I started knitting a pair of leggings in October but I felt crunched for time with the road trip coming up and I set them aside. I've been distracted by Yule crafting and baby crocheting for charity and just about anything that allowed me to procrastinate a little longer. Well, I finally picked the project back up and I discovered that I was frustrated by the need to document where I was in the project. Row counters to the rescue. I didn't want a plastic one so I made a couple of abacus style ones with the beads I had here. I really like how they've freed up my mind. And they look cool, too!

I finished up some Easter bonnets for charity and did a lot of research trying to find a geographically closer place to donate them. They'll be going to Iowa where I've found a site that is very organized and specific in their requests. I was going to post pictures but they're too large and l haven't located the tool for changing their size, as yet.

In my ever increasing frustration with being sick and unable to find a place to move, I realized this drive to make things for charity was a way of trying to take control of my life. I will be backing up a bit on that front. Charity is all well and good, but in this situation l believe it simply serves as a distraction and financial drain. I'm also constantly being reminded of the ignorance of my fellow Americans. Fragrance and synthetics are still being used heavily by the average person. Each time we make headway on one front of the education challenge, a new product is introduced to replace the old enemy and the battle must be faught again. As you might expect, I find this depressing. Who wants to be trapped in their home by their neighbors' choices?

I'm trying to maintain a more positive outlook, which is going to require I narrow my exposure to public opinion. So, back to the dollies and their faerie world. We only wear natural fibers here and flowers produce the fragrance in the air! 😊

I had to get a special program on my borrowed iPad to adjust the pics. It seems to have worked.👇

I managed the fairy wings for my pattern and it is now posted in my Etsy store.
I wanted to share my first experiment, I decided against using it but you may find it informative anyway.

I used my first butterfly wing pattern to create mirror image wings that I then added a vein pattern to. I traced this onto tissue paper and used watercolor pencils to add color. After the paint settled a little bit, I added Mod Podge. I added several layers, letting it dry between. In spite of the tissue tearing a little bit with the first layer, it still looked pretty good but it was very fragile. More Mod Podge would have solved that, but with the tears, I though I should begin again with tracing paper.

I just listed a new RealPuki Pattern for making Soso's outfit. And I've done the ground work for a PukiPuki Faerie outfit. I need to work out the wings.

I took my photography lights and attached them to the ceiling. It makes me feel like something is really wrong, looking at the photo of the lights. :) This solved the space issue and chance of knocking them over. And, as you can see, they can be adjusted for different levels of shadow but without being grainy. YEAH!!!



Today, I did the instruction photos for Soso's outfit pattern and they're very clear. Not a bad start to the year! ---Sinéad