Valentines, and all that jazz!

Valentines Day has come and gone, again, and I don't know if it's just my imagination but I do sense a waning of marketing enthusiasm? I definitely did not see the usual going-overboard displays around our small shopping centre. It's a good thing I say! The commercialism of it all really irks me!I think people have come to rather more authentically, celebrate this day for Lovers. Well, in our case you couldn't get more authentic than completely missing our Wedding Anniversary, as well as Valentines Day and doing what long-term Lovers usually do. We were married in February, on a Friday 13th! It's my lucky day and number. We spent the entire weekend working on installing our backyard swimming pool! In the meantime, as this was happening, the side of "the huge hole" began collapsing!  Afterall, it is only compacted beach sand. Eeeek!!! Much panic going on as well as a few hearty expletives from my husband and his helper. Of course my role was keeping everyone fed and suitably hydrated ( what happened to the cool and breezy forecast, Mr. Weatherman? ), while biting my nails and praying to the rain denizens to please stay away until Monday. I'm a horrible person, we have a drought going on! My pleas went unnoticed, thankfully for the flowers and trees, because later in the afternoon we had that "possible shower" as predicted. Luckily, the sandy walls stayed intact. In between my catering duties I headed for my usual go-to when I'm riddled with anxiety or worry. I crocheted Hearts, using a lovely easy Tutorial called Sweet Hearts .

I've seen many Heart tutorials but I particularly like the slightly lacy effect here. Anyhow, I made one, then two, then three...you know how it goes. And now I have enough for a garland which I shall hang above our bed. I've been looking out for a genuine vintage brass headboard but they're suddenly hard to come by. Funny how that works, right? When I wasn't looking , they were just everywhere! So in the meantime I'll dangle some pretty hearts above my sleepy head and dream of pretty headboards. Mind you, I still need to join them. I hope that wherever you are LOVE will find you, even when you're not looking for it. It's what makes the world go 'round! That, and in my little corner of this beautiful planet, yarn and crochet!

Wishing you a lovely week filled with your passions, to your hearts content.
Love, always.
Jen xox

Handmade Hook Rolly

Yep, I think I made that name up, Hook Rolly. You roll it up, and it has Hooks inside. :-) I made one a few months ago with some scrap fabric mainly because rummaging through my pencil case for the right hook got a bit embarrassing, when you're sat in a coffee shop! I usually try and squirrel away in a corner so I can get on with a bit of hooky over a frothy cappuccino and the last thing I need is for the gentle hum of conversation to stop abruptly as everyone turns around to see where the tinker, tinker, tinkering sounds are coming from! Anyhow, as usual I get a thought and then immediately put it into action without thinking too much about the details. So my "old" hook rolly has served me well but "the colour"...a bit blah.

I'm always collecting bits of fabric and so I rummaged around in my fabric basket and found a cheerful looking scrap of cotton print fabric, and a bit of linen from an old cushion cover and in no time I'd sewn up another hook rolly. Sewing is not my strong point. Just too fiddly but sometimes it's unavoidable. I'm a little slap dash about measuring everything out, but even my " more-or-less" measuring calculations seemed to have worked out.

Then, instead of making a fiddly strap, like I did with the previous one, which closed with a fiddly button, I just crocheted a "sleeve" and added a flower too. The idea for the sleeve is for when I'm working, I can roll up the hook rolly but use the sleeve to hold the hook I'm using as well as the darning needle and scissors. I thought about this when I was doing a spot of hooky at a local coffee-cafe and their tables were really teeny, so spreading out a bit wasn't possible.

Also, it has two handy pockets inside, for the scissors, tape measure, nail file, and small tube of hand cream. As I often say, I do love beautiful things but I love functionality better! :-) And best is that I didn't buy a thing but rather used bits and pieces of what I already had. Buy less, make more is my motto this year ( well, every year! ).

Have a splendid Hump day and happy hooking!

Love, always.
Jen
xxx

Backyard Treasure Hunt.

It's been sweltering, again. I say that often, I know. Because in fact we are experiencing record temperatures here in the Cape of Storms. I really wish it would storm! Sadly, our Summers are as  dry as a dry thing about to burst into flame just looking at it! So, we decided to dig out a swimming hole. In our backyard. Now the beauty of living here, and particularly in a house that is 113 years old is that you're bound to find treasure. The Cape Peninsula is steeped in fascinating history. Mostly the "treasures" come  about as lovely shards of delft hand-painted crockery, and other interesting bits and pieces of handmade/hand-painted pottery.

To most people these seemingly insignificant broken pieces are of no importance but to me they are each a particularly unique key to.... Well, the imagination boggles and it's one thing I've never been short of and that is romantic daydreaming, and flights of imagination. Each piece, as I gently wipe away decades of grime, comes alive with a story to tell.

Usually I can see the lady of the house, lovingly packing away her pretty tea-sets or special display crockery, into a crate bound for the high seas to Africa, or I see a couple sitting over a breakfast, eating from lovely plates they probably take for granted. Or a family, taking tea on a Saturday afternoon, while reading the newspapers, and the children gobbling down scones and jam and drinking their milky tea from beautifully patterned cups. Mostly though, I find old bones and lumps of coal.

It seems callous to be digging out a swimming hole now, especially as we're in a drought of sorts but the reasoning behind it is sound. We're allowed to water lawns, trees and flowers and veggie gardens...which is what we've been doing, between 6pm and 6am. Luckily we have a small backyard and most of it has been reduced to sand from the high winds which have shredded practically every living flora in spite of my best efforts. We thought then, why not use the water instead to fill a small swimming pool, really a splash pool...and once it's filled, that's it. No more water wasted on an unforgiving garden. It's all sand, fine sea sand really. It's a bit like that joke about shoveling sand in the Sahara. It took us a day to dig half way! The wind howled and blew half a beach straight into the house. We are undeterred and determined to win this war! :-) I was rewarded with my most prized find of the day. A 1957 Queen Elizabeth 11 three pence coin.

