Spinning a Yarn

Oh the indecision!

What a great solution. It’s just embarrassing when he steals another dogs ball…when he’s already got his in his mouth!

On friday I made up a bunch of lunches for the coming week(s). Being that it’s all the same thing (except the top one- cous cous instead of pasta) I may have interludes of other food too!

Similarly I’m going to try and do up a bunch of posts to send out during the week- I’m noting my absence probably more than you are!

I hope my American friends enjoyed thanksgiving, and everyone else has had a lovely weekend too!

I’ve been admiring the necklaces made from found objects and jewels for a while now and made this one with some of the bits from craftrunner, some things from my sewing room and some crystals I picked up at the local bead shop.

The button is from my Nana’s button jar- she keeps telling me to help myself when I visit! I like the thistle as a nod to my scottish ancestory. (Anyone who has grubbed thistles for a summer, as I have, will get the wee pun in there. My treat to you.)

This is one of the keys to my sewing machine case. I have never used it! I think the picture is of a man riding a lion. (Click to go bigger.)

Michael says it makes me sound like Pedro- I jangle when I walk. I like the soft chiming it makes as the key and button clink together. I really enjoyed making this necklace and getting it just right- and am searching for more old keys on trademe!

And I know, I crashed and burned on the NaBloPoMo! At least it was in the middle and not right at the end. I was pleased with how far I had made it with no mundane “this is a post becasue I have to post something” post- which was what I was going to post but plum forgot! My first week at work (which was really only 4 days due to a public holiday) completely wiped me out! (I think I thought I had already posted!) It went very well, and thanks for all the well wishes. Today I finally felt productive!

I’ve never entered Whiplash before, but the necklace I just finished making Marlyn for Christmas falls squarely in the jewellery made from fiber category.

I used Rowan Lurex Shimmer to knit beads which were strung together using crochet. I used this eyeball tutorial for the beads (unrecognisable huh?!). At first I made easch bead individually before devising a way to knit them continuously without bereaking them off (I am so good and thrifty and won’t even waste 30 cm of yarn!)

At the end of the first bead, instead of breaking off the yarn, thread both layers through the darning needle:

and draw through the 6 stitches. Stuff the bead tightly.

Place your crochet hook in the big loop of yarn and pull on the tail attatched to the main ball of yarn, until the loop fits snugly around the crochet hook. Now crochet the linking chain to the next bead. Slip the loop from the crochet hook to the dpn and use it to cast on from.

I used a gold clasp to join the two ends

And in order to make it look more polished I sewed back through all the crochet with the yarn, to give a thicker joining chain to balance the large size of the beads. I will definately be making another one of these necklaces, and maybe experimenting with adding a second layer of beads.

Teatowel.

It went well! I wasn’t over or under dressed!!

I have my own desk and (new) computor in an office with a David who is very nice. The whole team was lovely and welcoming. And in the next couple of days my job will become more clear.

I’m bussing to work so today’s whipup article was particularly relevant- I have a crochet project on the go (much harder to drop stitches).

When I got home my package from craftrunner had arrived- they had included some extras too- mints and sandpaper and extra wee pieces of chain. Lovely to deal with! Now I just need some beading tools so I can make the necklace in my head. Also my credit card was approved, so I plan on setting up shop this weekend. Cheers to all that!

My tinyhappy bag is packed, my clothes are all set out. I spent an extraordinate amount of money on some new pants because the lady was nice and not pressurery and she gave me lots of ideas of things to make, oh and did I mention the pants make me feel like the person I want to portray? This whole starting a new job and reinventing my image thing is really rather nice.

My shiny new shoes (do you know how hard it is to get nice mostly covered in shoes with no heel that doesn’t make my feet look 80?) and some fabric to make some work tops from.

I start tommorow. Here’s hoping the bus run for the first time goes smoothly, and that I am not over/under dressed. Which one is worse?

But we had a good night anyway!

I put the car away before we walked into town for a celebratory dinner. I locked the keys in the car. We had a lovely dinner and caught up with friends for drinks, then called the AA man in the taxi home. He came before we got to the eye spy games, but not before we had checked all the windows. Obviously we’re in! (I was a bit panicky about NaBloPoMo, but I’ve made it.)

Unrelated: these are the cupcakes I made for the other night- vanilla cupcakes with lemon honey filling and lemon butter icing. Yum!

Because it’s just not the same without pictures.

Yesterday I picked up this oak telephone table for $20. A bargain.

The red fabric wasn’t in too poor condition, but I though I could improve on it. Some fabric from my stash and voila!

I really like the honey look of it all.

Thanks for your well wishes about finishing uni. It feels so good, but at the same time I feel a little at a loose end- studying is all I really know how to do. A chance to reinvent myself. It was nice to enjoy a cup of tea in the sun with a friend this afternoon without the nagging guilt that I should be doing something else.

And I savoured the first sun-ripened strawberry, warm from the garden, this afternoon. It is going to be a good summer.

Of 16 years at school. My last exam was yesterday and what a relief to get it over and done with. I did a little jig as they were collecting the scripts. Michael’s last one is tommorow, then we’re free!

Today I obsessively cleaned up the lounge and made a start on the kitchen. The rest of the house is not safe- it’s next on my list.

I had an amazing find today- a telephone table. Photo’s tommorow when the sun is shining.

Have just a had a wonderful crafty get together at my place- lemon cupcakes all round!

Hope everyone has had a happy thursday today!