May SNOW? Showers

Today appears to be bringing May Snow Showers instead of rain showers. Good thing I took my clothes that have been hanging on the line for the last 3 days down last night. yeah! We do need moisture and it will be back up in the 80’s by Thursday so all is good.

May SNOW? Day

I just hope that my early in garden will not have any difficulties with this cold snap and snow. I do have all my tomatoes under little green houses built just for them and my herb bed is under a large hinged green house cover. It has been all winter and is why my chives are over 2 ft tall and in flower already. My lettuces and spinach garden should be fine as well as that spinach I planted in October and it has been growing all this time under the green house garden cover during the winter. They are just grand and really help at our altitude as we have some odd weather here.

Charlie and I were walking Kizy and Broch together at the Blossom Festival in Canon City, Colorado on Saturday in 95 degree full on sun. Today it is snowing and barely above freezing. yup that is weird mountain Colorado weather.

My sweatshirt is the one that I took off the line last night so it does smell April Doggey Fresh! that lovely smell my puppy has after being outside and playing in the sun and wind or how your clothes smell after being on the line. Thursday is Charlie’s 50th Birthday and I am happy to see that the forecast says he will be back in sun and fun by then.

I have been busy crocheting and weaving as best as I can with my shoulder and wrist injury. I have finished 2 ponchos, and have an 8 ft triangle shawl part way done as well as another free form open lace shawl close to finished.

Tri Loom Progress

I will finish the crochet shawl today, start on a crochet mobius and work more on the triangle shawl. Later this week, I think I will take Vicky the Mannie out into the garden and do a photography session of all the new shawls and ponchos. Stay tuned for the photos later this week or next week depending on when I finish making them.

Closeup Tri Loom Progress

Still on Llama mom watch. Glenda has 6 more days for her first official due date. She is definitely fat, definitely preggers and definitely got the bitch to prove it!!

It is only 71 degrees here in the cabin and with the wet, rain, sleet, wind and snow outside, it feels really cold in here. I think that I must get to making some food in the oven, in the casserole dish, baking to create some warm yummies for us inside. What do you all want me to make? hmmm……..

I am thinking one of my regular Italian casserole pasta dishes. Mince, hamburger for you Americans, browned and then simmered for a half hour to hour in lots of onions and garlic minced in. Throw in a few red, yellow, and orange sweet bell peppers. some chopped or maybe even stewed tomatoes, a bit of cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, some cream cheese and a touch of Parmesan cheese for a 4 cheese flavor. Some basil and oregano from the herb garden and put it all together to bake it nice in the oven. Take the lid off the last few minutes so the mozzarella on top can crisp up a bit. Throw in a few pieces of garlic Naan bread and we are good to go. I don’t know what you are going to have but this sounds good to me and I am hungry!! I am going to make an Aztec Coffee as well to enjoy while I go to create!!

Gray Flowing Mane Slouch Hat and Gray Striped Shawl

I have been busy over the last few months making projects.  Most of these new shawls, scarves, and hats have ended up in my own closet and I will start posting some photos of me in them just as soon as hubby gets back from Singapore to take some.

In the mean time, I will post a photo of the Gray Flowing Mane Slouch hat, can you think of a better name for it?, and a Gray Striped Shawl.  They are listed in the AlbaRanch Artfire shop as separate listings but I did originally create them as a set.

Gray Hat, yup that is me!
Gray Hat, yup that is me!

Gray hat was actually a weaving mistake.   I had a pattern book that I was following but I had changed my Dpi reed on my Rigid heddle and well it did not turn out like the book at all.  The next hat I made I adjusted the dpi to be closer to the original pattern, made a hat closer to THEIR hat and decided that I liked my “mistake” much better.  I made two of these hats, slightly different.  One I wear all the time, the other is listed here in the shop.   It is woven on a Rigid heddle loom with a 5 dpi reed and yarn that is thick chunky but oh so very soft Peruvian Highland Wool.

Another shot of Gray Hat.
Another shot of Gray Hat.

The Next item that I wish to show you today is the Gray Striped Shawl that can make a matching set with the Gray Flowing Mane Slouch Hat.  It is a super, extra long shawl that can be worn numerous ways.  I have wrapped it like a shawl, wrapped it at the shoulders and even wrapped it twice and used a stick shawl pin to hold it in place.  It is hand woven on a Rigid Heddle Loom at 5 dpi Reed and the yarn is Peruvian Highland Wool.  (an extra thick chunky and extremely soft wool yarn.)  You really do want to see all the photos that I have included for Gray Shawl as well you know that it should be in YOUR closet,  ready for you to wear.  See it HERE and get it now!

Gray Shawl modeled by Melisa Morrison
Gray Shawl modeled by Melisa Morrison

I was amazed at how quickly I was able to weave this shawl.  Thick chunky yarn like that just flies on a Rigid Heddle loom.  All the yarn is Peruvian Highland Wool, but I did alternate my warp yarns with the cream color and the Gray Heather Color to get that lovely pattern.  The weft that I used was all the Gray Heather Color yarn.

Close up of the weaving of Gray Shawl
Close up of the weaving of Gray Shawl

I have included a close up of the weaving of Gray Shawl so you can see my hem stitching.  I just love the hem stitching on the beginning and end of a shawl or scarf.  Amazing what you can teach yourself to do with some book instructions, pictures, and a YouTube video.  🙂  That is all folks for today.  I hope that you liked them and again, you can see both at my online store and get them for yourself HERE!