My Latest Commission is completed!!!

I finally completed the latest commission - a shrug made from purple yarn: made in Red Heart Comfort yarn. Here is a picture of me wearing the latest creation:

A friend had also sent me yarn as a gift, and this is something I made for myself. I
work in a call center, and sometimes my hands get really cold in the winter, so these will be perfect. The yarn is really soft, perfect for this project:

There have been projects that had to be ripped out, due to trying a different yarn to the one specified, and was just not happy with the size due to gauge, but we learn as we go as always.

I have been busy with commissions !!!

I seem to always be saying that I have been very lax in updating my Blog. 

I have however been busy with commissions, which has given me a huge boost as far as confidence in the quality of my work. 

Here are some pictures of recent projects that I have completed:

Followed by a request from my husband for a hat and scarf for the winter:

The sweater vest being worn at work by the new owner, set up the question, what else do you make, and showing them the above project got me a new commission:

I really really like the grey and black scarf and hat, but my husband's favourite colours are Red and Black, and who am I to argue.

Work is also going really well, I have been doing support work the last three weeks, and back taking calls the last few days. More training from next week, and then more time doing support work. While my husband is driving to work and back, I am knitting or crocheting my current project, and I feel that time is not wasted looking at the view, when it is mostly dark.

My current project is the following shrug I made for myself and which I am now making for a colleague in Purple:

And I wore this long sleeved shrug I made last winter to work, and have had interest in making this one as well:

This blue shrug is made in a very thick yarn,and knitted up very quickly, and works very well with a broach pin to hold the two sides together at the front.

So as much as I have neglected the blog, I have been busy. As always I hope to be more consistent in updating in the future.

Oh and before I forget, today is the 3rd anniversary since my cancerous right kidney was removed, and I feel great!!

More Training start on Monday!

We had two weeks of classroom training, and then three weeks of supported time on the phones, and now we are back for more training.. just four days, and then back to practice what we have learned.

On the crafting front, I have now got the small french knitter with the four prongs, and am planning on yet more necklaces.. so watch this space for evidence of that. 

Considering we have had barely any summer, and although we have had some really nice warm weather more recently.. summer finally here in fact.. I am almost looking forward to winter, so I can start making more neck warmers and the like.  I have also bought an interesting pattern for a man's scarf, that is shaped like a V at the front, so plan to make one for my hubby for the winter.. he has had a request in for a Guernsey sweater for several winters, so that is also on my to-do list.

Last day of Training Today!!

It is barely light out, it is raining 'Again', we have had no summer this year, a bare few days.  And here I am going into my last day of training. We had our last practical test yesterday with managers listening to our practice scenarios, which I think went well for the most part.  Not sure what they have in mind today to top that, but tomorrow we are supposed to go into 10 days of 'Nesting', this is where we have help on the floor when we take calls, so I think the nerves will be showing for that experience.

I am thinking that once I settle into all this, I can start treating it as a job, and begin working on the rest of my life, and do some more crafting.  I have my eye on a crochet pattern for a skirt. It is part of a book, and have sent off an enquiry to make sure that the pattern is for the skirt in the picture as opposed to the beret and fingerless gloves the model is wearing.  I don't want to buy the book of 25 patterns, only to find that the skirt I love is not one of the patterns, you get the idea !

Well off to work now, have a great day readers.

Grey Matter is fighting back!!!

I have always has the theory that when you are learning new things, that something has got to give - space is limited. When you force new information in, other random information is pushed out. 

This week I find my mind is fighting back, and telling me they don't want to lose the information it already has, and saying I am not accepting this new stuff!

We have had online tests on work we have not covered, as a way to get us to familiarise ourselves with the website where we find all the answers we will need. This involves also trying to understand what we are reading, and from that working out the answers. We need to get 80%, but at least we can keep trying to get there.

The time in between these tests has been great, our trainer has a great way about her, and makes it fun. We also have activities within our teams, which means we get to know our colleagues better as we go along. 

We seem to have the tests in the last hour of the day, and by then your mind is saying enough already, so for me Friday ended on a stressful note.  We will be covering this work later once we have done the tests, with the logic that we will already be somewhat familiar with the information.  My Grey Matter is not seeing that logic right now.

I have found myself quite exhausted every evening, mostly mental, but the body is saying I have to switch off and sleep now. 

We have had a relaxing weekend for the most part, we did see some sunshine yesterday, so the grass got cut. We really did not get a summer this year, and here we are in August and it is not happening. 

