One-A-Day-Hung-in-a-Tree

Hi everybody!

Don't you think for one moment that because we're on summer holiday, it would actually be...summery. 

No ways.

In  one day we'll have short bouts of sunshine, wind, misty rain, drizzle, cold rain, fog coming in over the bay...but at least we're gazing at the ocean!

I completed ± 25 stars (estimating from the picture here, not all visible), hooked some loops, added some beads (with difficulty, as warned about by my sisi), but look, here they are!  Happily flapping away in the Garden Route wind.  I grouped all of them together on the leaf-less (don't know why) part of the tree, and it really looks nice.  Some even has a bell of two.    

Am I going to be doing this again next year? 

You BET.

But with nice cotton, and more of that little bunting and bells and beads. 

So I've started with Simultaneously Hooked Holiday Project 1:

...a new-wool scarve for my cold sis in wet, dreary, cloudy, dark Ireland; to brighten her day. 

A full post will be devoted to this bright, sunshiny softness.

(When I'm back home, with my download cables and Picasa...these were downloaded from mobile uploads on Facebook...).

Whilst hooking away I was sipping rooibos tea with honey and snacking away on one of my absolute favourite things in the world, a good old South African milktart, much the same as the French and Portuguese baked custards. We like ours baked in puff pastry, with more than a dash of cinnamon sugar. 

I could survive on this! 

Simultaneously Hooked Holiday Projects 2 and 3 entails a Cath Kidston tin with 6 small balls turning into a cushion, and some plain cotton twine growing into a little sunhat.

Then there's the plastic bags being cut up (#4) and the wool mix aran (#5) and the Ripple Blanket (#6)...I really am making sure I'll be busy.

Enjoy your holiday if your having, and I wish all the One-A-Dayers (and others) and blessed Christmastime!  And again, thankyou to Carole for hosting this CAL.  I'm looking forward to seeing the last post of this year at Gingerbread Girl.

One-a-Day 12...Stars and rounds

One-a-Day turned out to be almost Three-a-Day :-) 

I finished 23 of these stars and round and also a few strands to be turned into loops (have to hide the beads away from my boy, who wants to thread them all).  It goes nice and quick, perfect for waiting outside the school, or during swimming lessons. 

I hope to be able to post throughout the holiday, going to try out Blogger's email-to-the-blog thingey, or otherwise the long route of MMSing to FIL's email, downloading and uplaoding from there...computer access not the easiest thing.  Hopefully this time next week I can share a tree full of stars :-D

Thanks to Carole who hosts the One-A-Day posts, it is a great idea and motivator to get on with some hooking. 

Wishing all my fellow hookers and bloggers indeed a very blessed Christmas, warmth for the northeners, sunshine and a relaxed summer holiday for the southerners.  Enjoy!

Klaar!! Kussings Kussings Kussings Kussings

Drie kussingprojekte klaar!

Twee oortreksels vir Hartenboshuisie, alreeds in JUNIE klaargehaak, maar nou eers aanmekaargewerk.  Ek het 'n ou ligblou gingam-tafeldoek gebruik vir die agterkante, en met ligblou borduurgaring vasgewerk (wat noem mens dié, glipsteek?).  Patroon: Lucy se Summer Garden Squares. Kan nie wag om hierdie twee op hul rottangstoele in Hartenbos te gaan neersit nie. 

Three cushion projects done!

I finished two covers for the Little Beach House (crocheted in June, but only completed now). Forthe back I used an old, light-blue gingham table cloth, which I stitched with ligh-blue emrboidery thread. Pattern: Lucy's Sumer Garden Squares.
Can't wait to put it on the rattan chairs in Hartenbos.



