ScrapHappy October 2019

I really had no excuse for not writing a ScrapHappy post last month other than not feeling like writing… I wasn’t as if I hadn’t done anything scrappy.  I just couldn’t rouse myself to blog.

However, my newly restored enthusiasm for writing ( actually, that’s a lie, I’m still finding it hard) means that this month you get to see something yarny made using scraps. I have lots of scrap sock yarn, partly because one 100g ball can make me three socks and since I only have two feet, I often have a third of a ball left over. I could use all this yarn to make multi-coloured socks,  but I have decided that it would be more fun to crochet with it. So, I’m making little squares (just five rounds each) and I’m planning to join them together with black yarn (I have some scrap black, but probably not enough) to give a sort of stained glass window effect. You’ll have to use your imagination, though, as currently all I have are these:

IMGP7515

This is only the start

In addition, I continue to tie short lengths of scrap yarn together to make an ever-growing ball. When it is big enough, I will crochet it into a hat and that will be donated to charity, as I’ve done for a while now.

IMGP7512

Not big enough to make anything yet, but getting there

-oOo-

I’ve been inspired to write this (and future) ScrapHappy posts by Kate,  Tall Tales from Chiconia. On the fifteenth of every month lots of other folks often publish a ScrapHappy post, do check them out:

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan (me), Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Johanna,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki and Sue

If you fancy joining, contact Kate and she’ll add you to the list. It would be lovely to see more non-sewing posts, but any use of scraps is welcome.

12 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on October 15, 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on October 15, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/10/15/scraphappy-october-2019/

Autumn kitchen

I’m always in two minds about this time of year – one the one hand, I hate the days getting shorter and the reduced opportunities for walks with the dogs, but on the other these couple of months are always associated with happy times in the kitchen, as I preserve the harvest (mine and that of others). So, I am choosing to concentrate on the positives and spend time enjoying the abundance.

I went and bought lots of lovely vegetables – many locally produced – on Friday and have spent the past couple of days combining these with some home-grown produce to make passata, delicious soups and a second batch of sweet, hot chilli sauce. This year has been particularly good for chillies in the limery: I grew lemon drop, trifetti, Trinidad perfume, red and purple jalapenos and hot cayenne. In total, I’ve harvested approximately 2kg, but I haven’t kept track exactly, as I often pick a few to use immediately. Anyway, there’s more than 1.6kg in the freezer, we’ve eaten lots and each batch of chilli sauce uses 100g. In addition, there are still some yet to ripen in the limery and also there are the outdoor ones to bring inside.

Since we are close to ScrapHappy day, I do want to point out the use of “scraps” in my soup-making. Whenever we have meat bones, I boil them up to make stock, then freeze this in blocks. I never use a stock cube or stock powder, I just use my frozen stock and add whatever herbs and spices I fancy. On the bottom left above, you can see two blocks of lamb stock added to the chopped and lightly fried vegetables that became leek and potato soup.

And so, my freezer is filling up nicely – soup, chillies and little blocks of passata, as well as stock and roasted peppers from earlier on in the year – all ready to fend off the winter blues.

7 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on October 13, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in food and cooking, gardening and growing
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on October 13, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/10/13/autumn-kitchen/

Write off

It’s a strange thing, writer’s block. I’m not sure why, but somehow I just haven’t been able to bring myself to write anything much for weeks – no letters, no work on the book and (as you may have noticed) no blog posts. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to share, it just felt incredibly reluctant to put fingers to keyboard. I’ve been quite busy – the root canal work is finally completed, I’ve finally finished a series of doctor’s appointments and I’ve spent two weekends away with two different sets of lovely ladies (hello to The Crochet Sanctuary Crowd and the Fabulous Fifties). I have stitched, hooked, knitted and sorted. Three boxes of books have gone to the Oxfam book shop, a box of craft materials has gone to be sold at an Emmaus shop that has a specialist craft section and a bag of bras has gone for recycling/reuse. I have had a great harvest of chillies and sweet peppers and a mediocre harvest of courgettes, peas and potatoes. There has been a new member of the household – Mimi the dressmakers dummy and I have learnt to do macrame. So, all-in-all, a busy time. It’s just that I wasn’t inspired to write, or even take many photographs. However, here is a little selection of what I’ve been making, doing and growing, with the hope that the next blog post will come more easily and sooner…

22 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on October 9, 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on October 9, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/10/09/write-off/

ScrapHappy August 2019

This month was another one when I finally got round to making something that I’ve had in mind for a while. Actually, the thing that was holding me back was the fact that my overlocker was not on my work table and I was too lazy to get it out for just one project. However, because there ended up being several items that I needed it for and all of them required white thread, so I had to re-thread it anyway, there was no excuse not to get on with this particular make.

Because my hair is long and I always let it dry naturally, I’m a big fan of wrapping it in a head towel after washing. I’ve only ever owned three of these – one I lost and the other two are showing signs of wear. My favourite is an organic cotton one that I’ve had for about 10 years and that I really, really wanted to clone. Being extremely reluctant to buy new, I unearthed a towel that belonged to my grandmother (she died about 25 years ago) that was a bit tatty, but still looked like it had some life in it. When it was bought is was baby pink… all these years later it’s white with a hint of pink, but that’s ok.

