The Crafty Cactus

Linocut printing without cutting lino (tutorial)

2010-12-08T10:27:00.000Z

Ta da! Two "linocut" cards for your viewing pleasure.

Every year I want to make my own Christmas cards, but never actually get round to it. I then spend the rest of the festive season wishing I had got my arse in gear. This year I have finally done it and made not one, but four different designs! This is a tutorial for the technique I hashed together for my first two designs. I may or may not do further tutorials for the other designs depending on how the mood takes me.

It's my first tutorial, so please bear with me. The photos are awful, but I had only a camera phone and a toddler "assistant" at my disposal. Feel free to ask questions if it doesn't make sense. And if you're a bona fide linocutter, I apologise for bastardising your fine craft.

Equipment & Materials

Foam tray
Greaseproof paper or tracing paper
HB pencil
Sticky tape
Pointy implement for poking said plate
Acyrlic paintor ink
Paintbrush
Random vaguely Christmassy yarn and embroidery thread for embellishment
Can of hairspray or other cylindrical object
Blank cards

Step 1

Foam pizza base thingy and a foam plate.

Spend a lot of time thinking about what you could use instead of lino for linocutting. Waste more time googling linocutting kits and recoiling in horror over price. Finally remember that the pizza you had two days ago had a foam plate and root through rubbish bin to retrieve it.

Step 2


Robin card sketch.

Having already had your "ah ha!" design moment in the shower, sketch your design on a random piece of paper. It doesn't need to be a work of art - simple and bold is the way to go. Then draw round your card blank and be happy that fortune has smiled on you and it will fit on the cards all nicely.

Step 3

Design traced on to greaseproof paper, minus some details.

Trace your design on to the greaseproof paper that you've liberated from the kitchen. Make sure you cut off only the small square that you need so that there will be a funny and not really usable shape for any future legitimate cooking purpose.

Step 4

Transferring the design to the foam plate.

Stick your greaseproof paper to the foam plate with the tape. Scribble over the design to transfer it to the plate. It helps if you have turned the paper over first so that you are not simply obliterating your efforts.

Step 5

Ready to poke? Yes, siree!

Grasp your poking implement - I used a blunt probe from my old Zoology dissection kit - and carefully poke around the design. Once you've gone around the whole thing, gleefully poke, poke, poke in all the white space and squash it down with the handle of your poking device. This step can prove satisfyingly annoying to your other half who is playing an equally annoying racing game on the PS3.

Step 6

Ink up your block. I used acrylic paint.

Cut round your newly created printing block and tape it to the table. Carefully apply paint with paintbrush and lay a piece of scrap paper over the block. Squash it down with your fingers, being careful not to move it. Then roll over it with your can of hairspray (no, don't bodily roll over it while holding the can...).

Step 7

Carefully does it. Ooh the anticipation...

Peel back the paper and behold the wonder that is your printed design! If you're happy with it, repeat step 6 with your blank cards. I managed to eke 19 cards out of mine, but after that the printed image was getting too fuzzy.

Step 8

Embellish away, my friends!

Once the cards have dried, embellish them however you see fit - I used a red ink pencil and some sparkly yarn from my stash for one design and some embroidery thread for the other.

Step 9

Dither about how to print the greeting inside and wonder if you will actually manage to post them before the last posting date. Finally decide to use some proper stamps and then wait impatiently for them to arrive in the post. Continue waiting and start waking up in the night panicking about it. [Note: still waiting...]

And there you have it. If you try this out I'd love to see your efforts.

Ceiling trapdoor TV

2010-05-26T07:30:00.001+01:00

How's this for a neat way to hide the TV when it's not in use? Not to mention a sure fire way to keep those sticky fingers off your flatscreen.

This one is part of a bedroom remodelling carried out by Dijeau & Poage construction company in San Francisco. Reckon you could do it yourself with a bit of thought and careful DIY though. Just make sure it's really, really securely fixed up there...

(via Unplggd)

Keeping bath toys mould-free

2010-05-25T14:27:00.000+01:00

This is not something I'd normally post about here, but when I was bathing my son last night I was reminded of the endless experiments we ran to stop our bath toys growing that scourge of the bathroom, black mould (mold). Mr Crafty Cactus reckons this is something that other people would like to know and I think he's right*.

I've always squeezed out all the water from the toys after a bath and that is important. However, it's not enough to stop the mould. Keeping the toys in a net to dry doesn't seem to make much difference and as ours kept falling down, I have abandoned it. Our toys now sit on the windowsill, usually lined up neatly by Mr V (anything to avoid getting out of the bath).

I tried using a weak disinfectant solution on the toys when they got mouldy. It made no difference to the mould and just served to worry me further. I didn't want Mr V ingesting mould, but I certainly didn't want him ingesting disinfectant. Those toys went in the bin (one by one, so they weren't missed).

Finally, Mr Crafty Cactus became interested. And of course solved the problem, so as to gain maximum smug points. What did he do? He first boiled all the toys in a large saucepan. I've got one I keep for dyeing things, so he used that. Then he made sure that each toy was full of water and microwaved them for a bit.

He did this a few months back and so far, no sign of the black stuff. I've continued to squeeze all the water out of the little blighters after each bath, but otherwise we've done nothing else. Problem solved. Hoorah.

As for non-slip bathmats, we just take ours out and lay it over the tub, sucker side up when it's not in use. No mould there either.

*I do have a slight concern that we are the only people worrying about this. Are we?

Amigurumi cacti in crackle glaze pots

2010-05-15T07:51:00.001+01:00

Julie over at Gleeful Things created these adorable amigurumi cacti for her mother and grandmother. I really should get round to making some myself - I've been thinking that a selection of ami cacti would make a great header.

Julie also did the crackle glazing on the pots - have a go yourself by following her tutorial.

If you fancy making your own ami cacti, there's a free pattern for a similar cactus over at Ana Paula's Amigurumi Patterns & Random Cuteness.

Pixellated PacMan cufflinks

2010-05-13T18:01:00.001+01:00

Novelty cufflinks are nothing new, but these pixellated lovelies are surely something else! I love the idea of geek-chic things like this, things that most people won't notice that you can wear safe in the knowledge of your own geek supremacy.

Perhaps Mr Crafty Cactus needs some of these for Fathers' Day. If you or your man ~~want~~ need some of these, amble over to BeauJangles' stall on Makers Market. The Space Invaders are pretty neat too.

(via Craft)

Fabulous fireworks print chair revamp

2010-05-10T14:24:00.001+01:00

I just love furniture revamps and here's one that features the lovely Fireworks print fabric by Jessica Jones (of How about orange...). This top job was carried out by Melissa Swanson - check out her blog post for the full details.

And don't forget to pop over to Jessica's blog while you're out and about - it's one of my RSS reader favourites.

Minesweeper pillows with sound effects!

2010-05-10T14:10:00.001+01:00

Everyone has wasted hours playing minesweeper when they're supposed to be doing something else more productive, but few people have gone to the effort of bringing the game into their real lives. Meet instructables member BritLive who crafted these fabulously geeky pillows.

What I like about these is that inevitably some people who come round to your house wouldn't realise what they were. So, in effect these pillows would act as geek radar. And even the non-geeks would surely be amused by a bomb explosion upon sitting.

(via Craft)

Omlet's beautiful Beehaus

2010-05-09T10:07:00.001+01:00

I knew we could trust Omlet, the people behind the urban henhouse Eglu to come up with something equally cool for the wannabe bee keepers among us. And I just knew they'd give it a good name and they have not disappointed on that front - meet the Beehaus!

Now, I don't profess to know much, if anything, about keeping bees, but I was very surprised to learn that one Beehaus could produce 1,400kg of honey a year. That's a lot of sticky stuff. Omlet do suggest that you take honey instead of wine to dinner parties and with that volume to deal with, you'll definitely need to come up with some kind of plan to get shot of it.

Of course, you could sell it to help pay back the £500 plus start up cost. By my reckoning, you'll be laughing all the way to the bank once you've flogged 250 jars. And you'll still have 2,550 left to find homes for.

(via Wired magazine 06.10)

Knitted antique chairs by Melanie Porter

2010-05-09T10:06:00.001+01:00

Here's something that appeals to two of my favourite things at the same time - old furniture and fibre-art. Ex-knitwear designer Melanie Porter finds old chairs in auctions and markets across the UK and gives them a new lease of life through careful restoration and reupholstering before she covers them with handknitted panels.

I've chosen Henry (see left) to demonstrate Melanie's talents - a fine chair who's on-trend to boot. Alas, there are no prices on her website, so I suspect that means Henry won't be coming to live with me. But perhaps he or one of his friends could come over to your place? Melanie takes commissions too, if you've got an old Bergere that deserves a facelift.

(via guardian weekend magazine, 08.05.10)

Lufdesign's leaf cable ties

2010-05-09T10:05:00.001+01:00

How about this for a simple, yet brilliant idea? Cable ties with little leaves on the ends, making them both functional and attractive. With these babies on-hand you can prettify your copious cables and give up on the much harder task of hiding the messy buggers.

