Sunday 24 February 2013

Far away, in Rolbos then.

No post or hooky to show, just a recommendation...to visit Rolbos

Amos van der Merwe is a friend from my Facebook reading group and I started following his blog via the feeds to our group these last couple of months.  It mainly centres around the fictional community of Rolbos, where characters like Vetfaan, Gertruida, Boggel and other sit and ponder the world at Boggels shop.  It provides social commentary much like classic South African author Herman Charles Bosman's tales from the Groot Marico; at first glance it might seem humorous, but then you get the sadness, tragedy and the underlying message.  

Photo: Pretoria News


During a not-so-nice week in South Africa, his posts brought much needed balance to the throng of tweets, outbreaks of rage, accusations and public outcry.  It was good to read, and great to see how it was shared widely on FB.  


Take a look.


Thursday 14 February 2013

A Project Abandoned

It seemed like a good idea, and it was.
But it's out of my mind now, off the list, scrapped.
Not going to be done any more.

Remember these old wire garden sets? It got quite popular again the last couple of years, but you had to hunt them down, and if you could find it hope for a good price.

Dit was 'n goeie idee, maar dis nou uit my kop, van my lysie af, ek gaan dit nie meer doen nie.

Onthou hierdie ou tuinstelle?
Dis weer gewild die laaste paar jaar, maar jy moes soek om dit in die hande te kry, wat nog van 'n goeie prys.

Out in my backyard

I watched my local favourite secondhand shop, Bellbottoms, like a hawk.  Missed the first two sets - they were claimed within hours of being carried to the sidewalk.  So when I saw the third, I literally cut through traffic, drove right over the sidewalk and proclaimed it MINE as owner Didi just laughed.


We had it for a couple of years now, and it went through some colourful phases - my boys love spray paint and I let then "re-decorate" it now and then.  Last year, we went back to simple white.



The Grand Plan then was to crochet 4 retro-style cushions with a red gingham backing to use outside.  My sis sent me a whole pack of Stylecraft Special DK to use, and off I went, starting out with a giant square.



And then I didn't do anything more.

For months I had only this one cushion. 

Ek het Bellbottoms met 'n valk-oog dopgehou in die verbyry, maar jy moet vinnig wees.  Het twee stelle gemis, maar toe hul die derde uitdra, is ek deur die verkeer, oor die sypaadjie om my kleim af te steek.

Die stel is nou al 'n jaar of drie hier by ons, en was al verskeie kleure van die reënboog. Nou met die wit, was my Slim Plan om 4 kussings te hekel, so bont as kan kom, met rooi gingham, aan die agterkant. My sisi stuur 'n pak Stylecraft uit Ierland, en ek val weg, haak gou vinnig 'n groot granny square.

En toe doen ek niks verder nie.

Leef vir maande met die een granny.

A lonesome Giant Granny

I just couldn't get on with nr 2.

I started with a mixture off small squares of 3 rounds.

Then I started again, with larger squares of 4  rounds.

Then I started again, with Summer Garden Squares.

Then I replaced the too-light mint green with a darker green.

And this morning I decided I could just as well use my pile of scatter cushions outside, and calm down the family room.

Ek kon net nie aan die gang kom met nr 2 nie. Eers klein blokkies van drie rondtes probeer.  Toe groter blokkies van vier rondtes. Toe Summer Garden Squares.  Toe trek ek die ligte mintgroen uit en vervang met 'n mooier groen.

En vanoggend besluit ek om die hope kussings wat die wereld vol le in die familiekamer sommer buite ook te gebruik. 

Viva Mzansi

Yeay for Mr Price Home!

Yes, it works

Going to use the Stylecraft for something else on my Long Long List.

Sal die Stylecraft eerder vir iets anders op my Lang Lang Lys gebruik.

(Have you ever abandoned a project that you really wanted to do?)
(It feels like I should feel very guilty but I Will Not).



Sunday 10 February 2013

Friday 8 February 2013

A Very Pink Placemat

During our December holidays, I met one of my Ons Hekel-friends for the first time.  We had a lovely afternoon, chatting about wool and colours and things, having great coffee and cheesecake which she served on these placemats:

Tydens die Desember-vakansie ontmoet ek een my die Ons-Hekel-vriendinne.  Oor die lekkerste koffie in George en 'n bord kaaskoek, kuier ons die middag verby oor wolle, kleure en hekeldinge.  Ek was mal oor hierdie klein, vierkantige plekmatjies wat sy gebruik het:

Kiets Cat's cotton placemats

It's just big enough for a small plate, and I loved it.  I liked the square, simple, open design, and the fact that it isn't a huge rectangular placemat.

