Car boot discoveries

Went to our first car boot of the year this morning - yay. I love car boot sales. Got loads of bargains for the house and boys, but the best discovery/buy, by far, was a local beekeeper selling some beeswax. Fantastic. I now have his address so I can get more when needed - and it's only 10 miles up the road.

Thought I'd best make something for the kids before I start on the next lot of orders I've got to do. Although they use empty tins for the felt tip pens and pencil crayons, I've never actually covered them (shame on me), so tonight I managed to make these 2 - one for the broad tips and one for the narow tips. Just got to do the pencil crayons and then the brushes.

Can't stay away today ;-)

From the postie today was a parcel from the very talented Gill from GP forum containing handspun alpacca wool. It is soooooo soft and the most gorgeous colour. Wool shawn and spun from within 45 miles of me is just fantastic. Thanks so much - just got to decide what to knit with it now.

This delight is going to be my tatty scrubber. I save all the net bags that I get from fruit, then put them inside the largest bag and then I just stitch the end up. Lasts years and saves them going to landfill.

Commissioned bag and keyring

Here is the horse keyring requested by Claire.

Here's piccies of the pink bag that a Michelle requested. Laura Ashley fabric with pink liner, then a pocket with the name stitched onto it.

Lastly is a birthday card for a friends birthday which is today. He likes the japanese Manga, so this is my attempt at it!

Free food friday - elderflower cordial

Elderflower cordial - we love this in our house so I'm making a double batch of this recipe. Elderflower heads (25) and lemons (3) cut into slices in the top piccie, then a cold syrup (2pts water to 3.5lb sugar) poured on the top of these. Leave for 3 days in the fridge, then strain and bottle. You can also add 2tsp citric acid but I never do. I've tried a couple of different recipes for this but this is the one I like best (from 80 year old Molly, who makes this every year too).

I can go to bed now ;-)

Finished at last - woohooo. I've also finished the pink bag too, so that will be in the post tomorrow (hopefully piccies to follow).

Busy, busy

I've been really busy these last few days. I've made a horse keyring for Claire (piccies after she's recieved it), I've been doing the pink bag, I've made strawberry jam this morning, and I've been round the charity shops again. I only found a couple of balls of wool (plus other bits for the kids) and then I got some jute string for crafting.

The house smelt lovely this morning while I was doing the strawberry jam - I think more people would make it if they knew how easy it was. We love strawberry jam in this house, so this will be the first of many batches to last us the year.

I ordered a few books from Amazon, which arrived this morning. they are full of gorgeous things. The long awaited (or it seems like that anyway) fabric arrived today too. Now I can finish the garden bag as the fabric with the cockerel on it was there too. Depending on how the day goes there may be a picture of that later.

Pickles galore!

Spent the last couple of days pickling eggs, beetroot and onions. Going to be doing some strawberry jam later this week (unless we eat them all first).

Don't you just love charity shops

While browsing the local charity shops again on Friday I managed to find these goodies...

2.5metres patterned fabric, and a green sheet and pillowcase (to use as fabric)....

buttons (of course) and 2 bamboo knitting needles (odd sizes but at 10p for the 2 who could resist ;-) ). I actually have 3 odd bamboo needles now, so if I keep looking I'll hopefully end up with a good set - all bought in the charity shop. Also in this picture is a bag with lead weights in for putting in curtains - another bargain at 30p. Altogether I spent £4.30.

Now to balance out the bargains I went for a stroke of the wool in a wool shop (I really don't need to buy any) and came out with some buttons - but they are just so gorgeous aren't they? These were 40p each so I only got 3 - not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but they are lovely to look at.

I hope you've had a look at the lovely handmade showcase since I put it in the sidebar thingy. I'm trying to persuade my brother to set up an online shop for his drawings as they are absolutely fantastic, but I think I'll have to keep working on him.

Back again

I've been helping my MIL this afternoon sorting through her Mum's house. I came away with a few things including a velvet jacket that I will use the fabric on because it wasn't suitable for the charity shop; a large, deep-sided tray that I am going to use as a work tray on my knee; and a knitting bag full of wool and knitting needles. Fantastic.

Did anyone watch Kirsty's Handmade Home on channel 4? I watched it and thought it was fantastic. It gave me more confidence to use second-hand/handmade in my home. I love charity shops and car boot sales anyway, but seeing it on TV made such a change from the normal house programmes that you get. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend watching it if you have access to the repeats/on-demand telly. With this in mind I'm going to add a handmade showcase to my blog to show you some of the lovely, talented people that I use to purchase things.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been 4 days since I last updated here!!! I've had a very busy week so far - started my group bereavement counselling on Monday evening, been out walking everyday, been very busy at home, been crafting, wooooohooo. It's been a good week.

I just had to show you these tomatoes that came in our weekly organic veg box...they are just gorgeous. Made them into a mozzerella and tomato salad.

I've got the scarecrow bag all finished with the liner and everything. I've also made the liner for the cottage bag but the lady asked if I could add a cockeral as well, so I'm just waiting for a gorgeous piece of fabric to arrive so I can finish that completely.

These arrived in the post yesterday morning from the very talented Claire - thank you so much (I'll be emailing you later my lovely).

Right, must dash as I'm supposed to be somewhere in 5 mins and I still haven't sorted out my hair, but I'll be back later with some other stuff.

