Goodbye, Sweet Friend...

My Dearest Krisann

 

I woke up yesterday to news that my dear friend, Krisann had passed. I had just turned on my cell phone, and fell into my bedroom chair, stunned to read the news. 

If you've followed my blog for any period of time, you'll know that Krisann and I became friends through Project Linus when we both lived in Florida. She and I then joined the Tuesday evening Paneras group, and spent a lot of time together. We used to joke that I was no longer one of the younger members of the group. She was the "kid".

She was Mom to Nathan, and at that time, wife to Tim. Tim is the one who sent the message to me. They had divorced years ago, and he had since remarried. After a series of sad events, Krisann had moved back to her home state of Massachusetts, and fallen in love with a great guy. 

We kept in touch via phone or FaceTime, and always shared a laugh and family news. I think I last spoke with her about two months ago, and just a few days ago, I'd added some crochet goodies (books and fibers) to a pile to send off to her. She had send a box of lovely gifts to me around my birthday. 

She started calling me "650" when we lived in Florida. I asked her why. Her reply was simply, "650 is DCL (my initials) in Roman numerals." Clever girl! The best I could do was call her "KA". 

Krisann had a wicked sense of humor, and a huge heart. She was a massage therapist with a gift for healing, and she frequently grew her beautiful dark hair to a healthy, long length, just so she could cut it all off and donate to Locks of Love. 

She was a bright light, extinguished much too soon. I thought about her and spoke with her all day yesterday. I cried. This was sudden, unexpected, and painful for all who loved her and are left behind.

I contacted many of our mutual friends to let them know she was gone. Friends who'd moved back to their home states and would have no way to know otherwise. The calls were cathartic as we talked about her, and then, through her, were able to catch up with each other's lives. Even in her passing, she shared a gift with each of us - the reminder to keep in touch, and tell each other how we feel about each other.

I'm going to miss her, but I know she rests in the arms of our Savior. I pray that she'll find the peace that so cruelly eluded her here on earth. 

Goodbye, sweet friend. Until I see you again...

Gifts From Krisann...

Brynwood Needleworks - All About Acorns

 

When Krisann sends a package, I can always count on finding the most perfect surprises inside. Imagine my glee when I opened my package to find a "box of acorns"! (I placed them on a beautiful acorn doily, embellished with acorn artwork done by my talented friend, Michelle Palmer.)

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Acorn Thanks

This lovely acorn dish, while appearing wonderfully vintage, is more modern. I don't love it any less for its youth. I love the colors, the textures, and its size. This sweet dish now sits on my dressing table.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - Vanilla Nutmeg Soap

  When I saw (and smelled) this box, I couldn't wait to see what would be inside.
 

Brynwood Needleworks - Vintage Bath Bar

  This is vintage, and even though it's not new, it smells just as sweet as the day it was made.

There was one more gift in the box - an acorn stuffie for Tag (or Bella or Carly) - and that was swiftly stolen by one of said dogs. That was really appreciated, too!

I'm always grateful for Krisann's friendship, but her surprises always warm my heart. I hope she's as tickled with the packages I send her way. Long distance hugs from one grateful friend to another.

Thank you, dear KA. I love my surprises!

 Smooches,650 

A Lovely New Gift...

Brynwood Needleworks - Squirrely Spreader From Krisann

I recently sent a gift to my girlfriend, Krisann. We met in Florida, and spent many Tuesday evenings together with the Panera's ladies. I moved back to Wisconsin, and she returned to her home state of Massachusetts, but we still keep in touch.

She calls me "650", which (she informed me years ago) is what my initials signify in Roman numerals. Isn't she clever? I'm less clever, referring to her as "KA".  (Krisann...KA...get it? okay. okay.) Anyway, I received an envelope from her yesterday, with this sweet tool inside.

