Squares and pain.

The pain actually isn’t to bad. I’ve spent most of the day ignoring it as long as I don’t change gears or move my head to suddenly I’m ok. Hopefully my shoulder will ease off soon. It’s not stopped me doing anything I normally do just slowed me down a little.

I spent my free time today cutting up this fabric. All in 5.5 inch squares and matched to a different colour ready to sew. I was going to make a chevron quilt then realised after cutting all the fabric I don’t think I have enough of each colour to make it work. So let’s just see what we end up with.

The original plan was to finish off another quilt top I have and get it ready to actually quilt and finish. Can I find it? Nope! So still being in fabric mode I cut these out, paired them up and then marked the central line I need to sew either side of. If the layout I need doesn’t work then I’m going to have lots of half square triangles to play with.

Not sure if I’m going to sew for an hour or crochet now.

Usually while I craft I listen to an audiobook. Having finished The Stand by Stephen King earlier it was difficult to decide on a new listen. Ended up choosing Host by Peter James. Hopefully it will be as good as his other books I’ve read and listened to.

TV knitting

The past couple of nights we have had a bit of family film watching time.  Usually, I struggle with sitting and not doing anything but watching a film or television so try to have some sort of project on the go. Knitting was the thing of choice the past couple of nights.  It’s nothing flash or even that pleasing to the eye, especially with the colours used but it was easy. I made a washcloth and 5 little face scrubbies too. Still need to sew in the ends yet.

Using a ball of sugar ‘n cream cotton yarn I was able to make up these simple items while not having to think to much about them but still feeling I was doing something interesting to keep my hands busy.

With the washcloth I increased one every row by knitting 2 then one yarn over and knitting to end of each row until I had 44 stitches then I decreased on every row by knir1 knit 2 together, yarn over then knit 2 together then knit until sen of the row.  All starting with 4 stitches and ending with 4 stitches.  With the face scrubbies I only increased until I had 18 stitches then started decreasing again.

After seeing a post on Facebook by Kraken Kreations about these fab face scrubbies it really kicked me into action.  I keep meaning to make some version of them.  To be honest sometimes even if you have the ability to make things you seem to be better at putting it to one side or one day soon. If I didn’t have the ability to make different versions or any at all I would definitely buy from Kraken. I feel we are all becoming too reliant at times on products like cotton wool pads and baby wipes that just end up in landfills.  They seem cheap enough to buy a pack of them but I shudder to think over the years how many cheap packs I have purchased over the years.

I have enough cotton yarn to make another set of these and some thinner white cotton yarn I am going to attempt to crochet some as well. They will take hardly any space in a load of washing to wash so I am pretty happy to not have all white as we wear more colours and dark clothes than we do whites.

It’s really starting to make me look around to see how else we can cut down on disposable rubbish and save on money and resources.

Holiday and pressed the reset button.

I am really fortunate that my in-laws like us enough to put up with us for a week or so at a time to give us a holiday at their house in Great Yarmouth in the summer months. We’ve been at other times of the year too.

At the end of this school year, we were all in need of pressing our reset buttons and just relaxing. I don’t think any of us had had a good night sleep in months so was a surprise we all slept well and finally wound down.  The last year has been fraught with certain areas in life and people that I don’t think I have relaxed in ages. However, after rest and allowing myself to just step back, like the song, I can see clearly now.

I didn’t blog, and as WordPress is no longer automatically sharing posts with facebook I did post a few posts over on there but not too many I don’t think. I didn’t even take to many photos over the 5 days I was away.  3 in total and 2 were of the same thing on our day trip to Norwich. A Bat Rabbit and kiddo with a Darlek in Waterstones were I got fleeced buying books for him.  I can’t complain he has good taste in books at least.

 

All this resting and relaxing did clear the cobwebs though and made me realise I am not allowing myself to be happy and letting others project bad feelings towards me with their aggressiveness, guilt or passive aggressive actions. So I am putting up my walls and concentrating on those that are in my life and make me happy, or because I want them there.  I finally realised that you can’t always be what others want you to be and that’s ok.

I was texting with my daughter and mentioned I miss being creative and want to up that again and she pointed out I am always at my best an happiest when I am creating.  Which gave me a lot to think about. She was of course spot on.

So as of tomorrow, I am going to start 30 days of creativity.  It doesn’t have to be a full-blown sew a quilt in a day thing but, just taking time to sit down and do something creative.  This could include baking, sewing, knitting, crochet or I don’t know, invent a game with the grandchildren? but I am going to take the time to remind myself of what makes me happy and why I should be doing it.

On this day many moons ago…..

