My Creative Space

I need to make this picture big!  So you can see it in a little more detail!  Woohoo!  It's done!

I experimented the other day on joining techniques.  Just ended up doing regular whip stitch from the back.  (& yes it did make a difference if it was done from the front!)  Then I did a (US) DC for one round & then a scallop edge around that.  It needed something with a little interest I thought but nothing to frilly over done either.  So I felt this was enough.  I am so happy to have this done!  I still don't love it.  Still don't love the colours but that's tough.  I used what I had at the time.  That's good to stash bust!  I have put it away now to not look at if for a bit & then I may like it a bit more.  I did learn a lot in the process of the crochet - along though.  Fromt he start of the squares to what I was making last week to fill the blanket up I do feel like I have come along way with my abilities.  So I am pretty excited about what I have learnt.

We are starting another CAL on the 1st May doing more squares, but the new ones will be posted every 2 weeks instead of weekly like this one was.  It will be great!  Want to join in too?  Leave me a message & I will get back to you with where to find it!  If you are familiar with Ravelry then find the group called Afghans & Blankets & you will find a new discussion soon for it!  It will be great!  I have just picked my colours for the next one.  I am stash busting scraps of acrylic from everything else so far so that will be interesting.  I will probably hate it as well but oh well!  It will be fairly random & colourful which I do like too!

If you are visiting from creative spaces today, hi & drop me a line to say hi back!!  So many come by & don't stop for a chat!  It's sad!  If you are wanting to waste a load of time today checking out a lot of creativity then visit there for inspiration!  It's worth it really it is!

The Last Three

Thank goodness it was raining on the weekend!  It gave me a good opportunity to do some crochet time!  It was nice to sit & do some.  I was determined to get them done now.  I did these three over the last couple of days. They are all from the book 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares!  The top one is High Noon,  I started on Thursday night but got stuck on those puffs!  So I ignored it & figured it out on Friday.  Finished it Saturday.  The second one is Lilac Time & I think this is about my favourite square of them all.  I don't know what it is about it that I like but I do.  Sunday I did the last one, Cluster Dome.  It's OK & it does the job of completing the squares.  I have 20 for the blanket.  I have 2 that I haven't used.  They are too big.  My squares are about 9" which isn't so bad.  It will make a nice lap blanket or something.  I have them set out & yesterday was able to experiment with a few different joining methods to find the one I liked the look of the best.  I have two rows together!  Woo hoo!  I'm excited!  I never thought I would have it finished so soon but had a bit of  oomph suddenly last week to do some & now the end is near.  BUT...  once they are together it will be the big desision to make on how to edge it!  I haven't thought about that at all up till now so bother, that will be a whole other experiment.  

So that was my weekend.  Very lazy but productive too.  I am ready for sleep now after a long night on the couch with my baby possum snuggled on me.  Only problem is that DJ isn't as small for snuggling on my tummy quite so easily as he used too be.    Off swimming shortly with the bigger boy so hopefully that will wake me up a bit if the endless cups of coffee don't do it!   

Bright And Bold

I don't mean me! I mean this square.  It's called Bright & Bold.  I don't like it much!  lol  But oh well it does the job.  I didn't realise I hadn't posted this yet, so here I am early Saturday morning while the rest are sleeping still.    This is another square from the book 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares.  I picked another one that isn't on Ravelry!  How weird is that?   That's OK, it means it might not be very popular.  I can see why.  I did it as I liked the centre piece.  I still do but it went wonky.  It's not sitting very square at all, but oh well, live & learn.  I didn't get round 7.  Just didn't get it.  So I did a round of sc for that - that is basically what I figured the round actually was but it was written really weird.  Then I had to make it bigger.  To do that I did a few extra of round 8.  I will put up with this odd one.  It will blend in well with all the other odd ones!  

Happy Weekend to You!  

Here I Am

I've been having a rest.  Pretty much!  Just kind of conked out on all fronts & really couldn't be bothered with much of anything for a bit.  It gets frustrating as I have so many things to do but didn't have the be-botheredness to do any of it!  There has been a lot going on too so juggling can get a bit OTT at times, so I just didn't add too many juggling items to the mix.  I am really bad at juggling.  I am not joining a circus anytime soon based on my juggling skills that is for sure!   (except maybe as a clown & I really hate them so maybe I had better not scare myself as that!)

Anyway, Easter has been & gone.  We have eaten chocolate.  Got some more today which was an unexpected bonus!  I did suddenly have this idea to work on a square or 2 on Sunday though, so I did start on this one.  I did rush with it as I only finished it today.  I got this book 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares in the mail the other week.  (another really good bargain book!)  I had not done any of my squares since we did the last one for the CAL.  That was ages ago & the next one is coming up in May so I made a start on one from the book.  It turns out there are a few of these on Ravelry, but when I went to add this one to my project page earlier this one wasn't in the pattern file.  That was odd.  Trust me to pick the one that wasn't there.  I started another one just before & that one isn't there either!  So it's lucky for me I have the book!  This square is called Berry Beauty & I did an extra round of the popcorn stitch pattern to make it bigger & then added a couple of rows of double crochet as well.  It needed to be quite a bit bigger than the book had it for the sake of my squares.  It's OK though.  

