The beginner............. crochet chain stitch

I'm doing it!  I've started and am slowly but surely on my way.  I love this craft and have always wanted to be able to crochet.  It's also part of my 30 goals for 2015. 

So after several failed attempts I went out and bought a cheap (kids) crochet kit that has really good (so far) basic instructions.  I'm learning the basic techniques, my first step being the chain stitch.

It has been raining on and off the last couple of days, so while the boys have been watching a movie, I sit on the couch with them and my kit and plod along.  I will keep going until my chains are more even and a little less wonky, then will move onto the next technique which is the Single Crochet.

My fingers are definitely less all over the place and I am getting the hang of holding the wool firm in my left hand as my right navigates the hook - I'm a long way off wash cloths and granny squares, but I know if I keep at it, I will get there in the end.

Happy Friday xo

Send a little love

 

 

 

I joined in recently with another great swap arranged by Tracy from Mad About Bags blog.   A parcel to be sent and received by Valentines Day.

Something heart shaped or themed

Something deliciously edible

Something handmade

Something red

 

I was partnered with Sandra from Mason Mumblings blog.  A new to me blogger and a fellow Kiwi.  I received a beautiful package of treats.  Sandra sent me a lovely zippered pouch.  The chocolate will be demolished in no time (I love that it's dark chocolate, as no one else will want to eat it but me, so I won't have to hide it).  The DIY pin cushion is such a great idea and I can't wait to make it.  Also sent was a heart shaped cookie cutter, hand cream, buttons and a pendant.

This is the second time I have joined in with Tracy's "Send a little love" swap - a great time of year to receive some treats as Mr H and I don't really celebrate Valentines day.  We give each other cards but the rest of the day is all about wee Tom and his Birthday.

I always love putting together swap parcels and I hope Sandra enjoys her parcel.  I sent cream and red cotton tea towels, a crocheted (bought at a craft fair) face cloth, heart shaped soap, heart printed fabric, washi tape, chocolates and a heart pendant that I made.  I wish I had remembered to photograph it before I wrapped it all up!

If you haven't joined in with a blog swap yet, give it a go - you don't have to be a blogger to join in.  You get to "meet" some really lovely people and it is always nice to get happy mail instead of bills.

Thank you to Tracy for organising this swap and to Sandra for being such a lovely swap partner.

My Handmade Adventure

Hello!  How is January treating you so far?  I love the start of a new year, full of plans and promise.

I'm not a New Years Resolution maker..........mainly because I can never keep them.  I do like the idea of "Goal Setting" though.  I've been making a list of things I want to achieve for the year - of which I will share soon, but the one that is at the very top of my list is to SEW.

I completed Sew School Online last year and also had sewing lessons locally and learnt to quilt.  But I didn't complete any sewing projects last year.  I baked, cooked and gardened my heart out, but no time was made for sitting at my machine.  That is why I find blog swaps great, especially if a handmade item needs to be included.  Sometimes a gal needs a deadline.

I have fat quarters and off cuts of retro sheets that I want to turn into my very first quilt.  There are a few online projects that I have bookmarked, and a Cath Kidston book full of sewing ideas to try.

So when Karen from My Handmade Adventure blogged about her Handmade Challenge I decided that this would be perfect for me.  I need a bit of motivation.  And it is not difficult - 12 items by the 31st of December 2015.  You can bake, knit, sew, photograph, draw or build - as long as it's handmade.  I have decided to make mine a Sewing Challenge and will share my progress with you as I go.  My main project will be my quilt with smaller sewing goals along the way.  It will be great to put my new found skills to the test.

So join in if you wish - and we can cheer each other along as we go.  I may even get the courage up to make an item of clothing!  Baby steps first I think?!  ( And I will NOT make one item in January and then rush to finish the final eleven in December...note to self).

 

Are you a resolution maker / goal setter?

 

Will you join in with the Handmade Challenge?

A cracker of a Christmas swap

I joined in with two swaps for the festive season.  I love these bloggy swaps - and it's always good to get some Happy Mail.

