Last Thursday

Sometimes we can live in a town for many many years and never discover all the hidden treasures that are about.  This is true even in a small town.  I have been meaning to upload some images from last Thursday but have not had a chance to do so.  I can't keep putting things off or something new comes along and soon it is just a faded long ago memory.  I don't want this to become like that... so I am being mindful to upload this now.   A friend that is on our city council kicked off his campaign at the most gorgeous house.  I always see this big white home when riding the ferry boat to and from the neighboring town.  You can see the ferry boat coming into town in the above photo.  From down there, this house always looked amazing but little did I know the treasures that lurk behind the walls.  The home was built in 1909 and was recently renovated and turned back to it's former glory.  It is now a bed and breakfast, but we will get to that in a minute.

I did not capture images of all the rooms, but there are 7 of them and all for rent.  Either for the night, week, month or whatever... you can even rent the entire house out.  Of course each one is so beautiful with their own bathroom.

This room I just love as the wrap around deck and doors to walk out on it and did I mention the views?  Oh yes, the views are splendid! 

I didn't spend a lot of time photographing the bathrooms but if I had, you would see that each one is decorated in a retro fashion with antiques all the way through.  Each bathroom has a deep claw foot tub for taking long and luxurious baths.  

There is a lot of attention to detail here.  Even the smallest nook have things of interest like books and such for reading.  You can just pick one up and go out on the deck, or in the yard or your room, or one of the sitting rooms and curl up.

Can you imagine curling up in this room with a fire in the fireplace and the spectacular view from the window?  (more view photos to follow)

Here is yet another fireplace with a cozy room to curl up in.  Right behind me where I am standing is a table with some big comfy chairs, and a spectacular view to be seen.

I took this photo from that very window.  It was a strange day that day, regarding the weather.  One minute it would be dark and stormy and the next bright and sunny... I happened to capture this just as the clouds were rolling in.  About 5 minutes after I snapped this photo, you could not see across the bay for the next half hour.

But do not fear, It quickly started to lighten up again out there  I went out on the deck and enjoyed a few minutes with my glass of wine and took in the view.  Isn't it lovely?

Here is the view with the wine glass used as a reference point.  It is taken from outside and a little better view than the photo taken that was dark and stormy.  It shows our little downtown shopping area and the main street known as "Bay Street". 

I wish I would have taken time to photograph the entire kitchen but it was buzzing with people preparing food for the party that was starting.  The kitchen is huge and just ever so lovely.  

Everyone was mingling in the dining room around the food when I first arrived... And that is how I was able to get so many unspoiled photos of the house.  It seems where there is lots of food and wine, the people gather and remain.

When the house was originally built back in 1909, the original owners lived in this tiny log cabin.  It has since been opened up and is now an outside seating area to pass the time away outdoors.  There is even a fireplace in case it gets a little chilly outside.

And last but not least, it is not the best photo in the world of me, but I thought it fun.  Why?  Because if you look close, I have eleventy billion fingers due to the bevel in the antique mirror.  

If you want to know more about the house, and how to book a room, please visit their site.

Cedar Cove Inn.  

I really love discovering little hidden gems like this one don't you?  The owners of this home are nice as can be and it is simply beautiful.  If you are ever in my neck of the woods, give them a ring :) 

Until next time........xxxxxxxxxx

First circle to square pillow complete.

Last night I finished off the first of several pillows to go with the bedroom set I am making for my bed.  It will go with the flowers in the snow blanket I completed not too long ago.  I am covering a couple of full sized bed pillows with this design.  Then I will do something different with another bed sized pillow to contrast these and then make a few throw pillows to contrast as well.  I want to break things up a bit when it is all said and done.  Here is the front side of the pillow.  

This is the back side of the pillow.  It buttons together to keep everything enclosed and also so I can slip off the cover easily for washing.  I added the scallop so the pillow can be sitting on the bed in either direction and still be cute.  I am excited to get it all finished so I can see it all together.  I hope I can get this all done before spring is over with!  I am going with the cream color as the main color on all of it and then adding splashes of color all over.  I am using up the last of my scraps and there are more again because recently my neighbor gifted me with a huge box of even more!  I don't know when I will start to play with all that new yarn I just purchased.  I want to finish all this off first. 

