throw

“The Spruce Tree”

thegreensheep 2 Comments

A blanket isn’t really safe in my hands until, well, until it’s out of my hands. Exhibit A:

I created “Asleep in the Meadow“ with a summer sun in the sky. It was light and airy.

As I pulled it out now, with thin autumn light at the windows, I had a completely different vision. I had to follow through. Let me introduce “The Spruce Tree.”

Evergreens have been a frequent backdrop in my life. I grew up in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains where we’d go sledding every winter – under the pines.

As a teenage counselor at summer camp, on another California mountain, the butterscotch scent of Jeffrey Pines intoxicated me.

Here in northern Illinois, a stately blue spruce on the corner of our house silently protects us in inclement weather. This blanket is in honor of all these lovely trees.

“The Spruce Tree” ( 54″ x 68″)

This blanket is no longer for sale.

J Loves J (and vice versa)

thegreensheep 1 Comment

Some friends stopped over recently to choose a blanket for a wedding gift. They picked one they had eyed before: The Painted Piano. (You can see my first post about it here.)

They brought along the wedding invitation, designed by the creative she of this beloved couple, and on its cover was this sweet and simple declaration of true love:

J+J

How could we pass that up as the perfect way to personalize this blanket??

So congratulations, Jimmy and Jenny! May you have many wonderful years together! And while you’re at it, I hope you bring this blanket along to:

have a summer picnic upon,

cuddle under on a wintry movie night (warm it up in the dryer first!),

cover your honey when you find him/her napping on the couch.

I guarantee you: the longer it’s around and the more you use it, the cozier it becomes (kinda like marriage). ENJOY!

The Painted Piano, with monograms (51″ x 65″)

This item has been purchased.

“Butterflies”

thegreensheep 15 Comments

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Did you take General Psych in school? Do you remember Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development? As a sociology major and then an occupational therapist, I distinctly recall studying this several times. Now that I’m, um, older, I think I’ve found a weak spot in his thinking….

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[Source: Gathan Beaga]

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Erickson observed and described FIVE stages of development

to get kids from birth to the teen years

but tossed together a measly, vaguely-depicted THREE more

to take us from the age of 18 until death.

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AH-HA-HA-HA-hahaha!

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[Source: Gathan Beaga]

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[Bear with me while I take a little license with Erikson’s model here — I know he had certain things in mind. But still, I believe my points are valid….]

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[Source: Gathan Beaga]

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Did Erikson take note of THESE milestones? — Figuring out how to live with the alien you promised your life to in marriage? Shakily acknowledging responsibility for your newborn when YOU DON”T KNOW WHAT THE HECK YOU ARE DOING? Learning from your mistakes? (Emblazoned on my memory is the time I went through the house slamming windows closed so the neighbors wouldn’t hear me scream at my 10-year-old.)

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[Source: Gathan Beaga]

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Or how about these — Discovering that raising kids to be independent is the right thing to do but hurts like the dickens? Realizing that you caused your own parents a boatload of pain and worry but they never let on? Seeing aging in a whole new light once age 50 or 60 hits? Wondering who will “go first,” you or your spouse?

And these are only the highlights. I personally think Mr. Erikson skimmed over way too much stuff.

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Erikson’s problematic schema aside, I am so thankful that we do change and learn and grow. Can you imagine how dull life might be otherwise?

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“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” 

~Author Unknown

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Diane brought me a handful of wool sweaters from her dad’s closet not long after he passed away. Her parents had been married for 55 years and all too quickly he was suddenly gone. Talk about a new developmental stage! Diane said, “I’d love for you to make a blanket for my mom out of these sweaters of Dad’s.”

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A couple days later, Diane added: “And would you put butterflies on it?” Butterflies — to depict the unfolding days ahead for her mom, now no longer with her mate by her side, but with instead a whole realm of new possibilities.

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I used three of Diane’s dad’s sweaters:

In the photo above, 1) the brown patch that the pansies are on, and below, 2) the cream-colored stripe and 3) the “checkerboard” under the blue butterfly.

