Self-help #6

The Cherry Fair

I have had quite a stressful week at work, on practicing yoga this morning I realise that I have hardly been breathing all week. No wonder I have been so stressed!! For some reason my breathing has become very shallow? A joyous practice, Sun Salutations A and B and some triangular shapes, I feel that I have got air to all the parts of my body that have been missing out this week!

This afternoon I have had a walk into Bewdley to see what is going on at the Cherry Fair. Morris dancing by the river, vintage cars, loads of people dressed in 1940s gear. My main reason for going was to have a rummage around the craft stalls as this is probably how I am going to shift the results of my stash! I don’t think I know enough people to gift the scarves to and my theory is if I make any money I can buy some more yarn 😊

I would however be a little more controlled and use it before I bought the next lot – PROMISE. ..

A lovely sunny day. The Morris dancing was fun, the cars were beautiful, the craft stalls were wanting – cards and jam😕

Never mind enjoyed the sunshine and had a lovely cup of tea while listening to a man singing 40s hits 🎶🎵🎶

Self-help #5

Make do and mend!

Now I hark on about this a lot. Schools teach reading, writing and sums, some science, perhaps another language and some PE, all of which are very important but how prepared are some of our students for life outside school?

A lad I work with had ripped the seam of his trousers now I have had years of practice mending trousers. When my son was in primary school I would have had to buy new school trousers every week if it wasn’t for my needle and thread…

So during my coffee break this morning I sipped my wild berry tea and sewed up the seam. I also turned up the hem where it had come down. I hasten to add the young man gave me the trousers days ago. I had taken them home but black trousers and black thread were a bit much for my eyes in the evening light, hence I did them in the morning light. I handed them back, advising him to give them a bit of a press, especially the hems, before he wears them – I bet he doesn’t!

So trousers returned. This has not helped my decluttering but I do feel pleased with myself for helping another. 👖

Stash-busting #4

Those unfinished projects…

Digging through a stash bag I have found a number of WIPs that have been long forgotten. I have already photographed a couple but here is the story behind them.

A couple of weeks ago I was showing off some baby booties and mitts that I had made using some oddments of pink yarn. Sadly I found the unfinished baby blanket that it came from. However there was also a jersey, again unfinished, that I had been using the same yarn on. I finished the jersey.

♡ quite cute I thought♡

And happily there was some yarn left. I only had a border to finish on the blanket so I used the remnants of the jersey yarn.

Having held it up in natural light I cannot see a discernible difference in the colour so I must have bought the yarn at the same time because the dye seems to match… Phew!!

The little jersey I am going to give to the little girl who was the recipient of the booties and mitts. The blanket will be kept until needed. I did wonder about making another one in blue, just in case but that would mean buying more wool.

I have dug out some half-finished socks and some mittens which are next on my to do list. Happily I haven’t been dipping into the yarn this time ♡♡♡

Macrame Monday #1

Teaching an old dog new tricks!

I am happily working my way through my bags of crafting stuff, it is incredible what I have been hoarding over the years…

Anyway I have found a ball of macrame string and a pattern to make a shopping bag, bought in a moment of delusion obviously!! I think I bought it thinking I would make the bag and gift it to one of my poor sisters who I always insist on giving something handmade to for Christmas. I am sure they would prefer wine and chocolates!

Now my mission is to work through my stash so I think I had better give it a go. I have been on the Hobbycraft website and seen how to make the 2 knots used on the bag and I have practiced using some old wool from my stash. I did not want to practice using the string in case I ran out and had to buy more which would defeat the object of my current mission!

Gathering knotSquare knots

Now I have got to build up the courage to start cutting the string into lengths. I need 16 x 3 metre lengths. Now this is a concern my tape measure only goes up to 150 cm, I got it from a Christmas cracker…

More to follow on getting into a knot!

Self-help #4

Happy Blog day! 🎂

My little blog is a month old today. This has quite a satisfying feel. I am learning new things and moving out of my comfort zone by sharing my crafting. Like many women of a certain age I find it very difficult celebrating my own achievements, especially the small ones.

I am incorporating a little bit of yoga in my day. Sun salutations in the garden are glorious at the moment, feeling the warmth of the morning sun on my skin. I am also trying to walk more. This is very easy when the weather is good, I don’t know if I will be so dedicated when the weather changes…

With regards to working through my clutter I have completed a couple of unfinished projects and have started another scarf, not that there is a discernible dent in the stash yet but early days. This is a long term / life long project.

While I am talking about decluttering I have also started bagging stuff for the charity shop. Although I have had difficulty parting with several woollies that I made myself, not because I wear them a lot but because I remember the hours of work I have put into them.

So one month in and slowly building my blog but learning so much ♡♡♡

Stash busting #3

Scarf-gate!

Well I have finished the scarf but it has not made much of a dent on the stash!

I would have taken a selfie wearing it but I look a bit like a tomato, having got caught in the sun yesterday!!! But it looks just dandy on the pretty bird bath my aunt bought me.

As I said before I bought the wool from my local Aldi and the instructions said 450g required for the scarf on the inside of the ball band.

I have used 200g and I bought enough yarn to make 3 so at that rate I have enough to make 6 plus a stripey one with left over balls.. .

The wavy yarn has a nice soft, slightly stretchy finish. It is 87% cotton and 13% polymide and it is just a double rib stitch so knit two, purl two. Five tassels on each end, I found my crochet hook came in very handy pulling the yarn through.

I am sure there will be another update on scarf-gate as I work my way through the yarn and work out what I am going to do with all of the scarves. Not many people are thinking about scarves at the end of June during a heatwave!!

Does anyone have any quick fixes for a sunburnt nose? I am at a posh frock event tomorrow…

Self-help #3 1/2

Looking after your hands ♡♡♡

The sign of a disorganised mind I forgot part of my self-help post…

Now gardening and wool craft are not necessarily the best bed fellows. All of that weeding and pruning can play havoc with your hands. And as us knitters know rough skin or nails can tag your yarn and not in a good way. Dirty fingernails can also cause your yarn distress. And no-one wants distressed yarn…

I am currently looking after my hands with a handcream made by Spear and Jackson.

They are known for their gardening tools – spades and forks, hoes and rakes in fact it says on the tube they have neen going since 1760. That is a lot of gardening! I found this handcream at Christmas which really combats the damage done by pottering in the garden and general household chores. I bought 3 tubes of it in case it was just a seasonal item and I have to admit I haven’t seen it in the shops since. I also have some little cotton gloves which I wear over hands that are smothered in cream when my hands are really rough.

I have picked some little white hedge roses and some orange blossom and plonked them into a jam jar. Doesn’t look very grand but the lounge is filled with the delicious scent of the garden.

Happy days…