sock it to me baby!

I know its my Friday b-r-e-a-t-h-e moment, however that was this morning.  

and now is now (8.45pm Friday evening).  It's a long time since my 'take a moment', and besides I am so excited I just HAVE to share.  

Fingers cold and stiff, current gloves too cumbersome and slows down my typing big time, so frustrating I ended up just not bothering to try and keep my fingers warm whilst typing my assignment today.

Study break from the cold depths of the cold part of the house, 

to the warm end of the house to thaw out and fold washing, 

*sniff* a fave pair of my socks, almost on their 'last leg' - will be sad to say goodbye to these. . . . . . . 

as I turned them in the right way, possibly for the last time, I stopped. . . . . . 

I grabbed my scissors. . . . . . . . 

I opened up my machine and set the stitch to zig zag and I stitched around where I had cut. . . . . . . . .

within about 2 minuties - *pffffft* cold hands - Not I says Joyce!  

 

 oh my wrists just loves these, they are so so soft and so so warm.  I can type faster than the leaves scuttling up the street in the howling wind, I can roll them back when I hang the next lot of washing, I can look at the flowers that now adorn my wrist and I can smile.

Hello sock hands, how are you today?

My Creative Space

I cannot believe it - My Rainbow Crochet Blanket is finished.  

Just in time too - as it's being used today to keep little Minnie warm while he is home feeling *ugg* on the lounge.  

He didn't want to be in any photos, which is a sure sign he really is quite *ugg*, so I asked if I could borrow it for a few quick photos to share.  

I just love it, I just love that I finished it and it's being used right now to snuggle my darling boy.  I love that I can share this with you.  I love that he loves the colours, I love that I have enough yarn left over to do a cushion cover, I love that this room in our house is going to be a rainbow room through all of winter, I love that I am about to curl up with my boy under this very blanket while he gets better and I make notes for my next assignment and prep playgroup craft sessions.  I love that my Grandma, my Nanna, and my Mum took the time to pass on their love of craft to me.  

 To my Mum, my Grandma and my Nanna - thank you.  xx

For more creative spaces, pop on over to kootoyoo.

Thank you so much for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful day at your place.

My Creative Space

The weather is cooling, I am seeking a change of crafting.

Do you follow the seasons of craft too?

Crochet Rainbow Blanket. . . . progressing ever closer to completion.

My first square from Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet blocks.

Shell Lace - block 30.

This square will be sent to SIBOL

 Requested scarf for hubbie completed.  I am so happy with it, so much so that I was wearing it whilst studying this week.  Yes, our temps have dropped just enough that a little warmth around my neck is just right.  

 Pumpkin scones

 oh and a batch in car shapes too, because apparently they taste better when they are car shaped!  


Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.


Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what others are making and add your link to show us what you are making too.  


Have a lovely day at your place.  

My Creative Space

Stamping and cutting flowers to be made into greeting cards to sell at our street party auction this weekend to raise money for a little school that suffered from recent floods in QLD, Australia.


Pop on over to kootoyoo to check out what others are making today.  


Thanks so much for stopping by my place, take care of you, and have a wonderful day.  

My Creative Space

Hubbie asked me if I could make him a scarf for winter in this pattern from my new book.  Woo hoo - for sure I can - I rarely get the chance to make something for him, so before he could change his mind, that very moment we got in the car and went to get the wool.  

 It's ok, but then at the same time it's not ok.  There was something missing and the pattern was, well, let's just say Joyce needs more practise with colour change in the middle of the row.

 We added another colour and tried random stripes, . . . . no, still not quite right, so then I did another sample this time with larger random stripes, ugg, again, not right, and I didn't even take a photo of that sample.  Luckily this yarn unravels so well and doesn't turn to fluff-mush from the stress of being reworked.  

 Finally I think I have it.  I am working the scarf lengthways this time, and keeping it to basic stripes.  Hubbie doesn't want smaller stripes, he prefers thicker bands of colour.  Cross your fingers this is IT.  

