A chip off the old (crafty) block..

Hello all!
Have you wondered where I've been? I've missed you all!

Gosh, the last few weeks have been hectic - not that I have much to show for it, but there just seems to have been 'stuff' - you know..

Anyway, I was visiting my mother a few weeks ago, and took some photos while I was there.  I've been trying to get around to writing this post ever since.

Let me introduce you to my mother.

Mary.

What I would like to ask is - do you think that the desire/passion/addiction/obsession to craft is a genetic thing? 
Like, some of us have the 'gene' and others don't?

I think it must be the case.

I got it.  One of my sisters got it.  Two of them didn't.  My mother definitely has it.

My best friend certainly does NOT have it.  (she does, however, have lots of other wonderful qualities, and it's probably good that only one of us is up to our eyeballs in creative havoc)

So, my mother passed down the gene to me.

This is mum was working on while I was visiting. A crochet blanket.

I am really trying to convince her that it would look so much better at my house. ;)

This is the progress so far.

The colours look so vintagey.  I adore the old-fashionesness of it.

Ever since I can remember, my mum has been working away on something.
Always.

Years ago she used to knit the most brilliant Aran jumpers (sweaters, to some of you).  You know, like the big, thick fisherman's jumpers with all the fancy cable work.  In fact, the more intricate, the more she liked it.

Just like to point out, that I didn't get the knitting gene.

She could knit one of those in a couple of days.  I am in awe of that.


And when it comes to crochet, she blows me out of the water.  Well and truly.

Some of mum's crochet bits and pieces.

She has made the most beautiful patchwork quilts and cushions, made shadow applique curtains, tatted, did a course in machine knitting (which was an absolute obsession for some years) amongst numerous other things, but knitting and crochet have always been the big ones.

I didn't manage to get photos of the quilts this time.

Sorry. Maybe next time.

And this was mum's attempt at tatting.  I don't think she did much else with it - I think she just wanted to give it a try.  I haven't  tried it, but it sure looks like it needs a lot of patience.

Picture isn't too good - you don't get to see the proper detail unfortunately. 


So how about you?

Did you inherit the 'craft gene'?


Oh, and I did get a photo of this while I was there.
This is one of my own paintings, of a street in Tuscany.  It was one of the few paintings I did that I actually had hanging on my own wall.

But, mum loved it and I ended up giving it to her for her birthday some years ago.

(Do you think that could earn me the brownie points to get the crochet blanket?)



Anyways, sorry to have left you for so long.

cheers

Fi

 

Joining Hexagons Tutorial

While involved in the 'great craft room clean up of 2012' - I found a little packet with some balls of cotton yarn and crocheted hexagons from a forgotten project.

It was supposed to be a pin cushion - from a pattern I bought from Ravelry, can't remember the name of the pattern maker.

I had 6 hexagons finished, and I think I only needed 8, but looking at it now, I think the reason I tossed it aside was that, as I was assembling it, I realised it was going to make a pretty big pincushion.

So I did what might be expected and turned it into a doily/thingy.

Anyway, I get quite a few people asking me about joining hexagon crochet, so I took the opportunity to photograph my steps to show those that need the know-how, how to join hexagons together.

Making Crazy with Daisies - On Video!!!

Hi all,

Super, super excited.........because......

It has taken most of my time for the last two days, but I managed to work my head around making a video tutorial (albeit simple), creating a youtube channel, and, uploading it to youtube.

Next step - embed it into this post.

Oh my gosh!  I cannot tell you how excited I was when it finally uploaded, and my dearest one and I sat down to watch it.  In fact, I couldn't even wait to eat my dinner, I sat and watched it with plate and fork in hand.

Trouble is, I just might have formed an addiction (already) and there goes all my bandwidth uploading videos.
Ah well. 



Making crazy daisies into rocket science, but I hope you enjoy it.

cheers
Fi

Hiding in the box ....

So here I found on a shelf, in a seldom used corner of the shed.......

This painted box.

I wonder what I stashed away in there?

The lid with painted flowers on it might be a bit of a hint.

Ah hah!  This is obviously where I threw all those crocheted flowers and bits and bobs, cos I couldn't think of what to do with them.

But, I do like to look at them.

Not sure what I'll do with them -  but they are pretty.

I think some of them were destined to be brooches.

This one has sparkly beads sewn into the centre.

And these are from my 'large rose' phase

And then I went delicate.

A couple of them have some felt sewn onto the bag, waiting to be a brooch, or hat decoration, or something.

Oh, and I tried to needlefelt this one after it was crocheted.

What do you think of the effect?  It sort of makes it look vintage, I think.

These were the yoyo brooches that I didn't end up making into brooches.

