Crochet Bag in Progress

My bag is progressing well and I am happy with my order of colours.   I was a bit worried for a while there as the sides weren't really taking shape and the circle base seemed to be getting bigger and bigger.   Then all of the sudden it took the form of a bowl, whew!

From the bottom looking like a rastafarian hat. 

From the top 

Side view, can you get the gist of it?

This just reminds me of one of those vintage folding colander/steamer things.

Click here to see what other clever bunnies are making - My Creative Space

The Next Crochet Bag Project

I have started my next crochet project and have possible bitten off more that I can handle.  I am using a combination of patterns from Attic 24.  The base of the bag is from Lucy's Flat Circle Pattern  and for sides I am planning to use Lucy's Neat Ripple Pattern .  I am not sure how I will do the handle yet but I am hoping it will be a perfected version of the strap from my last bag.

The colours are fantastic, I spent ages deciding what order they would go in.
More lovely fibers from Tangled Yarns

I am still not sure why my Flat Circle doesn't look like Lucy's,
and I do not recommend drinking while crafting.
Craft and wine do not mix for me, I had a little bit to undo the next day,
but it sure is fun at the time.

Palazzo La Chooks

We have had backyard chickens for years now and have become complacent, security at the coup is not what it used to be.   A few people that know me well are very surprised I have managed to keep a pet alive for so long but I have.   I love my chickens because they eat all the left over  food my children waste (thus reducing my Mother Guilt) and they give the most amazing eggs!

A few weeks ago my egg supply dried up and I was very worried
A - Was the dog getting in and eating them?
B - The girls couldn't be off the lay as three of them only started laying and I have seen them in the nesting box.
C - Are they eating the eggs themselves? (Which would be bad as we would have to bump off 5 chickens and I don't have any suitable burial spaces at the moment.)
D - What else could it be?

With a bit of stelth surveillance from Miss S and I, it turns out it was D - Crows.  They are so clever, they set up a scout in a neighbors tree and as soon as a chicken comes out of the laying box he calls the others from near and far so they can all come down and eat the eggs!  I was outraged, so wizzed straight down to the produce store to get the netting I was supposed to replace about three years ago.

The girls got some Free Range Action while Miss M and I got to work.

The New Look Palazzo

They were a bit suss about coming back in.

 I was out of the habit of going down daily and getting eggs as there hadn't
been any for so long.   When I went down a few days later I could believe how
 many there were.  In your face Crows!  

Best Friend in the Whole World

We have had a very sad week in our little house.  I won't go into things now because we don't know how long the piece of string is yet, things may not be terrible but the possibility they could be is, well just sad.
However I am officially the luckiest woman in the world because I have amazing friends and have been enveloped in love and care all week.   Can you imagine how many happy tears I cried when I received a package in the mail from my dear friend Ms S...  Oh and the card just made me cry even more.  Ms S wrote that since we didn't live close enough for her to be able to pop over and cheer me up, she would send me some things that make her happy so she could share her happiness with me.  Sob sob.  There were photos of her favourite places, her children and beautiful flowers, lovely fabrics and all tied up in pretty paper and ribbon.  (She had me at the pretty paper and ribbon.)  I am very, very lucky!

Happy package complete with Saffron Craig fabric

Crochet Garland for Violet

Well Aunty L's baby is here, before we managed to finish the quilt or for that matter, before her mother managed to get to a suitable birthing venue.  Beautiful baby Violet was born in the foyer of the Brisbane Mater Mothers!  Aunty L made it just inside the automatic doors, gave a primal scream, dropped to the floor and delivered baby's head.  The hospital were amazing and swung into Code Red Foyer action and the rest of baby Violet was born.  A very public, public hospital birth.

Well done to may amazing sister you are my hero, to Uber Grandma and Uncle M you guys are super.

AWWWW - Beautiful Photo by Chani Ridley

Now a name like Violet, how many craft opportunities do you think that inspired in me...  so many beautiful wools too buy from Tangled Yarns in so many shades.

