Hello October!

 Lovelies, I bet you didn't expect a Thursday blog post, right? But I had to catch the first day of October! Not like in August and September where I couldn't seem to catch up with the days. I feel very accomplished now! 😆

It's a funny thing, but we are experiencing just about the same weather here in Cape Town as in the Autumnal northern hemisphere right now. It's still blinkin' cold, there is snow on the mountain tops and the wind is blowing things about! I love it. Although only this morning I did complain to Noelene that it's "getting a bit much" and "I'm tired of feeling cold". Of course, if you don't know, Noelene lives in Western Australia and she complains that there isn't enough rain. Our dams are already 100% capacity, and that's worth a celebration! But I'm hoping the rains will veer towards Noelene's patch of crochetland soon and allow me to hang the laundry outdoors for a change. 

But enough about the weather! I have been very productive ( to keep warm! ). I made another cosy cowl, because, let's face it Winter is NOT yet over from where I am sitting. I'm still making comfort food most nights. Waterblommetjie Bredie ( little water flower stew ) is an absolute down to earth traditional food here in Cape Town. It's basically a hearty stew made with meat, and the " waterblommetjies " are added in abundance. They are known as "pondweed" or more romantically, " water hawthorn ". In the past, they'd form part of a foraging expedition but these days you can buy them from vendors or in stores. 

THANKFULLY, for me, there are vegetarian and vegan recipe versions.

1. Vegetarian Version of Waterblommetjie Bredie HERE.

2. Vegan Version ( add veg stock ) HERE

2. Non-Vegetarian Version HERE

But I digress....😆

These little cowls are quick and easy to make and I've got so much pleasure seeing all the colourways used for the Nomad Cowl and the Duchess Cowl. They work up quickly and can be upsized or downsized very easily. As always, there are video instructions, so even if you are a beginner crocheter you should be able to manage. You can find the pattern HERE!

Also ( and I am so relieved ), I finally organised a Tester Group! Hooks 'n Tales officially has proper Testers! I'm very excited about working with these wonderful crocheters and it's going to relieve a lot of the angst I experience every time I put a pattern together. Especially since I am incubating another blanket idea.

The lovely Tanya is away again to help take care of her newborn Nephew so supermodel Roxy has once again agreed to take the gig. She is a total natural at this, don't you think? She stays absolutely still and gives me side views and front views without any prompting either. What a little poser!

Our Giveaway this week is another one of Noelene's adorable Tassels! This time it's the intricate and beautiful Clematis Cottage Tassel HERE. 

To stand a chance of having your name drawn from the Lucky Winners Hat, don't forget to add your Ravelry name to your comment.

I know things are still very crazy out there so I'm sending you all lots of good vibes, in buckets!

Stay calm, stay safe, and crochet on.

Happy weekend ( soon! ).

💗 Jen