Monday, October 22, 2012

Ghosts, Goblins and...Gnomes



Fall has finally arrived in Los Angeles and its residents are celebrating by pulling on their scarves and overcoats.  After months of scorching dry heat, there is a chill in the air, enough to believe that summer weather has finally come to a close.  Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons, the crisp air, the leaves changing colors, caramel apples, and a certain sense of well-being and we near the Holiday season. 


I knit a bit, nothing fancy, mostly scarves here and there.  Even though I don't knit very often, I love to buy yarn and as a result have baskets of it.  One of my favorite Etsy shops to browse,  Gnome Acres has some of the most colorful yarns I have seen in awhile.  With names like, No Place like Gnome, Candy Mountain and Witches Brew, you can't help but get into the Halloween spirit.  Even though I know I shouldn't, I am tempted to add this, this and this to my yarn collection.  I love that the fibers are hand-spun alpaca and llama wool from local farms, dyed by Denise herself.  Read the blog to learn more and visit the Etsy shop to check out the Gnome-made selections for yourself.




Thursday, October 11, 2012

Little Berries



Finally... sewing!  There hasn't been time lately for little projects so I was thrilled when I found myself at home with a whole unscheduled day before me.


My daughter couldn't resist eating the last berries in the kitchen when she lamented that she'd miss them during the winter months of apples, figs and pears.  So to cheer her up, we made these little happy berry (and a tomato) pincushions.


They were simple to do with a paper template, some felt, a needle and thread.  In no time, I found myself with an entire strawberry crop.  They will make nice additions to Birthday and Holiday packages this year.  After all, who can resist a strawberry?