Cork Creatures

For Christmas 2017, I got a Christmas gift box from Michaels, filled it with corks that my bestie Kathy Palmer gave me, and added some tiny pompoms, mustaches, eyes, stickers, and some pipe cleaners, and sent them to the Goff group.  Their instructions were to make something from them and send me a pic.  Below are the fun pix I got from that creative bunch.

Lacey Goff

Ethan Goff

James Goff

Twisted Reversible Hat

free pattern by Littletheorem

One of the first things Edith asked me to knit for her when she moved into the nursing home, was a hat.  She stayed chilled and she thought that might help.  She asked for yellow and so I did a mustard yellow, which she loves.

Edith in her new hat and the fingerless mitts I made for her last Christmas

I love this pattern because it looks good inside and out.

Outside

Inside

Laura got one and likes that it fits loosely

And it's spiral.  Very easy knit.

 Decided to make myself one in that same mustard color

a cute pompom came off of one of my throws, so I used it for my hat

That was 2017.  Now I've made a few more for Christmas 2018.

One of the fun things about settling back down in Texarkana is I have access to one of the best yarn shops in the country

which is where I got this wonderful Cascade yarn as well as the hank below

It's made out of merino and baby alpaca.  Super soft and fun to knit with

Laura wanted another that would be warmer for her CO winters

I just love how the top looks

She opted for no pom-pom, but I placed the excess yarn ball to show how one would look

our beautiful Laura Lee

And since she didn't have a pom-pom she could wear it under her helmet when she went snowmobiling

3 more for Lisa, Odestine, and Pam -- the 2 on the outer edges are alpaca from Flatland Ranch in Kansas

Pam wore hers on a hike shortly after Christmas

Pam on the far left

Crystal has "Hair to Jesus"!

Sherry Stone got a "pom-pom" hat for Christmas 2018 because she doesn't have bun. Looks cute on her!

Odestine 's was made with the wonderful Cascade baby alpaca and merino

Knitted Fruits and Veggies

Lissa and Patrick asked me to knit some fruits and veggies for our little Wren that she can play with in her new kitchen.  Lissa and Patrick have more faith in my knitting than they probably should.  Overall, I was fairly pleased with the turnout.  However, one of the bananas looks more like a squash.  So now......it's a squash.

These were free patterns off of Ravelry.

Jacket Pillow

We met the sweetest lady in Spearfish this year.  We became fast friends and learned that she'd lost her husband of nearly 59 years earlier this year.  As we became crafting buddies, we talked about making some keepsakes out of some of his clothes.  So, when we left Spearfish in September, I took a few of his shirts and his UK jacket.  She said he wore this jacket often because he was a huge UK fan.  Their son Steve attended college there.

In October I made some aprons out of the shirts and a couple of pillows out of the jacket.  She stuffed them when I mailed them to her.  One when to her son and one will stay with her.  This was my first try to make pillows out of a jacket.  The fabric was a little thick for my machine, but it worked out fine.  I didn't do a perfect job sewing the "UK" patches on.  They kept slipping and sliding.  But once she stuffed them, they seemed to straighten out somewhat. 

Very thankful for our friendship with Marie and thankful she allowed me to try this on one of Richard's fave jackets!! 

Floral Saddle for Graves

floral saddle

Did some grave decorating this month while in Texarkana. Edith's first husband, John, doesn't have a vase on his headstone, but usually we can get a little vase stuck in the ground.  However, the ground was so hard this time that I decided I needed to try something else.  So I went to Michael's and got a "floral saddle".  They had some fall flowers 80% off.  With that sale and my coupon I spent less than $10 on the whole thing. I was happy with how it turned out.

We shall see if it withstands the elements.  If so, I'll prob get another and just change them out when I come through town.

March 2019: Above is a spring saddle I put together.  Love the yellow and white!

2022: Below are some I made for Edith's and for Mamaw Goff's graves.

April 2023:

Wire Wrapped Jewelry

Niece, Lacey, has gotten into making some lovely necklaces out of jewelry wire and stones.  So while I was in Wichita in October I picked up some tumbled rocks at a flea market and some non-tumbled rocks at the Great Plains Nature Center.

Pam, Lacey, and me

Laci, Pam, Lacey, me

Lacey and Meleah adding some final touches

When the family got together for Thanksgiving, she tried to teach us how to make a few things.

mine

 We had a great time!! I can see that I'll have to work on this a little more to get the hang of wrapping it securely and simply.  Took me too many wraps to make it stay. Lacey's have a very elegant simplicity to them.  She said it took her several tries to get that hang of it, too.

Meleah also used some Fool's Gold from GPNC & she added a little charm

We also quickly found out that the tumbled stones were way to slick for us rookies.  That'll take a little practice. So we went to the stones from the nature center.

Lacey tried her first ring from some GPNC amethyst

Thanks, Lacey!! Can't wait to play with this some more when I get to AZ.  Want to do some key rings, too.