Daisies

Daisies
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Tuesday 28 February 2012

Flowers

Very hot here again today!  Can't wait for lovely autumn and warm winter days.  I will not moan one single day when I'm cold, but will rather wrap myself in something warm, because, man, this summer has been hotter than I can remember!  

I have been monitoring a very strange blossom amongst my flowers recently.  A friend gave me a cactus plant last year which I unceremoniously just plonked into a hanging basket.  Cactus: very little water requirements, so the hanging basket suits the bill.  A few weeks ago I picked up a very strange looking flower underneath the hanging basket, but because the wind was blowing during that week, I thought that it might have blown over the fence from a neighbor, but then for some reason or other, I went back to that spot and had a good look at the cactus.  There I discovered various little emerging flowers on the plant and I must say, very funny looking indeed!  That's when I started taking photo's so I could track the flowers opening.  Low and behold, the flower has opened today and here is the whole photo story.  It is called the carrion plant and I can actually see that the flower's colours, etc looks very much like jungle flowers that catch flies, etc to feed on.

 Look at the 'turrets', a long stem with this little triangle at the end of it. The baby one looks more like a baby snake!
 This is the mother plant, looking quite cactu-ish, like its supposed to! The broad leaves are from a dandelion growing between the fingers.
 This is the opened flower.  Look at the fly sitting on the side of the round bit of the flower.  It is not stuck, so the plant does not eat it, I assume that the fly is used for some other purpose here.  I will have to read up on this flower. Would the shape of this flower also not make a lovely type of granny square?
 Two more photo's of the flower.  Sorry, the wind was blowing a bit and the flower was swaying to and fro.  Not the best for photography!

 Love taking photo's of veg seeding!  These are the beautiful flowerheads of the carrot.  Are they not beautiful?

The above photo is for all the northern winter ladies:  lovely, colourful marigolds flowering to perfection in our hot South African late summer!  Very soon we'll be cold and you will show us your lovely blooms!

Let me go and carry on with my latest blanket.  Need some more wool to finish, but am busy finishing off the yukkie bits.  It makes it so much easier once you get to the actual finish of a blanket.  When you are fed-up and just want to finish.  You know what I mean!!

Good vibes to all!!

Thursday 23 February 2012

Scrap usage

I have always had yarn, all sorts:  knitting-, cotton- and embroidery yarns. Through the years I have accumulated boxes full of scraps and because I am not busy on anything urgent now, I have decided to start using up the bits. I have also decided that I am not going to worry toooo much about colour co-ordinating, just crochet.  The squares that were done, do not look too bad at all.  In fact, I am looking forward to seeing this riot of colour balancing out:  some bits will be warm and others cool.  

 This is about 3 days' work!


 These are the 'cooler' bits.

 Not quite squared yet, but the colours look much better in real time.

 And this is the finished Doris.  She is very cute and as soft as rain and just loves her shorts and matching T-shirt!

I am also busy on a blanket for the new grandchild.  It has to be a knitted blankie, because that is what his grandmother does, she knits!  But that's for another day!

Wishing you long summer days and cool nights!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Doris, the Doll, etc....

The week has gone by so fast, I am still reeling!  We had workers here since last Wednesday and believe it or not, they are still busy today!  Talk about productivity!  Wednesday said good-bye to two wooden windows and hello to the replacements.  By eight that evening we had two new windows with panes, but no burglar bars. Very unsafe in our neck of the woods!  Here people live behind bars.  Since then they have been painting the two windows, no, not HUGE windows, just two normal windows (if I really wanted to I could actually go and measure them) and they are as true as Bob still at it!  Now they have broken the gate's lever and that will be replaced too, well, hopefully today!  Hope springs eternal!

Valentine's day has come and gone and since I am a loner, nothing special happened.  Just one coolish, overcast mis day, filled with aching teeth.  The pain, as everyone who ever has had painful teeth, knows, was unbearable.  Got me from taking pills, rubbing my gums with cloves to having a few slugs of sherry.  My jaw is still sore!  Well, will try and get a dentist appointment today.  Pain will have to go!

