Busy little hands

I have to admit that I have been very lucky as a few weeks ago I was asked if I would make some of my things for Wyreena, a local gallery's Christmas gift exhibition and then a call went out for crafters to make things for Little Red’s Craft Cupboard and I got accepted too.  So the last few weeks I have been busily making things, trying to get enough products made. 

In the past when I have made things for a big order my brain seems to run away with all these fantastic ideas of things that I could possibly make and I get a bit overwhelmed, and then don’t know what to do, sit on it for a bit and then do that last minute panic that I won’t get enough made in time.  So this time I decided to just settle on a few well trusted items.  In the past my children’s toys have seem to have sold well, so I thought a few of these and maybe some new smaller in size Christmas ornaments.

And here are the final products...

A little group of owls (did you know that a group of Owls is called a Parliament?  Neither did I until a few seconds ago J), a little Miss and Master Frog, some crochet hanging birds, crochet stars and my favourite little Santa hat brooches.

I also managed to squeeze in another little frog for a Little Miss L.  I thought that maybe a little dress might have been in order and of course a little flower to pretty it up.

Besides all the crochet one of the other things that I have been busy with over the last few weeks is my garden.  I must admit it got quite a bit neglected over Autumn and Winter so when spring started it was a bit feral and needed quite a lot of work, but I have managed to get it back to how it used to be and this year I have been rewarded with the most beautiful display of my roses yet.  Last week we had some beautiful warm (almost summer evenings) and I would sit on my front porch step just drinking in the beautiful scent in the air.  It was such a fond reminder of how it used to be at my grandmother’s house.

Just looking at the pictures it seems I have a bit of a thing for orange/peach coloured roses.  I don’t know why as I don’t think I own a single thing in these colours J

 
Anna
xo

Some 'Ta-dah' moments

I love this moment, the final moment when you have finished something that you have worked on and you can finally say “ta-dah”. I have a few of these moments to share with you today. 

A little before Christmas I was asked if could make some little birds and some flower brooches for Rebecca.  Rebecca had been to our local Community Arts centre where I have had some of my hooky lovelies on display. So now that

I know they have arrived safely to their destination I can show you some  pictures (I didn’t want to post about them before I sent them in case it spoiled the surprise).

 So here they are.  Two little crochet birds...

 

 and two little flower brooches...

 and here they go, to be sent off to their new homes...

My other “ta-dah” moment came when I finally finished my squares for Jill’s Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2012.  I was very surprised how quickly they whipped up.  The pattern is one from Jan Eaton’s 200 Crochet Squares  (Square number 55) and I made them using Panda Cotton in 8ply.  I must admit I do love the updates that Jill has on her blog Stocki about all the squares that she is receiving (where the patterns come from and what yarns have been used).  It is lovely to see what other people have been making.  I can’t wait for the photos of this “ta-dah”moment.

 In other hooky news I am powering along with the Granny ripple blanket that I have been making for Little X.  I lost a bit of momentum there for a little while (I got distracted by Christmas), but now I’ve picked it up again and it’s coming along quite nicely. 

Today I am also going to make a confession to you all...during the holiday period I came across a U.F.O (unfinished object).  It is something that I started before Little O was even an idea (that puts it as a few years old).  It was hiding in a box under our bed.  I opened the box wondering what on earth could be in there to discover a granny square blanket that I had started.  The worst thing about it was that all the squares had been made, they had been sewn into strips and even the ends had been woven in, all it needed was to have all the strips sewn together and then a border to go around it.  Something big must have happened for me to put this aside and forget about it, or the other option which I am leaning towards is that I got inspired by another project/idea and that just took over.  Does this happen to you? 

But now I have a goal... I promise to you that I will have these finished by the end of.....

 ...January ....

Jees... who am I kidding...

...how about... February... hhhmmm

...no let’s do... March...yes...

...Yes, March it is!!!!

So this is my goal and my promise to you, two finished blankets by the end of March. 

I think I can.

Anna

xo

(O.M.Gosh, just reading over what I have written and does this mean I have a really bad memory or does it show how often I clean under our bed...arrhh)