I did 300 chain, and am doing dc in each chain.  I was thinking of doing a row of dc and then a row of treble, however, he just wants it all the same.  I will save the dc row and treble row for a scarf for me instead.  

 To give my eyes a rest from the above colours, I made up two beachy little anklets for me.  I used crochet cotton and plaited a length long enough to go round my ankle twice.  Then I threaded some beads, doubled the crochet thread and grabbed my hook to chain in the beads.  I am glad I doubled the crochet thread, just chunked it out a bit.  It's had it's first beach swim this morning and survived the waves.  I know, I am a big kid, but why not I say, I have no daughters to make this stuff for, so I will make it for me.  Please excuse my big clump of a foot.  It was 'interesting' trying to take a photo of my anklet.  

Here are my completed library bags to be donated to a school in QLD.  I am so happy with them, such lovely bright colours.  There are 40 library bags in total.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

Head on over to kootoyoo and see what everyone else is making today.  

Have a lovely day at your place.  

My Creative Space

It's back on, and I am ready to play.  Pop over to kootoyoo and check out what other crafty peeps are up to or add your own craft share.  

It was actually a little strange taking above photos now that my 10 x 10 x 10 project is finished.  I set the top lot of library bags up on the inside airer to take their photo.  After the last 10 days of point and shoot and no cropping or putting items at a 'just so' position for the photo, this was different all over again.  But fun.  Change is good, change is about learning, expanding and most of all having fun in the process.  The second photo is of my current batch of library bags being cut and sewn.  I am doing them in colour batches which makes it  easier for changing thread on the machine.  Tonight I will relax in my fave chair and thread the drawstring ribbon through them.

For those that don't know, I am sewing drawstring library bags to donate to a primary school in Queensland that has been affected by the recent floods.  I have called it Task Force Library Bag.  

There has been huge amounts of damage, not just buildings being inundated with water, but buildings ripped apart, as well as loved ones lost.  What it left behind is stinking brown mud sludge, the sad part is that there was another storm last night and predicted bad weather to come for alot of these towns.  Parts of Victoria and Tasmania are also evacuating, sandbagging, and trying to protect livestock, crop and home from torrential rains, and swollen waterways.  

Aussies are a tough bunch, we work together, we live together, we laugh together.  It's going to be hard work for many months, it's going to be very emotional, but every little bit helps, that's what I believe in anyways.  I don't like sitting 'round doing nothing, I hate feeling helpless, and I have fabric sitting here stashed away in a cupboard when others have not even a toothbrush.  

Initially I aimed to make 20 library bags from bright fabrics that I already had.  I have managed to exceed that number simply by stretching my fabrics and using the smaller bits to make pretty pockets on plain fabric bags.  I hope these will be ok, even to just start off with.  I also have some new story books to go into some of the library bags to post.  Whether the school uses them to share with the students and keep in the bags I have made, or if they are given to the children to keep, I do not mind.  When I finish sewing up this lot that I have cut, I will have 39 library bags.  I still have fabric to possibly make another 8, but will see what I can do to increase that number.  

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.  

Have a lovely evening at your place.  

Getting In Early - Practise Run

New Year's Resolution starting early, you know, like a dress rehersal, getting ready for the real thing.

Resolution is - use up your stash Joyce, before you buy more, you are running out of (hiding) storage space you silly girl!

So ok, I can do this, it's easy, a weekend at home without the boys, a weekend at home with no car, a weekend at home with a clean house, lots of fabric, chocolate, thread, music, and wine.

I found my fabric, this floral piece was going to be used for a little bag, however, with a little help from a black panel, I was able to make it into a skirt.

Oh, I didn't have a black zipper over the weekend to complete it. . . .

. . . . so with the jobs I had to do out and about yesterday, I purchased a black zipper and put it in. Oh gosh it worked, the zipper is straight, I didn't have to unpick, it looks lovely and even partially hidden. . . .

