Enjoying the simple things

With all the lovely weather we’ve had here in April, there has been a lot of outdoor time here at Chez Oakley and a lot of pottering in the garden. Mr O has given the shed a fresh coat of paint, I have been planting flowers and weeding and little Miss has helped me plant A LOT of seeds. We planted pumpkins, spinach, tomatoes, peppers and courgettes which will all go into the vegetable patch once it has been weeded and prepared. We also planted sunflower seeds which I’m planning to put at the back of the vegetable patch to cover an unsightly wall.

 

 

I’m so looking forward to seeing the flowers grow and fill out the hanging baskets and the geraniums and lavender open up in the flowerbeds. Hopefully in just a few weeks the garden should be transformed by colour!

Of course as well as all the gardening, there has been time for relaxing outside too

We’ve also had a couple of really lovely days out at a local park. The first time we went with my friend Lou and her boys. Little Miss and the boys were absolutely fascinated by the tadpoles and water snails and spent a good couple of hours pond dipping. We made sure that all creatures were put back in the water they were taken from. I got a chance to have a play with my camera and try out some different settings and am really pleased with the result.

My favourite photo from the day out though has to be this one of Little Miss taken by my talented friend Louise Mackenzie with her super duper lens!

I’m planning on having  this one printed out onto canvas.

Last weekend, a week after visiting the park with Lou and her boys, Mr O and I took Little Miss back to see if the tadpoles had changed at all. There was very little change to see but once again she was fascinated and spent a long time ‘collecting’ water snails and trying to spot the biggest tadpole (again all creatures were returned to the water). At one point one of the bigger tadpoles come to the surface to eat some algae and we actually saw it open its mouth, which for a little tiny tadpole is not something you can visibly see very often. Again, I had a play with my camera, trying out some manual settings (until the battery died, which wasn’t very long into our trip unfortunately).

We didn’t stay for as long this time and there was no crocheting done as the weather wasn’t so good and it had started to rain. As the weather is supposed to be lovely this weekend, I have promised  another visit to the park so we can continue to follow the tadpoles progress. We’ll hopefully cycle there, take a picnic and make a full day of it  and of course I shall be taking my crochet with the aim of squeezing a couple of squares  whilst little miss plays. Happy happy days!

Karen x

 

April project round up

Ok, ok, so I know we’re into May already but it has been a very busy week and all I’ve wanted to do in the evenings has been crochet or sleep, so in my usual monthly project review fashion I’m a few days late!

I’m actually sitting here with a very big smile on my face because for once I very very nearly completed my project goals for the month.

It gives me tremendous pleasure to say that the bright stripes blanket is now finished after approximately 6 months. Here’s a sneaky peak but it will have its own post very shortly, once I’ve photographed it in all its glory.

I have now made well over 200 itty bitty squares for a blanket for Little Miss and am getting ready to start the joining process…eek, exciting.

The Winter berry embroidered hoop is halfway through but I’m not too worried that I didn’t finish it as planned as it hasn’t really been the weather to stitch a wintry scene so my heart hasn’t really been in it, at the moment I want to be surrounded by bright colours that reflect the beautiful weather we’ve been having and all the gorgeous shade of colour that can be seen outside at the moment.

I’ve also done a couple of other makes that weren’t on the list. I went a bit Mandala mad see post. Since then I’ve made another one from the beads that were left over and I think this is my favourite:

I also made this Scrabble tile picture for my husbands 5oth, I couldn’t let him get away without having something handmade for such a milestone  birthday.

As the weather has been so glorious here on and off throughout April, I’ve done lots of outdoor things too (post to follow). All in all it’s been a productive month with lots of fun family time and I’m happy with that.

 

Karen x x

 

April project goals

Just a quick post to record my project goals for April:

  • This WILL be the month I FINALLY finish the bright stripes blanket! Here it was before I sewed in the ends:

  • To reach a total of at least 200 itty bitty squares in the bright colour way,

(I currently have 137  and have calculated that I need 288 to make a single sized bed blanket but with my track record recently I’d be pushing it to try to reach that in a month!)

  • Finish the winter craftpod berry embroidery
  • Finish iron bead mandalas: these should be finished tomorrow, I’m very excited about them!

This month I am determined to complete everything on my list!! Hmmm, where have you heard that before!

 

Karen x

March project review

To recap, in March I decided not to set myself many goals so that I didn’t set myself up for disappointment once again. So, March’s project goals were:

  1. Crochet the border on the bright stripes blanket after sewing in all the ends…
  2. Make as many itty bitty squares as I possibly can by the end of the month (and add to each of the colourways as the mood takes me. I’ve even counted how many I have so far so I can see how many I manage to get done.)

Well, as usual I haven’t quite completed my goals but I’m not at all disappointed this time. I’ve sewn in the ends on the blanket and have done 3 out of the 6 rounds on the border (pics to follow in a separate post once FINALLY completed!)

