HANDMADE SCARVES ~ ~ ~

Several weeks ago, Sheri of the Shabby Sheep blog, asked her blog friends to help her out! Sheri is bravely undergoing treatment for breast cancer and wanted to do something for comrades at their local support group! I love that about Sheri ~ even though I only know her thru her blog ~ but she is approaching this diagnosis with a positive attitude and taking the path of being a giver. So many of the gals lose their hair and need warm hats and scarves and Sheri asked her blog friends to use their creativity and make things that she could share with her group! So, of course, I said yes and of course, I waited till the last minute! Their Christmas party was this past Monday and I started making mine last Tuesday!! And, of course, I was in a sweat as to whether they would reach her on time ~ as luck would have it ~ they did!!

The first scarf ~ which is located up in that first long rattling paragraph ~ is made out of wool sweaters that I have felted (initially to make into purses ~ which I have done). I had a cabinet full of these waiting to be made into something useful so I drug them all out on the floor ~ put together some colors that I thought would work ~ cut them into 1/8 yard wide pieces and zig-zagged them together end to end. I used a multicolored thread which was just what it needed to give it some pizzaz! Then I backed it with a white confetti wool and zig-zagged the two pieces together and then cut some wool hearts and appliqued those on the end. At first, I thought the whole thing was going to be wasted effort but as I got rolling along, it turned out kind of cute and funky!! And the edges get kind of ruffly as the sewing stretches the sweater material ~ Perfect!! And I pinked the edges after the stitching was done!

So, that one was for Sheri to donate but I thought she really needed one for herself, since this was her idea! I got out my black wool ~ tore a strip about 8" wide across the yardage and proceeded to go thru my roving stash and wool yarns. I had seen a knit scarf with these colors in a yarn shop and it stuck in my mind - imagine that! I first needle felted that green stem into a squiggle with my needle-felting machine, then added the leaves and embellished that with some sparkly angel hair fibers. The pink roving was perfect for some flowers with pink angel hair centers. I love sparkly things ~ kind of like a crow!! Then the raw edges of the wool posed a problem but there was the perfect rose colored yarn just waiting to be needlefelted all around the edge. I was so hoping that Sheri would like this one for herself ~ she emailed that when she took it out of the package, she told her friend that she wished she could keep it! After she read my note, she realized it was for her ~ that made us both happy!!
So say a prayer for Sheri as she travels this journey ~ not one she asked for ~ but one that she is facing with courage and a sense of helping others!

Less that 24 hours from now, the Seattle family of five will be pulling in ~ and Grandma is barely ready!! I have had the worst cold since last Thursday ~ finally called the doctor for an antibiotic on Monday ~ and it saved my life!! I was so sick and so unproductive all weekend and ~ I couldn't go out and have any fun ~ that really made me sicker!! But thru all that, I managed to get my office in tip top shape, do a little bit of decorating today( I will finish in the morning) and started a little hooked rug from a drawing that Hannah brought me two years ago! I wanted to have it finished before they arrive ~ but it's not looking good!

I hope you're more ready than me ~ and looking forward to enjoying family and friends. There will be 25 - 30 people here Friday ~ I still have grocery shopping to do, presents to wrap, laundry to finish ~ oh, you don't even want to know!!! Today, I took my son, Tad, out to do his shopping ~ Tad buys for everyone in our family and some who aren't in our family ~ and we did it all today ~ at Kohl's with my 30% off coupon!!!!! Now, that's a happy thing! And ~ I have to do his wrapping, too! I need to go to my bed now ~ see you in a day or two!
Alice