I'm excited about what the other half of the dig will yield. Who knows, the Cape of Storms was also a frequent stopover for Pirates!

I hope, wherever you are in the world, that you are indulging yourself by doing the things which make you happy. Life is too short to fully grow up and lose our childlike love of discovery. Dig, for what you love, to your hearts content.

Love, as always,
Jen xxx

Mini-Cupcake and Donut Pincushions.

In real life of course, there are practically no guilt-free tea treats. Unless you're Vegan, and then usually there is a sweetener involved, and oil. Well, anyway...I'm a huge fan of Happy Berry crochet tutorials, so here is one on how to make mini-donuts! This is also why it takes me forever to finish anything larger! Pinterest is the devil. I don't dare even go there, ever...well hardly ever. And Ravelry, or Craftsy are, of course, the evil minions of Pinterest ( we all know this but ignorance is our bliss ). So here I am again, with some little treats which came about because I have a secret little passion for Pin Cushions. I do quite a bit of sewing and now that I have time to keep things tidy I've got really very good about creating spaces for everything. There is something very satisfying in order, I mean actual order and not orderly chaos, which is along the lines of knowing exactly which pile of jumble something is, but still having to sort through everything to find what you're seeking. It's still incredibly frustrating and if you're marked for time, then, well...who has the time? I've often just given up on a project because of my so-called organised chaos. I do have a few Pin Cushions. One is the deliciously macabre porcelain hand which I inherited from my Irish Mom-in-Law!

And the other is one made of felt where the Pins don't really penetrate! Pretty but not useful.

I first crocheted the mini-cupcake and then because I acquired lots more lovely pins, I crocheted the mini-donut. Also, I almost always prefer "things" to be functional...and these have certainly earned their weight in yarn. :-)

Now, let me get back to joining granny squares! :-)

Much love always,
Jen
xxx

Belated Happy New Year!

Hello, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't believe it's already almost the very end of January. I've had the best of intentions to visit my blog, and well, blog...to herald in the new year but, and I think almost everyone can relate, it's been one HELLUVA January!! What with beloved musical legends like Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, Ravi Shankar, Glenn Frey et al all leaving for the big stadium in the sky? Grieving and much gnashing of teeth as been in order. I think we can all relate to the loss of musicians who've been there for us, so to speak, through the uncomfortable physical and emotional convolutions of adolescence and young adulthood. Oh, the tears and singalongs! I clearly remember being absolutely shattered when Marc Bolan died in a car accident. I used to imagine that I'd wake up one morning and his entire clothing collection would be in my wardrobe. Who else danced in their bedroom to "metal guru is it you?" Thankfully, the music is still alive and well and living in our record collections, as well as on CD's and Hard Drives! It's why I value artists (all sorts!) immeasurably. They all bestow on us an irreplaceable legacy of infinite beauty, and leave with nothing. I can't think of an act more selfless than to create. Although, paradoxically, artists ( all sorts!) are often viewed as selfish narcissists by those who don't understand the compulsion to create. Oh, look at me, going on , and on!

I have had quite a few visitors to my Blog and I'm sure you three ( hee, hee ) have noticed that I'm often fiddling about with it's "design". I've always had a problem when there's too much choice and seriously, doesn't Blogger just make it so darn easy to keep tinkering? I cannot settle on one theme, it's impossible! This time I've, um, settled on a white theme. The latest issue of Ideas Magazine features an absolutely lovely home done out in mainly white/vintage, and then also, we were at our off-grid cottage in Riebeek-West and a shop in the valley is called Vintage White! A sign , right? Also, it's been blimmin hot with temperatures soaring into the 40's, making a cooler theme more appropriate ( until next when it rains ).

Thankfully last summer we installed a porta-pool at our off-grid cottage, so in-between picking Almonds and various on-going DIY to our little abode, frequent pool-dips was the order of the day. Our Almond trees ( all six ) seem to survive quite well without regular watering. We're only there every other week-end. Same goes for the single Peach tree which seems to drop it's fruit, always, in the two weeks we're not there. Mind you, I'm not bothered. There is ample wildlife, especially bird life who benefit from the fallen fruit.

Always, in-between all the tasks I find time for a bit of hooky. Although it's not nearly as comfortable as it is in winter. I get sweaty palms and unless it's a small project the weight and warmth of a blanket in progress, over your knees is...unbearable! At home, in Cape Town, I usually work at a table in my teeny studio, with either a fan blowing into my face, or the window wide open letting in a cool breeze. Anything else is just impossible. Roll on Winter begs this unapologetic Pluviophile!

I have made some progress with both blankets, albeit slow. It doesn't help that I keep popping off smaller projects, just to break up the slog of blanket making. Happy Berry Crochet has a sweet Heart Tutorial, so I had to make it, even though I already know how to crochet various heart patterns. Avoidance tactics? Much! :-)

All in all my days are chugging along rather nicely. In spite of all the chaos and turmoil on our blue-green planet, and also within my own small sphere. I keep in mind that even in the worst of times those who are compelled to create, and who especially craft beauty of word, or canvas, thread, stone, music or any other form, will always continue to do so, however and wherever they are. They are the diamonds which shine forth when the light of our world flickers dimly.

Much love, as always and may all your wishes , hopes and dreams come true this year!
Jen
xxx