KnittingPathsOfLife

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Angela answers

Angela answered her 7 interesting facts. Please go to that post to learn
all about her. She is a very interesting person.

Happy Halloween

A couple years ago, I was lucky enough to take a bus trip and spend an evening and part of a day in Salem, Mass. We were there for the big parade, and I do mean big. They actually have
a "head"witch there. She owns her own shop. Now they doooo believe in witches. I wish I would have had more time there.
Ok, my husband has a real sense of humor. He said one day, "If the Amish kids go trick or
treating, do they dress up as Englishers?"
Last year for Christmas, I made 6 calendars for my family. Kristy was selling the calendars with her Close to my Heart things. I did birthdays of each person in the correct month, and almost had someone in every month. There were none in October, so I put Fawn, my daughter, and
her grandchildren, my greatgrandchildren on that month. I have to figure out a way to now use it for next year. It becomes a birthday calendar also.
Zoe was a little Tinkerbell here, and now this year at a big age five, she is a new Tinkerbell in a new dress for her kindergarten class. The three kindergarden classes are marching in the school today and she is one excited little girl. Wish I could be there to see her.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The General Store

This is my General Store made for me by my husband, George. I painted it and did the inside.
He is going to make a second floor (I hope), which will be the bakery. I have the bakery items
and will feature them on my last dollhouse entry coming up.

The building is long, so I took the pictures inside in half so you can better see the items for sale.
The two men are playing checkers and there is a pickle barrel near by. The might want a snack.

The owners desk is in this picture and it also serves as a postoffice. I hope you enjoy browsing through the General Store.


Friday, October 26, 2007

About Angela

A couple days ago, I tagged Angela. She does not have a blog, so I asked
her to post her interesting facts on mine. I know she is working on it, so
I want it not to get lost in old comments. This entry is for you Angela.
I am looking forward to your entry.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Mad at Joann Fabrics

I got mad Joann Fabrics because I ordered the yarn for the last sweater I made (Bill's)
from Joann.com and tried to exchange two skeins I didn't need for another color. I was
going to buy 7 more skeins, but they would not do it.
I took the yarn home and started this sweater for myself. I need a contrasting color, so
I went to Pat Catans, a local craft store and they had the Patons Merino Wool on sale.
I bought two skeins of brown, and this is the finished product. I also bought nine more
skeins of grey there. The yolk is seed stitch.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Beautiful Ohio

We went riding last weekend just hunting for places to take pictures of the leaves turning.
We went into my favorite area and found only a few places that really showed them well.

They are not nearly as nice as most Octobers. This is a farm in Amish Country.

While we were out, I wanted to get apples. We went to an apple orchard called Sunny Slopes.
I didn't buy any pumpkins, but thought they were neat.
Here are just some of the varities of apples available. This is only half the table, the other
half had customers. They sell them for only forty five cents a pound. The Golden Delicious
are really good.




Monday, October 22, 2007

I've been tagged

Nancy from LovelyinChocolate tagged me. Here are seven interesting facts about me. at least I hope they are.

I had a wonderful family of two sons and two daughters. One of my daughters is deceased,
but she left my two wonderful grandaughters. I now have two very special GREAT grandaughters, and a GREAT grandson.

I was blessed with a husband with whom I had 37 wonderful years of marriage. He died
of lung cancer and a few years after, I met again, my childhood friend who also lost a
spouse to cancer, and we married.

I love to travel, and I have been very lucky to have traveled to several countries and states.
Heidi living in Holland has given me a lot of this travel and my first husband was career military.

I spent 22 years of my adult life chasing shoplifters in department stores. I started just doing the floor walking, then ended up being a regional security manager of five stores. I could tell some stories.

I started knitting when we lived in Tripoli, Libya, Africa. A friend who was always knitting, taught me. Her mother owned a knitting shop in New Hampshire, Sharon orederd everything I
would need to knit a cardigan sweater, the rest is history. I still think of Sharon when I knit.

Now that my family is grown and gone, I have to confess that I now dust my stove more than
I ever cook on it. We go out to eat a lot.

With my first husband being career military, both my sons x navy men and now two grandsons
in the army, I love the military and my country. I pray they all stay safe.

I would like to tag: Christian Crafter (my grandaughter, Kristy)
Lilysmom (my great niece)
My Hidden Stash (five ferns fibreholic)
Nunnie's Attic (Julie)
Angela (she has no blog, but can answer in my comments.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

WE HAVE AN AMAZING ARTIST IN OUR FAMILY

This a a drawing, not a picture of Arnold. Can you believe it? I think Jason should send him a copy.
Here is the artist. He is my new Grandson. This is Jason and Mandie, they were recently married and the family couldn't be happier. He is a wonderful addition.
This is Mandie and Zoe, my Great Grandaughter. I am so proud of all of them.


Friday, October 19, 2007

My Toyshop Dollhouse

This is my Toyshop. The bottom floor is the toyshop and the top two floors the apartment.
George put this one together, then Bill got into the act. He is the outside finisher.

This is the inside of the toyshop. The stove is from Holland and you can actually burn a tea light candle in it. There are many toys in the shop. Hope you like browsing.

This is the livingroom and kitchen in the house. I wish you could see inside the front pan.
it is a very tiny dutch smoked sausage, rookworst, from Holland.

The top floor is the bedroom and bath. I tried to put as much as possible into a very tiny space.
The next one you see will be my general store.



Wednesday, October 17, 2007

IS THIS REALLY HEIDI??????

