I Gotta...

New Toy!!! A new plaything! What is it you ask? I know because I can hear you... LOL As soon as that lockin thingy stopped here in the UK I decided that my 15-16 year old laptop needed replacing. It's ancient, it belongs in a museum, it still works, albeit very slowly, I can't upgrade the software on it any longer, and there's stuff on there I use regularly! Its on it's umpteenth new battery, the charger died.... every time it went flat it had to go live upstairs for Sir to charge it.... So, it's been sorta replaced, it's still here because I've not got the right lead (yet) to drag files from one to another.... However, I'm now the proud owner of a brand spanking new, glitzy, shiny, metallic gold Macbook Air!! Now I can update on here without having to resort to either typing on my phone or opening up the software on the screen, typing, saving, opening on phone, inserting pics, saving, then posting!! Im back to being able to do it all in one move!! Brilliant! When the case arrives it may just have to have some tatty bits on it!! LOL Just in time for that thing the TOG from 'down south' was on about the other day... I'll be able to comment, send pics etc soooo much easier!! LOL. She'll be bombarded with emails from this TOG!! VBG

What does

One get when ones husband gets a 3d printer?

Well, because Sir was finding out how it works... I received the top pic! Yes I have used both of them!

Then he decided to try a different material.... A quick email to that 'tatty OG down south' and another to Tim Tats Too ensued and within 15 hours I received the second pic!! Now to try it out!!

Archaeological digs and crochet hooks

Have been my life for the last 3 weeks! Miss me?? The dig was in the village on the scheduled ancient monument and was the Roman Civitas of Petuaria. The forum hasn't been found this year, but there's evidence that a high status house was built on top of it! We hope anyway! We've proved historians wrong, Petuaria was definitely thriving after 200 AD!

Anyway, nuff of that... I'll show you a couple of pics at the end!

Granddaughters are brilliant aren't they? They get jealous! Big Miss got a huge blanket when Lil Miss was born, I know you will remember! Anyway, lil miss wants one too. But they can't be the same!

During lockdown I came across the remnants of the yarn from the original blanket. Then saw a tube vid on Mosaic Crochet! Great way to use oddments! So, during less busy times on the dig, and between tea and bed I was crocheting... The crochet is coming along....

Chat later!

I bin...

 Scrubbin!!

I heard you ask.... There's an archaeological dig going on in the town. It's a playing field that's got the same sorta status as Stonehenge!

The dig started a week ago and we've found loads so far! Others can dig.... I get to scrub, gently, with a toothbrush! All comes to an end next weekend, so if I'm quiet... You know why!

Found in a nearby garden

Guess what....

I'll be doing today?

Last week whilst trawling that face.... site.  I spotted people talking about Ewa Wasyliszyn and her new book. Falling in love with some of the pictures of what people had nade, I contacted her.  

Long story short, I paid via PayPal on Saturday. Guess what arrived this morning...

Off to find shuttles and thread!!  Thank you Ewa!

The colours of summer

Anyone who knows me knows I love colour!!  As I told you (I think), Sirs idea of a good birthday present was gin for me to flavour.

During lockdown the first attempt was elderflower which I've shared. It was left for a week ...

A second one was left for 5 weeks and a mix of strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants was left for 4 weeks...

Wanna see??

Yes, the elder is in a cider bottle!

Isn't the summer one an amazing colour??

Now there's bramble (blackberry), a blackcurrant and a rhubarb on the marinade!!

When you're bored ..

And you have buttons and thread..  you play don't you? You don't? Well I do!!

Last weekend was fairly damp here, and after being at a wet funeral and being bored .. not settling to anything... I decided to be nosey through my button box.

Well, I got Eliza thread haven't I!? In Navy and Red. Buttons to tone and contrast and I decided to play...

Want to see?

Another bracelet!

why?

Is it that blogger decided to delete my post rather than publish it???

I'll start again!!

Monday was this TOGs birthday! Had a wonderful day!! However, because Big Lil Miss  was at school... Mummy and small helpers made a Greek salad and a sponge cake with cherries in on Sunday! We had an outdoor party at their house and kept distant!!

Remember I showed you the Eliza thread mat last week? The mug rug? Yes? Well I was playing with thread last week. The thread that'd come off the shuttle. Put basic macrame skills and beads into the mix, and produced a bracelet... Had it on on Sunday ... And promptly lost it to Mummy!!!

Had to make a new one yesterday! Slightly different if course!!

More from Last Week!

