Ruthy's Pencil Case

Ruthy made it onto her plane yesterday. And so did her pencil case. I did finish in time. 

Roadtrip

On our way home after a too-short visit with dear friends and family. Ruthy, our intern last year, flies back to Germany tomorrow. Think I'll get her pencil case done in time?

Fancy Owl

As I sit here in my painting clothes, ready to finish painting the basement walls, why not post a photo of someone dressed much nicer?

Fancy Owl lives up to her name with a glittery red satin body (it's hard to see the tiny pieces of glitter in the photo above but they're there) and flashy blue lamé eyes and peachy sequined beak and her lacy wings (made out of a lace collar, still in its package, left here by the previous tenants of the house; so glad I didn't chuck it with all the rest of the junk we chucked after moving in).

Accessory: removable pearl necklace.

Giggly Owl

If I'd made Construction or Painter Owl, I could've showcased that one today, in honor of the dozen middle and high school girls that descended on my home, wielding hammers and saws and rollers and brushes. (They're American Heritage Girls, earning their Home Care and Repair badge.) But instead I'll showcase another owl that fits their activities of the day just as well: here's Giggly Owl!

Accessory: nothing visual, other than the silly pupils going in different directions. But press the blue polka dot up on the right "ear" and Giggly Owl emits a squeak!

Army Owl

In honor of our sweet next-door neighbor -- the only boy at Sophie's party -- who finished up his final vision therapy appointment this week. It's been a long year but he persevered! So tonight we're going to celebrate with him!

I'd dubbed the little stuffie "Army Owl," but his new adoptive daddy soon renamed him Camouflage Ninja Owl. : )

Accessory: I rejected the idea of making a weapon (owls don't need 'em; they have their beak and claws) and didn't want to fiddle with other suggestions (compass, radio, flashlight) so finally settled on an eye mask, which Owl's daddy can wear too! And, unlike all of the other owls, this one's pupils are shifted way to the side, kinda like he's suspicious, on alert, ever ready for attack from all sides.

Eight-Yarn Never-Ending Spiral Granny Square

:: another break from owls; more crochet :: 

The question at the end of my Never-Ending Spiral Granny Square post wouldn't leave me alone. And now I know -- it CAN be done with eight yarns. In fact, after the initial mess of the first few rows, it's even easier than using four yarns.

I think it would look great with 4 strands of white and 4 strands of various colors. Or 8 yarns in rainbowy hues. Or actually anything would look better than the "antique lime" and "harvest gold" and "pumpkin" used below. But it's what I had in my scraps.

Looking at the picture again now, I'm already seeing things I want to change. Specifically, the beginning and the ending. I see more spiral crochet in my future. But, ugh, I must find some new scrap yarn for these test squares!

Party Owl

In honor of my momma's birthday today: meet Party Owl!

Accessories: sequined party hat and gift bag, both removable. (Why I made the teeny gift bag lined with pink felt and with real eyelets and everything, I'm not sure... I think it had just been too long since I'd eyeletted anything.)

Travel Owl

In honor of the "Globetrotter" class I'm teaching after school today, where we "visit" a new country each week, trying its food, learning its language, playing its games, here is Travel Owl.

 
Accessory: removable fake leather messenger bag. Yes, it really opens. No, there's nothing inside it. Yet.

Never-Ending Spiral Granny Square

:: more owls to come,

but i did some crochet today that i want to keep track of ::

Recently, my friend Mo and I were discussing various patterns for afghans. We both love the look of granny squares but hate the endless weaving in of ends.

I was thinking how nice it would be to make some sort of spiral, which would eliminate the constant starting and stopping of colors. Sure enough, Mo had seen such a pattern on Youtube.

Nice idea. But I didn't like the way the colors didn't all start in the very center. So tonight, I sketched out how it could work, and then tried it with some yarn scraps.

It worked! And I like it!

Then I thought surely I can't be the first. And, once again confirming the idea that there is nothing new under the sun, I found the technique by searching for "spiral granny square" instead of "neverending granny square." Here is a video, by SmoothFox, that shows how to make a spiral granny square afghan with four colors that just keep going and going and going.

Now I want to know, can it be done with eight colors? I will figure it out, but not today...

Sleepy Owl

I slept for five hours today. (Perhaps I should be going to bed hours before midnight instead of hours after.)

So it's a good day to show Sleepy Owl, who, due to her lowered eyelids, was also dubbed Exasperated Owl by one of the girls. : )

Accessory: little stuffed teddy bear, made by Sophie and me; bear is attached with hook-and-loop tape

Snowy Owl

In honor of the snow outside, and the man and three girls who didn't have to go to work or school today and played in it instead.

Accessory: blue scarf, knitted by Sophie on a 8-prong knitting nancy but going back and forth, instead of around in a never-ending circle so that we ended up with a flat strip instead of a tube.

Lovey Owl

Accessory: little felt envelope that can hold teensy love notes.

Sophie, asking about the initials on the envelop: "What's S.W.A.K.?"
Me: "Sealed With A Kiss"
S: "Oh, cool!"
Sometime I'll have to tell her about how a less romantic, more literal lover signs it:

S.W.A.L.C.A.K.W.S.

which means

Sealed With A Lick Cause A Kiss Won't Stick

(Mama, remember when you told me about that? I was probably Sophie's age.)

* * * 

P.S. Sorry if you already saw this. I managed to delete the original post when I meant to click edit! 

Overrun by Owls

Time to break the six month blog silence. And since my old way of blogging (taking lots of pictures, writing lots of words, spending lots of time) doesn't seem to be working anymore, time to try something new.
One photo--right off my phone, a few words, a few moments of my day, and done.
By this weekend, these owls will all have gone to new homes. It's been lots of fun making them with the girls, picking out fabrics, deciding on the little touches. Hmm, I think I'll introduce each one over the next 12 days...