Brynwood Needleworks - Squirrely Spreader From Krisann

 

See the squirrel and acorn? Of course, she knows what I like! She said it's a spreader to be used in the kitchen, but I can think of at least 101 uses for it in my studio. I don't want it to get dirty, so in the studio it shall reside.

Once again, I'm a Lucky Girl! Thanks, KA. I LOVE IT!!!

I've Been Waiting...

Brynwood Needleworks - Massage Web Image (Not me!)

 

My friend, Krisann has magic, healing hands. She makes her living as a certified massage therapist. We scheduled my Birthday massage for the day after our primary elections. (Man! I just realized that I managed to extend my Birthday nearly NINE months this time!!)

We haven't seen each other more than once since Handsome and I went to Wisconsin, so in addition to her healing touch, we had a chance to talk. Before we knew it, she'd been hard at work on my knotted muscles for over two hours! I was pretty much jelly when she was finished. She'd managed to massage all the stress and strain away, and I was feeling about a million times better.

I know that I'll need to schedule some "Krisann Time" more often in the coming months. I'm going to need it, for sure!

Thank you, my friend. You truly are a one-of-a-kind healer.

xo

Feeling A Little Sheepish...

We had a gift exchange at Paneras last night and it was so much fun. All of our gifts ended up being pretty comparable in size even though we never discussed our projects ahead of time.

One of the gals made chocolate stir spoons. (I can't wait to use mine!) Another gift was a candy cane in a crocheted "snuggy" with a choice of a gingerbread man or snowman button embellishment. It doubles as an ornament and it's so cute! Tammy made cute holiday earrings for each of us, and we all immediately put them on. There were also gifts of little meat tarts and cookies. Everything was so wonderful, and we really had a fun night.

 Tammy also made an "extended" Birthday gift for me...a gorgeous yarn bowl that she threw herself in a pottery class she just completed. It's so beautiful! My Birthday was officially extended to seventeen days this year! Thank you, my friend.

Krisann surprised me with a special teeny, tiny crocheted basket with yarn balls and needles. The needles were made from toothpicks! Thank you, Ka for such a sweet gift.

I decided to make keychains for each of the gals. I used knitting sheep fabric to make the fob for the keychain and then added heart twill tape to secure the large split rings to the fob. I sewed two pieces of fabric together and then stuffed them with silk-blend fiberfill. Of course, it's not finished until I add my label. You use labels on your projects, don't you? (I get my labels from a couple of great sellers on etsy, and I've always been happy with their products.)

I hope you're finding time for little gatherings with friends over the holidays. It really didn't matter that our gifts were small. All of them were made from the heart, and isn't that what the season is all about?

Little Bird, Little Bird...

While I sat reading in our living room yesterday afternoon, I kept seeing the same little wren flying past our big windows. She'd dart from the sill out onto my jasmine bushes and then off into the yard. Soon, I would see her again on top of the jasmine or screen house on her way back toward the house.




After a little while I grabbed my camera because I knew what that meant. I only had to find where she'd chosen to build her nest. That didn't take long. I opened the screen door and went into the courtyard to find that she'd chosen a safe and protected spot behind our storm shutters.

Nothing like showing you a housekeeping job we missed. Upon reviewing my photos, I saw just how much those shutters need to be power washed, but now that task will wait until the nest is empty.
I quietly walked up to the rail for the shutters and peered inside the nest. I was fascinated by her architectural skills! She really put a roof on her abode! The fuzzy stuff near the top was pulled from the trunks of some of our palm trees. I thought I saw something but wasn't positive until I made a little bit of noise.
Immediately, I was rewarded with three tiny mouths waiting for Jenny Wren to return with something for their tummies. Sweet little peeps filled the air as they let her know that they were still hungry.

I didn't want to keep Jenny from her babies, so I retreated to the house. It didn't take long for her to fly back to the nest, feed the little ones and then head out again in search of more food.
Mama's work is never done. I'll leave them alone for a few days and see how long it takes before they start to explore. Then, I'll be back with my camera to share more photos with you.
I also have a great idea for the Summertime quilt. I thought I was finished, but I was wrong. I'm going to add one more border, but it's going to have something fabulous added. I'm hoping to finish it completely by mid-week and then I'll take it over to Kathy.

