My Garden

Usually I post about crochet but I want to share some of garden with you today :)

I love my garden, I have found gardening to be very therapeutic for me <3

A wildflower, I don't know what kind

Bleeding Heart (about a month ago)

Canna

Gloriosa lily (vining lily)

Gulf Frittilary caterpillar on the passion vine a host plant for this species

Passiflora incarnata
(passion vine, maypop)

Pileated Woodpecker

Sunset and storms last week

Awesome giveaway!

My husband and I love nature and the outdoors and we love photography!  To help gain some fans on his Facebook page he is giving away a free 8x10 photo of the winners choice!

Visit Adam Wilson Photography on Facebook and follow the directions in the pinned post or on a computer click on the giveaway tab and follow the directions to enter the raffle!

Me and my youngest daughter Emilie at Oscar Scherer, even we are "shot" by my husband lol

Gopher Tortoise at Oscar Scherer State Park

"Shining Justice"

Desoto County Courthouse

Arcadia, Florida

Old Peace River Bridge

Morgan Park

Arcadia, FL

The Canopied Bridge

Morgan Park

Arcadia, Florida

Pipe Dream

Old Peace River Bridge

Arcadia, Florida

 

 

Just a few of his pics. Be sure to tell him I sent you, earn me some brownie points!

Meet Hob

Hob Goblin Wilson is a special treat just for me!  I had a few dollars to spend on myself and I knew exactly what I wanted... an April Draven (Folts) pattern!

I love her patterns and have made many of her free patterns available on her blog so I wanted to show a little love for her work and buy her Goblin pattern .  

I made a few changes as I tend to do...
I didn't add the toe curls; after making them and slipping them on my husband said he preferred him without them.  I added pvc pellets in a nylon (cheap 'egg' knee highs work great and you can usually tie and cut for multiple projects) with a total weight of 47 grams per nylon, I then used some patience and tucked those pellets firmly into Hob's feet so he could stand unassisted. I usually use the cheapest acrylic yarn but I had some nice yarn left over from a hat I made for my husband and the colors looked perfect for Hob.  I added a wooden dowel in his neck to be sure we never have a slumping Hob.   The hands in the pattern wouldn't suit my needs so I used the hand pattern I made for my Frog Brothers and added a finger.  Then to test my limits I wired the hands and arms...he can now "grasp" things :)

I think that is all I changed. And now I will explain why..

Hob is a Goblin.  He is now H.G. Wilson

My husband and I love photography.  Especially nature and wildlife, a great way to let go.  We spend many hours in our beautiful Florida State Parks and I sometimes wish I would see a magical little creature because when you are deep in nature it feels magical.

Sooo while out about a week ago I told my husband of this great plan:

Bring a goblin to the parks and document his adventures...to my surprise he was just as excited as me!

So Hob will be coming along with us now!  I will be using #AdventuresofHob on Instagram and facebook :)

Hob loves shiny things...weakness of the goblins ;)

Side view with his satchel

Back view

top of head

I hope we have many adventures together!


By the way...He reminds me of a combination of Marty Feldman and Hoggle (Labyrinth)

DeSoto County Fair Blue Ribbon Winner!

I couldn't be any more proud of my crochet than I am right now!  Edgar & Alan (The Frog Brothers) have won Blue Ribbons at our county fair!

A friend has an amazing daughter in 4-H and she was showing rabbits...she won Grand Champion and more with her rabbits.  (I have not been to the fair yet, so this is Facebook Fair stuff lol) I commented congratulations and my friend responded with a photo of my green giants with BLUE RIBBONS!!!!!  I was so excited I cried lol

Yes, I am proud

After the fair is over Edgar & Alan will be available in my Etsy shop :)

Well, I guess that means that when I get the chance to type I will need pattern testers! I currently have a special bear pattern in the works that will need more eyes on it and the Frogs will be coming soon.  I need crocheters to check my patterns for errors before I offer them to the public.  I would like a turn around time of a week with any corrections you find :)  If you are interested please contact me and I will put you on a list.  Pattern will be free for testers on the bear and frog.  After The patterns have been tested they will be available on Etsy.

Happy New Year!

Sorry that is a bit late lol

I have been busy with a new gift my mom got me for Christmas: A crochet pattern calendar!  Yes, It was one of my favorite gifts of all time!

Light and Airy Afghan

(Patons-  and my calendar!)

My version is obviously not one color

In other news...

Pay it Forward 2015 is in full swing!  Custom Hats , custom headwraps and some rtg (ready to go)!

Remember for every hat or headwrap sold I am donating one hat to a person in need :)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd....

Edgar & Alan are at the Desoto County fair this year!  This is my first time entering any of my crochet work in any event!  I am super excited!  I hope I win the Blue Ribbon!

Edgar & Alan- The Frog Brothers at the Desoto County Fair 2015!

And now for something completely different...

I love to garden.  Like,  I really love it.  I find it helps me therapeutically to deal with my pain.  My second big hobby :)  I did a bit too much and pulled a few too many plants and I am paying for that still...however my kids and husband stepped in, helping me when I needed it most! 
We have had some odd winter weather here in SW FL this year so when my 16...almost 17yo daughter asked to spread some wildflower seed early I figured it couldn't hurt. Today I went to check on her seed bed and voila! Babies!!!!  I tossed a few dozen marigold seedheads in the bed 2 days ago, that is what the brown pod like things are.

Emilie's Flowers

That has been the beginning of 2015.  I couldn't be any happier than I am here today and for that I am thankful :)  Thank you friends for looking in on the crazy life of this old hookin' yaya.

CCC Festival - Highlands Hammock State Park

I will be at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring FL for it's annual CCC Festival November 8th, 2014 from 10a-4p 

There will be live entertainment, food, living history presentations, arts and crafts, educational exhibits, tram tours, hay rides and much more.

Come on out and have a great time!  The weather is looking particularly nice for this event!

Last year was a great success and I am so pleased to have been asked to come back this year!  I have friend coming along for the first time to this event to sell her homemade quilts, jellies and jewelry and even some crocheted items!
 
Park admission fees are just $6.00 per vehicle (up to eight people per carload)

The Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) was arguably the most popular part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal".  During the Great Depression moral was at an all time low in our country and many Americans were without food or proper  shelter.  The CCC gave young unmarried men the opportunity to learn a skill and earn some money ($30 a month, $25 had to be sent home). 
The CCC planted nearly 3 billion trees in an effort to reforest America,  helped create more than 800 parks nationwide, improved forest fire fighting methods, built roads and helped upgrade our state parks.
Without the CCC it is likely America would have spiraled deeper into the Great Depression, many families would have lost hope, and we may not have our beautiful parks today.
 I am happy to say I was informed that some former members of the CCC are expected to be at the event and I can't wait to shake their hands and thank them for preserving a bit of nature for future generations.

Come out and enjoy the park!  This also happens to be one of my favorite state parks in Florida...I get some great pics when I visit this park!  I always feel as if I have stepped back in time to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth...silly perhaps but that is the feel of the swamp! Panoramio- my photos

Murky Waters of the swamp (one of my pics on Google Earth- nondaywalker)

Red Shouldered Hawk

(this fella sat on that branch for about 10 minutes...I inched closer to be within feet of him!)

I hope to see  you there!  BTW- I will have all my inventory with me that day some come on out and see what I've been up to!

~Anna