bunnies — Page 10

Keeping the Egg Cozy

April 19, 2017 at 9:18 am by Claudia

After nearly throwing in the towel yesterday, I finished the egg cozy. There was a period where I thought I had done something wrong when I was knitting the head, but I knew I had followed the instructions exactly. I stuffed it with polyfill. Then I’d pull out some of the polyfill. Then I’d try and shape it. It was driving me nuts.

Finally, this morning, I stared at it again and thought: What the heck? See what happens.

And here we are.

His eyes remind me of Monty the Cow’s eyes. Sort of wide-eyed and innocent.

I really have no egg cups that are a solid color, at least none that would fit this cozy, so I turned one of the Prague egg cups around. That works.

The Brits talk about “wadding” – whether it’s to stuff a little animal like this or a layer in a quilt. I used polyfill, which proved to be frustrating because it automatically fills the space and doesn’t allow for a lot of shaping. I think I would like to try something different next time. British readers: what do you recommend?

As it was, I pulled some of the polyfill out this morning and did my best to shape the head like the one in the pattern. But it’s different.

I choose to think of it as ‘unique.’

When I finished it, I immediately had the thought: That’s that. I’ve done it. No more.

But upon reflection, the second time would be easier, right? So I may try it again – this time with a striped sweater. Since I had done absolutely no knitting for at least 8 or 9 years, I thought I’d go with a solid color on my first try.

Name? Because you know I have to name everything. Suggestions are welcome. Also, I keep saying ‘he’ because that’s my immediate reaction. But is he a ‘he?’

I went shoe shopping yesterday. Don’t ask. Very frustrating. I need very comfortable shoes and I need to try them out on site. That eliminates ordering on the internet. I need arch support. One foot is slightly larger than the other. And on and on. I do have some shoes on hand, but I wanted something a bit more elegant. I’ll go out again – maybe tomorrow. But if I don’t find something tomorrow, I will go with what I have.

The state of the coffee table. This was taken just after I had finished a piece of apple pie. By the way, the magazine you see – Living the Country Life? Expensive, for one. And after I had read at least two articles that featured country folk who kill their livestock; in these cases, lambs and cows, I tossed it.

No can do.

The photography is beautiful and it’s nicely done…but I can’t go there.

Today? Maybe a bit more yard work. Maybe a bit more mowing. And recycling, because I didn’t do it last week as I had promised.

Toss out any suggestions you have as to a name for the bunny.

Oh, just learned this bit of news: My friend, who is the Artistic Director of a regional theater on the West Coast and is of Asian descent just said that someone called the box office and asked if he was a U.S. citizen. What have we become?

For the record he was born and raised in West Virginia.

Happy Wednesday.

Spring: Fabric Eggs, Doves, Nancy Drew & Bunnies

April 15, 2017 at 9:36 am by Claudia

As sleep deprived as I was yesterday, I managed to put in a couple of hours work outside. The annual “raking of the driveway gravel which has ended up on the lawn back to the driveway” event took place and I must say it was far less involved than last year. I’m not sure why, because we sure got a heck of a lot of snow and Don was definitely using the snowblower. Oh wait, I know why: we have hardly any gravel left.

Someday, someday, we want to pave the driveway. But that is really expensive.

I raked out the front garden bed – where the boxwood and some rose bushes reside. And I cut back some of the plant stems that were left in place for the birds to munch on over the winter. Then I went back into the house and slept for a half hour while sitting in the chair in the office.

The grasses in the garden are growing by leaps and bounds!

The mail brought two packages I had been waiting for:

The Clue in the Jewel Box – Nancy Drew #20 – not my twentieth Nancy Drew, but number twenty in the series.

And these adorables:

Spun cotton bunny rabbits from Vintage by Crystal – the link to her Etsy shop is here. She has a huge following, but I must have been in some sort of fog because the first I learned of her was last week when Mary Engelbreit posted a couple of Crystal’s creations on Instagram. Off I hopped to the Etsy shop, where I was promptly lost in a land of pure whimsical delight. I see many more of her creations in my future because you know, dear readers, this kind of whimsey is right up my alley. And they’re small – these are about 4 inches tall. Perfect for a collector in a small cottage.

After this photo op, I moved them – temporarily – to the sideboard.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a long time, you might remember that my mom called me her “pink bunny” when I was a little girl. So, I had to buy the pink bunny and a companion, as well. (I have another wee pink bunny in the office.)

Then later in the day, I remembered my fabric eggs, which are usually stowed in the china cabinet in the den.

I made a slew of these – gosh, I think it was 8 years ago – when I was working in San Diego for six months. An old friend, who is a costume designer, loaned me her vintage Singer Featherweight while I was there and I proceeded to piece a quilt and make these. (Thanks, Ingrid! That loaner inspired me to buy my very own Featherweight several years later.)

One of the things I am going to do when I’m out in CA is visit my favorite quilt shop ever – Rosie’s Calico Cupboard. That’s where I got this fabric.

Even later in the day, I saw my favorite pair of birds.

While they were perched on the edge of the birdbath, a blue jay kept squawking at them. I’m sure he wanted them to move so he could have a drink.

They completely ignored him. Bravo!

Eventually, one jumped down to the ground and the other prepared to follow.

And then, to their perch on a catalpa branch.

They stayed there, gentle and peaceful, for about an hour.

This morning, birds were everywhere: Canada Geese flying overhead, red house finches, robins, wrens, a starling with the makings of a nest in his/her beak.

Goodness, I love this time of year.

I’m off to gather together the trash and recyclables for a trip to the town transfer station. And then, I think, a visit to a plant nursery that I like over in Rhinebeck.

Happy Saturday.