Different yarns, same hook . . .4:00 am ramblings

Being up early has a few benefits. After turning on the coffees. (Hubby likes his coffee a bit stronger than I do). Opening the door to let the 2 fur kids out, I was surprised by some of our night critters. Right there on the patio was a mama raccoon, and off under one of the bushes was a juvenile. We do pick up the daytime outside food when it gets dark. But they come around anyway. No big thing for me to have critters. I just get my squirt bottle and chase them off to the wood pile so they can go over the wall. When we lived up in Washington state, in the dead of winter, I used to put out a bowl of cat chow for the raccoons. My vet said that was the best for them. Besides, raccoons will also eat snails, slugs, mice when they catch them. So, I figure they help out in their own way. Even down here in So. Calif.

Well, after the little skirmish, the cats got fed, and I got my coffee. Off I went to the crochet piece I was working on. Right now, I am doing a couple of pigs from Elizabeth Doherty's book, Amigurumi.
Last week I had stopped and gotten one of the 1 pound skeins of yarn from Caron so to test out a piece for size.

Pigs

I was using a size "D" 3.0mm Clover soft touch crochet hook. I can tell you the gauge of the yellow pig was huge with the Caron yarn. Plus this Caron yarn is reasonably "stiff". So, being a bit curious, I went ahead and did another pig body with Nature's Spun worsted weight wool yarn in #N87 Victorian pink. What a difference. Of course now I have a "piglet" LOL.
A lot of time I will test out a pattern and find out the yarn goes great, but the size isn't what I wanted. Going ahead and testing out another type of yarn, I see if it is becoming the the size I want. In this case, this will be great as I have a "momma and baby". I have to do the legs, tail and ears for both yet. Plus a touch of embroidery for their mouths.

Eggs

Just so I don't get bored with doing the same pattern twice or more, I try to keep a side project going for upcoming holidays. These are larger eggs than called for and acrylic yarn is used. I just found over at the Assistance League of Newport Mesa, a package of small plastic eggs. Cost me a whole dime. LOL I use the plastic easter eggs instead of the foam ones. They are still lightweight, and feel more like handling an egg that was blown out. Of course since there is a plastic hollow core, I wouldn't recommend giving these to kids. For kids, use the foam forms.

I see that is is after 8:00 am so I have to get on my day's chores. I will deep water today. Even tho it has been chilly, even for us, it's also very dry. So, I stick to my once a week deep watering.
Going to put in a roast for supper. Have some yarn work to get ready for spring. My old gazing ball got broken, hopefully Big Lots will have some in. I also have a $20 gift certificate to Roger's garden's. http://www.rogersgardens.com/ Now that place is a gardener's heaven. Can't afford to much over there, but WOW the ideas that can be done at home with just things that have been hanging around. As of right now I have lilies and violets blooming. Plus that entire squadron of hummingbirds. We have close to 2 dozen of the little characters. I think we must be ether in or close to a flyway. Tho I know that a couple of the species have just stayed.

So, everyone have a good day, and I'll check in a bit later . . .

Being and Living Green. . .



How many of you just throw in the trash, your coffee grounds, cold coffee, tea bags, cuttings from vegetables, egg shells, potato, carrot peelings, the water used to boil eggs, potatoes, vegetables etc? Now I know some of you live in small apartments and don't have gardens, but do you have house plants? Above you see my kitchen compost. Mostly coffee grounds. But, when I do boil eggs or potatoes, the hot liquid goes in there also. Then ether hubby or myself will go out, grab the little shovel, and bury this around the roses, and/or other plants. When I remake my coffee for the next day, whatever coffee is left goes out also. One way to kind of save a bit of liquid that a plant could use, and the nutrients even in coffee is good for the plants. My rose blooms are huge. My yard looks amazing. Plus I have plenty of worms.
My little "bucket" has a lid, so no one has to look at the stuff inside.
and for all of you who just have a small apartment, but have house plants-use the cold coffee to just water your plants. Your other kitchen waste could be used around your complex if you have bushes, trees, and the like.

There are a few exceptions to what can go out. DO NOT PUT ONION SKINS OR GARLIC PAPERS OUT IN YOUR GARDEN. Most onion skins and garlic paper has a dry greyish powdery mold on. tho this will NOT HURT YOU, this mold will grow in soil and spread thru out your soil. Go ahead and throw these things in the trash.

It's one way to help the old Mother earth and feel good about giving back to her.