tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72656526494380403692024-02-20T19:25:33.829-08:00One Pair of HandsOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-35680762749421579232012-07-08T03:08:00.002-07:002012-07-09T16:19:55.775-07:00Rest timeOur beautiful youngest daughter has been killed in a road accident.At just 38 and with so much more to offer the world, she is gone.The core has been torn from my being.I will never hear her laugh, see her wonderful smile again.I haven't had the heart to blog and so am taking a rest.Thank you to all those who have visited me; it has been exciting hearing from people on the other side of the worldOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-15949579684917690072012-05-30T21:26:00.003-07:002012-05-30T22:08:09.427-07:00Another new experienceThe electric water heater that supplies all of our hot water needs has packed it in, and this morning, with the temperature at 5 degrees Celsius I discovered that I was faced with the prospect of either a cold shower, or none at all. With the grass outside covered in a crisp, crunchy frost, neither option appealed to me but I had a meeting to attend so something had to be done. These old One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-66098820040650271832012-05-16T01:55:00.005-07:002012-05-17T03:05:05.425-07:00A new experience Hamish is cold. He lives in our Victorian Alpine region where it gets jolly cold and his owner asked me if I would knit a coat for him. I've never knitted a coat for a dog. Clearly I have missed the mark as this one is much too tight. Doesn't he look embarrassed, poor love? I can hear him saying, "I do feel such a fool, must you take my photo?" Sorry Hamish but I needed to get some idea ofOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-21541890737266304812012-04-17T19:51:00.005-07:002012-04-17T23:47:46.518-07:00Slow ProgressMoving on with the blankets that I am enlarging for my friend. It doesn't do to hold your breath while you wait for me to get through a project as I work very slowly due to my arthritic thumbs. At this point I could probably issue all sorts of dire warnings to crafters about overusing their hands but if you're anything like me you won't listen. Sitting with idle hands, for me is not an option;One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-10118725869099427842012-04-13T23:35:00.002-07:002012-04-14T00:08:02.981-07:00Shared bounty.One of my favourite trees in our garden is the fig tree which produces masses of lovely big juicy figs every year. As it is with most home-grown food, we are able to share the fruit among friends as well as put by enough to last us for about half the year. Well actually I am the one for whom they're being put by; the man of the house dislikes figs and has been known to make derogatory remarks One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-78016901410133287632012-04-04T23:16:00.003-07:002012-04-04T23:33:37.934-07:00One step furtherThose little medallions that I showed you a couple of posts ago have grown to become the twenty squares that I need to enlarge the little blanket that I have been working on for a friend. All I have left to do now is to sew them together - not my favourite job but it means that soon I will have a nice knee cover. I decided to keep to the colours in the original blanket and I will alternate theOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-55855000356985669582012-03-19T22:49:00.007-07:002012-03-19T23:45:48.415-07:00A Special Moment.I know I've shown you this little fellow before. He's a possum that I met when visiting an animal sanctuary in Queensland 2 years ago. He is a brush-tailed possum, one of our natives and although protected, his kind are very common in suburban Melbourne. Most people, especially garden lovers, call them pests and try to get rid of them. They do have a voracious appetite for most garden plantsOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-72030587142686136452012-02-23T22:46:00.005-08:002012-02-24T21:43:24.550-08:00Another grannyI'm still on the project of enlarging some little cot covers for my friend. This one is a bit awkward because it is a different size from the last two that I worked on, although it still needs to be made larger. I think it is going to be a knee-rug size and I've worked out that I will need 20 new squares to finish it off. So here I go. Those little daisies are to be the centre of each new One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-54864358743460189632012-02-01T22:11:00.000-08:002012-02-01T22:30:49.939-08:00Ready to go.Number one of the blankets that I am enlarging for a friend is finished. The small squares surrounding the large ones are mine. Yes I know I'm slow but many years of too much crochet & knitting have taken their toll on my hands and I try to ration the length of time I spend at my beloved crafts. I'm really pleased with this effort though the stash still doesn't look any smaller. I'm One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-62913193470567532402012-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:002012-01-29T00:35:09.626-08:00A Present for Bonnie.Since way back in the dawn of time (my time anyway) I've loved to make doll's clothes. Collecting offcuts from Mum's sewing projects and using a needle and thread to gather strips of fabric onto a band, I turned out skirts galore. I was pretty chuffed with myself because I could do a proper waistband. I was allowed to use Mum's sewing machine only so long as I didn't turn on the power, (thatOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-78727551479618548892012-01-03T18:06:00.000-08:002012-01-04T12:40:14.228-08:00A challengeA friend who works in the newborn unit of one of our hospitals has given me a bundle of beautifully crocheted little blankets. They were intended as a gift for the unit's cots but are in acrylic and will not stand up to the very hot water that the hospital's laundry uses. Being a tiny cot size they are not large enough to wrap a baby so my friend was unable to pass them on to the hospital's One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-56185494007317780742011-12-22T18:06:00.000-08:002011-12-23T11:16:44.114-08:00ZimmyThis picture made me smile and I thought I would share it with you. A real performer, Zimmy is happy to be dressed up in all sorts of costumes to have her photo taken. She seems to love the attention. Zimmy belongs to my son's partner and has her own facebook page - Zimmy Dog. She is a real campaigner and fights for several causes, among them, Oscar's Law - a movement to end the cruelty of One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-92053268471070081172011-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:002011-12-15T22:33:01.808-08:00EuphoriaSometimes