So, I started off by placing my head towel on the old towel and drawing around it. Them I folded the towel over and pinned the two layers together

IMGP7311

Marked up and ready to cut

Next,I cut around the shape away from the line (an overlocker trims the fabric as well as stitching it) before overlocking the two pieces together along the long curved side. Oh, and one of you might recognise that pincushion!

I overlocked the opening, all the way round, then turned a hem and stitched it using my sewing machine, inserting a loop of scrap tape that was left over from mending a baseball cap belonging to Mr Snail. Finally, I added a button from my button box (one with a shank, as I thought that would hold the loop more securely).

And there you have it…

A new head towel made entirely from bits and bobs I had hanging around the house (please excuse the poor selfies… I’m not very good at taking them and Mr Snail is away).

And the trimmings from the overlocker didn’t get thrown away… I used them to tie my chilli plants to their supports:

-oOo-

I’ve been inspired to write this (and future) ScrapHappy posts by Kate,  Tall Tales from Chiconia. On the fifteenth of every month lots of other folks often publish a ScrapHappy post, do check them out:

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan (me), Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Johanna,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki and Sue

If you fancy joining, contact Kate and she’ll add you to the list. It would be lovely to see more non-sewing posts, but any use of scraps is welcome.

18 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on August 15, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in craft, Scrap Happy
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on August 15, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/08/15/scraphappy-august-2019/

Making, mending and modifying

I haven’t been very good at sharing my creative projects recently, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy.

First, I completed the blanket for charity that used up some wool given to me specifically for such projects. It’s nice and big and it will be on its way to Knit for Peace just as soon as I can get it packed up and to the Post Office.

I’ve started work on a new project too. I wasn’t going to – the plan was to finish some of my WIPs – but a dear friend asked me to make her a hooded cardigan and since she’s been having a challenging time over the past couple of years, I didn’t want to say no. We spent a long time selecting the perfect yarn and so I’m now working with beautiful Jacob’s wool from WYS and a pattern by Hailey Bailey called The Albatross. Here’s a sneak peek:

Stripes

I also made my mum a handbag for her birthday, but I don’t think the pictures really do it justice:

Then there was the mending… new clasps on the strap of another of my mum’s handbags, repairs to two buckets (one with a broken handle and one with a hole, both mended using Sugru) and a bit of binding round the top of an old laundry basket to keep it going for a bit longer (using some salvaged ribbon from a fancy Easter egg).

And then there’s the adjustments and additions. First, a rug for Mr Snail’s rented flat that may not be colourfast (the rug not the flat). Just in case, I backed it with a piece of an old towel… we really don’t want the floors getting stained. Then letting down the hems on a pair of trousers (too boring to photograph). And finally a transformation that I’m saving for this month’s ScrapHappy.

So, what’s been keeping you busy recently?

24 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on August 11, 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on August 11, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/08/11/making-mending-and-modifying/

Right on Kew

Last weekend I visited Kew gardens for the first time in over 30 years. It’s a place that I’ve been intending to return to for ages. It’s amazing, with iconic glasshouses and rare plants, as well as some artwork that I particularly wanted to see again. As an unexpected bonus, there was also an impressive exhibition of the work of Dale Chihuly, who creates huge glass sculptures, many inspired by natural forms.

It was a hot day, so spending any time in the tropical house was beyond us, but we did manage to enjoy some of the glasshouses. Mostly, however, we wandered the extensive outdoor spaces, enjoying the sculptures dotted around the garden as well as the beautiful plants.

I particularly wanted to revisit the Marianne North gallery – it’s a wonderful space, completely filled with her paintings. She paid for its construction, but was prevented from implementing her original idea that it be a tea room… such a shame because it would be a perfect place to relax with afternoon tea.

I’m not going to leave it another 30 years before going back.

17 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on August 9, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in gardening and growing, travel
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on August 9, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/08/09/right-on-kew/

Back from the brink

A couple of years ago I bought a specimen of Drosera dicotoma – it is an amazing sundew, which produces huge leaves and, therefore has the ability to catch a lot of flies:

Huge, trailing leaves

I hung it up in the limery and it did a brilliant job. However, during last winter it completely died back and I wondered whether, reluctantly, to tip the contents of the pot into the compost bin. I decided, after a little thought, to leave it and see whether any shoots might reappear – carnivorous plants do seem to have a tendency to ‘play dead’ and, whilst they don’t always come back (Venus fly traps, I’m talking about you), I have experienced several resurrections.

To begin with, it looked like this:

Apparently dead

But, with a little patience, I started to see signs of life:

Tiny shoots

It was weedy at first:

Struggling

But as the weather warmed up and the sun shone more often, it rather perked up:

More shoots

And now, although it’s nowhere near as big as it used to be, it is thriving once again:

Call me Lazarus

I have high hopes for a long and active life for this very useful plant. I really hope that it achieves its previous impressive size.

