New Year, New Bag

On Boxing Day I was wondering what I should crochet next. I had no project on the go as the Christmas deadline had been met, posted and received in time. After two weeks prior to Christmas of working and Christmas preparations, I finally had time to think of myself and have a well deserved sit down. But what to make??? A new blanket? Maybe, but really we have enough (there is one I'd like to make but I need to sort out more colours for it).  Maybe try out a new technique? Yeah I could do that I suppose, but no. Hmmmm... Got it! I need a new bag! My current one is filthy. Yes know, I could give it a wash but I'm ready for a change anyway. I know what style I'd like so now to find the colours. These two could work.

I had a look through my Bags & Jewellery pattern folder and found a pattern from Red Heart. It is a satchel style made in ripples. Perfect! I didn't follow the pattern exactly, in fact hardly at all. I increased the number of ripples across to nine instead of seven as I wanted it to be able to fit my iPad in it occasionally and used the instructions for the first couple of rows until the method was stuck in my head. Then I casted the pattern aside and made the rest up as I went along. I put a gusset down both sides and a made a flower for the flap (I love crocheting flowers). One strap later, long enough to put over my head so it's diagonal across my body and it's done.

TA-DAH!!!

Then to empty the old one...

...and throw the rubbish collected in it away.

This is the fourth bag I have made and will use daily. It will replace this one which needs a good wash.

That one replaced this,

which replaced this one.

Now that that's made I'll have to think of something else to make. Any suggestions?

Green Eggs and Chicks

I should have blogged about this a week ago but I've been waiting for more green eggs. That's right, green eggs! Well, green shells to be exact. More about that later.

The last post I wrote was about Broody Buttercup sitting on two eggs waiting for them to hatch. Well, we waited and waited but nothing happened, they were duds. The rooster was pretty useless, as I heard from the lady I got the eggs from that none of the others hatched either but she did tell me that the Hamilton A&P show had chicks there for sale. So off I went and purchased two of the youngest Barnvelder chicks for Buttercup. 

They are so cute! Little balls of fluff!

I removed the eggs from under Buttercup and popped these two cuties under her wings. She took to them straight away just like she had hatched them.

I think the chicks were pleased to have a mummy too. Much warmer than a heat lamp. They were about a day or two old when we got them so they are about a week old now and growing fast.

They don't stay still very long so a few of the photos turned out a bit blurry but here you can see that a favourite game, now that they have found out they can fly a little, is to fly on to mum's back and get a ride, if you can balance long enough.

When we have them out free ranging, we must make sure that our black cat is nowhere around. She has studied them closely in their pen and was probably thinking that they would be a tasty morsel just the right size for her mouth. Our other cat came a bit too close the other day when they were out and got frightened away by Buttercup. She was so scared that she hid under the bbq cover and didn't even come out for dinner! Needless to say that the dog is definately secured away when the birds are out.

When the chicks grow up they will look like this.

The day afer getting the chicks I went and picked up two Araucana hens that I had bought off Trade Me. This is where the green eggs come from. These hens lays eggs with green tinted shells but the contents are normal egg looking.

Apparently the Araucana hen originates from Chile. They have very little comb and no wattles (that the red thingies that hang under their beak). I have a traditional lavender Araucana and so I have named her Lavender...

...and a black one of an unknown father as they were free ranging where I got them from. It does make it easier to tell them apart when they are different colours though. Her name is Lucy. Her eggs are still green coloured but paler.

Lucy is camera shy. So far I have only had one egg from these two but they have been getting a hard time from Blossom, Daisy and Delilah, so it's not surprising really.

I separate Lucy and Lavender off from the three bullies each morning so hopefully they will get used to each other soon and we can return to laying green eggs. When all my hens and including the chicks when they are big enough, are laying I could get eight eggs a day. I'll have to start selling them! 

Will I be getting more hens in the future? Maybe, after all, chooks are like potato chips, you can never have just one.

Made My Own

Very popular these days is art done on canvases or wooden planks, that have an old rustic look to them, that have little sayings on them like 'if you're looking for a sign this is it' or the house rules or place names. While at first I thought they were rather nice and 'oh how I would like one but which one to choose', now I'm seeing them everywhere and they have become quite common and not so enjoyable to me as everyone has one. So I made my own.

I purchased a black canvas (which was on special, even better) wrote out on a piece of paper what I was planning to put on it and got busy. I decided to put the names of places we have visited in New Zealand. By using places we have been it would mean so much more to us.

I pulled out the Cuttlebug machine, bright coloured paper and the alphabet dies and started cutting.

As I cut letters and formed words I placed them on the canvas. Pirongia was first on and in the middle. This is where we live and it needed to be big and bold.

                                   

While I was still cutting out the words and placing them on the canvas, Master 12 came by flapping something, got a little too close and look what happened.

                                   

At first I yelled (very briefly) then I saw the funny side of it and just laughed. Trust him to do something like that! Luckily I had taken a photo so I could put it all back to how I had it. Amazingly I didn't loose any of the dots of the i's either.