I'm going to be creating a pattern for the Summertime quilt, which will be available in my etsy shop as soon as it's finished. Don't worry. I'll be sure to let you know when it's ready so you can make your own Summertime quilt!
I'm off with my girlfriend, Krisann, for lunch and a little quilt shop pillaging. She hasn't been to Kathy and Nora's shop yet, so I just have to take her over to see their great fabric selections.

I hope you have something fun planned this week. Nothing like a little time spent creating, or making time for friends. I'll be starting with "girl time". See you tomorrow!

It's About Time...

If you've been reading my blog for a while (well, actually a long while), you might remember when I started making these granny squares. (August 2009!) Handsome and I took a long road trip, and I crocheted granny squares while he drove.

I made lots of squares - eighty to be exact - and bordered many of them in a beautiful solid cream color. I had a project in mind when I did them, but they've been sitting in my project bag all this time patiently awaiting my attention.

I decided that I would take my Nantucket Diddy Bag, loaded with all my squares to Panera's last night and try to finish adding the last creamy border to each square. My friend, Krisann asked what was in my bag. I showed her one finished square and she said, "It's been a long time since I've seen you crochet. How many are there?" I proceeded to pull them all of them out of the bag as we counted.

Now, you need to hear Krisann's laughter to know how absolutely joyful it sounds. When she saw how many there were, she just broke up. We all laughed together, as her laugh is so infectious. I had to explain that I had crocheted them all, only in the car, while we were on our 5,000 mile round trip.

I'm not getting back into our vehicle to finish them, but I assure you this project has been on the back burner long enough. Time to wrap up a UFO, don't you think? I haven't been able to sit in the studio to work on my Summertime quilt lately. I'm just too restless to concentrate right now. But finishing this project should be easier.

I'll get to work on completely all the squares and then I'll show you my grandmother's inspiration so you get an idea of where I'm going. (Hint: It's not an afghan.) There is not pattern, but I think I'll be able to finish it with a little help from my crochet mentors Adele, Beula, Tammy and Krisann. More pictures soon, I promise.

That Telltale, Impish Grin...

If you've only been reading my blog for a short time, you haven't met my friend, Krisann, yet. I've written about her before, here and here. She's a whiz kid with a crochet hook!

Tuesday night, when she joined our girlfriend group at Books a Million, she had that telltale, impish grin on her face. She was smiling at me, and I could tell she had something up her sleeve.
She held out her hands to reveal another of her little crocheted bowls. For me?!! Oh, yes, thank you! But, in addition to this wonderful crocheted bowl, she said it held tiny treasures from her recent trip to Massachusetts...Northeastern acorns! I was giddy, I tell you! Simply giddy!

If you'd like to own one of Krisann's beautiful little crocheted bowls (or choose from another of her crochet creations), please head over to her Artfire shop here. If you'd like a little bowl like mine, just let her know. I'm sure she'd be happy to make one just for you!

Thank you, Krisann...for the beautiful bowl; those helpful, healing massages; our long chats; and most of all, your friendship. (Smooches!)

Bindings, Bobcats and Bomb Scares...

On a scale of 1-100, yesterday was a 90, and I'm not talking just about the temperature! It was pretty darn eventful! I spent much of the day in the studio creating the binding for the "Charmed" quilt, and photographing the process for what has become a tutorial. I'll be adding photos to the tutorial today to share more of my "how to", and I'll finish that quilt later this morning. Now, I know that doesn't sound really exciting, but bear with me. It gets better.

Tuesday evenings are Books A Million "girls night out" for a group of us who get together to knit, crochet, sit around, drink coffee and chat. We all look forward to it.