I have calmed down from the stressful state of Friday evening, and hoping I can keep that up for next week, and get through the tests without panicking, so I can complete them.

I am now Employed!

As of yesterday, I am now ranked among the Employed. I had Orientation yesterday, and will be starting two weeks of training today.  Can't really say much about it, other than it is in a Call Center, and everything else is confidential. My understanding is that we will have two weeks training, and then a week doing the job, then back into training for another week, and then back into the job.

The location is the same one as I got laid off from over nine months ago, so it was wonderful to see all the familiar faces, and everyone was glad to be back together again.

My husband just had to listen to me last evening, about how my day had gone, so there was no crafting going on in sight.  My hope is that once we are through the training phase, and I am on some sort of routine, that I will be able to continue with making things, which I will show you.

Today could be described as another Saga!!

This is my last day of freedom basically, as tomorrow I start my new job.  First thing, I pondered how I would spend my day, and apart from my hen Margot not being well, and needing to be hand fed, I thought I would need to enjoy my last day at home.  Nine months is a long time, and it has been one saga after another, and one crisis after another, so Tough is the only description for it.  

So this morning I went out to attempt to get Margot to eat, and there was very little interest. I suddenly felt I was really crawling with crawling things, and took off the shirt I had on, and I had a sweater on under that, and turned back one sleeve, and I was crawling with some sort of mite. I put Margot back in the nest box, and I decided that I would make an effort to clean out the chicken palace, and give it a good scrub. I even found a bathroom cleaner that had added bleach, which my husband no longer allows, due to the septic tank: so that got used spraying walls and floors and roosts.. and water and lots of scrubbing, plenty of elbow grease went into that.   I had the lid of the nesting boxes open, and the front door.. for air to go through and dry everything up again.. there was sunshine and a breeze which was perfect.   

I had moved Margot to the mini run on a towel before the scrubbing started, so I tried to get her to eat, but no interest truly, then I realised I had things crawling on my hands again.. I checked her and she is truly infested with some sort of mite.. and for lack of any better ideas coming to me, I brought her into the house, and filled the washing up bowl with warm water and washing up liquid.. and washed her.. and the water was full of these mites. I just kept emptying it, and doing it again and again.. endlessly. Then when I thought I got them all, I took her through to the lounge, and tried to dry her with a hair drier, then moved her up to the bath tub, wrapped in a towel, and she seemed comfortable. 

The rest of my day, was checking on her, and seeing signs of mite life, and she got bathed again and again, and so it went on four times in all. I discovered that the mites moved to her head.. and I was protecting that.. but even that got soaped up.  She is now keener to eat, and even gave her water with honey, also water with electrolytes so she seems more settled. 

I did check the rooster and the four hens, and they were all clean, and also one of the four chicks is also free of mites. I conclude that Margot is the only hen that had an infestation.

During the day, emails went back and forth with my husband, and since it was a  civic holiday in Canada today, and yes he was working at his workplace: it was down to him to find something to dust in the chicken house when he got home, so that we could put down fresh  bedding for the chickens.

I still have Margot on a towel in our bath tub, and she has had some of the powder put on her too, as they suggest putting the powder in their dust baths, so I knew it was not dangerous to do that.

About to have our evening meal, and will see what the end of the day brings.  Suffice to say, tomorrow I am back to work, and am planning on being suited and booted and be on top form.

Nine Months at home, and no baby to show for it !

Have you noticed the big use of apostrophe's in my post titles, do you think that says something about me?

So the big news is that I am going back to work next week. I was laid off last October, and didn't get unemployment for the first five months.  So it has been the winter of discontent here big time.  Here I am nine months later, and no baby to show for it :-)

For all that I was going to be making things to sell, I have made things, and yes a shed load of things to sell, but that is as far as I have got.  I think now I have to plan on having a table at a craft market, and see if there is any interest. I want to be in a situation to keep on making things, and do that once in a while. If there is a real interest, I like to think that it could be more my job than the day job.

Having said all that, more recently, with time getting a bit critical for immigration, I have been Sudoku crazy, yes I got Sudoku crazy while living in France in the early 2000's, and it is very good for the grey matter did you know? And on top of all that, it is very calming, so it has additional benefits.

This past week I discovered the Grandfather Patience card game, so you see, yet another hobby that is good for the grey matter. My mother you see has Alzheimers / Dementia - call it what you will, and my memory has always been very poor, all my life truly, so it brings you up short when you have this hanging over you. Hence the need to use the grey matter in whatever way I can, so that I can remind myself that my mind is still sharp.

I have no idea if anyone is reading this, but I will now try to post more regularly with being over this latest crisis.   Talking of crises, a friend in England said to me, 'Blimey Gemma, if you didn't have crises, I bet you would get bored'. And right now I would be happy not to have another crises ever again in my life.

I finally have some Good News!

I have sadly neglected this Blog for too long, I wanted it to be a positive thing in my life, and didn't want any doom and gloom to enter it, and so to avoid that, I avoided the Blog.


The past weeks have been a roller coaster here in Nova Scotia. However, I did spend 10 days in Toronto with my sister, our mother was there visiting for her 87th birthday. Our mother has dementia now of some form, so we treasure any time we can with her.

We had a wonderful time together, even went to a spa for a facial, and I had my hair chopped, do you see Dianne Keaton before you?

And to the Good News! Regarding my health saga, I did have my follow-up Ultrasound and I just got the call that there is no change, and that I am good for another six months.



After tears of relief, I am back on track here, getting refocused on my Job Hunt.  Gemma Shoebridge means business.

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

That all sounds terribly grand, most people will still refer to them as Will and Kate.  

The dress was amazing, very much Princess Grace, the style suited her perfectly, and the train being a part of the dress worked very well.
The viewing coverage on the CBC was excellent, but unfortunately the main commentator, along with others at various locations were not a well informed. There were many annoying errors, which stood out with being British and all.  I am in the process of downloading the BBC UK coverage which has a Welsh presenter of good standing,  having had years as a news reader, and hoping that will make the reviewing more pleasurable. It was frustrating to have the presenter fluff badly over quite important royals titles, and while watching famous people entering Westminster Abbey, some were totally missed, obviously not famous in Canada, and not worth a mention. For such a big event, I think more effort could have been put into researching the guests so that they could be mentioned.

While all this went on, I made a piece of french knitting for the commission I have had for the Celtic Knotwork necklace, and a very nice bracelet with a nice cable.  I have a busy weekend ahead, which may mean no pictures will be added until next week.

Happy Monday!

Well here we are at the beginning of another week. I feel more positive this week, set off by a beautiful day yesterday,  we had sunshine and it was warm enough to sit outside. This was instead of the promised snow and freezing rain.  And this week includes the wedding anniversary of our civil ceremony, 16 years since in Croydon, United Kingdom. 

But the week start with a baby shower / luncheon for my ex boss, who has just become a grandmother, and this is to thank her truly for working tirelessly, so that the company gets a new contract, in order for us all to get back to work again. I have a baby blanket which was waiting for a baby, so I am planning to give that to her.

And then this evening, we have been invited to dinner with good friends, who have been there for us when we have been in such dire straits this winter. 

Thursday is our anniversary, and I have been instructed to be ready to go when my husband gets home from work.  We are going to our favourite restaurant in town, and the last time we were there in early March for my husband's birthday, was the first time we had been there in almost a year. My sister had given us a gift certificate so that we could treat ourselves, and the people thought maybe we had gone home to England. On the contrary, we are here and still fighting to stay on our island. 

Here and Here are links to Cape Breton Island, a small piece of heaven, that reminds me of my home in Wales, and and here is a photograph of the Cabot Trail.

Click Here for the Wikipedia information on the island.

Good and Bad News!

Spring poked its nose out for a few days, but last night we had freezing rain, and snow flurries, but fotunately the snow did not stay, however there is still a lot of ice around this morning. 

I have been distracting myself since my CT Scan last Thursday, and was expecting a call from my Doctor with the result, but this time he wanted to see me, having not seen me in over a year.  A nervous breakdown was developing, but rescue remedy calmed the situation down again.  It seems that there is possibly something at the inferior side of the Right Liver, which was not there on previous scans. The technician may just be covering themselves, as it may be an artefact, which it is to do with the equipment and not physical. I am not due to see my consultant for a few weeks, and he may recommend an MRI to clear up what this may be.  I think until we know more I have to stay positive, because I feel very well, which must count for something. Other things that had been picked up on previous scans show no change, which is all positive news.

Having had my work permit through having waited almost six months, I have been told that I will now start receiving unemployment. So the winter of discontent is almost over, I can't begin to say how tough it has been, never experienced such a difficult time, but things can only improve now.

I wanted to show a bracelet I made recently using the spool knitter, and then knotted into a celtic heart, along with some friendship bands I made.

