Too many pompoms??

                  We've been away for a lovely week in Cornwall, but more on that next week...


                                Before going, I was working on my latest scrap yarn basket

                        With the basket completed, I decided it needed a little something extra!!

I made a pompom using my smallest pompom maker, using a few different strands of different coloured yarns. However, putting it next to the basket, it looked enormous! I had to rethink, and remembered seeing a technique online using a fork, so gave it a go

It worked well, and was easy to do, just  a bit tricky to get the scissors in to make the cuts, but the size was much more suitable!

You can see the difference in size. The fork is definitely a good way to make cute tiny ones!

So the next question was how many?? Just a single bunch each side?

Or a bunch either side of the handle on both sides?

Is there such a thing as too many pompoms?

What do you reckon, which do you prefer??

Whilst away I took the Mandala with me. Although its a huge size so not very practical to travel with, I didn't really have a portable project to take with me. Not only that I wanted to get back into the swing of doing it, and correcting my mistake.

I made a start on the train journey, as its a long 7 hour trip

Took relaxing moments in the garden

And worked on it in the evenings whilst watching the Olympics

So now I have competed week 12 and made a start on 13, but still quite a way to go yet!!

I'll just leave you with one last image, where Ive given my pompom image the Prisma treatment!

A week of mixed crafts...

We went out on  a most enjoyable beach walk last week, and yes the sun did put in an appearance. Despite the tide being in we still had a search for treasure. I wasn't able to find any glass at the beginning, but I took joy at all the other wondrous things that get washed on to the beach. For the first time I found some good pieces driftwood

Its amazing how time flies and how many metres you walk when you are completely absorbed in nature around you. The only problem is having to walk back again!

Along the way I did manage to find quite a few pieces, in fact I managed to beat hubby on quantity this time, but he came up trumps with our best find so far, an absolutely beautiful cobalt blue piece

This week I've dabbled in a few crafts. I have of course continued with the mandala rounds. It is now bigger than our patio table and to take this picture I had to stand on some steps

I have now completed week 11, a whole 76 rows!

So many different stitches, make great texture

I bought myself a little pack of  acrylic paints as I wanted to experiment to see if the paint would take on the chalk pebbles, and I was very pleased to find that it worked!

Hubby's Uncle gave us some of his home grown rhubarb, my favourite fruit

So I made good use of it and made a scrummy crumble

I made a start on a new basket, after seeing that I hadn't made one for too long.

As I have a ridiculously large stash of acrylic yarns I fancied trying a scrap yarn basket. As I wanted a complete random mix of colour I put two strands together, and went up a hook size. Its tricky to make it random when you're used to pattern, and matching.

I kinda like how its turning out though

Textural mandala...

Not too much to show as its been another week dominated by work.

I'm still continuing with the Mandala.

The rounds are slow now, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it! After a couple of pattern repeats, it usually stays in my head and I get in the rhythm, but at times I think I must have nearly gone fully round, only to find I'm only halfway!
As promised ive managed to get a full picture, its getting harder to do so now as it increases in size!

I am really loving all the different textures that are coming through with all the different mixes of stitches, and I'm learning a great deal, trying stitches ive not used before...

I am going to be making some more baskets. I have got a few ideas that I want to try, not sure which one will be first, ill see how it starts to work up

We managed one brief seaside walk, but it was deceivingly chilly!

The waves were crashing well and it made them all frothy!

We got a new (well new to us) piece of furniture delivered this week. Its going to be great to finally sort through all our dvds and cds and be able to have easy access to them.

Sadly I don't think ill get much crafting time the week ahead either as I'm travelling northbound for a training course, but ill see what I can fit in!

Floral madness...

We've had fabulous weather this week, and we tried to make the most of it. I had seen pictures of Highdown Gardens on facebook and knew instantly it was somewhere I wanted to visit. So we leapt on a bus, and found it easily enough, and it really didn't disappoint. You may know by now that I have a small obsession with photographing flowers! So this place was a perfect playground for me, and we'd gone at the ideal time of year.

There were carpets of bluebells

and forget-me-nots

little clumps of primroses

an array of blossoms

and magnificent splashes of bright colours from the proud standing tulips

As we'd made a spur of the moment trip, we hadn't thought about refreshments, but thank goodness there was an adorable little café, that was full of homemade goodies, so of course we indulged in a drink and some cake!

Crafting wise I have been focussed on my Mandala rounds and made good progress

And as I couldn't choose between relaxing and doing crochet or going out in the sun, my Mandala took a trip to the beach with me!

Best of both worlds!!

Each round looks so complicated in the written instructions, and occasionally I have a wobble and wonder if i'm out of depth, and then I break it down step by step and before I know it I'm in the flow of doing it, and then feel proud that another section is complete

Today I had to work in the afternoon, but the luxury of living so close to the sea enabled us to have a couple of hours strolling together

We even managed to pick up a few little treasures on the way

The forecast doesn't look so great for the week ahead, so it may mean we get some housework done ;-)

Literal mandala madness...

No time with hubby this week, so we've had no trips out, so my days off have been crochet focussed.

I had intended to continue up into even more darker shades of purples and blues on this basket, but
       decided to stop, for no other reason than I liked the shape it had become at that moment.

I went back to get some more washing line but they didn't have any, but I found some thicker rope    instead, so it will be interesting to see what form this one will turn into.

                                  I've made a start, using up the smaller rope to start the base.

I have a load of ideas of different stitches i'd like to try on these baskets.

The mandala has continued to grow this week, although I confess it has been 1 step forward, 2 steps back, no my concentration has not improved!

I was so proud to have completed week 4, and made a start on week 5, until I was supposed to work into the stitches on the back, but found I didn't have any!

Revisiting and trawling the pattern I found that I had missed a complete row out! I hate frogging with a passion, but I had no choice, I couldn't continue without those vital stitches. Typically it was the round of bobble stitches that had to be undone (the most laborious, time consuming round, can you feel my pain!).

So it took a whole afternoon of feet up, Prince videos on the tv and grit and determination to put it right and get back to the beginning of round 5 again!

I'm loving both these projects at the moment and itching to get any moment to get working on them.

I did manage one little trip to the beach, where I basked in the sunlight, sat on the pebbles, and sat and wrote a letter, on good old traditional paper!

The cycle of the sea at the moment, means I don't get to actually see much of it as the tide seems to be out whenever I venture there!

Until next week...