A week or so ago a neighbour with dementia passed away. She was a baker of cakes, quiches, pies etc!  One of her cakes was coffee cake. I can't resist and I have the recipe! Her family were discussing it in my presence, and I've to write it out for them...  it's in my remembrall! So... it's another little job for me to do!! Evidently her granddaughter has the baking gene too!

Just struck me as spooky that the bobbin dream from one person should coincide with a conversation re the same flavour cake with another!

Anyway, here's said bobbin!!

Must Tell You

About the new thread available from Roseground here in the UK.

Eliza is the latest from the Lizbeth camp. In size 10 it tats up like Lizbeth 10, but more matte. Reminds me of the old Twilleys threads. Lovely to tat, holds its shape well, takes size 11 Czech beads ok... provided you keep an eye on the holes when threading... I always use a beading needle and a length of cotton for threading.

Anyway, I digress... The range of colours is limited at present, only half a dozen or so in the range, all solid colours.

Anyway, I gotta hold of some and gave it a try. This pattern is from Jennifer Williams 20 tatted snowflakes. I think in colour, it looks like a ring of flowers and would make a gorgeous mug rug!!

I don't...

Think I've shown you this before.  Last year the younger of the two Li'l Misses was 'persuading Mummy' that she 'could so' drink out of a 'proper' cup like Big Li'l Miss!

Mummy decided she was right so a trip to the shop followed. Li'l Miss is rather like Granny and adores owls! So mug had to have owls on it! Mummy reminded her that Granny likes owls, so 2 mugs had to be bought!  One for Granny for a present!!

There's a reason I tell you this story now.... This morning whilst being nosy on that social media whatsit site I came across a lady by the name of Dee who happens to paint lace bobbins. As you know this tog is also a lacey tog!!

Anyway, Dee was saying that she had dreamt last night that she was painting bobbins with sayings on... 'Time for Tea' or 'Time for Coffee', and painting her favourite mug and chocolate chip cookies!  She's offered to paint them with your favourite mug and nibble to go with!  Took a pic of the mug and told her my favourite nibble.... which I was only talking about 20 minutes earlier... More tomorrow!!

Remember

The Doodad pattern that Jane shared last week? Well, this particular TOG didn't have any doodads the right size or shape... I did however have some bead caps for 8mm beads that needed finding! 

I eventually managed to tat the pendant... Brooch methinks...

Wanna see??

why?

Does my hubby decide that tomatoes need stringing when the temperature in there is in the 40's? Degrees C in the greenhouse! They can wait till tonight! It's 25 outside which is hot for my area of East Yorkshire.

I can't even knit or tat or any crafts till I cool down! Somebody find me a breeze please...

The pigeons decimated the strawberries and other soft fruit before they were ripe. Beans not coming up... Sweetcorn is growing, but we've had to cover the sprouts n caulis... Pigeons again!!

Right, off to cool down somewhere shady...

One Side

Remember that waterfall cardi? Well the first side is done and the second is part done. Must admit I like the way the pattern looks! Only the front is patterned, the rest is stocking stitch, so will work up quite quickly!

Got another elderflower gin on the go, with the last of the flowers for this year. I'm going to steep it a while longer than the last one though... See if it has worked in July!

Considering making some from rhubarb next!

How Old??

Those of you that know me well will know that this usually accompanies me in my tatty bag.

I hear you asking. .. what is it??

a crochet hook!!  We believe German make and definitely over 100 years old!

It belongs to my Mother in Law and she's almost 99!  She can remember her mum using it when she was little. It fled with her and her father to Berlin in the war. They left the farm virtually empty handed when the Russians were advancing.

She met her husband at the end of the war in Berlin and came to the UK in the late 1940's to get married. Sir was born 10 years later.

It's still in use even given its advanced age, but we can no longer ask questions regarding it's age... She now has dementia and can no longer knit, crochet or sew, or even make a sandwich for herself. We think she's also forgotten how to make a cup of tea. I did manage to get this crochet hook... and use it when I'm tatting! I wouldn't use it for beads or crochet any longer as it's very thin through use. So, nowadays it's still used but only for joining picots!

Anyway, thought I'd show you!!

what to do...

With elderflowers.... Gin?? Ok, I know a lot of you are saying cordial.... But gin appeals!

There's an elder on the boundary of our garden and the railway. Currently in blossom. So I decided to make something with a few flower heads.

A couple of years ago we went to Germany and bought a kilner (mason?) jar full of honey. One of those jars with a glass lid, a rubber seal and a wire metal clip! A tablespoon or 2 of honey had crystallised in the bottom. The rest had been used! I put the 8 or so flower heads in, poured in a bottle of gin from the local shop. Not an expensive gin I might add... The cheap for the UK stuff.... Seal and leave in the cupboard for a week...

