center!




But I think it really shines as a suncatcher!!





The name Shell Suncatcher Doily doesn't do this one justice!  I think all those curlicues in the center are sooo interesting!  This was my first attempt at making them.






But I needed just one more doily pattern to go out in a really 'big' way for my grand finale of Winter and found this Lacy Accent Doily pattern. 





Just to put things in the proper perspective for you, it is spread out as a topper on my king size bed.  Yep, it's definitely a 'big' one!





So, you might ask, is that ALL she does is doilies?  No, I did pick up some yarn and make.........





TA DA!!!  A snowflake scarf!  My only regret is finding this delightful pattern so very late in the season.  It's gonna kill me to put it away until next year so soon!  But I suppose it wouldn't go with a swimsuit!?!

And once again I have saved my very best for last.  I followed a pattern for the hat, but the scarf is all my own creation.  And if I never see another piece of fringe in this lifetime, it will be just fine with me!!!





Well that officially concludes my Winter goodies.  I hope you enjoyed seeing them, and that you will visit me again soon.  I've got sooo many ideas for the Spring!!!!

By the way, please continue to leave your comments, they mean the world to me.  I just haven't quite figured out how to reply to them yet!!  And thank you all for saying such beautiful things about my blog!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

THE TREES IN WINTER

The lush leaves of Summer and the exquisite Fall foliage tend to offer a certain 'modesty' to the trees,  literally cloaking them from sight.  And the attention given to those leaves is at the expense of never really getting to know the true essence of a tree.  In Winter, when completely devoid of leaves, one can see trees for who they really are and NOT merely for what they are wearing!

This is never more apparent then when a pale Winter sky and  snowcover combine to offer a perfect backdrop, highlighting every single trunk, branch and twig!







Their characters are as unique and diverse as our own human ones, if you take the time to look. Like this friendly face!




Whether alone......





or in denizens, their individual 'nature' shines through.










So take a careful look around this Winter and notice the 'personalities' of the trees either in your own 'neck of the woods' OR even in your own backyard!  





And don't forget to ENJOY the magnificent gift of Winter!!!!

Friday, February 4, 2011

SNOWFLAKES, OF THE CROCHETED KIND!

I can't help myself, I just love making snowflakes!!!  All Winter long I get 'flaky' as I thumb through my large binder of patterns trying to decide which to do next.  So I thought that today I might share some of my treasures with you.

First there are the individual snowflakes themselves.  They adorn just about every nook and cranny of my home for the Winter season. One year I actually whipped out 400 of them (no that's not a typo).




It was my daughters idea to decorate my 'tea' tree with snowflakes this year and she was absolutely right, they do look delightful!  Thank you Julie!




Here a flake, there a flake, everywhere a snowflake!  





It looks like a blizzard in here!





You never know where you might find snowflakes lurking around my home!  And from the largest to the tiniest, I am crazy about each and every one!






And then, of course, there are the doilies.  They entice me by their very names.  Like this one with the exotic title of Snowflower Doily.......





and Winter Wonderland.......





and this beauty called the Ice Blue Snow Crystal Doily that makes me feel chilly just looking at it! 




Even though this one is named the Star Doily, to me the center looks like two snowflakes, one inside of the other.




I even tried my hand at a set of yarn snowflake placemats.  They are so very thick and soft!  Only problem is, I can't bring myself to use them for fear they'll get ruined!  Oh well, they DO look equally pretty placed here and there (safely) about the house.






This giant one wanted to be a decorative pillow to adorn my bed.  It's actually a floral pattern, but to me it just screams snowflake!





 But the very best of all is a coverlet I created for my bed out of a micro fleece throw that I covered with crocheted snowflakes in all shapes and sizes.  Since no two are alike out in Nature, I decided to follow suit.

It took me most of last Winter to complete but boy was it ever worth it!  I just love how it came out!!  I can't stop looking at it!!!




Well, gotta go now, Winter is waning fast, and there are still SOOO MANY snowflakes left to make!  I'm thinking of branching out this year and adding a few more yarn creations to my collection.  I have a pattern around here somewhere for a lovely snowflake scarf.......and an adorable hat.........and a couple of  'to die for' afghans........and  then there are those delightful throw pillows............oh, and that beautiful sparkling snowflake suncatcher...........and......................

.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!


Today is the day we have set aside to honor that most venerable rodent, the groundhog, aka, woodchuck, rock chuck, and earth piggy. And what an 'honor' that will be!  Even though he may be peacefully hibernating, senior citizens in top hats will rouse the poor little fellows from their dens all over the country, and ask them to predict whether or not Winter will last another 6 weeks, even though the calendar clearly states that is indeed the case!

And what does our distinguished emissary have to say for himself?  "I'm up and dressed what more do you want?"




So, what's it gonna be Your Honor, more Winter or an early Spring?  "How do I know; I just woke up!!  Go ahead, pick one!"






The most prominent groundhog in Pennsylvania is, of course, Punxsutawney Phil (who will be televised far and wide), but there are a few other official forecasters as well who will be looking for their shadows at various locations around the country today (with obviously conflicting results).  Buckeye Chuck will be predicting the weather for Ohio, as will Sun Prairie Jimmy in Wisconsin, General Beau Regard Lee in Georgia, and Staten Island Chuck in, well........

It seems there will be no rest today for the weary woodchuck!

The event will meet with a great deal of pomp and circumstance involving the aforementioned forceful dragging out of the guest of honor from his warm Winter den, followed by such noteworthy ceremonial traditions as kissing the little fellow on the nose.  I can't help it, my very favorite was the year when the feisty little guy bit the silly man on the nose!  (I would have peed on him too, if he woke ME up that way!)

But I couldn't let this momentous occasion pass without honoring our own little groundhog now could I!!  NO I will NOT be waking him up to kiss him on the nose (as a matter of fact we kinda tiptoe around out there so as not to wake the little glutton up), but rather a pictorial tribute to our most prominent (and equally famous in his own right) resident woodchuck.

Here he is in Spring, when he discovered he could shovel it in even more efficiently from INSIDE the feeder.



BURP!!!



And then we continued to enjoy his antics throughout the entire Summer.




As I have stated before, goose chow helps build strong woodchucks 12 ways.  Get a load of that spread!!!!  He didn't get that butt from eating salad!




And here we have him at the goose feeder AFTER Frank 'woodchuck pruffed' it with his latest tactic! Unfortunately, it didn't  slow him down even one notch!





Although by now you probably get the gist of the theme, I didn't want to leave Fall out........




and then, of course, there was the infamous December 27th snowstorm!




 Well, the time is now 10:30 a.m. All the other four legged forecasters have long since made their mandatory predictions and gone home to bed. Apparently our little chuck will miss the festivities entirely, no doubt due to the fact that he stayed up much too late chowing down on goose feed, and is still peacefully sleeping it off!  But I WILL keep a sharp eye out all day just in case, so do stay tuned for any further developments!

Oh, and Happy Groundhog day to you and yours (woodchucks that is)!