something happens that makes a day really special. Yesterday was one of those days for me. Our daughter had announced that she was taking us to the Royal Melbourne Zoo. The man of the house has been eager to visit the Zoo for ages as we haven't been there for many years. We were keen to see the new enclosures that have been built to make the animals more comfortable and so were looking One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-20435152373145285132011-12-07T20:38:00.000-08:002011-12-07T21:13:50.163-08:00Our Special DayThe Gala Day for the woodworkers has come and gone, and some of us are feeling that weird rudderless feeling that happens when you've spent a whole year working toward an event and suddenly it's over. It was marvellous seeing all our work stacked up ready for presentation. Everything looked so colourful. In all we shifted 600 toys, carting them back and forth like an army of ants as we loaded One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-12947453823380251462011-12-05T21:32:00.000-08:002011-12-05T21:56:08.996-08:00The've Done it AgainThose lovely ladies from the Pakenham Patchworkers and Quilters have once again presented the woodworkers with the quilts that we need to dress up our dolls beds and prams - 48 in all, if I've counted correctly. I've photographed just a few of them here. Each one is a tiny masterpiece of stitching executed with the same care and precision that would go into a quilt for a full size bed. These One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-72842199577522234022011-12-01T20:09:00.000-08:002011-12-01T21:09:24.187-08:00An experiment.With the discomfort that I have had of late with my thumb, I thought I'd drag out the knitting machine and give it a run. A really simple project is a pair of mittens which I made up in an hour or two. They turned out well and fitted the man of the house perfectly, but the enjoyment of clicking away with my trusty needles just wasn't there. Into the bargain there was a lot more sewing involvedOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-14813190621579263862011-11-27T22:10:00.000-08:002011-11-27T23:15:26.754-08:00Last Chance MondayI know it says Sunday in Blogland but over here in Oz it's Monday and the last one before our big Gala Day at the weekend. That's when we will give away all our toys. There will be others working through the week but I won't be able to attend. Today I painted lots of blue paint on lots of aeroplane wings - not an exciting job but we've got to get them all finished today so that they can be One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-39913128603197181082011-11-20T21:58:00.000-08:002011-11-20T22:22:56.298-08:00How I Spent TodayThese are some of the 24 old-fashioned hobby horses that Stuart, at the woodworkers club, has made to be given away in two weeks time. Since my painting job in the paint shed is finished I gave Stuart a hand to tack the horses bridles in place and glue their eyes on. Santa's Little Helpers, are putting all their effort into finishing up the toys we have been working on through the year and One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-89275981156530208472011-11-18T17:19:00.000-08:002011-11-18T17:42:16.122-08:00Ready & waiting.I thought you might like to see the lovely, traditional rocking-horse that was made by one of the woodworkers. Bill makes one of these beauties every year as first prize in our annual fundraising effort. I think this is the 12th one he has made. It is about the size of a small Shetland pony and will take the weight of a fully grown man. This year, due to ill health in the family, Bill neededOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-34847712196931819772011-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:002011-11-12T18:08:42.000-08:00That time of year againI can't believe I'm making our Christmas cake again. Here it is, all ready to go into the oven. It's no secret that I'm lazy and would happily buy one of the cakes put out by the Lions charity but our grandson is allergic to nuts and so I like to know exactly what goes into anything that he is going to eat - and he loves this cake. The beating and blending is better than a work-out at the gym,One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-25795769343771898182011-11-01T16:45:00.000-07:002011-11-01T17:24:39.290-07:00Miscalculation.A friend gave me two large balls of this strong green coloured yarn. Although the colour is a little bright for baby wear I thought it would make a nice blanket and teamed it with the paler mint shade. Oops! I thought I had enough of the paler shade but discovered my mistake when I reached this point. Disaster!! What to do now? I really don't want to pull the work out so I hunted about in One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-48637357482827165192011-10-25T19:19:00.000-07:002011-10-25T19:56:54.996-07:00First time effort.A visit to our daughter in Queensland always includes a trip to Mt. Tamborine to a craft market. Quite apart from the beauty of the area, I love the market for its relaxed atmosphere. I can always be sure to find something to bring back to Melbourne. I fell in love with these little beaded angels and bought a kit for two. Although I admire the work when its done by others, and I love the One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-50744091269309600492011-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:002011-10-01T19:24:35.680-07:00A different hatI thought you might like to see one of the tiny treasure's I found in Mercy's basket. It's a little needle case worked in double crochet. (American single crochet). I thought it such a cute idea that I decided to make one like it. The crown of the hat holds a thimble and the base takes the pins and needles. It was really easy to make. I used a fine crochet hook that is labelled 2 and a halfOne pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-34827955642995779462011-09-22T00:45:00.000-07:002011-09-22T01:12:37.864-07:00Mercy's basket<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265652649438040369.post-20961850011493338962011-09-12T22:09:00.000-07:002011-09-12T22:36:16.652-07:00The pile of granny squares that I showed you a while back has at last become the blanket that I intended it to be. As I knew it would, the sewing up thing took forever, hampered, as usual, by my arthritic thumb but now it's done and I'm so pleased with it that I have started on another. The picture here doesn't do justice to the colours, which are actually more pastel than they appear in the One pair of Handshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886392001716260481noreply@blogger.com12