….. I became a Mum for the first time. To a 7lb 10.5-ounce baby girl. she grew up to be an amazing human being and surprised me with a visit this afternoon as I thought she was working all day.

I had to take my Mum role seriously and took her out to lunch at a local place we hadn’t tried before. Oh my goodness, the food was so good and plentiful that we couldn’t finish it and came out feeling like we had just eaten a full Christmas dinner! we shared 2 starters salt and pepper squid and Nachos. Do not be deceived by these photos the nachos were so big a portion we got so full eating them and couldn’t finish our salads that were enough for 2 people each we thought.

 

This was at the Square Cow in Wickham, Hampshire. I also spied a massive fish serving on a plate of fish and chips and monster baked potatoes.  Will definitely be going back to eat there again.

Later on, I popped to Hobbycraft as needed something. Still can’t remember what I needed but did come out with some Fat Quarters of fabric and some yarn that was on sale.

The FQ below was the one that caught my eye and I need to find something special to make with it. And the yarn I am making a Virus shawl from.  Found the pattern on Ravelry and a step by step video on Youtube. I’m hooked on it already.  I don’t wear shawls that much but I am sure I will find someone to give this a home when I am done crocheting it.

 

And finally we found a beetle in the garden, my daughter says it’s a maybug?? Unfortunately, after the granddaughters showed their dad it was declared dead the poor thing.  I got so excited to see it in the garden.  I may have to build a bug hotel thing for the lovely wildlife to rest in.

Friday’s are for fun

Today has been a day for friends and things that make me smile.  A while back I bought some solar lights from Tiger. Hubby put them out in the sunshine today to make sure they work, so when I came home from coffee with a friend tonight I was greeted to 5 glowing green birds on the BBQ of all places. Really made me smile. Like neon budgies!

Managing to get a bit further on my crochet mandala, my biggest problem is reading the pattern and remembering what the stitches are called, I know all the stitches just not their names. It’s slow work.  I popped out earlier to pick up a 3mm hook as the plastic one supplied with the kit felt so bendy that I had serious doubts it would survive until the end of the project.  Things are going more smoothly since then. Just starting the 4th round since taking this photo. It’s not a brilliant achievement but I am proud of it and looking forward to displaying this when it is finished.

I treated myself to an enamel pin from sewmesunshine.co.uk It arrived in such amazing packaging it really made me smile.  Anyone that knows me knows I love my pockets and if I sew or make something and people comment on it one of the first things I am likely to say is ‘it has pockets’ so this is perfect for me. My birthday gift to myself.

 

Lovely fun day and looking forward to a lovely weekend

Julie

Crochet addict and bits

Despite feeling like I hadn’t slept we had to go out to keep an appointment today and pick up a few bits to complete a surprise craft project for a gift. A simple drive into town and visit a few shops and keeping an appointment had me shattered but it was well worth going. I try to avoid buying magazines but I can get suckered in and ended up eyeing up this crochet mandala kit on this months Mollie Makes.

Just seemed a pretty little challenge for me to do. The 3 tr cluster instruction in the pattern had me running to YouTube at the start of the second colour. The free 3mm crochet hook is very bendy and a bit of a joke. If it survives the whole process then all OK, will see if I have one so small just in case before I carry on with the rest though. Then I was visited by a mini Princess Anna called Ruby and all went out the window but I will pick it up while resting again tomorrow

The postman delivered a few parcels today. Yesterday my youngest son (15) was saying that crushing garlic was a bit of a challenge at school while cooking, and he had tried the Jamie Oliver method and a garlic press.  Whenever Mr Oliver is mention it means the knife was use in some flash way! Remembered seeing the Joseph Joseph garlic rocker thingymejig so ordered one to give it a go to see if kiddo can use it easily with his Dyspraxia. So will try that out this weekend

 

The fabric is 2 metres for a summer shirt. One of my I have looked at it many times on eBay and finally gave in and bought some. Not sure it’s very me but that’s the point lately. To try things outside my comfort zone.

This resting lark is starting to get boring but it is being well enforced by my loved ones.

Other than these things it’s been fairly quiet apart from the 40 minutes where I rang the school and then turned up in reception to try and solve a problem.  Not solved but at least someone is working on it now and not blocking access to the person we need to talk to so great stuff 🙂

Another early night is called for

Julie

 

 

 

Not so brainy

After getting hooked to crochet and cacti I decided to carry on with the brain cacti theme.  So I got myself some caron cotton in pink hues. Oh Boy! does it look like a brain! There I was thinking it would make a lovely shower puff thing,  which it will, without giving a thought to the end appearance. Nevermind it’s only going to be using it. Not quite finished but it will be soft and brainy looking at the end.