My itty bitty squares stash  in one of the colour ways I was working on grew a fair bit and another grew a teensy bit…

And, I’ve managed to do a fair few other crafty makes.:

Tuddy Pat and Wowly were created and became rubber stamps.

I got crafty with my Easter Makes

I started the berry twigs embroidery from my winter craftpod box (photos to follow once complete)

And I got bitten by the ‘iron bead’ bug. After making the Easter decorations and helping Little Miss with her princess bead kit, I found a fabulous mandala kit which I have almost finished (pics to follow, those beauties deserve their own post!)

So, all in all, March has been a fairly crafty month and my creative juices have been flowing at every available opportunity. I may not have totally achieved my goals this month but I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, I just love it when ‘must make’ projects crop up out of the blue, even if it does mean that the longer term projects take a back seat for a little while.

Karen x

March project goals

I had decided not to set myself any more goals as I often get disappointed with myself if I don’t achieve them all. I’ve had a rethink though and I just can’t help myself (hence the late March goals post). I do love having goals and targets to aim for, its one of the things that makes me tick, especially when I achieve them! I’m just having to make myself pare them back even more though, I keep having to remind myself that I am a busy working Mum and my hobbies are supposed to be relaxing and not stressful.

So, with that in mind, this month I only have 2 goals:

  1. Crochet the border on the bright stripes blanket after sewing in all the ends…

Here’s the colour order I’m thinking of using, all lined up and ready to go…

  • Make as many itty bitty squares as I possibly can by the end of the month (and add to each of the colourways as the mood takes me. I’ve even counted how many I have so far so I can see how many I manage to get done.)

Anything else I achieve this month will be a Brucie bonus!

 

Karen x

February project review

Ok, so I know we’re well into march now but like I said on my last post better late than never!

I must admit I’m a little disappointed with myself as I write this post. I really thought/hoped that I’d set myself manageable project goals for this month but once again I set my sights too high.

The bright stripes blanket is still not finished and the sewing machine has still not been touched. Time seems to be just racing by at the moment and I’m really struggling to fit in the things I want to do.  However, I have been managing to squeeze in ten minutes here and there to make a fair few itty bitty 3 round granny squares and I seem to have become a bit obsessed with them! I’ve been making them mainly out of odds and ends left over from other blankets and also some small balls of yarn I got for Christmas from Secret Santa at work.  I’m still not entirely sure what I’m going to make with them but they seem to have fallen naturally into 3 colour ways:

The bright one is most likely going to end up as a blanket of some sort, maybe for little miss. Its this one I seem to be adding to the most at the moment as I really do love the colours. I’m thinking of interspersing the purple squares with white to make a patchwork blanket and I’m still deliberating over what to do with the others, possibly my first attempt at a crochet bag. I am however, wondering how on earth I’m going to attach them as I do find that small granny squares tend to bunch up a little with many of the joining methods and I want them to lie nice and flat. Any ideas anyone?

 

Karen x

 

Fuerteventura – half term

Its 3 weeks since we came back from Fuerteventura and the tan has pretty much faded and sadly so has the refreshed, just back from holiday feeling. I had wanted to post about the holiday much sooner but as is often the case, life and work just got in the way. Oh well, better late than never!

With the freezing cold temperatures we experienced a week or so ago, I have to keep reminding myself that it was only a few short weeks ago that we were sunning ourselves in Fuerteventura. Ok, so it wasn’t super hot but it was just hot enough and a much needed and welcome break from wintry Germany.

We stayed at a self contained villa with a heated pool and a hot tub. The first day was extremely windy, which made it feel colder than the 18oC it was and left me wishing id packed more jumpers. after that first day though, the wind died away and we had lovely sunny days of 21oC. We had a few days out but the rest of the time we were just content to relax outside in the sunshine and Little Miss relished the opportunity to swim in the pool every day.

Of course I managed to fit in some poolside crochet time and my creative urge was further satisfied by a visit to a fabric/ wool shop in Puerta del Rosario. What a treasure trove it was, packed floor to ceiling with fabric, wool and all the accessories you could possibly ever need to work with fabric. with so much choice it took me a long time to settle on the fabric I wanted but here it is….

I got a bit of a surprise when the colourful fabric was all folded up as it was much heavier than I’d realised (I think its upholstery fabric, oops!) and I was a little worried about how I’d get it in the case…clothes would have been discarded though if necessary to fit in my beautiful material! I haven’t yet decided what to use the fabric for but I do know that whatever I make will evoke happy memories of a lovely family holiday.

 

Karen x

 

 

February projects

Ok, so we’re 9 days into February already but better late than never!

January didn’t  go entirely according to plan on the crafting front see here but I did do a fair bit of crafting so I’m not too disappointed. We’re away for a week in February, so I’m going to do my best to make February’s project list achievable. (We are  escaping from the cold, it was -7 here this morning and are jetting to the sunshine and spring temperatures of Fuerteventura, yippeeeeeee! Of course I will be taking my crochet hook and a small amount of wool but I shall be making the most of family time so wont be doing a lot of crocheting.)

