Basket weave bag ta-da

I'd previously shared snippets about the garden twine bag I was making and now I can officially say that it is finished and I am chuffed~to~bits with it!! 

As usual, in my haste to get it finished so~that~I~could~play~with~it I did things in the wrong order - but hey ho, if I didn't then it wouldn't be me.

I am so-oo in love with it (is that wrong? to be so in love with something I have made for myself??)

Oooooh!

Right, now for the fairly sensible details.

'Yarn':   2 different but equal 'ply' garden twine chrimblymas pressies

Hook :  4mm

Pattern: Not really, more of an inspired start then a gung-ho finish. But the gist of it is the base is double crochet increased until it is 66 stitches,  changing to a basket weave effect which is 11 stitches of treble BLO and 11 stitches of treble FLO until I was happy with the height of it (read between the lines - until my thumb could take no more...)

Handles : The same twine just twisted and folded until a desired thickness and tied off. The 'ends' were combed out (thanks kittlings for the use of your comb) to fluff them up. They were then stitched on to the body of the bag with a very strong waxed cotton thread, forceps and a 'crow-bar' of a needle which I promptly stabbed into my finger twice *//**!!

Lining : Originally had ideas of a flowery fabric, but when tidying up (post kittling play) I remembered some brightly coloured fat quarters I'd been gifted and chose the green. (It was at this point I had already started to stitch in the lining when I decided to add a label - not a good plan)

Cost : Only time, which was freely given as all the materials had been gifts :) as well blood and bruising to my left thumb - worth it!

Happiness factor: Delirious!

So, what's next?
Well, thanks to Angela for showing me this link,  a sky scarf,  it will take a bit of preparation for me, seeing I can't knit, however  my fav sis-in-law is going to show me how whilst I am convalescing post surgery on my knee. So, until then,  I am keeping a record and collecting wools/yarns and colours. It will be made completely 'free' coz no wool or yarn will be purchased, only stash wool, gifted or re-cycled wool,  - fancy joining in?

A work colleague has chosen to do the dawn sky so her scarf will include shades of pinks where as my Mom has wondered about doing sunsets - so you can just imagine how different each one will be!! My colours will be of a 'whole day' , so shades of blues and greys, cloud and sun - I am really excited about it ! Go on, it will be quite a pleasurable, gentle project.

Fiona from tizduster has already started and we will be linking up and sharing progress and photos, what fun!

It will, for me,  be in keeping with my need to re-connect with the earth - a wonderful way to record and be aware of the changing weather and sky colours.



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Degrees of naughty

The house is more of a whirlwind state that it has been for a very long time. Toys strewn every where, cushions repeatedly tossed to the floor, curtains awry and all small ornaments, pots of pens and paintbrushes as well as homework and above all my precious woolly things have been lifted higher...and higher and higher and still they are being played with.

Is nothing sacred? *sigh*

How many furry-scrapes can you get into today?

The kittlings are getting bigger and stronger and faster and more able to scale barriers. They now delight in collecting a chosen object and dragging it off to play with. No item is too small or too large. Milk bottle tops are collected from the recycling bin, chewed and tossed about and left in a 'decorative manner' in front of the woodburner. The boy's dressing gowns are dragged across the carpet and made into wonderful 'nests' by little industrious paws.

And despite the fact the kittlings have grown they are still slight in stature, however, do not let this slightness belie the thud of their feet across the hall and down the stairs as they hurl themselves around as fast as they can. 

Holly (torti) has been nicknamed 'the princess' seeming to veer from being absolutely angelic with huge eyes and a smudged nose to an a*b*s*o*l*u*t*e manic diva.... leaping up in twisted gymnastic vaults. Her eyes and toes wide open. She can scale the curtains from a standing start and be back down again before I've even had time to draw my breath to shriek a NO! Her favourite' pawkour' movement is to bound from a seated pose like a coiled spring over the settee and land - briefly-  then fling herself backwards and landing paws-down almost on the identical starting point, pawsing for a nano-sec then setting off at break kittling-speed towards the patio doors only to be stopped by the glass with a resounding thud....... think I better put some sort of 'markings' on the glass at her eye height so she will see it next time.

The other monster kittling - Lily (marmalade) wavers from low grade general naughty to full scale atomic~strength naughty. She has a fetish for plastic - stealing bags and triumphantly dragging them between her front legs - just~like~lions~do - she tells me as I desperately try to grab the bag before she tears it up and accidently swallows any. She doesn't restrict her 'acquiring' to just plastic, oh no - precious balls of yarn, paper, cushions, the controls for a remote car, paper clips, emory boards in fact - if it is out of bounds then it is perfect~for~puss~cats - well that's what Lily keeps saying to me as I wrestle with frantically grabbing kittling with one hand and rescue yarn/toy/paper/cushion with the other.