The Leaf Ties are the brainchild of Korea-based Lufdesign. They weren't originally planning to sell direct to the public, but because of the happy problem of lots of consumer interest they are shipping via airmail. If you're quick you might just grab some for yourself...

(via sub-studio)

Fairy cake semi-fail

2010-04-21T08:21:00.000+01:00

Mr V and I made some fairy cakes today (mini cupcakes). They taste great, but my attempts at icing (after Mr V had gone to bed) aren't quite so great:

I iced them all and then tried to put the sprinkles on. Turns out that doesn't work too well. I had to poke each tiny sugar star into the icing. So, next time it's ice-then-sprinkle, ice-then-sprinkle, ice-then-sprinkle etc, etc.

The recipe is from Easy to Make! Cakes and Bakes (Good Housekeeping). First one I've tried from there, but so far, so good...

Rabbit Rattle

2010-03-31T07:44:00.000+01:00

My friend has had her baby and while I haven't given her the presents yet (Mr V and I are holed up with a bad cold), I can share my latest makes with you because she hasn't mastered being online and breastfeeding just yet. First up, a crochet rabbit rattle.

Over-reaction Man (new name for hubby, hereafter known as ORM) took the photos outside for me. I think the one in the tree came out best, but it makes the rattle look deformed, hence sharing both images. (Side note: if only the weather was like that now - it's hideous outside today, storm central.)

The pattern was from Crochet Today May/June '09 by Vicki Howell and should have looked like this:

Mine came out quite differently, as you can see. But as a wise woman
once said: "There's no such thing as the crochet police". So there.

I'm back and I'm crafting again

2010-03-21T09:12:00.000Z

I'm not going to apologise for not posting - it seems every second blog has such a post - but suffice it to say that I'm back and I'm making stuff. Not right this second, of course, but later today and yesterday and no doubt tomorrow as well. I can't share what I'm making just yet, because it's baby stuff for my friend whose due date was yesterday. Hopefully soon!

Little update on what's happening Chez CCL: we've moved down to the Kent coast. I feel like I've come home (I'm from East Kent originally). We've rented a lovely large top floor flat which overlooks shared private gardens for local residents only (how posh!). I've set up my own business and am working from home. Hubby has got himself a swish job in the Big Smoke (yes, where we just moved from, doh!). And Mr V has settled into nursery after several false starts - he only goes three afternoons a week, but that's enough for now to give me time to get my work done.

All very exciting. Hopefully some crafting news soon :)

Photo of a local park back when we had snow (taken by Hubby).

The Saga of the Broken Back

2009-05-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

Due to popular request - well, OK, just Lauren then - here is the saga of my broken back.

Shortly after I started my new job in central London, I rediscovered the "joys" of travelling on the underground. For some strange reason I just didn't enjoy being packed into heaving carriages like a giant sardine, nor did I relish being late for work every damn day when we were inexplicably held in the tunnels. So, I hatched a plan.

Having seen lots of people with very cunning folding bikes on the train into London (yep, we chose to live in the sticks), I thought that I should get me one of them. After a day's careful research I decided on a badged Dahon (or perhaps it's de-badged), which is basically a really good folder, but made for another company and sold cheaper. Just 100 Great British Pounds later and I was the proud owner of said bike.

I merrily cycled from London Waterloo station to work each day for nearly two weeks. It took me a while to learn the route, but I was starting to get confident and would bore anyone who took even a vague interest with tales of my travels. But alas, this biking mania was not to last.

On March 3 I was patiently waiting to cross the road to my office, when traffic came to a standstill and a nice lorry driver beckoned me across. Across I went, but sadly did not have the sense to check the bus lane first. Bam! I was hit by a moped and deposited rather unceremoniously onto the tarmac.

I knew something untoward had happened, because I could hear myself moaning very loudly, but was powerless to shut myself up. Lots of policemen turned up - rather an excessive amount actually - and I was eventually taken to hospital.

To cut a long story short, I have a compression fracture of the 11th thoracic vertebrae. I can walk, talk etc, but I'm not allowed back on the bike yet, nor am I supposed to pick up the baby. I have been doing that lately quite a bit though and everything still works.

Silver lining to this was that I had to stop breastfeeding at night and within 3 days of Dad being in charge, VV started sleeping through the night. Who knew it could be that easy! After nearly 11 months of next to no sleep I am now a new woman, albeit one with a sore back. Hoping to get back in the saddle soon - the bike fared much better than me and is sitting, folded next to my desk at work, begging to be let out again.

Baby Cardigan

2009-05-06T14:52:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time, I know, but at last I am proud to present a finished project - a baby cardigan. "Baby" being the operative word, since it's tiny and much too small for its recipient. Damn and blast.

Still, I am rather pleased with how it turned out. I made it from Baby Crochet: 20 Hand Crochet Designs for Babies 0-24 Months by Lois Daykin. It's the first garment I've made and it was pleasingly easy to do. Lot of ends to weave in (why I leave them all to the end, I don't know), but no actual difficulties.

I blocked it - another first for me - but even that sneaky stretching didn't perform the much needed miracle. Ho hum, next time I'll check my gauge twice and then still use a larger hook to be sure.

If there are any readers left out there after my four-month hiatus, hello! My new job is going very well, as evidenced by a total dearth of posts. Had a horrible cycling accident shortly after I started and broke my back, but that's healing nicely now, so no long term harm done. Sounds worse than it is/was, honest!

Change is a-coming

2009-01-07T17:55:00.000Z

I've been thinking about the form this blog should take, because changes are afoot in the cactuslover household - I'm going back to work! Not only that, we're moving to the UK and Hubby is going to stay at home with VV.

I'm both excited and scared about going back to work after nearly a year of being at home with my lovely VV. I'll miss him like crazy, but I'm looking forward to having some brain exercise.

All this means that I will have way less time on my hands for crafting. Boo! Hiss! That's been true for a while now, since VV got mobile, but it'll be evenings-only come February. I can see crochet becoming even more attractive to me, since I can be sociable (and watch TV) while I do it.

So, either my blog goes all quiet for ages between projects (rather like it has since Christmas, while we've been packing and organising) or I go to plan b. Plan b is to continue blogging my creations, but also flag other cool craft stuff I come across. That should keep the tumbleweeds at bay.

I've been wondering (from the start, really) whether I should write more about the happenings in my life, but my internal jury is still out on that one. Whatever happens, things will change and change is always interesting. Stay tuned!

Someone might actually be reading this!

2008-12-21T14:16:00.000Z

Perhaps because I am still stupidly chuffed about this and thus haven't quite got over it, it's taken me a whole 18 days to get round to reporting that Lauren mentioned my blog when she received the Uber Amazing Blog Award. This means that someone (ie Lauren) actually reads my blog and she isn't family or anything!

The rules of the Uber Amazing Blog award state:

Put the logo on your blog or post. (Check!)
Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing. (Check!)
Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog. (Will do)
Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from. (Likewise)

So, what are my fave reads? Before I name names, let me say that I am a Google Reader addict. I'm currently subscribed to a somewhat ridiculous 92 blogs (and I'm massively behind on my reading - 769 unread items to be precise!).

But of course I don't read them all religiously. Most of them get a quick scan before I'm on to the next post. But there are some that I always read and if time is tight, like it has been lately, I'll cherry-pick the following:

Lloyd and Lauren - the minutiae of their daily lives brighten up my breakfast every day.
The Hook and I - Amy is a crochet genius, blogging from the far reaches of Alaska and by all accounts, a mean cook too.
this mama makes stuff - tftcarrie refashions thrift-store finds with great style, often for her children who must be the coolest kids on the block.
laughing purple goldfish designs - more great crochet, with a thrifty-twist.
Today we are... - seamstress joleo hails from south-east England and her blog helps me feel less homesick.

So, there you have it. All of the blogs I love have one thing in common - personality. They are all written by people who tell you a little (or a lot) about their everyday lives and I like that. Craft and/or real people = happiness, at least for me.

Matryoshka Keyring and a Daft Badge

2008-12-06T07:10:00.000Z

I made this quick keyring to go with the Matryoshka pouch that I made the other day, which is now lined:

The lining isn't exactly professional, but it's not too bad and doesn't catch on the zip, at least. To make it, I just followed the directions for the pouch, but omitted the zip. Then it was a ~~not quite so~~ simple mater of sewing it to the outside (I used dark thread in the bobbin and light up top so that the stitching didn't show too much).

Since this was a birthday present for my oldest friend (we've known each other since we were babies, she's not that old) and she's about to go on maternity leave, I wanted to make her something baby-related too. So, here's the daft badge that I whipped up:

I used scraps of fabric, some cardboard and a safety pin to make it, along with the lettering stitch on my machine that I've been dying to try out. The lettering is on some bias binding and I've zig-zagged the edge of the middle layer of fabric. It's all stuck together with iron-on hemming tape, although the base fabric (some orange needle cord left over from a dinosaur I made for my nephew) is attached to the cardboard with stitches, as is the safety pin (not shown).