Yesterday I decided it had to go back in the bottle... It had turned yellow.... Coffee filter paper in holder balanced on a funnel and drip into the original gin bottle.... Took all afternoon!

We tried it... It tastes like elderflowers smell!! 

I may just have to do it again!!!!

And a different...

Bit of knitting.

I managed the tubular cast on with the circular needle, however it'd be easier for me with a double  ended straight needle! Tried circular knitting ... Got cramp, waited a while, still got nowhere!!

In a fit of 'I've had enough of this,' it has been returned to a ball!!  I've not ruled it out completely, may well have another go, however...

A  few years ago I spent an afternoon 'teaching' a group of bloggers how to tat! I was 'gifted' 900g of yarn. This has been sitting waiting for the 'perfect' pattern to cross my path!

A couple of weeks ago it crossed! Bought it... Now started, traditional method on traditional needles...

Wanna see??

Yes, the yarn has got glitter in it. Stylecraft Cabernet, Purple Haze!!

tubular.

So, been on utube.  Found lots of different ways of casting on for a tube cast on. All of them showing the 'right handed' method which this leftie couldn't master!! Then found a lady who cast on with a crochet hook. Eureka!! I cast on over the needle with hook in my left and yarn needle in the right. It works for me!! The lady's name is Roxanne Richardson and she has a series of techniques under the header of 'the Swiss army' or something like that. Tried it.  It works!

I'll show you in a sec, for those of you who spot the colour change, I've got bits in my stash that will make this top multicoloured... Least that's the plan. Tubular cast on is what you see on machine knitted ribs on shop jumpers.  

It's All...

... the fault of that TOG down south! Found some yarn in my stash to try that pattern I mentioned.  No circular needles... order placed online, took delivery today. 

Sitting in the garden I decided to try out said needles. Cast on for a Swatch. 

Discovered the challenge of being a north England knitter.... We hold right needle under right arm, yarn in right hand.  Can't do that with circular needles! Got cramp trying to hold it 'free' and controlling the right needle with left hand. What next.......

Ok, I can hear you... Continental style knitting. You tube style.  It's taken all afternoon to learn knit stitch and purl stitch and get a 10cm swatch. It's the right stitch count but the rows are out... 2 rows per 5 cm!!! It'll be 3cm too long... It's top down knitting, so can be adjusted!! Is this face bothered?? Nope!

It's all Jane's fault for mentioning it eons ago!

So.. now to learn tubular cast on!!

 I'd show you the gorgeous bright yellow, but I pulled it out without taking a pic!! Here's the colour...

Chat soon!

Here you go...

Ready for shopping! Well almost..  her hand needs to be holding that pineapple!

What to do next... I've got tatting always on the go. Knitting for Sir too, but I needs something sorta mindless to do when I'm actually watching TV or socially distanced chatting with a friend outside... Just for 15 minutes or so. What can I do without looking at all... Plain knitting!! I found a pattern for a top down tee that can be worn either scoop neck, v back or v neck scoop back! The pattern uses up scraps (bonus), or can be plain. Because it's top down, you can make longer sleeves, either gathered at the cuff, or tapered, and you can make it tunic length!

The pattern I found is on Ravelry, v back tee! Downside? I can't start till I gets the circular needles!!! Drat!!! Hope they're here soon!

Anyway, Sunbonnet Girl bag:

Wow!;

We ran out of veg and fruit... I normally go to the market and pick what I want....

However, markets? Closed!!

We've a guy who normally does other things locally, can't work ... His friend is a fruit and veg wholesaler.. they got their heads together!! Fresh deliveries:

Whats in it?? £20 delivered to my door.

Want to see?

Here She Is...

Nearly ready.

Sunbonnet Girl has been finished tatting. She would already be on the bag, except.... as usual, I've filed my needle somewhere safe... So safe I can never remember where!!

I assembled the bits on my knee so you could see her... Hopefully I'll track the wayward needle down tomorrow! Then I can stitch her together and to the bag!!

Here she is....

What do you think?

The Weekend

There was a lace get together arranged. As with everything else it got squashed! So we held a virtual meeting!

As per usual, it was held over on Facebook! Good fun, including some knitted Cavemen, missing biscuits, a fall of bobbins and some tatting! 

That there other TOG down south, the one that keeps losing BC3, (I know he wanders, he keeps turning up in my greenhouse!!) keeps reminding me of some slightly larger projects... namely a hat, a waistcoat and a monster doily... All of which got shelved in favour of a bobbin lace garter that's now not needed till summer 2021!