Februarys project goals:

  • FINALLY get around to blowing the cobwebs off the sewing machine and sew the two sets of bunting I’ve prepared.
  • Finish the stripes on the bright stripes blanket (I’m pretty sure I wont have time to finish the border too but if  I do then great)
  • have a stack of itty bitty mini squares ready to make into something delicious (I’m aiming for at least 100)
  • cut the fabric for 2 machine sewn tote bags.

Hopefully this is an achievable list given that February is a short month and we’re away for some of it.

I’d love to hear what your crafting goals are for February.

Karen

 

January projects review

So, January went by rather quickly thankfully, as it is probably my least favourite month. Weather wise this January has been pretty miserable and grey but I’m very happy to say that despite freezing cold temperatures, February is so far looking much better. Its only the 4th and already we’ve had a few mornings of blue skies. The bright blue morning skies really give me a happiness boost and as long as the sun is shining I can deal with the minus temperatures!

Anyway, enough talk about the weather and get down to Januarys project review.  In a bid to contain my wandering mind a little I decided to set myself a list of (hopefully) achievable project goals at the start of each month. Januarys goals:

  • Finish crocheted granny squares baby blanket
  • Continue and hopefully finish crocheted bright stripes full size blanket.
  • Start a crochet poncho for Little Miss
  • Make my first machine sewn fabric bunting.
  • 3x stencil/ applique bags ready for craft stall.

 

For the first part of January, all was going well, I was fitting in lots of crafty time and I felt as though I was on track see post here.

Alas, I have little further to report since that post. The baby blanket was finished and has been gifted. The bright stripes blanket is not as nearly finished as I’d hoped and the sewing machine has still not been touched (the desk however has been decluttered and the sewing machine is at least on top of the desk, albeit still in its case!)

I did complete a few bags and 2 sets of bunting are cut out and ready to be sewn.

  

 

 

The heart bunting I made a couple of months ago is now up in the craft room above where the sofa bed will go…

 

and for some unknown reason I have started to make some itty bitty 3 round solid granny squares…

I have really no idea why I have started making them other than I just love them. I blame Sandra of Cherry Heart as it was her Battenberg blanket post that inspired me to start making them. They just seem to fly off the hook and I find it extremely satisfying that they  stack up so quickly. I’m not sure yet what I am going to make them into, it may be  the poncho for little Miss that I had planned to make or it may be a bag/ bags but they are providing a welcome relief from the long stripes of the bright stripes blanket and a quick crochet fix when I  haven’t got a lot of time to spare.

Karen

Giving myself permission

Ok, so this dreary grey weather has finally got to me and that combined with being busy, not having much time for crafting in the last week or so and feeling a bit under the weather with the constant company of ‘Horace’ (my unfriendly headache companion) has left me feeling rather meh! Last night I was talking to my good friend Michelle at  craft and chat group about how I was feeling and having lots that I had planned to do on my day off today. Her response was to be kind to myself and give myself the permission to do things that make me happy rather than feeling like I need to achieve something all the time. I do have the tendency to set myself goals and feel the need to have something to show for my time, so today I decided to heed her advice.

Little Miss woke up super early this morning and came through to my room at 6 but it was actually really nice to be able to spend 2 hours with her, playing and getting ready for kindergarten without having to rush. After dropping her off at kindergarten I popped to the shops to get some supplies for my self indulgent day and I found these beauties in Lidl  (I love Lidl for its crafty surprises every now and then)…

 

I have no idea what I’m going to use them for just yet but they made me smile and the tapes make a pretty, colourful addition to my desk.

I also couldn’t resist these either:

They make such a nice contrast to the ever so dreary weather outside and I cannot wait for them to open and show their beautiful colours.

After a few small jobs around the house the rest of the morning has been indulgently spent sitting in my bed enjoying a bit of me time, crocheting, watching a bit of tv, reading, eating biscuits (I didn’t stop at the 3 pictured…oops) and drinking tea with the company of my beautiful kitties (pictured is Mina, Misty was feeling a bit camera shy today!) and I have to say it has been bliss.

 

I thought the book title was rather apt as that’s just what I feel like doing at times!

The rest of the day will be spent doing more of the things I enjoy. I shall be visiting the sunbed on the way to pick up little miss (I know its not good for you but 15 minutes with the heat shining  down, pretending I’m  in St Lucia is just the escapism needed on a dreary, rainy day), snuggling on the settee for a bit of afternoon CBeebies and maybe some colouring in, eating pizza for tea and finishing the day with a glass of my favourite wine on the settee with hubby, whilst crocheting. My idea of heaven! Stuff everything that ‘needs’ doing, today I give myself permission to be a little self indulgent and it feels great!

Karen x

 

ps. Sorry for the rubbish quality of photos in this post, as aforementioned the light today is pants!