Lifting my spirits........

 So, there has been so much isolation and restriction on our lives over the past couple of years, that it has had quite a detrimental effect on my mental health. Between boredom, poor health, spending too much time stuck in the house with all that entails, I have decided to make some positive changes to my life style.

I love cooking, but sadly, TOH doesn't necessarily want to eat what I want to cook, or what are the healthiest foods. So I thought, why do I have to eat what he does? We eat out a lot when the weather is good for riding, which means I can generally find something suitable for me. At home, I've been exploring different cuisines, and I either cook food for me and freeze the extra for later, or I pop the surplus round to the offspring to try.

Craftwork - I found myself with two huge sacks of wool and cotton balls left over from various projects. So I set to over the winter months and made various throws for our sofas, and various items for the charity shop over the road.

We quite often use a small cafe, run by a very nice family, who between them, have 4 girls of varying ages, and several assorted Barbie dolls. So I got myself a cheap second-hand one off Ebay, and started using the remnants to make clothes for her. I finally had a collection of over 100 outfits, everything from knickers to ball gowns. I took them down to the cafe, and the girls divided them up between themselves.

Other hobbies, I've been using YouTube to explore pieces of music that were unfamiliar to me, and I've found some real crackers to add to my playlist. I also 'found' Randy Rainbow - probably the funniest musical parody maker of the American political system. I just wish he'd come over here and let loose his wit on our poor excuse for a Government. I've just started to read his first book 'Playing With Myself'. If you watch his videos, that title will make sense

Finally, I realised that I actually need some serious 'me' time. With all that has happened, accommodation prices have rocketed to the point where I really cannot justify going away by myself anymore. I also need to get more physical exercise, but I'm not one of those people who can just go for a meaningless walk for the sole purpose of fitness.

I need purpose and something to distract my mind. Then deep joy, I came across QuizTrails These are little books, each one focused on a specific local town, which have a set route to follow and questions to find the answers to as you follow the trail. There are also lovely little explanations and enhancements. At the moment, they only cover Kent, and a couple of towns just over the border into East Sussex. So far, I've done three - all places I thought I knew well, but now realise I don't! I'm so impressed with them, I've purchased the entire range, and aim to do one every week. 

I ride to the town, park up, spend 2-3 hours walking around for up to 2 miles, answering the questions and taking lots of photographs (to be found on My British Isles blog) I then find an attractive route home. For example, when I did the Sandwich one, I rode over there (about 40 miles), parked up and did the trail, plus a little extra because the weather was so lovely. I then took a different route home, around the coast. That was a round trip of just over 100 miles and a 3 mile walk

I'm going to enjoy these!

Free Crochet pattern for baby booties

So, there you are. You've made that pretty layette for a friend's new baby, and you're left with around 10-15g of wool. What to do with it...............

Well, for years, I've used up such oddments to make booties, using a very old pattern that is simple, and which can be made up with endless variations.

Because the top is made in a separate piece, you can vary the design considerably. You can use any stitch you want, as long as you start and end with the same number of stitches. You can add stripes, give them a lacy picot top, work in a larger stitch, such as dtr,  and thread through ribbons, make them plain and sew on applique flowers or other designs.

You can make them smaller or bigger, just by adjusting the type of wool and/or the hook size.

The only limit is your imagination........

When I next make a pair, I'll add pictures, but this pattern is sooo simple, you don't really need them.

Instructions are U.K format, and these basic instructions will make a pair to suit 0-3 months.

Let's start with some DK wool and a size 4.50 hook....................

Cast on and make ch 28

Row 1: (RS) 1 dc in 2nd chain from hook, dc in each chain to end. Turn. (27 sts)

Row 2-5: ch 1, dc in first stitch, dc to end. Turn

Row 6: ch 1. 1 dc in first 4 st. *dc2tog, 1 dc in next 4 sts. Repeat from * to last 3 sts. 1dc in each of next 3 sts. Turn. (23 sts)

Row 7: (this row makes eyelets for threading tie) ch 1. 1dc in each of first 2 sts. *ch 1, miss next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts. Repeat from * to last 2 sts. 1dc in each of last 2 sts. Turn

Row 8: ch 1. 1dc in each st or ch 1 to end of row. Fasten off.

This completes the cuff. You can of course, make it longer simply by adding more rows after Row 5 or by working the cuff in a longer stitch, such as tr or dtr.

Just make sure you end up with 23 sts.