Ek het Anner Stel sover gekry om hier te kom sit om die oortreksel vir Krulliekop se kussing klaar te stik, terwyl ek bg. twee doen.  Ons is albei baaaaaie deeltydse naaldwerkers, so dit was nogal 'n interessante oefening, aangehelp met baie koffie en rooibos.
Patroon: Cornel se teemus-motief (aangepas van Ingrid van woodwoolstool)

I got Other Stel to join me and finish the cover for her Curly Girl's cushion.  Both of us sew very occasionally, so it was an interesting exercise, with lots of coffee and rooibos tea to help us.
Pattern: Cornel's tea cosy motif, adapted from Ingrid of woodwoolstool)

 

Die ronde kussinkie het ek ook al maande gelede klaargemaak, vaagweg gebaseer op 'n kombinasie van Lucy se Summer Garden Squares en Alice se Granny Mandala  en nog elders  'n vatlappie waarvan ek nie eens die patroon meer onthou nie.  Die kussing is spesifiek gemaak vir 'n ou gietysterstoel wat altyd in my ouers se spaarkamer gestaan het, toe nog in wit gedaante.  Hier by my was die stoel al room, gunmetal, weer wit en tans rooi.  Hy migreer so van die kombuis na die agterstoep en weer terug. Die agterkant is gemaak van 'n ou denimkussingsloop. Die knopies is net dekoratief, en ek het dit weer vasgewerk met 'n sagte geel borduurgare (het toe nie die oranje wat ek eintlik wou gebruik nie).  Ek moet dalk net 'n beter kussing maak, hierdie was sommer 'n kortpad-vat-'n-platterige-vierkantige-kussing-en stik-dit-rond...

The little round cushion was finished months ago and is vaguely based on a combination of Lucy's Summer Garden Squares, Alice's Granny Mandala and another pattern that I can't even remember. It was specifically made for and old wrought-iron chair that used to live in my parents' spare bedroom, then white. I have painted it ivory, gunmetal grey, white again and it is red for now.  It migrates between the kitchen to the back stoep and back into the house.  

The back of the cover was made of an old denim pillow cover. The buttons are just decorative. I sewed it with a buttercup yellow embroidery thread - wanted to use bright orange but only then realised I didn't have any! At some stage I'll have to replace the inner with a proper round one, as I literally cut corners of an unused, unloved little square pillow...

Klaar! Vier kussings!

Done!  Four cushions!



Photo Scavenger Hunt, November

Mmmm. After missing out last month I was adamant that my November photos will be done in time and ready way before the end of the month.

He he heee.  That was now before I realised that we had to get through a swimming gala, two school concerts (one spanning 4 nights), a fundraising concert, a family wedding, arranged an unplanned trip to the US (my husband) and just generally hurtling toward the end of the academic and calendar year. I'm counting the 9 sleeps until we leave on our summer holiday!

Now. Some shots I could get, others not.  But because I jouned the Scavenger Hunt so late in the year, I though I'd have a look through earlier photos of 2011 (I know...).  As always, snapped with my falling-apart Nokia Navigator (only has to survive until January!).

Here goes:

1  Poppy.  Nope. No can do, not now. The heat got them all. Was hoping to quickly crochet one, but alas...

2. Memorial.  A replica of the Long Tom cannons used in the Anglo-Boer War (a.k.a South African War). This one is situated in the Long Tom Pass in the position it was used. Mpumalanga, June.

3.  Silhouette.  Me, on the beach at Kenton-on-Sea, Eastern Cape, South Africa. I'm standing on top of a very high dune, snapping away at  my husband and the boys.  October.

4. Something I made  I learnt to crochet this year, and this was my first successful Big Project - a baby blanket for a friend's new little one.  October, in the baby room.

5.  Something purple. So much to choose!  This time of the year, Pretoria is a mass of purple jacaranda flowers, and it was the prettiest I've seen in a long time.  So I took heaps of snaps.  But it's also agapanthus season, and they're a bit early this year, too beautiful for words.  In the end this shot won: a new agapanthus variety, released only last season, "Black Velvet".  It is the deepest, darkest purple you can imagine, utterly beautiful (and my doags already killed one of the three that I bought this month...).

6. Warmth. Early morning fire at the Pretoria Farmers' Market. June.

7.  Polka dots  Polka dot-wrapped nougat at the Unica Christmas Market, Pretoria.

8 A lucky charm I saw this little charm last week, attached to a doilie that was still in the making.  Quite nice, and could work as a lucky charm, I would think.

9. Comfort food I am on a mission to master the baking of rusks.  These came out perfect - rich, slightly sweet, filled with oats, shredded coconut, cranberries, almond, hazelnut and every other I could find in the house.  Perfect with early morning tea.