On my walk yesterday in the forest I noticed that the forest is coming alive with color.  You have no idea what I had to go through to get this shot of skunk cabbage!  It was a sorry sight for sure to be seen.  I am glad nobody was along for the walk and got to witness me crawling over and under all kinds of mossy, wet, fallen forest debris and through a swamp that burp with each spongy step.  Then all around me through the corner of my eyes, big crawly things bobbing up and down through the wet and stagnant swamp water.  But... I did manage to capture a shot of swamp cabbage flower.  There were a lot of them out there but I wasn't about to continue to trek through the swampy portion of the woods.  All sorts of bugs were landing on me and making me itch so it was time to move on. 

There were stands of native Trillium all through the forest.  They are such cheerful flowers.  The blossoms are large and bright along a contrast of 12 inch high stems.  As they age and mature and start to fade, they will take on a pink color.  

Speaking of pink... The salmonberry blossoms are in full bloom.  They are simply beautiful.  I can't wait until later in the summer when the salmonberries are ripe.  They never seem to make it home when I do pick them as they get eaten straight out of the bucket when I am wandering through the forest.  These are native to the region that I live in and are not a widely known berry around the world.  When they are fully ripe they range "salmon" in color to redish in color

All in all, it was a great day and I got a lot of walking time in, followed by some hooking time in the evening.  

I hope everyone is enjoying spring time weather for those of you in the northern hemisphere.  This weekend is supposed to be fabulous and warm where I live.  It will be time to spend the weekend out in the gardens preparing the flower and vegetable beds again.  I must finish up with all the winter weeds so I can have fun out there.  

Until next time......xxxxxxxxxx

Making pillow covers to complete a set

For the last week or two, I have been making circles from the remainder of scraps I had on hand.  I didn't know what I was going to do with them but I had an idea in my head.  I thought making some matching pillows and a small throw blanket would be nice to add to the flowers in the snow blanket and make a set for my bed to adorn this spring.  When I have had a few minutes here and there I kept building circles.  They are very basic and I have seen a variety of projects using them.  Then I decided to turn them into basic squares.  The circle is just chain 3, join with a slip stitch, and then make a total of 12 double crochets (or chain 3, then 11 double crochets) to make a round.  Join with a slip stitch and then the 2nd round, chain 3 in the first space and a double crochet in that same space, and chain 1.  Then all the way around make 2 double crochets until you have a total of 12 double clusters.  Then round 3, make a granny square stitch with 3 double crochets and a chain between them and finish off...  For the square portion I just made 3 double crochets in the corner, then 3 half double crochets in the next 2 spaces, and then a 3 double crochet, chain 2, 3 double crochet to finish off the corner and do this all the way around.  

Yesterday was a day of rest for me, so I sat around reading books and finishing off the circles to start making some of them into pillow covers for my bed.

On each square I left a tail about 3 times as long as one side of a square and used those to stitch them into rows.  I stitched back row/loop only so it would be a flat seam.  For each bed pillow, that is a total of 24 squares.  Then I took some yarn and stitched the rows together.

After I completed them both, I did a row of single crochet all the way around with 3 stitches in each corner.  Then a row of double crochet all the way around with 3 stitches in each corner.

I am now working on the back side... So it is not completed yet.  But I think it will look fabulous with the Flowers in the Snow blanket, don't you?

Also, I have been super busy lately and feel a bit behind when it comes to blogging.  I have emails on ravelry that I have not answered asking for a half african flower tutorial, but I haven't had time to go there yet.  I have still yet to make up a lotion tutorial for folks that I promised, and a lot of busy times that have kept me away from the internet.  I will do my best to catch up, I am feeling a little guilty.  But you all know how it is to balance hobbies and life and all that... I figure when I have a bit of quiet time then I will catch up right?  So it is all good :)  

And last but not least, I have an entire update centered around a fabulous old house with the most amazing views that I had the pleasure to visit and drink a glass of wine... This house I am completely smitten with.  Here is a little preview.

Just looking at the photo, I want to go back there!  

Until next time... xxxxxxxxxxx

A week in review...

