Sunday Smiles.

I know it's supposed to be Sunday Smiles but in all fairness It's not all smiles this week so please bear with me.  My broadband connection has been excruciatingly slow this week and it has taken forever to load up my blog and your blogs, infact blogger has been slow for weeks, sometimes I can't see all your pictures and it's sooo frustrating.

The worst thing is when I leave you a comment and press send and a box comes up asking me to sign in! I'm already signed in for goodness sake! and then when I've done that the comment I have left you has disappeared, so I don't know if you have received it or not, so if you have two comments from me nearly the same you know why and if you have no comments well please let me tell you it's there flying in cyberspace somewhere phew ....sorry I had to get that off my chest, is anyone else having problems? are you finding blogger slow too.

Anyway enough of the moaning at least for now. :)

I started going to the gym a couple of months back for the simple reason I felt tired and sluggish, no wonder really I hadn't done much exercise for a long time and I had a couple of spare tires around my middle, that's where my chocolate goes and on my tummy of course, where does your go?
Anyway there is nowhere to leave your stuff in the gym really so I needed a solution and this is it, A bottle holder with a little pocket on the side for my membership card and I can fasten my keys to it too.  I used the cotton which has been languishing in my stash since my stepping back in time trip  
If you can crochet you can easily make one of these but if anyone wants the pattern just say and I will gladly write it out.
I find the gym very boring but I have lost one of my tires and I do feel much fitter so I will persist. Do any of you use a gym and what do you think, do you like it, is it helping?


Do you ever watch those sale channels? I don't usually but a couple of weeks ago early one Sunday morning I found myself watching this fella who was selling a paint spraying system, in no time at all he had spray painted a fence, some decking, garden table and chairs, then he moved indoors and painted walls and furniture.  Everything looked wonderful and he made it look so easy, so I was completely taken in and ordered one there and then because my whole house needs redecorating and garden fences need painting too.  
They are so clever these sales people they suck you right in.  

Anyway it arrived in a huge box I took it out and tried to understand all the instructions but I'm really useless at understanding long drawn out explanations  and have to try to figure as I go, it took me two weeks to actually use it.  I thought it was safe to use it on my garden furniture so I put it on the lawn with a huge sheet under it here is the result.

I am pleased with the result but it takes ages to prepare everything and minutes to actually do the job, then ages to clear away.  I felt the paint came out too quickly and it seems to use a lot, but it only needed one coat.  So I'm not convinced it's worth the money yet, I think it will be fine for the garden but maybe not for the house, so watch this space.
Maybe you have one of these yourself, please let me know if you do and any tips would be most appreciated. 

My newly painted garden furniture was put to good use this week

We had our monthly Loving Hands meeting and sat and nibbled, chatted and crafted it was such a pleasant afternoon.  The ladies brought lots of beautiful finished projects too which I will show you another time because I think I have kept you all long enough but just before I go....

The stars in my garden this week

Lady Hamilton

Another one from my David Austin collection, I love it's colour, beauty and fragrance, however the blooms are short lived and will only live a day in the vase then it's pretty head will droop and the beautiful petals will scatter themselves all over your table.  It's still worth it, even for a day, I love to have a single cut rose on my table don't you?

I hope you have all had a lovely warm and beautiful week and that this next one is even better. :)

Sunday Smiles

I hope that you have all had a lovely week and thank you for all the comments and feedback you have given me this past week, I love your comments so please keep them coming. My week has been a busy one with lots of smiles along the way.

I was able to meet up with my cousin Angela this week it was so lovely to see her and hand over the baby hats I had made for her. The cute bonnets on the top left and the two blue hats on the right were made by my friend Ann from my Loving Hands group.

From left to right, Aunty Doreen, Elaine, Angela, myself and thank you to Sue for taking the picture.

We met up in York, Angela had rented a cottage nearby and my Aunty and two of her friends were staying there with her.