10   Staircase A very bland-looking staircase at the hunter's lodge where we stayed last weekend.  It is also extremely steep and narrow and I was paranoid about the boys running up and down, seeing as the little one had three nasty cuts to his head already this year! (And now it doesn't want to rotate, sorry).

11.  Something that lights up  My favourite favourite laser-cut iron baobab tree with its Christmas dress.

11. Self-portrait Taken for my book club, with me pretending to be scared senseless by the prospect of reading Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" during the December holidays...

Hee heee :-) 

Now, let's see what everybody else posted over at Kathy's.

One-A-Day 11...Practising.

Time to report back on One-a-Day!

I set the Ripple aside and got going with various smaller projects.  I'm busy figuring out a sun hat for a little girl, doing hanger covers and such.

These little motifs below were done with yarn that I actually wanted to do rainbow hanger covers with.  But it hooks horribly (being the absolute cheapest you can find in SA, @ R2/50g). So I abandoned ship, but, not wanting to waste this little heap of yarn, decided to practise some circles, stars, flowers etc, and then use the lot to yarn bomb the tree in front of my FIL's house over Christmas ;-). 

It certainly is bright enough :-D

So I hooked one of these per day and will continue until the little balls of yarn are gone.

Will also practise starching the lot!

I'm looking forward to see what else happened in One-a-Day land, over at Carole's blog. 

(And I quietly envy all the lovely Christmas preparations up north!  A hot, summery Christmas is great, but there is just something about the cold, the candles, the darkness, the snow...).

One-A-Day 10, or, The Rolling-on-nicely Ripple!

At last!

Two rainbow bands finished!

This is what it looks like...



..and I'm a Happy Hooker :-)

BUT

I am going to put the rainbow aside for a while. We are experiencing our second heatwave in as many weeks, and that amount of acrylic on my lap is a bit much.  So I'll take it up again in December when we're on holiday in the southwestern Cape, with a much more civilised climate! Until then, I'll be One-A-Daying with some smaller projects that I Need To Finish.

Thank you for all the lovely comments and feedback on my rippe so far. It is really encouraging and keeps me from throwing in the blanket! Gonna blow you all away in January ;-)  In the meantime, I really love looking at your work, the beautiful prjects coming from this One-A-Day, and there are so many ideas coming up.

(PS.  Translation of previous post Ons Hekel/We Crochet now done to English).

Now.  Let's have a look at all the other great projects listed over at Carole's blog...

Ons Hekel/We Crochet



Agt maande gelede tel ek uit die bloute 'n hekelpen op (dit was 'n 4.5, my ma s'n wat ek om een of ander onverklaarbare rede gehou het). 

Ek koop 'n hekelboek, bel my Sisi en kondig aan dat ek nou ook gaan leer (sy het my al begin lus maak, sien, met dingetjies wat sy self begin maak het, en sy het my laat kyk na Attic 24, en woeps, daar's ek weggeblaas en moet ook leer).

Gaan sit toe met dit boek. Ag jete, wat 'n gesukkel!  Twee linkerhande, ek weet nie waar om die draad vas te hou en hoe om die pen vas te hou nie.

Google 'n paar "how to's" op You Tube...nou sit ek met die boek én You Tube voor my.

Uiteindelik bel ek weer Sisi in Ierland: Help tog net!  En drie dae, tussen boekie en You Tube en Sisi, kliek ek dit en trek daar weg met 'n vaart!

Maar toe wil ek uitvind van hekel en wolle hier in SA.  Want via Attic 24 kom ek toe op al meer mooie blogs af, Bunny Mummy (by wie ek geleer het hekel het 'n voor-en agterkant!), Meme Rose, Yarn Round Hook, Dutch Sisters, Crochet with Raymond, Le monde de Sucrette en hoeveel nog ( en intussen het daar so baie bygekom).  Ek kry nie 'n dooie woord in Afrikaans/Suid-Afrikaans op die net nie...tot ek die dag vir Natasja in London raak-surf met "ekHekel".  O vreugdevolle dag! Daar's hoop, daar's nog iemand!

Dit was nie 'n week of drie nie, toe email ek haar weer.: "Wil jy nie saam met my 'n Facebook groep begin, vir (Suid)-Afrikaanse hekel nie?  Binne 'n halfuur het ons 'n naam, 'n Facebook-page, 'n mooi foto van haar supermooi handsak, en ons 2 tweetjies = Ons Hekel.  Ons albei stuur uitnodigings na al ons FB-vriende, en weg is ek op my Jeugdag-langnaweek.  Ons hou duime vas dat nog iemand dalk sal belangstel. 

