A busy crafty weekend

Tags

bear, bear fur, bears, birgit freyer, blanket, ceramic, ceramics, crochet blanket, granny squares, granny squares blanket, handknit, handknitted, handknitting, handmade, Handmade Bears, hartlam, hartlam yarns, Knitting, magazines, mongoose, Shawl, shetlace yarn, travel, undercoverotter, visits, weekend, yarn, yarncakes, yarns

It has been a lovely and busy crafty long weekend, and I am extremely happy with the time I could enjoy at home and out and about, still enjoying the last warm weather, as Fall has not arrived just yet and the days are still warm and so comfortable to be outside.  While visiting a friend in the countryside, these two came to visit and loved the fruits we shared with them.

Mother and Baby

 

Of course, I made the most of the time and cakes some yarns, cut the fabulous fur that I got from my sister for my next bear project and knitted on my Tanis Triangular Shawl.  The bear is slightly bigger than those I usually make, and I am so loving this fur.  My shawl is growing so fast, I am already at the lacy edge.

New Yarn

New Yarn

New Yarn

New Yarn

New Yarn

New Yarn

Becky Bear

Blue Shawl Progress

 

Sitting still and knitting and crafting was not all I did.  Having bought pretty little ceramic pieces and tiles over the last few months, it was time to get these into good use. A colleague (who knows me way to well) gave me two precious little wooden boxes, and I decorated them for use in my guest room / craft corner.  And as I love drinking tea, I made a stand for my teapot and another for my mugs.  (the last one still needs to dry a little longer before I dust off the grout)

Storage Boxes

Storage Boxes

Ceramics

 

And all my magazines got sorted and stored properly.  This little shelf is a self assembly project, and took a little work, but the holes were all pre-drilled and it was not to difficult in the end, with a little help of course.

Storage of Magazines

 

The granny square blanket is my daughter’s blanket, made for her more than twenty plus years ago, by my Grandmother, my daughters’ great-grandmother.  It is still in use and now have a precious place in my reading corner, along with my little porcelain doll that is more than 30 years old already.

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Summer and Cakes!

Tags

crochet, Knitting, summer knitting, yarn, yarncakes, yarns

It is actually not really quite summer here in Johannesburg, as the calendar is telling me it is only September and Spring!

But this week had been an amazingly warm (rather hot) week.  The weather had already gone into the mid 20 degrees C.  Today had been forecast for closer to the 30’s!  It feels a lot more like Summer already, rather than Spring still.  Only in the garden you can see it is still very much Spring, as just about everything has tiny green leaves and buds and shoots popping up everywhere.

Mother Nature definitely has a way to inspire one with all her energy.   I have absolutely no plans for these yet, but could not resist the urge to stash dive and make Cakes.  Yarn cakes that is.  🙂  Now I have all these pretties sitting in a huge tray on my worktable, ready to grab and knit.  I guess I should grab a handful of pattern books and magazines and find a cozy spot in the shade and start looking for some pattern then!

Yarn cakes

Yarn cakes

Yarn cakes

Yarn cakes

Yarn cakes

Yarn cakes

Summer days………

Tags

African Expressions, Aran wool, buddy, Curry Cup, cushion cover, daughter, Ellispark, embroidery, Emirates Park, Enchanted, fireworks, Johannesburg sunset, Lions, madelinetosh, Rugby, silverspun, socks, Winners, yarncakes, yarns

Summer in Johannesburg is in full swing.  We hardly had much of a Spring to enjoy, days are already hot and long and sunny. Normally we would have had lots of rain by now, but this year the rain is late.

Hot summer days did mean less knitting and crafting.  I have been working on the odd project though.  I finished the embroidered front cover piece for a small cushion, and now I can start the construction of the pillow case itself.

I also finished the very dark purple socks for a swap buddy, and they are making their way across the ocean to their new home.

And I even caked some yarns for future projects.

So when I am not crafting, what am I doing?  Of course, the obvious would be yarn shopping.  I got a few very pretty local skeins, and these “Enchanted” skeins from African Expressions are really living up to their name.  Also got a 400g ball of Aran with Wool for a small blanket for the cooler Fall days.

And then, like many a South African, we love our Rugby.  I have been supporting the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup and watching games on television.  Plus I spoiled my daughter and got us tickets to the Curry Cup Final in Johannesburg, with our regional team, The Lions, playing with “home ground advantage” and winning the Cup.  This was her first live match, and attending a Final is always so much better. I loved the fireworks that went off each time a goal was scored.

ps:  I have been good, and even cast on the blanket last night.