Crafty Mermaid

It took a while, but I finally blocked these scarves.  I started them on my work trip and they were quick to finish off.  I used a 5mm hook and they almost had a mind of their own. I bought the main yarn on a trip to the UK a few years ago and used up some extra supplies left over from these cushions .  

I finally put together a step by step process of how I make lavender sachets.  I love the smell of lavender, especially fresh lavender in the garden.  We don't have much of it in our garden since we moved and I'll have to remedy the situation this summer!  So in the middle of winter its nice to have a sachet in the sock drawer so it can infuse through my clothes and I also - if I'm a bit stressed going to bed - leave a sachet under my pillow. So on to the supplies: fabric, ribbon,  lavender, sewing machine, thread, needle (to close up the sachet), some paper to make a funnel and a spoon to fill the sachet with lavender.  I also tend to embellish the finished sachet by either sewing on buttons or ribbon.  It can also be cute to embroider a word or design on to the fabric before you stitch it up. Start with a rectangle of fabric.  The finished sachet will be the size of this strip folded in two and less 1.5cm (for the seam allowance) on the cut sides. Pin it up

only in the early crafting stages, but these should be fun to add sparkles to when the mod-podge glue has dried on the paper layer. Our mantlepiece feathered friend offering a great model service.

An update on my cross stitching adventures... I used two patterns from the kit but adapted the fourth pattern from a book I purchased in Spain a few years ago.  There's a few others in this book I really want to make but must finish my WIPs first... p.s. aroha is love in te reo Maori  

Another WIP finally finished.  Though it looks quite well - unfortunately, though I made the hat from scratch (via a pattern) - it doesn't fit!  Oophs!    

Two quick makes to say thank you.

It was a while ago now but I only just managed to download my photographs.  I celebrated the winter solstice on a trip.  I find the winters in New Zealand especially long without something in the middle to celebrate (like Christmas).  So the solstice was an obvious step. I hadn't planned on making a very big deal of it but I did want to mark it in some way.  To think about the future, say goodbye to the past and acknowledge the present.  I lit three candles and also bought three stones (I suppose the correct term is crystals), just the ones that I liked when I was browsing.  As it turned out three of my co-trippers were around when we had our celebration and I gifted one to each of them.  I love the coincidence of it :)  The stones I bought were Opalite, Mt St Helen Obsidian and Malachite. One of my co-trippers also read our tarot (this one is mine).  It was a such a lovely, chilled and reflective evening.  I hope this starts a tradition I'll stick to!  

A project started for something to do on a trip, but then requested for a friend.  Using Lucy's ripple pattern and Sirdar Click double knitting 50g Shade 0111.  It works up so fast on 5mm hooks.  I was worried that just two balls wouldn't make up the scarf so used up some left overs to extend the length.  Probably used too much :) I'm also going to make a different colourway...  

photos from a recent trip - stunning views :)  worth the early start        

Isn't it strange when certain things have such a strong emotion attached to them?  A friend of my mother's made this cake for my brother for his birthday and Christmas each year.  Its memories of home all wrapped up in chocolate fudge icing. 

Another long term WIP - a minimum of 6 years in progress - eeek!  I can't remember when I bought the fabric for this bag and cut it out!  I even had bits of it sewn up but then moved on to other things.  But finally finished!  Hurray!  The bag was a Kwik Sew pattern I obviously downloaded from somewhere and even has hefty interfacing. Below is an orchid one of our house guests gave us when they left.  I really don't have green fingers so BM is managing to keep it alive and I'm just enjoying it!  I love the pot we bought for it and BM is happy to keep the plant stand (which I can't stand!).    

Two quick dishcloth makes.  Waves and hexagons (ala Lucy at Attic24 ).  I made this up for a friend who requested them last Christmas (oophs! - better late than never!) I also made up a few face cloths with the cotton yarn to have on hand for birthday gifts.  I bought a few handmade soaps a while ago with this idea in mind.  Lovely to give as a last minute birthday treat or for 'just because' gifts.