Friday 27 July 2012

Twinkle Sews

I bought the Twinkle Sews book ages ago and finally got around to printing off a pattern a couple of weeks back.  Today I got around to playing jigsaw trying to get the pattern together, have to say my first impression is not good. This how the pattern matches up on the first part I came across with any features, the dip is the neckline. 
   

How on earth could it be so far out?  I printed off sized 16 on letter sized paper and matched up the corners. 

I'm hoping that I can salvage it as the pattern piece is for the full front, I'm simply going to slash down the centre and make it an on the fold pattern.  I am hoping that I don't find other discrepancies among the rest of the 63 pages the pattern took to print out.  That's one of the things I've heard complained about these patterns, that because every pattern piece is printed full it takes so much paper to print.  I heard it described as one pattern, one tree.  It's a pity there isn't the option to print the patterns at a copy shop, much rather do that than piece them. 

I wrote the above a couple of days ago, left the pattern until this evening to continue on piecing.  I found the above picture was of the lining, I didn't want lining so have been piecing together the front and what did I find?
Not only that, the pattern pieces are supposed to be surrounded by a dotted line on each side, this is the line to match when piecing after about the first 8 pages the side lines disappear completely, I've had to rule lines myself for matching.

I did end up cutting the pattern in half and here is the finished result.
At this stage I said to myself that this is stupid I should cut my losses and give up, to which the TV agreed, I had been watching/listening to Time Team.   At that moment Tony Robinson made the remark "This is madness"  followed by "sometimes you just have to admit defeat".  Even he agrees with me.  I could go ahead and spend more hours working just to get the patterns pieced together but I'm admitting defeat.  Such a pity because there were a few patterns I liked from the book and I paid good money for it.  

Would I recommend the book to others?  Right now probably not.  

Monday 23 July 2012

Gratitude

How do you thank someone who isn't there?

Yesterday I bought a heater and put it on before reading the operating instructions, I hadn't realised that it needed legs attached.  Then I stupidly left the room.  A few minutes later I heard what sounded to be a male voice in the house, my daughter and I were home alone, husband and son were due later.  The voice sounded like it came from the front of the house so I went to check if they were early and to check on the heater.  They weren't home so I knew it had to be something about the heater, turned it off, unplugged it and carried it out with me.  Then checked the carton for the instructions, that's when I realised that it needed legs and should not have been sitting on carpet without them. 

Realised who the voice was, our Family Guardian, I call him Uncle Harry - after my Dad's Great Uncle who died as a POW.   He's been with us for as long as I can remember, I remember waking to see a figure watching over us as we slept, I saw him as a shadow, my sister woke many nights to see a Soldier in uniform standing vigil outside her door. 

Not all Ghost stories are frightening.

 He has done much to protect us over the years, if there is something wrong in the house he will wake me, mostly by shaking the bed.  My husband thinks I'm crazy but one night he woke me to ask why I was shaking the bed, I jumped up to check what was wrong and found the laundry door wide open.  He doesn't like us leaving doors or windows open at night.  Especially that night, we found the neigbours had a home invasion that night. 

I know he is with me right now, the top of my head is being touched,  I want to let him know that I love him, he says he knows.  Tearing up right now,  my gratitude and love go out to the Universe. 

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Went to my Crochet/Knitting circle today, am still loving it and am getting things done and finished.  One project has gotten the better of me again, a few years back I started a cardigan in Cleckheaton 100% and pulled it out last week to try to get it going again.  It is not going well, I've knitted and frogged constantly this week, Right now there is a tangled mess of yarn on the couch taunting me. 

What did I do?  Went out to buy more yarn of course and fabric too. 

I took a step today that I've been thinking about for a while, I asked about having a stall at the place the crochet circle is at.  They have either permanent (Tuesday to Saturday) or casual stalls (Saturday only),  the cost of the permanent stall works out to be $20 per day but I do have to arrange my own liability insurance.  The only other cost would be if I wanted use of the electricity, they charge $5 per week extra. 

Really am thinking about it, is going to be a lot of work, I'd like to mainly have handmade items - clothing, bags etc.  Mum and Dad said they'd be interested in putting things in too, Mum does patchwork and Dad paints. 

Won't be giving up my job, not yet anyway, am hoping that my daughter will man it days I can't and Mum said she'd help out too.  We don't even need to be there all the time either, the stall holders all help each other out. 

I also asked at a consignment store at Glenbrook about selling items through them, they need items to go through their boardmembers before the ok is given.  It's also an option that I could do with or without running the stall. 

I do need to look into the legalities, insurance and tax are a high priority, whether I need a business name or not.  There's a lot to think about. 

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Harvest

Here's a pic of the first Aldi Garden bed I set up, there's Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, English Spinach and lettuce varieties in there.

Here's today's harvest, not a lot but enough for tonight's dinner


 Right now the sage is being heated on the stove with honey to make James Wong's Sage Honey.    I got over a nasty head cold last week and now have developed a cough and bad throat.  Sage Honey is great, it ends up thick and practically chewable, really sooths a sore throat and calms coughs.  

Hot off the Needle/hook
Owl Hand Warmers

I made 2 pair of these last week, the pattern came from Simply Knitting magazine.  One was knitted to size and the other on the next size down needles to fit my daughter's tiny hands.  They need eyes but the most suitable buttons I've found so far cost too much.  
My latest crochet project, is the Angel Wing Pinafore made in Magnum Soft 8ply.  The pattern is very easy, easily made up in an evening in front of the tv.  Mine is 1 row shorter than the pattern simply because I only had 1 ball left in my stash.  The thread to the side is all that is left.  It needs buttons but I am debating whether to sew partway up the back.  A lot of the projects on Ravelry were worked in the round after the 6th row.
H

Monday 2 July 2012

Rhonda's Muffins

Decided to make bread tonight and headed to the computer to look up the recipe from Down to Earth Blog, then remembered that Rhonda included it in her book.

  I cheated a little and started the bread in the machine while I prepared dinner.  The page flipped over to her Basic Muffin recipe, oooh muffins I thought and set to making a batch for after dinner plus snacks for tomorrow.   Chopped a couple of bananas and added them to the mix, searched the pantry for the chocolate bits I knew I had in there, my daughter informed that my son had eaten it.  So banana muffins it was. 


Delicious Banana Muffins
The empty hole was from my son, he had just finished his last mouthful of dinner and couldn't wait.  He's already scoffed down his second too.  I reminded him there were only 3 each so he should make them last, he agreed to having his third for breakfast - if he can last that long.  He's a growning lad, already as tall as his Dad. 


 
I really liked the way the banana pieces were hot and mushy, usually I make them with mashed bananas but the chunks were a really nice change.  It would have been extra awesome with chunks of melted chocolate too.  Next time.



Spent time out in the yard today, it's been really neglected and I've been wanting to make some changes, such as adding a nice meditation corner and extra vegie beds.  Started with setting up a metal raised garden bed I had bought from Aldi last year,  Had already started a no-dig garden in one and have been harvesting lettuce, broccoli and have noticed my brussel sprouts are sprouting.  MMM can't wait.  The new bed has been set up in a sunnier spot, newspaper has been put down to smother the grass

Needed to add cardboard up the sides because the ground slopes and the sides needed to be built up.  It will help stop the layers from escaping.  Later will be surrounding the planter with gravel or similar.


Freshly mown grass clippins along with a little cow have been added to start composting in the  bed .

I'll leave it to heat up and give it a couple of weeks with regular turnings to get going before adding the extra layers. I am hoping Aldi bring back the beds this year, I'd like 2 or 3 more.