It's been well over a year since I posted. Gl
ad that no one was holding their breath awaiting the next transmission! It has been a very odd year for weather. We had several snowfalls, which for South Carolina is rare - even though we are close to the mountains. Pipes froze and I carried buckets for Bid and Sunday. We even had a White Christmas!!! The flamingos tried to conserve heat by sitting very still in our "Christmas" tree outside.I posted a picture of Irene and Jim Kizer with us in front of our Summer
Home. We had a wonderful visit with few guests and actually saw a few snowflakes. Biltmore is a wonderful place.Once it started to warm, it didn't slow down. It is middle of July and we're on another sweltering day of 95+ temps with humidity added in to bring us well over 100 heat index.
I had the wise (Ha!) idea to save money and not turn on the AC and not use the dryer. We haven't needed the dryer, if you can handle using towels that are like Rice Krispies - you know, they Snap, Crackle and Pop! They dry stiff. That works great for the shirts provided you hang them nicely and pull on the seams...voila, instant starch and iron. However, no AC, well, it is HOT! We have fans running and have decided that leaving the blinds closed and closing the front door actually keeps the hot, mid-day rising temps outside. Once we see the temps outside below those inside we turn on the fans. So far it's bearable, but we are dressing for comfort.
Back in the first of the year I decided to re-learn how to crochet. Inspired by my friend Irene who gave me some hot pads she made while traveling here from Texas, I pulled up some instructional videos on YouTube. I've done several pot holders, wash cloths, hats and even sold a hat to a lady that saw what I was making and wanted one. My first commissioned piece of art - HA! As Pat's dad once said, "You can call yourself an artist, because no one can say you're not."
That would be a stretch but I have enjoyed learning to make different things and have learned how to knit, too! I found a great knitting shop in Landrum, the Knitter's Nest. It is stocked with so many beautiful things as well as owned - operated by a wonderful knitter, Joanne Alderman.
I've posted a few pictures. One of the wash cloths reminded me of old ones I saw my mom use. The orange/green ones I made and took to my sisters. They are simple to make and very soft. I'm still trying to learn how keep the edges straight and my stitches even.
Currently I'm working on a shawl with Blue Heron yarn. I found their yarn on Ebay and went wild. The colors are SO beautiful. Now I just need to learn to knit faster or sell so
me of my stash as I went crazy for the colorful yarns. I'll post a picture soon. Also, a Blue Heron scarf of Tiger's Eye Beaded Cotton is near to completion.I have made 3 Afghans but haven't taken any photos.
I'll be adding those soon. The next project will be the FREE Afghan kit I won at the Open house for the Knitter's Nest. Joanne gives lessons, very reasonable, I might add, and so I'll pay her to help me with the Afghan. Best to learn the right way. I was hoping it would cool off a little before I start.With so many
friends and family being Gamecock fans, I made some appropriate hats and gave some away. This was my latest hat & scarf combo.In closing, I'll try to post sooner - and without jumping around. This was just an experiment to see if I could figure out how to use this. Now, I need to use it so someone can understand what I'm saying.....hope to see you again soon!
