Mums the Word... and Little Pumpkins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Friends.  How are things with you this weekend?

 

I am enjoying the crispness of a new fall and the change in light.  I'm taking in the new colors of the season that are slowly creeping in.  And I'm pulling together the old fall decorations that we diligently pack away each year and then drag back out and spruce up enough to use again.  Sometimes something new gets tossed into the mix, but we do tend to get stuck in our ways here at the Hearth Room.  Or should I say, we are just plain comfortable with how we do things so we just keep doing them over and over year after year!  Actually, we find that at times like this, what has repeated itself over the years has become something of a tradition that we all look forward to.  Young Man has asked if we can make a scarecrow this year and that just tickled me right down to my toes!  Yes!  Of course we will make a scarecrow!  And we will place our pumpkins around the house and we will even have our little family Jack O'Lantern carving contest!  I should start planning ahead for that, because these guys are getting Really good at that in recent years...

 

So, I attempted to grow a few pumpkins this year.  I thought it would be fun for little people to have their own patch and then when fall came, our pumpkins would be ready to display or carve...  But I had some trouble with the whole pumpkin-growing thing.  Well, I either had trouble or too much help...

 

While the corn was still up, I squealed with excitement, "Look, Sweet P., the little pumpkins are growing!"  I continued to pick beans or weed until I heard, "Look, Mama!  A punt-in'!"

 

"Oh, Sweet P., you're not supposed to pick them yet.  You have to let them grow BIG!"

 

"Otay, Mama..."

 

That scenario replayed a few times.  And then Hubby, who loves the garden and can't seem to keep his hands off the most fascinating specimens out there, would often apologetically admit that he 'just touched' another pumpkin and ...   Ok, Honey, will you STOP 'touching' the pumpkins please!

 

So I finally had a couple pumpkins growing very nicely.  They were looking so great.  I thought, yay, we will have a few good pumpkins for carving after all!

 

Then, while I was watering the potatoes one evening I noticed a spot, no, more of a hole in one of my pretty, orange fellas...

 

Hubby says, "Hey, did your son tell you?  He shot your pumpkin."

 

?  He shot my pumpkin?!  Really? 

 

Apparently, my orange bounty was growing too close to his target.  Hmpf!  He usually hits his targets!  But apparently somehow he missed just this once.

 

  Ok.  So, Young Man, looks like your pumpkin is already morbidly dressed for our carving season. 

There.  You have a shot pumpkin.

 

So the few remaining pumpkins that survived and looked healthy I have set around the patio or in the mulch so that we can enjoy their fall beauty.  And we have now acquired a few other locally grown gourds that are blessing us with their beauty and varying textures.

 

In fact, Sweet P and I arranged them on the Hearth Room floor this morning to experience how they all feel and look a bit differently.  It's a true joy to me to have these lovelies around the house this time of year.  It may be silly to some, but I love it.  And we have fun with it here. 

 

So as Hubby and I have cleared most of the garden we gathered the last of the small melons that aren't good for eating and we made a pile -  right by Young Man's targets.

 

Now hopefully our scarecrow won't suffer the same fate.

 

I hope you're enjoying some fun fall things where you are!

 

xoxo

 

 



Hooked on Baby Crochet!

Hello, Lovely People!  Are you having a good week?  I'm quite happy to be at the weekend myself.  I have tried to keep up with housey-stuff this week around the school schedule so I can hopefully capture some relax time over the weekend.  I desperately need to make myself get out to exercise, though.  But hey, if I have time to relax then I'll feel more like going out to exercise right? 

 

Ha!

 

 

Anyway, I hooked up this adorable cardigan from Little Crochet.  You may remember it from my Favorite Baby Crochet post.  I used some old stash yarn called Spa.  It is SUPER soft and easy to work with.  I think this color is the ocean spray, but honestly, I lost the label, so...

 

I pictured some pretty little floral buttons on this cardi for a more vintage feel, but none could be found here at the Hearth Room.  However, once these pink sparklies sparked Sweet P's interest, we  had found our match!

 

It was a lot of fun to make this little sweater and it really worked up quite quickly.  It's a nice weight for layering, especially over a turtleneck this fall. 

 

 

And this is the little bonnet from the same book.  I tell you, this Linda Permann is right on with her kid crochet patterns.  I love them!  I wonder what else I can find that she's done....

 

This is the cutest modern take on a little bonnet.  I love the zig zag stitching that sets the border off just right.  The strap is perfectly placed and it crocheted up in a nice tight fabric to keep out the chill.  This was made with Vanna's Choice yarn, but again I do not know the names of the colors.

 

See this?  Now, any of you who have visited here a while know that Sweet P will NOT keep hats on.  Ever since she graduated from 'Baby' to 'Toddler' and she realized that her hands could help alter her environment, she has refused to keep anything on her head.  But she LOVED this bonnet!  Woo Hoo!  I'm picking out another color, Sweet P!