We visited York minster

So beautiful both inside and out and impossible to capture the sheer beauty of the place on your phone, I had forgotten to take my camera but even so the atmosphere of the place can't be captured even with the best of camera's, definitely a place to revisit again and again.

 wandering through the beautiful old historic streets of York.

It was a lovely day until I was making my way back to the station to catch my train and the heavens opened, I was literally soaked through to the skin but that's English weather for you :)

I know it sounds crazy but every time I use my string bag I have to smile, I really love these bags I have one in each of my handbags, they always come to the rescue for me when I'm out shopping and I need a bag in a hurry, it's amazing how much you can pack into these, why not make one for yourself or for your friends if you haven't already they make great gifts, you can find the pattern here

I really thought that my crop of blackcurrants was meagre this year, they are growing right at the bottom of the garden and it's a bit of a jungle down there, but once I got in there and had a good look I had enough to make all this jam.  I'm always afraid it won't set properly, but the set was perfect and it tastes really yummy. 
Shopping list...
jam thermometer.
Jars 
Wax discs
I still have a crop of red currants that are ripening nicely and a huge crop of blackberries so I need to be prepared, looks like my family and friends are going to be gifted lots of jam this year.

The stars in my garden this week

Mullein Pink

I didn't even know the name of these until I did a little bit of detective work on google today.  I love these flowers and they self seed like crazy, I have them in white too and have little groups of them scattered all over my garden.

I hope that you all have a lovely week. :)

A Bag in a Hurry

When we were planning our trip to see my son in Cambridge he called me on the Friday to tell me that we were booked in for a meal on the Sunday evening at his college and that it was formal wear.

Panic stations nothing like having plenty of notice! what to wear? I'm a jeans, sports wear type of person and formal wear doesn't really figure in my wardrobe..but wait what about that navy and white dress that my friend gave me last year the one she had never worn and had been hanging in her wardrobe for ages, the one that has now been hanging in mine for ages.

Out came the dress and I tried it on, it didn't look too bad but what about accessories I had no navy or white bag to go with it,  too late to shop for one I had too much to do on the Saturday, too late to make one or was it??

There ensued a manic search for a pattern for a nice easy quick crochet purse and a mad hunt amongst my stash for navy yarn.  Cotton would have been preferable but I didn't have any but I did find some acrylic, was there enough? yes! just enough with not a scrap left over after making this....

I loved it and I was so lucky to find that diamante button amongst my button stash.  I needed a strap for it just in case I wanted to put it over my shoulder.

I found this necklace in my mums jewelry box it was just the thing, I'm sure my mum would be happy for me to use it in this way.

I even lined it!

First I cut two pieces of foam to put into the bag to give some firmness and definition and then another mad scramble in my fabric stash box.

Tadaaa!
Please excuse the really bad stitching but I was in a hurry.

All done! 
it was at this point my daughter phoned me to ask what I was taking with me, I told her I had made a purse to go with my dress, oh can you make me one in cream please! will you have time?

Well I did have time but only just!

 Using one of my charity shop finds for a strap

Scrap fabric for lining

I finished her bag late on Saturday evening just in time!

We crocheters are very lucky people we can knock up something lovely in no time, now you know why we always need a stash of yarn, fabric, buttons and beads at the ready, you never know when you will need to make something in a hurry for a special occasion.

You can find the very easy pattern for this lovely purse here, it's one to have at the ready just in case. :)

String Tote Round up, another great CAL and a givaway!

Thank you for all the lovely comments about Odoh's Story and the Fantasy blanket, I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and liked the blanket.

I have also been overwhelmed and touched by all the lovely comments and emails I have received about my string tote tutorial, thank you so much! it's lovely to hear all your comments and the reasons why you want to make these bags.  
Here are some more that I have made for birthday gifts.

Made for Susan

  Embellished with Astri's granny Rose and made for AnneMarie.

Embellished with a granny rose and made for Dianne.

Remember these bags are great stash busters! 