When I was happy with the layout (again!) I got the Xyron sticker maker and started to feed the letters through it one place at a time and then stick them on the board. If you are into crafting one of these Xyron machines are so, so useful. This is the smallest but so easy to use, easily moved around, stored and refills of the sticky rolls come in either repositionable or permanent. Not only can you put paper or card through them but also ribbon, lace and probably much more that I haven't even thought about.

Once it was all stuck down I got the Mod Podge out to seal it and give it a finished look. This was the scary part. The Mod Podge is white and even though you know it will dry clear it's still scary to smear it all over your hard work. There is always 'what if' sitting in the back of your mind.

                                      

Of course it dried clear! How silly of me to worry. So after about three coats I deemed it done and onto the the wall it went. It is in our dining area where we all spend quite a bit of time and not just for eating.

                                      

                                      

Broody Buttercup

My lovely Buff Sussex hen is broody. She wants to be a mum and she is very determined to be one. Buttercup will sit on any egg and becomes very grumpy with us when we move her to collect the eggs. She doesn't care that we don't have a rooster and that the eggs would never hatch, all she knows is that her hormones are telling her to sit and keep them warm.

At the weekend DH and I drew up plans to build her a little coop all of her own and then we would get some fertilised eggs for her to sit on and do her thing. We were driving to the local hardware shop to buy the wood and bits and pieces when I noticed in the junk shop yard something that looked just like a coop. "STOP the car and turn around" I yelled and sure enough there it was, all made and only $80.

Bargain!!! Perfect!!! And it has wheels to make it easier to move around!

We loaded it into the back of the car and took it home. We decided a modification to the top of the run would be a good idea. A solid roof helps keep the ground under it dry and gives protection from the sun. We already had a bit of plywood so some hinges, screws and a latch was all we needed. I made contact with a lovely lady who lives not too far from us about some eggs so the next day after DH did the necessary adjustments we popped Buttercup in it while we went to get the eggs.

I only wanted a couple of eggs as Buttercup has already been sitting for a couple of weeks and I didn't want to buy lots only to have her give up and the eggs be wasted. The lovely egg lady gave me two eggs to try and didn't charge me as she isn't sure of fertility. We popped them under Buttercup and she seems very happy.

So, hopefully in two weeks time (they have already spent a week in an incubator) we will have two little chicks. Rhode Island Red is the breed just like Charlotte was. So exciting, I hope it all goes to plan.

Blanket for a New Baby

Six months ago my Mother-in-Law (who I shall refer to as Granny which is what the other grandchildren called her) passed away. Her daughter was at the time, three months pregnant and so Grandmother and Grandchild were to never meet.

Granny was a spinner and weaver and when she and Pops had their little farm she would spin, dye, knit and weave the wool from their sheep. Like any crafter she had a stash; a stash of yarn. After her death I was allowed to take four big boxes of yarn home. There are all sorts in those boxes. Two of the boxes hold woolen yarn on cones which I understand was from carpet manufacturers. The other two boxes had store bought yarn, wool that Granny had bought from other spinners and the best of all, wool that she had spun herself.

As soon as I learnt that my sister-in-law was pregnant I knew I had to crochet something for the baby with her Granny's wool. I had three colours to play with but chose the off-white and the teal. The brown would be ok for a boy but as I didn't know if baby was a girl or a boy I figured the teal and off-white would be safe.

I decided to make a blanket. The hardest part was choosing the design. I decided that squares would be the way to go as I could then control the width and length depending on how many squares the wool was going give me. I consulted my trusty book, 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton.

 After much page turning I settled on one block, number 86 Sunray.

I made 15 of each colour then slip-stitched them together. Not a bad size for a baby, it would fit in the cot and on a big bed later as a throw. I can't remember which book I eventually chose the border from but here it is all finished.

Not all of the off-white was from the same batch. There is some slight colour variation and some are fluffier than other squares. I also had to keep an eye on the yarn thickness.

Yesterday we all went to Auckland for the childrens orthodontic appointments. We were also able to fit in a visit to the newest member of our extended family. That's right, a beautiful baby girl was born a week and a half ago at home which was not planned. She was a week early and in a great hurry to meet us all. She is so tiny. It's hard to believe that my three were once that small. Here she is being held by my big girl.

                                      

The gift was received by my sister-in-law with tears (which started me off) when I told her the blanket was made with her mum's wool. A gift greatly appreciated and Baby will be wrapped in love.

I also had to make a little toy to go with it, of course I did.

                                      

Same colours too and just the right size for a baby.

Curiosity Killed the Hen

Last Friday, after a day of work, DH and I arrived home and were surprised that we weren't welcomed in the usual way with a bouncing dog very pleased to see us home like he usually is. I wondered if he had accidentally been locked in the house with no way to get to the dog door but no, I checked, he could get out. When I found him he was outside with a chicken on the loose. My favourite hen Charlotte had escaped because curiosity got the better of her and the dog had found her. Not a very good outcome at all. Charlotte now free ranges in chicken heaven. 