Nog iemande hét.

Vyf maande later staan ons op 644 lede! Who would have thought?  Daar is so baíe vroue wat hekel, en die mooiste, modernste, kleurvolste, kreatiefste goed denkbaar, met nie 'n 1970-produke in sig nie!  Elke dag sien ek nog iets moois (my To Do-lys raak al so lank dat ek bang raak daarvoor). Kyk net Loma se kombers, Ria se African Flower-kombers, 'n kombersie vir John,  Cornel se kussing (klaar gemaak) (kyk ook haar blog i love pom-poms) en...aaag nou kry ek nie weer die prentjie van Cornel se kussing nie :-(

En van my eerste gesukkel met 'n proef-Granny Squaretjie ...

het ek nou al soveel goed klaargemaak...

...en nog so paar ander!


Ek ken nou die verskil tussen 4 ply en DK, chunky en sokkiewol, en my penne strek van 2.5 tot 10 :-). Ek het permanent 'n mobiele hekelprojek wat oral saamry - mens kry ongelooflik baie gedoen so op die pad. 

My Arme Man mor net, want daar word nou baie minder ruggie-gekrap, want albei hande is nou besig, sien?
En skielik kry ek baie minder leestyd, want mens kan nie lekker lees en hekel gelyktydig nie (ek het probeer...).

Maar ek love dit.  Net die idee dat mens met relatief min moeite relatief vinnig 'n kombersie kan maak,of 'n serp, of kussingoortreksel - wie wil nog brei en steke verloor?

Ons Hekel groei onbehoorlik vinnig.  Byna elke vier weke is daar nog 'n 100 lede.  Vir die snaaks het ek vir die 100e en 200e lid 'n virtuele cappuccino gegee en toe agtergekom die lede tel af, wie gaan die 300, 400e wees?  Nou is dit nogal pret om my cappo te gaan kry by Pure, waar barista MX regstaan met sy masjien om skitterende koffie te maak met 'n mooie prentjie op.

Ek was vanoggend gou weer daar... Wie gaan nr 700 wees?

Eight months ago I picked up a crochet hook (it was a 4.5, my mom's, that I kep for some or other reason)

I bought a crochet book, called my Sisi and announced that I am now learning to crochet (since she tempted me with the nuce things she made, and linked me up to Attic 24 - I was blown away and had to learn

I sat down with the book. What a fight.  To left hands! I didn't know where to hold and where ton let go.

I Googled a few "how to's" on You Tube...then I sat with the boo AND You Tube .

At last I called my sis in Ireland: Please just help!!  And three days later , between the book, my sis and You Tube, something just clicked.

But then I wanted to know about wool and crochet here in South Afriva.  Went surfing Via Attic 24 I found  more and more lovely useful blogs..., Bunny Mummy (whoe alerted me that crochet has a back and a front - thank you! Meme Rose, Yarn Round Hook, Dutch Sisters, Crochet with Raymond, Le monde de Sucrette and many others ( and still more since!)  I couldn't find a word in Afrikaans/ on the net...until the day I stumbled onto Natasja in London "ekHekel" (iCrochet). Oh joy! There's hope! I am not alone!

I wasn't a week before I\ mailed her again..."Please start a Facebook group with me, for South African/Afrikaans crochet?"  Within half an hour we had a name, a Page, a profile photo of her superbeautiful bag, and us two = Ons Hekel (weCrochet).  We sent invites to al our FB-friendsand i left on my long weekend away. We held thumbs that somebody would be interested.

Lots of somebodies was.

Five months later we have 644 fans! Who would have thought?  There are so many ladies who crochet the the prettiest, most modern, colourful, creative items imaginable! Every day I see something I want to make (my To Do-list is getting so long I'm actually afraid of it). Just look at Loma's blanket, Ria's African Flower-blanket, 'n blankie for John,  Cornel's cushion (also look at her blog i love pom-poms) and..aaargh, now I can't find the picture of her cushion again :-(

 

Since my first attemp to a Granny Square, I managed to finish quite a few items now!

