Busy Hands

The last week has been filled with keeping busy.
My crocheting has been progressing. After only giving it another go just recently I have finally got the hang of it and unlike knitting my hands don't ache easily. My left hand especially aches with arthritis and knitting really hightens this pain quickly. I can go for and hour straight with crochet before I need to give my hands a break, with knitting I only last ten minutes max.

 

A basket of colourful little granny's

 

The granny squares I am working on will go into a couple of cushions for one of my lounges. I am trying to do as many colour combinations as possible in these bright and contrast colours I picked up at Spotlight. What is left over will go into being the base start for a throw blanket.

This has been a good thing to do at the end of the day whilst watching the shows I like to watch, good to do something and not feel like I am zoning out in front of the "idiot box". Although how can watching The Hours, Paradise, The Doctor Blake Mysteries and similar shows be zone out time. The costumes are just fabulous to see; especially The Hours and Doctor Blake eras I love.

Another crafty skill I learnt about in the last week or so was The Dorset Button. I had no clue about these beautiful little things. It is an old art from yep you guessed it Dorset and the history is fascinating. How can I have not known about this wonderful creative and beautiful art till now. I came across it via The House Of Wool's Facebook page with a picture and anouncement of an upcoming class. The picture just made me go wow they are pretty I want to learn to make them. Yes I am a visual person and something catches my eye I want to know more. So I signed up straight away getting the last spot in the class. This was my first ever class in craftyness. Till now all self taught.

Mary from Two emus taught the class and was patient and a great teacher.

 

You start with a ring like this

 

I like this craft as I with my tight tension for other things can be tight as I want. It took me many hours of practice with crochet to loosen enough to make it work ok.

My first dorset button

 

 

I have decided once I have finished making up the full set I have now it is going to become a necklace. Will buy more supplies to make earings and possibly a ring to match.

Can't wait to try out other styles of weaving and to use bright colours.



Boo

Oh lordy I have been away a long time.
To be honest I had lost interest in blogging for a long time. I did still go and read many but rarely commented etc.
Life got in the way.....so busy being single mum to two, uni, dating disasters a many and just life really. I am back and will try to keep to it.
Recently I started teaching myself to crochet.....many hours of frustration but loving it.

Above is a pic of the little squares I have done so far for a cushion I am making for a recently purchased lounge I found in The Salvation Army for a steal of $40, a good wash of the covers and the cushions out in the sun for a day and the couch looks nice. super comfy too.
A quilt and sewn cushions are being done also.

New tattoo

Yesturday I spontaniously went and had my tatto to mark getting my white star done. I had been planing on getting one done but the moment kind of just happened.
I had been heading to Penrith for a couple other things and thought I may as well go and find out about getting it done. Then when I got there ended up just booking it in for later that day.

Pretty pleased with it and shall be marking each star achievement in the same way going further up the arm.

Really has ti been that long

I have been reading others blogs but did not realise till now how slack I have been on my own blog.
Hmmmmmmm really need to change that.
Well there has been a lot happening. First up I have changed from Uni study to TAFE study to gain my diploma in Community Services. Sooooooo much better than the slog of Uni via distance education.
I have still being going hard on my Roller Derby training. I passed my white star this week. YAY for me. So I can now be known by my derby name of E Lecktrick Beat-Her.

Need to have my helmet sticker redone as it was spelt wrong

The league is growing strong we have just over 50 members now with about 40 regular skaters and our fresh meat intake is about to happen again.

Some of the girls who went in the parade for Winter Magic back in June

It's been a year since my split with my husband. WOW that went quick.
I will be more vigilant I swear on this blog.

Kids art

I love the art works my kids do. Especially the collage pieces. Lots more imagination goes into those. I always like to see what they can turn different objects into. Here are some of their lates work.

Jazynthe

Jaedyn

Jazynthe

Having fun in the sun

Sunday may have been an Autumn day of cold in the air but it was a good sunny day. One best spent outdoors having fun. So after the usual lazy Sunday morning breakfast and mucking about at home myself and the Chicken and the Monkey ventured of to lawson markets. I had been thinking of going to Ironfest but funds were limited and there was the want to go to Lawson and get seedlings from the mountain seed swapper stall.
Not only did I pick up some seedlings of kale, spinach and parsley to get ahead of the seeds about to go in the ground. I also picked up some plums for us to eat while we wandered about but Jazynthe got herself a pizza making kit in time for her pizza party this Friday. EEEESSSSSHHHH my girl is turning 6. Jaedyn got himself a toy train. He was on a mission from the time we got there to find a train.
after we ventured across to the little park nearby for fun.

The kids always love playing about there. Jazynthe especially takes the oportunity to turn it into a stage. See those metal looking circles around the edge of the wooden platform. You step on them and they play a musical note.

There should be more play areas like this one out there. Expecially would be a great thing in the infants areas of schools I think.

I promise to take photos of my seedlings in the ground tomorrow. The backyard is sure getting a complete work over. I pruned back the overgrown passionfruit vine very drastically to remove a fence and a number of other things and the yard looks so different already. Lots more to do. I want it to be fully functioning vegie, fruit supply destination with my chooks running about and to be able to start entertaining in it come summer.

New Vegie patch

I've been slowly working on a better vegie patch when weather allows or I am not busy doing something else.
The last one had gotten out of hand in weeds, grass and over growth. Took several hours to get to a point I could do anything close to what I wanted to end up with.

I used some old sleeprs I had about, nails and star pickets. Then netting to keep the pesky chooks from spoiling all my hard work.

Still a lot of work to do in the yard to get back to a fully working garden again.