A couple of quick and easy makes

These are a couple of things I made for selling on WI stalls; the encklaces are quick and easy, and very pretty - I'm going to make myself a few when I get some more beads. The children's fleece scarves are even easier, no sewing and very quick - I made 8 in an hour.




For the scarf, take a piece of nice fleece, double sided if possible; cut a rectangle 80cm x 18cm approx and snip each end into a fringe. Use sharp scissors to create neat and even edges. Scale up for an adult size and choose an apporpriate fleece. If you have odds of fleece, you could make a nice patchwork one too.




For these, you need wooden beads, about 2cm or so across, and some pony beads in a suitable colour; ten of each bead per necklace. Choose a fine fabric, and cut a rectangle 30cm (or longer; 30cm makes a choker style necklace, so lengthen the fabric to suit) x 7cm. Press well and fold in half. Sew from one folded corner to the other, curving the ends; leave a gap of about 3 cm close to one end. You should end up with a curned elipse shape with a gap; trim the seams. (I'll try and get a picture of this when I next do some). Turn to the right side, using a knitting needle to help, carefully. thread on one pony bead over the fabric (the pointed end should enable you to push the fabric through the bead easily), down to about 15cm from the other end. Insert one of the wooden beads inside the tube through the gap, and push down until up against the pony bead; repeat this until you have ten wooden beads and eleven pony beads. Slip stitch opening shut.

Not quite an Aga saga..........

....... more of a Rayburn saga, sadly! We have been having a few problems with the Rayburn the past few weeks, with it keeping going out. We thought it was a different type of coal we were trying, and couldn't seem to keep a fire in, especially overnight. Mr L wanted to check the grate; it went out again last night, so he hoiked all the coal out and got in there (well, not literally) with a torch to have a look. Seems there is a leak int he boiler, where it joins on to the firebox - fairly major, and probably not repairable for a number of reasons. When the fire is running low, or banked up for the night, it's not hot enough to evaporate the drips of water coming through, so they were getting down on to the fire and dampening it rgiht down, resulting in a soggy mushy unburned coal which put the fire right out. So, it looks like a new stove is required, sadly. This one must be heading for 40, though, and we've been using it for 11+ years with few problems. Funny, we were just talking about buying an extra grate for it next time we're in town, so we woul always have a spare one. It's a vital piece if kit in our house - does the cooking, heating and hot water. I think we'll probably have to go for anothr one the same, so we can just plumb in the hot water, but this Esse Ironheart has really taken my fancy.



Lots of research required, which could be interesting. I would like a woodstove for environmental reasons, although it would be hard work keeping a good, steady supply of wood. Not impossible, though. In teh meantime, it's usable if we keep teh fire hot enough; MrL says it's safe, so I'm off to bake cheese Christmas trees for the WI party LOL Might put the kettle on too. :)

I will use it up - I will, I will...........

I *STILL* have odds and ends left form the jumper and tea cosy, so made a Christmas pudding tree decoration for a forum swap I'm taking part in. I reckon, though, I still have enough for another two at least, so will do some for the WI Christmas bazaar thingy tomorrow. That should see it off LOL




Another sepctacular winter sky here this morning, couldn't resist trying to get some of the colour with the camera. Cold outside again......... big rain clouds lurking too.

Of wax and wool

Yesterday was a day of catching up on lots of little jobs, so there was enough time to fit in some other things that could get on with themselves, or be picked up and put down.

Someone on RC forum kindly sent me a box of candle ends and broken bits to melt down into new candles







I knitted a Christmas tea cosy too, with the leftovers from the jumper I was re-doing. As I knitted it two sizes smaller this time, I had enough for a hat to go with the jumper and enough spare to knit this up -



The other wool came from bits left over from other projects.
I also made a big pot of chilli for the freezer, two trays of flapjacks, a chicken casserole for supper and a huge pot of pumpkin soup. So, there were lots of opportunites for sitting down with a cup of tea or two in between! LOL

Mrs Smith's cottage

Someone over at Creative Living mentioned this, so I went off for a shufty:

http://www.mrssmithscottage.co.uk/

I find it very heartening to see that something deemed as so "ordinary" (if a life can ever be ordinary.........) is seen as worth preserving and of interest to future generations.

Lovely!

Cold, cold, cold.............

This is they sky I got up to this morning - pretty spectacular! Now, half an hour or so later, all the drama has receded and teh sky is back to cold, icy blue/grey, heavy with clouds. Thick frost again, nice and cold - outside. Itwas lhere the sun didn't hit. I don't mind being on the inside looking out at it! LOL I have to venture up to the Post Office later. Teh animals and birds don't seem to mind it too much, at least it's not wet for them.
The weekend seemed to whizz by - held a jumble sale for Hall funds on Saturday which went well; I came back with various bits, including a box of t-shirts to make into a rag rug. Yesterday was pottering and finishing off a jumper I had to re-knit for a friend. I did it ages ago, but the pattern isn't a good one - the jumper was HUGE, although, knitted to tension, and the sleeves were about 6" too long; so I unravelled it all last week, and it's now done, but 2 sizes smaller. I've just teh sleeves to sew in, but it looks much more wearable. Must be the week for sewing up here - at the beginning of the week I finished off another jumper for a friend - she likes teh knitting, but not the sewing up, so I did that and the neck for her. A pile of knitted cardigan bits arrived in the post from my sister for the same reason too, so I've that to do too. I'll get MrL's jumper finished one day!