To work the foot:

Row 1: With RS of work facing. miss 7 sts and join wool with a sl st to next st. Ch 1, 1 dc in same st, 1 dc in each of next 8 sts. Turn. (9 sts)

Row 2 - 4: ch 1. 1 dc in each st to end. Turn

At this point, you could make the foot longer, by adding more rows, but remember, if you do, to adjust the number of stitches along the sides of the instep to correspond.

Now start shaping the foot..........................

Row 5: Ch 1. dc2tog, 1 dc in each st to last 2 sts. dc2tog. Fasten off

Sew up centre back seam.

Row 6: With RS facing, join wool at centre back seam. ch 1. 1dc in each of next 7 sts, 5dc down edge of instep, 3dc in corner st, 5dc across end of instep, 3dc in corner st, 5dc along edge of instep, 1dc in each of last 7 sts. Join to first st with sl st. (35 sts)

Row 7: ch 1. 1dc in each st to end. Join to first st with sl st.

Row 8: repeat Row 7 - a nice touch would be to work this row into the back loops only, to give a pleasant defining edge to the sole.

Now start decreasing for the sole:

Row 9: ch 1. dc2tog, 1dc in each of next 13 sts, dc2tog, 1dc in next st., dc2tog, 1dc in each of next 13 sts. dc2tog. Join to first st with sl st.

Row 10: ch 1. dc2tog, 1dc in each of next 11 sts., dc2tog, 1dc in next st., dc2tog, 1dc in each of next 11 sts. dc2tog. Join to first st with sl st.

Row 11: ch 1. dc2tog., 1dc in each of next 9 sts., dc2tog, 1dc in next st., dc2tog, 1dc in each of next 9 sts. dc2tog. Join to first st with sl st. Fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Use tail to join centre foot seam.

To make a tie to thread through the eyelets, either make a ch about 15-16 inches long, or thread ribbon through eyelets.

So there you have it. What could be simpler? I must have made dozens of these over the years, and seldom have I made 2 pairs the same!

If you're new to crochet, you will find this pattern so easy. To help you keep track of where you are, just count the stitches as you work, and that way you will know straight away if you have made a mistake. You might also find it helpful if you add a marker in a different colour at the start of every row (moving it up as you go), so that you can tell where to sl st the two ends together.

Enjoy!

My latest project

If you've read my piece 'spontaneous storage'. then you'll realise I'm not always the most organised of people. And so it was, whilst looking for something amongst all my craft goodies, I came across some pretty little butterflies that I'd forgotten I had.

 I think I bought them originally with the intention of using them on greetings cards. As usual with stuff bought on impulse, they got 'filed' in one of my storage boxes and forgotten. However, having found them, I thought they really should be supping nectar from pretty flowers, and thus the 'Butterfly Garden' necklace was born! 

The main body of the necklace is Kumihimo silk braid in pale green, grey and silver. To this are stitched a veritable herbaceous border of brightly coloured polymer clay flowers and green glass leaves. The butterflies, which have jewelled bodies, are cemented to the flowers. The nice thing is, the wings of the butterflies are sprung, so they quiver as you move, giving the illusion of life.

I must admit to being quite proud of this one, which is available in my Etsy shop for £25 plus post and packing.

Spontaneous storage

No, it's not storage that bursts into flames, or storage that just pops out of nowhere.......
It's actually a sign of how my life (and craft room) are organised.

Now, I am generally well-organised. All my tools are held in neat racks. My hundreds (and I'm not joking!) of embroidery threads are neatly wound onto plastic bobbins, labelled with their type and colour, and stored into neat plastic storage drawers. My beads are sorted into containers by size and colour, and this organisation extends to stock control. I am sufficiently well-organised to be able to re-purchase items I am getting low on before I run out of them.

But, I do have a big problem. When I'm out and about, and I come within 100 yards of a craft shop, something strange happens. It's as though a huge magnet drags me off my motorcycle and in through the door of said shop. And the same magnetic force will not permit me to leave until I have bought something.

I'm sorry, but I'm a spontaneous buyer. I see something I like and it's 'Ooooh, must have one of those. I might find a use for it one day'

So, I buy it and when I get home, I have to decide where to put it. My craft room is a mass of boxes and plastic containers, and of course, I don't have one specifically labelled for the item I've just bought. Now, this is where the problems start..........

Let's say I've just bought a red star. I look at my storage, and there's nothing labelled 'red stars'. So I pick a box say in pile A and in goes the star. I then promptly forget I've got it.

So a few weeks pass, and I'm out and about, and the scenario above repeats itself. Except when I get home, I put the new red star in a box in pile D.

