hold fast to what matters
The rings were all converging this past weekend, were they not? Those who follow the Abrahamic religions were observing and/or celebrating Easter, Passover and Ramadan— plus it was a full moon, the pink moon, as it happens… or the "pink, lavender, pale blue, and other pastel springtime holiday” moon AKA "Reese’s peanut butter eggs for breakfast” moon…
The world, no less tenuous, no more peaceful, did seem a little cheerier as widely available Covid tests meant many people got together to celebrate.
We did.
And we absolutely forgot how to function at a Sunday dinner in the (gasp) DINING ROOM.
Boxes, storage bins, and unoccupied cobwebs were safely cleared to reveal a vault of a room. In the center, a flat surface surrounded by chairs clearly intended for convening and comestibles. We entered this unremembered temple to sharing a meal as cautiously and with the breathless exultation of Howard Carter and his Egyptian team headed into Tutankhamen’s tomb for the first time, but with (all toes and fingers crossed) fewer viral results.
Could not find the linen napkins, couldn’t be bothered with the china— but with a bit of last minute clipping from outside and a recycled Easter basket, there WAS a centerpiece. Needn’t be much. You can do it, too. The important thing was to have those laughs and love those faces that could make it.
Plus also, sent some cards, some chicks, some chocolate, and bunny beans to those who we gathered close in our hearts if not our arms.
Recycled wool chicks, carefully created blown out Araucana eggs— and the beautiful work of Ukrainian artists.
Centerpiece of repurposed ribbon, sprigs of viburnum, and real eggs in the (gasp) DINING ROOM, surrounded by viburnum branches in a bourbon bottle and sheep headed for the yarn shop.
Eggs have always represented new potential, new beginnings. We wish you better days, safety, and the surety of peace and plenty.
we are not just a one chick pony
We’ve been working around the cluck… ahem… to get some tutorials up for easy peasy spring decor. If you thought the pom poms could only be used one way? Yolks on you— Chick this out: same pom, different chicken.
We used the same techniques as our spring chicken post. A store-bought or homemade yarn pom pom, eyes, a beak, then encircled with wire or chenille stems for legs and feet, embedded down in the fiber approximately halfway on the sphere, and made secure fairly tightly. A new twist on chicken legs!
Defying eggspectations, we changed it up and dyed the yarn chickie-yellow, using easy-to-hand food coloring. Hint: leave off gluing on eyes and beak until after the dyeing and drying process is complete.
So we got up to our old chicks, covered our work surface, protected our clothes, and put on some plastic gloves in preparation for operation Tres Chic II…Hensome Lad: Son of a Biscuit.
We mixed yellow food coloring and water in a small bowl.
In a poultry amount of time, the yarn became saturated with dye by turning the pom a couple times. We rinsed the dyed pom in cool water, wrung it out carefully, then put it in the dryer with a couple old towels (the dye will come off until it is fully dry and set).
Trimming out some of the fiber to add some shaping, gives our chick some definition.
Talk is cheep… pictures say it best: this little one is im-peck-able!
Don’t mind us. Everyone around here is a comedi-hen. The best chicken puns don’t fall far from the poul-tree and we have all been dealing with not one, but several, eggs-istential crises, so we had to get them all in. Can’t wing for losing…
We’ll show ourselves to the eggs-it…
this IS a spring chicken
Adding handmade Spring decorations to your home or someone’s basket is easy and fun! Use homemade or purchased yarn pom poms as a start for this simple Spring Chicken.
Small pom poms, which can be made or store-bought, chenille stems or simple wire, any type of eyes— combine to make this adorable little Easter tree ornament or basket stuffer.
We twisted the stems to form simple feet, trimmed a purchased pom into a beak shape —but an end of orange chenille stem would work as well. We added simple animal eyes, trying everything in place before gluing with water-based glue (school glue or tacky glue will work and are not as messy as hot glue).
The stem or wire legs and feet are wrapped around and into the pom pom tightly so that the fiber covers it all around. We added a bit of ostrich feather for a floofy tail.
Tres chic!
upcycled easter
We are still loving the idea of using what you have on hand, re-using what can be given a second purpose, and cutting back as far as possible on cheap, imported, high carbon-cost decor. Bein’ that it is Spring and we turn to all things renewing, we are going entirely renewable. Take an old wool coat and rehabilitate it as your bunny!
This fellow is stuffed with chopped up, mismatched socks. The carrots are spindles, twine, and last year’s Easter grass combined.
Simple stamped cards to send your happiest thoughts. Stamp and embellish with markers, stickers, or paint.
Wool coat bunny showing the simple, sturdy construction.
We thought he looked a bit downcast, so we brightened him up with needle felted wool accents.
A leftover yarn “ribbon,” and Rabbit is ready!