As I was writing the card it suddenly occurred to me that "not long now..." could be misconstrued when sent as part of a birthday gift :)

PS Please excuse photos - had to use the camera phone at night (which is pretty much all the time here in Finland).

Patriotic Baby Booties

2008-11-29T06:34:00.000Z

These have to be the fastest booties I've made so far. The Hubby announced that his friend had just become an auntie and since he also knows the friend's sister and husband, could I make something for them? The catch? Just two days before the friend came to collect the gift before making the trip to Amsterdam to visit them.

I took a chance and made a start on some booties I've not made before, knowing that this could very well end in boots fit only for the tiniest baby ever (I crochet very tightly). I don't know about you, but even if a pattern works out really well, I always want to try something new when I pick up my hook. I even get bored making the second bootie of a pair. I chose the "victorian aster baby's booties" from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Patterns and Ideas, but left out the aster flower adornment and the second row of embellishment around the top. These were for a boy, after all!

I used some white yarn form my stash (Red Heart Dallas) and worked my little (OK, freakishly long) fingers off. I didn't quite make the deadline, so Hubby's friend had to play with VV for 20 minutes while I finished them off (I don't think either of them minded). I added a bue ribbon to make them a bit more boyish. It was then that we noticed I had made very patriotic Finnish booties. And when I quickly wrapped them in some orange tissue I had (in yet another stash), we realised that was a very Dutch colour to choose. Almost as if I had carefully planned it all.

The booties looks a little Wellington-boot like to me, but I think the shape is good for fat baby legs and feet, so they might actually stay on. And they are probably too big right now, which is an achievement in itself.

Boxy Matryoshka Pouch

2008-11-24T07:27:00.000Z

Finally made a start on my Christmas presents, with this practice boxy pouch:

I used three bear's excellent tutorial and fabric from Japanese specialist nuno.plus. I found the ebay version of the nuno.plus shop quite by accident and only noticed that its the same shop mentioned in the tute later on. Yet another spooky coincidence.

I think I'm going to do lined versions for the actual presents, but in a non-properly way, just by using two pieces of fabric together. That will still put the seams on view on the inside, but it will make the pouches a bit stiffer and it will keep the make-up time short.

Right, better get on with them then! Now that my get-up-and-go has come back (it went away for a week or so, I know not where, hence the silence), I'll be in a veritable making frenzy. At least that's the plan...

Pass the Pigs - crocheted!

2008-11-11T08:05:00.000Z

Brigitte over at roman sock has made the most amazing crocheted version of Pass the Pigs, which she's named Pass the Piglets. Look at how detailed and cute it is:

Strangely, rather than spurring me on to make fab handmade Christmas gifts myself (as is my plan), it's thrown me into the doldrums. There's no way I could make anything that cute, dammit. And certainly not two things exactly the same - none of my booties have really been true matching pairs so far...

Hopefully Pass the Piglets has the opposite effect on you, so go and check it out for yourself now. I'd certainly love to receive something like this as a present: Brigitte's friends and family are lucky indeed.

Thread-Catcher Cube

2008-11-06T18:47:00.000Z

"What's this?" I hear you ask. "A slightly wonky fabric cube, in a cute colourway?" Well, yes, but that's not all...

See that stuff on top? That there be threads, caught neatly by this, the all-new, ingenious Thread-Catcher CubeTM!

I had a "eureka!" moment when I was clearing up after a sewing session the other day and noticed that my trousers had threads stuck to them. It was but one small leap from that to a custom thread-catcher, with fleece as the grippy fabric of choice. The dotty fabric is a tea-towel, the fleece from an old top.

Up until now I've been chucking the threads in origami boxes made from magazines, but now I'll use the cube ("Use the cube, Luke, use the cube...").

From Runner to Clutch

2008-11-05T20:05:00.000Z

This clutch bag started life as a table runner, which I bought back in July with a load of other fabric. As soon as I saw the runner I knew I wanted to make it into a bag, but it's taken me until now to get round to it.

I used a pattern from Making Handbags: Retro, Chic and Luxurious Designs, finally assuaging the craft book guilt I always have when I've bought a book and not made anything from it.

I'm quite pleased with the way it looks, but in reality it's a bit soft and squishy, so I'm not sure it will be all that great in use. And the question is - with or without the tassel?

Mohair Capelet

2008-11-04T10:28:00.000Z

I finally got round to doing something with the excess Schachenmayr nomotta idena Mohair Lux I have, although there is still a lot left over (see here for why I have so much. And yes, I abandoned The Tapeworm). Since I couldn't really see myself wearing anything made from mohair, I let my husband choose from three shawl patterns. He chose Cold Shoulders from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.

Using two strands together to get an approximation of the correct weight of yarn, the pattern worked up really quickly. I also got to make my first pom-poms (the first since childhood at least, and that was a looong time ago).

I actually really like it (although I think the pom-poms are a little large), but I'm still stumped on what to wear it with - any suggestions greatly received! I know that all things wooly are currently in vogue, but I'm not sure if I have the guts to wear it with my normal casual clothes.

And still the question remains - what to do with the rest of the mohair?

The crochet crocs are finally on their way

2008-11-03T18:13:00.000Z

I finally got round to buying the extra buttons and finished off the crochet Crocs. I didn't have a suitable box to wrap them in, so I hacked up a box we already had and wrapped that. I also used some fluffy packing material that came with something we ordered recently (I forget what). So, while I didn't do that great a job with the wrapping, at least it was recycled.

Now if only I could find my other friend's address, I could post the bear booties as well...

Aalto Origami

2008-11-01T19:54:00.000Z

Ok, not Alvar Aalto origami as such, but rather a beautiful Iittala Aalto vase filled with box origamis.

My husband received this vase as a present for 10 years' service to his company and we wanted to have it on display. However, a clear glass vase gets rather lost with nothing in it and since it's a long time before anything grows here in Finland, flowers are out of the question.

We both looked at the vase together, chorused "origami!" and so the idea was born. I've just spent a couple of hours maniacally folding the boxes. Note: very few of my attempts reached the vase when I threw them, so I shall not be giving up my day job to start a career in a basketball anytime soon. (My husband points out that the vase's shape means it is harder to slam dunk than a hoop, but he has to be nice, he's my husband...)

Celery and Cashew Soup

2008-10-31T18:57:00.000Z

Having a bit of an excess of celery in the fridge, I decided to make some soup. Celery and Cashew might sound a bit odd, but it is very tasty. Of course, if you don't like celery (like my husband), you won't like this, but you don't need to love the stuff to enjoy the soup. I now have three lovely portions in the freezer ready for future lunches. All in all, a nice creative couple of hours while VV was asleep.

Sorry there's no photo, but the soup wasn't very photogenic and I missed the ever decreasing window of daylight here in Finland.

I can't reproduce the recipe for the soup here, since it's from a book, but I can tell you the book - New Covent Garden Book of Soups: New, Old and Odd Recipes. I've made a few of the recipes in the past and they've all been very tasty (I highly recommend the Pistou).

EDIT: I read up on copyright law and I *think* I can publish the recipe, so here it is:

Celery and Cashew Nut Soup

Ingredients

75g (3oz) butter
2 heads of celery, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150g (5oz) unsalted cashew nuts
1.5 litres (2.5 pints) vegetable stock
To garnish: 50g (2oz) unsalted cashew nuts, chopped, and celery leaves

Directions

Melt the butter and cook the celery and garlic gently for 20 minutes in a covered saucepan, without colouring.
Grind the nuts finely in a food processor and add to the pan along with the stock.
Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser.
Pass the soup through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
For the garnish, put the cashew nuts into a frying pan over a high heat. Shake frequently until the nuts brown. Cool.
Reheat the soup gently and serve garnished with toasted chopped cashew nuts and chopped celery leaves.

My First Beanie

2008-10-30T07:09:00.000Z

And it turns out that the title is more accurate that it first seems.

I decided it was about time I tried my hand at a hat and thought I would make one for my brother, who has recently started up his own business doing flat roofs. Not quite sure what that involves, but I think hot black sticky stuff features somewhere along the line.

So, out came my trusty Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. Flicking to page 125, I started in earnest on the Boy Beanie by Laura Killoran (check out her own site here - I rather like the look of her Applejack Cap, as it happens).

Merrily I crocheted away, sitting on the sofa drinking tea, as is my custom. And I was pretty pleased with the result. That is until I tried it on. It's like wearing some kind of mediaeval torture device! Luckily there is one small-headed person in my family and it fits him just perfectly - six-month-old VV.

I suspect it was my yarn choice - leftovers from the Rabbit Slippers from the same book, plus some random orange wool - that was the culprit, helped in part by my super-tight stitches. Oh well, it was about time I crocheted something for my son. The hat was a doddle though, so with the right yarn in hand, I'll try again sometime...

Book Review: Sew Everything Workshop

2008-10-28T11:22:00.000Z

Although I am not a total novice when it comes to machine sewing, I am self-taught and have a tendancy to bodge things when I don't know how to do them properly. With this in mind, I decided it was about time I got myself a how-to book and S.E.W. Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp, came to the rescue.

