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Stuff To Love

right this minute…

A big, huge box of protein and Christmasy goodness about to be whisked away to the other side of the world…for the Siberia boy who I love so much and miss so deeply.

A rainbow of much loved color to spark my imagination in the crocheting department. Oooh…what I can do with all this Peaches and Cream prettyness. Just you wait and see…

A new pile of books about sewing and cooking and blogging and crocheting that should keep me very busy for months, and months, and months. Hot dang.

A wild, sleepy, ancient, 100 year old kitty. No, no–it’s documented. I think he belonged to my great-great grandmother.

No, really.

A few happy decorations to brighten up a certain wall in Russia…if it gets there in time!

A glorious pile of brand new magazines to inspire my wander-lusting brain. Hmmm…Scottish Countryside…French classic…American Farmhouse. I just can’t decide exactly what to dream about.

*sigh*

A cute, little Eskimo finger puppet from WeeKnit. It’s suppose to be the Bald Kid trying to keep warm. Notice the sweet little black missionary tag! Haha. Sorry it’s so blurry–but he just wouldn’t stand still!

Playing with paint swatches and trying with all my might to pick just the right colors for the modern classic chicken coop.

Of course, if I had MY way…

Heh, heh, heh.

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Halloween Candy Garland

Now, if you’re an old timer to Gracious Rain you may be sayin’ “Whoa, Nellie–you already made this sweet, little garland a couple of years back!”

And I would say back to you–“That’s right…sort of.”

First of all, the last candy garland got eaten by “woodland creatures” so a new one was in order.  This time, it’s much easier to make. Seriously, took about 20 minutes start to finish.

Just a simple crochet chain stitch and every 10 stitches I wrapped the loop around one end of the taffy, pulled it tight and kept right on going. Cinchy.

However, if you have a house with little people in it, like we do, you’ll have to either hang it up high or just be ready to have it nibbled on by the critters.

This time–I’ll take my chances with the outdoor squirrels.

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Confusion In The Ranks

On the heels of the post about how “Autumn is most certainly coming now, bla-bla,” I have to say…it seems to me like only part of our yard is catching on. The pumpkins are doing their best to look all nice and Autumy. Two points for them.

The choke cherries–if that’s what they are–look ready to feed the birds till December. Good job choke cherries.

And our wood pile is set to “extra dry” in anticipation of cooler things to come. Way to go wood pile.

But I ask you…

What is Autumn-ish about a rose bush that’s still blooming all over the place?

Down rose bush, down.

And doesn’t parsley know that when you pick every last bit of it–it’s not suppose to…

come back again?

Enough already, parsley.

And why is it that now, in mid October we’re finally–FINALLY–getting a few piles of tomatoes? Ok, that’s not so bad, but still…

Why won’t the seasons behave like they’re suppose to?!

Tis’ a puzzlement.

Seriously.

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Snowy Scarf

Finally, we’re getting a bit colder weather around here and it seems to be nudging our sleepy green leaves into turning. Not that I’m begrudging the strange, lovely October sunshine, oh no–but at last it feels more appropriate to begin working on a few little things for…dare I say…Christmas.

A simple double crochet grid pattern can turn into the most luxurious, fluffy, amazing thing–

just by using this crazy yarn.

This stuff feels like you’re crocheting with soft, squishy pipe cleaners.  :}


And I can personally vouch for how warm it will be, as I had to keep moving the project off my lap every 10 minutes or so to keep from over heating! Pretty sure I could warm up some Eskimos with this toasty piece of work.

Which is good, because Autumn seems to be coming…

at last.

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{ When the Rain Falls }

“The Savior’s parable of the wise man who built his house upon a rock has power precisely because it illustrates that life’s challenges befell the wise man too. The rains fell, the winds blew, the floods rose up. Yet he survived it all because he had built upon a sure foundation and, crucially, he stayed there when the storm came.”

David S. Baxter

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