A couple of months go by, and I get an idea that calls for a blue butterfly. Now, I vaguely recall having bought a blue butterfly some time ago, and I start to search for it. Whilst searching for the blue butterfly, I find the first red star, and I think 'hang on. Didn't I buy one of these a few weeks ago?'. Now I start searching for the second red star, and in doing so, I find the blue butterfly AND the second red star.

I put the second red star in the same box as the first red star, and carry on making what I wanted to do with the blue butterfly.

A few weeks go by and in a craft shop, somewhere, sometime, I see a pretty red star that I simply MUST have, and so it goes home with me and into an empty box in pile G and the whole process starts over..........

About once a year I empty EVERYTHING out of my craft room, and sort it logically..........but it doesn't last.............

The moral of this story is, you can be either organised or spontaneous, but not both :(

And so........................redundancy looms

I was looking forward to picking the time and method by which I chose to give up work, but alas, it has been chosen for me.

After 13 years with this company, I've been made redundant - although I have a few weeks yet, before I actually leave work.

so, what of the future? I must admit that, at the ripe old age of 65, I'm disinclined to look for another job. Indeed, the chances of me landing another decent job at this age is very remote. The increasingly poor state of my wrists precludes me from doing anything too manual, and I really don't think I'd have the patience with other people to do something like part-time shop work.

So, what do I do? I now have the opportunity to try and make something of my little craft business. At the present time, I've been a bit hit and miss with it. I've made stuff when I've had time, sure, but I've not done a lot to promote it, or myself.

Well, now I will have. I will probably split it into 2 separate businesses - one for jewellery, and the other for other hand-crafted items. To me this makes sense, as it will enable me to build more clearly defined brands, instead of it being a mish-mash of ideas all under one 'roof'.

If you've not yet had a look, then please follow the links scattered all over this page to my little Etsy shop. If you have any suggestions or ideas that will help me, please pass them on. I'll be really grateful.

Of course, I'd be even more grateful if you either buy, or commission something!

I will also have more time to pursue my Buddhist studies. Whether this will make me a better person, is open to discussion. I will also not have the finances to travel quite so much as I do at present, so I was really grateful that my last trip to Wales a couple of weeks ago happened in good weather, and was truly memorable. So my other blog, My British Isles, will probably feature more local places from now on.

Actually, this won't be a bad thing, as I've very much neglected the South East so far in the blog, and it has a lot to offer.

Mind, if I'm not working, it will make sense to sell one of the bikes - not purely for financial reasons, but, if I'm not working, I won't actually NEED two bikes. It will make sense at some point to sell the CBF1000 in favour of the Hornet. Although the bigger bike is better in a lot of respects, the Hornet will be cheaper to run, and it is newer, has a lot less miles on it, and has not suffered the indignities of a British Winter so much. And I proved on the Welsh trip, that the little Hornet is more than capable of distance touring - and it's certainly a lot of fun on tight, twisty mountain roads.

So, there you have it. Let's wait and see what 2014 brings

Om Mani Padme Hum

And So.......Toward Winter

It's getting colder. The nights are getting longer.

Well, except my bikes don't think so. Both of them still show British Summer Time. The reason? I'm getting as bad as a man. I haven't read the handbooks, and I can't work out how to alter the time settings on either of them. Oh well, I suppose I'll have to get the books out and read up on it.

So, what's new? I took my usual jaunt to the annual NFL match at Wembley last Sunday. It was such a lousy game (Patriots beat the Rams 45-7) that I almost resent the exorbitant price of the ticket. I say almost, because, despite the terrible game, the atmosphere is just so uplifting and joyous, and Wembley is such a great stadium. It's also nice to get the chance to spend a day with my son and his beautiful wife. Days like that are few and far between at the moment.

Also new is my bathroom. Yes, finally got rid of the old one, installed when the house was built in the 60s, and got a nice new shiny one. The building firm have done a marvellous job, even if they did paint the walls totally the wrong colour! I chose a soft, creamy yellow - and they decided to paint it blue! They did say they'd redo it of course, but having seen the finished bathroom, and the way the blue complements the floor covering, I've decided I actually rather like it!

It wasn't an easy life whilst they were doing it though. They literally gutted it - right back to the brickwork and floor joists. They very thoughtfully put down carpet protectors throughout the house, but absolutely everything is covered in a thick layer of just - despite having been hoovered twice since they finished! And trying to sleep when you're on nights, with a jolly workman singing at the top of his voice, is not easy!

Won't be many more days this year when I feel inclined to go for a ride just because I can, but I'm determined to get at least a couple more in before the Winter hardens the ground and softens my resolve. I treated Jack to a pretty new windscreen a couple of days ago, and hopefully he'll get treated to one or two extras for Christmas to pretty him up ready for next year.  I'd also like to get a couple of runs out where I can take pictures with my new camera. I've not had much chance to use it yet.

What else..........ah yes, the American Presidential elections are upon us once again. I've not discussed it with my daughter-in-law, Brooke. We sort of have a tacit agreement that politics and religion are not generally discussed. That way, we don't fall out with each other ;) I assume though, being a Mormon, she will vote for Mitt Romney. Maybe I assume wrongly, I don't know. I know Obama has not been the best president ever, but in my opinion, he's not exactly been the worst either, and I do think he's probably still the lesser of two evils. Some of Romney's statements have done little less than horrify me. And Obama's reaction to the terrible destruction caused by SuperStorm Sandy, were 1000% better than George W's reaction to Hurricane Katrina and the terrible plight of the people of New Orleans.

And so, update on my various hobbies. As far as the genealogy is going, I'm still trying to piece together my father's family, and it's proving to be a nightmare. As well as being one of the largest families in Lancashire, they have some given names that propagate throughout the different lines and generations. I've lost count of how many Johns I've got married to Marys! The good thing to come out of this whole project though, is that I've re-established contact with the branch of my family that emigrated to Canada when I was very young, and I have a whole raft of previously unknown cousins and other various assorted relatives.

My jewellery shop is ticking along. I'm not pushing it too much yet, as I don't have time to keep making stuff for it, but it's very comforting to know that it is there, already established, for when I retire, or if I fall prey to redundancy. I've been spending a lot of time learning and practising new techniques, and expanding my horizons. There's absolutely loads of tutorials on websites, blogs and YouTube, so I've not needed to invest in many expensive books and so on. Which, of course,means I've got more money to spend on beads, doesn't it? ;) As one of my suppliers has it, 'money can't buy happiness, but it can buy beads'!

Anyway, enough drivel, I must get on with some work. Or perhaps, instead, I'll do the next episode of the A-Z..............

New additions to my Folksy shop

As expected, I've had lots of spare time following surgery, and these are just some of the items I've made for my Folksy shop. (link down on the right-hand side). There's more to come, but I'm waiting for a delivery of gift boxes.
I'm a great believer in supplying items, especially jewellery, properly packaged, ready to give as a gift.

a pair of Christmas bangles in festive colours. Wear individually, or as a pair.

Autumnal necklace, with large detailed brown wooden beads, interspersed with small orange and brown beads, and strung on threads of silver-lined crystal-clear rocailles

A pair of embroidered Christmas gift bags. Sturdily made in cream cotton, with carrying handles

4 table mats or napkins, each measuring approximately 14" square, hand embroidered with sunflowers and with fringed edges

Delicate necklace of brecciated jasper, peridots and emerald green rocailles. The necklace is gently curved, so that it sits flat against the skin
Pretty silver-plate chain maille bracelet, with pretty pink facets at the heart of each flower

I made this necklace with Halloween in mind, as the pendant reminds me of a vial half full of blood!

Zodiac necklace for Cancer, featuring a ceramic plate mounted on a silver disc, and with the silver chain enhanced with matching beads

This Zodiac necklace is for Leo, and is made in much the same way as the one above

Big, bold, chunky monochrome necklace, which is tied with deep red and cream ribbons. Being monochrome, the ribbons can easily be changed to match your outfit

Tiger striped beads matched with big black pearls and mounted on silver for this matching bracelet and earrings.

As I said, they're all available in my Folksy shop. If you are outside the UK and would like to buy anything, just contact me, and I'll sort out postal charges etc.

Should I, or shouldn't I?

As you will already have read, I've opened up an internet shop to market my handmade jewellery and stuff.

Reading through the advice they give you, they recommend that you start a blog, to widen your market, and to help prospective buyers to get to know you. I was going to, but then I thought, I've already got 2 blogs going, and if one of the reasons is to help folk get to know you, then this blog probably says it all about me.

Quite what they'll make of me when they read this blog, I'm not sure..............

Anyway, the link to my shop is over there on the right, but here's a taster of a couple of items




I do seem to be having more success with these big, bold bracelets than some other items, but I shall keep trying new ideas. After all, this little venture is to amuse myself as much as to make money

Well I never.....................(well, actually, I did)

You may have seen the occasional post about my timid footsteps into the world of handmade costume jewellery.
Well, it's taken off rather well, and I now suddenly find myself with an internet shop!

If you want to keep up with what I'm doing, design-wise, you can find a link to it down the right side there.......
At the moment, I'm only selling to the UK, but if you're elsewhere and want to buy something, just contact me, and we'll make arrangements...............