As I put the kittling on the floor, there is a slight huff of disgust, a definite shrug of furry shoulders then a quick cast around for the next bit of nonsense and then she is off to wreak her revenge!

This level of 'activity' is lasting longer as they get more stamina then suddenly they remember they are still babies and turn on the charm, purring and kneeding, wanting a lap or a bed for a nap and even sometimes falling asleep on the floor surrounded by their destruction play. That's when I melt and forgive all their furry transgressions, when they look at me with sleepy eyes and purrrrrrrrrrrr - butter wouldn't melt in their mouths but thank goodness they can't open the fridge and try (but give it time, give it time I am sure they will.....)

Quiet - at last. 

Please note the headlock Lily has on Holly.....

PS - as I sit here typing, I have to hunch over a kittling as she purrs on my lap, her front paws on the keyboard as she 'adds' a letter or two, the other kittling is in the bed I made for them on the shelf next to my desk, purring  as she plays with something she has 'acquired', think I better check it is something she is allowed to have! Excuse me while I go and see......

Sellotape - stuck to her paw. *sigh*

Birds, beads, bells, buttons, bag and brooch

Thank you everyone for your encouraging and kind thoughts about my knackered knee. A part of me is relieved at the knowledge of the actual injury and a part of me is scared witless!! Never mind, the next step (sic) is my pre-op appointment but until then.......

What a miserable and soggy weekend? Did you have one of those too? I felt sorry for the boys - it was their last-weekend-before-going-back-to-sshhhhhh (school) and it was pretty low key and wet. Eldest's laptop joined in the misery and had to be carted off to the computer shop - he is bereft! 

So...what to do, what to do..... crafting of course (silly me).

Did you in your past ever have those fabric birds on a cord with bells and beads?

Remember the type? Mine must be about 20 years old, a faded reminder of a semi-feral youth living in a static caravan on a farm in Devon. Surrounded by 300 year old woodland and within walking distance of the sea. These birds have travelled with me from home to home, between the UK and Africa and back again. Now the birds, like me, are showing their age, the beads and bells however are still fine. 

Well - I hate throwing things away when I can recycle them and I have a crochet hook and am not afraid to use it! 

I had happy hooky-time and made 6 birds. It was wonderful fettling through my buttons collection (I was lucky lucky lucky to receive some beautiful buttons for chrimblymas pressies) for the bird's eyes and the boys 'helped' as did the kittlings (sigh) to make the cord for the birds to hang from.

They are now hanging up and I smile each time I see them - I wonder if they will still be around for the next twenty years? *probably not - the kittlings have just noticed them and are trying to leap up and catch them...........grrrrrrrr

Remember I posted about receiving some lovely string as a gift? I was given two gifts of beautiful garden twine. I must have had my crafting head on rather than my gardening one coz I instantly though of a bag!

Ooh it was tough stuff to work with, my left thumb felt like it had been through a mangle after a crafting session, but I persisted coz I could see what was coming off the hook and I was so in  L*O*V*E with it!

Again, with the boys and kittlings' help, I made the twisted rope handles. I had to use forceps (a relic from my veterinary nursing days) to stitch the handles on.

All that is left to do is to line the bag, think it needs a pretty flowery fabric.

Then, fairly late last night, I had an urge - a crafting one! So started a button brooch for someone who is off to hospital today and I want give it to her before she goes - so better finish it and stop waffling! 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend 

and wishing you all a Happy Monday!

On a kneed to know basis....

Well, my knee.... umm. I keep being asked what is happening to my rather duff knee and up to fairly recently and despite being seen by 2 specialists (both of them surgeons) and despite having an xray and MR scan I was completely confuddled to what was actually 'broken' and needed mending but what I did know that 5 1/2 months after injuring myself, I still can't walk properly, I still can't fully flex or bend my knee and it is still damn sore!

Until tonight, when my boss (a GP) gently and thoroughly explained to me about my crook knee - now I understand!

Now I feel justified why I limp, why it constantly hurts, why I am being so pathetic about it - he did express his surprise at my 'stoicism' - and do you know what? I felt relief that someone in the know listened to me and understood how I felt.

I have completely ruptured my ACL (anterior cruiciate ligament) - completely torn through and (note this - AND AND) I  have also torn the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.

Now...this means two possible lots of surgery - a definite with the meniscus and if that does not fix my knee, then a second lot of surgery on the ACL (whic apparently is rather MAJOR) and entails lots of chopping off bits and re-attaching new bits of ligament and being in plaster for weeks and weeks  *groan*........

If I am lucky then the lesser surgery on the meniscus will solve the nagging pain and limp and the locking and giving way of my knee and let me get my mobility back.
And if I am not lucky...... I don't even want to think about it!!

hey ho.