We were in Brugge and Jos got this hugh beer, that he said was really good. Heidi decided to try it, so I decided to snap her picture. She did give it back. HaHaHaHa.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Knitting project

This is my latest knitting project. It was supposed to be for Eric, but he decided the green in it

is too bright for hunting and I made the sleeves a little long for him. It fits Bill perfectly, and he

loves it, so guess what, Bill now owns the sweater. It is Paton's 100% Merino Wool. It is so soft, it feels like acrylic

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Happy Halloween

I am putting this on my blog for Heidi. I think she really mus t need just one more project.
This a cloth pumpkin I found in my favorite store Marc's. It is felt face, leaf and stem.
the back and sides are quilt fabric. The book is Zoe's favorite. I had to read it over and over
last year. I will miss reading it to her this year.

I think the patches are so cute. Ok, Heidi, make one.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Glass display dollhouse

This is a cross stitched rug that George did for me. There is a story behind it. Years ago, I bought this kit and gave it to Heidi to do for me. Wellllll, needless to say, Heidi is backed up
on to do's. She gave it back for George to do and this is the result. I treasure it so much, I
keep it standing in the back of the glass house rather than putting furniture on it.


This is one of my major splurges. I was in the Dollhouse Museum in Washington DC. I looked
at it and walked away several times. It was toooo much money but I did it. It has a Cameo on
the top of the little wooden case. For the picture, I sat it on one of Heidi's bobbin lace pieces.

This is the case. It sits on an iron base in my diningroom. I can see it everyday. I wish I could
keep all of them in places so easy to see.



This is the inside of one half of the display. I wanted to show a closer view.



This a greenhouse I put together. I made the flower pots but I found the unfinished case
at a craft store and painted it. It works well beside one of the houses.



This is a closer look at the inside. I will feature more dollhouses on another post.
Hope you are enjoying them





Thursday, October 11, 2007

Our Amish Bedroom

Our bedroom is all Amish decor. This is a quilt that Heidi made several years ago. One of her
first. I have several Amish dolls. Kristy bought me some wooden items, my cousin bought me
some of the cloth dolls I have. George made the shelf, and I painted it. He cut out the houses for me to paint and glue onto it.

The two cross stitches are ones that Heidi did. The top one is called sisters. It is a P.Buckley
Moss design. Heidi says I took it right out of her house, but I am sure she made it for me. haha.
The long one is all amish scenes. The other is a picture I bought.


The top picture is a cross stitch done by my husband George. He worked on it here and in
Holland. I really love it. The bottom is a picture I painted. The ceiling in this room is navy
blue (sky) with stars that light up after leaving the lights on for a time. This idea is from Heidi's house, her guest room is done this way. Bill did it for me. I have Amish border up. I am working on an amish quilt but I am not handquilting it. I am not Heidi, mine will be done with buttons
.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Farmhouse Dollhouse

This is the front of my second dollhouse. This one was assembled by Bill, my son. He used the real shingles for the roof and the same siding as the first one for the house. This one is ready for lights, which I do have, but we have never lit it yet. This is the bedroom, I was going to make this a B & B but never did. This is in the front of the
house, above the kitchen.


This is the nursery in the back top of the house. This house is not sitting at the moment in a
place for easy picture taking.


This is the kitchen and back in the front of the house. The furniture in this house is all from USA except the shelf in this room.

This is the maids room in the back upstairs. All the people for this house were outside when
I took the pictures.

Whoops, not this boy, he is getting out of the bath.




This is another bedroom in the back of the house. I made some of the jewelry in the chest. I
should have opened it more I guess.



This is the diningroom in the back also. It opens into the kitchen.



I made the couch and chair and ottoman in this, the livingroom. It is also in the back of
the house. I should have sat the harp up straight and fixed the wallpaper. Heidi cross
stitched this rug. Hope you like this one.





Monday, October 8, 2007

Heidi and Me

This is a picture of me in Seiffen Germany. This is taken on the steps of one of the shops


This is Heidi quilting at her cottage. I will add more family pictures in the future entries

Ohio Amish Country

Traveling to Amish Country, this is one of the roads we chose. The color is just not very good
in Ohio this year. It still was a very pretty road to go down.
This is an Amish school, which I am planning to make for my next dollhouse. I have dolls, but
I have to make their clothes.

We came upon this open buggy with two little girls in the back. I just love and never get tired
of seeing them.


This is a house with an Amish church in session. They park the buggys wherever they can
while church is in session.


Heidi, I took this picture for you. This is the quilt shop in one of the books we read. It really is there in Berlin so come see it.




Saturday, October 6, 2007

My Necklace

I just had to tell you about this necklace since it is so special to me. It was made by Haali,
my Great Grandaughter. She is very into making jewerly, and very good at it. The stone
was found, polished and set by Kristy's Father-in-Law. He has an extensive collection of
rocks and let me pick some to mount. This one looks like a tree, I hope the pictures lets
you see that. The round beads were found in Joann Fabrics by Mitchell, my Great Grandson,
and they matched it perfectly. I am so proud of it, and I can't tell you how many people stop
me to ask about it. I am so proud to tell how it came to be.

The black beads are magnetic. I am never without magnetic jewelry. I wear it all day, night and to bed. I take it off only for baths. I have arthritis, and I love to knit, before the magnetic jewelry, I had to wear gloves and my hands woke me up at night hurting. I can't say whether they will work for everyone, but I will never again be without them. I wear and ankle braclet and braclets on both arms, unless i have a watch on. The do not argree with watches. Maybe the magnetic therapy will work for you. I also have a bloodstone ring and pendant made by the same man. That is my real March birthstone and I lost one my Grandmother gave me. I thought I would never have another one. Thanks to him, I have two.