4/52

Oscar - exhausted after I forced him on a bike ride which, GASP, included hills!

Isaac - inherited his mother's love of craft of course, here in his homemade Minecraft suit! 

Matilda - school starts for you this week miss!  Lucky you have your own homemade hopscotch to take with you!

The 52 Project - a portrait a week, every week, for 2014

Slippers in Summer!

Last night I found the easiest, cutest granny square slipper pattern on youtube!  I have been searching for an easy pattern for these slipper socks for ages as they remind me of the knitted slippers my nanna used to makes us when we were kids - a fresh pair every season!

After a quick read through of the pattern, and a quick watch of the youtube tutorial, I had whipped a pair up last night in an hour and another came off the hook this morning!  I'm adding these to the presents pile... an easy, simple gift for my attempt at handmade this year!

The video tutorial is here and this particular lady has a whole channel on youtube of easy crochet projects.  I always find it funny to watch how someone else hooks!

The link to the written tutorial is here.

To fit my size 9 foot I ended up doing 11 rows after the toe of the slipper is done rather than the 9 suggested.  And dare I admit it, but I actually used a Spotlight acylic yarn for them.  I much prefer to crochet with wool or cotton but I figured these would get a quite a bit of wear and tear and to make them easier to throw them in the wash, acrylic it was... plus, I am trying to use some of my stash up!

Taking stock...

my craftroom view

Making : presents! Crochet blankets, slippers, cowls!
Cooking : pancakes for lunch, lasagne and garlic bread for tea.
Drinking : cider, lovely, lovely cider.
Reading: The Book Thief... for the 9th time. 
Wanting: a full body massage that takes all day, then an uninterrupted bath.
Looking: at the mess that is my craft room floor!
Playing: candy crush, the devils game.  Far too addictive.
Deciding: not to allow Nutella into this house anymore, for the good of everyone!!!
Wishing: I wasn't the only one that picked up after myself.
Enjoying: slow mornings.
Waiting: for school to go back - only 8 more sleeps!
Liking: fresh raspberries with everything!
Wondering: why people speak without thinking first.
Loving: clean sheets on the bed.
Pondering: whether to return to full time teaching or no?
Considering: loads of new school lunch box ideas.
Watching: Alias on DVD, realising I still have a girl crush on Jennifer Garner.
Hoping: for a good year at school for my big boy.
Marvelling: at the peace one finds in some early morning exercise.
Needing: to save money if there is any chance at FRANCE in 2015.
Smelling: chlorine on everyone, always.
Wearing: plain bonds t-shirts - my new favourite with everything!
Following: loads of lovely blogs.
Noticing: how tall my big boy is getting!
Knowing: that time goes by too quickly.
Thinking: about signing up to Michelle Bridges 12wbt.
Feeling: sad about some people's not so subtle racist comments.
Admiring: other crafty people and how quickly they can make things!
Sorting: old magazines, books and recipes.
Buying: cutesy labels for school clothes.
Getting: a new iPhone the second this contract expires!
Bookmarking: too many new ideas on Pinterest!
Disliking: nail polish that lasts 3.5 seconds!
Opening: fresh stationary and school supplies.
Giggling: at seven year old boy jokes always about bums and farting!
Feeling: just dandy!

taking stock comes from Pip!

3/52

I pledge this year to buy an actual camera!!!  The blurry, grainy iphone shot really does not cut the mustard!!!

Oscar - a little obsessed with a friends very sweet baby girl! 

Isaac - exhausted after 3.5 seconds of cricket!

Matilda - Braids, her signature hairstyle these days! 

Joining in with Jodi at Practicing Simplicity



Handmade gifting....

Would it be making bold statements to profess that the handmade gift giving commitment I made at the start of this year has well and truly started with a bang!?!

I started the corner granny blanket only two weeks ago and it has come together pretty darn quickly.  It is super simple to make with those rows of lovely trebles running down two sides.  I completed it with a simple red border since the recipient of this one is an Australia Day baby, hence the red, white and blue!

And all wrapped up...

I'm certain I saw this idea on Pinterest at one point - stitching names into paper doilies and then whacking them onto the gift, but for the life of me I can't find the linkyloo to it!

(yes, that's Christmas wrap... but it's Knitted!  Perfect for wooly gifts!)

I forgot to measure the blanket before I wrapped it up but it's certainly large enough for a toasty lap blanket for a grown up and since this is going to a nine year old girl I am sure it will be fine!  I used Patons Cotton Blend and went through a hole bunch of the cream but only a few balls of the blues.

2/52

Isaac

Seriously.  This kid... our family joker.  We no longer know what to do with him and his toilet humour.



Matilda

Looking for cloud bunnies whilst swimming in near freezing water.

Oscar

Piggy backing a sweet friend.  They met each other in the womb at pre natal classes almost 10 years ago!

 

Playing along with Jodi at Practising Simplicity.

1/52

 

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2014.

 

Since my only camera is on my iphone (oh, the shame!), this is how we are going to roll!

 

Cousin Taylor was a welcome visitor this week - all my small people love her.  Officially one of the nicest teenagers going around.

 

Joining in with Jodi at Practicing Simplicity.

 

 

Happy New Year Craft!

Ahh, Christmas.  Done and dusted for another year.  Our tree came down yesterday along with all the other house decorations.  New Years Eve saw me watching The Sound of Music on tv, barely awake myself, listening to the snores from a certain family member at the other end of the house.

 

We spent today having a wee Sunday drive on a Wednesday down to Flinders for a looksy and a picnic.  Where we got rained on.  And it was freezing cold.  Seriously, summer, wherefore art thou'?

 

I have an amazingly generous friend who gave me this beautiful felt ball wreath for Christmas.  I have hung it on my craft room door and it is never coming down!

 

 

This afternoon, post Sunday driving on a Wednesday, I managed to finish off this wee little number too... a mini granny square wreath!

 



 

I had a little foam one in my craft cupboard and this pin keeps popping up in my feed so I felt all inspired to make my own!  Six three round grannies joined together as I went.  I sewed the two ends together and then made three rounds of granny trebles on one side of six squares so it looked a bit like a cowl.  Then all you need to do is wrap it around the wreath and join the edges up.  If you look carefully in the centre of my wreath you can see the ridge from the join.

 

Happy New Year Everyone!