Neighbours and Needles

OR is it Needles and Neighbours?  Well I call it the ‘Tuesday Group’ as I can never remember!!!  We meet at Lifeways for a crafty session on a Tuesday morning.  Actually it’s more about the chatting and drinking tea/coffee and meeting up with others who live in the neighbourhood!!!

Over the years we’ve done projects to help the local community.  We do a project together to raffle/sell at our annual garden party and the money we raise goes to local charities.  Over the years we’ve done quilts and have been amazed at the talents our ‘non sewers’ have managed to find and contribute.  Some didn’t know they could sew until they joined us.  Taking part in a project isn’t compulsory but it’s a great way of keeping us together and building a community spirit.

For next summer’s project we’ve decided to make tote bags to raffle.  We’ve bought the bags out of our funds and people who want to take part have a square of fabric which we’ll sew onto the front and back when they’ve done their design on it.  I’ve started on my first one which I’ll show below.

We’re suggesting that they take inspiration from Boro - here’s a link and/or Sashiko as both are easily achievable - I hope.

A chatty project!

Now I have to have a project on the go that I can take to my crafty groups and just ‘do’.  It has to be something that needs ZERO concentration so that the nattering can happen without being distracted by the craft!!!

After the four scarves had been finished (one was snitched by my daughter) the other three went to the food bank.  I know they’re not edible - I’m not that stupid but the volunteers there assured me they’d go into special hampers for those who really will respect that they’re new and handmade.  Anyway, they’re gone now and I had to have something to do with my free yarn that I ‘won’ from Hobbycraft.  So I wanted something new.  What about a shawl type scarfy thing?  Here’s what I’m working on.

I’ve no idea who will get this when it’s done but I’ll find it a home!!!  That’s unless I undo it and make it into something else!!  There’s time for that to happen still!!!

Second sock syndrome - sorted!!

Well that’s another project off my ‘to do’ list.  I just knuckled down and knitted my little socks off.   A pun but that’s actually true, isn’t it?

The new owner put them on straightaway so I’m happy that they fit etc.  

Further to last Monday’s moan

The good news is that most of the booksellers took the offending book down off their platforms.

EBay uk and .com also removed it too but Amazon refuses both here in the UK and in America.  So, a partial success.  

My main reason for chasing this up is to help stop people who want to learn to tat from being ripped off with very inferior books with poor contents.  Also to prevent them buying the same book with a different cover.  It was only because the seller put EXACTLY the same introduction in all the books that my ‘little band of spies’ (not really!) spotted this that I was able to confidently take a small amount of action.

A photo to cheer you up.