10 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on July 22, 2019  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on July 22, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/07/22/back-from-the-brink/

Opening up

It’s all very well to visit large estates and see amazing rolling acres, huge walled gardens and what can be done with a dozen gardeners, but inspiration is probably more likely to strike closer to home. It was lovely, therefore, to visit a couple of gardens just round the corner from us who were participating in the National Garden Scheme. I think the pictures say more than my words could:

And as a secondary source of inspiration, I discovered that Beryl (one of the owners), who I regularly have a chat with when I’m passing with the dogs,  is the most amazing needlewoman. She had some of her quilts, stumpwork and stitched pictures on display in her conservatory along with the open garden. Because I usually see her when she’s gardening, we normally talk about plants and I never knew about her sewing… learning more about your neighbours is certainly a hidden benefit of visiting their gardens.

5 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on July 18, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in gardening and growing
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on July 18, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/07/18/opening-up/

Woolcool

IMGP7223In order to support small producers, we buy most of our meat direct, and it arrives by courier. In general, it’s packed in a cardboard box and insulated with a product called Woolcool – basically a thick layer of wool in a recyclable plastic cover. Some of this has been returned to the producers for reuse, but we have also been finding new uses for it, as encouraged by the manufacturers.

There are a couple of pieces of it in the cool bag that Mr Snail carries back and forth to Reading each week with his supplies – it provides additional insulation and stops everything rattling around and falling over. I’ve also used some as mulch in the garden. I had put one piece aside, however, for a specific project which I finally got round to this week

We have an old plastic dog bed that both dogs are rather fond of. For years it’s simply had an old blanket or duvet in it, but the current blanket is disintegrating and so it’s time for a revamp. To begin with, it needs some padding in the bottom, and this is where the wool packaging comes in. The Woolcool is a long thin strip and the bed is oval, so I had to cut the strip in two and then join the pieces side by side, but there was plenty to do this. I used a little fabric glue to hold the two bits together and then stitched them using some knitting wool. As the pad is used the wool is likely to felt, so the yarn and the fleece will probably become one. I made a cotton cover out of some more of that old sheet that featured in July’s ScrapHappy because the paw prints seemed appropriate.

The off cuts of the wool went into the compost heap because I’m very keen to see how well it breaks down, and the plastic cover went in the recycling… I wish they didn’t use this, I’d be perfectly happy with unenclosed fleece. Now all I need to do is make a new blanket… I might just have a few yarn scraps somewhere for that.

18 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on July 16, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in craft, reducing consumption
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on July 16, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/07/16/woolcool/

ScrapHappy July 2019

For some time now I have had it in mind to use some scrap fabric to make present bags. When Mr Snail and I give each other gifts we tend to wrap them in paper that has been reused many, many times – we never buy new wrapping paper. I have to confess that all the paper has all seen better days and it has become increasingly difficult to give a present that looks presentable. So, I had a rummage and found some nice scrap fabric left over from various sewing projects, as well as the remains of some old pyjama bottoms. I wanted to make draw-string bags, so needed lengths of ribbon and tape. Looking through my collection, I found some pieces from chocolate boxes, some quite long lengths that had been around clothes and household linen from ethical suppliers (to hold them neatly without the need for plastic), a piece that was once a curtain tab, two bits that were the hangers from the aforementioned old pyjamas and some other bits left over from long-forgotten projects. Not all the tape was long enough, but it was easily stitched together.

As I worked on the bags, I realised that I could also do with three in which to store plastic bags in the kitchen. Until the doors were replaced on the kitchen cupboards, plastic bags lived jammed into a cupboard and there was always the risk of a bagalanche when the door was opened. We reuse plastic bags, but storage has always been untidy, so three drawstring bags (one for small bags, one for medium bags and one for large bags) seemed like the answer. I made them in different colours so I would know which was which: the last of the spotty fabric from the dismantled night dress (the rest lined the scrappy satchel a while ago); a bit of an old sheet that had worn through in the centre, but has good edges left to be salvaged and has a cute paw print design; and a piece of stripy fabric that remains from a long-forgotten project. When Mr Snail saw what I was up to, he requested a bag for bags to use in his rented flat, so I made two of the stripy ones.

I’m very pleased with these scrappy creations – easy to make and all scrappy apart from the sewing thread. Even the little plastic tool I used to thread the tapes is a stirrer that came with a takeaway hot drink many years ago and has been living in my sewing box ever since, used lots of times and still going strong.

-oOo-

I’ve been inspired to write this (and future) ScrapHappy posts by Kate,  Tall Tales from Chiconia. On the fifteenth of every month lots of other folks often publish a ScrapHappy post, do check them out:

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan (me), Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean, Johanna,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki and Sue

If you fancy joining, contact Kate and she’ll add you to the list. It would be lovely to see more non-sewing posts, but any use of scraps is welcome.

16 Comments
by The Snail of Happiness on July 15, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in craft, Scrap Happy
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on July 15, 2019

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2019/07/15/scraphappy-july-2019/

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