I now know the difference betwee 4 ply and DK, chunky and sock wool, and my hooks range from 2.5 to 10 :-). I have a permanent mobile project - amazing how much you can do on the road.

My Poor Husband doesn't get back-rubs anymore, because both hands are busy now!

And suddenly I have much less reading time (I did try reading and hooking at the same time...difficult).

 

But I Love It.  Just the idea that one can relatively quickly create a blanket, a scarve, a pilow cover - who wants to knit and drop stitches??

Ons Hekel is growing very fast.  We have and extra 100 member almost every 4 weeks.  As a joke I gave nr 100 and 200 a virtual cappuccino on the page, and later realised the fans ar waiting and counting down - who's going to be 300, 400?  So now it's quite fun to go and get my regular cappo at Pure, where barista MX stands ready with his coffee machine, waiting to create yet another pretty picture for me.

I went again  this morning...wonder who is going to be nr 700?

One-A-Day 9, or, The Redeemed Ripple

Hello to all my co-hookers/knitters doing one row/square/circle/flower...a day!

A week's rest -of-the-ripple did me a lot of  good.  Not that I really got a change to do much else! I did finish 2 placemats and 2 coffee mug coasters for my cousins's fiancee's kitchen (photo's somewhere, and will come later), and finished an almost 30x30cm flowery-granny square for a certain Curly Girl (which wil turn into a cushion) : 

But then there was also a rush to A&E with my Little Bull Calf (seems to be something quite common here amongst the crocheters, if you look at the last couple of weeks...) - amazing what a gholf club to the forehead can do:

And then there was a fun gala where my Little Man placed 3rd in freestyle and breast stroke (yeay for him, as he doesn't like cold water!  :-)

And there still is the ongoing Concert Week at the primary school, can you imagine the excitement levels here...

(Tall one in the back is mine).


But The Ripple, the Rebellious-Recovering-turning Rainbow Ripple - it grew. 

I didn't get to finish a whole new band, as I would have wanted, but still am very happy how it's turning out.  Remember I asked your opinion on how to proceed?  Should I continue randomly, or with another rainbow, or with a rainbow mirror...

And this is what I decided on, and I love it!!  Yeay!!  I have new love for my Ripple:

I LOVE how it's working out, mirroring the rainbow.  And then I'll mirror again.  Can't wait.  Have got new inspiration!

And now over to Gingerbread Girl's blog to see what's happening with the other One-A-Dayers!

PS.  Little one is doing much better, stitches came out today and he earned an ice cream for his bravery.

Vintage

My sus het nou die dag op Ons Hekel vertel van 'n ou gehekelde tafeldoek van my ma, fyn-fyn gehekel met bruinerige garing, gedoen deur gevangenes van die Kroonstad Vrouegevangenis, doer seker in die sewentigerjare (ons ouers was albei in die destydse Gevangenisdiens).

Ek het 'n soortgelyke tafeldoek, seker dieselfde patroon, maar in wit garing:

My sis posted the other day on Ons Hekel about a crocheted tablecloth that belonged to our mom, finely crocheted with a natural-brownish colour thread. It was done by inmates of the Kroonstad Womens Prison, sometime in the early 70's,I think (our parents were both officers at the then Dept. of Prison Services).

I have a similar tablecloth, with the same pattern, I think, but in this white thread:

Julle!  Kyk hoe fyn. 

Die motief is 6 cm.

Daar is 19 x 19 motiewe...=361. 

Die eerste rondte lyk soos 20 (twintig!) langbene (ek probeer dit tel met 'n naald se punt!). 

Hoe groot is die hekelpen waarmee hierdie gedoen is?  En hoe lank het dit geneem?

See the fine detail??

The motif is 6 cm.

There are 19 x 19 motives...=361. 

The first round looks like 20 (twenty!!) (UK) trebles (I tried to count with the point of a needle!). 

Imagine the size crochet hook needed to do this.  And how long it took?

As kind was ek nie erg oor die tafeldoeke nie, maar nou dat ek leer hekel, kan ek waardeer hoeveel ongelooflike moeite daar ingegegaan het. Vakmanskap.

As a child I didn't really like it, but now that I'm learning to crochet, I can appreciate the beauty and absolute workmanship that went into it.

