Is it really wool or cotton yarn?

Read the label. What says cotton or wool yarn may not be so much. Why is this important?
because if you are going to be dyeing or felting it makes all the difference. Of course I have learned the hard way. Just because it says alpaca doesn't necessarily mean that it is 100 percent. It may be 20 percent and the rest acrylic and that will not felt.

Same with the cottons just because it says it is cotton yarn it might be only 20 percent maybe less and the rest acrylic and if you are looking to dye either the cotton or wool you will be disappointed in the end. So once again read the label

There is a lot of work involved in wanting a felted item and quite disappointing to knit or crochet something, wash in hot water just waiting for the felting process and you pull it out and nothing magic has happened.

So when I am wanting to felt an item or dye my yarn I read those labels.

Teaching a polymer clay class

This was so much fun. Our local yarn shop Knit Picky is haveing a camp this summer and I had the pleasure of teaching there today. We made our own knitting needles with polymer clay topers and they did an amazing job. I love the creativity and imagination of children because they will just go and make the greatest things. I look forward to my next class in July.

After the class I went and had a nice lunch with my son Jason. Now it is relax time.

Up close and personal with the bee balm

I planted this last year in hopes of attracting butterflies and maybe even a humming bird.

I love the pretty red tubular petals of this flower and it goes so well with my cone flowers and my butterfly bush. Yesterday while I was setting close by I saw a beautiful orange butterfly come by for food. As I set and watched I just had to go inside for my camera. Now I didn't get the butterfly, perhaps another day I did grab my micro lenses and decided to get up close and personal with the bee balm. I really like what I saw. I love photographing flowers and really getting into the flower to see all of it's beauty.

From shirts to yarn

Well I went beyond the shirt to yarn. This takes a lot more time but well worth it when I see the finished product. The first set of 7 is a cotton yarn that has been dyed. This is a long process as it requires the dye to set for 12-24 hours and then the drying process can take 1 to 2 days.

The picture of the 9 skeins are where I did 2 skeins of wool. Totally differant dying process but same amount of time for the drying process. You know you can't stick these in the dryer right?

And the best part is they are one of a kind. I couldn't duplicate these if I tried.

Now do I sell them or do I keep them

A new beginning

If you have ever planted perennials you know the excitement of them blooming from year to year. I planted these last year and have been waiting for them to bloom this summer. They are just getting started and the blooms are heavy especially on my bee balm. These pics are of the bee balm and the purple cone flower and I threw in a day lily that is already showing off.

My neice Angie graduated today

After 13 long years in school my neice Angie graduated today at South Stokes High School.

It was a very hot day, temps in the 90's but I would not have missed it for nothing.

The pictures are her in her cap and gown, Angie and her grandma and greatgrandma, (my mom and granny) Angie with her grandma (my mom) as well as her cake. And Angie and her mom (my sister)

In memory of my daddy

It has been 1 year today since my daddy passed away after a 5 year battle with bladder cancer.

I remember getting up that morning to head to the hospital and for some reason just knew I needed to get there, I didn't even shower just got dressed and took off. On the way I got a phone call and it was a friend of the family who had spent the night at the hospital and she said Debbie you need to get here, Yall are going to need to make a decision about putting your dad on life support. I cried all the way to the hospital. I called my son and my husband.

When I got there my mom and the doctor were standing in the doorway. The decision had to be made now was what his doctor said. My sister and brother were on the way and there was no time to wait. My dad had already fallen into a deep sleep and the doctor told me he would never wake up.

Knowing my dad was a christian man and was on the verge of meeting God I knew he would not want to be put on life support to just hang in limbo. So I looked at my mom and told her we should let him go, he didn't need to suffer any more.

They let us come in the room then and my dad was laying there with an oxygen mask on and struggling to take each breath. They told us to talk to him that he would be able to hear us.

That was the hardest thing I have ever done. I remember looking at the nurse and asking her " is my dad dying" and she said yes.

We were all around his bed when he passed, my mom, me my husband, my sister and her husband and daughter and my brother and his wife and friends right outside the room.

My daddy held on till my brother got there and when he said "daddy I'm here" my dad took 2 more breaths and was gone.

I knew he was meeting God. My dad had alway's said that when he died the first thing he was going to do was to kiss Jesus's feet.

And it was amazing the peace that was in that room at that moment and the strength that you can have even at the hardest moment of your life.

We all miss him every day.