Stats
Cream bag 42 grams, patons 4ply cotton
Pink Bag 55 grams. 2 strands of 4ply cone cotton
Green bag 56 grams. DK cotton/acrylic blend 
All weights include flowers.
It's interesting to note that the cream bag takes the least yarn, is the smallest looking bag, in fact you hardly know it's  in your handbag but when opened it stretches more than the others and therefore holds more. 

I thought it only right to round up some of the lovely bags you have been making and display them here.

Hindusanka

Astri

Casey

Loving Hands

I think that they are all fantastic! every time I find one I will add it here and link it to the tutorial to show all the lovely colours and variations so please let me know if I have missed yours.

A Crochet Along
As you all must know by now I love a crochet a long and I have just spied yet another I really want to do.  I'm not really sure that my finished result will look anything like it's supposed to but I'm going to give it a try anyway.  I'm talking about the Nesting Dolls CAL with Kara at Petals and Picots

Arn't they cute! 

A Giveaway
Amanda at Crafty in the Med wants to celebrate her 2nd blogaversary by having a mystery giveaway, so if you haven't done so already there is still time to join in as it's open until August the 24th! 

Hope you are all having a great week! :)

The String Tote Pattern/Tutorial

The Pop It In Your Handbag String Tote.

Thank you for all your lovely comments about the Mystery Giveaway Reveal, I'm glad you all like this cute little tote here is the tutorial and pattern as promised, sorry it took so long it took longer than I thought it would. 
These little bags are great for gifts make a few now for Christmas presents :)

Materials

Mercerised Cotton I used Patons 
3.50 hook

Change the weight of yarn depending on what size of bag you want.
I used 4ply for the beige bag
Dk for the green
2 strands of 4ply tog for the pink.

Written in English Terms
ch = chain
dc = double crochet (sc/us)
tr = treble (dc/us)
dtr = double treble (tr/us)
ss slip stitch.

Pattern
(Quick version for experienced crocheters)

Make a continuous circle of 4 rounds beginning with with 9 dc in magic loop.

(you can make the circle bigger if you wish depending on how big you want your bag)

dc for final round. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Embellish your circle with a flower or anything you wish,
(see step 20 below)

Make another circle as above but leave plain.

You can make any type of circle you wish but remember there is a certain amount of pulling and tugging involved so it would need to be a sturdy design and multiple colours would need to be well woven in. always finish your circles with a final round of dc (no increases) to give them some depth,

Place circles right sides together and dc them together leaving a gap of 13sts.

Buttonhole made on flower sided circle.

Dc 6 across gap edge  2ch, miss 1 dc, 6dc. 

sew a small button on the inside of opposite gap

Begin string bag

Chain 8 miss 2dc, dc in next dc, chain 8, continue around and include 2^nd gap edge.   (see no 24 in tutorial)

Next round

chain 8 dc in next ch8 space continue like this until 22 rounds have been worked (or for as big as you want your bag)

Don’t fasten off

Handles

Chain 60 (or as long as you want them) dc into 5^th 8ch loop (one handle made)

Now judge where next handle should be and place markers.

Dc 8 times in each 8ch space until you reach marker and make 2^nd handle,

Dc all 8ch spaces around the top of bag and loosely dc around handles.

Fasten off.

 Tutorial
(Click on the pictures to get a larger view)

(revision on no 20...6th line should read 2ch, 1tr, 1dtr, 1tr, 2ch, ss into same st

 Make second circle as above but don't add flower and don't fasten off.

Finished Bag

 The opening should
be on the inside of the bag

To close the bag just turn it inside out, then turn the two two circles inside out, gently push the string bag inside and fasten button.

My latest bag

In Crushed Raspberry

Bag in Use

 If there is any part which is difficult or doesn't make sense please just leave me a comment and I will put it right.

Stats
Pink bag 75 grams
Beige bag 44 grams
Green bag 65 grams
Crushed Raspberry 56 grams 

String Tote Galleries

Hindusanka

Astri

Casey

Loving Hands

More from me info here

Mistea

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