Category: ABOUT

A Wedding and an Updo!

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Have you tried something new this month and linked  up with Fiona at Celtic Thistle Stitches?

My ‘new to mes’ this month have been, mostly, wedding related. For the first time in my life, I had a proper updo done by a hairdresser, which I love from the back!

 

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And I also wore a fascinator and a pink dress (well out of comfort zone) and bought a vintage handbag from etsy. I’m holding a bouquet (incase you are wondering) because my daughter was taking the photo. I hope the ‘real’ photos will be more flattering!

The main event, however, was that the first of my children to get married – my eldest son – got married. My two other sons were joint best men and my two daughters were bridesmaids. The bridesmaid in the centre is the bride’s sister.

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It was a wonderful wedding and we all stayed in a hotel in Portsmouth with a great many of our relations, which was a bonus new to me too. IMG_2013

I’ve now moved onto a less fun ‘new to me’, which involves moving the entire downstairs of our house upstairs – or at least as much as we can fit and who knows where the rest can go – because are having the downstairs floors sanded next week :(

I am linking this post with Fiona at Celtic Thistle Stitches for New to Me in 2017

Janine @ Rainbow Hare

Waiting for the light…

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Waiting and waiting…

I have finished a doll for my lovely friend Benta, who blogs over at Slik Stitches. Really, I should post her but I have been hoping, these last few days, to take some photos for my blog, which is to say, I have been waiting for the sun to peep out.
Still waiting…
The radio tells us that this is the warmest November since records began and I don’t doubt it.
The fifth of November was my Grandma’s birthday – Bonfire night, Guy Fawke’s night or what you will – and, when we were children we would always make a guy from old clothes stuffed with newspaper. His face would be a brown paper bag with eyes, nose and mouth drawn carefully on by my mother with a biro or, perhaps a felt tip, and he would take up his place on top of the fire, like an ancient king on his throne, and smiling, smouldering, bursting suddenly into a flash of flames he would fall into ash as we oooooed and aaaaahed at the Jumping Jacks, the Rockets, the Roman Fountains, the Catherine Wheels. And we fumbled through thick mittens to hold tight to our sparklers and hot potatoes and slices of frosted birthday cake. And. of course, we sang:

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot!

I see no reason gunpowder and treason
Should ever be forgot! Happy Birthday to YOU
Happy Birthday dear Grandma…

And beyond the hot, too hot, flickering circle of magic lighting the garden around the edges of the fire, the puddles were frozen, the vegetable garden was bare but for parsnips, leeks and some winter greens, the leaves were down and the icy air bit sharply into our fingers and toes. 
November was a Winter month.
Is it really worth waiting?
But, now, the mornings emerge slowly from the nights shrouded in fog. The clouds hang leaden threatening rain or lurk, barely visible, over intermittent torrential downpours. Occasionally, the wind might blow in a dazzle of brightness around about lunchtime. 
But this is England. And this is November. 
Nothing is guaranteed.
Except that by 5.30pm, when you go out to shut your chicken house, it will be pouring with rain and so dark that you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face.

Perhaps tomorrow…
And every time I turn on my lap top I see posts proclaiming ‘Improve your Blog!’ or ‘Get your Etsy Shop Ready for Christmas!’ – the key to success in every sphere (in case you haven’t heard), perhaps even the secret of immortality itself, is photos. ‘Taking Good photos’, ‘Taking Better Photos’. And the key to that is always light, ‘Natural Light’! 
Well this is our natural light. 
We’re not so very far south of Siberia, you know ;)

Janine @ Rainbow Hare

Around the World Blog Hop

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Welcome to Rainbow Hare for my stop on the Around The World Blog Hop!

First of all, I’d like to thank the lovely Rachel from mamafairy sews for inviting me to join this hop. Rachel is a great sewing inspiration and, if you missed it, I very much recommend you to visit her post here and learn a new word, which is sure to come in useful. Rachel has sent me a few questions:

1. What am I working on?

My biggest on-going project at the moment is my Granny Square series. So far there are three stories and two related patterns. Here is a sneak peek of the Autumn Story, which is coming soon…

Purl is trying to teach Knit how to do the backstroke

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..My hope was to do a story accompanied by a pattern and/or tute each month but, unfortunately, it has become a more ‘as-and-when’ project. I have several plans for more stories and patterns but it’s a struggle to find time.

I’m also in the middle (ok, before the middle) of knitting a pair of socks and a jacket.

And, sewingwise, I’m about to begin a new bedsized quilt – although, so far, I am only at the fabric auditioning and trying to reclaim my sewing space stage..


2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

A year ago, I thought of Rainbow Hare as quilting/sewing blog but, as far as keeping to a genre goes, I have a tendency to veer off topic. I easily become sidetracked into cloth dolls, felt creature…

…and fabric picture making…

Old Man and the Sea
…and, this year, I have worked more on yarn projects than sewing…
The Flowerful Blanket
Rainbow Blanket

3. Why do I write/create what I do?


I create because I just love making things and textiles are my go-to medium. I blog because I enjoy and value the connection with other bloggers. I hardly know any makers of things in real life and I really appreciate the friendship, inspiration and encouragement of the blogging community.

4. How does my writing/creating process work?

Who knows! I get an idea from somewhere and ponder on it a lot without seeming to accomplish anything. Then I don’t get started for ages. Then one day I begin and, once I’ve got started, I can’t make anything else until it’s finished. All of my UFOs and abandoned makes come about from the single cause of losing momentum in the middle of a project. At first everything seems to be not working out or I think ‘everyone will think this is really stupid’ and I feel like abandoning it (but I call that the getting-worse-before-getting-better stage).

A classic getting worse and worse stage!

After that I stop trying to control the project and sometimes the next step seems obvious but often things keep going wrong/unexpectedly. Once I get to that stage, though, I enjoy the problem solving aspect and I’m not really concerned about the end result – just the thing I am literally working on at that moment. Then sooner or later (often sooner than I expect) I realise it’s finished. I’m always hoping to find a way to cut out most of those steps…

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If you’ve read to here, thank you very much for your patience!

I hope that you have because this is where I announce next week’s ‘around the world’ bloghopper. I’m delighted to tell you next Monday, Teresa from Crafty Bags will be hosting. Teresa is a very talented crafter and you can find a wonderful variety of bags and other handmade items on her blog and in her shops. I always admire her colourful makes and she was my biggest inspiration to start crocheting this year.

Happy Making!

Janine @ Rainbow Hare