Hey-cro whaddya know!

Welll welllll welllllllllll-lah!

I spent most of yesterday trying and failing SO badly to make a lovely little crochet granny square. I have been determined all my life to be like my mum and be able to just produce awesome knitwear/crochet at the drop of a hat, my mum has got the woollen skills! I sadly do not and knitting is about as exciting as I get (I love it but I WANT to crochet so hard)
So after an entire day of stabbing my fingers, squinting like an old lady over a big ol' steering wheel and cursing a lot...at about four pm I finally decided that I was always going to be a total loser and ought to be struck off as an official 'woman'
That I may as well give up and go back to dreaming about crochet and making cute little blankies..sure, I can knit but this crochet malarkey is like winning the lottery for me, I know it is out there, or at least, it is for other people, but for me it is juuust out of reach..so as the evening drew closer and I really WAS going to give up and make some dinner for my poor hungry family, honest..then I suddenly got it! Dinner was going to have to wait suckers!

SHIZENYESS!

I got it!!! soon after that four oddly shaped squares sat in front of me in a drudgy shade of green, red, yellow? etc,  and I knew, I totally knew that it was love. I looked down at the pathetic little squares all wonky and proud and I went straight to Ebay and sweetly asked (made) 'him' buy me 800g of scrappy DK wool to make into horribly wonky brother and sister squares for my proud little mutant squares, and in turn, my first blanket :)

So this morning (because by now you may have noticed I can't stop with the klepto-like behaviour) I went to the local (I can't ever remember the name of the bloody place..hang on..) not green grocer, no..wait! I went to the local hardware store and there, on the 'shelf' was a fairly crap but colourful collection of wool. Now the man who was in there was new and possibly a weirdo murdery type?? - he had the look y'know slightly serial killery specs, shifty eyes and an enthusiastic comb over

But he was about my age-ish, hrm, I was sure he shaved some hair off to make his comb over..what an odd set-up, why choose to look like this?? I toyed with running away as he went to prop open the door (also known as lock the door and kill me - but he didnt) then he smiled at me in a slightly pitying way as I enquired about his lacklustre wool and told me, very kindly, that I could have 8 balls at 1.85 each, then he said actually some of them are a bit, y'know (? I do?) ..so how about today they are..hmmm 1.50?(said quizzically as if I knew the answer to 1.50?)....Well I wasn't going to argue, I only had about £7 ish quid and so I picked up 6 as I couldn't decide between them and he said, ok how about you tell me how many are there, so I said 6 but I can't afford them all, just choosing the colours. Then he said, ok well what have you got in your hand so I checked my change, told him about £7 ish and he said 'fine'

Sweet!
 
So I scrabbled around and pulled out the £7ish, thrust it at him whilst making a clear run for the very welcoming exit and yelled 'THANKS'... and  legged it home with my cheap, weird and slightly odd collection of wool. Apart from being scared shatihless in the shop that whole trip was worth it, what a kind and mostly terrifying man, and besides, I could not wait.. it was definitely probably worth it maybe.

Now bearing in mind I am moving to a new (falling down) house in two weeks and it has no storage and I don't know where anything is going to go etc, I am guessing that now is a pretty stupid time to decide to fall in love with crochet and stock up on tons of wool. Bearing in mind I have a knitting shop and a whole room full to the brim with chunky wool and last winter's scarves that are still unsold..possibly not the best timing, but PAH, whatever..I am in love and anyone who stands in the way of me and my weird little squares better watchout!

On another note I was also very pleased because the day before I rescued a (possibly very ugly) 70s raffia grass and leather (what a combo) bag from the charity shop, It was buried under some rather drab old suitcases and a crappy briefcase, bleurgh, who the hell do they think they are! pfft.
Now I knew it was cool in a kind of 70s mum kind of a way but I wasn't sure of what it was going to be for..I contemplated using it as a buggy bag for nappies and the likes but let's be honest, they go UNDER the buggy and usually the buggy bag is for the awesome bits and bobs I find out and about..so no,not for that.. then of course the wonky squares happened in all their glory and so my crochet bag was born..mmm crochet bag, you're so ugly but so cooool!

So yeh, tonight I am up to ten little rainbow squares, they are all the same (ish) shape and I feel proud like a puffy pigeon..so folks, for the first time in my stubborn, giveupperish little life, after 31.5 years and  many a tantrum, I have finally made a crochet square...I am one happy girl :) woo!x

Baby it's COLLLLLLD outsiiiiiide

Gosh, it's blooooody freezing today. After a week or so of lovely, lovely sunny spring weather we are now back to grim grey skies and chunky knitwear (I like that part) and guess what? I've got the stupid, stupid sniffles. Have been sneezing and sniffing and now I definitely have a runny nose...humph.

Today, seeing as it is rubbish and cold, I am going to learn to crochet. Have found a bunch of cool tutorials on YouTube and am GOING to do it. I went out this morning and bought a cute little crochet hook and I obviously have tons and tons of wool (not packed that just yet -can't bear to!) and I intend to learn how to make squares, then make square after square on my cold and boring nights at home (I am imagining there wont be many of those as I am moving to a house with a boiler and lots of lovely fun people and things) when I have not much else to do...ha, yeh.

