The Everyday (12) - Christmas Blessings

We stumbled upon a dried Agave Christmas tree at Smitswinkel farm stall, a favourite stop on our regular road trips to my gran.

The flash mob I wish I could see

I wish I was shopping in Parkview's Woollies at this moment!

(our Woolworths is more or less like Marks & Spencer)

Would have bawled like a baby.

Here's the lyrics and translation, the song is Asimbonanga by Johnny Clegg:

http://www.johnnyclegg.com/lyrics/thirdworld.html

Living history

I don't have a very 'glamorous' family history in terms of buccaneering, rebelling, inventing, Great Trekkers and the like, just a couple of mainly Dutchmen  who got on the ship to Kaap de Goede Hoop, and French Hugenot, with sprinkles of German, Scotch, Malay and who knows what else thrown in.

But sometimes, out of the blue, you learn of an interesting thing that happened years and years ago...like my grandfather's brother who one day, left the house, never to return.  

They never heard of him again.  

I found that set of great-grandparents in a national family register, with one named son (not the walker), and "other children", but not those we know.

What happened there?

Ek het nie 'n vreeslik glorieryke familiegeskiedenis nie; nie seerowers, rebelle, uitvinders, Groot trekkers en so aan nie, meestal 'n paar Nederlanders wat per skip aan die Kaap de Goede Hoop geland het, 'n Hugenoot, spatsels Duits, Skots en Maleis, en wie weet wat nog. 

Maar soms, soms, hoor jy van iets interessants uit die verlede...soos my oupa se broer want net eendag weggeloop het, wég, en hul het nooit weer van hom gehoor nie.  

Wat het van hom geword?  Waarom het hy weggeloop?  

Ek het daardie grootjies wel in die nasionale familieregister gevind, met een genoemde seun (wat nie die wegloper was nie), en "kinders", maar nie dié wie se name ons ken nie.

Wat het daar gebeur?

----

Then there was my other great grandfather who was a prisoner of war on the island of St Helena. 

He was 17 years old when he was captured near Ladybrand during the Anglo Boer War.  Luckily he survived and fathered my paternal grandmother.

Dan was daar my ander oupagrootjie wat krygsgevangene was op St Helena-eiland.  

Hy was maar 17 toe hy gevange geneem is naby Ladybrand tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog.  Gelukkig het hy oorleef, my pa se oupa. 

Spot the French descendant

----

My grandmother recently told me about the three Italian prisoners of war that stayed on their farm during WW2.

Whaaaat?

I knew there were lots of Italian prisoners in South Africa, but associated them with areas in what is now Gauteng, Limpopo, the Boland; not Laingsburg in the Great Karoo.

Typically these prisoners were placed at farms where they would work as general labourers or builders, and assisted in bridge and road building.  

My ouma vertel my onlangs van die drie Italiaanse krygsgevangenes wat tydens die tweede Wêreldoorlog na hul plaas uitgeplaas is.
Waaaat?

Ek het geweet van die Italiaanse gevangenes in Suid-Afrika, maar het hul meer assosieer met areas in (tans) Gauteng, Limpopo, die Boland; nie Laingsburg in die Groot Karoo nie.
Hierdie gevangenes is tipies na plase gestuur waar hul as arbeiders/bouers moes werk, of het meegewerk as brug/padbouers.

And then she showed me this ring.  

En toe wys sy my hierdie ring.

There were two; one each with her and my grandfather's initials, made of an aluminium pipe.  Inside it is engraved with date and initials of one Fernandro, who formed a close bond with them.  My grandfather's ring was lost through the years, my grandmother gave this one to me.

Daar was twee; een elk met haar en my oupa se voorletters gegraveer, gemaak van 'n aluminiumpyp.  Aan die binnekant is die datum en voorletters van ene Fernandro gegraveer, met wie hul bevriend geraak het.  My oupa se ring is verlore, hierdie een het my ouma nou aan my gegee.  

Amazing.

I would love to try and track Fernandro's history through the Prisoner of War Museum.  

Project for next year.

Ongelooflik.  

Ek sal graag Fernandro se geskiedenis probeer naspoor deur die Krygsgevangenemuseum.  

Projek vir volgende jaar.  

Today, seventy years ago, she received this.
Vandag, 70 jaar gelede, het sy hierdie ring ontvang.

----

I still wanted to write a post about the yoga bag that was eventually finished (oh yeay!), the basket that I lined - a looong time ago, crochet @ my favourite Pure Café...but then I thought, nah.  It's holiday.

Last year we were so lucky to be off to snow in Tirol, this year it's back to beach on the Garden Route, equally great.

Have a happy, blessed Christmas! 

Until 2014 :-)

Ek wou nog 'n post skryf oor die joga-sak wat uitéindelik klaar is, die mandjie wat ek gevoer het - laaaank terug al, hekel by my gunsteling Pure Café...maar toe dag ek , nee.  Dis vakansie.

Verlede jaar was ons so gelukkig om in die sneeu te gaan speel in Tirol, hierdie jaar is dit terug na die strand aan die Tuinroete, beide ewe lekker.

Dus: lekker vakansie, geseënde Kersfees!

Tot 2014 :-)

My Mzansi (12) - Our Madiba has died

"I think...he would want us to be his memorial" - Desmond Tutu

Photo - South African Crafters for Good, Facebook

My Madiba Moment -
http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-madiba-moment.html

Six months ago -
http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-everyday-7-wrong-turn.html


Madiba Minutes -
http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/07/67-minutes-madiba-95.html

To crochet with T-string

The last couple of months, a new craze exploded on Ons Hekel.  And who do we have to blame?
Creative, productive OH-member Anneke Wiese, who also happens to live in one of the prettiest places on earth.

