Pluto ( and Help!!)

It seems I'm a sucker for punishment, and have made another fluffy bear of the super fluffy kind. The good news is I'm getting better at crocheting the fluffy stuff. the inspiration for this little guy came from this Japanese book but the panda in that was tiny, and I don't have the patience nor the talent for making weeny things, especially when it comes to amigurumi. So i made it up as a went along.

I've named him Pluto ( i think still not 100%) sure of his name. Because we are having some issues which is getting in the way of us getting to know each other. Yes, the bad news is the black felt has sort of bleeded, or some of the fibres from it and the black yarn are all over his head and abit of his body, I got alot of it off with sticky tape, but there just seems to be a percentage that won't come off. SO I'm super worried about him and I don't think many people would find it acceptable and love a little black fibre covered panda.

Does anyone has any tips for getting it off. Can you see what I'm taking about? It's looks bad doesn't it? Please be HONEST!!

Menagerie

Image from here
On the weekend I saw Menagerie, an exhibition of contemporary sculptures of native animals by various Indigenous artists. I really enjoyed it. It's on at the Melbourne Museum until Feb 21. It was my first trip to the new museum, so I had a peak at Phar Lap, and got a little freaked out. He's very beautiful, but something about taxidermy creeps me out I think.

3rd Pot holder for Mum and Xmas stuff

I had started this one while I was procrastinating about whether to do the Vintage Rose Pot holder. And then felt well since I had started it and it was in her colours I may as well finish it and decided to do it with two different combos. I didn't finish this one in time though, I wrapped up the other two and gave them to her, and then finished this one later on Christmas day . ( I think she really likes them by the way)

Speaking of Christmas,it was a lovely day, (I forgot to take any photos) if not a bit full on. We did the big turkey/ham/stuffing/salads family thing all 35 of us! I love my big family dearly, but it can be a bit of hard work too , I'm a bit of a black sheep , and the only cousin now not in a relationship. Which can make me feel a little weird at times.

We all contribute something- I made this delicious salad again, but next year I think I'm going to make Xmas cookies, if not just for the excitement of using Mum's fabulous collection of cookie cutters. And also, I'm not a huge fan of mince pies, but love a dessert.

In the morning I went back home ( mum and dads, for presents and "us" time) which is always my favourite part of the day. I got very spoilt as usual!!!!

One of my favourite days of the year is Boxing Day, my dad goes the Cricket and Mum and I just hang out do exactly what we want to do, ready, crochet, talk if we want, but love just being together and not talking. It's a lovely thing to have with someone that.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and couple of days.

Happy Christmas!!!

Wishing you all the happiest Christmas.

lots of love

Jess xoxo and the bears

2nd Potholder

THank you ALL for your lovely comments about my last potholder, It really did make me feel soo much better.Yesterday I finished my 2nd potholder for Mum, the Vintage Rose Potholder which I had been inspired to do because of Kate's beautiful potholders.(Thanks Kate for the link). At first I had been a little reluctant to try this one, as much as I love it, because well I thought i wouldn't be able to do it. Although I crochet a lot, it's usually all in dc ( or single depending which country you're in) my knowledge in stitches is rather limited, and I so wanted to make Mum something really special. ( Mum's kitchen is green and white, with a little yellow so that is why they are all in those colours)

So I started 3 other different ones, always dreaming about making this one, and finally thought what the heck. So at the very least I've done it, which makes me feel a little good.

It seems I definetly am feted to make wonky things in general and so I'm going with it rather than fighting it. I actually finished it on Tuesday, but the pattern has a back bit, and after lots of umming and ahhhing I decided to make it and see what I thought that I would never know, but then when I put then together I liked it less, the lacy pattern was lost, so I abandoned it. A little annoying but well she's worth it. I just hopes she likes them!

Snowman love

Mr. Jaunty & Friends c/o scotty12869, originally uploaded by MADsLucky13.

At the moment I'm rather obsessed with Snowman, there is something wonderful about them, and they are often rather wonky ( and you know how I'm partial to a bit of wonk) I feel a new collection looming.
in the mean time, I'm browsing MadsLucky13's snowman collection set and my new favourite Flickr group There's No Man like a Snowman.

Christmas at home part 2

Back at my home (where I live) it's all a more thrown together, less beautiful and miss matchy. I got the little tree from the Op shop last year and it's decorated with a mix of things from various places, op shops etc and the beautiful Pooh bear decorations my sister got me ( my favourite ever) WHat can't fit on the tree I've hug in the window.

Christmas at home part one.

Last night I went home ( as in my mum and dad's) to decorate the Xmas tree. My mum also gets a real one, we go down and pick it up, Dad always gets in a bad mood, it's a bit of an annual event. It always seems like a bit of a deal, but then when it's up and decorated it's always worth it and the smell is amazing.

