Bee
A pretty little Bumble Bee on the Salvia Victoria Blue in the small garden out front.
Bums...the small garden is looking pretty good except for the bums that frequent our yard...Bunnies, Chippys and Squirrels.
Someone asked me about blocking. Many knit and crochet projects require blocking to look good. I purchased some blocking squares called Cheers to Ewe from a yarn shop online. I have two sets. The pieces are shaped like big puzzle pieces and you can make what ever shape you want. I rinse my project gently and then squeeze out the water without wringing. The project is held in place by T pins and left to dry.
Of course you can use towels spread out on the floor or a table and any kind of pins.
One thing on my list...when I can actually go into a store is to purchase a plastic container to put all my squares in when they are not being used. The squares are made of EVA which is short for Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate which is a closed cell foam.
Babies...A very long time ago I had a whole set of children's foam puzzle pieces with alphabet and shapes on the inside..I believe they were given away as diaper changing mats and then play mats for older children....we had them in the toy box for a really long time when the grands were little.
Far Side
Great picture of the bee; your garden looks great and I love the blue shawl.
ReplyDeleteCharlie is interested in those chippys as you call them. Well anything that moves that he can chase. That is interesting about blocking a project. I may actually try to crochet a rag rug this winter or try to figure out how to 'weave' strips of cloth into a rug. That is as close to knitting or crocheting as I may get.
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Such a pretty shawl! Reminds me of a dragon's tail. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love your pretty little garden, but I love all the little wild animals too :)
ReplyDelete'Bums!'
ReplyDeleteYour little flower bed looks so pretty. I've had trouble this summer with deer nibbling on my hydrangea, but only the purple one. They leave the white ones alone. So strange. Those lacey shawls are just gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteCute little bee!
ReplyDeleteI use the towel method for blocking but I like the idea of made for that purpose blocks as it's clear you can ensure that things are measured correctly.
ReplyDeleteThe critters obviously love the front flower bed too. :) Take care and stay well.
The shawl is beautiful. I use interlocking mats for blocking: they are actually floor mats for a play area.
ReplyDeleteI love your garden and shawl. The photo of the bee is outstanding
ReplyDeleteYour little garden is so pretty. I have those childrens foam puzzle pieces with the numbers and alphabet that I use for my blocking mats. They came in a plastic zip bag that fits them perfectly. They work great, except for the letters popping out occasionally.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Bums! Ha! We have many, many squirrel bums and our two cats sure enjoy watching them through the back glass patio door. If you stand at the door or window and call out "squirrels!" you will immediately hear the pitter patter of two sets of cat feet running to see.
ReplyDeleteWe've been chasing some of those bum bunnies all summer ... well, 2yo grandson Aero has been doing most of the chasing lol. Didn't really have the squirrel problems this year... chipmunks have never showed up in any of my gardens. But those bunnies! Geesh! One year, a mama bunny "planted" all her babies under one of our tomato plants, and I've always put 5-gallon buckets with the bottoms cut off sunk in around my veggies to save on water. It's amazing those baby bunnies didn't drown when I watered! I didn't know they were there until one day I reached in to get tomatoes off the vine and I must have scared them because they all jumped out over the bucket lol. // Very interesting blocking info! I'd heard of that before from people I know who knit and crochet but had never asked about the details. Neat! Be blessed!
ReplyDeleteI've got the children's foam mats with the numbers and alphabets....maybe they're yours? I got them at Good Will for $4...bargain of the day! I love your sweet little bee and your flowers are so pretty. I have lots of butterflies here. There was even one at the hummer feeder too. Your shawl is lovely! You are so fast!
ReplyDeleteThank you. That’s on my list but this baby blanket will have to stay cock eyed. Now, I see.
ReplyDeleteLike DJan I thought of a dragon's tail when I saw the pretty blue shawl.
ReplyDeleteIf the shawl ( or any other piece) were to be washed one day would it have to be blocked again?
Natural fibers have a memory and the first washing and blocking will imprint the yarn so it can be hand washed again and retain most if not all the shape. I would lay it out to dry on towels...my wool socks are hand washed and laid out to dry.
DeleteA bee sting on your bum would be painful................
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't lost the plot, I am just a tad weird...................lol
What a clever way to block. Off to check out the price ....
ReplyDeleteWhen we would stretch out the names in crochets we had to do that. The could get framed easily mounted on mat board. The stretched shawl looks like an artwork modern on the mounting board.
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