September is just flying by this year. I don't know where the days are going because I have not accomplished as much as I had hoped. I had planned to have my teapot cosy finished by now but I am still on the main part. No appliques have even been started yet. But I am getting somewhere with my little extras.
Even with my crochet progress going slow, I have had a lot going on in my family's daily life. We have had birthday's and camp, markets and dance recitals. On the second the kids and I caught the train down to Maitland. The kids spent the day with their dad while I did some Birthday shopping at the large monthly markets. It has been years since we lived in Maitland and I had forgotten just how huge and busy they are. I picked up a lot of birthday presents for the three of my kids having Birthdays this month. I loved the stalls that buy direct from the factories and sell for the much cheaper factory prices. My two youngest children got their presents from those stalls, while I just happened upon a Harry Potter stall for my much obsessed eldest daughter. I managed to pick up a couple of PlayStation games for my eldest son. Needless to say all the children were happy with my haul.
My Birthday was also this month and I managed to pick up a few things for myself.
I couldn't go past the cute little knitted cupcake pin cushion. I was in need of a larger Afghan hook with a longer cord and found one at the same stall as the yarn. The yarn is 100% wool in beautiful bright colours. I am going to make myself a Tunisian simple stitch scarf for next winter with it.
Here is a closer look. It mostly looks blue, but there is green in there as well.
The Handmade and Home Grown Markets just happened to fall on my Birthday this year. They are only a very small market and mostly sell baby items. But my kids managed to find me a cute owl cushion and also brought me a little owl cross stitch from GO-LO, our dollar store.
My mum dropped me off a bag of presents as well before we went to my daughters dance recital.
A very cute bunch of solar owl lights. Mum was disappointed when she found out I already owned two of the bigger ones at the front. But I love them and was happy for another.
Earlier this week mum was telling her next door neighbour about the teapot cosy I am working on for my swap partner and not long after, This was passed over the fence for me.
I love the rooster tea set! I also got given candles to go with it.
My best present is yet to come! Yesterday while I was at mum's showing her how Ebay worked, we got to talking about how I want to learn how to sew again. Mum has been wanting to teach me for ages but her old machine has PMS issues. I have not wanted to be the one to finish her off for good. Well mum told me how said next door neighbour's daughter had just picked up a brand new sewing machine for cheap. Usually cheap means crap when it comes to machines, but he hunted through the catalogues to find it. What a bargain it was!
A saving of 61%!! Surely they would fly out the door. So we quickly headed down to the shop and I brought home my newest fun toy.
Mum spent some time showing me the basics and sat back and laughed at my attempts of straight lines. I learnt I have a lead foot but once I got that under control I managed to sew together three sides of some scrap material.
Unfortunately our material shop closed down earlier this year so I am waiting patiently for my mother to bring me some material to practise more with until we go shopping next week. I did manage to repair a
big rip in my favourite knitted jacket though. If anyone has any idea's of a basic learner sewing pattern for me to try, please pass it along.
Enjoy what is left of September!
The swaps at Crochetville are always a highlight for me! When the swap schedule gets posted for the year I can always be found at my table with a pen, pad and calendar deciding which swaps I want to join. It's always a fun hour until too many overlap and I need to decide which ones would be more fun and in my price range. Of course during the year when certain swaps open I decide to join extra swaps that are not on my list. The filet swap was one of those swaps this year.
Well earlier this week my parcel came in the mail. I am always excited to receive mail but swap packages are extra special. The delivery lady came very early. Long before the kids went to school. Which they were thrilled about when they saw the huge bag of tootsie rolls. Some even went to school so the kids friends could try our favourite American candy. Needless to say they are long gone now.
Along with my candy I also recieved a square for my friendship-ghan.
I love it. I am fasinated with the stained glass window squares.
I also received a square from my swap partners mum. Her mum could not get the pattern right so they did an exchange. My swap partner would make a square and her mum would weave in all those ends on her filet project. What a great exchange! Linda will you come be my mum? I hate weaving in ends too.
Here is the square my partner made for her mum to give to me.
Isn't it gorgeous?
Of course there was also my swap project! I had asked for anything with an owl on it. I am in love with my new owl!
It was meant to be a square but turned out alot bigger. So it is a table scarf now. But I am worried it will get ruined on my table. My kids are messy little monsters and I'm a total klutz. So I have a vague idea of turning it into a large pillow for my bed or somehow incorporating it into a bedspread. I/m not sure yet but at the moment it is safely packed away and brought out on a daily basis to be admired by myself and anyone who comes to visit us at the cottage.
Thank You Rene' for being my swap partner.
As soon as I have official confirmation that my filet package has reached it's destination I will post some photo's.
As you know from previous posts, I am a member of the Friendship-ghan CAL at Crochetville. I am very excited to say that I only need 12 more squares to complete my ghan. One is making it's way to me now and someone else has pledged me a square. So that brings my total down to ten. I am thrilled to be almost finishing my ghan. When it is complete it will have thirty 12" squares to cover my queen size bed.
Last week I spent a few hours crocheting five squares in to a row that had already been bordered. I initially asked for shades of blue in my squares and received a few bright cheery squares as well. I liked them so much that I also asked for some bright squares to be added to my list. Since our CAL leader decided to randomly choose a biggest square each month, the CAL has been hopping! My name is yet to pop out of the Biggest Square hat, but I have been amazed at how many squares have come my way in the past couple of months.
This is just a few that are saved to my computer
Here are some that I have sent.
I can not show off my most recent squares yet as they are yet to reach their destination. But they are gorgeous and bright!
Here is my first row of squares completed.
I used a bright blue and slip stitch joining. I am undecided if I will plan out the placement or just grab a square at random and join it on. Either way I am having fun assembling it.
We could always use more members in our CAL and making squares is addictive. I don't know what is more fun. Sending squares out or receiving them. If you would like your own friendship-ghan feel free to join us HERE. You just need to send a private message to our great leader Katie and give her your size and colour preference.
I also managed to finish my Filet Swap project and got it in the mail in a timely manner. Photo's to come when I hear it has been received.
