Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 25 November 2012

Weirdy and wierdy ....!


I feel despondent,dispirited,depressed,crestfallen (love that last word)!  booo......hooooo!!!

In fact I feel in a funny weird mood, a bit unsatisfied and tired. I also feel I'm not winning my battle to keep up with my blog-mates.
It shouldn't be like this as I do enjoy blogging ........so much!

Lets put it down to the weather shall we as the forecast is for more storms and the temperature is dropping, as you can see it does look as if its going to pelt down:

storm on its way in......



 coming from Valencia way over the Aitana mountain


Spain is not synonymous with sun and heat , 12 months a year ...it gets cold here and we have a winter. You don't get the cold rough weather like in the North of Spain and it never snows here in the city. However Alicante is on sea level.....and the damp and humidity really seeps into your bones when it gets cold.

I have nothing crafty wise to share with you that is completed except the massive amount of endless threads which I gave you a glimpse of in my last post and they have increased.!!!   grr!!!
I have some crochet makes done but they are to go in swaps and I really can't show them off until the recipient receives them. I am participating in two Christmas swaps, the Snowflake swap hosted by  at Kate at Granny taught me to crochet     and the Christmas Cracker swap hosted by Tracy at Mad about bags    .

As I have nothing completed I thought I'd give you a few glimpses of bits and bobs I never got to use or I've put to one side to use for a future make which I don't know about yet.
They are those bits and bobs one sees and just have to make to see what they are like completed.
I am sure you know what I mean!




Enjoy your Sunday!!!


Amanda :-)



Sunday 18 November 2012

There's a big one and a little one and they are all made of .....

Button lovers unite
Welcome ...welcome to my new followers Gracie at One Saylor's Log and Amanda at eight by six


idiom:
On the button



Ezinearticles tells us that Button-like objects have been found in the Indus Valley of ancient India and date back to around 2000 B.C.E. These were not used for fasteners, but as for ornaments and much before they were used as we know them pins, leather lacing and belts were used to secure clothing.
Anyhow before buttons could be used as fasteners, the button hole had to be invented and that wasn't  until quite later in the 13th century in Germany. Ever wonder why men's suit coats have non-functioning buttons sewn on the sleeves? They say that King Frederick of Prussia started the practice in the 18th century. The rumor goes that after an inspection of his troops, he ordered that buttons be sewn on the sleeves of their coats to discourage them from wiping their noses on them!
Yuk! my imagination is working overtime now....can just picture that )-:

Definition of being BUTTONS obsessed:
in other words omphaloskepsis....oooops! no..... sorry that's the wrong button obsession that's if you are obsessed with your navel! 
 so ....what is the definition of being obsessed with buttons?
I mean is this denoted by trembling hands as you near a tray of buttons in your local haberdashery shop ....perhaps dabbing at your mouth to avoid the drool dripping on the shiny new buttons....a dithering attitude and constant change of mind as you try to choose which ones you are going to purchase.....restless sleep and nightmares after not being able to take them ALL home with you.....arguing with yourself as you try to decide if you can do without that extra loaf of bread so you can go back and buy those wooden buttons that were practically saying BUY ME to you in the shop.....and so I continue to query...
but perhaps you can enlighten me????

 


Ahhhh my sister so very much knows me.....she sent me something via the friend who visited via cruise .... see post here :


Thank you so much H!!!!

Here is my own stash....well part of it ....the rest are scattered around the house in little pots.



***************************


Nightmare CROCHETVILLE big time!


I can't tell you what this is just yet as its a request from another sister and it has to be kept a surprise.



Enjoy your Sunday rest and
Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog contacts in the States!!!

Amanda :-)


Sunday 11 November 2012

He served.....


Remembrance Day always reminds me of my Dad.



He fought in WW II  in North Africa,India,Burma,Malaysia and the Chinese frontier.
He participated in the Retreat from Rangoon and was one of the last of his battalion to leave the burning city and forced to walk thousands of miles through the jungle to get to the Indian frontier which took several months. In the history books this is called THE LONGEST MARCH.
He and his men came out riddled with dysentery and malaria but they survived.
He was lost in action presumed dead but he was found and he survived.
He gave 21 years to his country and survived to tell me about his escapades in the war although there were some he wouldn't talk about,when he lost his best friend for example.
I would dearly love to write about those escapades one day.
He enlisted at 17 forging his date of birth to be able to get in the army and due to his knowledge of horses he was placed with the Artillery. He started as a simple soldier and worked his way up to Regimental Sergeant Major and also became Warrant Officer. He was awarded that commission in the field for his bravery in the Retreat from Rangoon ....for getting his men out. A simple soldier becoming an officer was no mean feat in those days when it was considered officers were only from the Upper classes.
My father was a farmer's son.
He always paraded with his medals on Remembrance Day with his mates from the British Legion.
He passed away at a very young 67 years old  in 1976 and I miss him and I remember him.
Love you Dad!

I found this on facebook :


It hits you to the core!


LEST WE FORGET


Amanda :-)

Friday 9 November 2012

There's a boat coming in!!!!!!


AN 8 HOUR VISIT!

Not us unfortunately!!!!   I wish!


