Knits and Bits

A few weeks ago a friend and I went on a material shop hop, but sadly it wasn't too successful as out of the three stores we went, the two Big ones didn't actually exist. Well they must exist somewhere or must have existed at some stage (just not in the present), but they were not to be found at the addresses we had found on the Internet.

Anyway, on our travels we discovered a reject shop, which we simply had to visit. Most of it was the same as you would find at a red dot/crazy Clark's/2 Dollar shop/Crazy store, but I did came across some super soft chenille yarn just begging to made into something...and here that something is...

A hot water bottle cover

Don't look too closely, as the pattern I used had to be altered a little as I started running out of yarn and I gather that the pattern I had would have been for a permanent cover that couldn't be removed and I didn't fancy that.

However, when I started knitting a while back, I thought I'd better follow the instructions exactly and tried my hand at my fist tension square...well it turned out so well, I figured it should be made into something useful.

So I folded it in half and stitched up the bottom and the side. Then I threaded some ribbon through the top and now my phone has a snug sock.

I must admit that that was my first and so far my only tension square, but imagine what you could make with a whole lot of them.

Rainbow coloured order

So I went shopping for more felt material and came home with this...

And when I laid them out on the table to take a photo it came to my attention that if things must be organised, if they have colours, they must be in accordance with the colours of the rainbow...

Jellybeans...and if they had to be eaten, would you eat them randomly or by rainbow coloured order...personally I'd eat them in order of taste - least favourite to most yummy.

Cups

fridge magnets...though I must admit this one was a toss up between arranging by colour or by alphabet (I think alphabetically wins, as the colours are not evenly distributed)

Pens - and if something has to be highlighted then it goes in rainbow coloured order too...obviously!

Clothes, but they don't stay in this order for long...

 And to end this blog off, I recently made myself a pair of rainbow coloured pyjamas...but just realised that they switched the turquoise and olive green around...grrr

So do you secretly arrange things?

Now I realise that this may be considered a hint at some obsessive compulsive disorder, but seriously don't you also avoid stepping on the cracks in the pavement...go on have a laugh :) 

Short but sweet

For a change, I felt I needed to make something quick and easy. So here are a couple of my new felt crafty thingummies. Apart from the cutting out (which is a bit fiddly), they are so quick and easy to make.

The ideas are endless...gift tags, Christmas decorations, create a hanging mobile or a little toy.

The star is machine stitched around the edge, with a loop of ribbon inserted for hanging, and leaving a tiny gap along on of the straighter edges to insert the stuffing. The star was then stuffed and the gap stitched closed (by machine or hand). Then I added some rough embroidered lettering.

Next I made some little critters...

A Frog

And...

My favourite...A platypus

Now I need to go buy some more felt in different colours as there is much crafting to do...

Introducing...Humphrey

With a heavy heart...

Today's post is a happy/sad one, but there is hope and you can be a part of it.


Rhino's around the world are faced with a very bleak future indeed. I've been reading through the rhino conservation web sites, and Facebook posts, and my heart is breaking for them and the men and women who are working tirelessly to try and save these magnificent creatures.


In South Africa alone, over 138 rhinos have been slaughtered for illegal trade during the first four months of 2011.
The Rhino's are killed for their horns which are then sold illegally, so the worst part is that these Rhino's have all been killed for "nothing". Here is why...


Busting the rhino horn medicine myth with science


If you have read/seen any of the stories or been fortunate enough to see a Rhino, then I urge you to spread the world and here is a great link to what you can do to help.


Hope for the rhino's future; what you can do to help


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Now, on a lighter note, in the midst of such destruction...


There has been an addition to the world's rhino population and I'm pleased to "introduce" you to him;

I say "introduce", because an introduction would imply an exchange of names, but he is yet to be named... So you can give your suggestions by leaving a comment below and at the end of the week we will put the names in a hat and draw one out.

The bum shot...if you have ever tried to take wildlife photies, you are bound to end up with some of these.

Thanks for helping my kind

Don't forget to leave a comment with your name suggestion

Sssh....the corriander is growing

As requested, a quick update of how the seedlings from a few weeks back are doing

The highlight for me has got to be this...

Remember the coriander that I couldn't grow...well it's growing!

The Roma tomatoes and red peppers (capsicums) had to be transplanted into bigger trays and may well need to be transplanted into even bigger ones now.
 

And due to my assumption that the coriander seeds that I had harvested from last year were not viable...I went and bought "proper" seed and they have started surfacing...so we should have plenty of coriander...if I can keep it alive.

I think my problem was over watering them...so with a little less water, I'm holding thumbs.

The Rosemary seeds that I had planted may have suffered the same ailment as my previous coriander attempts, as only one of those seeds have germinated. Hmmm, maybe I'll try with the seeds again at a later stage, but for now I've taken a few cuttings from my existing rosemary bush, and with the aid of some rooting hormone, I'm hoping they will do better than the seeds, I'll keep you posted.

On a different note, I have a special post for you tomorrow...

But that's all for now

Cheers!