. . . . I also didn't have interfacing but I still kept going, with just the fabric for facing. . . .

. . . . Joyce has a new skirt for summer and a very small space in her fabric stash box to fill.

Stop it Joyce, you are supposed to be making spaces in your fabric stash, you are NOT allowed to go shopping until you have lots of spaces in your fabric stash.

Shhhh, don't tell anyone but once the fabric stash box is at an acceptable level, I can then begin sewing on the op-shop loveliness that is spilling from my linen cupboard *ahem*, which will then allow me to op-shop more and more and MORE loveliness to refill the linen cupboard.

If you won't tell anyone about my linen cupboard, I promise I won't tell anyone about your bottom draw, your linen cupboard, your stash box/es, or your special secret hiding place that just 'magically' grows lovely stashy goodness when you are 'not looking'.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Have a wonderful day at your place, and may the stashy angel bless you too.

Oh and a P.S. I am wearing today the green floral sac dress that I made Here, and hubbie made a lovely comment about my new dress. I told him it was one of the ones I made on the weekend and he didn't believe me. *giggle* He totally made my day in saying that.

My Creative Space

The creative juices have certainly been flowing. Tomorrow is our little school fete, and last minute donations and some cooking have been going on at my house. I also managed to squeeze in a bit of hooking between trays of biscuits cooling, cooking and wrapping.

Sultana biscuits all wrapped up for the fete cake stall.

I painted up these little glasses to donate to the fete as well.

Oh it's getting exciting now, my little rainbow blanket squares are now being joined in their rows. Thanks so much to Lucy at Attic24 for explaining in my language just how to join them so that when they are folded out, they look so pretty and sit lovely and flat. Gosh I love this blog, there is a lovely, lovely bag that I have on my list to make very soon too.

Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what everyone else has been making.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a lovely weekend at your place.

My Creative Space

Painted, baked and filled frangapani jars for the school fete.

Crochet Rainbow Blanket - An Update.

I can't believe it looks just like the picture in my head.

I can't believe it's coming together so sweetly.

Soon we will have a snuggle under its lovely soft warmth.

I am still hooking little blue grannies, and am loving the gentle blue that will become the sky to surround our rainbow.

What is in your creative space this week?

Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what everyone else is being crafty with.

It's study day for me today now that the bathrooms have been cleaned and the house vacuumed, oh and an spot of washing to be done as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a lovely day at your place.

My Creative Space

I should not have bought them, I should have walked right past them and not even bothered to stop, but I didn't. They fit, they were the perfect length, and the perfect price. I needed a pair of jeans that weren't going through at the knees, I needed a pair of jeans that were comfy. I needed a pair of jeans for work - I needed a pair of jeans.

So I bought them.

We come home and I washed them.

Then I wore them.

At first they were fine.

It began partway through the day.

They got baggy.

I pulled them up.

They got baggy again.

I pulled them up.

I bent over to pick up the paint pots,

they sagged down again.

I pulled them up - again - and again - and then again.

I got home and washed them.

Gave them a second chance.

It was a total repeat.

No - more - chances!!

What a waste - so cranky - need to do something about this situation.

So I made two bags. I needed some value for my $30.00 jeans and here it is.

I must tell you, I got my revenge, or so I thought, however, I don't like the first bag at all. I have packed it away, thinking I will donate it, because I can't stand looking at it just yet.

Bag front.

Bag back.

This bag made from the legs of the jeans, I love it, I love the size of it, and I love the colour of it. I was going to put a few doilies on it for decoration, but now leaving it plain, because sometimes I like plain, this way I can dress it up with a brooch or scarf to match my outfit. I like options, I like to be free.

The bow is tied using the seams from the legs of the jeans, this is how I use my bag right now. I like this bag, this bag is good.

Oh and I did get me a 'new' pair of jeans.

I went to the op-shop, paid $5.00 for a pair of jeans still with the tags on them.

They fit.

They stay up.

They stay up all day.

They stay up all day even when I bend down to pick up the paint pots.

