Do I dare ...

... to go outside to sit on the bench and crochet? It's such a lovely day, feels like the first day of spring. Well, if the harsh winter is any indication to go by, we should have a beautiful few months ahead of us. But on the other hand, the weather has become so unpredictable through the global warming, that harsh winters probably mean jack shit!

My collection of seashells is growing at the moment and I am desperately looking for more patterns for them. I can make them now longer and shorter and smaller and bigger, but I am stuck for more ideas :-( And as you can see, a rather wild haired mermaid has joined the gang too. Crocheted to a photo, not a pattern. Yay!!

Online Shop

A friend of mine pointed out an online shop for arts and craft items to me. I registered today and put a few things up. See how it goes.

In case you're interested as a buyer or seller, or simply a watcher, this is my shop

http://Fishwhiskers.dawanda.com/

You can register for free and they don't charge selling fees.

Rheumatoid arthritis, fribromyalgia and me

Here I am fretting every day that I am doing NOTHING, but hey, what I am posting now is what I did this week. Well there is a bit more, the yarnbombing stuff and a lion to be precise, but it is proof that I am not completely sitting idle despite my ailments. And of course I have a household and a dog to walk on top. So I reckon I am not that lazy after all ....

Quick update ...

... as I seem too busy to give the blog much time and thought right now. The poop/scoop had finally gone yesterday. Still, it lasted about 10 days, which is great. The next yarn bomb is nearly ready, just trying to figure out how to put it all up. I have so far made 150 small flowers in many colours (I need another 50 though I reckon) to put up in the Knowle West Health Park. I am just not sure if I string them all together and drape them over the bushes and trees which run along the path, or if I make small displays of 20-25 flowers and tie them to the excercising hubs?

The underwater world for the exhibition is growing as well. I have recently added a few squids, sea shells, starfish and a mini mermaid. Currently I am working on making fishbones in vivid colours to point out pollution. After that I shall be making a couple of cans to go on the sea floor. Maybe a wellie would go down nicely too LOL. I have decided to finish the water display first and then concentrate on the magic forest. I am now not using patterns anymore, but crochet from pictures of finished items or generally from nature itself. Amazed by the results myself.

Tomorrow I want to go to my first stitch and bitch! I wonder if I will make it or if my nerves will get the better of me and I bail out in the end. I have to get right across town for it, which for a healthy person is not a problem, but to me it equals flying to Germany or somewhere. So, only time will tell if I will grace them with my presence.

Hopefully will take some pictures of the latest projects later, so watch this space :)

Still up ....

... albeit covered in snow. So I cleaned it ... Cant be doing with a snow covered yarn bomb. Sorry snow! It so far has survived 24 hours, wonder how much longer. Thought yesterday that it MUST be down as all the kids were off school and using the Health Centre Park for sledging and building snowmen, but they have been good ... or they just didnt see it hehe. Will go again later and remove the snow again as it is still relentlessly pelting it down with the white stuff. Love it though!!! Soon off for another wonder in it, the dog ain't too pleased. Tough!

Take ONE

I've made it. The first project is in place. This morning at around 7am I popped the cherry of K, the yarn bomb virgin. I was creeping around as if I was doing something naughty LOL. I thought I would be totally alone up there at the Knowle West Health Park at this time in the morning, presuming that people didnt fancy getting out that early in the freaky snowy weather. Well, as they say: Presumption is the Mother of all Fuck Ups ... it was almost heaving there with dogs and owners and such. So, when I sneakily tried to tie my yarn bombing stuff on the fence, I wasn't only watched by one pair of eyes, but about 6 - and that's not including doggy eyes. Plus it wasnt just the usual people, but even the guy from the BBC I vaguely know (technician + researcher couple with their Shar Pei Suki) were there. As chappy looked at me questioningly I explained briefly what I was doing. Hmmm, maybe he found it interesting enough to mention it at the TV station when they finally can get into work. I am really hoping that the poop/scoop is staying up for a while. I want as many people as possible to see it. Hahaha just massaging my ego here :-)

Also finally got the stuff off to the museum. Had no internet last night, probably frozen lines or something. But it was back this morning ... so off it went. Now I am keeping my fingers crossed for a positive response. It would be so absolutely fabulous to get in there. Will email a few more today, see if I can raise some more interest. Everybody should see it ... or am I just kidding myself?

My next yarn bomb brain baby is already in the fetus stage. I hope by next weekend I will be able to put it up. This time I am going seasonal, but that is all I say. Of course I have to find the time between crocheting all the other stuff. Didn't know one could be as busy as that being unemployed *grin*

Yarn Bomb

Ok, the first project is ready. It's going up tonight or rather late afternoon, so I can still take some pictures in the light of the day. As for now, it's still a big secret, but will post a photo once it is in situ. I wonder how long it will last in my neighbourhood. If anybody sees me they probably think I have now completely lost the plot :-) But I reckon they think that already anyway, so no difference there. I keep wondering if I can get arrested for yarn bombing LOL.

I have finally managed to write my biography. Now I will have to translate it into German too, for the 2 events over there. One of the restaurants has already offered me a permanent display case for all year round showcasing and sale. As much as this is a very good idea, it would involve having part of my amigurumi crew constantly there and replacing it as soon as something sells. Very difficult to maintain from over here, but I shall give it a thought of how it may be managed.

Back to the grindstone ...

Shame on me ...

... for not updating this blog for so long. Don't know what stopped me. Probably too much happening in my unemployed life hehe. But I have been busy crocheting and knitting and I am getting an exhibition together. Well, 2 of the places that have confirmed so far are friends' restaurants in Germany, but it's a start. The shows are not until the end of the year (exact dates to be confirmed) which will give me plenty of time to refine the themes for it. I am thinking of 3 umbrella themes - 1) Underwater World with jelly fish, crabs, fish, sharks, whales and dolphins and not forgetting MERMAIDS. You might even come across Nemo, after all they are still trying to find him :-) 2) Magic Forest with fairies, gnomes, witches, cute little mushrooms and plenty of other creatures and last but not least 3) A Sea of Flowers which speaks for itself. There will also be a side display with very human undertones: professions. I have recently crocheted an artist which came out really well (picture to follow once I have taken one), so I thought I will do other professions like fireman, nurse (oh la la), policeman/woman, professor and whatever else I might be able to think of. I was supposed to deliver a biography and description of the exhibition to a UK museum today, but due to the weather this was just not possible ;-) I am hoping to write it all up tonight and arrange the pics of the pieces in some order. Fingers crossed they will accept it and it will be the start of a long list of me showcasing stuff around the country. I was thinking today that it would be really nice to find some people who might be interested to pitch in and also show their work.

Anyway, here are a few of the more recent projects I have finished: