The butterly, charm & owls

A friends birthday was coming up, normally I don't make a thing out of it.  However this year, having being reminded of the date and picked up a little sparkly gift, I decided to put the effort in.  Not easy to find focus when you're on meds and have chronic pain to manage, whilst still waiting to find out what is wrong.

I have so many 'bits' saved to make cards, when the inspiration hits.  That I tend to forget how much there really is stashed away, until I go rummage.   Most of the bits used here, were sitting in the desk drawer and the owl paper saved from something I was sent a while ago.

 So some crumpled tissue paper, cerise ribbon, a heart charm (link from a bracelet), a pretty card image and some butterflies punched from silver card, from a Nag Champa Incense box (yes they are still scented).  Turned into the individual card above.

I decided to do something completely different inside the card.  I had intended to handwrite inside, but my writing and concentration is a bit shaky.  I think it's important to provide each other with positivity, as now and then we all need a little boost to our mental health.

 

I love that owl tissue paper!  I've been trying to figure out how to use it and who to give it to for a while.  Of course it would have been better paired with one of my owl cards, but I still have a bit left so can do that later for someone else.  The gift was sparkly by the way, hence the line inside the card.

Card - Humour can get lost in Translation

So it was my brother in laws birthday last month and I wanted to make a witty card for him.  Based on the fact he enjoyed his beef dinners here, especially the fillet steaks. Unfortunately I don't speak other languages, except for maybe the odd word or sentence.  No online translation service will save you either, yes it will translate your sentence word for word, but you will lose the humour. Plus that's not how other languages translate, the words are switched in the sentence.

So I had to ask his brother for help, his English seems to better than his German at this point, having spent over 40 years in English speaking countries.

Back to the card, I wanted the front to read "We herd it was your Birthday" apparently for it to make sense you have to translate it as, the herd got wind it was your birthday.  The image is from the actual steaks he ate whilst visiting us.

The inside I wanted to say, we saved you a space, can you fillet?  All puns intended.  It was translated for me as follows in the image below.  I was assured that in this form it would raise a laugh. I think I can safely say I will never be able to learn German, even though I can guess the first line, I'd need a dictionary or somebody to tell me what the second one means.

I was a little late in sending it off, so I'm not sure if it made it on time. 

When you just have to make do.

Ok, this year has been pretty rough for me with my chronic pain, so I haven't been able to mooching about the shops for presents or cards.  I've had to make do, picking up a bit here and there on my weekly shopping day.  Sorry guys but that's the way it is, be thankful you get something and if I made your card it was also a painful experience!

Yes I know I can order over the internet, I've done a lot of that.  Sometimes you just want to get out into the fresh air no matter how much it hurts - you can't be on meds and drive!  Well not me anyway.

Anyway this is my besties little something, she got a dvd which she wanted too...yay!!  She appreciates the little things like myself.  Anyway she can't complain as she's sent me stuff that wasn't even wrapped.........lol  That's why we're best friends for life I guess.

The Beach Rocks!

Everyone walks their dogs here, so I'm always trying to find times when nobody is there so I can give my wee fella a free run.  He has no dog etiquette skills and I've only met one super friendly JRT that he 1/2 tolerates (by that I mean he doesn't attack him).  I hate to think why such a lovely wee dog is so aggressive and what kind of start he had for his 1st year, before fate brought us together.  It is the final task we have to solve with him.
Anyway if it's cold or wet it's a sure bet we will have the place to ourselves, or before 9am.  So on these rare days I can relax and look at what is lying around on the beach, but I still keep my eye out for dogs appearing out of nowhere.

I found these pebbles on two separate occasions, I call them our his 'n' hers rocks! I'm fascinated by the white lines and how I found two of a kind at different times.

And this heart shaped rock, which was half buried in the sand with the white line running around it!  This one is quite big and the odds of finding one like this is very slim.

Random Fact:
Penguins give rocks. Not just any rocks, male gentoo penguins search through piles of pebbles to find the smoothest, most perfect ones. When a penguin has selected his pebble, he presents it to his intended companion.  Pebbles are so important to the penguins that males often fight over the prettiest selections.

And for a final giggle, this is brilliant from Chronic Crafter!  I've seen a couple of these and they gave me a much needed laugh of the day.

Fredrica hat by Niina Risulainen

Pompom hats are go and pink is the new season trend, so I'm told.  So what better way to combine the two that this fabulous pattern Fredrica hatby Niina Risulainen.   It's big, it's cosy and so easy to make.  I should have made it one repeat less, but who cares, on a cold day you can pull it right down and cover everything!

Cable knit mini Aran Poncho

So this started off as a jumper, only it turned out too small for me with all the cables.  So rather than unravel the whole thing, I continued until I had a rectangle of about 33 inches long.  I made another the same size.  Then sewed the sides together and picked up stitches along one outside edge for ribbing, repeated on the other side.

It's got a V neck and since I had no pattern for the whole thing, I just made it up as I went along (not even writing it down).  For the neck I picked up the middle 3 stitches, working back and forth adding 2 stitches at each side until I thought it high enough, at which point I then did the same on the other side, but at the end picked up stitches on the shoulder and knit in the round for a few rows, so that it rolls over.

If you would like to give it a go the pattern is available to buy on Ravelry

Drop Big Fabel leftovers

I had about 2 balls leftover from mum's jumper.  Now they have been sitting in the press (cupboard) for over a year and I'd been planning socks out of them.   I'd found a pattern ages ago that helps you knit any yarn sock, all you had to do was know your gauge. I knit from the cuff down as I'm more comfortable with that way and now use kitchener stitch to graft the toes.

Now I can't remember where I got the any yarn pattern,  But I think it was How to  make any size socks with any wieght yarn by Nancy McMullen.  Or you can try this one called a Sock-u-lator is available for free.  Do you think one day I might remember I have a sock loom sitting in the box unused?

I also had enough to knit a bonnet which turned out slightly larger than I expected.