Out with the old and much less of the new

I have been increasingly frustrated by the amount of 'katunda' ( excess stuff) in my life, you'll know what I mean when I say that I will open a kitchen drawer and over the years I have amassed 4 sets of measuring spoons...and have kept them all - why?
Or I will open a cupboard and find I have several serving dishes that I have not used for years....so why do I keep them? I don't even LIKE them.....
I have piles of books under my bed and in my cupboard - because my bookshelves are full - and I know I will never read them again - so why do I have them in the first place??! Does any of this ring true with you?


Then I read this and was inspired! 


So, armed with enthusiasm and several bin bags and boxes - just look what we achieved - ooh it felt so-oo cathartic! 

I also went through the boys clothes, they both have grown suddenly and we were able to pass on a big bag of clothes to a smaller friend who was delighted - and that felt good :)

I've not really sorted my New Year's Revolutions out yet - but this one is definitely a keeper - it is going to the top of my list!

crochetfest photos

Wow - What a lovely response to yesterday's posting, thank you for your positive comments and suggestions. If you do try out one of my 'How-To' posts please link it back to me and let me know how you went along :)


Ju24 - you asked about the pinking shears - I take you are a leftie too, mine are right handed, I just learnt to use them. My Mom once bought me left handed scissors but after years and years of having to use right handed ones, I struggled and kept misjudging my cutting line!
artteachergirl - V - I like the idea of the bookmarks, think I will get the boys making some for birthday gifts
Lovely Lady - I agree with you - bookmarks sound a brilliant idea.
narkeymarkey - T - so glad you have your on board - hope you post the photos :)
Thursday and Anonymous - some cards are definitely made for keeping and not cutting up - especially if they have been written or made by someone special :)  and Happy New Year Thursday!
Angela - never thought of using the envelopes as tags, I try to re-use ones that have not been written on but tend to throw the others in the paper-skip, hmmmmm you have got me thinking now!


Any way - if you have any ideas, please share them so we can all benefit and just think of the fun trying out new ideas!

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Leading up to chrimblymas I was busy crocheting away but wasn't able to post any pictures coz I knew that there were many eyes that must not see their gifts! Then  Jane  suggested a post Christmas crochetfest - a brilliant idea! 

So, apologies now - lots of crochet photos about to be posted!!

I made several crochet soap cozies - they reduce the amount of lather and help make soap last longer and not wear away as quickly. These cozies were made in cotton aran, 

but if made in a coarse garden twine are excellent when used to wash garden-grubby hands.

I also made a few mug cozies too - but this is the only mug I photo-ed.

I had a couple of secret Santa's to craft - this one for my Mom - a neck cozy (there seems to be a theme running here with all this cozy making!) and a elf hat for a dear friend. I have pinched her photos from her blog, I am sure she won't mind!

I crocheted lots of flowers and added them to most gifts. 

The kittens thought that I'd made the flowers just for them 

and kept stealing and running off and playing with them!

String bags a-plenty! 

In the end I made 15 bags - I can now make them in my sleep.......

I think I've waffled enough now, just need to share one more photo - as I sit at my lap top - this little face is watching me..........

aaaaaawwww =^.,.^=




Ps - I was given this beautiful garden twine and was instantly inspired, now I am busy making something with it....... 

Any guesses???

Yours in crochet madness - hawthorn xxxx 

First post for the new year in which I waffle and do a 'How-to'

After having posted for 30 days consecutive I thought that I would need a break. Strangely after just one day, my head is buzzing with ideas so I am back!

Something I am a firm believer of is recycling, up-cycling, reusing, re-purposing, remodelling, remaking (which ever word you know and use) and this year I want to try and improve my track record and aim to decrease my carbon footprint as much as I can. As I go along I will share with you the highs and lows and invite you to suggest anything tricks and ideas I can try out.
To start the ecologically friendly ball rolling, here is with my first 'How-to' for 2012.

We get, every year as so do you, Christmas cards. We hang them up for a while but as soon as the decorations come down (usually on New Years Day) so do the cards. I have never been comfortable just tossing them away - albeit into the paper recycle box, so I cut them up to make tags for next year's gifts. I love the selecting process of choosing the best angles and really enjoy the simple pleasure of cutting and trimming.



HOW-TO 1 - making free gift tags

• Remove the back of the card, checking the reverse of the picture side doesn't have any advertising or writing. This particular card quite happily provided two tags.

• I use both straight scissors and pinking shears to cut the tags and then punch a hole in a corner ready to have a thread or ribbon added.

• Some cards have writing - I love having tags with script or poems as well as festive images

• This card gave me three separate tags - each so different. A cutesy cottage, a festive greeting and a gold and holly tag. I try to match the tag with the person I gift to and this card has given me such a good choice.

• There! - tags made and awaiting their ribbons and cords (all saved through out the year from received gifts) and all for free - now that can't be bad :)

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