So I posted about it on  Ons Hekel, with a photo, and set about looking for an open square pattern to use.

Dis net groot genoeg, met 'n eenvoudige, oop ontwerp, en ek wou ook sulkes hê.
Ek vertel toe daarvan op Ons Hekel, en beginnie soek na 'n patroon...

Testing some patterns with MIL's wool and the help of a local port. 

Meanwhile, back in Pretoria, another Ons Hekel-friend already started to figure out the pattern from the photo I posted, and started her own!

Intussen begin vriendin Adele in Pretoria sommer dadelik met haar weergawe van die patroon!


Adele's pretty green placemat

In the end, I decided on the Freesia Square from this photo I found on Pinterest. After hooking all four squares and trying various joins, I resorted to frogging two round of all to do a Join-as-you-go, and then added the first three round of Border 12 from Around the corner - Crochet Borders (Edie Eckman).

Ek het uiteindelik die Freesia-patroon gebruik n.a.v. 'n foto wat ek gesien het op Pinterest (en so paar aanpassings gemaak).  Die randpatroon was nr 12 uit die boek "Around the Corner - Crochet Borders" van Edie Eckman.


Blocking away

(Using my husband's swim board for pinning...)

I worked with Vinnis Nikkim, a locally produced cotton yarn that I absolutely love.  The plan was to make four of these for Hartenbos Huisie ...but then I had only one ball and don't want to buy more - there's a major de-stash project going here :-)  So I'll stick to the one for now and maybe hook four matching smaller squares in whatever suitable colour I find during Project De-stash...

Ek het Vinnis Nikkim gebruik, en het toe op die ou end te min om vier plekmatjies te maak...ek wil nie nou nog koop nie omdat daar eers orde moet kom in die nimmereindigende wolversameling! Dalk maak ek vier kleintjies vir my tee-beker, as ek vroegoggend op die stoep sit en beskuit eet. 

Now to find a piece of great cake...

Ed.
I couldn't leave the plate like this; had to get a pistachio muffin from The Lucky Bread Co...

That's better.

Saturday 2 February 2013

Weekend WIP-ing

(Now that almost came out like "wiping"...considered various spellings there.. :-)

What is nice...
Wat is lekker...

Getting coffee in bed because the dear husband is off to Very Early training.  Think 05h00 wake-up!  IronmanSA is approximately 10 weeks away.

Koffie in die bed as Die Man vroeg opstaan om te gaan oefen. 05h00! IronmanSA is net so 10 weke weg.

Take on the day


Sending the kids off to watch dvd, so I can read the newspaper online and plan the weekend.  We're a bit lazy for the farmer's market today...so it will be tea and scones later to remember my mom's birthday (she would have been 66 today), getting together with friends later, and working on some WIPs.

Stuur die seuntjies dvd toe sodat ek kan koerant lees en naweek beplan. Ons was te lui om boeremark toe te ry...maar gaan later skons en tee vir my ma se verjaarsdag vandag (sy sou 66 gewees het), braai by vriende, en werk bietjie aan die halfklaar projekte.


A rugby icon died


Ah...the WIPs...

There's some map stitching to finish - almost done!  

Die kaart is amper klaar.


Might have to re-route some of those flight tracks, though...

A placemat to be finished - check for all the last loose ends.

Die plekmatjie is geblok, moet net kyk vir die laaste los rafels.


I use my husband's swimming board to block!

And the biggie...make a plan with The Bag, the plastic pipe, the leatherette -have to find a leather needle for my sewing machine.   

EN dan die grote - maak 'n plan met Die Sak, die plastiekpyp, die kunsleer - gaan vanoggend gou 'n leer-naald kry vir die naaimasjien.


Will this work?


But first - fix the irrigation that Ben-girl Twelve just had some fun with.  


Maar eers moet die besproeiing gefieks word waarmee Ben-girl Twelve vanoggend haar bek skoongewas het...



Bloody monster