Guac Away

Back in December, I shared I had solar-dyed four more balls of crochet thread. Now I have added two more new colors!

A third ball has been soaking alongside these two new balls, but it isn't quite dark enough for me, so it's back in the jar in the window for a couple more week with fresh pigment in hopes for better saturation.

I just love my avocado skin- and pit-dyed crochet thread colors. I've used plain white worsted cotton to tie my thread hanks prior to dyeing for years now, and I've collected quite a few 12- to 14-inch scraps over the years (four or five strands for each hank) I've never been able to discard because I'm such a "use what you have" and "waste not" nut.

I don't know what I'm going to make with it yet, but I tied all the scraps together and wound them into a ball one afternoon while Lizard slept and I had to do quiet things to keep from waking him. I'm kind of looking forward to coming up with a fun pattern and/or project for this new addition to my avocado collection!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Easy Being Green

This was supposed to be my St. Patrick's Day post. I was so spent and exhausted at the end of the day on Monday, March 16, I forgot to hit publish. I kept thinking I could publish a little late on Tuesday, but I didn't get on the computer until after 7 p.m. That has happened a few times in the last several weeks. I guess that's just my new blahg schedule these days.

I'm hoping to start as many of my raised-bed garden veggies from seed again this year instead of buying established plants in a few months from one of the local garden centers. With no real winter this year, I might be able to get an earlier start on transplanting...

My goal was to plant my peppers and tomatoes for the coming summer on March 1. That was Sunday. I'm teaching 5- and 6-year-olds this year, and they are still at the very active and very excited stage in which it's a real challenge to keep them in their seats or to get them to listen to anything I say. I have to make everything into a game to capture their attention at all. Lizard's also struggling a bit more these days, and his needs outweigh anything in the garden. By the time we get home from church, we're both so exhausted, we both end up taking an afternoon nap. Then it's Bible study and my weekly call to my mom, and I don't get much else done.

I did, however, get my seeds planted in clean yogurt containers on March 2, and they've been coming up like crazy!!! (I also remembered to sprinkle poppy seeds in the garden right before our March 15 snowstorm that was supposed to be half an inch and instead delivered nearly six inches!!!) I can hardly wait for fresh tomatoes (and poppies!!!) from my garden!!!

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No Flake Monday

Again?!? Are you serious??? Yes. I'm sorry. I'm trying to keep up, but priorities have been smacking me pretty hard. Taxes (ugh!!!), a plethora of medical appointments, necessary garden responsibilities, helping my neighbor move, once again teaching Lizard to quilt, snowflake photos to edit... You name it. Everything got in the way last week!

I did finally get my snowflake photos from March 6 edited, and now I'm working on the March 13 snowflakes. Taxes are nowhere near done. I'm at the dentist bright and early this morning having a stubborn crown re-installed for a fourth time. And I need to finish my final glow-in-the-dark amigurumi for the last of my Sunday school students to turn 8. She's actually moved up into the next class now, and I'm teaching her younger brother (and five other five- and six-year-olds). But no way I'm leaving her out after teaching her and her classmates for four straight years!

She had started 2025 requesting a unicorn, then suddenly a few months ago decided she wants an otter. I've never made either a unicorn or an otter. But I'd never made half the critters I made last years for my students. So, I'm pressing onward trying to finish this otter. I hope to be back with a new snowflake next week!

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Because He Lives

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A Flimsy

I spent St. Patrick's Day mostly in the garden, where there isn't a ton of green yet, but in the evening, I was able to audition all my greens (Who knew I had 18 different verdant hues in my stash?!?) to extend my Spoonflower sunflower cheater panel just a bit.

I also was able to find Lizard's stash in the basement. I thought I remembered some sunflower fabric he'd asked me to buy for him because he wanted to make a sunflower quilt years ago. I think that was before the pandemic and before Parkinson's took such a heavy toll on him. I might be able to incorporate some of the sunflower fabric on the quilt back. I have some ideas that involve more leftovers, but the sunflower theme might need a bit of a boost.

While digging around looking for Lizard's stash, I also found a charm square rag quilt project he'd started before he was diagnosed. I'm going to try to get him back into the project now. I don't know if he will be able to do it, but maybe with a little help, art therapy can be back in full swing!

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Wordless Wednesday

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