One-A-Day (8) or, The Recovered Ripple

Joy, oh Joy, I've made it through 1 set of rainbowish colours and managed to suppress the rebellion!

Am going to use these 14 colours throughout.  Some look a bit funny here...the slushy grey beneath the cerise is actually a light dusty pink. Anyhow.  I'm happy so far, but I need to take a little break from this Ripple. For one whole week I'm not going to touch it and just get on with a few other things and ponder the following...

How To Continue?

Shall I go all random now, as planned from the beginning, and end with another rainbow band, mirroring this one?

Or shall I just repeat rainbow bands?

OR shall I mirror each band as I continue?

Meanwhile, I'm going to finish this:

Flowery Squares for a little something for a Curly Girl's room.  It's so quick and easy and a lovely thing to do while watching the World Cup Final ;-)

And I want to share these oldies:

My friend Stel got a box full of doilies and other crocheted thingies, made by her grandmother, even a crocheted apron!  What to do with all of these?  My Little Beach House got lucky and got the two round little table cloths, as well as the apple green place mats. I'm trying to convince Stel to use the white doilies with purplepink edging on pillows for her Ballerina Girl's bedroom.  Nice to re-use these old pieces.

Enjoy your week!  Have a look at the others' posts over at Gingerbread Girls's blog and I'll join in again in two weeks' time.





Pop Quiz, Crocheter

Have you crocheted on an aeroplane?

We were talking about it the other day over on my crochet FB page "Ons Hekel".   

Quite a few years ago I could still cross stitch on an international flight (KLM), but that was pre-2001.  Sharp, pointy scissors and all.  Was refused knitting needles in Kenya in 2003, had to repack before I could board.

So - the last couple of months, I tried with a cheapo plastic crochet hook that I didn't mind to loose if necessary.  Also had success with a bamboo hook.  My sis saw someone crocheting on KLM, if I remember correctly (mine were local flights, South Africa).  And this weekend I went live and prepared to sacrifice my steel hook, on a local BA flight...

Success!! 

It went through security, they didn't pull an ear, none of the stewards said/asked anything, so in future I'll be hooking on the plane, a great way to while away the time (with a spare hook in my luggage, just in case...)

Have you tried it?  Will you?  Have you had different experiences with different airlines?

One-A-Day a.k.a. The Rebellious Rainbow Ripple

Tuesday again!  Time for a One-A-Day progress report (slow).  We were away for the weekend and I crocheted on the plane, on the beach, on the verandah with a lovely view towards a lagoon (that made up for my snail's progress)*.

Weeks since I started :  10?

Numbers of times frogged : 1 (whole blanket), 3 (some rows)

Rows completed now : 19

Colours : 10, ±5 more

I am now aiming to just. Get. The. Sides. Straight.

That entails finishing and starting with only 3+2 stitches (as opposed to 4+2 in the pattern) and following the peaks and valleys as I get to them. Sometimes with 4 stitches between them (as per the pattern), sometimes with 3 (as not per the pattern).

As long as the final row remains more or less in place and semi-straight on the previous one. 

I am SO not frogging again :-)

(I actually like the colours, it looks sooo nice, the rainbow.  If I can just finish this thing! I do like the blanket, I know it will be pretty, on the back of the denim-covered couch at The Little Beach House).

Next week I'm going to blow you away with my mindboggling speed and accuracy ;-)

For other lovely projects and some real progress, have a look at the Tuesday Tallies over at Carole's blog, Gingerbread Girl. There are some looovely things to behold (good luck with your ripple, Barbina...).

* If you're in the mood for some Geography...search on a map, for Kenton-on-Sea in South Africa. What a beautiful place. 

Hint: Eastern Cape, halfway between Port Elizabeth and East London.

Or just Google!

One-A-Day (6)



"I don't know why they call this frogging", I moaned to my husband, as grrrrrr grrrrrr grrrrrr went the 32 rows (ROWS!) of my Ripple. 

"Grrrrrrr grrrrrr grrrrr" went my Little Man, just like a frog.  I got it. 

Yes.  I frogged ALL of my Ripple. *

From this:

Tried to save the first two rows, so I wouldn't have to go through The Foundation Chain of Hell again...so I promptly made a mistake and had to restart. From scratch. 

