Crocheted Jewelry

The April edition of Crochet World came out today.  It has my crocheted jewelry in it.  If you click on the link above you can see it in the list of projects in the issue.  As good as their picture is of it it wasn't any use for me to put one of mine on there !!!  

Mums

It was so nice yesterday that I thought it was time to clean up the flower beds and break off the old mum stems. I like leaving them over winter because they get brittle and break off easy and they are also pretty when we get a snow on them.

So much new growth already !!

They break off so easy this time of year.  I am so gentle with them, too.....I put on my big heavy boots and just use my feet to bend them to the right then bend them to the left and they break right off.  Then just toss them in the Gator with the pitch fork. 

Sure makes things easy !!! It only took me 4 hours this year.  I don't remember getting them done so quick before but then again as dry as it was last year some of them didn't get very big. 

Things look kind of bare without them

I even went so far as to put away my outside snowmen.  That will make us get some snow for sure !!

Painting Wheels

Rick wasn't too late getting home today so we got the wheels painted on the trailer.....

before....

.....after.....

Nice day for it, too !!

.......second load.....

Back for the second one of the day......

Back to the drag..........

Rick's been busy getting everything ready to haul fertilizer the last few weeks.  He acid washed this trailer the other day and got it all shined up and serviced. At least we have had nice warm weather to do this stuff in this year.  Many winters we froze trying to get it all done. 

This morning he got the call to head out for 2 loads to Purcellville, VA.  Sure makes me glad that I made the decision to not haul this year.  I can already tell I'm NOT going to miss it but I will still fill in for him when he needs time off to get some things done around here.  

Brought to mind this centerpiece I made years ago to incorporate the fertilier hauling in with everything else we do. It's the basic Down on the Farm pattern with a few things taken out and the tracor trailer and the sprayer added to it.  

Left the cow in even tho they weren't around anymore then either !!   

Another sign that spring is not far away and the rush is on....

Spring?

What a beautiful spring like day we are having today.

The daffodils have nice fat buds on them already but the crocus are barely out of the ground.

Makes me realize I have to get busy cleaning up the flower beds of the old mum stems very soon

Things are growing good in here, too.  It was 90 on the thermometer this morning with the sun shining in.  Sure doesn't seem like February !! 

Crock Covers

Some of my favorite collectibles are crocks.  I came across a pattern book years ago called Simple Jug Covers by Vicki Moodie.  They were used, or still are, to cover pitchers of drinks to keep the flies and bugs  out.  First thing I thought of was that they would look good over a crock so I started making them in all sizes with all thickness of thread and beads.  From teeny tiny to very large.  Figured out then that I could just take any doily pattern and string on some beads for the last round, too.  

Works great over a basket, too !!   

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone !!

This one was a design I made a couple of years ago.  It's made in strips then woven together like a basket and then an edging put on with the ribbon woven threw in the trim.  It was then starched stiff so it would hang nicely. 

Another pretty design for this holiday is this Hearts and Lace Table Runner.  It is a pattern that is going to be in my book coming out later this year.  I think it might be my favorite of all 9 of them although it's hard to pick a favorite.  This was the first one I made for it so I guess it's more special to me.  I have to thank my very talented daughter for the great photography on this one !!

Hangovers

Ha, that's an attention getter, huh !! 

This is what it really means to me.....

.....I like to display some of my doilies hanging over the edges of things.