A few weeks ago a friend ,over there in Lincolnshire, mentioned to me on facebook that she and her husband would be would be going on a 14 day cruise in November along the Mediterranean coast on the ship
 Azura Western Mediterranean Cruise . 
While chatting online I commented to her wasn't it a shame that Alicante wasn't one of the cruise's port of calls. A few days later I received the fantastic response that she had checked the itinerary and Alicante would be their second port of call after Gibraltar.  They would dock in during the night and leave the evening time of the next day.
Now when I want to be a fast thinker I can be a fast thinker ....
I quickly checked my work schedule for Friday 9th November and saw that I had just the one early morning class finishing at 10:30am and nothing else for the rest of the day.  Needless to say I was back on the facebook chat like a shot and sorted with my friend that we could meet up and go out for the day here in Alicante.
The weeks have passed and today is the day .... a lovely break away from routine and a chance to meet up with some friends again after two years.       Fun Fun time folks :-)

Now then as circumstances would have it this friend is also my sister's friend and they live near each other, so naturally I had to send a little something back with my friend for my sister....a little from me to you gift.





Quick quick photos !


I had to make these fingerless gloves in dark hardy colours because my sister is a school bus driver and the gloves she wears  get grubby very quickly. She doesn't like fussy garments so I only allowed myself to add one small lilac flower and embroidered stem to the right glove. The glove pattern is not my own and I shall add the link to the pattern but at this moment dear bloggers I cannot as I must fly to work and afterwards catch a boat.


Amanda :-)

PS: Embroidery on gloves inspired by Penelope's gloves' pattern on L is for Love






Sunday 4 November 2012

I need my Sundays

How true is that!!!! I need Sundays !
I could very easily continue working ....preparing material and lesson plans but I don't. Sunday mornings are for going out with Sr P ,perhaps just for a walk down the road,a quick trip up to the pottery village, a stroll on the beach or going somewhere we haven't been for awhile.
That is what we did this morning we went somewhere which we hadn't been to for awhile. Even though it looked a bit muggy this morning and it looked like rain we decided to visit the Clot de Galvany nature reserve which is about 20 minutes away from where we live right in front of the Carabasi dunes. Being a Sunday there were more people there than we like but still a very enjoyable walk.
Aren't we selfish!!!! However if there aren't too many people you get to see squirrels, bunnies and other animals that live there.

This little vale belonged to one person and when he died he donated it to the community...for some reason there was  a lot of dispute about this land and the Elche council wanted to build a housing estate on this land. I am horrified just to think about that!  However the residents of the area were totally against it and with the help of the Green party they won through. It is now a protected and  has become a World Heritage nature reserve.

I was delighted this morning to see that due to the wet weather mushrooms had appeared and also toadstools.  I had never eaten toadstools until I came to live in Alicante. I had always been taught by my Dad that toadstools were poisonous but since living here I've learnt there is an edible toadstool and its delicious.
It is in fact very nice ,it is grilled and served with a parsley and garlic sauce. Personally I would never make this dish myself as I just wouldn't be able to distinguish between poisonous toadstools or edible ones.I do know that the most colourful ones are the more poisonous ones so I imagine these I have taken photographs of found in the reserve this morning are poisonous....that yellow colour is just too bright.


This vale is a treasure .... it is practically untouched and very particular care is taken to keep it like that .
The dates are left on the tree to ripen and are only picked by the birds who live there and then what is left is allowed to rot and fall to the ground,eaten by other wildlife or it fertilizes the ground.

There are remains of when people invaded the vale and used it to defend the coastline....these Spanish Civil War piller boxes have been restored but have been allowed to be taken over by the vegetation.







You cannot reach the marsh land except with a zoom as it is cordoned off by discreet wooden fences. All to protect the wild life.

At times you can see geese,cranes,herons and even the odd flamingo who has flown over from the nearby Santa Pola salt lakes.

These Sunday mornings are a must ...they calm my thoughts and prepare me for the week ahead of me and I must say it works a treat!

The Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.
unknown



Amanda :-)

Thursday 1 November 2012

Long time No finish!


Hello there to my new followers ScrappyJen and Lazy Daisy Jones thank you so much for following my blog. Hope you'll visit often :-)


Its final....I have finished one of my wips........at long long last!!!!
I think it was Alessandra at Homemade at my place who guessed right ...it is indeed a scarf! 
It's taken me ages to finish it I really have to fight to get my crochet moments now even at the weekends. I have a very busy agenda but I have to take the work while its available. I work full blast from mid September to mid June and after that I have very little work indeed, sometimes a course or two in July, if I'm lucky.  
The summer is long with no wages coming in,although I must admit the break is very well received :-)

Well here it is constructive criticism always welcome and as many compliments you can muster LOL!!!!
Winnie has kindly give up some of his time to act as model


I think I'm echoing many other bloggers out there when I say I have decided to go for a homemade Christmas  and my gifts will be homemade too.
This scarf is for a sister. I can't say which one as it is a Christmas present;there's six of them...sisters that is, so if they read this lets keep them guessing LOL! 


I used Black and Beige Glanzperle SMC Coats and a 3,50 hook. I purchased the pattern on Ravely and its by Michelle Blohm at http://mydailyfiber.com  It has been tweaked of course but only just a little, adding the min fans,the shiny beads and the black buttons. 
 Its an easy peasy pattern and clear to follow.

This wonky little Christmas tree....a fun make ......is my version of the adorable Christmas trees I found on Annaboo's House blog .
Bit wonky but I love it..!!!  
I plan to make some more and use these little trees instead of Christmas cards which I will send to members of my family this year........ I'll add a bright curly ribbon with Merry Christmas written on it...different,different......I'm very different friendly!!!

Nicely blurry...ah well you can't win them all!!!
  

Another fiesta day to day "Todo los santos"  where the people buy lots of flowers and go off to the cementaries to tidy up their loved ones resting place and adorn it with flowers.


                                        Amanda :-)