What I have been up to recently...

Grey Organic Cotton Baby Booties with Rabbit Buttons

Linen Acrylic Blend Cushion Cover on Grey Felt Backing

Pattern Picture for tatted Doily

The Work in progress, rounds 1 and 2

Beetroot Brooch for Spacious

Bamboo Yarn and Ceramic Bead Necklace

Bamboo and Beads

Knitted Hat (my own adapted pattern)

Crocheted Matching Flower

Closeup of Necklace

Orange Wooden Bead and Plastic Gold Bead Necklace on Suede

Pooch sleeping on fabric I'm trying to sew with!

As usual, I have been up to an amazing plethora of activities ranging from crocheting cushion covers, hand sewing clothing, crocheting little baby booties, making necklaces, tatting my first doily and reading books about Strads (the violins). I've also dried some mangosteen hulls to use for dyes at a later date, washed some fabric ready for sewing and been working on a crocheted dress.

Another project has been a barter trade system with friends, trading handmade for handmade like. So far I'm the proud owner of some little clouds from mein (can also find mein here) traded for three crochet necklaces and a happy recipient of a homemade apple and raisin pie traded for a knitted beanie with matching flower (shown above).

And I've been missing my little craft helper, who liked to sleep on my fabric while I am trying to arrange pattern pieces or freak me out by narrowly missing standing on a pin! He also enjoyed walking across my crochet squares and through piles of yarn and kicking them all over the place!

Goodbye Scruffy

My dog died today. His name was Scruffy. He was very old and had been sick for a while. He was a lovely dog, very good natured and friendly. We adopted him 3.5yrs ago when we found him as a stray and couldn't find his owners. We are really going to miss him.

The second picture is a picture of him taken 3 years ago when he was still active and healthy. His life was long and mischievous (that's probably how he ended up a stray dog in the first place!) and often ended in getting muddy and dirty. He was more often a grey dog or a brown one rather than a white one. His favourite thing was to bark at the dogs going past and race back and forths in front of the fence. Then he ended up tearing his knee ligament racing around too fast and he had to have an operation. This picture was taken on the way to the vet that time after he tore his knee ligament. He got to sleep inside after that and started having breakfast as well as dinner (not to mention the frequent massages!). After his operation he slowed down a lot and stuck to sleeping and exploring the yard and enjoying his two meals a day (often warm, sometimes I made him porridge!). His favourite food was probably french fries. I used to feed them to him one by one and he usually tried to take my fingers too! He liked all kinds of fruits and vegies too though, including frozen peas, raw carrot and apple. He would even eat raw mushroom and capsicum! In his old age his favourite activity was sleeping. He would spend a long time picking just the right spot, usually in a strange corner or under the table or beside the washing machine. He often slept with his back end up on something looking very awkward, but sleeping soundly and peacefully.

A few months ago he had a stroke and then more recently another one. He had been getting frailer, having trouble standing and walking as well as controlling his bowels. Then today, he just stopped breathing and he was gone. We are having him cremated and will scatter the ashes in his favourite part of the garden, where he had fun exploring. We remember him as one who taught us how to be better people, to be more patient and compassionate. And in his last weeks, he taught me how to love, without getting anything back, and despite pooing all over the place. Its a powerful gift he has given us. So, yes, we will miss him a lot. He remains in our hearts, the stray who came to stay.