So, I did a little lace, a tad more on the doily, and I've made some gorgeous sticky banana bread! Well, it sticks to my hips!!!

Wanna see?

What else?

Have I been up to?? Apart from taking meds to 98 year old mother in law so the carers can administer them...

I don't know if everyone has had the same challenges as round here... during this crazy episode we've seen stockpiling of toilet roll, kitchen roll, tinned food, dried foods, cereals....

For us the worst one was flour and yeast! I've had a bread maker for years and make bread and cakes in it! Banana bread is a gorgeous 'cut and come again' to have with tea or coffee... Tastes good on its own, with butter, or cheese!

I digress... No shop bread, no bread making, no cereal. You expect Sir to eat bacon on its own? Youve frozen the bread and the chickens are moulting so off lay for a couple weeks....

Were fortunate enough to have a garden centre that had to close, but the cafe transformed itself into a 'phone, buy, deliver' farmshop. Fruit, veg, because the chef from the cafe wanted to... we could get brownies, scones, meat pies... and... Plain flour!! Kept their stocks fresh!!  Then there's the other farmshop, sells meat, veg, fruit, bread flour and... yeast!!

Once a week we get milk from the farm in glass bottles, and meat, cereal, etc from the above...

So, yesterday what did I do?

And Then..

This arrived on Monday. Sent me looking for thread and shuttles, after I'd read it of course!

The rainbow taffy match for the bag shouted that it wanted to be used to make this gorgeous Sunbonnet Girl!

Now to find the perfect colour for her hat, bag and shoes. A girl's got to go out perfectly attired hasn't she?

I'll show you her when she's finished.

What Lockdown....

Does to bring a smile!!

A week or so ago I was video chatting with Big Miss, Li'l Miss and Mummy.  Li'l Miss wanted to know what Granny's favourite colours were. "Rainbow colours" was the reply. "Mine too!!". I thought no more of it until Sunday.... 

Mummy knocked on the window and pointed towards the door. Went to the door, one car containing the 3 females on the road and a small paper carrier on the doorstep!

They had a series of tie dying lessons last week. Colour mixing, how to tie dye, washing.... Lots of different lessons! Anyway, they decided it would be good to give Granny and Nanna a tie dyed present to say they were still thought of.  Li'l Miss refused to let either Mummy or her sister help with Granny's... because... 'I know what Granny's favouritest colours are!!'

The present?

Here:

The charms were made by Big Miss!!Going to be my new favouritest bag!! Think I may put a bit of tatting on it.  The colours match Rainbow Taffy!!

Chat later

It Seems Like

A long time ago now, but we went out to Tenerife for Sirs birthday last December. He hates being in the UK for a winter birthday.  Puerto de la Cruz was the destination.  Whilst there I spotted a yarn bombed building. You know the thing... where people cover things in knitting or crochet etc. Anyway I posted a pic on FB, as one does, and couldn't get blogger to work. A comment appeared underneath.

You know what it's like... You know the name of the tatter, and the proverbial penny drops! Corina lives in Tenerife!  A few messages later we met up for coffee, cake and tatting talk! What do Tatters talk about when they meet?? Lol. I was gifted a beautiful necklace and thread...  BTW, I'm the grey haired TOG!!

It's Official!

Today I become a GOP! What's that? A Grumpy Old Pensioner!! As of today I start receiving my pension! Thought this day would never arrive the way the government kept moving the ages!!

Anyway, 'nuff of that.... What have I been up to.... Well, Young Sir was supposed to be getting married in July. Then the pandemic struck. The date is now August next year, which is fine, it gives me chance to do other things like tatting instead of the bobbin lace garter I'm making. Wanna see??

Ok

It's now around 24 inches (600mm). I'll be stopping at 900cm. Then it'll be stitched to its edge...

I have a Dutch friend that keeps asking where the wedding garter came about. I don't have a clue! Anyone know??

A New To Me

You realise when you can't post that something is wrong. Eventually in this crazy world we're in at present, you get chance to play. Reloaded blogger and hope it works!.

A couple of years ago I got a copy of Heidi's reprint of Dora's book. Signed of course! It was a present from my ever loving hubby! Note, one has to ask for specifics and say where from!!!

Anyway, the other day I decided to play with a pattern...

Pretty...

Now look:

I ran out of thread!!! Makes a lovely flower!!

What you think?

At long Last!!

This is to try and post... Let's see if it works!