Sometimes life is so busy, that I can't possibly share it all here, and I want to share so much more.  I feel like I need to be better at it.  Here is some fragments of my evening walk tonight... I can't even begin to share the beauty of the pacific northwest in it's true fashion as in every turn, there is something more beautiful.   I can only hope to share the feeling I feel every evening when I take a walk.  I put in anyplace from a lazy day which is only 3 miles up to 3 loops in my little forest which is 9 miles.  Some days I break it up and upon waking... I do 3 miles in the morning and another 3-6 in the evening...  Here are some random moments from tonight.

And... I made lotion today as my supply was getting low.  I hope to put up a tutorial soon.  I am a master at formulary and want to share with all of you how to make at the very least, a cream or lotion for home use.

I hope to have a tutorial up soon for this so you can follow it.  

Then there are moments where I just enjoyed day to day life with St Paddy Day

Irish soda bread with lots of caraway seeds.

Corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot simmering all day long

Enjoying life with my feet up

Cabbage... with corned beef

And walking to church and enjoying the fellowship along with the view of the mountains on a crisp cool morning.

Church hands, not to be confused with jazz hands

The mountains and the view I see on my way walking to church

And the garden I planted last fall with all heirloom seeds, and seeing them come up so that I will have an early spring harvest, in time for a spring planting later on.  I have broccoli, spinach, beets and other yummies.

Spinach

Broccoli

Beets

and the love of pets, and all the glory of spring

Buddy Boy

Daffodils

Daphne bush... oh the glorious scent

Ms. Lucy protecting her crochet blanket

Oh how I wish I had more time to go into detail and describe it all.. I am sorry for that dear reader.  However, I will let the photos speak for it all.  I hope to catch up soon.  I will make an effort to be better at is all in the near future.  Until then, let these photos speak for themself and my week.  

Until next time.... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nature's Gym

Right across the road from where I live there are a lot of nature trails.  I go here instead of paying for a gym membership with a monthly fee.  I see people drive all the way across town, to walk on a treadmill when this beautiful spot of hundreds of acres of forest is only about a mile from the gym.  A few miles down the road from here there is even a bigger forest... but this one is right here.  

The paths go up and down hills and twist and turn.  There are a lot of forest paths to choose from. I get in the zone and can go for hours.  I like to do two loops on my favorite trails which is about 6 miles. 

It is pretty dense until you reach the far corner on the other side, of which there is a beautiful view of the mountains once you reach a clearing.  Today they were hiding behind the clouds a bit but you can still see them. 

Once you turn that corner you are well on the way back home again.  I can go here rain or shine.  Even when it is pouring rain, I do not get very wet at all because the canvas of the trees helps to keep the big drops of water from falling on me.  

Today was such a wonderful time out in the forest.  I try to go as often as possible.  I did start to slack a little with going here but I am aiming at going at least 5 miles a day once again out here.  It is so much fun to be out in the fresh air and seeing snippets of woodland creatures here and there.  If you go early in the morning that is the best time to see them, as they are all out gathering their daily meals after a long rest all evening. 

I just wanted to share a little snippet of my daily life and where I go...

Until next time... xxxxxxxxxxxx

Circles, it is all about the circles.

For the last several days I have been making these circles in the evenings.  When I was putting away all that new yarn I purchased, I found a small bag of scraps and added to my yarn basket.  This meant that I should probably do something with them and add them to the other small amount of scraps I had left in the basket.  

Originally I had planned on making a groovyghan but I have put that on hold for now.  I want to just be done with having scraps sitting around and I want to make an actual planned project, with planned colors for once.   I wanted to be done with all these bits so I can start with a clean break.  

I am unsure what I will do to these circles just yet.  I have used them when I made the hexagon from Attic 24, and the Flowers in the snow blanket earlier this year...  I might just turn them into some sort of granny square and assemble them into yet another blanket or maybe if there are enough of them, some pillows as well.    Then, I will not have scraps nagging at me and I will be able to start fresh.    When I looked at the basket of scraps, I just started making these with no real plan...  

Spring has gone back into hiding around here again so I am once again passing the cold and wet evenings away with a crochet hook and some hot tea.

I am curious to see what I come up with.   Happy crafting to you dear reader.  Please share in the comments what you are working on!  I love to see what others are doing.  Don't be shy, go ahead, post a link :) 

Until next time... xxxxx