The Woodman....

Sometimes in life you are totally blown away by your nearest and in this case most definitely dearest! LSO (for those of you who have just started to read my blog - this is my darling and much loved husband - I call him Long Suffering One - LSO, why? because he has to put up with me and all my mad schemes and wild ideas! ) LSO is always trying to get out of DIY things, if I want him to - mmm, lets say drill a hole into a wall - it becomes EPIC! to get this done I get out the drill, plug it in mark the exact place were I want the hole, have the picture ready , then I make him tea and ease him into doing it for me - I did Say EPIC!!  By his own admission he just doesn't like DIY!

 

So imagine my surprise when one afternoon I heard sounds of the sander from our garage! I silently crept down to see what was going on..... It was him engrossed in a piece of wood! I left I needed to sit down! A few hours later he came inside and said that he had made something for me(be still my BEATING heart) He had found a beautiful piece of wood in the fire wood and made a Cheese Board for me, it was absolutely gorgeous!

 

 

Tools of the trade

 

Firewood with Potential

 

My Cheese Board

Little Madame and Star!

  

The Sandman

Now I am a bit of a strike-while-the-iron-is-hot type of person person!..... I had been thinking a bout a rustic outdoor tray for ages, every time I looked at my pile of left over pallet wood - a tray was what came to mind. I was going to make it myself ....however... I thought I would try my luck!

 

 

And my luck was in! Apparently he felt like doing woodwork, so with me telling LSO exactly what I wanted he put it together for me. He drilled, measured, cut, planed and sanded......Soon I had my tray

 

 

Somehow, and maybe its because he knows me so well, he was able to make exactly what I wanted!  

  

My Tray

Not only did I get my tray but then he then went back into the garage and made himself a beautiful wall hook for his study - the word that comes to mind is GOBSMACKED! I really didn't know he had it in him. To think that I have known him for 16 years and he never told me.... He is really GOOD at wood work! I do however feel a little sorry for him now - can you guess why? Yip! He is NEVER EVER NEVER going to get out of doing DIY for me again - NO excuses and certain No begging and pleading (he translates those two word into nagging) He can and he is  really good at it!  Did I mention how much I love my LSO..... I love him too much..... xxx  

  

Wall Hook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pack Your Bags.....

Darling Peeps, today you will find me in a somewhat  melancholy mood - Why? Well today we packed out bags, and boxes and toys and anything else that could be packed!  I am sure that I would have packed the dogs if they had of fitted into a box and kept still for long enough!

 

We have not sold the estate, perish the thought!  However 4 years ago when we moved in, we decided on a FIVE YEAR PLAN! The house that we bought is an old lady, and she needed help, we did a bit of revamping, we stripped the walls of horrible 1970's wallpaper and lifted carpets! We gutted the kitchen and had a bespoke kitchen put in,  and then began to save!



  

The House When We Viewed It.....

 

A Small Revamp.....

 

Our FIVE YEAR PLAN has been achieved in four years and we are really excited! The plans are everything that LSO and I ever wanted in a home and we cannot wait to see our dreams materialise.... So why the melancholy mood you ask? Well packing up ones life is a funny old thing, you come across bits and bobs that just make you smile, however there are those things that make you realise that life moves on and waits for no one. I opened a box in the back of a cupboard and found Little Madames baby things... she was a Premmie and her clothes were all tiny, a tiny hat, teeny little socks and clothes. She has grown so much..... A box of our wedding pictures, dried flowers from the day the day I married my Prince.......A bag of my mothers things, when my brother gave it to me last year I was too sad to even contemplate opening it then....Finding a lost treasure, is such a JOY! ...... Lots of bittersweet memories!

 



Packing My Tresures

 

Packing boxes is not pleasant, however it does give you the opportunity to throw away or donate things.... The boxes seemed to be never ending. I am amazed at just how much stuff we have accumulated over the last 4 years. There are boxes everywhere you look. There is just SO much STUFF!



The Start....

 

A Day Later.....

The Spare Room....

 

I am trying hard not to let this renovation unsettle me, however seeing as I am a creature who likes my home to always look perfect and beautiful, one who likes everything in its place.... I am very, VERY  unsettled. We have also had to be ruthless about what we are taking with us to our temporary home, it is full furnished, so it is clothes and little else really.....Well I did sneak my sewing machine and hooky things into the box - you know me - when the going gets tough, a girl's gotta hook!  