So what did she do?

Most  of you would have seen this beautiful doily rug:


Die afgelope paar maande het 'n nuwe gier ontplof op Ons Hekel.  En wie kan ons bedank?
Boland  Kreatiewe, produktiewe OH-lid Anneke Wiese, wat ook op een van die mooiste plekke in die wêreld woon.

So wat het sy begin?

Meeste van jul sou hierdie supermooi doilie-mat al gesien het:

You want to make it, don't you?
www.creativejewishmom.com)

Anneke did too. So she made it, and was featured on Creative Jewish Mom with her beautiful red doily.

And then she started showing us on Ons Hekel what she was doing...

Anneke het ook.  Toe maak sy een, 'n helderrooie, en maak so haar buiging op Creative Jewish Mum se blog.

En toe begin sy ons op Ons Hekel wys...

A green doily rug, from T-String and other stash

A pastel beauty of granny squares

A blue doily, with slab of chocolate for scale :-)

Look, look at the view it has through the door.

She takes her work to to the beach!

Ah...crocheting on the beach, I love that :-)

And even on holiday!  Yeah, the above is where she STAYS.  So what could possibly compete?

Hekel op die strand - hoe lekker is dit?

En selfs op vakansie! Tja, die pragtige plek hierbo is waar sy WOON.  So wat kan  daarmee kompeteer?

How about hooking a doily in Positano?

Hmpf.  Amalfi coast.  Sigh.

Hmpf.  Amalfi-kus.  Sug.

Okay, so I was hooked and quite a few hookers at Ons Hekel as well, and we started buying T-string like crazy.  

First, you have to get good quality T-string.  Zpagetti is great, but a bit scarce and expensive down here in South Africa.  Best option is some who cuts and rolls the fabric herself, to ensure even width and good quality fabric - luckily we have quite a few of those in the group!

Then - get your grip right.  The overhand grip (holding your hook like a knife) is much easier and for us who use that grip anyways - no problem.

A big enough hook.  My nr 10 didn't cut it.  Eventually I evolved to nr 15, although up to nr 20 and 25 were recommended.

So I found great colours at a craft show and happily started out.  No doilies for me, I wanted to try Something Else.

Okei, so is ek en 'n hele paar ander ook gehoek, en ons trek weg; koop T-String.

Maar, eerstens:  Jy moet goeie kwaliteit T-string gebruik.  Zpagetti is wonderlik, maar bietjie skaars en duur hier in Suid-Afrika.  Die beste opsie is om by iemand te koop wat dit self sny en rol - so kry jy vir seker goeie kwaliteit materiaal met eweredige stroke.  Gelukkig het ons klomp diesulkes in die groep!

Tweedens - kry jou greep reg.  Vir die van ons wat oorhands werk (hou die hekelpen soos 'n mes) is dit makliker.

Derdens - 'n groot genoeg pen.  My nr 10 kon nie sy man staan nie.  Uiteindelik het ek gevorder na 'n nr 15, hoewel nrs 20 en selfs 25 aanbeveel is. 

By die Centurion Craft Show het ek 'n handvol mooi kleure gekry en heel optimisties beginne.  Nie 'n doiliemat vir my nie, ék gaan Iets Anders doen.

On track and lookin' good

Oops.  The accent yellow became too much:

Oeps.  Die geel was...te veel. 

(This photo might be upside down :-)

Frogged. 

Version 2...Stilled liked the colours, but...suddenly realised that my melange, which was actually my key colour, was double the width of the rest.

Uitgetrek.

Poging 2...Kleure steeds reg, maar...skielik besef ek die melange, wat die basis moes wees, is twee maal breër as die res.

Better colour, but...Frogged.

And so I went on.  

Took the melange out.
Brought the melange back in.

Changed colour combos - then it look like a muted version of the nation flag.

Frogging frogging frogging

Then I visiting a friend who hosted a T-string workshop presented by the lovely Ronel of Nilla's Needlecraft and the lights went on...

Larger hook (the nr 15).

Different pattern.

And voilà!

En so gaat ek aan.

Haal die melange uit.

Bring dit terug.

Verander kleurkombinasies - maar toe lyk dit soos 'n gedempte weergawe van die landsvlag.

Trek uit trek uit trekuit

En toe hou Ronel van Nilla's Needlecraft 'n T-string werkswinkel en al die liggies gaan aan...

'n Groter pen (die nr 15).

'n Nuwe patroon.

En voilà! 

An African Flower pouffe! 

And so I conquered T-String.

I might not become a regular user, but the concept of baskets etc is enticing...

Thanks for introducing us to T-string, Anneke!

En so het ek T-string oorwin.

Ek gaan dit nie noodwendig gereeld doen nie, maar die idee van 'n mandjie of twee klink goed...

Dankie dat jy ons aan T-string bekendgestel het, Anneke!

The above photo of me and my pouffe was taken by Cornel at Craft Share - have a look at her very pretty blog I Love Pom-Poms and Craft Share Facebook page.

T-String available at many shops now, and also from Hilda at Yarn in a Barn, Ronel at Nilla's Needlecraft, Selma/Anthea at Fifty Something (tel 022-713 5559) (that's Anneke's LYS) and I'll find out where else.  

Die mooie foto hierbo is weereens geneem deur Cornel by Craft Share - besoek haar lieflike blog I Love Pom-Poms and Craft Share Faceboek-blad.

T-string is nou by verskeie winkels beskikbaar, en ook van Hilda by Yarn in a Barn, Ronel by Nilla's Needlecraft, Selma/Anthea by Fifty Something (tel 022-713 5559) (dis Anneke' se LYS) en ek sal uitvind waar nog.