And these - hmmmm, not really sure.

These were needlefelted and beaded.

Sort of reminds me of the ocean and rock pools.

Another brooch idea.

More needlefelting.

cheers

Fi

Freeform crochet......

..... the most fun you can have while still breathing.

I had to take a trip to the 'big city' yesterday.  Well, not really the big city, the medium-sized city.

So of course I had to pop into 'spotlight' for a bit of a peek.

And guess what I came out with?

Ta-dah!!!!!

Surprise, surprise - another book!

I think it was this bag that caught my attention......

The colours are much nicer than the photograph.

Now, what do you think you're going to need for freeform crochet/knitting stuff?  Yarn stash of course!

So I'v been ferreting through the drawers and came up with this......

...and this....

..... and this....

When I do 'normal' crochet, I pretty well stick to 8ply wool, but this stuff requires different weights, textures, colours etc.

Now, I had JUST gone through the process of being ruthless with my yarn stash. I cleaned out my cupboards last week, and decided that seeing as I hadn't touched the yarn in that cupboard for YEARS, it had to go.

I had thrown the bag into the trailer - destined for the tip.

It had been sitting there for at least a week.

In the rain.

But......

....luckily it was in a zipped bag!

Ah well, so much for being ruthless.

Along with different yarns, you should have a supply of various sized hooks and any other bits, bobs and embellishments you can find.

So armed with yarn and hooks and book, I set to the task of mastering freeform in a night (joke).

Needed to go to the font of all information first though - off to search crochet blogs for tutorials.

I found this one - Carla's Freeform crochet scarf tutorial.  It is well worth having a look.

Don't you love that statement - "add yarn and crochet anywhere"

Anyway, the idea seems to be that you do what you like.

Start with some foundation chain, maybe about 20, but it's up to you.

Then you crochet back into the foundation chain, anywhere, any-yarn, any-stitch.

(Are you starting to hyperventilate?  Like, really what do you mean 'anywhere, any-yarn, any-stitch'?)

Change colours, and stick the hook back in anywhere.  At this stage, I was basically using DC's, half trebles, trebles (UK terms).

Then I started to get braver and did some scallopy bits.

And then I got really fancy and added in some eyelash yarn.

No need to worry what stitches you do with that - you can't see them anyway.

Then came some granny stitch....

......and so on.  You get the picture.

Now, I have to mention, that the way I'm doing this scarf/thingy is not the way it is in the book. 

The internet tut does it this way, just continuously adding on to the starting point in one big piece.

The book, however, makes up little palm-sized pieces, called 'scrumbles', then joins them together to form one piece at the end.

You know what they say,

"In olden days a touch of stocking,

was looked on as something shocking,

now heaven knows,

Anything goes!"

Well, it does in the world of freeform at least.

cheers

Fi

Domesticity the freedom to create - Part One

If you are in the mood, today is the day that I will 'wax lyrical' (gosh, who says that? Really?) about the joys and wonders of achieving the freedom to create, through being a domestic goddess.

Ah-hem...... drum roll please.

Ok, here goes.

Now, anyone that knows me, is probably rolling their eyes and thinking, 'who does she think she is talking about being a domestic godess?'

You see, about half my life is lived in chaos, and the other half is organisational bliss.  (can anyone out there relate to that?  I think it might be epidemic in the crafting world....)

But, the thing is, you see, when I do get, I really, really get it.

And I think as I get older (and wiser ;) ) more time is spent without the chaos.  Quite simply, because I've now had enough experience to know that organised is better.

Infinitely better.

(caviat: if you are a super-organised person, and you really can't work out what on earth I am talking about, because, you're thinking, but doesn't this all just come naturally?

All three of you are free to ignore this post. 

You probably have by now anyway)

Now, for the rest of us.

Most of you, like me, have probably been on all the organisational internet sites, drooled over pictures of domestic havens, run by women with their lipstick and highheels on before 7.00am, joined up for the 'flylady' mailing lists (who can keep up with all the emails?), or you have a shelf full of self-help books and magazines .

Some of those things can work, but its often short-lived (I found the Barbara Felton "messies manual" books useful).  But I have now come to realise that there a few 'foundational' principles that help me have a modicum (sp?) of control in my life.

Here are some of them.

Let me get right to the hinge of organisational tools for the domestically-challenged - get this one sorted and, no kidding, half the job is done!!

 The Organisational Folder.

...and what goes right along with that?

Glad you asked - it's the Weekly Menu Planner.

....and not to forget the daily list.

So - thats

1. Organisational folder - the 'heavy lifter' of the crew

2. The Weekly Menu Planner - the 'life-saver' of the crew

3. The daily list - the 'short-term memory helper' of the crew

The Organisational folder.....