 

A Beautiful Moon!

The moon was full and beautiful last night. LSO called me outside to look at it. As I gazed up I realised that tomorrow would be a new moon, it is also spring, a time for new things to grow! Crisp blue sky's, the smell of green grass being cut, pretty flowers beginning to bud. So throw in a new roof, a few less walls, the smell fresh plaster and paint on walls...... A great team of builders and there is nothing to be unsettled about, its just a re feathering of the nest really.......xxx

 

PS:: I will keep you posted....

Comfort Food.....

I am feeling poorly, and when I feel poorly and a little under the weather I want some comfort food, not the average comfort food, like stew, soup or mashed potato, toast and tea! When I am poorly I want 3 things and 3 things only! Three very odd things but they work for me! They are my Poorly Comfort Food!

 

Number 1 -  My mom used to give me Gem Squash when I was little, scrapped out of the shell with lashings of butter and salt, I LOVED it! I still do!(as a matter of fact I don't need to be feeling ill to eat this)

Number 2 - Granola and Milk, however it must be a small amount of granola but a LARGE amount of milk! Like a half a litre and loaded with sugar!

Number 3 - A Savoury Tart thing that my mom used to make!  This is my favourite and what today's post is all about !

 

For a few days now I have been fighting off a head cold (grrr - nothing worst) alas yesterday I lost the war and I woke up feeling like death! I was feeling lousy, my nose was all bunged up and wanted nothing more than to curl up under the duvet and sleep! Little Madame had other plans however...... After much explaining she agreed that home was the best place for us, by home I mean the couch! So we settled down to a day of TV watching( not the norm - but sometimes a mom has to do what a mom has to do...) Around lunch time, I was asked "what's for lunch mama?" Savoury Tart popped into my head. So I dragged myself to the kitchen and got out my trusty old recipe book! 

 

 

My 30 year old Recipe Book

The best thing about this savoury tart is that you can make it in the pie dish that you bake it in! I plonk all the ingredients into the dish stir it up and pop it into the oven! EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEASY! Just what you need when you feel horrible! Something really simple!  

 

The ingredients are equally easy, the only thing you might not have in your grocery cupboard is a tin of canned meat/ Bully Beef, however I ALWAYS keep a can in my grocery cupboard, for me it is a basic along with caned tomato's and pasta!

Loved These As A Child !

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe from, and in our house it was not just reserved for when we were sick, we also had it on a Sunday night, with a big fresh green salad, and best of all it is AWESOMELY delicious the next day - in a fat  chunk straight out of the fridge! My brother and I also knew that when we opened our lunch box and school the next day - a chunk of tart would be waiting for us!

Of course you now want the recipe...... So here it is

Avril's Crust less Savoury Tart

1 tin of Canned Meat/Bully Beef
125g Grated Cheese
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 Tbs Chopped Onion
1/2 tsp mustard(I used what ever mustard I have)
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 Tbs Flour

Mix everything together in a oven proof dish and bake at 175degrees Celsius until golden brown

APPLY TO MOUTH!( a very sick one , in this case)

Mix It In The Oven Dish

Golden Brown and Piping Hot!

Not even an hour later I was back on the couch under my crochet blanket, feeding my cold, with piping hot tart! Did it take away my head cold? Not really! Did it make me better? Not really! But it did make my tummy feel full and warm.....And isn't that what Comfort Food is all about..........xxx

Comfort Food!

Mandala Magic

Just when I think I am totally up to date with the making and trying out of all thing crochety.... Another beautiful thing pops up on the world wide web.... The last few weeks I have noticed Mandala's. Now I am not to sure what a mandala 's function is, I have seen them used as table adornments and then seen them being used as pot holders. they are in every colour and size you can possibly imagine but always round!

