Cabin in the Woods potholder

I am trying to decide if I like the green or the white cabin better. The trees look better in green, but the white trees look like winter. I guess if I can't decide, it means it is a success, right?

My Wookie

I will be losing my Wookie, and my heart is breaking. Wookie is a 9-year-old tortie with the most beautiful light green eyes. She is suffering from kidney failure. She is still eating and drinking, and seems to be in no pain, so we are going to just love her until the end. It may be days, or weeks, or even months. There is no way to know when. 

Wookie is a magic cat. During her lifetime with us, I have had three surgeries: two for female reasons ending with a hysterectomy, and the third was a compound fracture of my right leg. For the female problems, Wookie would lay her chin on my stomach and purr. Then last year, I broke my leg in six places by falling down some stairs on vacation and needing surgery. Once I got home from the hospital and was bed-ridden, Wookie took care of me. She would lay her head on the broken leg through the cast and purring for days on end. I rarely needed pain killers. I swear she was healing my injuries with her purring.

Wookie is truly my kitty. She rarely leaves my side. She is so affectionate and loving; I just don't know what I will do without her. I will still have my black kitty Omi, but it will hurt so bad. 

She has helped me through pain, but she will not be able to help me through the pain of losing her. 

 

 

How Now Brown Cow?

 I am not really happy with the colors in this pattern. The contrast is not enough to be very dramatic, although I like the pattern. I will probably do it again at some point, using a dark brown and cream, but this will have to be for now. Well, not everything is a success.

My Local Fawns are Growing So Fast!

I know the glare is bad, but it is a western window and the sun is bright. Our twin fawns were hanging out below the living room window, showing how much they trust our yard. They are getting so big!

 

More Room for Mushrooms

I love how this animated mushroom turned out. I used a maroon and cream for the colors. Once again, I found the pattern on Pinterest. There were several mushroom options to choose from, and I might make another using forest green and cream colors. Stay tuned.

Been busy with Scrubbies -- and I don't mean cleaning

I suddenly got on a scrubby kick. I can make one in a couple of hours. I give them away to my friends and suddenly, they want to purchase more as gifts for their friends, or they just want more for themselves. I even had one who accidently put one down her garbage disposal and needed another. 

I had a booth at a craft fair last Christmas and sold them for $5.00 each. I know that is really cheap for the time and effort. However, I am thinking that I knit them because I like making them, not to make money. So anything I make is gravy, right? I would be knitting them anyway, and I am not going to be using them all myself. (By the way, I hate cleaning) 

One skein can make three scrubbies with the leftover used to make scrapy ones. You need to use the specific yarns called scrubby. You can purchase them at Michaels or online in a variety of solid or variegated colors. There are some wonderful colors online that you can't find in the stores. I went wild last year and went wild with  buying scrubby yarns. 

The pattern I use is https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-stitch-round-scrubby. However, there are several varieties on Ravelry. There is a square scrubby that you can probably make in a hour or less (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/square-scrubbies). There are also some fun pattern in the face of an owl, a tomato, a puppy dog, a kitty cat, and a flower. I hope to make some of those one of these days, but this pattern is my "mindless" pattern.

In fact, I discovered that I can complete an entire scrubby on the drive from Littleton to Fort Collins Colorado. My son live in Fort Collins so it works out perfectly. By the time we finish our visit, I have two additional scrubbies, as well as any I knit while I am there. 

And don't forget all the patterns of scrubbies that you crocheters can use as well. I can crochet, but I prefer to knit. I learned to knit and crochet at the same time when I was a preschooler from my mom and grandma, but for some reason, I liked the look of knitting more. I learned to knit making Barbie clothes and knit clothes were less bulky.

You do have to use the specialty yarns made for dishcloths but there are lots of them out there. Michael's has lots of scrubby yarns, many in bright vibrant solid colors and several variegated ones too. You can also order many online as well. I really like the brand called Jubilee Yarn Scrubby Dish Yarn. It has wonderful colors in more muted colors. I don't like the 'sparkle' or 'eyelash' ones, but that is a personal preference. But I warn you. Searching for scrubby yarn is a big rabbit hole to fall into!

So dive in and enjoy yourself!

