Dyeing

My Daughter had inkled this fall that she wanted "made items" for Christmas. I decided that I would try to give at least one made gift to each person on my list. For example, My Mother does occasional rug hooking, so I thought I would dye her some wool. I purchased a nice cream-colored plaid wool fabric and thought I would over-dye and maintain the pattern.

I tossed my dye pan on the stove and tossed in some Cushings (garnet colorway). I took one look at the dyebath and noticed that it was more purple-ey then I had expected. Oh well. I chucked the piece of plaid wool in. Then I noticed that it was much more darker than I had fabric. Oh well. I went upstairs and took another piece of wool from the stash room. And, I decided I could toss a little Eco Wool yarn (left over from recent knitting of felted clogs). It was a small ball, but I just chucked that in the bath as well. It simmered for a while. Then I rinsed everything and dried it. This is what I got.

The photos do not adequately show the mottled coloration, and of course it looks less purple than purple.

Nonetheless, good for what could have been atrocious. It's okay to be a novice as long as the product doesn't end up in the garbage!

Snow Kitty

A couple of weeks ago, we had some excitement at our home upon rising one morning. Our motion detector light came on in the back yard. We had a "visitor" (uninvited human). This was almost as exciting as what the visiting kitties had left on our front step--their really yucky road kill meal.

When My Husband made a whole chicken recently, he saved the carcass and put it "out" for the kitties. One little girl found it this morning. Then came back this afternoon for a bit more meal. It is approximately 9 degrees outside and very snow-ey.

We are not "cat people". This is extra-ordinary behavior on My Husband's part. The poor little thing is ssssoooooooo cute. It has pretty mottled gray hair and bright little eye balls and perky pointy ears. Aaaaaw. And she's really skittish.

After all this, My Husband heated some bacon grease and chicken chunks. We put this out for her to eat, too.

Hopefully it will warm her little heart.

Sheepy Books

A few weeks ago, I received the book on the left (sheepy mystery novel) in the mail as a "treat". And, I own the book on the right (a gift from my mother--nonfiction title on HOW TO RAISE, eat, shear, feed, etc. sheep).

I awoke for one of those I-can't-sleep-middle-of-the-night-reading times and thought that I would start reading the book on the left. Soooo, I got up, turned the light on, got the book, cuddled back into the flannels, adjusted the pillow, turned on the heating pad to "medium" hotness and opened the book. I had the book on the right. Darnit. SO, I got up, went to where I thought I had put the book (again) and returned to bed. With no book. If I really wanted to sleep, I would have read the book on the right.

The next morning, when I was really awake, I found the book on the left just where it was supposed to be. Where I put it. And, I'm reading it right now. In the middle of the night, just like I wanted.