I went through the garage to go to my Explorer (parked on the driveway) and saw - at first glance - what I thought was a large cat. It was sitting at the back of my vehicle and watched me punch in our code to close the garage door. It sat there as I walked toward it to get into the car. When I was still about 20 feet away, I said, "Hi Kitty" in a sweet voice. It stood up and just sauntered around my car, away from me, and it was at that point that I saw the short tail that gave away its identity.

Internet photo

It was a bobcat! I'd seen a larger bobcat here last fall, and then a young one this spring (sitting on the top of our mound system), so they're no stranger to our semi-rural neighborhood, or even our yard. I think this one is the young one I saw, now about four months older.

When I got to the car, I walked to the back side to be sure it wasn't under the chasis. I saw her standing about 15 feet from me, looking at me and swishing her tail. I lived with cats as a kid and knew that a swishing tail isn't something I wanted to fool with. I casually got in my car and backed out to go to Books.

When I got into the main part of the drive, there she was again. When she saw the car, she hightailed it back into the brush. I'll be watching for her now, and I understand what seems to grab Kes' attention now when we go out to the mailbox. She must be sniffin' "bobcat"!
I drove to Port Charlotte without incident. I got to the shopping center where Books A Million is locate only to be greeted at all entries to the parking lot by squad cars with lights flashing. The officer just directed traffic to the right as we entered, and then I saw people standing all around and a section of the lot cordoned off with police tape. What the...?

I parked and walked to the entrance to the store, and although the lights were on, all the doors were locked. Hmm? I asked a lady who was passing by what was going on. She told me that there was a car in the lot that had a sign on the windshield saying that there was a bomb inside the car! She was upset because her car was inside the police tape and they wouldn't let her move it and go home. Everything was on lockdown, employees and shoppers were all evacuated and at 6:30 pm - at this shopping center - commerce had come to a standstill.

My cell rang and one of the gals told me they'd all moved across the street to Panera's, so I got back in my Explorer and drove over to join them. I'm still surprised that the officers even let me into the parking lot for Books a Million. We watched the flashing lights on the squad cars all evening. When I left Panera's, it was 10:30 pm (Alright, so I got into a lengthy conversation with my friend, Krisann and we lost track of time.). The police had left the parking lot across the street only a half hour earlier. That shopping center was locked down for over four hours! I can't wait to read today's paper to find out how this all played out. (UPDATE: Here's a link to the story that appeared in Wednesday morning's local paper about the incident.)

So, there you have it. My day of "bindings, bobcats and bomb scares". Who would have thought?



PS. I still haven't found my seam ripper, but I like Rettabug's suggestion to get a magnet wand to look for it! Who knows what I'll come up with! xoxo

Scarf Love...

All those scarves I made over the holidays to present as gifts, and all the scarves I created last year...Can you tell I love making them? I love wearing them, too!
I saw my friend, Krisann last night when the yarnies all gathered at Books-A-Million. She hadn't been there for a while because she's been attending evening classes to become a certified massage therapist. (Congrats on your recent certification, KA!) It was so nice seeing her again, and she surprised me with a belated birthday gift. Inside her wrapped package was this lovely, soft pink scarf...FOR ME!!!

Remember, that I love drawing out my Birthday celebrations as long as possible. Thanks to my girlfriend, my last celebration lasted 53 days! A new record has been established!

My new scarf features a modified pineapple design, and she said it's called the small strawberry. Delicious! I wore it all night, and the rest of the gals loved it as much as I did. Thank you, Krisann, for this lovely scarf from your own, talented hands. It's my newest treasure!
I have to share this great new scarf book with you, too! Ocean Breezes by Sheryl Thies. It's chock-full of beautiful scarves with designs inspired by the sea. I have a favorite already, and can't wait to work on this design...
Starfish motifs embellish the center of this scarf. Isn't it pretty? I'm imagining an organic cotton yarn in a soft, natural sand color. Ok, I know...add it to the list, right? Right! I can't help it. It's officially "Scarf Love".