Saturday 4 February 2012

No such thing as a mistake!




Well, we came joint 3rd in our annual quiz last night. We usually come 2nd or 3rd but didn't expect to come anywhere near that last night. It was the hardest quiz ever. If I tell you that the winners normally have around 125 out of 140 and last night they had 83, that gives you some idea. Our score was 74.

The car was frozen when we came out. Luckily we had put a tarpaulin over the windscreen. The cars thermometer measured -5. When we got up this morning, our overnight temperature was -5.1 Celsius. It is very cold here at the moment but the sun is shining and washing is on the line. Yesterday, the temperature managed to rise to 3 Celsius and the washing got half dry and was finished off inside. Today, it is 1 degree at the moment, so at least it won't be frozen solid when I bring it in – hopefully.

Although it wasn't planned, we have just nipped into town to buy some thermal leggings from Peacocks - got 4 pairs between us for £19.80 (2 items to be taken from my amount for this year). I also got some cotton yarn to knit something from Hilde's site. We didn't however buy any food so this trip was good on that front.

Do you know the saying “there is no such thing as a mistake, only experience”. Happened to me yesterday morning. I was busy making bread and soup and in-between, thought I would cut some more strips for the rug. I completely FORGOT to check which way it stretched and cut 10 strips the wrong way. DAMN. However, it taught me a lesson – hopefully – and they will be used up as and when I can.

My third rag rug has now been decoratively crocheted around its entire outside edge. Its hem was previously stitched to keep it in place and help stop it from fraying. As I am now busy turning cheap fleece blankets into strips ready to begin on it, thought I would show you what I am doing – stop yawning!

Here is the blanket before I start.

Cut into about 1” wide strips (along its stretchy side!!!).

The strips after they have been stretched to twice their length. They will now be joined together.

Here is one ball from 10 strips.

I knew my hand made basket last December would come in handy for something. Thought I would store all my balls in here when they are made, keeps them together.

I reckon I might get between 3 and 4 balls per blanket. I have 5 blankets that I can use on this particular rug. I suspect it won't be enough but time will tell. Whatever wool I use for the decorative outside, also gets used within the rug somewhere along the line to help eke out the material.

If I felt like it, I could cut these strips thinner and twist or plait different colours together, but that might make them too thick to pull through each hole in the canvas.

I would normally only use cotton in a rug as it is fire retardant to a certain extent and these fleeces most certainly are not. However, it is a bedside rug and it needs to be nice and soft to the touch when getting out of bed and standing on it first thing in the morning.

The memory rug I made previously for my friend will be out of its protective wrapper soon as her bedroom has almost finished being painted. The new carpet goes in next week, then her rug will sit beside the bed.

The first one I made in early autumn (out of cotton) is certainly earning its keep in front of the wood burner. Twice now, two huge splinters of wood have shot out as we topped it up with fresh logs. Nearly burnt my fingers picking them off the rug as we haven't yet got a set of tongs for such an event. However, apart from a slight mark, the rug performed its duty well.


1 comment:

  1. I bet the rug will be really warm and cosy on your feet! I love fleece - it's like a wonder fabric.

    ReplyDelete

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