Not once.

Not twice.

FIVE times.  Five times I chained and rechained before I got it right, and can proudly now say that I've GOT it and The Ripple II is going along just fine. 

*Relief*

I am so far now:

(Blood-red, burnt orange, light peach.  Looks a bit funny here.)

I am just so happy that this time I GOT it, and I'm getting my valleys and hills in place and managing my last two stiches in the top chain etc. And I got to discard the olive green that was bothering me, plus the very pale dusty pink and two of the cheap superacrylics, so now I'm continuing just with Pure Gold.  Nice and soft.

SO I need to ask - how do you manage the foundation chain? I followed recommendations from both Lucy and The Happy Hooker - first hooked a bit loose, then tried using a bigger hook, and then, big revelation, hooked in the Back Loop of each stich, and it was just so much easier, and neater, and Easier.  Took me the whole of "Source Code" (watching the dvd with husband) to get through 199 stitches, and absolutely happy with it. (Loved the movie. Love Jake. He'll probably get a fit when hearing that somebody hooked through the movie :-).

Also got 30 African Flowers in the mail, off on their way to Potchefstroom :-) where they'll be waiting for more flowers from here, Cork and Potch:

Thank you for sitting through this rambling.  Thanks for the lovely comments on my previous post.  Hilly T, I did see you green edges as well, and its looking so nice and fresh.  This CAL is really worth it, doing some hooking every day, writing up a post, and then sharing in the progress. I love it.  Thanks for participating and sharing your ideas, feedback, support etc. 

(Have a look at other participants in One-A-Day at Gingerbread Girl's blog every Tuesday.)

*What was wrong...I  somehow missed the loast two stitched in the top if the chain and the end of the row, somewhere (hooked one day in the beginnig without my instructions).  Then couldn't get my peaks and valleys aligned, and the one edge of the work ended up looking ...rippled, while the other side was perfectly straight.  Couldn't fix it, it just got worse. Had to throw in the towel/blanket.

Monster-Mania

Partykeer tel ek nog 'n breipen op, maar net as iets maklik gaan wees en ek nie sommer gaan steke verloor of weke aaneen moet brei nie.

Dis nou soos serpe, vierkante, sulke maklike goed...

Tot Alice nou die dag op haar blog 'n MONSTER wys!  Harriet the Homespun Monster, op die patroon van Baldwin the Bathroom Monster (die patrone is te vinde in hierdie boek).

Kyk net:

Aaaarrrg, ek doen nie sulke goed nie! 

(Sê sy, en het nou al drie gebrei!);

Die patroon kon ek nie op internet kry nie, en brei toe sommer "so na gelang", soos wat dit lyk die vorm moet wees. Kan eintlik nie verkeerd gaan nie.  Sommer net so reghoekerige vorm, met bene aaneen, vou dubbel en werk vas. Arms kom later aan. 

Die Mannetjie het self sy monster se oog (oë!) en naeltjie gekies, en wou die tande inkleur:

Bulkalf s'n het twee oë maar geen arms (dalk later):

Die present-een het gloeiende groen oë en hekelarms:

Drie monsters later.  Who would have thought. 

(Die boek het ek intussen opgespoor in Exclusive Books, maar eh...duur.  Wil nie soveel betaal net vir monsterpatrone nie.)

Sometimes I will pick up my knitting needles, but only if the patterns is easy and quick and I'm not going to lose stitches.  Scarves, squares, things like that...

Until I saw the MONSTER on  Alice's blog the other day!  Harriet the Homespun Monster, following the pattern of  Baldwin the Bathroom Monster (patterns to be found in this book 

I don't do things like these! (She said, and then knitted three).

I couldn't find the pattern on internet and therefore just tried for something more or less resembling the shape.  Can't really go wrong there!  A semi-rectangle, with legs, fold double and stitch up. Add arms, eyes, teeth, belly button.

My Little Man chose his monster's eyes and belly button and insisted on coloured teeth.

My Bull Calf's has two eyes but no arms (maybe later).

The to-be-gifted Pink One has glowing green eyes and crocheted arms.

Three monsters later.  Who would have thought.

(Found the book, since, in Exclusive Books, but eh...expensive. Don't want to spend so much just for monster patterns).