And it's great! It's fun to read - I read the whole thing in one sitting, it's so engaging - and very easy to understand. The book also comes with 25 projects to do (and these are ones you will want to make, from clothing, to accessories and gifts), along with 10 paper patterns in a folder at the front. The whole book is ring-bound, which should make it hard-wearing.

The only downside to this book is that it inspired me to upgrade to an electronic sewing machine, which was a bit of a shock to my purse moths. The machine is a Singer 9940, discontinued now so I got a good deal on it. And it does practically everything except make tea!

But back to the book - I have already recommended it to my non-sewing best friend, who rushed out and bought it and is now hoping for her first sewing machine at Christmas. I'm planning to make some projects from it too, which I'll post here.

I had hoped that the author, Diana Rupp, had a blog, but it has the dreaded "under construction" message at the moment...

EDIT: I did find the SEW Flickr group, so you can check out some of the projects people have made from the group:

www.flickr.com

Crochet Baby Crocs

2008-10-27T07:24:00.000Z

Not the animal, but the shoe. I spotted these, or rather the pattern, on Etsy and just had to get it and make some. This is my first attempt, which is why it's in boring old white - I've got a huge bargain ball of it. There's only one in the photos because I had a "doh!" moment in the shop and only bought two buttons, instead of four.

The pattern, available from The Hooker in Me, comes in two sizes, 0-3 months and 3-6 months. The largest size comes out at about 4 and a quarter inches long, when crocheted loosely with a big hook. You might be able to make them bigger than me though, since I crochet really tightly (I now have a really bad joke about skinflint hookers in my mind, but I won't share).

I had hoped to make these for VV, but sady he's got kipper feet like his mother and at six months is way too big for these. Not to worry though, I've got plenty of newborns to make for in the next few months. I think I'll make a pair for each one and add a couple of other gifts too. They only take about an hour each to make, so they're perfect for running up in front of the TV of a cold wintery evening.

RSS Reader Must Reads

2008-10-17T09:40:00.000+01:00

Since I've neglected this blog for a couple of weeks, here are a few highlights from my RSS reader that I would have shared. Hope you enjoy them.

Crochet Eyeball Doorknob cover by bella_domanie on Craftster. She generously shares the pattern too, so you can make your own (via Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins):

Ann Wood's cardboard castle diorama caught my eye - it's cardboard box modelling for adults (via CRAFT Magazine):

I love the idea behind Fallen Fruit, a website that maps the location of fruit trees in public spaces so that people can pick and eat it. I'm all for a bit of foraging (this blog should probably be called the crafty and somewhat hippy cactus lover) ; it's a real shame that perfectly good food goes to waste. Fallen Fruit is a global site, but there's not much mapped yet - add your local trees and help kick-start it. I found out about it from 365 Days Of Trash.

I can envision these shadow decorations at an upmarket Halloween party. Create your own by following the tutorial over on Folding Trees:

The anatomist in me loves this wine carafe from Etienne Meneau (via sub-studio design blog):

I'm working on several projects of my own right now, so I'll post some WIP pics soon. I also made a major purchase yesterday which I must share...

I'm back!

2008-10-17T09:31:00.000+01:00

I didn't actually go anywhere, just got in a bit of a "what is the point of this blog if no-one is reading it" frame of mind. But someone commented this morning and that was the cure (thanks kawaii crafter!).

However, just as I started to ramp up my enthusiasm, VV made a grab for my tea (lukewarm, so no danger) and threw it all over the laptop. I mopped up quick-sharp, but after a few minutes the laptop went into a coma. Whether it's forever or just a recuperative rest to dry out, I don't know. Luckily we're a nerd family with multiple computers, so I can still get my netfix.

And boy, am I glad I imported my Firefox bookmarks into iGoogle the other day. It was a random urge at the time, but perhaps it was fate...

How to tell someone you are batty about them

2008-10-03T07:21:00.000+01:00

How? With a knitted bat of course!

Get your pattern from Mochimochi. I love the way their wings wrap around. I just wish I could knit: perhaps it's time to learn.

Via CRAFT Magazine.

Halloween Bento

2008-10-03T07:14:00.000+01:00

In the same vein as my Food Craft post about kids' bento boxes, here's a fun Halloween one made by kawaii crafter over at Zakka Life:

Gotta love the poison soy sauce bottle! VV is at least now eating food at six months, though it's still a long time before I can make him a bento box of his own...

Via Crafty Crafty.

Spiderville Balloons

2008-10-01T08:52:00.000+01:00

"Spiderville" is what I once called the loft space in my old house and in our family, it's now used to denote any spider-inhabited domain. And here's a helium filled one, which gives me the shivers just looking at it:

If you must make such horrible items for your Halloween party (and even I'll admit they'd look extremely cool), you can find the tutorial over on Crafty Crafty.

Masking Tape vs Net Curtains

2008-10-01T08:43:00.000+01:00

I know what I'll be using in the future:

It might be a bit of a faff for something that may not last that long, but for a rented place it's perfect. And since we are planning to rent for a good while yet, I can see it coming soon to a window near me!

This idea and the image above is from a book called Patterns in Design, Art and Architecture and were created by textile artist Claudia Caviezel.

Via My Weblog, via Apartment Therapy.

Slimeless Snails

2008-10-01T08:20:00.000+01:00

My brother and I used to race snails in our garden when we were small - now we can recreate the fun indoors without bothering any actual snails with Ric Rac's Racing Snail Tutorial.

Made from felted jumpers, the snails seem pretty easy to make and the one in the tute has a really endearing expression:

If you want to go the whole hog, there's a racetrack to make as well (see below). I reckon the whole thing would make a great Chrimbo pressie (I'm mentally preparing a list of things to make already).

Via CRAFT Magazine.

Wonderful Woodland Fabric

2008-10-01T07:37:00.000+01:00

There's something about this fabric - by Danielle of Of Paper and Thread - I love the colour and the stylised trees. I have a fantasy of designing my own fabric and printing it through Spoonflower, but since I have never tried that sort of thing before it's very much a back-burner fantasy. One day, one day...

You can buy Woodland through Danielle's Etsy shop.

Via True Up.

Cuddly Dalek

2008-09-27T17:38:00.000+01:00

Just received this picture in an MMS from my sister (excuse poor picture quality):

It's her friend's knitted dalek, sent to her by her (rather cool, I might say) gran. Not sure if it is capable of exterminating.

Science Geek Cross-Stitch

2008-09-26T07:01:00.000+01:00

This appeals to both the scientist and creative in me:

It was made by Geek Crafts reader Jennifer, for her botanist father. I always loved microscopy when I studied anatomy way back in the midsts of time and this makes me want to try cross-stitch out.

I'm in a bit of a craft rut at the moment, to be honest. I realised I was putting pressure on myself to churn out all manner of home-made stuff and actually got quite stressed about it, so I relaxed for a while (though I still made some things, like the booties for my friend). But now I'm itching to make things again, hence the collating of inspiration. Hopefully I will be inspired and get going on something new soon.

Via CRAFT Magazine.

Gorgeous Log Bowls

2008-09-26T06:57:00.000+01:00

These log bowls from the Loyal Loot Collective are truly lovely:

Via sub-studio design blog.

Come join me on PMOG

2008-09-20T16:14:00.000+01:00

I've just joined PMOG, The Passively Multiplayer Online Game and so far, so good. I love the concept - there's no virtual world or universe, but instead you play the entire internet. As you roam the web you encounter mines and loot left by other players, and deposit your own wherever you fancy. You can also follow quests, though I've yet to do that.

PMOG is a refreshing new MOG in what's becoming a crowded market, so it will be interesting to see how it develops. It's certainly got me quite excited. So, come and join me (I'm ione) - you can by my first friends!

Via Community Guy - Jake McKee.

Bear Baby Booties

2008-09-18T08:06:00.000+01:00

Can't resist a spot of alliteration. Finished these cuties last weekend, for my friend's new baby (as yet unnamed). I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, although I think the bears' faces are a little too cartoony:

They're from Baby Crochet: 20 Hand Crochet Designs for Babies 0-24 Months by Lois Daykin and they're the first project I've done from the book. Instructions were easy to follow, although they lacked the step to sew up the bottom of the booties. Pretty obvious it needed doing though, so no biggie. I used about half a ball of the pink yarn and next to nothing of the beige and white - helpful to know in case you plan to make them yourself. Luckily I have two more female babies to make for, so I'm sure I can think of a use for the pink!

Yarn crazy? Then you need Crazy Yarn!

2008-09-17T07:34:00.000+01:00

Pure genius by Laughing Purple Goldfish, Crazy yarn is random stash yarn knotted together to make balls of yarn. The perfect way to use up your stash - those lone balls that aren't enough to make anything can make friends and be something!

She made this Crazy Yarn:

And then made this bag with it:

Via CRAFT Magazine.

Bookcase with integral steps

2008-09-17T07:29:00.000+01:00

We've just admitted that we are true book hoarders and got ourselves some more Ikea Billy bookcases. Boring, I know, but we have some already and they are reasonably priced and not too bad looking. One day I'd love to have a whole room full of books (I think these rooms might be called libraries) with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. In which case, this bookcase by Danny Kuo would be most excellent:

It's a prototype at the moment, but what potential!

