Just a quick word.....

Well, I´m still here in Portugal but I´m busy, honest. I´ve been beading and crocheting and rescuing some poor old wicker chairs from the rubbish. I don´t have easy access to the computer so pics will have to wait unfortunately. I´ve got LOADS of updating to do when I get near a computer for any length of time. Hey ho!

I've been busy, honest!

I haven't posted for a while now - life has a way of kicking you in the backside just when you think things are improving. I may not have made any soap for a while but I've been on a crochet binge to keep me busy.

For some reason I got it into my head to make a bag from recycled carrier/plastic bags. This will be a beach/shopping bag if I ever get round to working out how to do the handles.


Then I decided to unpick an ancient jumper and recycle it into a cushion for the house in Portugal. It took me 4 days to unpick the wretched thing and a couple of days to make the squares. I've done the back but haven't sewn it up yet - it's going with me tomorrow when I disappear off there again, so I'll finish it while I'm away.

I didn't think it'd take me 4 days to unpick the thing, but it did......

And it ended up like this (as well as a whole load of bits floating around the carpet)

And this is how it ended up. I'm secretly chuffed (shhhhh don't tell anybody)

What did I do after that? Oh yes, inspired by Lucy's blog, I had a go at making a bag to cart all my crochet bits around with me.


Then I worked on something else for a friend of mine who has just moved house, but I can't post pics in case she gets her internet connection before she gets the present!

At the moment, I'm doing another stripy bag, which I started in desperation while sitting with my Mum in hospital waiting for her to go down for surgery.

Other than that, I took a couple of pictures of some gorgeous early summer flowers yesterday morning - it was a beautiful day down here in the south of England.

And finally, I HATE snails - this was a healthy petunia. I've now repotted it with anti-snail stuff on top of the soil. We'll see...

Royal Visit

One decided it was about time to give One's crown an outing, and visit one of One's loyal subjects, and so yesterday One packed up One's carriage and made a visit to Hastings on the Sussex coast. (One hasn't quite got the hang of being in charge, as One had to lug a holdall full of beading and crochet stuff for the once-over as instructed by One's subject). So, orf I trundled in my ancient carriage down the A259 - what a journey One had! Tractors, road works, every pensioner on the planet heading towards Eastbourne.....and an idiot in a van who tried to kill both One and the poor soul driving the articulated lorry in front. (He has since been reported - what a berk driving like that with the name of the company he works for plastered in 3ft high letters all over his van).

On arrival in Hastings, One was very unfairly accused of oversleeping being the reason for One's late arrival. Hmph, One was not amused. One's subject did however make One a very welcome mug of coffee to revive One's spirits and my subject and I then spent a very happy couple of hours oohing and aahing over beads - One's subject does however have the ability to cheese One orf by collecting amazing beads for bargain prices at boot fairs. Hmph again.

Then came the biggest indignity of all. Brace yourselves, loyal subjects. One was involved in a soap experiment. Nothing wrong with that, I hear you cry. No, nothing at all.....except for the fact that One's subject ordered One to wear a bright blue hairnet, red plastic sleeves and white latex gloves. (One supposes it was at least an attempt to be patriotic with the red, white and blue, but One is still miffed). The experiment was however a success - it has taught One that One's soap recipe is not up to scratch and needs some serious tweaking - no wonder One produces so much croap. Oh, and One's subject knows that she will be sent to the tower for immediate execution should she even consider posting pictures of the get-up One was forced to don. You can read about this experiment here if you're interested, and there are updates too.

Following that, One's subject helped One to make some jewellery for One's Mum. (One has had these beautiful semi-precious stones lurking in One's beading box since January and thought it was about time something was done with them). One's subject produces gorgeous jewellery herself and so One was very grateful for her subject's advice. Here are the results, and One hopes One's Mum likes them - if not, they will be reassembled into something else.




After an exhausting day (including a visit to a building One is told is called a "supermarket", where One's subject bounced (literally) down the aisles and One had to announce that shoppers were not to worry, but One's subject was only allowed out once a week, and only then under supervision), One packed up One's carriage and headed back to the safety of Brighton. Thankfully One had a much easier journey home but went to One's boudoir absolutely knackered. One did however have a very pleasant day (but One's subject needn't know that or it'll just go straight to her hairnet).

More bag bling

I did a bit more faffing today to see what effects I can get with different yarns. This one was done with a 1mm hook, and fine yarn that I'd normally use for the doilies. You need very good light for working with a hook and thread that small. Oh, and I attached a recycled sparkly bead in the middle for a change.

Bag Bling

A certain person, who has ever-so-slight bossy tendencies (but is very sweet really), has been on at me to make crochet flowers to decorate bags or to use as brooches. So, as ordered, here they are :-) I'm calling them bag bling.....now, what sort of price do I sell them for? I hate putting a price on things I make.

I really should get out more......

I had an unexpected day on my own today, so I started off watching "Some Like It Hot" (which I've never seen) but it was too early on a Sunday to concentrate. I've been hatching an idea for a soap so thought I'd have a go today - what did I learn? Blue lye water does NOT equal blue soap. Hmph. It's skulking under some towels now while it goes through gel. Maybe it'll look more the right colour tomorrow.

On a roll in the kitchen, I made a yummy lemon drizzle cake (failsafe recipe so no problems with that one). Only problem is you have to wait for it to cool completely before you can attack it - it was an agonising wait.

After I'd stuck yet more laundry in the machine, my little brain was whirring with ideas so, as you do, I made some "bag bling". Crochet flowers to use as brooches or bag decorations. These are a bit different though - what you can do with a couple of plastic carrier bags, eh? :-) So, here you have it (I really should get out more I think) - plastic bags recycled and made into flowers. Not sure they'll catch on though :-/

What can you see?

What can you see on this palm tree?

A horse's face or a little bum, or both?