.... is where I keep my recipes, shopping lists, menu plans, lists, routines, etc.

Now, to start with, you might not have much in the way of routines in there, but the essential thing is, to work out WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FIRST.

In other words - the 'priority pyramid'

Now, as you can see from the 'expert's chart' above (teeheee), the you can move things around to suit your needs, but the bottom two are non-negotiable!

If you are living in utter chaos most of the time, if you only made sure there was dinner on the table at the appropriate time every night and you had clothes to wear - then I promise you, your life would improve a thousand percent.

Honest.

You don't need to conquer the world in one day.

Just one corner of it.

So, it's based on survival principles.

What can you not survive without?

No, its not crochet.  It's food.  Well, maybe you can survive on crochet, BUT your family can't.

So, to start with, your daily routine might just be, for example:

Mondays

1. Put on load of washing,

2. Put dinner in the crockpot, or prepare dinner and put in fridge till tea-time, for example

3. Hang out washing, or put in drier.

4. Put washing away when dry.

5.  Evening - take something out of freezer for tomorrow.

Tuesdays

1. Put on load of washing,

2. Put dinner in the crockpot, or prepare dinner and put in fridge till tea-time, for example

3. Hang out washing, or put in drier.

4. Go food shopping

5. Clean bathroom

6. Put washing away when dry.

7. Evening - take something out of freezer for tomorrow.

The Weekly Menu Planner and shopping lists....

.....are just as important as the organisational folder.

The biggest hindrance for me to get meals ready, is not knowing what to cook, and even if I did, I might not have the ingredients.

With the meal planners, all the thinking is done already, and the shopping lists have been written out and in the folder for each menu plan.

I like to work on about 3 weekly menu plans. 

It might take you a couple of days of sitting down and working out, BUT IT WILL SAVE YOU OODLES OF TIME AND BRAIN STRAIN.

In the morning, you would write out your amended routine for the day (as in, everything you NEED to accomplish, and realistically can achieve, that day) on to a piece of paper (Your Daily List). 

 Include the steps for making the meal, like 'prepare vegetables', make pie, or whatever.

I then cross off each item as I do it.

This is very important. Don't skip this step.

It gives you a sense of achievement.  You can build on your success.

You might also have noticed that I have put the meal preparation, dinner cooking in the a.m.  That was deliberate.  I never feel like cooking dinner at dinner-time.  Ive used up most of my energy by then.  This is the most important job, so do it when your energy level is highest.  It is much better to have a reheated meal than no meal at all.....

So, have I bored you yet?  Are any of you still here?

Good. 

This is a bit of a pictorial of yesterday's routine.

First of all, I made bread. Now, I know that making bread sounds like a lot of effort and maybe not essential if you can just buy it.  But for me, it is essential - for health reasons.  And the sort of bread I make is too expensive to buy on a regular basis for that good a quality.

So for me, it is a 'must do'.

As I live in a small village, I buy my wheat in bulk, it makes the cost of the bread sooooooo much cheaper, and I grind it in the electric grinder. 

All I do is chuck in the wheat, press the button, come back a few minutes later and its all done.  Brilliant.

This is my grinder.

Here is my dough being kneaded in the mixer.

I know it sounded like bread making was a lot of work, but not the way I do it. 
The machine grinds the wheat, I mix it with starter, salt and water, then the other machine kneads the dough.

And it gets cut in half and popped into tins.

Now, did I mention above that on the weekly menu planner I have written what needs to be done for each meal, like soaking things the day before.  I just need to glance at my folder and I know what I need to do, without working it all out.

Tomorrow I am having chicken curry.

That means today I put a whole chicken in the crockpot (I didn't have to remember that, it was on my list).  I'll use the meat of it for curry, and a chicken salad the next day.  I'll put the bones back in and make stock.

Again, brilliant!

I sometimes like to add in a bit of astragalus root to the stock - very good for the immune system.

.....some onion and garlic

..... some sea salt

..... some celery and some water.

The added bonus of having the crockpot on, is that I can put the bread tins next to it to rise.

Check that the bed is made.... check.

Take a quick photo of the chair cover on the way past.

Back to the kitchen to make tonights dinner - vegetarian shepherd's pie.

A sudden whim to photograph the cake stand my sister gave me for my birthday.....

Washing machine is on.

Time for my reward.

A cup of tea and some almond biscuits......

..... and some time for creative freedom.

A bit of 'hooky' time, working on the edging (yes the edging, so very nearly finished) of my stripey blanket.

Eventually, I will do a part two to this post, and tell you about the Barbara Felton concept (borrowed from George Washington) called 'Mt. Vernon-ising'. 

cheers

Fi