Busy Bee...not so much.

It's not too hard to feel a little overwhelmed by all the festive busy-ness within our crochet community! It's Winter in the Northern Hemisphere so comfortable chairs plopped in front of a flickering fire, lights twinkling on the Xmas tree, hot chocolate and blustery weather outside all lend themselves to a lengthly spot of hooky. Sadly ( go away Summer! ) it's all SUN and HUMIDITY here...not to even mention a few too many creepy-crawlies, flies and mosquitoes, who seem to mistake you for dinner if you sit too long anywhere! Also, that irritating squeak as you pull yarn through hook! Sweaty hands do not bode well for crochet projects.#I'mNotCrazyIHaveAnxietyIssues. :-) On the plus side I witnessed the birth of Pray Mantis'. That was something very special!

You know, they are so incredibly teeeeny! And scurry away very quickly too, yet, I swear they stopped for a moment to pose as I shakily tried to focus my camera and also not frighten them off in the process. I was well aware this was a *Grand Occasion*.

I've had a small list pinned up in my tiny studio...you know, snowflakes ( Matt's sweet Snowflakes ) and Xmas Tree baubles ( Heather's easy-peasy baubles )... however, they were not meant to materialise. Instead I've spent hours giving my tiny space a good "going over", walking our Dogs, spending an inordinate amount of time shmoozing in coffee shops with my Husband, who is on leave for an entire month! I have a bad habit of using that sticky stuff to tack bits of paper directly to the walls...a pattern, a phone number, a recipe or any reminder that doesn't have a home. When I get around to filing it somewhere then the wall is left with a small "oil" stain. Have paint, will paint tulips...and voila, no more stains :-)

And then... instead of buying presents for our Family we agreed to make birthdays EXTRA-special and over the holiday season to rather invest in the people we rely on for the rest of the year...our service delivery brigade...you know, the postmen, the rubbish collectors, the newspaper delivery guys and petrol attendants, as well as waiters and waitress's and shop assistants who will be working on during high season. We bought presents and also tipped even more generously than we usually do. Money well spent I say. :-) So, although there has been a hiatus of sorts, on the very hot days, I am a crochet addict and my yarn and hooks are never too far away. As usual, I am inspred by nature and we have been experiencing a drought in some parts of the country. But anyway, WATER is an issue worldwide. I've called my new piece ( a single-bed blanket ), *Water For Trees*. The colours then are self explanatory. 

I am absolutely enjoying the simplicity of this pattern. I found it here: Shell Stitch Tutorial

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart, is definitely looking good as an attitude to adopt and practice in 2016. Especially as 2015 has been an awful year for so many. Besides the hot weather, events which have shaken our planet to it's core have made me less inclined to crochet. Instead I have taken to the streets marching and protesting with so many others who feel that the only power is People Power, to change so many wrongs, into rights.

Wishing everyone a peaceful, gentle and contented Festive Season and a New Year where we all feel grateful for the many splendid little things that make our lives enjoyable.

Much love,

Jen