A brief note before I run out the door....

Just in case you start wondering what has happened to me, I thought I'd tell you in advance.  We're going on holiday.  Tonight. For 10 days.  To Oman, about which I know vitually nothing. Don't think I'll have internet access but we'll be back on Saturday 31st March, when I hope to blog with pictures, etc.  Always assuming I don't get arrested for carrying dangerous implements like knitting needles and crochet hooks, that is.

Instead of knitting, I'm taking crochet on the plane.  Since we're going somewhere where it's 35C, I'm reverting to the old days when I'd crochet in summer because it was less uncomfortable with swollen fingers.  My plan is to crochet the Moth Wings Shrug from Interweave Crochet 2010.  In France last year, I bought two balls of a mohair-silk blend directly from the producer, at a market stall.  I'll put one of those in my handbag, together with a 2.25mm hook and a photocopy of the pattern and see what happens when I get to Security.

Cecil B-da-suitcase is almost packed.  It's got the essentials:  sock yarn, spare needles, multiple sizes of crochet hook (in case I can't get gauge with the 2.25mm), and another ball of the mohair-silk.  Oh, and clothes.  And toiletries. Still have to empty my handbag of my portable knitting kit (that'll go into Cecil, too).

See you in a fortnight.

- Pam

Frugal Friday - Make Do And Mend

I was listening to episode 81 of Cast-On yesterday when Brenda Dayne read out a listener's email about the MakeDoAndMend tag in Ravelry and I thought I'd check it out. (If you have never heard of Ravelry, it's an online community/resource for knitters, crocheters and spinners. There facilities for loading pictures of projects, details of yarn stashes and needles/hooks, discussion groups, etc. Members can message knitwear designers to ask questions if they don't understand a pattern. It is an amazing resource.)

Anyway, I was stunned!

If you are looking for low-cost/frugal sources of inspiration check it out! There are links to patterns for making spiral socks out of the remnants of multi-coloured sock yarns, together with photos of dozens of examples; bags made out of recycled felted sweaters (check out Wynter's First Sweater Tote (rav link)); various rugs; and baby clothes. My favourite item is Manisha's "To Stand On Whilst Brushing Teeth Carpet" (rav link), a rug she crocheted out of strips ripped from an old duvet and some pillowslips.

Manisha was kind enough to answer some questions about the rug. The fabric was ripped into 1.5cm strips, which she zig-zagged together on the sewing machine, until she had a big pile of yarn. then she single crocheted the yarn into a rug.

I'm really tempted to make one of these. I have a couple of old sheets that are on their last legs; they're threadbare and it won't take much for them to wear through.

- Pam

I've been lead astray

A few weeks ago, I decided that I had too much yarn. I have enough yarn for at least five sweaters for me plus two tops, several hats and multiple pairs of socks. I'm not even sure what I want to make when this lot is used up. The lid of the "Stash" (a pine blanket box) doesn't close properly, even with the sewing machine sitting on it.

So I decided to go on a yarn diet. No more yarn purchases until at least the I-Knit-London show in September (that's where I'll get to meet the Yarn Harlot). And I'd have to use up enough Stash that I could close the lid in the meantime.

The diet lasted 2 weeks.

At lunch on Wednesday, a colleague "N" took me and another colleague "K" to a nearby shopping centre; somewhere off the main roads, where I'd never been before. "K" is a knitter. She's also a bargain shopper, who finds most of her yarn in charity shops. There are at least four charity shops in the shopping precinct, although we only managed to visit two.

We hit paydirt! "K" purchased 12 x50g balls of a cotton ribbon yarn that I'd never heard of (and don't remember), for 50p a ball. Even better, the shop manager was the person who donated the yarn in the first place so could verify it was all one dye lot. "K" plans to make a blouse with it.

Me? I purchased this:

55g of some unlabeled ?aran pink fuzzy yarn (feels like mohair, but who knows?). It cost me 50p.

I want to make the ruffle scarf from Interweave Crochet, Fall 2005. I know I don't have enough to make the scarf as shown, but I'll use it as my inspiration and go from there.

Oops! Look like the diet failed.

- Pam (also purchased a pink wool suit for £7.50!)

Tuesday, we had a craft fair

I've been a bit quiet recently on the blogging front. That is partially because I've been spending my spare time preparing for this:-


A table load of Bridal Horseshoes for Tuesday's craft fair, organised by the Social Committee at work.

In a moment of madness, about a month ago, I volunteered to take a table. Yes, I know, I've always made horseshoes as gifts. And I've never sold one in my life before. And I couldn't produce them in huge volumes (they take time) but aren't you meant to cover the table with stuff at shows? And there isn't much of a market here for them - the tradition has nearly died out, whereas in Australia it's booming. And.... And....

I must be mad. This time last week, there were hundreds of excuses and reasons why I should pull out. DH talked me out of it. He gallantly cut me out 15 bases, made me hot chocolates, bought me bits and pieces, and laminated me signs. (Sorry, no picture of the signs - they show my work phone number.) The net result were these:-


I think they are really pretty.

I took 14 horseshoes with me (somehow managed to miss making the 15th), and sold a grand total of ..... Are you ready for this?..... Two. Yes, that's right, two.

I reckon we had 30 people through the door in the hour and a half of the craft fair. It is a new thing and I can't blame the Social Committee for trying - of all the places I've worked, this is the least sociable - but they're fighting an uphill battle. The location was pants for a start - we were tucked into a conference room well away from the main flow of traffic through the building. They could also do with a better publicist.

I think I'll put them up on Etsy.

- Pam