I had lots of fun making this crochet garland for Violet.
Her cot is right next to white timber shutters and
everyone knows white timber shutters need to be decorated with crochet.

(I was actually trying to crochet bunting but I got really really mixed up reading the pattern so went with 6 different shapes. Can you see the dud triangle?)

Baby Shower Quilt

Aunty L recently had her baby shower and being the Art teacher that she is, planned a cracking project for us all.  We all had to decorate a calico square to be sewn into a wall hanging/quilt.  Aunty L has a knack for aiming high and achieving the incredible (when we all thought we were going to sip tea and nibble cake.)  Here are some snaps...

Aunty E's patch in the making

Ms C hard at work

Pedal to the metal

Beautiful garden by Miss S

Big Flower by Aunty L

Squirrel With Nut on a Hill by Miss M

Turtle by artist unknown

Cat - collaborative work started by Ms J,
embellished by Aunty L and I

Chook - artist unknown

Mine, its a bit dodgy

Magical River With Bridge and Hot Air Balloon
artist unknown

Ocean going Hermit Crab by Grandma Gia

Rainbow With Small Dog in Red Coat by Grandma M
in collaboration with Aunty L

There are quite a few more squares I am not sure why I don't have photos of them???  I thought I had got them all (I wonder if a certain child might have deleted some because the card was full??)   Oh well that just means I will have to do another post another day.

Ratatouille Lasagna

When I have a weekend cooking urge and feel virtuous and all European I love to make this yummy baked pyrex dish of goodness.

1 enormously large Egg plant cut into 1 cm slices
3 medium size zucchinis cut into coins
1 large red onion sliced
2 red capsicum cut into cheeks
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup of grated cheese.

Sauté onions in a table spoon of olive oil, then ...

I ever so lightly pre cook the egg plant and capsicum in my
toasted sandwich press - brush with olive oil and closed lid for a few mins.  

Starting with the egg plant, layer ingredients into dish
(don't pre cook the zucchini it turns to slush.)

Layer

Layer

Another layer of egg plant to finish off

Pour over the two cans of chopped toms and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake at 180 until the cheese is golden, serve with what ever you like.
Tonight we are having ours with crusty bread and roast Lamb.
I also love these ratatouille left overs as a pasta sauce, it goes really well with a chunky spiral pasta.

Finished Crochet Bag

I have finished my first ever crochet bag.  I really enjoyed making it and learnt so much as I was going along.  I am amazed at how much sense crochet is starting to make to me.   Now I understand what all the fuss is about and why it is so addictive.  I am itching to start the next one, especially now I know what I would do better/differently.

The bag is a bit on the small side but still very handy.

I know how to reduce width and how to keep the strap
a bit neater for next time.

I love the wide/fat bands on the lower middle section  I was
trying to do Granny stitch but ended up with this
pretty stitch that looks quite lacy, maybe it is called Lace Stitch?

Kids With Cameras

We don't have a particularly special camera (as much as I would like one.)  Ours lives in a basket in the the kitchen so its always at hand.  A consequence of this convenience is that it is also at hand for the children too and they love to use it.  We tried to give them the old one to use but no-one can ever find it.  So ours gets used a lot and you never know what you are going to get when you download the photos.  They love to make movies of each other and of their toys.  They take lots  photos of things they love, think are funny or might be rude.  (We don't get too much rude stuff they all hate the serious talk that goes with getting busted.)   Here are some of my favorite photos

I think Miss S took this one, I love the angle and the colours.

This would have to be by my scientific Miss M

I don't know who took this one, its my favourite.

Trick Tomatoes

What do you do when your tomato plants have gone crazy and Halloween is around the corner...

Trick

Or Treat 

Its amazing how many kids actually took tomatoes and ate them on the spot.

Does anybody know if cherry toms are any good for chutney?