I have also been busy making the most amazing nothings.  Well, I have fininshed a teacozy for myself (actually for my teapot in storage, but you know what I mean!).  Maybe I'll be using it soon, sooner, soonest!!  Here are the pictures (they were supposed to be for the craft Friday project, but I never loaded the pics):

 OK, so Doris jumped the queue!


 I hope that my teapot will be very happy with its cozy!



I have been wanting to knit a doll for a long time, not just any old doll, but from my own pattern.  Well, dear Doris emerged!  Not quite what I had in mind, but nevertheless!  I will refine the pattern and keep on knitting her until she looks like what I have pictured in my mind.  In the meantime, poor old Doris started off as a Pippy Longstocking, but after giving her those peepers and the sad little face, she could only be Doris.  So, Doris needed clothing:  I then proceeded to knit her a pair of shorts, did come out well if I must say so myself.  Now I am busy knitting her a T-shirt.  Another side and she'll be fully clothed!  I bought felt for a pair of shoes.  Will see how that looks when I'm done!  I have decided to keep Doris for myself, my prototype, and I must say I like her.  She is soft and with the clothes on, does not look toooooo bad!  I did not have proper stuffing so on the first picture the neck and face is not quite right, so I added more of the stuff I had to try and shape the face more and for a stiffer neck, but as I said, the stuffing's not right.  

I have also fininshed knitting a facecloth for my expected grandson and will have to start soon on the blanket I have in mind for him.  Will decorate with a few of the big five created by Dana Biddle as published in Issue 25 of the Stitches magazine.  Maybe he will turn out to be an animal lover and earth hugger and be forever creative in his thinking and actions! 

In the meantime I am praying to have my own home again.  I really miss my stuff:  my pictures, my crockery and everything that is dear to me.  It is sad when you loose your footing financially and is considered too  old to be given a job......  

Creative week to all,

Ouma Miaau 

Monday 6 February 2012

Ta-dooh, Ta-dah!!

Weekend is over, so is the lovely rain that we've had for 3 whole days!  All my flowers are singing joyful songs this morning as the slow breeze whizzes through them. 

I have finished my randomly blue blankie as well as the hanger commission.  I am busy  experimenting with material hearts, star and flower motifs.  Can wait to see how all will turn out.

Meanwhile a few photies of ta-dahs:

 Flip side of one of the Valentine's hearts.
 Randomly blue blanket.  More of a sampler, trying out different patterns from published patterns and variations on old ones that I have done over and over.  This blanket was knitted using 100% acrylic yarn, feels a bit hard, being used to the lovely softness of merino and mohair, but I am sure that it will wash and wear well.

 Finished covering the hangers, tried to keep to a colour scheme using related colours taken from the multi-coloured covering.  And one white cotton yarn valentine's just for fun!
 Close up!
 Used locally produced (Eastern Cape) material to make this heart.  It actually looks nicer in real life and I will definately make some more, using different decorations.


The red and white hearts previously knitted, just sewn together and decorated.  They do look pretty!

Well, another week is begging for something new to do! 

Bless you all!

Thursday 2 February 2012

It's Raining, it's pouring!

and this old gal's not snoring!

It's been raining for 3 days now and wow! how the temp has dropped!  After weeks of scorching heat, at last some relieve!  My plants are truly singing in the rain!

I am terribly bored at the moment although I am busy and have been busy finishing off a commission here and old stuff there.  I just can't get stuck in and finish;  I really t a k e my time.  Maybe it's because it is already the 3rd of February, the second month of the new year.  Where has January gone?  Why is it that time suddenly goes by like a wink.  I close my eyes for 1 minute and I am in the next month.

I need to start planning the winter season's stock, but thinking of knitting beanies and scarves somehow do not make me feel any more diligent.  Maybe I should start advertising so that new commissions keeps me on a high!  I need a change.  A change of habitat, new challenges, new uplifting thoughts and works.

Anyway, it's Friday, nearly weekend, nearly the start of a new week!!  Lets see what the new week brings.

Lovies!

and remember:  a house without a cat, is not a home! Sweet thought.