Horse potholder for Laura

My cousin's daughter got married last weekend. She is quite the horsewoman, so I wanted to make her a special potholder. I texted my cousin Jeff to ask what color Laura's horse is. He texted back that he thinks the horse is a bay; followed by another text saying, no, she's a buckskin. 

What? I just wanted to know if the horse was brown, black, white, spotted, purple?! Bay? Buckskin? I shouldn't have to look up a color on the internet! He only laughed at me and said that is just how horse people talk. 

Anyway, medium to light brown with black mane and tail it is. This is her silhouette.
Buckskin ... really.

 

Deer in Roxborough and Potholder

One wildlife species we have in abundance is deer. So I must memorialize one of the bucks in a potholder. (I am not sure that statement has ever been typed before).

Surprise Cat

 This little kitty is so cute whether black or blue! Kinda looks like she was startled.

Complicated Fox

 I really love this pattern (also free on Pinterest), but a friend of mine said it was too complicated. I can see that, but it was a lot of fun to do. But I still like how it turned out. 

What is an Even Better Symbol of Summer? More Butterflies!

I posted a potholder of a butterfly just before this one, so continuing the theme, two butterflies. I once again used Hipster cotton yarn for the variegated one. This pattern is a free one on Ravelry. The link is below.

 www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/potholder-butterflies

What is a Better Symbol of Summer - a Butterfly

One of the most fun parts of knitting a butterfly potholder is there is no limit to colors! I used Hipster cotton yarn for the background. One piece of advice is select a solid color that does not appear in the range of color of the variegated one. If you do, your design can disappear into the background instead of standing out. Don't ask me how I know.

I can't seem to find where I got this pattern, but it probably came from Pinterest. There are lots and lots of butterfly patterns on Pinterest from simple silhouettes to complicated wings. Have fun. I did.

Bobcat 'Visits' our Kitties

We were blessed with a visit from a bobcat, just outside our downstairs window. We have lived in Roxborough from over 35 years, and this is the first time we have seen a bobcat ourselves. We have seen bears and mountain lions out here, but this is a first. What a beautiful animal. 

Unfortunately, a day or two after this picture was taken, a bobcat killed one of our deer just down the hill. I know it is the way of the world, but it still makes me sad. I don't think it was this bobcat, though. It was much larger. 

I am sure Omi is happy she is on the other side of the glass pane from the bobcat.

A cat is still a cat.

Cute Little Bunny

I am very pleased with how my little bunny turned out. It got snatched up by one of my friends almost as soon as I was done with it.

We occasionally see rabbits here in Roxborough but with the owls, foxes, eagles, bobcats. and mountain lions, they don't see to last very long. Speaking of bobcats, check out my post tomorrow to see the bobcat who visited us just outside our window.

 

Oooo, I Love My Coffee!

 Just above my coffee maker, I hung these two memorizing my love of the caffeinated nectar. They may be potholders, but these two are used as pictures. Every now and then, I turn them around to enjoy the other side. That is the only disadvantage of double knitting that I can find.

 

Our Baby Fawn

Remember our pregnant doe outside our living room window? (See June 22, 2025) She came around today to show off her baby. This picture was taken outside our dining room window. I can't believe how fast they grow. Of course, I have no idea if this is the same doe, but I would like to think so. We have a big valley below our house and wildlife hang out there a lot. It is probably because there are very few dogs in the houses around here. I know my kitties love to watch the wildlife go by.

Tree of Life Potholder

 I have lots of jewelry with the Tree of Life, like a necklace, earrings -- both post and drops -- and rings. So it was time to do a Tree of Life Potholder. This took a little more attention than many of the other designs because of branches and truck along with the background. It seems to change every two stitches! Still, it's a fun pattern.

This is a free pattern on Pinterest.

Sheep Shoes and Ladybugs

My son's friend is having a baby girl this summer, so he wanted to give them a special gift. I usually make sports-related booties for him to give his friends, but he said they were not into sports so make something "cute." Here are baby sheep and ladybugs booties for his friend. 

The sheep booties is a free pattern on Ravelry by Dianne Jones. Search "Cute Sheep Baby Booties."  

The ladybug booties is also a free pattern on Ravelry by Lorna Miser. Search "Sweet Lady Bug Booties."