 

I wasn't really taking too much notice of them, until the Lovely Lucy from Attic24 posted a wonderful blog about them. Now I think I have waxed lyrically about Lucy often enough to not bore you to pieces waxing again, suffice to say she is my crochet GURU! Lucy also runs a yarn festival, called Yarndale, along with like minded yarn friends. They ran the first one last year, she asked for people to help her make granny bunting and boy oh boy did people help! Pretty bunting arrived from all four corners of the world. Some how I missed out on it all..... I mean, I  saw it and read about it but did not make bunting to send. Read her post here 

 



Lucy's Picture of the Yarndale Bunting

So this year for Yarndale she asked all her readers and the peeps on the world wide web to make just  1 Mandala each and send it to her, she even gave you a pattern - here... And this year I was not going to miss out, I even had an idea.... An African Themed Mandala! So I duly popped off to out local Yarn shop( Any excuse... I hear you say!) and bought the yarn- I bought reds and oranges to represent our amazing sunsets and green and brown for the earth, I then asked my helper Beatrice if she would bead it for me in traditional African bead work. It looked absolutely WondErFuL!....It was duly sent off to the United Kingdom in a protective padded envelope. This was a few weeks ago. Today as I sat down to write this post I realised that I had in my haste to get it done and posted not taken 1 photo of it.... NOT ONE!!!

 

I did however take pictures of my practice runs! I did two before hand just to get a feel of how I would place the colours and if the pattern was as easy as it looked and it hooked up really quickly. They  both looked great! Lucy's pattern was really easy! - See she is THE CROCHET GURU! 

I have been pondering what to do with my mandala's.... I am not the type of person who would use them as pot holders, honestly I think I would end up burning myself, anyway they are too pretty for pot holders!  I certainly wouldn't use them under a vase or ornament.....I was thinking about stitching them onto a canvas as some sort of hooky art piece..... But in the old end I didn't have to worry about how to use them because apparently they  work REALLY well as Barbie carpets in a certain Little Madames  doll's house! So you see even Barbie LOVES crochet..... xxx

To Whit To Wooo Number Twooo!

There is no long story to todays post. It simply is this  - I saw a ball of yarn an thought it would make a cute owl, an owl for little Madame  I have been making loads of Owl Rattle Toys, so many friends have been popping out little bundles of joy - I really  cannot keep up. Every time I finish one, Little Madame asks if it is for her, she wants an Owl with a sore heart! When I saw this wool I knew it would make a  perfectly sweet Olivia Owl!  

 

This is also my second Crochet pattern..... 

 

Abbreviations:(I have use UK crochet speak)
Slip Stitch - sl st
Double Crochet - dc
Half treble - htr
Treble  - tr

Olivia the Owl

 

Body:

Rnd 1 - Chain 2 then work 8 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook

Rnd 2 - 2 dc into each stitch (16 stitches)

Rnd 3 - 1 dc into the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch. Repeat to end (24)

Rnd 4 - 1 dc in the next 2 stitches, 2 dc into the next stitch. Repeat to the end (32)

Rnd 5 - Work 1 dc all the way around

Rnd 6 - 1 dc into the next 3 stitches, 2 dc into the next stitch. Repeat to end (40)

Rnd 7 - Work 1 dc all the way around

 

 

Rnd 8 - 1 dc into the next 4 stitches,2 dc into the next stitch. Repeat to end (48)

Rnd 9 - 1 dc into the next 5 stitches, 2 dc into the next stitch, Repeat to end (56)

Rnd 10- Work 1 dc all the way around 

Rnd 11- 29  - Work 1 dc all the way around ( at this stage you can make it as big as you want)

Begin to Decease

Rnd 30 - 1 dc in the next 4 stitches then crochet 2 tog. Repeat to end  (48)

Rnd 31 - 1 dc in the next 3 stitches then crochet 2 tog. repeat to end (40)

Rnd 32 - 1 dc in the next 2 stitches then crochet 2 tog (32)

  

Barrel Shape and Stuffing

  

Stuff the owl now
Now pin all along the top to close it up! can you see how I kept the stitch on the side, this is to form the ear thingys ( not sure are they ears??) on the side of the owls head!

Pin Across The Top To Close

Work Through Both Sides

Working through both sides of the owl - (as above)
Rnd 33 - 2 tr into the stitch and 1 htr into the next stitch
Rnd 34 - dc across the owl to close it up, go right across until the 2 last stitches, in the second to last stitch a 1 htr  and in the last stitch 2 tr, fasten off.( you have created a little lift on each end - ears)

Ears

 

Eyes:(make 2)

Rnd 1 - Chain 2  - 10 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook

Rnd 2 - 2dc in each of the 10 stitches - fasten off, leaving a long piece to sew with!

