Back To Beads

 

I"m working on beaded key rings for a gift shop down the road. My plan is to have 10 done by Thursday, which should be manageable if there are not too many interruptions. It's good to get my beads out again, find my patterns, remind myself how to join the rope.... I feel rather rusty. 

Yesterday

 

The craft group I'm involved with made some more cards yesterday. They were donated to a shop that raises money to help pensioners. The cards are bright and cheery, so I hope they will sell and add a tiny bit to the coffers. 

In Jars

 

I'm hoping to squeeze a bit more honey from the comb, with the help of more sunshine today, but I'm very happy with the haul of honey so far!

Honey

 

And I thought I could get into a sticky mess with glue? Try honey. Jack's not feeling up to processing his honey, so I said I'd do it. Read up on the internet and off I went. It turns out that we don't have many sunny spots in the house. The veranda is sunny, but Jack was warned not to take the honey outside or the bees will reclaim it. Which is why one bowl is poised precariously above the taps. It will take a while for the honey to drain, even in a sunny spot. 

I made two more hot water bottle covers, hippo and shark, and delivered all five to the gift shop yesterday. 

A Different Sort Of Beast

 

The lady at the gift shop down the road asked me if I could translate my puppet animals into hot water bottle covers. Mmm, I'll give it a go. These are my efforts so far. She asked for 10, but I think I'll start with 5 and see whether there's really a demand for them and make sure they're not too this or too that. The gift shop doesn't pay me until the item is sold, so I don't want to go overboard. 

You never know how your day is going to turn out, do you? Instead of spending Friday messing with glue at the retirement home, I spent it tatting leaf braid in the hospital next to Jack's bed. Because I was well prepared, I was able to ask someone else to step in for me, so the glue was duly wielded and thank you cards made. Jack is home again now, thankfully. I was glad I could grab my 'handbag tatting' when I had to leave in a hurry. 

 

We're going to make thank you cards at tomorrow's craft group meeting. A card needs an envelope, I think, and making the envelope requires glue! I found a number of tutorials on Pinterest. Oddly, they all eschew rulers in favour of folding the paper to get proportions right. The problem with that is that there are folds in the middle of the envelope that don't look good. I used a ruler. Then the glue. Because I'm so hopeless with glue, I use a glue stick whenever possible. In this case, the glue stick is not precise enough for the small areas to be glued. I tried using a brush, possible but not ideal. A glue bottle with a spout to get the glue to the right spot was the best option. 

The craft group has members of differing abilities, so I'm making some blank cards and the envelopes to go with them, and will take the materials for the more able to make their own. I'll take along various bits and bobs for decorating the cards, including glitter, which requires more glue. 

For Me

 

I thought that as the market was over, and there's time to prepare for the next one, I'd take the gap and make myself a blouse. I've had the idea in mind ever since the pattern was returned to me in December.

I did view 2, minus the pockets. The polka dot fabric is flimsy and see through, so I lined back and front with linen that was left over from making a skirt. I left the sleeves sheer. I could have made it a little shorter, since I plan to wear it out, rather than tucked in, but it's too difficult to alter, attached to the lining as it is, so it will stay like that. 

Morning Market

 

I was happy with Saturday's morning market. I sold two pairs of socks and a pair of gloves, plus all four puppets that I took along. Both pairs of socks were the lacy ones - note to self.  I didn't sell any yarn. Everyone I spoke to said they don't knit or no longer knit. I'm pretty sure there are knitters out there, so I shall persist. 

I bought some more petunia seedlings as well as pansies. And two ceramic mixing bowls that I've been looking for since mine broke. I was pretty restrained and managed to come home with more noney than I left with! 

Preparing For Market

 

I'm preparing sock kits for Saturday's markets, enough yarn and a pattern to knit a pair of woman's socks. After complaining about other people's patterns, I've tried to make mine short but clear. I won't know if I've succeeded until I can get someone to try it out. 

 I found my mohair labels from a previous existence;  I've written 'wool' on top of the mohair bit, so I even have a label. My LYS (local yarn shop) says they have sock needles in stock, so I'll be able to tell people where to go when they say, 'I'd like to knit socks, but I don't have needles'! 

A Diversion

 

The little fellow who comes to me for sewing lessons is turning 8 next week. With the weather getting colder, I thought he might like a cap and mittens. I used a pattern from The Ashford Book of Spinning by Anne Field. I didn't use handspun yarn though. I thought acrylic would be more practical, so I used yarn left over from other projects. The pattern works them flat, but I knitted the hat with a circular needle and mittens with double pointed needles. I think they're neater that way. 

Marmalade

 Remember the tree that split under the weight of its fruit? One section fell down altogether, when the  fuit was still very green. We hoped the fruit would ripen, but it didn't and had to be discarded - four buckets full. The fruit on the rest of the tree is starting to ripen now.

 On Sunday I found enough ripe naartjies (tangerines) for a batch of marmalade. I used this recipe.

It came out really well. There were four bottles, but I gave one to my neighbour before I took a photo. There are plenty more naartjies on the tree, so I will be making more as they ripen. Jack might have to replace the tree, which would mean a few years before I can make naartjie marmalade again. 

Another Pair Of Socks

 

After a bit of a diversion to knit a hat for an order, I've finished knitting these socks in handspun wool. The next market is on 14th May, so I might have time for another pair. Though there are always diversions to be had!