Click here to see how to tie the knot.

Possibility of a table at a Farmers' Market in Sydney..

I have had some of my items listed on Kijiji, the free site, without any sales. But today I got a response from a lady that manages a Farmers' Market, so this is a possibility for me to try and sell some of my stock, as she said that there is no one else selling these kind of things.. which is good news for me. 

I am home from having the abdominal CT Scan, which is usually twice a year. This is a follow-up to my Kidney Cancer - two years last October.  My own Doctor is closed on a Friday, so I will have to wait until next Monday to hear what the report states.  Contacting my own Doctor is just me not wanting to wait until I go to see the consultant early next month.  By getting the result, I don't have to worry about it for that much longer. 

So now I have to keep busy for four days, to avoid focusing on the waiting..

The new Chicks are like having a new baby in the house!

I had forgotten what it was like to have baby chicks in the house, the lack of sleep.  The new chicks seem to be fine until the small hours, and then when the temperature drops they cheep incessantly. I check the thermometer on my bedside, and decide whether to get up or not.  Last night I got up no less than 5 times to adjust the height of the lamp, and the temperature persisted in being too low.  By this morning though it did start to rise, and they become calmer.

This morning the plan was to sleep in a little, but then my cat Freyja was insisting on breakfast, I desperately tried to ignore her, closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep: Freyja put her nose on one of my eye lids, as if to say 'I know you are not asleep'.  This is Freya:

And this is Loki:

They have survived a move to France, and then a move to Nova Scotia, via Toronto, as did Oliver.

So what did I do, I got up and fed Freyja and her sister Loki, and then I was up, with no hope of getting back to sleep even if I did go back to bed.

On the crafting side I have made more of the celtic knotwork necklaces, and several friendship bands. Oh and I found a pattern for wristlets, and have made a few pairs of them. On the latter, it may be the wrong time of year to be making such things, as who will purchase wrist warmers when Spring is here.

It is sunny here, and have for the first time in days left the pop hole of the Chicken house open for the grown up hens and rooster.  I think that is the hardest part with living in Nova Scotia, we can deal with the snow and the cold, but we can still go out, but for the chickens they were inside for so many months, with the snow outside two feet and more deep. I had dug a path down to the house which was more like a trench from the war, so the chickens had no chance of getting outside. I feel for them having been inside for so long, and almost forgetting what it is like to go outside again.

And look at what the right type of snow does to my dog Oliver, he is a snowball magnet :-)

I came across a photo of something I made in early February: A French Press Cozy -

I adore coffee from a Cafetière (which is what we call one of these - both in England and in France), but we found that by the time we finished the coffee, the last of it was not not enough, hence the making of the Cozy.   The Coffee remains hot to the very last.

I realise that it would be remiss of me not to include a photo of Branwen our Siberian Husky, who only travelled from Antigonish to get to us, and simply adores the snow, and would sleep outside in winter, but has now got used to sleeping inside on our bed if there is room for her.

And this is the usual winter view of Branwen:

Good News on our Status in Canada!

Our Work Permits that were applied for in November have finally arrived.  And there is additional good news in that I was not 'Out of Status', which is what a lawyer told me, which changes the picture a little regarding my not receiving unemployment all this time off work. Whether I will now be paid back the unemployment I should have received, has not been answered yet. But Immigration are refunding the 'Restoration Fee' which will see us through the ongoing shortage of money.

Because we had not work permit, our social insurance cards expired, as did our health cards, so things could have got tricky, if I had had any health issues in this interim period.  And the timing could not have been more perfect, I received my new Health Card, and the next day received a call for my appointment to go for a CT Scan.  The background to all this, is that I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer in August '08, and my right kidney removed in October '08, and other than follow-ups like this, I have had no other issues on that score. So with the CT Scan due on Thursday, I have in theory no time to build up and worry over this, and hopefully will hear from my family doctor in a few days time on the report. I will be going to see my surgeon in Halifax in early May, where we catch up on how I am doing.

I find that I get on with life in between scans, and really for the most part do not dwell on what could happen, but of course with having been out of work, and not getting unemployment, and really financially we have been and still are in dire straits, I have had far too much stress and worry this winter.  It is fine for people to say that there is no point in worrying about something you can't change, but if the phone is ringing off the hook with non-payment issues, what can I do but worry.  And the one thing they tell you in regards to any Cancer is that you should avoid stress and worry, so this will be on my mind going for the scan, and hoping this winter has not had far reaching implications on my health.