 

Tummy:

Rnd 1 - Chain 2  - 10 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook

Rnd 2 - 2dc in each of the 10 stitches

Rnd 3 - 1dc in to the next stitch, 2dc into the next stitch. Repeat to end

Rnd 4 - dc all the way aro0und - fasten off

 

Wings:(make 2)

Rnd 1 - Chain 2  - 10 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook

Rnd 2 - 2dc in each of the 10 stitches

Rnd 3 - 5 tr into the next stitch

Rnd 4 - 2 triple tr into the next stitch

Rnd 5 - Turn the wing and work sc all the way around the wing. Fasten off

 

 

Wings

 

 

  

Beak:
Chain 3 then work 3 tr into the first chain(a tiny mini granny cluster)

Pin all the bits onto the owl, positioning them were you want them, sew onto the owl using all the threads that you left
Use some buttons to make the pupils of the owls eyes and

TA DAHHHHH!!!

Olivia Owl

Little Madame adores her owl and so do I. This pattern was not nearly as difficult to do as the first one however make no mistake it took me an age to crochet and write up! To be honest with you I am still not so sure that I have written it well enough for all you happy hookers out there to follow. I sure hope so and as with the last pattern I would love to hear if it all worked out and  went well. ...... xxx

Hippy Chic.....

 

Little Madame is half way through this school year, as a matter of fact we are in the third school term already! Down South, little peeps start school later than little peeps elsewhere in the world, 7 years old being the average age! The thinking is that they are more emotionally equipped to handle the huge year that is Grade 1  It has been an epic year for us, I say US because I have also had to get use to not having her around, I home schooled Little Madame until 2 years ago...... and even then took her out of school when ever I wanted to! When ever I needed her!  But 'BIG " school is a different ball game! Little Madame LOVES school( Thank the good Lord above!) there have been no difficulties at all.

Now I must give credit where it is due...... The school we chose for her to attend is a well known school in the fishing village, an all girls school ( LSO insisted) very disciplined and although I hesitate to use the word...... Strict!  But it was exactly what we were looking for in a school! HOWEVER it is a nurturing and VERY family orientated school, with plenty of parent occasions! I am getting to the point....... Not only is it an epic year for Little Madame, it is also an epic year for the school - this year Fatima Dominican Convent School turns 60!  In the coming weeks there are all sorts of fun festivities lined up for the girls, both past and present!  A choir evening, a parade through the streets of our neighbourhood, a huge founders day, netball matches against past pupils and my favourite and the whole topic of today's post - A dress up Sixty's Day

Now for those of you that know me..... you will know that my eyes lit up with sheer joy and delight! There is nothing I LOVE more than a dress up day! SO little Madame and I had a chat about it and it was so very evident that our ideas were rather a long way from each other...... She was insisting it was neon and legwarmers and I was sure it was caftans and bell bottoms! So we turned to the trusty world wide web! The only thing I could think of to google was Woodstock, however all that "love and substance" might not be appropriate to show a 7 year old! Then it stuck me  - A movie I saw many years ago yet loved and still do HAIR! Little Madame sat enthralled as we watched  very grainy yet beautiful renditions of Good Morning Star Shine, Let The Sunshine In, I Got Life and the Iconic Aquarius!   

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius, Aquarius

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the minds true liberation

Aquarius, Aquarius

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius, Aquarius, Aquarius
Aquarius, Aquarius

Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in.....

What an amazing time in our history - and somehow really significant to the time we are in right now! Maybe we should all take up the MAKE LOVE NOT WAR motto again! Right, I am getting off my little soap box right now!

So an outfit was decided on (I had to veto the bikini top and bell bottoms - not sure it would have gone down well with the Nuns and Father Des) and I got to work...... I really wasn't sure I would be able to find fabric that reflected the sixty's but I did, I was really surprised!

I also was on the look out for a Peace sign, not knowing where was I going to find one but as I left the very first shop I had walked into , there it was a Peace sign (a very blingy peace sign, not sure Janis Joplin would have approved but I loved it!)
 