When I was about halfway through the ‘brainy’ project I stopped for a think and started an octopus tutorial I found while surfing last night. I have done 2 legs so far and hoping to finish him soon, took me a while to figure out how to decrease while doing the head shape.

Apart from that about all I have been up to is sorting out junk and some bits for donating to charity. I have way to much old things filling cupboards and drawers so I figure a little every day I can get rid of what has now become junk. Be interesting to discover what we have put away in a safe place and forgotten about.

Julie

Cacti crochet

Up until now, my self-taught crochet has been flat things.  When I mentioned I wanted to do something more 3D Claire from Beautiful things suggested Cactus or a tea cozy.  I know I mentioned this the other day but the kit arrived today 

All the yarn and stuffing anyone would need to complete the bowl of cacti that the course shows how to make.  A card that explains crochet stitches which made me smile as I am still fairly new to crochet I still have to remind myself now and again which stitch I am doing.

Armed with this lovely kit and bag I secluded myself away to settle down with a drink and crochet hooks to start watching the semi-virtual course that goes with this kit. I struggled a little at first mainly because I was used to bigger hooks but eventually got there with this dodgy looking barrel type cactus

But I might redo the darker bits to a slightly lighter yarn and tighter but, for now it’s done.

Then onto video 2 and the brainy looking cacti, this one was fun and I enjoyed it a lot, also made me think of those net loofa wash ball things

I have done a couple of the taller ones too but the lights not good for taking photos at this time of night so I will update on the progress soon.

All in all, I am loving Claire’s way of teaching, it’s almost like she’s sat with you chatting. There enough info you need but not overwhelming and she’s not going to fast or to slow.  Plus being able to pause helps a lot.

Add to that Love Magazine arrived today and they have a cactus embroidery pattern in that I am convinced my theme in my craft room is going to be cacti now.

Tomorrow looks like a trip out for green felt ( how do I not have green felt?) and gold embroidery thread and I shall be prepared to get my theme started.  Oh, and I need a bowl to put this crochet cacti assortment in.

Julie

Pinning problems

I’m a little out of the loop today, had a Fibromyalgia flare up so have been resting and dreaming of things to do soon and pincushions came to mind.

Having now been sewing again for just over 2 years I have accumulated a fair amount of pins, glass head pins, flower head pins, extra sharp pins, longer pins. You get the point! I have one pincushion and it is getting a bit difficult to find the right pins needed sometimes. I try to keep them in their own sections but as I am putting them back while sewing they get all mingled up again. So the time has come for another pincushion. Sure I could buy a new one but why waste an opportunity to make a new one and an excuse to sew. Not that I need much encouraging.

 

 

So my logic starts up, an owl pincushion. Yay owls are cute. So why would I want to stab one lots of times almost daily?

OK, how about a teapot one with the pincushion in the lid? also cool but that lid is going to end up a pain and won’t stay stable when I am in full speed ahead mode.

One of those cool sausage dog ones I have seen, didn’t Heather have one on the Great British Sewing Bee? ok, same thoughts with the owls crossed my mind.

The thoughts went on to cathedral window pin cushion to various shapes and then it hit me, it has to be a cactus, doesn’t it?  And having just ordered a crochet kit for cactus I think it will all look great together.

Amigurumi Cactus Garden (exclusive online tutorial only)

This can be ordered as a kit with all the bits you need and an online course to refer to or you can just have the online course which has 5 videos with the lovely no-nonsense Claire, who I discovered on YouTube and then Facebook.

I see a theme starting to build at least and being I have a black thumb these will be cacti I can’t kill no matter how many times I stab them. Well, that’s the theory anyway, we shall see soon enough

Julie

 

 

Swapping needles

After a friend mentioned Crochet on Friday it reminded me of my striped project that got put away so I dragged it out yesterday and added another 2 colour stripes to it.  Hopefully, I can add another 2 stripes per day.  Bobbie the cat I found snuggle up on it earlier and also a granddaughter when they were here earlier watching TV. so well loved already.

 

The other night I was watching The Good Place on Netflix and had come across a ball of cotton yarn earlier in the day. So as I was watching I knitted up a couple of washcloths. Simple enough plain design.  Start each row with knit 2 then a yarn over and when you have half the size you want it you start decreasing by knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over knit 2 together you just simply knot to the end of the row for rest of the row.  I start and finish with 4 stitches.  Been knitting a variation on these for years. I remember my Mum knitting dishcloths out of string to wash dishes etc with and I have done this a few times to. Does the job brilliantly I must say

It was fun to swap from sewing to knitting/crochet needles for a break. I keep forgetting about knitting at the moment. I must find myself a watching TV project.

Julie