I have been negligent!

I realise that if I have followers to my new blog, that I will not keep them if I neglect them for days at a time as I have done this past week.

I do have somewhat of a reason, I have had difficulty uploading photos from my camera, and am still struggling with that, so no new photos today.

French Knitting is what has been keeping me occupied craft wise, have made many friendship bands, bracelets, and more Celtic Knotwork Necklaces.

The new chicks, of which we have lost two, possibly due to dehydration, or the temperature, the remainder are doing well: I built them an extension to the brooder, and gave them access to it today. They all ventured in there, and the older ones were testing their wings. The crucial thing here is to ensure they are back under the lamp to sleep. I  have a new digital wireless thermometer, so I can be vigilant of the temperature at all times. Even at night now, I have the monitor on my bedside table, so I can check it when I wake. If it is too low, then I can go to the study / brooder room to adjust the height of the lamp.  Not being a mother, I can imagine all this waking during the night is like having a new baby in the house.

I am hoping to get an evening out this evening with the Red Hatters, haven't been out with the ladies for a very long time. Attaching a photo of me in my favourite hat:

Here's one I made earlier !!

I thought I post some pictures of completed projects:

This first little box is only three inches in diameter, made out of Tuffy Yarn by Briggs & Little, which is 80% Wool and 20% Nylon. I used the Blue Mix for the base of the box, and for the lid I used Regal Yarn by Briggs & Little (which is 100% wool) in Fundy Fog with an edging of the Blue Mix. The two different yarns have worked well together.  It is small enough for holding jewellery and the like.

Now you know I like Red.. and this set of nesting bowls with three bowls ranging from 4 - 7 inches in diameter, and three inches in height, is made out of  the Red Mix in the Tuffy Yarn:

I had also made a set of nesting bows, with 5 bowls, all very close in size you will see, and ranging from 2 1/2 inches - 6 1/2 inches in diameter, and they are three inches in height. they are made out of Regal Yarn by Briggs & Little  in the Fundy Fog- don't you just love that name! With the range of sizes these give a lot of scope for uses, from jewellery, to change, or to hold your keys. The choice is yours!

These next two projects are just two cute in my book, the round box with lid on the left is just two inches in diameter and in height, and is made out of Red Heart Eco-Ways recycled Blend Yarn in Aquarium.. and the little square box with lid on the right is made out of Tuffy Yarn in the Blue Mix, and is three inches in diameter and just two inches in height.

 This next time is a Hat Pattern I just had to try, as I do love my hats.. it was made in Red Heart Eco-Ways Recycled Blend Yarn, in Lichen and the band is in Storm. I have used this yarn a lot, as I do believe in being as Green as possible.

More recently I treated myself to this shrug, very comfortable, and very warm too, not the most flattering picture, but you get the idea. It is knitted in Bulky Yarn -Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends Yarn in Aqua: It is 70% Acrylic and 30% Alpaca.

I do find that I am limited in what I can make with the limited selection of yarns available locally. I did look on Ebay today for a particular yarn in a particular color, and was suitably surprised at what I could find on there. Also I am due to go to an appointment in Halifax soon, so may take the opportunity to look there as well. But in my mind buying on Ebay and paying the shipping is cheaper than driving a long distance to find what you want or need.

Voila! The Celtic Knotwork Necklace!!

Yesterday afternoon, I sat down to put the necklace together, the pattern included the diagram for the design, so should have been straightforward. Being Welsh and think of my self as a true Celt - even my wedding ring is a Celtic Silver Celtic Knotwork style.. so I am very aware of the over and under of the design.. what could possibly go wrong?   I printed out a separate sheet of the design, found a round cork table mat so that the pins would hold it as I put it together.. and got working.. the cord was a few inches too long, and I was about to start undoing it from one end to get it to finish at the right point.  I unpinned it, measured it again, and it was spot on, at 48 inches.. I went back to the pattern.. and there it was, 'print out the pattern, and ensure that it is at least 5 inches high' and mine was not. So I spent an hour playing around with the size, and eventually after about ten printouts, I had my pattern at the correct size.. and so to take two of the pattern.  It was quite tricky, as I  had used yarn that was hand spun, and 100% wool by Briggs & Little in Plum (which looks Purple to me), almost too thick for this job.. but here is the finished product:

I am very happy with this necklace, and can't wait to have the occasion to wear it.

