finished object #1

woo-hoo! I have a finished object!

Admittedly it only needed about 30 minutes of work to finish off... but now it is done... and OUT of the red suitcase.



It's another variation of the easy peasy crochet bag. Click here for bag tutorial.

I worked 10 rounds using three different strands of yarn, then turned the bag inside out. Worked 5 rounds using three strands of the same colour, then turned the bag inside out again. Switched back to the three different strands and worked 3 rounds. Then turned the bag inside out for a final time and added the trim.



The bag has been lined with some scrap fabric. Click here for lining tutorial.



I then cut four small hearts from an old felted jumper, embroidered a blanket stitch around the edges of each, and assembled them to look like a flower. Added a recycled button to the centre. Also added some running stitch detail around the bag, using two strands of dark brown yarn, to match the trim.

inside case number one...

This is starting to feel a little bit like "Deal or No Deal"

Fortunately there are not 26 cases to be opened!

Having opened the red case, I have decided to completely finish EVERYTHING inside before I even contemplate opening the second case. Most of these projects are fairly recent, and many you have seen already. I just need to push myself to complete them.



So what do we have here?

Most of these projects are so incredibly close to being finished.

• 4 bags only require lining
• 2 bags require trim, handles, lining and embellishing
  
• 2 bags need handles, lining and embellishing
  
• 1 bag just needs embellishing
• 1 knitted jumper needs seaming
• 3 partially started rag bags need frogging

Ooooohhh.... and I need to

• line my video tape bag
• finish my salad bar doll
• write pattern for 'apple bag'

I wonder if I can resist the temptation to begin any new projects in the meantime?

Probably not!

true confessions

I'm always a little bit cagey when anyone asks me how many unfinished objects (UFOs) I have lying around. The truth of the matter is... I don't know. Which is a bit silly really... to have projects just waiting to be finished off. So much time has already been invested in them, that it seems crazy not to complete them.

And I honestly believe that it takes a huge psychological toll on a person. Knowing that you have such a huge backlog can be daunting. It's too easy to push the projects aside, trying to pretend they don't exist. But then they just eat at you from the inside, and you end up feeling disheartened.

So it's time for me to 'fess up'... not just to you... but also to myself! Because I have been in denial about this for a while now, and I honestly don't know how extensive the UFO problem is.

Here is my everything!



Okay, so I know there's not much to see here. I have very cleverly hidden them away inside these suitcases... out of sight, out of mind... not good.

I need to prepare myself for this. Tomorrow I will open the first case.

It's time to seriously sort and assess. I need to be ruthless. I just need to look closely at each project and ask myself one key question... frog (rip it, rip it) or finish???

baby arrived first!

Received news last week that my dear friend had given birth to her gorgeous baby boy. So that really gave me the 'hurry along' in terms of finishing this baby afghan. Finally it is done. Washed, dried, and ready for the giving.

Click here to read about how I made it.

apple bag using rags

In the interest of experimentation (which as you all know, I am a huge fan of) I decided to make another 'apple bag' this time using fabric strips.



This one was from an old doona cover (quilt cover) and I added a trim using kitchen string, just to be sure the handles were strong enough. I've embellished with a square of curtain netting, a ply starfish (from my scrap booking days) and a button.



It's just as stretchy, and easily holds 35 apples!

super speedy

This hook is amazing... I don't think I'm going to want to give it back!

Earlier I hooked up this jute shopping bag. I'm always amazed at how much this style of bag s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s. This one has about 35 - 40 apples inside. Amazing stretch...



I've added a few wooden beads to embellish it.

Time expended? Well under an hour. In fact, you could almost make two in an hour!

hooked

Who says size doesn't matter???

I AM HOOKED

The 20.0mm hook is amazing... I definitely have to get me one of these! It might not have the finesse of some of the more delicate hooks, but golly it's fast.



I started playing around with it this afternoon.



Found some flannelette strips leftover from my knitted bath mat, and decided to attempt a crochet version.



ch 35



turning ch, then sc into each of the 35 stitches



change colour and turn work at the end of each row... I worked about 30 rows



don't worry about weaving in ends, just knot them together and trim to a few cms



It's huge! (those are adult size shoes in the photo)

I love it. Best of all, it worked up in a couple of hours - unlike my knitted one, which seemed to take forever. It's also 'sturdier' than the knitted version.