Here is a picture from today just because.  BJ dinking DJ on a bike at playgroup this morning.  First time DJ has been up to things like that.  He's growing up way to fast being 9 months old last week.  

OK, stay tuned for more rambling, I will be back of course.  Hopefully it won't be so long this time between.  

Amigurumi Easter

Here's my latest creation.  This is the carrot & rabbit from the book Amigurumi Toy Box.  I still have it from the library for another couple of days but I will run out of time to do all I want from it still!  This one I have made for DJ for Easter.  He got this & a book from the Easter bunny that I found in his room this morning.  lol

BJ is on a sugar high I think.  This is the first year he has really been excited by the Easter bunny & chocolate & stuff.  We had a little clue led Easter bunny hunt in the garden.  We are avid fans of "Going on a Bear Hunt" book so I started the hunt off with that.  But since it is Easter we had to make it a rabbit hunt! Lucky for us we have carrots in the veggie garden still!  Of course that is where you would find a rabbit!  Apparently it was good fun but hard work according to BJ.  lol  That's good, at least it was worth our while in doing.  He loves hunting for things.  We had to go armed with a map too even though we weren't using a map for this one.

Anyway, have fun with your kids if you have them going hyper today!  Happy Easter to you all!

Thought For Food Friday - on Saturday

It was a bit tricky to post anything last night with a massive electrical storm.  I don't think I have seen lightning go on here for so long.  Was a spectacular sight & a fitting end to our little dinner party.  We told our guest that the show was for her party - a little early birthday party before she leaves for the UK again today.

Anyway, it was Good Friday yesterday & although it was that, we did have a little Easter & Birthday dinner. It was nice.  We don't usually bother too much with that whole fish thing but they all did end up eating salmon as our guests provided that & Stu cooked it.  Main course was this...

Herb-crusted Salmon

Couscous Salad

They enjoyed their fish it seemed.  I don't eat fish.  Don't like it really unless it has absolutely no flavour & doesn't taste fishy at all!  lol  So why bother you ask?  I don't really!  Instead I had some beautiful German bratwurst sausages.  Oh heaven.  I could eat those everyday.  BJ had plain old sausages as he likes everything very plain.  At least his tastes are moving along a bit & he is eating a few more different things these days.  Like his couscous, but it mustn't have anything in it.  He did eat brown rice the other night.  Hahahaha...  I called it couscous though & he polished it off no worries.  Last night however, I dressed up his Easter plate a little - made fancy Easter couscous.  He loved it & the rabbit disappeared down a hole so fast!  (rabbit missed out on a carrot as we didn't have any!) Gotta love food successes like that!  I am sure we will have to reinvent a whole range of things now.  I have some really cool boys stuff cookie cutters so couscous diggers & trains it may well be.

Now after all that flapping about with main course we got to the good stuff.  Dessert!

When I was compiling my shopping & menu lists the other day we had a slight hiccup with the oven.  So I planned dessert with no oven in mind.  Good thing too cos this was pretty good.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Tart

It does sound as good as the name suggests.  I really felt like eating mousse.  It was good.  I did the one last night with dark chocolate like the recipe suggested.  I am currently making another one with milk chocolate & that one is for tomorrow.  Of course there is still half a dark chocolate one in the fridge but we will see how long it lasts!  The only thing was that the base was too thick & rock hard.  I left out a couple of biscuits from today's version & left out some of the butter as there was too much in the first place.  It really is an easy recipe though & was a crowd pleaser.  Looks much posher than it was to make.  Those sorts of desserts are always good.  So make a note of this one!  You will be the star of your dinner party!

Also this past week we had a meal of

Curried Sausages

I don't like my mum's old version of curry sausages (sorry mum but I know you aren't surprised!) & was hesitant about this but I shouldn't hesitate when Stu is cooking!  It was good.  Definitely something we will have again.

OK, I'd better go do some cleaning up.  Happy Saturday & have a great Easter won't you!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

Playing along with soule mama.

My Creative Space

Finally I had a chance to make my bag!  I have been sitting on this for a bit waiting for the time & whatever else!  Can take a little while at the moment to do much of anything but this did get almost finished yesterday.  The bag itself is done but I decided I need to add magnet catches to the pockets.  I can get these sew on magnet bag catches so they are great to add on later if you decide to, as opposed to the one you need to put holes in to attach.  I've used 4 different fabrics in the Kensington range here,  different ones inside that are the same as the pockets you see on the outside.

I had a sod of a time sewing on the orange pompom row & then the ribbon over the top but I think they really add to the bag.  I'm quite pleased with it.  I have already chucked all my junk inside & will just get the magnets today & I am happy.  Woohoo!

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