Our wedding anniversary

It's our 12th wedding anniversary today - JJ helped me make my card to hubby (the one with the 12 on it in case you could't work it out) and hubby made me mine. We got married in the Lakes - I was 7 weeks pregnant with our first child - My Mum made my wedding dress and my bouquet. I tried my wedding dress on this morning - I try and do it every anniversary - it still fits (a little tighter than it was, but I can still do it up). We have actually been together 20 years this year (September) - we met at school. He's my best friend as well as my hubby.

Quick update

I know I just showed you the bag but the fabric arrived this morning (very quick service) so I've been doing a bit more today (not as much as I'd like but that's another story). The brown is made from an old cord skirt that belonged to my Mum, then the pumpkins are on the top. On the other side will be brown again with leeks hopefully. Trying to keep the veggies seasonal.

No Free Food Friday again as the weather has been miserable for picking anything. I did intend to use some of the remaining elderberries and blackberries from last year to make something if that happened but the day didn't quite turn out as I'd planned.

Late night

I couldn't stay away any longer so I wound my skein into a ball and promised myself I must use the whole lot (1 ball makes 11 small squares) before I go back to the things I'm supposed to be doing. Once that was done I did a bit more on the bag - just waiting for the orange to arrive now.

Here's the WIP.

I then, with the help of JJ (our youngest), made the front of hubby's anniversary card. Just got to put the centre sheet inside now. I'll do that in the morning when he is out.

As I couldn't do anymore on the bag I thought I'd make myself the green brooch that I've been meaning to make for ages. I finished it at 12.15am - should've been in bed but I was determined to get it finished. I love green.

Wooohooooo...

.........I've finally finished sorting through and untangling all the wool that was given to me way back here. I actually thought it was in March so that's not bad is it - 6 weeks to remove it from my lounge floor :-). While I was in the sorting mood I also went through the very large scrap bag that I keep for the kids to use as they had got way beyond use even for their imaginative minds. We are now left with a small bag of useable fabric - mainly denim from old jeans - that they can do something with.

Anyway, I've nearly finished the outside of the scarecrow bag - had to order some orange fabric for some pumpkins - so I may just have to do some hooking later. I am missing it. I should really start the liners for the bags, but one evening off from them is ok isn't it?

I've also got to make hubbies anniversary card later as he is out of the house this evening at work, so the perfect opportunity.

Promised piccies

The bag with the extra greenery round the door - undecided whether to add flowers to it as well.

And the lace. I love it. It is sooo delicate and dainty. The photo just doesn't do it just at all. I don't know what it's made from but its definitely not the usual stuff that makes modern, cheaper lace. A bargain at 90p for 1.5 metres.

I also bought a cotton pillow case for 10p which I'm hoping I'll be able to make a couple of pairs of shorts for Ds3 to wear in the summer (wishful thinking with regards the summer I think). It was a white pillow case so we shall tie-dye them if they go ok.

I also have some good news for a change - I've been asked by my niece to be one of her godparents when she is christened in October. I am so thrilled to be asked...such an honour.

Snippets

Firstly, apologies as we didn't do Free Food Friday last week because it rained Friday and Saturday so we didn't get out to pick anything.

The above piccies are of a couple of bargains that I found in the charity shops the other day. I actually got a metre and a half of gorgeous lace (looks handmade) which I'll have to photograph in better light as it's so dainty.

My cousin's funeral was today which I wasn't looking forward to, but it actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Bless you Tony.

Something about that cottage didn't look right so I've stitched some greenery around the door. Photo tomorrow.

Also got another bag order, and I've been informed today that the lady I'm making the other 2 bags for wants some more - I think she needs to see, and hopefully be happy, with the others first, but anyway - think positive :-).

Right, I seem to be waffling so I'll see you tomorrow with some more piccies.

Chicken out

Chicken out campaign needs your help as the government wants to increase the number of chickens kept in a tiny tiny space. Complete madness.

A must read link for you

After publishing my last post I then went on to read this. Thank you Pippa. Slow Down. Think. Appreciate.

Finally

Blimey this has taken a while. The brief was a cottage with bits and bobs, and a thatched roof. That seemed really easy when I first started out but the bloody thatched roof was a nightmare! When you initially think of one you think yellow, but believe me, yellow doesn't look right at all. I knitted the roof, in yellow...... stitched it on...... didn't enjoy it after that...... unpicked it.......found some other wool after looking at a thatched cottage up the road.....re-knitted it and re-stitched.... and felt much better. Hopefully the lady that has ordered it will like it. Mind you, I've still got to line it and then start on the other one.

Loads to show and tell you

I made this crochet cuff last week but forgot to show you with everything that was happening here. I also did the lip balm, but again, forgot the photo before I delivered it.

Last night for tea we had the last of the wild garlic in a prawn, pea and wild garlic rissotto with some more wild garlic bread.

Though I'd have a couple of days rest from the crocheting so I sat and made these yesterday.

This is the blanket so far. I've got 9 more blocks to go (5 x 4) then I will put an edge on it.

I've just sold my brown bag off Misi, and then this morning I have got an order for 2 more - yippeeeee. Right, off to do some sewing, then I need to update the shop later.

More Wild Garlic

Continuing the Free Food Friday (I brought so much wild garlic home I didn't want to waste it) from yesterday - here's the wild garlic bread. For lunch today we have had eggy (from our own chucks) wild garlic bread sprinkled with cheese - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Free food Friday continued - wild garlic

Wild garlic soup, wild garlic croutons and home-made bread.

Wild garlic olive oil.

I just love the look of this, so I had to show you close up too.

Wild garlic bread is cooking away nicely - hubby is going to love the smell of the house when he comes home from work later ;-).