The positive side to this story is that now the hens have a much bigger and safer run. I had been wanting to build a bigger run for them for a while but unfortunately it took a very sad accident for DH to agree to build one. Friday evening I researched chicken run images on Google and found one that looked easy to build from looking at the pictures.

Perfect I thought, we can make this work. On Saturday morning I worked out the measurements and the amount of timber required and then off to the local timber yard to purchase the wood we went. After we built one side we decided to change the design a little because the angles on the other panels to make it fit with a sloping roof were making it just a little to difficult to work out. So we opted for a flat roof and all the walls the same height which is much easier to move around inside it anyway. By Saturday afternoon we had the frame finished.

Sunday came and off we went back to the hardware store to purchase roofing, wire netting and more nails. On went the roof. I decided a solid roof would be the way to go so that the hens could still be outside when it's raining. We made the roof slightly sloping so that any rain will run off it.

Then the wire mesh went on. Now you might be wondering why there is a gap on the right side at the bottom. That is so it can butt up against the existing coop.

A perch was added, which I am yet to see them use.

It was all hands on deck to help move it from the garage to the yard. Here you can see Blossom and Buttercup enjoying their new space.

Just days before this all happened I had added two new ladies to the flock. Let me introduce them. 

On the left is Daisy and on the right is Delilah. They are Orpington hens. Feathers don't actually grow on their legs but they have so many that they hang down like a long skirt. They are an English breed that does well in cold climates so here's hoping they will lay through the winter for us. They are settling in well and the hen pecking from the other two (especially Blossom) is getting less and less. 

Did you notice how big the new run is? I can pretty much stand up in it if I watch my head. The best part is that I can fit more hens in there now. YIPPEE!! What breed or breeds shall I get next and how many? Hmmm ... Watch this space!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Yes that's right I've very busy on the crafty front. I seem to have inspired myself. Since I wrote about WIPs and UFOs I have actually finished a few things. YAY!!! I'm very pleased with myself and can't quite believe that after all these years I now have a new picture hanging on the wall and a nativity set for Christmas.

I decided to tackle the cross-stitch picture first. I knew that there was only a little bit of the back stitching to be done and then I could frame it. So one morning I ventured into Te Awamutu to the picture framers. Unfortunately a pre-made frame didn't quite fit as my picture was too short in the up and down measurement which was a shame as the frame itself was very nice. I hummed and harred over many different styles of frame but I wasn't really taken by any of them. Then, the lovely shop assistant had an absolutely brilliant idea! If I was to add about four or five extra rows at the bottom of the picture by expanding the porch, then it would fit the pre-made frame perfectly. What a fantastic idea! That lady is a genius! Even better, the frame was only $20 instead of $60 for a custom made frame. Wahoo!!! That suited my wallet much better. So off I trotted home with my frame and mounting board all wrapped up in brown paper.

I stitched the five extra rows and then extended the porch back-stitching too.

You might be able to spot a slight colour difference in the new rows - I checked many times that I had the correct shade of thread but my picture must have faded a little which I can't quite believe how that happened as it has sat in the dark, in a bag, for a very looooong time. However now that it's framed and on the wall you can't really see the difference. I did all the mounting onto the backing board myself, a handy skill I learnt at the embroidery shop some time ago.

Then I popped it into the frame, turned it over and.......

I'm very, very pleased to see it finished and hanging on my wall. BUT, it's going to have to be moved as the wall is just too big for the picture but I haven't figured out where it's new home is to be just yet.

I also finished my knitted nativity set. When I left it so long ago, I still had to complete a donkey, two wise men and one more shepherd.

I had to wrack my brain a little to remember how to cast on and I googled one other stitch but all in all knitting came back to me fairly quickly and I quite enjoyed a change from crocheting. Again, finishing this project didn't take me long either.

Here they all are ready and waiting for Christmas. Well they're in a box now waiting patiently.

I've just realised that I haven't made crooks for the shepherds! I'd better get onto that quickly hadn't I?

I found an EFTPOS receipt when I was tidying up the bag with all the wool I had used and although it was faded I could still make out the date. 30 May 07, seven years ago! At least the nativity set has not been waiting as long as the cross-stitch and the quilt (more on that soon) to be finished, I figure them to be over 12 years in the making.

A more recently started project that has been finished is this garden. Remember, it used to look like this a few weeks ago...

...but now, it's finished!

You might notice a few 'sticks' on the left at the back. Yes well, they are hibiscus. Yes I assure you they are. Sadly they got frost bitten but I have planted them out with high hopes that they will recover. One of them has two new leaves, the other I'm not so sure about. I think it might just be too cold for them here in the winter which is such a shame as I really do enjoy how they flower almost all year. This is my many colours flowering garden and I'm looking forward to watching it grow, flower and fill in over the seasons.

That's all for now but hopefully soon I'll be showing you my finished quilt.