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His sweaters make a beautiful background for the new butterflies, just breaking forth now and finding their way.

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And back to Erikson — he lived until nearly age 92. Do you imagine that just MAYBE he had a couple more chapters brewing in his mind by then?

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Butterflies (Size: 57″ x 70″)

[This is a custom-ordered blanket.]


“Red and Green”

thegreensheep 8 Comments

Over a year ago, Robin saw a photo of “Roasting Chestnuts,” one of my earliest blankets, and set her heart upon it.  Of course, setting her heart on it didn’t do her any good, for it had already gone to a loving home. But I did tuck away in my mind the colors that Robin liked. Did I mention that Robin lives in a charming log cabin home? Well, she does.

I didn’t hear anything more about it … until last fall when Robin’s husband emailed and said he wanted to surprise her for Christmas with a blanket for their king-size bed in their charming log home. Did I mention Robin’s husband is my cousin? And that he’s 6’8″? Well, he is.

I said “Yes, I’d love to!” and turned to the felted sweaters I had been collecting with Robin in mind “just in case.” I needed many more sweaters than I had been stockpiling, however.  This blanket was not just to top the king-size bed, but to drape over the edge all the way to the box springs. That’s huge — double the size of most of my blankets! This was a new challenge for me.

But, as always, it was an enjoyable challenge. And how could I not be inspired by picturing those beautiful log walls as the backdrop?

My schedule and the weather did not cooperate in my slim window between finishing the blanket and delivering it –I never got a good shot of the entire thing. I’ll have to leave you to your imagination with just these snippets :)

All folded up…

…and packed for delivery.  Robin, may you enjoy your Christmas gift from your great husband!

“Red and Green” (size: 110″ x 84″)

This particular item is not available for sale.

“Ginkgo Leaves”

thegreensheep 6 Comments

I have a little obsession with design from the Arts and Crafts era of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It’s the mix of wood, fabric and pottery, the nature themes, the importance of hearth, home, and handmade-ness that all appeal to me.

So, in making this fall blanket, I decided to use ginkgo leaves. It was the influence of Asia that brought the leaf into a little prominence during the Arts and Crafts period.

The ginkgo biloba tree (“biloba” = bi-lobed: the two halves of the leaf) has a reputation in Chinese and Japanese culture as a symbol of resilience, longevity, and hope.

My bit of internet research says that it’s one of the oldest living trees still on the earth. Apparently there are ginkgo leaf fossils over 270 million years old. Plus the sap has fire-retardant qualities that allow ginkgos to survive fires which destroy other trees.

And there it is: the resilience that leads to longevity that leads to hope.

These are great qualities!  But mostly I just like how graceful the leaf is.

And the fact that I got my daughter to model it :)

Ginkgo Leaves, 60″ wide x 84″ long

[This blanket has gone to a Craftsman home in California and is no longer available.]

“Love in Your Heart”

thegreensheep 11 Comments

I met Molly a few weeks ago through Kathy, owner of some Green Sheep blankets (see here). While we were talking, it came up that Molly’s mom’s 80th birthday is around the corner.  What a milestone!  Molly put on her thinking cap and recalled a sweater of her late dad’s, and….ahhh!….another blanket started brewing.

Molly’s mom is Irish through and through. She has devoted her life to her family and still loves taking care of them.  She also loves to read, and has a comfy brown chair in which to do exactly that. Molly wondered if I could make a throw to keep her warm in that comfy brown chair.

I hope I have. As usual, it was a delight to see what sweaters and colors would come together with the “seed” of the first one.  (In the photo below, the ribbed piece over the arm of the rocker is from Molly’s dad’s sweater.)

As Molly talked about her, it wasn’t hard to see how much her family loves her. So, for Molly’s mom on a very special birthday, here is “Love in Your Heart.” The name comes from this simple and lovely Irish blessing:

“May you be blessed with warmth in your home,

love in your heart, peace in your soul,

and joy in your life.”

It sounds as if those blessings have already been bestowed :) .

“Love in Your Heart” (Size: 50″ x 60″)

This throw was a custom order.