My mum has such beautiful ornaments,that have been around since I can remember, collected from all over - Cambridge MA, Geelong Vic, France etc.
I have my favourites that I must put up, sheep ( sheepy), the reindeer and the little knitted stocking are some.

Except the angel which I made, about 7 years ago I think.
It's so much fun and such a simple and innocent past time, it's always been like a kid again.
The pictures probably don't quite do it justice but it really looks beautiful.

My first ever ( wonky) Potholder

I'm making some potholders for my mum for Christmas. And I've finished my first one, but i'm a bit worried about it, I followed the pattern exactly and it sort of doesn't sit flat and sort of ruffles. Do you think it looks bad? I asked my dad, he thinks it's the nature of it, but you know dads men they don't really know a lot of things. Trust me to make a wonky potholder, and I wasn't even trying to make it wonky.

I'd love any HONEST thoughts, I want her to really love it you know?

Greta

Meet Greta the lamb. Greta loves to bake lovely treats for all her friends Pikelet, Kermit, Donut, Colin and Pearl. She also loves skipping ( both with a rope and without), sewing and strawberry sorbet.

Christmas Gocco

Finally got around to making some Christmas card, better late than never i guess. One my last times at the op shop, I found all these old colour folders that I cut up to make some cards and add a bit of colour.Also made a failed attempt to make my own wrapping papper and decided printing on bags in my best option.

He's rather primitive and definetly wonky and not perfect but he doesn't seem to mind!

love at first sight

I was doing a spot of Christmas shopping today, when I saw this guy, and I couldn't resist him, he was looking straight at me and saying please take me home! And how could I refuse with such a handsome tail?

i think he's a

heart tree

heart tree, originally uploaded by wood & wool stool.

love it!

My place and yours: Wherever I lay my hat

Tania has choosen this week

I thought alot about this weeks theme before coming to write this. It's funny thinking about what makes a place home and the meaning of "home". Of course people we love and family are a huge part of what can be home, but what if you are like me whose not attached and live alone? It's funny i feel like I have two homes now, my home, and mum and dads because in someway that will always be home, it's where I grew up, where my family is, where I feel loved and excepted no matter what. And I will often refer to both of them as home in the one sentence. ( confused yet?)

The thing that makes my house my number one home is my (old) bears, I'm sorry I promise I won't answer this for every theme. But that's the truth. I guess they are like another family for me, since I don't have one of my own. And they have been with for a long time too.And I can't pretend otherwise. Of course when I travel I can't take them all, but I always take two ( and it's agony trying to decide which two) but it usually it end up being the Wonk ( Wilbur ) and little Wally.
Wilbur because he is the bear that is most like me, he's all wonky and a bit unsure, and I'm not sure he could cope without me, and Wally because he has a sense of adventure, is small enough he can travel around in my bag at all time. Unfortunately I can never take my favourite bear Rolph, as he is too big and would take up a suitcase all by himself. I don't know but just putting two of my guys even in the starkest hotel room, makes it feel like home to me.

When travelling or away I would also always take 3 other things. My connies, because they are so moulded to my feet, when i put them on they feel like home, my bag- carrying my bag around adds a sense of home, and some of my work ie, bear work crochet etc because it is such a huge part of me and the act of doing some of it, feels like "home" too.

there are other things too, looking around my home that make it my home, that I could take when travelling, but whenever I've moved they've been the last thing to pack up and the first thing to unpack which make my home feel like home, like, my mantle piece bits in my bedroom, and my other downstairs bits- gifts from friends, things I've collected, Mummy Cat ( my mum's toy cat she had as a child) filled with memories and love, and my old bear embroidery ( found for a song on ebay many moons ago) thanks to Pip for hosting My place and Yours and Tania for choosing the theme.

My creative space

thank you very much for all your kind comments about my wrist, it means a whole lot. It is now fully recovered and I'm back to the hook.

I started working on a new panda, a fluffy one, who is proving to be rather challenging in getting the pattern right, and I think now I don't have the right black yarn, and some of my first pattern ideas have had to be trashed. Which explains the mess of yarns in the pic ( with Colin watching trying to help I think) To be honest I'm thinking of putting him on hold as I'm feeling quite disheartened, and working on another lamb instead.

Other makings from the week have included Pikelet, ( see below post) my latest mohair bear and finishing off the elephant Snorkel for my sister, whose heading to the UK as we speak.

A big huge thanks to Kirsty for being our host for throughout the year, week by week,

for more spaces click over here.

Pikelet

After my little arm incident, I took a break from amigurumi and made this little mohair guy.

His name is Pikelet. He a sweet natured slightly timid bear, He likes vanilla pudding and little golden books and origami.

He's been slightly aged, has a wonky nose and generally prefers sitting down.