Look at this beauty from Moxy Crochet

http://www.moxycrochet.co.za/index.html

...so so gorgeous..jealous/inspiration!

Right, so I am going to go and find my slippers and make some tea and then get on to making wonderful blankets using only a little metal stick and some sheepies! yehh. bye.x

Oh hello

It's been a while hasn't it.
I've been REALLY busy, squirrellllling away all my things into boxes, ready to move to the new house! It's been a chore and I'm not even half way there..sigh..this is mostly because I have spent most of my spare time walking for miles about the countryside with the dog or buying lovely old studio pottery and the likes from local charity shops (shh! don't tell him)

Work has finally slowed to a standstill, I don't think people want knitwear when the weather is this nice (stupid, stupid... ok, fair enough) I am planning to shut shop for a few months until I am settled in the new place and then I will re-open with new ideas, products and lovely things in time for summer and the festivals. It's a bit dis-heartening that I'm not doing much work-wise but I am taking it as kismet, I am meant to be working on other things and so I must knuckle down..probably.

..and so I must also be more versatile and make lovely new things..I just need to figure out what they are? Knitted tea cosies? Woollen lampshades? Woollen pillows, Garden cushions, Giant cats made of human hair? no?..urgh..I don't know. Feel so despondant.

Score of the day yesterday was this super-cool fabric for framing and putting in my new office (the understairs cupboard, I am JUST like Harry Potter)

I love the whole primary colour, naiveness of it. Do you remember the kids TV show Pigeon Street?

It reminds me of that, clearly Pigeon Street and Long distance Clara had a lasting effect on me, so now my office is going to be rocking some 70s/80s joy..LOVE. See the woman in the long blue dress and grey cardi - I AM her. She is me..wtf?! I had never noticed until now..disturbing.

Recently, me and him have be out and about jaunting, it must be the weather, I love to jaunt about the place with a pocket full of coins and a hopeful feeling in my tummy that * maybe & perhaps* exciting treasures will be just around the next corner - most of the time they are not..but out on a jaunt last Saturday, me and him were looking about one of our local thrifty places (top secret location of cheapy goodness) when we happened uponst some WICKED 70s G-Plan chairs (like these) but battered and in need of some serious love and touching.

I love them, small and kitch and perfect for the new kitchen..score! Just as I was turning around to pay for the rad chairs I saw a 1940s kitchen clock, a Jessie Tait plate and ANOTHER two awesome (Nathan) chairs. Like a ten-armed kleptomaniac I swooped down upon everything in site and scooped it all up in my cubbly little arms...mmmmmm Score, muahahhahahahahha! So we left the secret place of goodies, got in the car and it wouldn't start (shizenmuff - him in instant mood) Thankfully I just so happened to have watched MacGuyver that morning and remembered some handy tips, and quickly fashioned a new car out of elastic bands, broken teak tables and some slightly gritty lumps of blue tac (not really) but I did fix it. Winner, and on our merry way we went!

Anyway, once we got home I decided I really ought to get on with my last broken chair project of doom. Make some room for some more chairs of doom. One of my (not so secret) loves is re-covering old chairs (see below - cat not for sale, chair now finished and for sale on evilbay)

 The chair pictured with my little cat Sage, is an original 1920s Atcraft chair recovered in 50s fothergay fabric, I don't care how many people think it is an ugly fabric, I think it is a thing of beauty and it is currently for sale right now on Ebay - go  take a peek! I must've hit my stupid sausagey fingers about twenty thousand times to get this old boy back to looking pretty and nice. The fabric is taught, the chair is re-upholstered, the frame sanded and waxed..it looks like a sexy gentleman chair and whomever is tempted by is deco curves will be in love forever, I am sad to see it go, but I have more chairs and that means less room, farewell old boy.

Anyway, as I was saying, before sidetracking like a pro -  Like a phoenix from the ashes these awesome old G-Plan chairs will rise and be loved once again - I swear it! I want to do something like this (see Ercol chairs right here)

What do you think? Something bright and happy like this, whoever made these chairs look like this - you are a genius, sorry for not linking you or crediting you but I collected this pic ages ago and lost the linky info. Needless to say, you are an actual genius! So yes, like these lovely colourful beauties but with awesome/hideous fabric seats. hrm, will photograph and show you once they are done, they are on the HUGEmongous list of things I have to make/fix/build as soon as I move house.

Anyway, enough waffling about chairs.. This week (that's the last twelve hours so far - six of which I was asleep!) I have been working on a felted bead curtain for my new kitchen, I am making tons of little balls and will be threading them onto fishing wire with shells and glass and other cool bits and then hanging them in my new minging kitchen window which actually has to become prettier otherwise I may be forced to cry..have a little sneaky peaky at my felting goods whilst you're here

Bloody chip in my favourite cup, ach, anyway, those colours are awesome and will be much more awesome once they are hanging in my (soon to be) fabulous new kitchen window.