They stay up - again - and again - and again - and again.

it's Karma baby - that's all there is to it - Karma!

Pop on over to kootoyoo to see what everyone else is creating today.

My Creative Space

I love these glass coffee jars for storage, they are a great size and perfect for any kind of dry ingredient, bath salts, lollies etc. I wanted to do 'something' to them to fill and donate to the school fete. . . . .

. . . . so they got some frangapani's painted onto them. They now match my wine glasses I made last year. Yeah ok, I am no Pablo Picasso at all, but I am now searching for more jars to paint. *giggle* I did these yesterday and they need to stop and air-dry for 24hours before 'baking' which I did this morning for 40 mins on moderate oven. 'Well then!' Says me to myself, 'No point wasting the oven heat now is there!!' We need ourselves more biscuits, slice and cake at our place. Oh and I can't find any more jars, so will be keep two of these for our place, cause I think that is fair.

Biscuits perfect for lunchboxes, currently setting in the fridge is a caramel slice and currently in the oven is a sour cream lemon cake.

Here is not so sexy me with one of my aprons. I love my aprons and always wear one in the kitchen. I would like an apron with little mushrooms on it. I think little mushrooms would be cute on an apron.

Pop on over to kootoyoo and check out what everyone else is creating and have a lovely weekend at your place.

My Creative Space

Above photo - this is not my pattern, my Mum is making these for her local fete. When we visited her last week, my little boys fell in love with them as much as I did. She let them choose one of their own and I made these four little owls above. I have made another four, however, can't show you a photo of them just now, because they have been claimed and are right now snuggled into bed with my darlings. Thank you to the hugely talented person that designed these mega-cute little darlings. I will find out from my Mum where she obtained pattern from and thank them in name.

Introducing Eleanor - you will not find this pattern in a book, you will not see my darling little Eleanor in a shop window. She is of my design and I rather quite love her. I am not sure I will make too many like her, I quite like the idea of an original. The plan was also to put a little felt flower on her bottom, however, I am quite happy with her as is. She is a little bit shy as she is new to town, but she will have a little friend soon and does love to meet new friends and looks forward to saying hello to everyone.

There are plans afoot my friends for more little playmates.

I will take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and wonderful weekend, full of all the people and things you love most, I know mine will be.

My Creative Space

Step 1. A little collection of beads, crochet hook, and crochet cotton.

Step 2. Thread all beads onto crochet cotton in preferred pattern.

Step 3. Crochet your cotton, hooking in the beads as you go.

Step 4. Adorn neck with beautiful strand.

All inspiration from a very talented and dear friend, who made the above strand for me as a birthday gift last year. Yes, it's taken me almost a whole year to make one myself. Shame, shame, shame!

I am going to call my strand 'beached'.

It's the colours I see at the beach, the sky, the dunes, the ocean, the sparkle of the water as the sun dances over the little crests and curves of the waves, the green and the blue of the deep, the orange and brown of the dunes where shadow and sun play.

We have had a few warm days here lately, hooking my blanket has just been quite warm and my eczema has even started to annoy my skin. Not to be beaten by the weather or my skin, I dug this lovely green from my collection, which I have intentions of hooking a lacy summer scarf/wrap, and made my strand.

The beautiful strand that I was gifted by my dear friend is so precious to me, it's like she is here with me every time I wear it. It's one very long strand unjoined, and I can wear it about a thousand ways, I have even worn it as a belt. Yes, it's rather mega-versatile.

I have a few requests to make some in other colours, however, I am going to give this one a good work out over the next few weeks to make sure it's secure and wears well. I think I need my chain stitches to be a little tighter.

If you would like to see some very talented creative spaces, pop on over to kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

My Creative Space, not all that inventive this week, however, much comings along of various projects, which is always good to see.

It's short and sweet from me today, study books are go at my place and a spot of never ending housework is keeping me out of trouble.

Join in here and share your creative space this week.

What is keeping your fingers busy today?