Planning and organising and lots of jam making

This week has been all about...

:: lots of jam making. I've made up 6 kg of nectartine jam in four days to ensure the cheeky parrots don't eat them all.

:: planning my daugther's return to school (uniforms, sticking name labels on stationary, and contemplating how her school lunches can be healthier).

:: thinking about what to do with Miss 5 on her last day before school (ideas include going to Lunar Park or the museum??).

::organising a reward chart to go on our fridge . Am thinking school starting will be a good time to set down some new rules (Miss 5's keen so far). New rules around TV watching, the use of our new Ipad, her chores (feeding the dogs), piano practice and doing her school work (which really only involves doing her reader every night as she is still only a grade oner!).

::buying some Stylecraft yarn from Deramores (with a nice 15% off). I've been wanting to embark on a new crochet blanket so I indulged myselft and bought the style pack that matches Lucy's Attic24 Granny Stripe Blanket. I sooo love online yarn shops.

::progressing on my Patchwork bag. I've joined the squares together and done the handles.

I'm stuck though on which fabric to use to line the bag. I have some vintage sheets that would be perfect, though I'm not sure I'm ready to get the scissors out and start cutting them! I'm sort of tempted to go with the pink and purple fabric (it's a light cordoroy) as no vintage sheet would then need to be cut! But the yellow floral fabric looks lovely too, as well has the pink on the right. My favourite is the green on the left....but its a double bed size and I'd really like to keep it intact.

Do you have a favourite? I'd love to get some advice on this as am seriously stuck.

Cheerio. Lori

Year of Projects patchwork bag



 

  

My patchwork bag has been coming along slowly. The postie delivered the scrumptious yarn (Rowan Belle Organic DK) in late September, and I have only just finished crocheting the 27 granny squares. I've been away from blogging for a while but have been busy with work, family, life ... and illness. It has been a busy time for me, and only now do I feel like I'm able to recharge.

 

I've made the very sensible decision to take some extended annual leave to recharge my batteries, spend some quality time with my daughter while she's on school holidays and spend some time pottering around my house doing fun stuff like cooking, preserving and making. I've also started reading again.  

 

I've started crocheting the patchwork bag squares together, then onto the handle and making up the lining. I think I will use some of the vintage fabric I have been collecting. Ravelled here.

 

Ive also been working on covered clothes hangers from The Gentle Art of Knitting by Jane Brocket, another project on my list. An easy and portable project.

 

Here is my list for A 2nd Year of Projects.The list is part of Come-Blog-a-long, a ravelry group where we commit to our projects and share our progress (or lack of!) and challenges.



Thank you

4 months have passed since my last blog post. I am well now and am keeping myself busy with everyday life....family, friends and work. And of course a lot of crafting.

I've found crochet and knitting to be a wonderful healer...keeps me occupied while waiting for my appointments and keeps my hands busy and my mind free.

Having a project on the go is also a great conversation starter....

I have continued to keep up with all the exploits of my favourite bloggers and am keen now to join them in blog land again.

The pics here are some of the projects I've done over the last few months.

My Flowers in the Snow pillow...ravelled here, and the footstool cover is ravelled here.

Hello cowl

Issue 14 of Molliemakes magazine had a lovely Quince & Co knitted lacey cowl. I've been wanting to knit a cowl for a while - and our cold winter makes it perfect to wear.

It involved some new knitting techniques for me - a provisional cast on and a picot cast off. I loved doing this project (especially using the lovely cashmerino yarn) - and it's divine to wear. Think I might knit one or two up for a christmas gift.

Hello?! I always feel a bit shy about putting pics of myself here or on instagram, but sometimes its good to get outside one's comfort zone.

Ravelled here.

And this is my progress on my intarsia strawberry. All I need to do is add a few black seeds. Then I'll have to make it into something practical...it measures 10cm by 18 cm. A glasses case? Or a little purse?

My initial thoughts are to knit another strawberry the same size and make them into a glasses case. But can't quite figure out what to do with the opening. Do I just leave it like a pocket, or thread some ribbon through it like a drawstring? What do you think?

Cheerio. Lori.

Year of projects

A while back I completed one of my projects - in my Year of Projects list. Thought I better post about it before I forget! The list is part of Come-Blog-a-long, a ravelry group where we commit to our projects and share our progress (or lack of) and challenges.

The project was Floral Curtain Tiebacks from Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench. I chose this project from my list first as its quick and easy and made me FINALLY put up the curtains in my daughter's room (it's been a year since I painted her room and purchased the curtains...me bad). The curtains look lovely (a Spotlight purchase) and the tiebacks cute as. Ravelled here.



I'm already planning my next project on my list - and have made a very exciting yarn purchase. I've ended up purchasing the yarn online from Deramores as it would seem no Australian yarn shops stock the range of colours I need. It's a British yarn so not surprising.

I'm hoping my yarn package arrives soon...as would be nice to have a new project and new yarn to keep me occupied over the next few weeks.  I've been diagnosed with an illness that will require surgery and 4 weeks off work. So I plan to knit and crochet to my hearts content while recuperating on my couch at home.



I've been keeping myself busy (while waiting for my new yarn) by trying something new - a bit of Intarsia. Have you ever tried it? It's highly addictive. This book has been very helpful in teaching me how.

Cheers. Lori

African flowers

My progress on my one a day project has been slow.  This is partly due to being busy doing other life stuff, and also cause I've been doing other crochet projects.

To get a bit of motivtion, I've pulled out a pillow fill I had in my cupboard, that is a perfect size for my african flower pillow. I've pinned it on, and am slowly joining up african flowers.

I've propped it up on my piano so you can see my progress so far....

I'm linking up with all the other one a day projects on Gingerbread Girls blog. You must go and check out some of them, maybe you'll find the inspiration for your next crafty work.

Sweet booties

I never got the opportunity to knit any baby booties for my daughter - my knitting skills were not much then (but I did knit her a baby bonnet that was so small it would only fit a dolls head...)

Crea in the City put me onto this lovely bootie pattern that uses easy peasy garter stitch. While my tendency to not read patterns properly got me in a bit of trouble this time, it is an easy pattern.

This is a gift for my daughter's piano teacher - who had her baby about 4 weeks ago.

Ravelled here. I should mention there is a slight error in the pattern instructions - for the sole - 1st row should end with K3 (not K4) and the 5th row should end with K1 (not K2).