 

She just woke from a nap and was all too ready to model her new goodies.  She put them on with her PJs and hit the swings. 

 

 

I love to see crochet and flowers together.  I take way too many pictures of the combination of the two!  Yarn Joy!

 

 

 Oh, I love my littles and I love that I can make some things for them to wear or cuddle up in. 

 

I've got more on the hook, so I better get going!

 

xoxo

 

 

 



Random Striping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hello!  Can you tell this is a 'Dining Table'?  Sometimes we actually EAT here.  I have to admit:  When it's covered with stuff  it's almost always my stuff... Or Legos.   And, Yep, that's my craft table in the background.  Covered with loads of goodies to create with, yet mostly goes unused these days.  I'm thinking it may well get relocated AGAIN!
 

Anyway, do you remember the beginning of the Random Stripe Blanket?  I thought Jules' previous Mixed Stripe Blanket was SOOOO inspiring (and I secretly had a plan to work one out eventually...) that when she offered a crochet-along to make another I was so excited! 

Since my last Random Update where I had added a row of squares,  I have added several rows.  Again, I pick up and add whatever Jules posts that she's done on her blanket and then I make it up as I go along. 

So let's see....  For this update I have added a few rows of yellow half doubles, a row of pale pink sets of 3 DCs, then more half doubles in blue and red.  Then I did the hidden bobble thing that Jules did with the green and white.  I do love that polka dot look!  Next were several Granny Stripes and then back to simple half doubles.  My most favorite part so far??!!  I went back over that  pale pink DC row and added a dark pink ruffle! Well, 2 rows of it actually.  I love how it's worked 'onto' the fabric.  I suppose you could say it's like the wiggle crochet method sort of, in that you work onto the fabric top-to-bottom.  I love the texture and dimension it adds.  I had forgotten how much I used to use this ruffle in the past.  Now I"m hooked on that idea again!  Lol.  I am entertained by simple things.

Isn't it the coolest thing that depending on which view you have of the blanket it looks totally different?  Ahhh, Yarn Joy, that's what it is.

Other than this, I quickly hooked up a little sweater for Sweet P and the coolest, sweetest hat EVER!  I had a time finding buttons around here, but we found a bit of sparkle to work with and she loves it.

Be back soon with a peek!

Happy thoughts to ya!
xo

 



Collecting Seeds

 

 

 

Even with the changing season, colors are still beautiful.  We are enjoying what is probably the last of the vivid colored flowers around the Hearth Room, but we're also loving the subdued hues of the passing blooms.

 

We are gathering seeds here for next years plantings:   Zinnias, marigolds, sunflowers, and dill so far. 

 

This little bucket of old zinnia blooms is showing it's last bits of gorgeous, soft colors.  I think a blanket crocheted up in these soft colors might be pretty comfy.

 

Happy Friday to you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



School Days

 

It's Back-To-School-Time for us here in the Hearth Room. 

 

Books, maps, manuals full of discussion questions, experiments and writing assignments, schedules, and lots of toddler activities...  There is so much to keep us busy!  And so many WonDerFul things to read! 

 

 We've taken a few weeks to gently slide back into a routine.  I have to admit it seems quite a daunting task when it lies out there ahead of us.  I mean, after such a random summer, just the thought of actually moving this family through the days on some sort of loose schedule full of learning opportunities was downright frightening! 

 

But it's always the books that grab our interest.  Once we organize the bookshelves with some of the year's planned reading materials we start to change gears and look forward to getting into some of the fun stories and activities that follow. 

 

So now that we've gotten used to our School Pace and are starting to add in the extra curricular things...it all feels like it's coming together nicely.  And if Young Man reads while I get Sweet P down for a nap, I get to CROCHET!  Yes, right in the middle of my day!  I feel like I'm getting away with something luxurious, but it's really only 10 minutes...  Just let me finish this row...  Lol. 

 

My Ripple is almost done, but has taken a backseat to the Random Striped Blanket.  And I am now finishing a sweater for Sweet P, as well as starting a new baby blanket.  I have a lot of hooky catching up to do here, so I'll be back soon!

 

Are you hooking up something, too?

 

xoxo

 

 

 

 

 



Random Stripes and Squares?

 

 

 

 

 

The Random Stripe Blanket continues! 

 

Single, half double, double...

 

Scallops, shells, and bobbles...

 

Spike stitch, basket weave, and now SQUARES! 

 

Squares in a row = a stripe!

 

I've really been wanting to try these puffy flower squares from Mille Makes

and they do NOT disappoint!  (Thanks for a great pattern)! 

 

As usual, as soon as you lay anything down around the Hearth Room, it quickly gets spoken for.  Fritz has been looking for a new bed, but unfortunately for him, he can't have this one.  Yet.

 

xoxo