Presence

 I have titled this post Presence because that is what I am and have been since my last post here in March. I continue to read posts and have commented on a few....not many nevertheless I am still here. I am very reluctant to give up blogging and remove my blog all together! I just don't want to do that so for the moment I have created a facebook social space for crochet and craft. I seem to be able to manage that better at present.    I would be delighted if you would like to join me there either by hitting like or follow on my new faceblog:
Craftyinthemed social facebook page 

There is also a link to facebook on the right column of this page.






Naturally I haven't given up crochet at all and one of my recent projects was a circular shawl for a new great nephew who arrived the day before yesterday.

 Lots of bunnies. The babe's mother likes rabbits!!





I also want to tell you about this group i have joined you may have already heard about it. It is called
Random Acts of Crochet Kindness a group which was created by Olivia,a young lady who crochets in the UK.
Here is her interview and she will tell you all about it

Olivia's BBC radio interview

 and should you like to join. Random acts of crochet kindness


 She started the group on 31st August and now look at the amount of members she has got. People have joined from all over the world to spread crochet happiness and are they friendly yes they are! There was a lady who joined yesterday who lives on Sister Island in the Yukon,Canada.....long way away!!!

Anyhow I'll just show you a few of the crochet goodies  (it doesn't just have to be flowers!) I have been placing here and there in my neighbourhood to spread some crochet kindness as Olivia says!!


 I want to give this one to one of the post office assistant who always gives you a smile .


  I left this one in the post office with my tag message.



This one on a bench in front of the retirement home.


These two hanging from a soft drinks dispenser. I saw the young lady who picked it up and she quickly clipped it to her bag!!!

Its fun and I like the idea that I am spreading some kindness and hopefully getting people to smile!


Keep well!!

Amanda

19th March.  San Jose Day

or in other words 

Father's Day

here in Spain!

My Dad passed away years ago ,in the 70s,  Sr P's Papa passed away 10 years ago. 

It is good to remember them and chat about the good times not that we don't at other times too but today we remembered Father Days in the past when they were here with us.  Sweet memories!!! 

 

to those of you who celebrate it today :-)

Keep well

Amanda

Wonder Women

to all you..........multitasking goddesses out there.....

Happy International Women's Day 

 

 

Keep well

Amanda :-)

and...here it is again...Christmas!

It crept up on me once again so very fast......

Christmas is practically on my doorstep!!!!!

Crikey!!!!....I told myself ....head up girl you can do this in two days....ready,steady go!!

I have been whizzing around getting everything into place....tree is up and blinking (brought some new lights they blink and dip...sort of) .

Grocery bought and in the larder ready for cooking and baking tomorrow. Thanks goodness I have a strong armed Sr Paco who carried the heavy bags ....having the supermarket 2 mins away helped too!

In October I finished my crocheted front door decor which as you can see is not a wreath.  I saw it somewhere browsing on the web.   For some strange reason I decided back then it was a good idea to do that in plenty of time for Christmas. It was a bit awkward to get it to hang on the door without using glue or sellotape....but with thread and blue tak I got it sorted.

I hope to be able to post a little more over the next couple of weeks as I am on holiday!!!

Take care 

Amanda :-)

Absence does not mean a lack of interest

It just means other happenings in our life have taken first place. Overwhelmed with work I was finally forced to prioritize and many personal activities had to be put on hold. Work is the most important thing at present but we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully there will be some changes from September/October.  

At present 2018 has been rather nasty to us... Sr P's eldest brother passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of January. Such a shock and it hit us hard! 

Then just four months later our brother-in-law had a heart attack and left us too!  We are devastated!!  He was a very close and well-loved member of our family. We are still trying to get back into a routine but it is difficult. In a way I am fortunate that I have so much work it helps me not to think but Sr P is retired and he has too much time on his hands. 

Time is the healer...right....to a point!   At present we just feel there are very few pleasures in our lives!  In all truth I have to say I am finding it hard to write this post. I must have lost the knack!

I haven't stopped crocheting of course ...there have been moments where I have sat with my hook in hand looking at it with no inspiration and pushing it to one side. However,it was worst still doing nothing and just thinking.

 

 Mermaid Tail for Lottie my great niece.   My sister sent me the pattern. I used Katia Alaska and Hook Nº 8.  A stash buster I am pleased to say.

Mermaid tails for my great nieces  "The Pinks"   My sister knitted the one on the right. These were Christmas presents. 

 I had to make initials for each tail because they would squabble otherwise :-)

Then on seeing these pics on facebook my other niece contacted me and asked if I could do one for her little girl.

 

The second one.   I like these combination of colours more so than the first tail.

I was doodling and for nobody in particular. I was still into mermaids I think. I found the pattern online.

More doodling...no pattern.

 A virus & granny stitch shawl . I always wanted to do this pattern.  