Via Unclutterer.

Rasterbate and then take photos!

2008-09-17T07:19:00.000+01:00

Quite possibly the coolest thing ever (at least until the next cool thing that catches my attention...) - Rasterburation. A simple idea (always the way), but with many possibilities. The Rasterbator rasterizes any image you upload, so that you can enlarge it. And that's where the fun begins - you enlarge your image and then print out your image on multiple sheets of paper. Each sheet looks like nothing much, just a bunch of dots, but put together and viewed from a distance and you've got yourself a masterpiece!

Here's a cool example from the Rasterburation gallery:

I've got the inklings of a crafty idea brewing in my brain - surely there's a way to make dots out of something 3D or doing something stitchy. Ponder, ponder...

via My Weblog

Queen Victoria was a Hooker!

2008-08-31T07:08:00.000+01:00

As in crocheter, of course! While we were in England visiting friends and family we visited Dover Castle (definitely worth a visit, although possibly the windiest place on earth up there on the cliffs). While hubby took a peek in the keep (too tricky for me and VV in his stroller), we popped into the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment Museum and among the endless uniforms, medals etc etc, we found this:

The last place I expected to find some crochet, I have to admit. And by none other than Queen Victoria! Apparently she made 8 scarves for "brave soldiers" (her stipulation) of the Colonial Forces in South Africa. Sounds like the soldiers wore them with their dress uniforms, which seems a bit of a shame, but then I suppose it's not that cold in South Africa.

My Fave Blogs: Unclutterer

2008-08-30T14:50:00.000+01:00

Welcome to this, the first in a series of introductions to the blogs that I read on a daily basis. I say daily, but what I really mean is whenever they make a post - I use Google Reader to subscribe to blogs that I like and check it out whenever I sit down for a minute with a nice cuppa (so that's pretty often...).

First up - Unclutterer. I am by nature a pack-rat extraordinaire. I love - or even live - to hoard. I am incapable of throwing anything away, either because "you never know when it might come in handy" or because throwing something that is not broken away is just too wasteful. I know where the former comes from (my family are pack-rats too), but I'm not sure about the latter.

My husband will no doubt attest to how annoying this is to put up with. When I moved to Finland I drove him mad by sorting and resorting of all my wordly possessions (he would substitute "crap" for "possessions") into different piles, to give to friends, recycle, sell on ebay etc etc. I stand by my "piling system", but I admit that it doesn't often do much to reduce the overall number of possessions that I own (and have thus dragged over here).

However, I think I have found the cure in Unclutterer. I have now made the first step by designating a Charity Box in which to place items that we do not want or need, which we take down to the nearest charity shop when it's full.

For some easy, beginner-unclutterer tips, try 10 tips to beat clutter in less than five minutes.

(For a more extreme uncluttering tale, have a read of the book, Bonfire Of The Brands: How I Learnt to Live Without Labels by Neil Boorman. Not strictly an uncluttering guide, but a very interesting book by a guy who decided to rid himself of all branded goods, which he then burned in a huge bonfire.)

Meet Cyril the Amigurumi Pig

2008-08-28T05:38:00.000+01:00

Cute, isn't he? I made him from Amigurumi!: Super Happy Crochet Cute by Elisabeth Doherty (see cover shot below). He's yellow, because that's what I had in my stash and I figured that it didn't matter, since the multicoloured spots meant he wasn't exactly lifelike anyway.

I found out a few things along the way. Firstly, cotton yarn is not so great for Amigurumi. At least, I don't think it is, but then I haven't used anything else yet. Seems very tight and hurts my hands. Mind you, deciding to take up crochet wasn't the most intelligent plan ever, what with the years of RSI I have behind me.

Second, I am incapable of making two things that match. Both ears are different, both front legs and both back legs. I told myself that adds to Cyril's charm.

And finally, it is really very hard to follow a pattern while looking after a four month old baby. So much unravelling!

Cyril is now at his new home with VV's cousin (my nephew) Luke, over in the UK. Scarily VV weighs the same as Luke who is 2!

PS Sorry for the lack of posts - we've been in the UK visiting friends and family.

Gardening Apron; Craft Book Club

2008-08-14T16:14:00.000+01:00

At last I have made a project from Sew and Stow: 31 Fun Sewing Projects to Carry, Hold and Organize Your Life, only 3 months after I bought it. That might actually be a record for me! Here's the finished article, which is a moving-in present for my best friend (who I am sure won't read this before I see her on Sunday):

I'm hoping I'll be quicker off the mark with my next craft book, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, which I've just ordered from Amazon Marketplace. I reckon I'll manage it too, since I've joined what's possibly the first Craft Book Club, over on Crafty Daisies. The idea is that members get their hands on the month's book and make one of the projects. We then share our creations and discuss the book online. Fab idea in my book (heh), so why don't you join up too?

Customised Furniture

2008-08-09T17:46:00.000+01:00

Our first collaborative project! Hubby and I worked together today to bring an idea to life that's been festering in our collective brain for quite some time. We were finally pushed into action by our dog, Monkey, who decided to pee up our trusty orange Ottoman-thingy yesterday. We think it was a show of jealousy for Hubby's Mum, who was visiting and making a big fuss of VV.

Anyhow, on to the project. I'd show you a before pic, but my dratted camera is refusing to let go of the lovely photos it has. Soon I will show it who is boss and let go of it... So, I'll have to describe the original piece of furniture instead. It was a cube of foam, with an orange slipcover. We've got two of them and they've justified their paltry 20 euro price tag a million times over - we put our feet up on them, rest our laptops on them, and eat dinner off them. (And apparently, if you're called Monkey, you pee up them too!)

Here's what one of them looks like now (sorry that they aren't the best photos, we had to use a camera phone):

Oh, what's that? Oh yes, it's a special slot to stow a laptop, that's what. A small (and we think, cool) effort on our part to declutter our living room. At least now my laptop has a place to rest when it's turned off. It'd probably overheat if we put it in there turned on, so this also gives us a good reason to shut it down when we're not using it, something we've not been very good at doing.

The whole thing took us a couple of hours, all told. Hubby was the chief foam cutter and had the excellent idea of reassembling it with the aid of cocktail sticks (to hold the cut parts together, internally). I was chief seamstress.

We're thinking up a treatment for Ottoman number 2 now. And is it an Ottoman? We used to call them poofs in the UK, but perhaps that was peculiar to my family. Don't suppose it is spelled like that, either.

A Crafty Corner to Call my Own

2008-08-09T17:36:00.000+01:00

Insanely jealous of my best friend and her new house, replete with a designated craft space, I just had to do something. So, I claimed a small area of VV's room for myself. Since he's still in our room I'm sure he doesn't mind. I promise to move once he does!

I am pretty sure that my craft output, at least sewing-wise, will increase now. It was just too much effort to get the sewing machine out every time I wanted to use it. Now any time I get a spare 5 minutes (and it's usually only 5 with VV about), I can nip on the machine and make something. Check out the next post to see what I made today...

Lunch Craft

2008-08-06T07:13:00.000+01:00

When is food craft? Well I'd say that cooking is creative, so all prepared food is craft, but it's especially so when it's unbelievably cute kids' bento boxes:

I was alerted to these wondrous meals by Ohdeedoh, who also suggest checking out Lunch in a Box. I'm now dying to make VV a packed lunch, but since he's not even on solids yet, I suppose I'll have to wait for a bit!

Gorilla Tactics

2008-08-05T07:24:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping my new Gorillapod is going to improve my somewhat shoddy photos. Here's what it looks like in all its prehensile glory:

Check out my posts later in the week to see if this tactic has indeed improved my photos...

Pimping the Pushchair

2008-08-03T11:07:00.000+01:00

We've recently acquired a Maclaren buggy/stroller/pushchair for VV, to make life a little easier when we go away. VV's head slumps to one side when he falls asleep in it, so I fashioned a head rest for him out of some of my stash fabric:

We road tested it yesterday on a day out in Stockholm and it works pretty well. I think it needs a few minor tweaks, namely interfacing to the back and extra ties. I'm now planning some frog "seatbelt buddies" to complete the treatment - hopefully in the next couple of days.

Oh yeah - spot the deliberate mistake. Small prize for the first correct commenter...

A Sun for our Son

2008-08-03T10:55:00.000+01:00

Hubby made a great lampshade, modelled on the Sun, to replace the Moon that I smashed to smithereens a while back:

VV loves it and we're pretty keen too - if I switch the light on first thing, it gives us a few extra minutes in bed in the morning.

No Junk For Us

2008-07-26T19:23:00.000+01:00

Meant to post this a while ago - Hubby made a ransom-note style sign for our front door:

It says "Ei mainoksia kiitos", which is Finnish for "No advertisements thank you", and it works a treat. Not only that, it looks cool and is - somewhat ironically - created from said junk.

At Last Us Brits Get Our Own Etsy!

