A monster-pouch for his recorder

My little one started recorder lessons this year...so he wanted a little bag of something for his recorder.


Out came the crochet hook, 'cos the sewing maching is 22 years old and SO in need of a service it's not even funny.  Acrylic yarn it was going to be (out came the Elle Pure Gold), in red, to be visible for those mornings when you're running around, frantically looking for the recorder.


It took about 20 stitches or so, and then rows and rows of SC, until the strip was twice and a bit longer than the recorder.  

Sewed it together...

 ...glued on two wonky eyes and a split tongue, and hey...

 ...there's your monster :-)

(and now Big Brother wants a pouch for his drum sticks...I am searching  for some grey)

A universe of Sophies

You couldn't live in this universe and not know about Sophie's Garden, or Sophie's Universe!  

Every day, when I think I've seen the prettiest version of this pattern, another one comes up.  

Sophie's Garden is the brainchild of gifted crocheter Dedri Uys, a SA girl livin' in the UK now.  (Just look at this Ravelry page!) The design was named after a friend's granddaughter, Sophie (said friend being Kimberly Slifer, who runs the Sophie CAL with Dedri).  Most people use the African Flower centre motif, but I have also seen some beauties using the King Protea.

So obviously, Ons Hekel is also abuzz with Sophie.  This is a small selection of what has been coming through Ons Hekel and sister group Playing Hooky!

Photos - Beatrix Snyman, Alet Scott, Lynette du Toit, Melanie Claessens, Elza van der Merwe,  Margaret Burger, Heidi de Bruin, Madeleine Engelbrecht, Wilna du Toit, Erica Cloete, Michelle Groenewald, Sophia Botha, Jenny Botha, Hanli van Tonder, Barbara Celliers, Anita Roux

How do you choose??

Look at this one with a King Protea centre…

How beautiful is this?
Made by Adele van der Merwe

Dalena White took hers on a outing…

First to a room with a view:

Water, mountain...

Yes, the flat-topped one!

Sophie's Garden in the Cape Town Waterfront

Then Loma Groenewald followed  up with a visit to the Union Buildings in Pretoria:

A view over the capital

Adding colour to the sandstone

Love these buildings, love Loma's work.

(A massive yarn bomb is planned for these steps in April, when the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day plans to cover them with…21 000 blankets! This is to celebrate our (shaky) 21st year of democracy.  Wish I could be there!)

These Sophies are all beautiful.  There are hundreds more at The Official CCC Social Group on Facebook.

Listen to this beautiful tale off the CCC…

"My mom is blind and is usually unable to share my joy for the things I crochet because she can't see the colours.  Sophie's Universe is different.  All the fp/bp stitches allow her to feel the pattern and I'm so thrilled about it!  I can finally share this yarn madness with her!…"

--0--

My Sophie will be coming muuuch later.  And smaller.  But a King Protea I will make!

Anja's Blanket - a year on

Around a year ago, members of Ons Hekel shared in the grief member Katinka's daughter  Anja died. She underwent heart surgery during December, started her recovery and even posted on the group to thank everyone for their well wishes.  

Her sudden death was tragic, a shock to all.

The response at Ons Hekel was amazing. Someone suggested hooking a comforting blanket for Anja's parents, in purple, her favourite colour.  Katinka's sister put it together, and soon a blanket in all shades of purple was presented to Katinka and Tinus the first Anja blanket.

And then, as with a snowball, the Anja blanket got a life of it's own, and a movement grew out of this one blanket.  A whole new group was created on Facebook - Anja Blokkies Trooskombers - with the sole purpose of creating comfort blankets to those who lost a loved one after the date of Anja's death.

The group stands at around 1700 members today, who are all either knitting/crocheting squares, putting them together, or providing moral support. 

One hundred blankets have been delivered, with another 50 in production.

There have already been 230 requests. 

 After a year, this project has grown beyond belief and has brought healing and comfort to so many people - it is a blessing to Anja's family and all involved.

Katinka said: " The spirit of love and goodwill that we as a family have experienced and are still experiencing through this initiative of a lady called Sharon, is amazing. It is incredibly humbling to realize that somewhere, someone has take the time out of their busy lives to make a square in rememberence of somebody they don't even know. My sister has already received more than 50 blocks and still they keep coming. There are no words to express how this loving gesture is helping us through this difficult time. Thank you....Katinka and family."

And recently:  "...  since my Anja died exactly a year ago, the Anja Group that grew out of Ons Hekel determined my future...and put my mind and future on a positive and inspiring path."

--0--

Today, a baby was born, a grandchild to Katinka and Tinus, a baby that carries her late aunty's name. 

A whole group of crocheters waited for this little one, waited and counted the days and minutes until we saw the first photo of Heidi Anja. 

May she bring joy and even more healing to this family who has suffered such loss and has healed so much, and now is such a blessing to other.

Some blankets already delivered.  Look closely - each one has a purple "Anja Square" with a red heart.

This is a blanket production line!

God bless all involved.

A January Festival - Dias Festival in Mosselbaai

I've never been a big fan of festivals, be it music, culture, grape-harvesting or hunting.  However, I do find myself now in a town with festivals happening left, right and centre; so I thought - let's go with the flow then!

First up - the Dias Festival - Where Cultures Meet in Mosselbaai.

This festival celebrates the landing of Bartholomeu Dias's at what is now the town of Mosselbaai in February 1488.  Dias was a Portugese seafarer sent down south to hopefully find a route around the tip of Africa in order to find better spice (and other) trading route to India.

(Gavin Menzies also hold interesting, though highly controversial views about this).

So Dias continued a bit further east, to the mouth of the Boesmansrivier, before being forced to back by his crew, who might have been dead scared to continue.  On the return trip, he actually only "discovered" the Cape of Storms (later named the Cape of Good Hope). 

Off we went, with one eye on the gathering class and a Plan B at the back of our minds.

Plan B immediately turned into breakfast at The Blue Shed, while waiting for the rain to abate.

Then we ran out and saw...

…vintage tractors on the dune.

…a Morris like my mom used to have, right down to the colour!
(highly excited)

…remnants of the Portuguese parade
(the procession came past in …rain, so we watched from inside :-)

…something to eat.  Although well-known and wide-spread, it's the first time I've actually seen corn on the cob being sold at an event /bazaar like this.

But now the rain set in again, and no amount of promises of the Zheijing Wu Opera Arts Troupe, Indonesian dancers, more street parades or nothing was going to keep my men here.  

So we got a lovely takeaway lunch…

Lamb curry roti, anyone?

…and scrambled home.

Coming up…Harvest, Port Wine and Mampoer festivals, Literary, Klein Karoo Arts, Pink Loerie and Oysters, Speed, Forest Marathon and Rastafarian…I'll try it out!