bits

We finished the chicken yard yesterday, but it was getting later in the afternoon and there was still supper and Esme's bath to get done for the night - so we did not get the chickens.  Instead, we took a walk with Grandma and the dogs down to the lake and back up through the woods.  We saw the herons' nests, and the goat ran around with/after the dogs and made us laugh. 

I saw the peas are coming up in the garden - I had feared them lost and needing replanting.  There is also mint, lemon balm, poppies from last year (Icelandic?) and I found and brought inside the hens and chickens from Grandma I thought the dogs had demolished entirely.  Inside, the tomato seedlings are doing fairly well and the peppers have begun to show in that pot.  My indoor 'salad garden' is producing pretty well. I finished the "shockingly green and pink" shawl - pictures later, and it will probably go into the KnitOwl shop.

I laughed quite a bit yesterday morning.  Esme came home from Grandma's house (She had spent the night) and had a mail order catalog in her hand.  'Mama, I have good news!  There is a new shop open in the town!  We gotta go there.'  She has been picking things out of it ever since that she wants me to buy for her.  *oh dear*

I finished the planes for the workshop, and they will go in the mail today.  The second person asked for the pattern - I just haven't made it up yet.  I need to borrow Grandma's scanner and take a day to do that.  I don't have as much time for making to-order toys as I used to.  There are some 'art' toys I would like to make, though.. some art deco chickens, a bi-plane, and a convertible car.  Those are all in my sketchbook.  I need to work on the patterns for the book, as well.. neither here nor there.

I've been using Pinterest as a lookbook, lately.  It gives me lots of ideas.  I feel I can crochet some more than I used to - and that things don't have to be as perfect as my mind dictates.. what I have always thought was not quite good enough for weaving or crocheting or sewing seems to be 'artistic', now.  That feels odd.. but that is what I am seeing in the pictures...

I also see that many of the things I have made for the house are showing up in other design magazines and interior decorating here and there - all over... apparently I am in on a trend and didn't even know it.  Also, many of the decorating images affirm what I already have 'felt' about my own style, bohemian, gypsy, rustic farmhouse... yes that describes it quite well.  I have been very drawn to certain types of flowers - dahlias, zinnias, poppies and sunflowers, that I continue to see gorgeous pictures of.  And although I hardly ever let myself travel down that road - there are styles of clothes I didn't know I really liked, as well - skirts and lace tops and shawls that I keep seeing and saying 'I like that.'  So very far away from the tomboy I was firmly set on years ago.  Funny, to realize that, now.

So, until I have a picture of the shawl,  here is one of the planes.