2008-07-24T20:25:00.000+01:00

It's called Folksy and it's in Beta right now. Check it out, buy stuff, think about making stuff and generally rejoice! Perhaps it's time to open a Cactus Lover shop...

A Wordle in Your Shell-like...

2008-07-24T20:09:00.000+01:00

You absolutely have to check out Wordle, right now. It's a kind of pointless but utterly addictive and beautiful gizmo that creates art out of text. Here's one I made from this blog's description:

Go play! Thanks to Jess at How About Orange for the tip-off.

52 Days Unplugged: Update

2008-07-20T07:24:00.000+01:00

I didn't post about 52 Days Unplugged last week and there was a good reason for that - shame. I didn't manage it at all. In fact, gave up and turned on the TV at 11am. I had had a bad night with VV and was exhausted. Simply didn't have the energy for housework, reading, crafting or other unplugged pursuits.

And this Friday just gone? Hopeless. I admit defeat. I love the internet too much - I just couldn't resist checking Google Reader and looking up a random fact about lunchtime (the fact wasn't on the subject of lunchtime, that was when I crumbled). One good thing is that I have come to realise that I don't love the TV as much. That stays switched off most of the time now and I feel all daftly virtuous about it.

Neat Little Hand-Sewing Tip

2008-07-10T07:07:00.000+01:00

I read somewhere (can't remember where, sorry) that when sewing with a double thread you should cut two threads and then tie the end together, rather than use one long one and fold in half. I thought this sounded like a bit too much effort, but decided to try it when doing a quick repair job on VV's bouncer seatbelt just now. Works a treat! My thread always got tangled when using a doubled-over thread, but I put that down to my skinflint thread buying habits. Seems that is not the case, and it's actually due to the threads catching each other. When you use two threads aligned in the same direction, they glide past each other instead.

While I'm on the handy tips front, I put another one into action the other day. Well Mr Crafty Cactus Lover did. He was talking to me on the phone from work and wrote down some numbers on a nearby whiteboard. These included VV's social security number. But - eek! - he wrote them in permanent marker, and this was a board in a conference room. No fear, Ribs to the rescue. I read the other day (again, I forget where) that if you scribble over permanent marker with a non permanent pen, you can wipe the whole lot off with the board eraser. Also worked a treat. I rule!

New Fabric, Yay!

2008-07-09T07:38:00.000+01:00

Anttila has a sale on, so I popped into their fabric department. Lo and behold, lots of great prints at next to nothing - we're talking 1 and 2 euros a metre here! So, I bought these:

No idea what I am going to do with it all, but I just couldn't resist. Am now re-reading all my craft books and revisiting all my StumbleUpon favourites and Google Reader shared items for inspiration. (Sidenote: I vacillate between sharing and starring GR posts, so there's a lot hidden away in my starred list. I think I'll stick with shared from now on.)

Since I had this new pile of fabric, I decided to find a proper home for it. I cleared a shelf from our walk in cupboard (closet to you Stateside folks) and, voilà, a neat fabric stash cum sewing supplies shelf:

Sadly this does not include the enormous bag of cast-off t-shirts and other items that I also refer to as my stash (I'm such a hoarder, which is why I subscribe to Unclutterer). Must sort that out someday...

Nationwide Super Secure Emailing

2008-07-05T08:22:00.000+01:00

I received this email from my UK bank, Nationwide (OK, it's actually a building society) recently. An admirable effort on their part to improve security and combat phishing attempts. But can you spot the glaring stupidity? That's right, my postcode is not XXXX XXX. I'm not telling you what it is, but it certainly is not that.

So, the whole point of the email - if your postcode is not shown like it is here the email isn't from us - is totally lost. I know why my postcode isn't shown: I'm an ex-pat with an overseas address, so my postcode isn't UK format. But really that's no excuse. Just flag any overseas addresses first and then leave them out of the mailing. How difficult is that?

Sending an email like this is laughable, and makes Nationwide look silly. It's very poor marketing too, from what is normally a most excellent building society.

52 Days Unplugged: Day One

2008-07-05T08:08:00.000+01:00

Boy, was it quiet. Aside from multiple "I'll just look that up online..." moments, the day passed silently and rather restfully. Didn't get any crafting done, but I did sort out the next size of VV's clothes and put away all the too-small ones (he's in 68's now, at 2 months!). I also did lots of laundry and all the ironing. I reckon after a few weeks of 52-daying, the flat will be all the better for it.

I read quite a bit too, while feeding VV, which is when I missed the TV the most. Well really the digi-box. I could see it recording programmes (too embarrassed to say which ones; real trash) at 11am and 3pm, prompting a wistful sigh from yours truly.

All in all, I proclaim the experiment a success and one I shall definitely continue with, every Friday from now on.

Two Tricky Tables

2008-07-03T09:14:00.000+01:00

As in tables that do tricks! First up, The Flip Table from flipfurniture, which turns from a neat coffee table into a dining table with stools. Excuse the pic size, but I couldn't work out how to save the full size photos from their site. Mosey on over to their site to check out the high quality pics yourself and to catch the video.

And second, a ingenious expanding circular table from DB Fletcher Design, best illustrated by this video, but you can also get the gist from these photos:

I just love furniture that transforms, hides away or otherwise does nifty things!

52 nights - how about 52 days?

2008-07-02T08:43:00.000+01:00

I'm rather late to the party on this one, but no matter. 52 Nights Unplugged was created by Ariel of Electrolicious as a way to control her addiction to the internet. I found out about it from a blog I've just subscribed to - My Spare Time - and have become intrigued. Thing is, I can't see hubby wanting to forgo TV or laptops for an entire evening. However, since I'm here all day on my own with VV, I could do a working day instead. Maybe Fridays would be good. Yep, Fridays it is.

I'll let you know what I get up to without any electronics. I'm already getting nervous...

Spanish Succulents

2008-06-25T08:15:00.000+01:00

From my Dad's garden in Calpe, where we are staying this week. It's hot, hot, hot, but there's a pool so we're doing just fine. VV gets a bit too hot sometimes, but we've become expert baby coolers.

Since I'm on holiday and not supposed to be blogging (doing this while everyone gets ready for our zoo visit today), I'll just bung the photos up without labels for now. Included are aloes, aeoniums and Donkey's Tail. I'm cactus spotting as we wander hither and thither, so expect more to come...

Sewing bonanza

2008-06-21T16:09:00.000+01:00

At last I've worked out how to keep VV happy so that I can get things done, including (most importantly; hang the housework) crafting. And the secret? It's BBC Radio 2 - Terry Wogan to the rescue. Actually, it's really my terrible singing-along to the rescue. If I sing and pull funny faces while I sew, VV is happy in his bouncer.

The results of this discovery are two waterproof bags for wet nappies and an out-and-about changing mat. I made the bags from poor quality PUL that my mother in law gave me. She bought it to make washable nappies from, but it doesn't wash that well and is a bit too stiff. Perfectly fine for washable bags though, so I made two. One has a Velcro closure (the spotty dog one) and the other has a ribbon tie closure. The latter doesn't work very well, so we'll have to tie the ribbon around it too. Not happy about that, but there you go.

I'll use the Pooh one to hold dirty nappies next week when we visit my Dad and his wife Maria (who knitted the lovely blanket that's also pictured) in Calpe, Spain. We can wash them every day, so we don't have to use evil disposables. We will use them for the journey, but we found some biodegradables for that. Mind you, we are flying, so we're being pretty evil anyway. Next holiday (to the UK) and we're going by boat and train.

I'm particularly pleased with the changing mat, which I made from some wipe-down tablecloth fabric with some old towel sandwiched between. So, we're all set for our trip - back in a week's time!

Great start to the day

2008-06-17T08:17:00.000+01:00

The postman brought great things today - my CueCat barcode scanner from LibraryThing and issue 7 of Craft: magazine (my first as a subscriber). I'm saving Craft: for a quiet moment, so more on that later. I've already scanned a couple of books into my LibraryThing library and it's so quick. My library awaits!

Milk ethics

2008-06-11T08:16:00.000+01:00

As a vegetarian I have long been concerned with the ethics of drinking milk, but, as anyone who knows me will attest, I would probably die without it, given the amount I consume. I've tried various substitutes in the past, but they either taste too sweet (Rice Dream) or of mashed up beans (hardly surprising).

Photo by Ian Britton at FreeFoto.com

So, we've switched to organic milk. Organic dairy cows supposedly have a better time of it and the milk certainly tastes better than standard milk. I know this because hubby loves to conduct taste tests on me and this time I chose organic. Same happened with eggs too. Both the milk and eggs cost 50% more, but I think it's worth it and since I stopped going out (no beer) and hubby stopped smoking, we can afford it. Who said having babies was expensive?

While I'm on the milk subject, Sainsbury's in the UK has started doing milk bags (thanks for the tip-off Jude, via Google Reader's great share function). Great idea, hope it catches on this time - it's been tried before, but failed. And it's a good reason to use an old fashioned milk jug, which I've always wanted to do, but couldn't justify transferring the milk from perfectly usable containers.

