Life is looking up!

Ever since the doctor told me that the pain in my wrists was osteoarthritis I have been feeling a bit down but today I saw a physiotherapist and she has told me that when I do something and it hurts it just means that the joint is getting a little inflamed and if I then rest a bit the inflamation will calm down. I was fearing that the pain meant my bones were being worn away!

So

No need to give up knitting and crochet! Though since they do sometimes hurt I may need to do less and rest more.

I am not very good at doing nothing but on my way back from the physio I popped into an Oxfam bookshop and found a book on my camera for £2.99.So maybe I should do more reading that shouldn’t use my hands so much.

I also have a book on my graphics package that I bought from the library.I’m only a third of the way through so I can read that as well.

I am knitting some clothes for a doll at present. A friend who helps in a charity shop has been given a load of dolls, that had been given to the shop, so she can make clothes for them before they are put on sale. I said I would help.

The one I have had hair that looked awful but I washed and combed it and am making some trousers and then maybe a hat. She already had a yellow top and overtop that are fine. I will show you when she is finished.I also have some crochet to show you when I have finished sewing in all these ends.What do you think I have made? Not much of a clue I know!

A bit of a boost and a puzzle

Taking part in the CAL has made me question whether I can really compete (in an ability sense) with all these other crocheters who are taking part because I feel I have only really been crocheting since I retired.

But some days ago I found a few things that I made years ago, but had forgotten, that show that that maybe I know more than I think.

There is this trial square that I made from whatever odd bits of yarn I had to see if I liked the motif for a blanket that I found in a magazine. Which shows I have done popcorn stitches before.

I decided that it might have looked good in the picture (all in cream I think) but in the hand it was too big and too floppy.

And then there is the first half of a tea-cosy which is all over bobbles. So I have met them before!

This was again made from leftover yarn and I realised half way that I wouldn’t have enough to finish it.

The above must have been made about twenty years ago.

And lastly there is the first piece of crochet that I ever did. Discoloured now and I can see that my tension tightens up as I went along

but I am still pleasantly surprised that I could crochet even that well fifty years ago.

I also got a boost from being able to hang the washing out and use my new peg bag. It’s been so wet lately.

There was more washing but I hang jumpers indoors. And, yes, the passion flower is taking over the garden and will have to be severely pruned that will probably kill it but at least will let the lavatera grow further back.

But now the puzzle

I was given a whole bag of yarn the other day. I was told it contained tapestry wool, which it did.

And I may get round to using it in a few months time if I can fit it in.
But
there were also all these bundles of cut yarn. The pieces are about 30 inches, (75cm) in length.

Can anyone suggest a use for this? Or should I just chuck it in the bin?

Yay! I’ve finished a sock for me!

Here is the first of the socks I am making for myself. I could maybe have cast off even more loosely but it fits and is so lovely and soft. And of course I also love the muted rainbow colours.

I can wear it straight or turned over

I have started on the second one and with luck it might be finished by the end of the month if I don’t get distracted.

And here is an update on my flower cloth.

I have done a bit more of it and now it looks like this.

Not halfway yet but it contains every sort of flower except the twelve petalled darker pink ones.

And as a future endeavour

I am joining Rachell’s CAL  and have ordered the book. The picture of the book is showing in the ‘Posts I Like’ on the right.

One Lovely Blog award

DaniellaJoe at  http://daniellajoe.wordpress.com/ nominated me for the One Lovely Blog award.

So thank you very much DaniellaJoe; I feel so honoured to be nominated and am very grateful for this vote of confidence in what I am trying to do.

She has a lovely blog herself so go and look.

What I am less happy about is the demand of being awarded since I am having difficulty in finding another fifteen blogs to pass it onto, certainly if I keep to the criteria I set myself previously see HERE.

So many blogs are too well established and/or have the awards already or are too new to know how they will turn out.

But I have managed to find six blogs to give this award to so rather than delay I will nominated these six people for the award now.

I am also supposed to reveal 7 things about myself.

(I can see I can’t count as I only listed five things for the Versatile Blogger award recently. Well they are both odd numbers! – so I’ve numbered them this time.)

1. One of my favourite foods is duck (sorry to any vegetarians or fluffy duck lovers) and I am going to have a special duck meal this weekend.
2. My favourite colour is blue and I especially like wearing blue and pink.
3. Even though I am now retired I never find enough time to do everything I would like to do.
4. I enjoy using Wii Fit to keep in shape.
5. I even play games like Mario Kart on the Wii.
6. I also enjoy computer adventure games. The first ones I played were text adventure games – a bit like a radio play rather than television.
7. I also like jigsaws both with real pieces and on the computer – well you can’t lose the pieces that way!

The Rules are:-

The Rules for accepting this Award is as follows:

1. Add the award to your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who gave it to you.
3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

So I nominate:-

Crochet Again – http://crochetagain.wordpress.com/  especially bright colourful crochet.

Clothmonkey – http://clothmonkey.wordpress.com/  lovely variety lots of crafty things.

A Conversation with MOO – http://aconversationwithmoo.wordpress.com/ relatively new but crochet and sewing looks beautiful and creative.

divinedebrisjewelry – http://divinedebrisjewelry.wordpress.com/ I was going to award her the versatile blogger award but someone has already done that and her jewellery is so beautiful and she is amazingly prolific.

Home, Heart and Hook – http://homeheartandhook.wordpress.com/ mainly bright colourful crochet but cooking and photos too.

morganhausen –  http://morganhausen.wordpress.com/ because she does such lovely knitting and crochet.

And now I must go and tell them…………………….

Versatile Blogger reprise

Two post on the same day!

Well, today was the only day I felt I had the time to do this post.