( available here,)

Sugar Doll

The lovely Evie of Handmade Romance has given me an award. Isn't she sweet? I'm not sure what I've done to deserve such loveliness andI have to say I've really quite chuffed, as her blog is one of my favourites.

There seem to be two parts of this award, One was to share 10 things about me and the other was to share 7 of my personality traits. I pretty sure I've posted some things about me before, so I will try the other ,although I do find it hard, saying stuff about me because I worry I might sound vain of something.

1. Sensitive: I think this both works for me and against me. I think I'm good at picking up on others moods and situations and feelings but sometimes I can imagine things that aren't really there, or personalize a bad mood etc..

2. Quiet; Like Evie I'm more of a listener than a talker, and am generally not very noisy unless very excited or watching football.

3. Imaginative: Ever since I was little I've had a vivid imagination, I used to be able to entertain myself for hours in games as a kid, and now well I've always dreaming and playing in my head.

4. Messy- yes i am, I mean I'm not a grot- I actually do like my house tidy but I have to work hard at it, my nature is to be messy if that makes sense.

5. Obsessive- Really? Oh Jess NO! What with my love of bears, my love of football, when I love a certain song or LP I will play nothing else for a week or more. When I like something, I really like it. It was just the other morning I kept on trying to leave the house but had to keep working on the current bear head and couldn't put down or leave it alone for an hour...

6. Compassionate: I feel alot for people whether they are someone dear to my heart or not someone I know at all. I'm not a judgemental person, and feel everyone no matter background deserves understanding and respect.

7. Quirky: My mind isn't just your regular mind, I often go on the weirdest tangents (naming my lighters, keyrings, believe my shoes have feelings) and delight in the unusual things.

And now I would like to pass on this award to some other lovely people.

Lexi- Pottymouthmama

Kate- Foxs Lane

Angela- three buttons

Beck- Dandelion

Dork Love

" I search and search and find no dorks

I search the whole world through.

But not a single dork do I find

Except for the dork in you.

I can recall when dorks roamed free:

As free as the sky was blue,

But now the dorks are cool and hip

Except for the dork in you.

I search and search and find no dorks

And everything's groovy and new

But not very loving or not very kind

Except for the dork in you"

By Michael Leunig.

Love it so much my heart aches. He is brilliant. thank you Michael Leunig. xo

Five things

LOVELY Lexi has thought up a new meme, and I'm playing along.

Here's five things I could not live without (in no particular order):

1. My mum. Simple as that, she's the best mum and a great friend. And I love her to bits, and I couldn't manage without her. She really has gotten me through some really difficult times in my life, always believed in me, respected me, supported and encouraged me and gives great hugs.
I can really go about her but you can read more here.
2. Diet Coke- Liquid gold, great in any weather at any time of day. Its my form of coffee ( don't like coffee). I know it's bad for me but I love it too much
3. Cigarettes- OK I know what your thinking. I know, I know it's bad, but it's so good too, you know. Maybe not, but yes it is my major vice, and I throughly enjoy it.I know it's REALLY BAD for me, but hey I don't drink alot, do drugs a lot sooo.. ( you should have seen me on the flight to the US, very very grumpy)
4. love- couldn't do without it, nope no way, all the forms of love from friends and family, my cat, ( ok I'm managing without any loving from a man- but you know, I would really like that, and the thought of being alone for the rest of my life makes me very sad), bears, you
5. Making stuff ( bears) - I feel so lucky that I love what I do much, and I couldn't live without it, I find it hard to watch a movies without, working on something.I just love making, and especially making bear and creatures and souls. LOVE IT.

Snorkel for Hannah

thank you all for your lovely concern and comments about my arm. It's getting better ( slowly) and it's not so swollen or sore.

And I swear I didn't go near the hook honest, all the pieces were already done, and the ele was all in bits and he was feeling very much in the need of being put together,( and also Hannah my sister lives in London and I want to be sure she gets it in time for Xmas) What was I supposed to do?

So here He is. His name is Snorkel and I really hope she likes him. I want to give her something special so I hope Snorkel here does the trick.

I think next time, I might try smaller eyes and a longer body. What do you think?

My creative space

In the past few days I've been working on an ami elephant for my sister for Xmas. I got the base pattern from this gorgeous book, but I think next time, I'll do things a bit differently. I do hope he is going to be Ok, I mean I want to send her something really special.

I also was rather proud of myself this week, that after struggling a bit with the 2nd Wombok after having forgotten the pattern I actually wrote it down. OK I know it's not much, it's the LOGICAL thing to do and what most systematic people would do but I'm not one of those people. ( I was already half way through the next project when I did write it down)

Lastly I seem to have strained my right forearm from too much crochet I think! See it's rather swollen and really sore. Who knew craft could be dangerous? although there was that other time. For more creative spaces pop over to Kirsty to see what she and others have been up too