Last evening I made a cord to make another necklace, this time using two strands of Red Heart Luster Sheen® fine yarn.. in a gorgeous 'Cherry Red'. So that is my challenge today, is to put it together, and hope to add the photo later on.

And here is the Red Celtic Knotwork Necklace:

I think it is far more striking than the original one I made.

All this was completed while watching the movie Shirley Valentine from the late 80's.. why do you ask was I watching this movie.. well my sister told me last evening that she is going to Trinidad and Tobago for Easter, and I did not respond well to her news. So Shirley Valentine was my escape while putting this necklace together, so I could pretend in my head that I was in the sun, looking at sea and sand. And reminiscning for my summer working in Corfu: I too was young once!

The New Additions!

As suspected it took two hours each way to collect the new chicks. About seven are three weeks old, and three are three days old, and the rest are a week old.. but they all look so tiny and fragile.  The are now ensconsed in the brooder in the study, having had their beaks dipped in water, so lots of cheeping going on up there. It is the room above our lounge, which has a vent up to that room, so we can hear them from downstairs.. which is lovely to my ears, makes me smile.

So what did I take to do on the journey.. I completed another wine bottle carrier before leaving home, made a few friendship bands..  and started french knitting a piece to make a celtic knotwork necklace.. but then the scenery brought that all to a stop.. so you will have to wait for a photo of that necklace. Here are photos of the preassembled knecklace and the frenchship bands:

This is not a how to type blog, but here is a photo of a french knitting piece on two pegs in progress:

And click here to a link on how to use a spool knitter, and click here on how to use the spool knitter using only two pegs.


We headed off the main highway, I was in unknown territory, I simply devoured the scenery, the lovely little villages.. A place called Westville had so many interesting properties.. so nice to go somewhere new... as we drove on we actually passed a huge property that was painted black.. really caught your eye, but I don't think I will be painting our property black anytime soon. I didn't take my camera with us, so can't show you that.

And a Happy Mother's day to my Mum in Wales, who will be 87 this coming May.

Collecting Baby Chicks today..

Today we are collecting two dozen chicks, half are three weeks old, and the rest only a week old.  They are a hardy breed known as Buff Orpingtons, look like you expect chickens to look. This is a picture of the ones from last year:

Since my husband tends to do the driving when we travel together, I am just pondering what I will take with me to make on the journey. A dear friend of mine never goes on a car journey anywhere without a project, often it is socks, something she doesn't have to think about. (For your information I find even the thought of socks a challenge, maybe one day.) I have taken that concept and made it my own, I always take something with me to keep busy on these journeys when I don't have to do the driving.  Today, I may well begin another set of nesting bowls, but plan to take my french knitter, have become quite hooked on it of late. I will let you know!

With preparation for the arrival of the baby chickens, I did not achieve much yesterday, but here is a little square box I made earlier with leftover cotton baby yarn:

Oh and I almost forgot to tell you, another storm blew through here yesterday, and here we are all white on the ground again, will this winter ever end..

Fortunately, this was earlier this winter, and we were lucky that we only have a powdering of snow last night.

Happy April Fool's Day!

Yesterday I worked on a wine bottle carrier, not the first I have made, but this was in different colors to previously. 

So what else have I been creating these past months? I moved on to square boxes, and then also made smaller round bowls with lids. A friend subsequently suggested that I make a bowl that much bigger to create a Cat's bed. Here are a few photos:

 ... and as you can see it was used right away.. but I have discovered since that the almost 100% wool is not rigid enough.. and have made a few out of Acrylic yarn as well... 

and they are certainly more rigid, and perfect for a cat to curl up and sleep in. 


Well I better get working, sitting writing does not get things finished.

So what is this blog about?

The idea of a blog came from watching the movie 'Julie & Julia'. Julie plans to cook all the recipies in Julia's book during the course of a year, and writes a blog of her progress while doing so.

It suddenly struck me that I could also write a blog about my progress with my projects, and tell you a something of what else is going on in my life too.  

I have been crocheting & knitting now for quite a few months.  After losing my job, I worked on my tarot skills, walking for exercise, and practicing my saxophone playing.  But with no money coming in, I had to consider what I could do to change that.

I started looking for patterns... and so it began first with a set of nesting bowls. I was always considering what might interest customers, rather than what I would like myself. Come back and see what other items I have made, and continue to make.

So the blog is to generate interest in my work, but also to give me a focus on my own progress. 

On a side note, the movie that was the inspiration, showed two women learning to cook, and during my time at home, I too have been learning to cook!