My sister has moved into a new house in Torquay, Devon and she is redecorating it all. I thought these would look good hanging from the bathroom door or cupboard.

A Danish pattern that had no translation but I more or less sorted it out !  I tweaked it a bit!

and.....thats it for now....sorry about the photo overload :-)

Keep well

Amanda :-)

 

I hear bells......Christmas is back again……

 

When you love something you feel good and you want to share that wonderful feeling with others!
 
"Whether you believe or you don't believe or you believe in a different way … I say no matter!!! It is Christmas and the message it sends out to all of us in this our beautiful world is of peace and unity and wishes for a better future as we approach a bright new year.
 

MAY IT BE SO!!!
 

I truly wish this for you all,so with these few words I am sending out my love and sincerest best wishes to all my bloggy friends wherever you are."
 
May this Christmas bring you your heart's desire.

Have a fantastic time!

Amanda :-)

 and....my apologies for not posting anything since October.......life aka work gets in the way as usual but I have continued to read blogs over my morning cuppa of tea!!! :-).  keep well !!

 

Thrown in a cupboard.

This little shawl has a story......

I finished this shawl using Jaipur Mercerized Cotton at the beginning of the summer.
I wanted a nice light summer shawl.
The pattern was not my own but one I found on the internet however I cannot tell you who wrote it because I have ripped it up.
That's right I tore it up! I was so disappointed with the results!
When I saw how tiny the shawl was I knew I had gone wrong somewhere. I had been so careful counting the stitches in each row. You see it does look a very simple straight forward pattern with no fancy stitches but you do have to keep counting the stitches in every row and carefully!!
I just rolled the shawl into a ball and threw it into a cupboard. 
Well I found that crumpled up ball a couple of weeks ago and as it happened at that time I was in a more resourceful mood  I thought I could do something with it. Perhaps it could be a sort of scarf I thought. I washed it and blocked it;strenuously pulling it here and there to try and make it a bit longer. It worked and this the result. 
I have a new scarf to cover my shoulders a little !

I feel a bit guilty about ripping up the pattern now as it wasn't the pattern that was wrong but me.

Keep well

Amanda :-)

Jaipur goes to Devon

My sister has just moved house and has also gone back to Devon (UK) to live. Lucky she has finally retired!  As I told her about time too as she rightfully deserves that retirement. She has worked real hard all her life and I am so glad she can get loads of quality time now. 
One of the reasons she has moved back to Devon is being in contact with her grandchildren and of course "The Pinks" ! The great grandchildren!!

The Pinks as I call them!

It is my sister's birthday next week and she has just received the plant I have sent her which I ordered online.

 

I always worry about these online purchases for birthday gifts in case they are not what they advertise on the webpage but going by this photo that she sent to me I think it lives up to its description. It also arrived dead on time so I shall be using this shop again.   Moving houses and a birthday is also a perfect excuse for me to crochet something so other than the plant I am also going to send her this Table runner that I have just finished.

I used Katia Jaipur cotton ( I heart that cotton...works up just lovely!) and a 2.00 hook. I was inspired by a photo on pinterest of something similar to this but it is dramatically tweaked to fit the idea I had in my head so I think I can say it is my pattern.    I actually think it will look great on the table in this photo which is in my sister's new conservatory in her new house.    What do you think of the colours?  Constructive criticism welcome!!!

 

Keep well!!

Amanda :-)

Doodling in crochet.

My first handbag fob!

It has been awhile and I should be correcting homework but .....


I have been doodling in crochet. 

 


I have another make on the hook,a shawl, but I am finding it difficult to concentrate on something big!
 I turned to a bit of doodling...a small make so I could pop it into my bag and do a little bit to it during the breaks between classes.  
Usually the summer isn't very busy for me but as explained in my last post I could not have holidays this year. Even so, I thought I wouldn't have a lot of work but I was wrong. I have three contracts this summer.  

Getting back to my handbag fob. 

  
 


I have a bag I like very much but it has become quite tatty. I washed it and repaired the tears and cut up an iron on trouser patch to iron on over the holes in the corners of my bag . It looks much better but it still had a bit of a faded look to it so I made up this fob to give it a little bit of colour and sparkle!    
No pattern! A bit of spare wool,a round or two of popcorn stitches  and a few beads here and there.   

I feel much better now I have finally finished one of my makes.

keep well 

Amanda :-)

What holidays!!!

Yep!!! Feeling decidedly  fed up!


I'm still here ..... occasionally able to pop in and read a blog or two!

I'm working my holidays.......matter of having to after receiving a rather nasty surprise from a member of my family ......once again.
 I don't want to go into detail as I'll get angry and upset. Anyhow I get bored with myself just listening to my moans and groans.

I have to think this otherwise moi may be emigrating far,far away very soon!

keep well

Amanda  X