I have to thank Crafts by the Sea for nominating me for the Versatile Bloggers Award.  When I see all the amazing blogs out there I feel very humbled and wonder if I am adding anything worthwhile myself.  So it is extremely kind of her to nominate me and I am very grateful because it is great to be noticed.

As I understand it, what is expected of those who are nominated for this award is that you:-

• Thank the person who gave you the award – done
• Include a link to their blog – see above
• Tell seven things about yourself
• Nominate 15 other blogs for the award
• Tell them that they have been nominated

This time I decided that I would take my time and try to do it properly and find a full fifteen blogs to nominate myself.

Having come to the conclusion that this award is primarily meant for relatively new bloggers I set myself the following criteria.

• Relatively new blogger with not too many followers – if possible (this applies more to some than others)
• Interesting content
• To include comment on why I chose them
• Not too big a gap between posts
• Doesn’t appear to have been nominated for this award before

The last criterion had me having to delete some promising candidates, sometimes because they got nominated after I had put them on my list. 😦  But good for them.

So first seven things about myself.

• I am an altar server and an MC on Sundays. This also means now that I am retired that I attend a lot of funerals in my capacity as altar server.
• I love my garden even though I have always said that I have brown crinkly fingers rather than green ones. 😉
• I try to be as ecological as I can.
• I am a perfectionist.
• I am relatively uncoordinated so getting the knitting and crochet even close to the standard I desire can be tricky.

Now my nominated Fifteen Blogs:-

(I have still veered towards crochet and knitting blogs.)

The order is simply the order I discovered them.

I found myself using the words colourful and beautiful in almost every description so I decided to leave out adjectives and just let you know that I think that they all include some beautiful and colourful work in their blogs.

Craftaceous Period – check out her collection of crochet squares

Megs J Shep – look for her baby items

ohmisterknitter – has crochet and knitting to see

My Crafty Therapy – loves rainbows as much as I do

blondiesBEARista – photos, crochet …….

eskimo rose – pictures, chat, crafts

Crochet and Tea – amigurumi and fabrics

Colouring With Yarn – lots of projects

Gossycrafts – I liked her approach; crochet and knitting

lifemultithreaded – interesting variety including crochet

rozaanthony – check out her knitted mitts and socks

knitsnips – lots of things including socks; knitting and crochet

Crochet Thoughts – crochet but also knitting

Domestic Goddess Project – lots of things: food, crochet, gardening….

The Green Dragonfly – crochet including patterns

Now to go and tell them that they are nominated.

Versatile Blogger Award

Hi! J. G. Burdette has recently nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award so thank you very much to him. Quite surprised really as I am very new to this blogging business.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Now apparently people who are nominated are requested to do five things.

• Thank the person who gave them the award – done
• Include a link to their blog – see above
• Tell seven things about themselves
• Nominate 15 other blogs for the award
• Tell them that they have been nominated

Well I’ll try for seven things about myself.

1. As someone who has the heart of a mathematician I am a little worried that this award is a bit like a chain letter. Do you know how quickly even powers of two reach really BIG numbers?
2. I don’t follow so many blogs that I can happily nominate fifteen just like that, so I will do what I can.
3. Knitting and especially crochet are really my ‘thing’ at the moment.
4. I enjoy taking photographs and have just bought a new camera – useful when you have a blog.
5. I come from a creative family.
6. I also like watching Formula One racing on TV but not so easy now Sky have taken it on.
7. I am too private a person to want to share any more but there is a little more about me in the top menu – ABOUT.

These are wordpress blogs I think are especially good in alphabetical order.  They are all creative blogs that between them include crochet, knitting and sewing and things like collage. All very creative people.

http://buttonbeautiful.wordpress.com

http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com

http://cuteasabutton82.wordpress.com

http://madebypatch.wordpress.com

http://morganhausen.wordpress.com

http://planetpenny.co.uk

http://sewstitchtastic.wordpress.com

http://sincerelysarahandcrafted.wordpress.com

http://woolhogs.wordpress.com

There are also a couple of  non-Wordpress ones I visit now and then.

http://attic24.typepad.com/

http://bunnymummy-jacquie.blogspot.co.uk/

I think eleven is enough.

Better go off and tell them now.

And get to work finishing that blanket 🙂

Why Did I Start this Blog?

Well……………………..

I was taught knitting, crochet and various sorts of embroidery when I was a child.

I was a very slow knitter but by knitting the occasional item, such as baby coats when I was expecting a child I gradually improved.  (I knitted a third coat – for my son – but I must have given it away.)

My mother did a lot of crochet but it was mostly lacy patterns using crochet cotton like this –
She said that the bedcover had taken her about 18 months and I think that was before she extended it to fit a double bed.

I started a piece of lace once but it grew much too slowly for impatient me.

I quite enjoyed embroidery but can’t say I was especially good at it.

Recently however I knitted a gilet (well that’s what the pattern called it) as part of my clothes for my second daughter’s wedding and as it turned out well I began to grow in confidence.

You can see bits of it in these two pictures.

(I bought a rather special coat for the wedding as well.)

So I set out to knit a Christmas Crib from a book by Jean Greenhowe.  http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/christmas.html

This was also a success.

I knitted a few dolls for my granddaughter and some scarves and berets and baby and toddler cardigans and then I found Lucy’s site: http://attic24.typepad.com/ and fell in love with the idea of a blanket made of hexagons.
Sneak Preview

I was now hooked not only on knitting but maybe even more so on crochet.

So much so that I decided I should start a blog.

Why Rainbow Junkie?

Well I have always been obsessed with rainbows ever since I first saw one and if anything I do can incorporate a rainbow arrangement of colours I am so happy. Even when I am using colours in a random fashion it is the bright clear jewel colours that I like to use.

You can see I created this mandala about twenty years ago. It represents both me and the world.

I also made this one a couple of years later in 1995.