Right! I really ought to get on with my day..can anyone teach me to crochet? I realllly want to learn how to be as good as this http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/ Oh Lucy, I read your blog and am SO jealous of your lovely crochet world..sigh. such wonderous colours and shapes..one day!

All the pictures I have featured (apart from the wool balls and the cat on a chair) are not mine, I have lost the links to them but I just wanted to make damn sure that the people who did take them know I am not claiming them as mine and am super-thankful for their beauty perking up my stupid blog. So thank you and if you really aren't happy, please msg me and I will take them down. taaa.xxx

On the theme of..

..Old man paintings, I bought one as a gift today.

This blog should've been entitled 'Kindness'

This past weekend and today, I have been shown such kind ness and generosity..it is amazing how lovely people can be.
Last week a nice lady we shall refer to as C, donated her kitchen to me on well known British website, Freecycle. I actually emailed her about something else she was giving away but she read that I needed a kitchen for the new  (falling apart) house and she kindly told me that her kitchen was being removed, so would I like it? She sent photos and then informed me that the lovely, lovely kitchen fitters (who were putting in her new kitchen at the time) would lend us their van so we could transport it all..for free. So to C, thank you SO much. So much kindness and generosity.
To the fitters, also thank you for being trusting and kind.
Then, on to today..my insane art collection is going a bit overboard at the moment, and I was looking for a gift, I stumbled across a lovely painting for my fella

and emailed the (awesome) seller with an offer..it was every last penny i had and REALLY more than I should be spending with solicitors and bills and babies etc..but he kindly accepted and was so sweet to talk to. He didn't have to say yes, but he did..so to him, we shall call him K, thank you also. You are amazingly kind.

Not wanting to sound too much like a hippy, but if you can, in your life, make someone else a tiny gesture like those that were made for me, I can honestly tell you, you will make someone so happy. Please do it, I hope it will make you feel happy too.x

Shugga-duggga dooo, OOOH, Daddy.

Today I am MAD about the old man paintings you see laying about in charity shops and going for nothing on Ebay/Etsy and so on.

I am bidding on a right old pair of geezers online at the moment, I have such a  warm swollen feeling of love for them in the pit of my stomach, I can just picture (no pun intended) their awesome old man faces above the sofa in my new house. Their beautiful wise old cracked faces, concealed behind their beautiful wise old cracked varnish..mmmm, I love them. I hope they smell old, like the same way old books do (I collect them too)
Anyway, I guess this has to be a very brief post as Shutter Island is on the TV and I quite fancy scaring the shizz out of myself and hiding behind a cushion and the likes. Hopefully a more interesting post tomorrow or sometime soon..maybex

I love your funnnnyyy faccce

MMMM baaacon. Lickedy lick.

Rowan, you rock.

Shouldn't buuuut... WOULD!

Everyone has them, right?

I spent aaages last night baking a nice (if you like that sort of thing) coffee and walnut cake for my fella. Personally I think coffee is rank and walnuts are lovely but FAR too fatty, am fat enough already after 2 kids and 74 chocolate bars a week :P

Whilst baking said cake my dog, Rowan and I, listened to music and pondered over our shouldn't but woulds..who are yours?

Mine were:

Dustin Hoffman (coo coo kachoo, mrs robinson - you know what I mean!)

Liam Neeson

Griff Rhys Jones (gah..yum!)

AND

Dexter Fletcher (pictured, whom I have loved since The Press Gang in 1989 - when I was 9/10. Look at Dexter..what a silvery beauty he is)

Rowan's were:

Lassie

Odie

AND

sage, our stupid cat...he is a very confused doggie.

STILL no news about when the survery for our house will be..I have a little egg of nervousness in my tummy. BWAAAKKK..that was my best chicken noise.

MASSIVE hair.

What I wouldn't give for

1. lovely straight normal hair that does as it is bloody well bloody told bloody bloody.

2. a nice small chest to fit inside 'normal' girlie clothes instead of a matronly chest, it's not even jayne mansfield large, just hattie jaques...although not as lovely as she was fabulous.

3. a little bag full of a million pound coins to fall out of the sky into my handbag (please)

4. the money to purchase a g plan room divider to put in the house i just paid a shitwedge of money to survey before (hopefully) buying!!

5. patience to find out if the house we are (hopefully) buying, is ours.

6. a studio to do all of my knitting in, a nice one with awesome things in it.

7. a spare £140 to buy the 2 parker knoll chairs I need to match the one I already have..then another 1 to magically turn up so i have a set for my new lounge..where are you?!?!

There are other things but I am late for school and this is bad as I am the mum...I am meant to be on time, it is him that is meant to be late.

My store is dead at the moment..how on earth do you get people to visit your etsy store to buy lovely woollen products when it is sunny outside and wool is probs the last thing they need?

hrm..this reminds me, the dog needs a haircut.

love.xx