Tracy from the blog Mad About Bags hosted a Christmas Cracker Swap.  I was partnered up with Kimberley from Creative Chaos.  We had a good laugh about this as we have been partnered up for so many swaps.

Below is what I put together for Kimberley.

I filled the inside of the cracker with Chocolates and some Christmas craft pegs and wrapped it up with a Jamie Oliver tea towel (I know from her blog posts that she loves Jamie Oliver and tea towels).

Using the other tea towel I made up a parcel of treats that included a felted stocking decoration that I made, ginger biscuits, tissues, a wooden bird decoration, Christmas peg bunting and a recipe for fudge that I love to make.  I decorated the cracker and parcel with a artificial pohutukawa stem (native New Zealand flower) and mesh flower.  I hope she loved it, as I much as I enjoyed putting her Christmas Cracker and treats together.

Below is what Kimberley sent to me.  She knows me well and put together a really lovely cracker.

I love the reindeer decoration and heart magnets.  I'm thinking a girlie tea party with friends may be in order so I can put to good use the cup cake cases, mini flags and straws.  The stationery and stamps are sweet.....I will be hiding those as Bell has been eyeing them up!

 

 

Thank you Kimberley for being such a great swap partner (again!).  Even with the busy festive season it is always really nice to make time to do a couple of swaps.

 

Did you join in with any over December?

 

Do you know of any good ones out there in blog land at the moment that would be fun to join in with?

 

 

 

 

Weekending

 

 

 

 

 

Just loved our weekend.  Tom scored his first Try at Rugby, there was minimal squabbling the only real hiccup being the button someone shoved up their nose!  And after complaints from Bell Saturday morning that she was bored after telling her she needed to do something other than play on her phone, I was on a mission to make her weekend phone free and fun!  She loves craft so I set up the table with paints, mini canvases, buttons, washi tape, a necklace making kit and anything else I could get my hands on.  She loved it and crafted all day.......mission complete.

Let's not forget the Looming too.  I actually thought this had been and gone in our town and had simply bi-passed our house.  But no, after having Bell talk about it all week we did a quick dash into town to pick up the necessary supplies (yay a cheap hobby) and this kept her occupied (and off her phone) for the rest of the weekend.  I've since been on line and ordered her a huge Looming kit with all the Bell's and whistles.  With school holidays approaching this new hobby/distraction could be great timing.

Over the weekend:

 

Home time - hanging at home over the weekend is under-rated I think.

A roaring fire.

Homemade vegetable soup with a bacon hock for dinner.

Date and cinnamon scones.

Mr H's English breakfasts on a Sunday morning.

Washing conquered.

Windows and window sills washed.

Vegetable garden weeded and dug over ready for new plantings.

Winter sun.

Blue skies.

Mud pies and outdoor kitchen/café play.

Books, trains and Lego.

Tea, tea and more tea.

I would have loved more sleep but heck you can't have everything.  Here's to a good week ahead and another weekend to look forward too.

Milk glass, welcome treats and making

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

The colder weather is settling in and with that a little more time is spent indoors (for me anyway).

 

My milk glass collection is starting to take shape.  The vases are sitting with my recently potted succulents.

 

A few treats were enjoyed on Mothers day, breakfast in bed, chocolates (long gone) and homemade treats from the kids.  Mr H did well (although I did hint heavily) with a Maeve Binchy book and the newest My Petite Kitchen cook book.

 

Scraps of vintage wallpaper and tourist maps have been made into necklaces.

 

The wool blankets are on the beds and the fire place ready.  My slow cooker has been working over time, playing host to beef and lentil stews and Sophie's shared recipe of Country Chicken soup.  Cottage pie was enjoyed one night this week, along with creamy pasta dishes and heaving bowls of steamed mussels.

 

I've been baking biscuits, chocolate/coconut cake and date loaves.

 

The Autumn colours are still showing off as is the sweet afternoon light.

 

 

Hope you have had a good week so far? 

 

Tell me what you have been up to or pop in a link in the comments section so we can stop by.

 

Joining in here with Meg and here with Em.