Cool bookshelves

2008-06-09T12:15:00.000+01:00

Spotted this great shelving installation on freshome. I shall be keeping it in mind for when we buy our own home.

He gave me the moon...

2008-06-08T07:58:00.000+01:00

...and I broke it! Super talented hubby turned a boring white globe ceiling lamp into a moon a while back and last week I trashed it in a spectacular sheet changing accident (it was hanging over our bed). Thankfully no one was hurt in the shower of glass shards, but sadly the lamp is no more. So this post pays homage to the amazing, but short-lived, moon lamp.

More moose!

2008-06-08T07:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday's moose encounter (albeit only stuffed, skeletonised and bronze specimens) reminded me of a cool story I came across a few weeks ago. It was about a man in Alaska who reared an abandoned moose calf as a pet and then trained it to work for him. The photo gives you an idea of how huge these beasts really are!

Here's the original story

Things I want to do...

2008-06-07T17:12:00.000+01:00

There are so many things I want to do, all rattling around in my head, that I thought it prudent to note them down. Here goes, in no particular order:

Catalogue all my books in Library Thing. Totally anal I know, but I love it. Have persuaded myself that there is a point to this wanton time-user - if our books ever get lost, burnt or otherwise destroyed we can work out a sensible insurance claim. Of course, that will require household contents insurance.
Get household contents insurance (see #1).
Post more often to my blog. See, I'm doing this one already!
Finish making the rest of the fleece nappies. They have already been cut out by hubby, so it's not that much work.
Make a nappy bag that both of us will use (no flowers, then). Needs to have cunning strap arrangement so that it works with the baby wrap.
Make a boring wrap for hubby to use. Again, no flowers.
Get on with The Tapeworm. Progress thus far has been slow.
Declutter. No small task, but I'm getting great tips from Unclutterer. My hubby pointed out that nearly all the clutter is mine and I have to agree. We started today with a new rule - nothing new can come in without something going out. So, we took a vase to the Salvation Army shop before we set off on our Saturday Adventure.
Become more ethical. Very large task, but we've already started. We use washable nappies and we've just signed up to an organic veg box scheme. Yep, there is one here in Finland, but it doesn't run in the winter, when nothing grows. We also just bought some biodegradable nappies to use during the journey to and from my Dad's place in Spain at the end of the month. Sadly we're flying, but next time we'll go by train. I've been thinking ethical for a while, but Leo Hickman's Life Stripped Bare: My Year Trying to Live Ethically has just spurred me into action.

That's all I can think of right now, more to follow and hopefully progress reports too...

Saturday adventure wearing the baby

2008-06-07T15:21:00.000+01:00

Since VV was born, we've taken to going on a Saturday 'adventure'. Mostly, this has been to the shops, but today we went to the Finnish Museum of Natural History. I've wanted to go there for what seems like forever, but it has been under renovations for almost the entire time I've been visiting and then living here.

The museum was great, although the signage was only in Finnish and Swedish. Mind you, that's not so bad in my opinion - I'm always compelled to read everything out of some perverse sense of duty, so it was nice to be relieved of that. Best thing in the museum by far were the two stuffed moose. I've wanted to see a moose since I came to Finland and this is the nearest I've got to them yet. They are simply enormous and fabulously gangly (I have a fondness for gangly animals, giraffes also being high on my list of favourites).

One of the photos with this post is of me and the moose statue outside the museum. The bulge is not my stomach, but is in fact VV strapped to me with a wrap. I'm enormously pleased with the wrap, which is actually just 4.5 metres of fabric (75cm wide). It's the fourth carrier I've made (not that there is much making, except hemming, which is still to be done) and it's definitely the best. Before that I made three ring slings in progressively lighter weight fabrics. The final version does work well, but I find it makes my shoulder hurt and if VV isn't in quite the right position it's uncomfortable too. Wraps are the way forward.

Since I did extensive research for the baby carriers, let me share my favourite sources with you:

Jan Andrea at home on the web - I used the ring sling instructions from here to make mine. Easy to follow and very neat (in both senses of the word) pleated shoulder.

wearyourbaby.com - great information on all kinds of slings. I'm using the instructions on how to wear wraps from here. Some git seems to have attacked the site in the last day or so, but hopefully the site will be back up soon.

TheBabywearer.com - extensive site, with personal stories, advice on which carrier is best for you and lots more besides.

I totally recommend baby wearing, regardless of the semi-daft moniker. VV sleeps nearly all the time he's attached to me and I plan to try the wraps that you can supposedly breastfeed in while on the move. And I'll make a manly wrap for hubby, so it's not just me lugging the darling 6 kilo lump around.

Phantom cat pee

2008-05-26T12:10:00.000+01:00

So, I'm taking VV for his umpteenth nappy change this morning when I smell something nasty in the hallway outside the nursery. Smells a bit like sick, so I grab the barely-used muslins to wash and change VV's top. Then I pass through the hallway to the kitchen and the smell is still there. "Perhaps it's the rug," I think, since the Monkey (the Chihuahua) has taken to leaving midnight 'presents' there, and put that in the washing machine. Job done.

But no, job most definitely not done. Back to the hallway I go and notice an odd splattering of brown liquid, from which the smell is emanating. Thinking it's a bit strange that I didn't notice it before, I thoroughly wash the floor, bookshelf, part of the walls etc. Smell gone, I empty the bucket and then turn around to see that the brown spots are back! No cat to be seen (suspect #1).

Looking upwards I see a spray bottle with a brown substance in it and a visible leak - case closed. I think it's plant food for the Boston Ferns. Turns out that both pets are innocent and husband is to blame! But at least there's a clean rug and extremely clean hallway now. I'll add 'wash hall rug' and 'wash hall floor' to Chore Buster now. I'm adding chores as I manage to do them, so that eventually I'll have a schedule of chores that it's actually possible to complete in one day with a baby.

New project: mohair shawl

2008-05-25T19:48:00.000+01:00

Otherwise known as The Tapeworm - check out the photo to see why (loose base chain has made it a bit curly, but I'll block it when I'm done). I'm making it from the Easiest Shawl Ever pattern from Crochet Me. However, I'm using a 6mm hook, so it's taking way, way longer than a day to make and using a hell of a lot more yarn. But neither matters, since I wanted a project to do while breastfeeding (which is pretty much all the time at the moment) and I have 8 balls of Schachenmayr nomotta idena Mohair Lux to play with.

I bought the mohair for another shawl pattern in the Spring issue of Interweave Crochet, but somehow my friend and I managed to totally lose our heads in the shop, ending up with fingerweight mohair when the pattern calls for a pretty heavyweight yarn. But hey, this is only my third crochet project. I'm still hoping to make the original shawl, but that'll have to wait until this one is done and I've found suitable yarn. I won't post a picture of that pattern yet - who knows how long it will be before I finish The Tapeworm...

The washing machine lives!

2008-05-24T20:11:00.000+01:00

Phew...

Bought a new book

2008-05-24T19:38:00.000+01:00

And very excited about it I am too! Having recently decided that I actually rather like sewing, I broke my loosely-enforced craft book embargo and treated myself to Sew and Stow by Betty Oppenheimer.

Based on a quick read through, it looks most excellent and appeals to both my crafty and anal sides. Now to choose a project...

Conquered the mountain at last

2008-05-23T07:27:00.000+01:00

The mountain of ironing that is. Unbelievably I have been trying to empty the ironing basket since Monday and I have now succeeded. I knew having a baby in the house would make things difficult, but I didn't realise quite how difficult! I think I'll try Chore Buster for a while and see if that helps keep the boring housework under control so I can get on with more important things (like crafting!).

Edit: And now I have cleaned the black mould out of the washing machine. Sadly this seems to have killed it completely. Praying that leaving it alone and turned off for a while will sort it out.

Now on to some sewing - finishing the pocket nappies I started so I can get on to something more exciting.

Now we are two...

2008-05-22T07:15:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the long absence, but I've been busy having a baby and recovering from the trauma. And boy was it traumatic (two transfusions, two post-birth operations, enough said...). But now I'm on the mend and the latest addition to our family - VV - is coming along nicely. He's already 5.525kg at 5 weeks!

My addiction to Google Reader and the ever-growing number of blogs I subscribe to has prompted me to make a decision about this blog. Originally I planned just to post when I've made something, but that means sporadic posts, especially when I can't be bothered to take photos of my creations (I've got several things to post about, but the camera needs dusting off first).

So, I'm going to post about things I've made and a little something extra about what I get up to. Hopefully of interest to someone...

Flower Power

2008-03-19T14:18:00.000Z

In order to improve my fledgling crochet skills I started making flowers, from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Patterns and Ideas by Melody Giffiths. At first I thought this book might be a bit too traditional for my tastes (I lean towards the quirky, punky and alternative), but I enjoyed making these and I'm pleased with the results.

I made the larger flowers into brooches and mounted them on a card for my Nan, to wish her Happy Easter. I sewed the simpler flowers to another card, for my Dad and his wife. Sent them both off to Spain today, but no doubt too late to make it there for Easter.

