first real test...

if you recall (and if you do then you get a gold star, you know the ones...just like your primary school teacher would stick in your exercise book and write 'V. Good' next to it. at last you had worked out which way round a 'b' and a 'd' go and she no longer would have to tear her hair out and go home reaching for the gin bottle...)

and so we must recall a time before the 'snow storm' to end all 'snow storms' hit 'the shed'...as we prepared to 'batten down the hatches' not knowing at the time that it would snow for 'nine days and nine nights' (okay so it did stop every now and then but i'm telling you it was a lot of snow, especially for a wee brit like myself)...so do you recall i started a yarn project...

well i finished the project before christmas but with only being granted a few hours of internet access on christmas eve (a small miracle i believe) before it was so cruely snatched from us for another week (including access to tv and phone...yes, yes...it would be true with the snow as well, i do believe we could almost have been living a 'little house on the prairie' existence. i really am doing a lot of digressing...i put it down to 'chocolate' withdrawal. i did succumb to my addiction yesterday, but less than the usual quoter was digested therefore my body is still going through a transitional stage of 'trauma')

so here it is...modelled by the 'ever so lovely' Mabel

my little 'scarflet' that i based upon my lovely friend Debbie's scarflet...i am most pleased with the results and once again have proven to myself that if i don't follow a pattern and make it up...i always finish the project and it always seems to 'work out'...

tonight, will be another 'test of strength' in my growing battle against my new year resolutions...yes, dearest readers it is 'dance night'...and you know what that means don't you? my usual night for thrifting. i can see it now, i will tip out our #2 and leave the parking lot, turn onto the main road and then stop at the 'lights'.

right there, at that precise moment i will feel just like Donna Noble from Doctor Who...she sat at the 'T-junction' and had to make a decision as to whether to turn left or turn right. a decision with massive consquences...turning one way would cause the end of the universe, turning the other way would save the universe.

i can see this will be me tonight...fighting the urge to turn left, just in case there is a 'never been seen before, i must have you treasure' at the thriftstore with my name on it which needs to 'be saved'...or do i turn right, taking the road to 'the shed' and 'my kitchen' that will need clearing up after another unsuccessful 'trying to be fabulous' cooking fiasco...

she's wondering if she is strong enough to avoid temptation of the 'thrifty kind'...and also why her 'vegetarian broccoli pasta bake' from last night did not receive a standing ovation from those who sampled it ~ Tif

first day back...

i am having a lunch break, thus giving me time to stop by and let you know two miracles have happened.

sadly, neither of them in the kitchen... just when i thought my cremated grilled cheese sandwich was the lowest i could manage, i surpassed myself on Saturday lunchtime...this time the grilled cheese sandwich i was serving up to our #4 looked just about near perfect, i beamed with pride...

until it became apparent it was missing vital ingredients. unfortunately, this happened in front of our #2, giving her more proof that her mother is a 'waste of space' these days...(ah, those heady days of being 15...)

dear readers...the first miracle took place in my studio...yes, i have been reacquainted with Miss Ethel and we have 'sweated' together like we've never 'sweated' before, all for the grand 'update' in my little shop...

and the second miracle to occur (you might have to sit down here) Miss W. Machine and i have been 'dying' together (doesn't matter how i phase it, i sound barking mad)...

there are half a dozen slips, as i type, doing a whirl with Miss W. Machine.

it is a 'trial and error' session for several reasons, first it has been over a year since i have meddled in 'dying' and with the current state of my aging brain i can't remember what 'tricks of the trade' i mastered (not surprising, considering i can't even remember if i put a cheese sandwich on the grill just a few mins ago)...and another reason, i wish to have certain colors for the winter season and of course the 'dyes' that i use do not come in the exact colors i wish for, so i am experimenting by mixing them all up and seeing what happens.

i can tell you are quite fearful at that little bit of info...you are not alone, it is quite possible that every slip i own (and trust me there are rather a lot) will end up one mass of 'sludge' and then everything will be up the creek and i don't have a paddle...