I was having a really great shopping day, a few bangles and a bag of feathers and I was ready to make a hippy out of Little Madame

I think it is important to have a go-to-pattern. A pattern that you can adapt  to make anything you want. I have found a MacCall's pattern that works for anything! This pattern has, a dress, pants and a peasant top! (M6613) So I used the peasant top and cut out wide bell sleeves, it was done in no time at all!

To this we added a pair of denim shorts with the US flag on them (a recent flea market purchase, a crochet bolero ( an crochet top of mine, which is long on Little Madame) Said peace sign, bangles, a flower wreath for her hair and boots!

Little Madame makes a very good hippy - all that flowing hair, and twirling(yes she still twirls everywhere) and looks really CUTE! I even taught her the Peace Sign, the hand one,  you know the one I mean, the one that when turned around means a whole different thing? Well I have had to correct her a few time and eventually had to explain to her it was rude to turn your hand around! Thankfully she was horrified so I don't have to worry about her saying "Peace Out Father Des" and using the wrong sign..... maybe that was not such a clever thing for me to do....... Oh Well, one can only hope! Peace out Beautiful Peeps...... xxx 

PS:: I had to add the collage, as I have just returned from dropping Little Madame off at school! Today I  wished I was back at school - in particular this school! ..... The Head Mistress and teachers were outside dressed up and wishing everyone Peace and Love, the Matric and Std ( girls were on all the street corners leading up to the school, dancing playing Tambourine's and singing, welcoming everyone at drop off, even the moms doing drop off got in on the action, what an amazing and special time for all the little girls! Happy Birthday Fatima!  

 

Sock It To Me Baby!!!

For the last few weeks I have had a desperate urge or maybe a need to knit some socks...... yes a bit weird I know, but the truth never the less! It might be that there is a slight chill in the air and my need is really to create something warm to pop onto my ALWAYS icy tootsies!

 

So I have been trawling the world wide web for a pair of socks to knit - but whoa, WHOA!!! They all seem really difficult, involving about 15 needles(well only 4 really) and large amount of high concentration and you know that with a Little Madame around.... this is no mean feat in fact it is just not possible! I remember calling my Mom ( she was the queen of knitting) a few years back to discuss said sock knitting..... she told me that it was a very difficult process especially "turning  the heel" - what???? Ok, so shelve that idea, move on, do something else...... However when there is an idea brewing for me..... Well you all know me by now!

  

When I was looking through my crochet magazines a few weeks ago, I came across a pattern to crochet socks..... Well why not I thought!!!

 

Yes - A Toe Section

Now as you can see it all started quiet well. I sat quietly one afternoon and began, I struggled a bit with the toe but persevered and it finally started to look like the toe of a sock! 

 

Looking Better



Slow and steady is my motto when I am tacking anything new, but slow was an understatement in this case, I was constantly counting  stitches, making mistakes and then pulling it all out ! But still in general it  sort-of-looked-looked like a sock!

 

Waiting to be Finished!

I eventually put it down.... a little break was needed, and here began the problem, a problem of epic proportions! Fast forward a few day  - and yes you guessed it I had no idea where I was! My little note paper with the rows marked off had disappeared ( I think a certain Little Madam had drawn pretty fairy pictures on it) I was lost, no matter what I tried and how many rows I counted I could not seem to pick up where I had left off!

 

So I did what any sensible hooky girl would do! I pulled it all out to begin again!

 

Disaster!

I have not begun again - NO! I just can't seem to bring myself to try it again! Socks and me - Well maybe not a good match!  A sad ball of yarn has  often called to me as I pass it by! It really desperately wants to be a sock, well a pair actually! But alas........ I  feel at this point it is very important to tell you that I do fail at sometimes. I don't always get everything right and perfect the first time....  

 

  

Love This Magazine!

However..... I never ever let something get the better of me! SOOO imagine my JOY when I opened the latest issue(Well, latest here in SA) of Simply Crochet and found a sock pattern, I have  read the pattern through and it reread it just in case I missed something and it looks pretty easy! Easy enough for me to TRY and get right? I think so!

  

Stripy Socks!

Pretty In Pink!

Although my ball of blue yarn is still waiting to become something beautiful... I decided that a pair of soft pink socks would be perfect... Have I started yet ? Nope, I am finishing a beautiful ripple baby blanket for a special little person, who will be here in December but next on the production line..... PRETTY PINK SOCKS - Watch this space ........ xxx