So, I now know how to do the magic ring thing when crocheting in the round, which means I can start making Amigurumi. Just stumbled across this cute octopus, which I think I might start today...

First Cloth Nappy

2008-02-26T12:44:00.000Z

After extensive research (OK, random surfing while watching TV), I decided to use the free Ottobre pattern, but with some amendments of my own. The results can be seen in the rather poorly focused picture.

I wanted to use microfleece for the part that touches the baby's bum, because it wicks away the moisture very efficiently and should prevent nappy rash. For the outer I wanted to use something cute and I found this cartoon spider fleece which fits the bill.

On the next nappy I'll:

Add an extra flap on outer top layer so that I can hide the elastic on the back.
Zig-zag the inner layer at the back before I put the elastic in.
Remember to add small pockets that you turn the hook part of the Velcro into when washing (otherwise it ruins the fleece).
Print out the pattern more carefully - look pretty large to me.

I've made a pocket or stuffable nappy, so the next step is deciding how to make the 'stuffees' with which to stuff them. My plan is to try and recycle fabrics that I already have - apparently the key is to use 100% cotton, hemp or bamboo. Not much of the latter two in my stash, unsurprisingly, so cotton it is then. Also, since I am not using a waterproof outer layer and don't want to use outer wraps (would make the spider fleece a bit pointless), I need to work out how to make the bottom layer of the stuffees waterpoof to prevent moisture wicking to the outside layer.

PS: Here's my original inspiration >>

First Crochet Project Completed: Rabbit Slippers

2008-02-23T17:53:00.000Z

Feeling rather pleased with myself about these - my first crochet project and they actually look like the picture on the pattern. They're from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller. Sadly I'd have to amputate my toes in order to wear them. Seems that one size fits all really means one size fits all midgets :)

I'm confident I could adjust the pattern myself and make them in other sizes, but I'd like to do something else next. I think it's probaby about time I got on with the fleece nappies (34 weeks now, time is getting short).

Hooker Status: Official!

2008-01-28T07:41:00.000Z

The week up in Lapland (Saariselkä), plus the assistance of a knitting friend did the trick. The latter was very important - I knew she'd pick it up quicker than me and so the competitive spirit got a hold of me good and proper.

I've now made samplers of the most common stitches and am planning my first real project. I'll post some pictures of the samplers later. They aren't great by any means, but they are crochet and that's what matters to me.

I'm off to the wool shop today to buy some odd balls (heh) and some stitch markers. It appears that my addled pregnancy brain doesn't allow the complex task of counting...

First Baby Ring Sling Completed!

2008-01-28T07:34:00.000Z

At last started (and then finished a few hours later) the baby ring sling. I had bought a special hemming foot for my machine, but found out that it didn't fit. After a short sulk, I came back all the more determined and did the hemming by hand. Dead easy, so easy in fact that it seems a bit pointless to exchange the foot for the right one.

The pleating was pretty tricky, mainly because the material I chose is very thick. Two machine needles later though and it's all fine and dandy. Tried it out with Monkey (the Chihuahua) and an Elmo toy (less wriggly), and H and I have declared it a success.

I'll definitely be making another one in a lighter fabric. And I'll post some pictures tonight.

I Will Become a Hooker

2008-01-09T18:25:00.000Z

Not an ambition one hears often! Of course I am referring to knitting's supposedly lesser cousin, crochet. I am now the proud owner of 3 books about crochet and still I cannot get beyond one row.

So, since I am spending next week in Lapland with H and two close friends, I hereby declare that I will become a hooker during that time. We're going to laze around, reading and having spa treatments (or at least the girls are - the men will probably do something active), so seems a good time to learn. I aim to have completed a square of crochet by the end of the week and I will post the proof here. There, that should motivate me enough.

The books I have are great, by the way:

Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller
Amigurumi!: Super Happy Crochet Cute by Elisabeth Doherty
Baby Crochet: 20 Hand Crochet Designs for Babies 0-24 Months by Lois Daykin

If I don't learn now the baby will be born and nearing 24 months before I've crocheted anything!

Origami Boxes Made from Magazines

2008-01-09T18:14:00.000Z

Spotted these on Craftster a couple of weeks ago and thought they looked cool. You just tear out a page from an old magazine and a few quick folds later, you've got a folded up box. Then watch something inane on the telly for 30 mins and you end up with a stack of them. Open one of them out into a box and you've got a storage box for them.

I'm sure there must be lots of uses for them - sharing out snacks on the sofa, putting nut shells in, collecting food scraps for the compost bin (you could even put the box in), to name a few but a few. If you used serviettes, could be great for parties, or even themed parties using specific magazines or newspapers.

Got me thinking about doggy bags (the unpleasant ones, not those with leftovers in) - there must be a way to fold newspaper to make an ecological poop scoop. Any ideas?

Mini Christmas Tree with Origami Cranes

2008-01-09T18:01:00.000Z

A bit late, but here it is - our origami Christmas tree. I started out with grand ideas of a proper sized tree with hundreds of traditional origami cranes, but scaled down to this cute tree in a pot in the end. And that had a lot to do with mis-ordering of origami paper (always pay attention to the sizes!).

I'm pretty pleased with it and my fingers now know how to make cranes without my brain being involved. Quite a long way off before I hit the magical 1,000 mark (the maker of 1,000 cranes is bestowed with good luck, apparently).

Funny thing - left it so long the tree itself is totally dead. One touch and it crumbles to dust. I suppose Christmas truly is over...

Recycled Shopping Bag #1

2007-12-30T15:02:00.000Z

Made from some of H's old t-shirts (a horrible promo one from work and another I'd already hacked up a bit), this is my first recycled shopping bag. Took me about 4 straight hours to make; could probably do a similar one in less time now.

First time I had used the sewing machine to do appliqué (actually the first time to do appliqué ever), which was no mean feat since my sewing machine has a Finnish-only instruction book. Practising that took some time. The lettering in general was the time-eater, but not actually that difficult.

Next bag won't be made out of t-shirts, since the finished object is really only any use if buying cereal, cotton wool and packets of air. Got some good ideas, so will be making some more soon.

New Year Tins

2007-12-30T14:26:00.000Z

Some craft from H this time, but first some background information. Every New Year's Eve in Finland, people melt tin uudenvuoden onnenkenkä (literally 'New Year lucky shoes'). Once they are liquid the melter throws them into a bucket of water while making a wish for the year ahead. Then everyone analyses the shape of the cooled tin. "Ah yes, a boat, that means travel," spake the wise H the first time I took part in the tradition, "Or not...".

This year H decided to melt some of the tin shoes inside a cast iron pancake pan and then used his Dremel (it's first proper use, hoorah) to engrave them. He scored the backs too, so that they can be broken into smaller parts that will fit in the metal spoon they are melted in.

He thinks they are too girly to give out now that he's made some for his friends, but I think they are great. Ours has our names on and a "+1" for our yet-to-be-born baby.

Christmas Shortbread

2007-12-30T14:10:00.000Z

Not the best photos in the world, but you can at least make out what they are (I hope). Found a recipe in a magazine and after a lengthy debate over what semolina is in Finnish (mannasuurimoita apparently), we made a batch for ourselves to munch over Christmas. Pretty successful, although H (husband) helped me with those ones (read: he did nearly everything).

Then we remembered that we were going over to H's sister's house for the evening and we had nothing to take with us. So I whipped up another batch and these are the result. Used a bit too much butter this time, but they were still edible. And this time I did most of it, with H doing the rolling out and cutting (we were running out of time at that point).

Tried to make a nice giftbox as well - used a tomato box (knew it would come in handy when I did the pack rat thing) - but not so pleased with the results. Seems I need some guidance on how to make tissue look right.

Camera Success: Part One

2007-12-29T11:59:00.000Z

Found the camera, the charger and a card reader for the computer. After much huffing and puffing, also managed to find a UK-EU adaptor and got the damn thing charged up.

Then I gave in and read the manual - and found out why the card seemed to break every time I used it. Apparently the key thing is to never delete photos or format the card using the computer. Why oh why didn't I read the manual back in 2001 when I got the camera? *sigh*

All that's left now is to a) take some photos and b) track down a special Fuji USB cable so that I can forget about the card reader altogether. I'll get on with 'a' right now - made something last night and so did my husband (seems crafting is contagious...).

Projects in the Pipeline

2007-12-28T12:22:00.000Z

Otherwise known as those that I spend ages thinking about, but haven't actually started yet:

Recycled shopping bags with embroidered comments on them. These are to use instead of plastic carrier bags and I'll probably give the first ones away as gifts. I always feel so smug when I use the cloth bags we have at the supermarket, so it's time to spread the smugness methinks.

Recycled notebooks with fabric-covered end plates. Spotted these in Making Stuff: An Alternative Craft Book, a book I bought myself for Christmas. Trying to work out a way to make them out of the mountain of scrap paper I have at work.

Fixing the camera. Not that it's actually broken, but I do need to find the charger and work out a way to get the photos from the camera to the computer (lost the cable for that aeons ago). Might be time for a new card reader thingy.