instead of dwelling on the negative i am thinking of the positive...my grilled cheese sandwich may not have achieved a 'rosette' if entered into a W.I. contest but i think my little scarf might have faired better...(not 'first place' better, but more like 'it functions' better)

i found the most lovely teal silk blend yarn at the thrift store a few weeks back and knew instantly it was destined for a scarf...i think this has been the first yarn project in a long time that hasn't been tossed out the window and little old me left defeated and frustrated...

it's just a very simple crocheted shell pattern, not terribly long (due to my ability to get bored quickly) and no surprise here, i added a little detail...

considering Mabel was born in the 1950's her neck (amongst other things) has faired much better than mine, so she is 'model for the day'...

i shall be without power tomorrow, so Miss Ethel and Miss W. Machine will sit idle. hopefully we will have recovered by wednesday to get cracking again...the cobwebs have been blown off and i don't want my little creative brain cells to gather dust a moment longer...

she's off to see what 'color disaster' or 'color delight' is waiting for her in the laundry room ~ Tif

FOOTNOTE: well, it's not a disaster, competely...more a "well, mmm, it's not what i was going for, but i think it's okay" delight...back to the drawing board :)

a good yarn...

last night i hauled out my yarn stash...i realized that it has been forever and a day since i did anything with yarn. a bit of 'yarn therapy' was in order and all the more, since i happened upon this beautiful book in Borders a few weeks back...

the shelves in my local bookstore are heaving with knitting and crocheting books, they always look tempting and it seems each week new ones are published...but when my eyes lit upon 'Vintage Crochet' by Susan Cropper (she of the wonderful Loop store) my little heart skipped a beat...if you have a liking for all things retro and vintage mixed in with some yarn then this book is for you with it's wonderful inspiring images and lovely patterns...

my problem i realized when looking to see which project i wished to start was my yarn stash...an awful lot of 'one of everything' seemed to be in my suitcases. what does this say about me as a yarn shopper? so i narrowed it down to the fact i wished for a round cushion (what is it about me and knitted/crocheted cushions, none of them have ever come out right) to sit upon a little seat by my front door...

i was also very much taken with the lampshade and the colors used...as luck would have it i had very similar colors amongst my stash...

so i have set about crocheting a cushion cover loosely based upon this lovely book...i say loosely because i am making it up as i go along, so far it is resembling a beret and not a cushion cover, i am hoping that will sort it's self out when stretched over the cushion...we shall see. if i make it to the end then i shall reward myself with some proper yarn shopping of the appropriate yarn to follow one of the patterns precisely...

in the meantime i must tell you 'the diggers' and 'the men' are back right outside mossy shed, i have been told it won't be long before my contact with the outside world is taken away for a day or two...so i shall take the time to finish up my cushion cover, using 'therapy' time with my yarn to ponder on how i am going to get through ten weeks of summer with my 'lovelies' in a positive good parenting way...

she's noticed a small gap in the clouds, could there be sunshine coming her way ~ Tif

if you could see me now...

so there is lots to catch up on from the last few days, first i need to let you know that my header on my blog page had defeated me, i could not get the design up onto the page. that's where my knight in shining armour came in...thank you for staying up so late and thank you for tolerating my need to put my title up "right now and no other time will do" attitude, it's all good...

anyhow, on to more events in the life of moi. took my haul down to show Tes at Velouria, accompanied by my friend Suzanne, who ever so sweetly spent an hour knitting in the local starbucks, while i did my thing. it really wasn't too much of a hardship as the sun was shining for the first time in a very long while.

sitting in the sun, knitting and watching the world go by is a great way to pass an hour or two...

my haul to velouria

anyway, Tes liked my designs and as of today, dottie angel is stocked in a very nice store amongst all these great handcrafting designers, lots of smiling going on around here. another piece of good news is, i will be having my textile pictures featured in the autumn for a whole month, you can just make out one of them to the right of the above photo...this is something that has really made me happy :)

the shop front of Velouria

so it just leaves me to let you know that my family and i are off to the beautiful islands of the northwest for 5 days of recuperating from our busy, but good lives...i shall be sure to be posting some great pictures of our trip and coming back refreshed and ready to tackle the last few months of school, my business and most interestingly our #1 child learning to drive!!

wishing you sunshine where ever you are :: Tif