Can You Guess What It Is Yet?

Have been having fun starting stuff this week, but not necessarily finishing it!!!

I began with this

it's some handspun merino and silk that I want to knit into a bag and then felt in the washing machine..


Then there was this

 I'm about half way through this scarf


and this

the infinity scarf I started - I saw a video clip of how to do it and then low and behold another version appeared on the Craftseller Calendar that came recently.  I haven't quite finished it yet and the edges didn't curl under like I wanted, but I think I'll make a fabric flower to cover the seams...

Will keep you posted (!) as I get them finished...

I've also had a lovely time in and out of bookshops in the last 7 days.  I've been given a nice pile of writing to do - some of which is rewriting teachers' notes for books to replace some that are now out of print.  The first part of the process is finding the replacement books.. a super excuse for browsing through stacks of children's books.  I found this lovely new one that doesn't quite fit the bill for the objectives I need to cover, but couldn't resist buying it for future use - especially when the author was on hand to sign it too!

 

The one I've been working on today is this version of Rapunzel.  What a lovely way to earn a living!!!!

My biggest kick in the last week though was through my link to Handmade Monday.  I had some super comments on the blog.. it's brilliant that it's being read, but even more exciting that others are willing to spend time commenting.  I'm still browsing around the links on the Handmade blog and getting round to commenting, but until I get to everyone - thank you - it made my week!

Right - I'm off to Handmade Monday to check up on what everyone's up to...

Back soon....

It's Monday Again!

Good morning all...

Another good week ahead I hope.. Last week carried on upwards just like the previous one so all's good here..

Firstly here's that sewing I mentioned - I found some scraps of Christmas fabric left over from some project or other in the dim and distant past.  I decided to sew them onto some felt with a little bit of wadding for stuffing and 'hey presto' some decorations.  I also had a couple of sheets of felt in red and white so they too got the tree decoration treatment.  I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy this sort of sewing.. think I'll have to invade the loft for a root around and find some more felt to play with!

 

 

 

Then on Wednesday I went to my spinning group and (at last) finished weaving the cushion pad I started ages ago to finish up all the odds and ends of spun yarn I had hanging about.  It may not look much, but it's a lot easier on the rear when sitting on a plastic chair for a while when spinning!

 

 

Then I made some more progress with those thrifty steps - Number 3 saw me pursuing my 'wear everything once' campaign.. I'm trying to go through my wardrobe unearthing stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a while and then wearing it or disposing of it.  This week's finds were a t-shirt dress that's lost all its shape and a t-shirt that's a bit short.  I've put them to one side as I want to try making an infinity scarf or something.  Once I've done it you'll be the first to see it here...  I want to continue with the pruning and thinning of my clothes etc. I'm sure everything will last longer when it's not all crammed in, plus you never know what you might find.. I did uncover a really nice dress that's only been worn twice that might be perfect for a 'do' later this year - I might otherwise have been driven to buy something new when I don't really need it!

 

I've also been having a browse around the crafty blogs and reading my new Craftseller magazine.  Both of these featured one of my favourites - Wendy Massey - and her great ideas.  Her Handmade Harbour blog is great and a fabulous source of both her work and ideas and links to other creative people.

 

On Friday we decided to have a little trip out to Torquay.. while I was there the phone went with an offer of some work to take me through to February only to be topped on the good news front later by a permanent job offer for my niece - good day all round.

 

To finish off the week we went to a quiz last night with some friends and won for the first time..

 

Some week eh.. wonder what this one holds?????

What a difference a week makes!

Phew! The weeks rattle on at a pace..

Last week I finished off creating some English tests and thought that was the end of my work for the forseeable and then the proof reading started appearing - yippee..

On top of that, last week's fair was fairly quiet - lots of people looking and making nice noises about things but not buying and then at this week's fair they started buying stuff too...

It just proves you can't predict what's going to happen.. Perhaps it's just that I seem to have more energy this week - look what I've been up to!  I decided to use some materials lying around

beads

 

 

and yarn

 

 

 

and some sari silk I spun ages ago

and other ideas that had come free with magazines -

 
even if these aren't quite finished!

I even got as far as getting the sewing machine out (more of that next time) and found a stash of felt to hand stitch (I'll do some photos of that for next time too)..

Oh yes and having got the photos to load onto the blog I found that I'd got some comments as well.. (a while ago), but I hadn't taught myself about finding them until I stumbled across them - so I know there are people out there reading my ramblings.. quite a week..

Think I mentioned the idea of 101 tips for pulling the horns in financially so I'll start on those, while I'm on a run..

Number 1 I've mentioned before.. Having read a book by someone who wanted to try a year without buying anything I was stunned when she suggested started with her kitchen cabinet containing 11 different types of rice - I couldn't begin to name more than 4 or 5!  Still I've been literally raiding the larder.  We're on a mission to finish up things in the cupboards before buying too much food.. I may not have 11 different types of rice, but tea.. hmmmm...

and that leads to Number 2.. Now the freezer has been virtually emptied it's now being defrosted as I type in order to make it work more efficiently.  It's the second appliance to fall under my beady eye. Hope it meets with more success than the washing machine.  The recommendation for ours is that if you use lots of low temperature washes you should run a high temperature programme every so often.  I have, but sadly it seems that the snail hotel in our pipes was at maximum capacity - so now the utility room reeks of boiled snails!!  eerruugh...

Anyway - that's enough of me for now -

Have a good week....