a new favourite scarf...

I'm fickle, I know...

But I have a new favourite scarf:



And looky here - my hair is growing back!

Remember the big shave of 2009???

jumpers to recycle

At a guess... I would have to say that I've unravelled between 70 and 80 jumpers.

Maybe more, but definitely not less.

It would be interesting to know the exact figure... but somewhere along the way I stopped counting.

At first I planned to keep quite detailed records. I was going to take photos of the original garment, to make note of the fibre types and quantities, and photos of what I made from the reclaimed yarn.

But then I got way more interested in playing with the yarn... and forgot to take details. Not that it really matters, I'm just curious - and it would be fun to look back over my adventures.

Never mind - I guess that's what my blog is for!

Anyway.

Often when I search for suitable garments to recycle, I come home empty-handed. And then there's days like this...

Six perfect pieces.

"Someone's going to be warm this winter" comments the lady behind the counter.

I just smile and nod in agreeance. I used to excitedly explain my plans for reclaiming the yarn... but most people just look at me as though I am entirely mad, or creating the greatest sin to mankind by unravelling another crafter's hard work.

So I keep my mouth closed... and skip home to tell you guys all about it!

junk challenge!

We all have a junk drawer, don’t we?

Well… maybe it’s not a drawer, but a box… or a jar… or a tin…

You know.. .the kind of place where all the junky little bits and pieces from your household tend to accumulate?

I kind of end up with junk tubs all over the house, like this:



There’s random keys and screws, bread tags and buttons, elastic bands and pieces of foreign currency. Probably some paper clips, safety pins, a couple of marbles, an old mobile phone, a reel of cotton and a few old batteries which may or may not have any charge left in them…

Okay… so here is the challenge…

First - take a photo of the junk (mostly because I’m a big old stickybeak, and I’d love to see what’s hiding in there)

Next - choose three or more items of junk to work with, and take a photo of course

Then - it’s time to get creative…

Make a project which uses those junk items…

Use any additional materials that you like. Incorporate the junk into your knitting, sewing, crochet, or whatever… Or just grab a hot glue gun and go crazy with it.

Head on over to my Ravelry group to join in... we're a friendly bunch! The Junk Challenge will be running for the month of June, with a prize for the entry which most tickles my fancy...

Or you can just pop in and see what everyone is up to...

what I'm reading this week...

I've only dabbled a little bit with dyeing yarn.

Basically, I've worked using vinegar as a pre-mordant... food dye for the colouring... and the microwave method. It's fast, simple and effective - but it made me more curious about other methods of dyeing.

If you haven't experimented at home with your own microwave, then you might like to read about my experiences here. It really is very simple.

Unfortunately the microwave in the Goldfish Household died several months ago. For some reason or another (in fact - I haven't really worked out the details yet myself) I didn't want it replaced. Mr Goldfish has offered over and over again to replace it, but I've been quite determined to live without it.

There's only been two occasions on which I have REALLY missed it...

First was when the cold nights started to roll in recently, and I realised that I had no way of heating my MICROWAVE HEAT BAGS... you know, those nice ones filled with wheat and lavender oil... oh so toasty on a cold winter's night??? Bit tricky to use if you don't have a microwave!

(oh... and if YOU know of another way to heat one... you simply MUST leave a comment for me... pleeeease)

The second occasion was when it dawned on me that you CAN'T dye in the microwave if you DON'T HAVE a microwave. AArghhhhh!

Anyway

I'm sure that the point of this post was to talk about the book I've been reading this week:

Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook
published by Gaia Traditional Crafts

Jackie has been experimenting with dyeing all sorts of materials over the last twenty years... and she shares her knowledge very clearly in this book. There are loads of photos on every page, showing clear step-by-step instuctions of preparation, mordanting, and the actual dyeing process.



The book also discusses about 30 different natural dyes in great detail, including photos of the resuting colours when different mordants are used.





Despite the clear instructions, and all that useful information... I've become aware of two huge problems for me with this type of dyeing.

Number One - I don't want to stuff around with hazardous chemicals. The dyes themselves may be 'natural'... but you need to use a mordant to help the colour to set. There are five discussed in the book... three of which are hazardous. As far as I'm concerned, if I can't safely pour it down my kitchen sink - then I don't want to be experimenting with it.

(mind you... I have no hesitation in melting vinyl records in my oven, or crocheting with video cassette tape - go figure)

Number Two - Jackie grows her own ingredients, and after reading through the pages in the book, I can understand why. Most of them I have never even heard of. Nor are they readily available here. There are some everyday dyes, like onion and cabbage and turmeric... but most of the were rather obscure.

So

Interesting as it was to read about, I won't be experimenting any time soon.

Though I do have some plans to play around with eucalyptus leaves and solar dyeing... if only I could find a book on that!

skull cap

This started out as a project to prove to myself that I CAN work with circular needles.

Plus I was feeling a bit bad about the fact that I so rarely make anything for my boys to wear.

So I'm working on this skull beanie. The photos are a bit average, but I have the base of the beanie done, and am now working on the head shaping.

This one, with red-on-black is for Master Ten...

Master Eight has requested orange-on-black for his version...

and Master Fifty-Two (that would be Mr Goldfish) has put his hand in the air for his very own skull cap - the first time that he has EVER asked me to make him anything!!!

make your own rag coasters

These practical coasters are quick and easy to make, using scrap or recycled materials. You require only basic crochet skills.

You will need:

• rag strips cut to 1 inch thick - see my tutorial here


• kitchen string


• 7.0mm crochet hook


• 4.0mm crochet hook

IMPORTANT TIP: keep your stitches loose when working with rags, or you will have difficulty inserting the hook to make stitches



Begin with an Adjustable Magic Ring.



round 1 - ch1, 10sc into ring, pull tail to tighten, join to 1st sc with a ss.



round 2 - ch1, inc in each st, join to 1st sc with a ss (20sc)



round 3 - ch1 [inc, sc] repeat to end, join to 1st sc with a ss (30sc)



use 4.0mm hook to weave in ends



round 4 - use 4.0mm hook and kitchen string, work sc into each stitch from round 3, join to 1st sc with a ss (30sc)



weave in ends and you're done!

under the weather

I've been a little quiet this past week...

Spent most of my time tucked up in bed, trying to defeat the dreaded lurgy...

This is one of the times when I miss mum the most - when I'm not feeling well - I remember as a child she would sit by my side and stroke my forehead until I fell asleep. I sometimes ask Mr Goldfish to do it for me... but it's really not the same. He lasts about 30 seconds, and then asks "is that enough yet?"

So instead, I've settled for snuggling up under the childhood blanket that mum knit for me.

Meanwhile the kids are enjoying my complete lack of voice, and inability to shout at them!