apple blossoms & why I love lace

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The apple blossoms are blanketing our lawn like pink crocheted lace.
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...and I just finished this doily from the previous post.
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This is the first time that I have used size 30 thread and I must say that I truly love the delicate feel of it! The thread was actually a thrift store find, but it worked up so elegant and subtle.

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Such a delicate lacey look -- do you have such a passion for lace, too?!
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This is why I love lace. Crocheted or otherwise.
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This book shows a gorgeous bedroom laden with lace & beauty! How breath-taking is this bedroom!? Ahhh. Someday, in my quaint farmhouse, my husband & I will have a master bedrooom just like this.........complete with the exquisite lace that drapes the bed.

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More reasons why I love lace ~
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...this just steals my breath away.

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Last summer we toured a settlers' village and all of these fine examples of lace were showcased in the dressmaker's store.
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...and this magnificent, hand-made lace that was made to look as if the lady was about to come back soon to complete.
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...or this adorning this antique dress-form.

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All of those tiny stitches taken either out of necessity or out of need for fashion speak of such subtle beauty. And if I can come even close to making that same type of lace, well that is my desire.
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for the love of pink lace

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Remember what I said about making these to fill every room in my house? I am being taken over with a love for crocheted lace. Whether it is just loving the ones my grandma made -- seeing lace & doilies on other's blogs -- or just browsing through crocheted lace books... I just have this urge to immerse myself in this.

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And when I saw this rich hue of pink in this peony that comes from our garden.....

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....why, yes. I just had to put this pink crochet thread to use.
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hook--1.4mm .....thread--size 30

pattern: Magic Crochet magazine (edit--Oops! Voices of Spring doily, Decorative Crochet magazine [same publisher as Magic Crochet], issue: May 2001 No. 81)

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Just a few more rows and it will be finished. Just in time for the apple tree blossoms to fall pink all over our lawn.

ribbon candy afghan

My hook is flying. And the proof is here ---> my ribbon candy afghan that I started a few posts ago. I need a total of 10 strips, but being this is the easy, non-thinking type of crochet....



.....I can sit, crochet, talk, crochet, wait, crochet, listen & crochet without ripping out the previous row. And this is good -- because sometimes I can't even walk & chew gum at the same time, much less yarnover, find Mount Pinatubo on my daughter's atlas and calculate crochet stitches.

Mindless, repetative. Sometimes that's exactly what a mom needs in her hectic day.

And when it is completed this ribbon of candy afghan will warm the kids when snuggled in front of the TV.

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Emphasis on ---> when.....

crocheted peony brooch

As a teacher and now as a parent, I always love(d) when Teacher Appreciation Day rolled around (May 5) because I loved receiving tiny trinkets from such dear, dear students. But now as a parent, I love making these tiny trinkets of appreciation for our children's teachers.

For our son's teacher, I crocheted a fuchsia peony and added a vintage earring to the middle. And then my -aha!- moment -- I sewed fabric leaves that are actually these petals from this flower tutorial I did. Versatile. I like that!

So, Mrs. Friday -- this is in appreciation for all that you do!