Favorite Things

As I was preparing my morning hot drink, I was reminded of one of my favorite things.  Most of  my friends will tell you that I collect doilies with pink roses, teapots, teacups, and tea cozies.   All of us have our favorite though.  It may be how it looks that endear us to that favorite, or the way it fits in our hand.  It may not even be practical, but it is still our favorite.  I have a favorite tea cozy.  It is my favorite because of the crocheted netting-like stitch and because of the sparkle.  I can't help it, but it has to have the sparkle!  What do you have that is your favorite(s)?

More soap pictures.  I am not sure if the two new ingredients have made the changes I anticipated them to make.  I will see when these cure.  They do look beautiful!

Black Cherry Almond

In order to have a whiter bar of soap and one that is harder and lasts longer, I needed to add palm stearic acid and titanium dioxide.  They are natural ingredients, but not something I can grow in my back yard.  I just finished making  a 17 pound batch of soap and it is setting up.  Hopefully it will be ready to cut soon!  I get so anxious to see my creations.  The picture shows the soap in molds setting up.  I place a plastic bag and a blanket over the soap while it sets up.  I ordered a new cutter a couple of weeks ago, but I doubt that it will be here in time for me to use for cutting this batch of soap.  I want to make the bars a tiny bit larger and the new cutter will allow me to cut one inch wide bars of soap.  Making soap intoxicates you and all you can think of is the next batch and how you will improve upon it, change the colors, change the fragrance, etc.  My house smells so wonderful!  The fragrance reminds me of my grandfather's favorite kind of ice cream, cherry vanilla.  Yummy!

Pink Canning and More Bling

Yes, you can actually cook in a pink kitchen.  My friends tease me, but I think they are secretly jealous.  lol   As you see, I am canning tomatoes.

I purchased mohair from a farmer and I washed it, dyed it, and picked it out by hand.   I spun the this mohair thick and thin.   Any pattern would not be visible with this type of spinning, so I just crocheted a plain circular pattern in crochet.  I made a backing for this hot pad from cotton fabric and lined it with cotton batting.  Instead of sewing the backing on, I placed 6 buttons around the outside of the backing and button the hot pad on.  The hot pad can be removed for washing separately or both pieces may be used separately.  The buttons are gold with a pink rhinestone center.  What bling!

 

Marie Antoinette Booties

I have a friend who recently found out he will be a grandpa, so I made some booties for the new baby, Anna, who is due any minute.  The Marie Antoinette style has become very popular and the booties look like a pair of shoes from that era, with the semi-pointed toe, ankle ribbon, and the ribbon rose in the front.  These are crocheted with chenille yarn.  What do you think?  OK, not exactly like Marie, but they look like the decorative shoes seen in altered art websites.

Canned Corn

I changed the collar buttons and added 2 more rows of stitching around the neck.  I think this shawl collar lays down better,  Obviously it is not the right season for the collar.  lol

I made a prototype of a corn cob hot pad.  I think it looks best in a canning jar.  I need to tack the leaves down so they do not drag into the burner. 

I am modeling a newly completed crocheted hat made with blue jeans colored mohair, which was homespun and home dyed by myself.  The dying and spinning of this wool can be viewed in earlier posts.