I suppose now I've opened a shop, I've got no excuse to not spend hours in my workroom.................:) and spare time is something I'm about to have plenty of, as next week I'm off to hospital for some quite major surgery. So if you don't hear from me for a while, you'll know why!

More Jewellery

Finally, I feel like I'm beginning to succeed at this. I'm quite happy with some of the pieces I've produced lately, and I'm hoping soon to be good enough to market them. Here's some samples, anyway

gold butterflies and hearts on a silver chain

I really like doing chain maille. Don't see why it all has to be in precious metals though. This bracelet is a combination of silver and brass, of all things

And keeping to the theme of mixed metals, the above bracelet is made from stainless steel bike circlips, with a silver-plated and enamelled crash helmet.

A fun bracelet, this one is stretchy, one-size-fits-all, with Lucite calla lilies and leaves

and finally, the above is silver wire, strung with Honda 10mm mirror nuts and Czech glass beads. Soon, I will have a whole range of biker-oriented jewellery. Why shouldn't bikers be glitzy and fashion-conscious?

more sparkly stuff......

Punk Egyptian bracelet. Made from safety pins, no less! Had a lot of fun making that one

Aqua Marine - tiny variegated blue rocailles and bugles, with silver findings

A New Year...........

So, here we are, bit late doing my New Year Address to the Nation, but better late than never!
2010 wasn't a bad year - wasn't exceptionally good, but it was pleasant enough.

What does 2011 have in store? Well, on the trips and tours front, I've already got trips lined up to the Peak District, Lake District, Scottish Borders, and North Wales, so expect lots of updates on my other blog (My British Isles).

And I'll have a new bike to do some of them on. I'll still use the LittleInsect where I can, but the occasional journey will be done this year on a new white Honda CBF1000FA.

I thought I was going to be clever. The old-style CBF1000 has a known alternator problem. The alternators tend to fail between 20,000 and 25,000 miles. It happened on 'Terry', my first one, and I was determined not to get caught out on 'Arfur', the second one.

So, with 17,000 miles on the clock, I ordered the CBF1000FA for delivery on 1st. March. Apparently, according to Honda, the problem doesn't exist on the new model.

And what happens? With 17,500 miles on the clock - you've guessed it - the alternator blows. No fun being stuck by the side of the road in the dark and sub-zero temperatures waiting for the RAC.

I called the RAC, explained to the girl that it was a motorcycle, and it would need transporting because the alternator had failed, which means it needs replacing, and is not repairable.

So of course, they send a small van out to see if they can get me going. He turned up, and I said that I'd told the girl I needed transportation because the alternator had failed, and explained that I knew what I was talking about because it was a known problem, and my last bike had done exactly the same.

But no, I was a woman, what did I know? He tried to start the bike and it wouldn't, then got out all his electrickery stuff and started testing things. Half an hour later 'I'm sorry, madam, but your alternator seems to have failed'

Oh haha. I'm now even colder

'I can't transport you, I'll have to arrange for a bike trailer'

Grrrr.........what did I say to the girl?

4 1/2 hours later, I'm finally back home.

But I digress. It's not just the trips away I'm looking forward to this year. My friend David gets married to His Julie on 9th. April. Oh damn, that means I've got to ride the bike to Lancashire. ;)

And my beautiful future daughter-in-law, Brooke, gets out of the army, and moves over here to marry my son, Rene. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that.

Oh, and on the wedding front, there's some guy called William marrying some girl called Kate, and I get a day off for that.

On the hobbies front, still got loads of embroidery to do, books to read, music to listen to, and I've now taken up making jewellery - with variable success at the moment, but I will get better with practice. (I hope)

AND THE STEELERS ARE IN THE SUPERBOWL

Altogether, another busy year in store. Can't wait........

Craftwork

My favourite past-time, when I can't ride the bikes, is any sort of craftwork. I make all my own greetings cards, some presents, and basically, do anything anyone asks me to do. I embroider, crochet, make lace, paint - you name it. The one thing I can't do, however, is knit. Mum tried to teach me, but found it too difficult, because I suffer from being extremely left-handed - almost to the exclusion of using my right hand - or 'sinister', as the ancient Romans would have it!

If I haven't got anything better to do, I 'paint' needle portraits of my friends on their bikes..........

This is New Zealander, Adam Donovan racing in the Isle of Man TT

This one was still in progress when the picture was taken - Dennis Hobbs, BSB Privateer at Mallory Park...............



.....and friend Matt, putting his 900 Hornet around Snetterton



Each one takes me about 4 months of hard labour to complete, averaging about 70,000 stitches per picture. I've done more than this, but for obvious reasons, not many!