Ivy Basket

One thing I love about my crafts, is that I can get away with not spending vast amounts of money on presents because I can make them instead! I seem to be having a particularly low budget period (in other words I'm skint) so I cant afford many materials, but luckily I know a place where everything is  free! Nature!
I know the basics of basket weaving from a course a few years ago, and although there are no big crops of willow around here, there is lots and lots of ivy. There is something so satisfying and primal about being able to create something totally from scratch with the materials Mother Earth has given you, working in harmony with her instead of exploiting her. I find this is a common theme in my crafts.
I started by gathering loads (or what I thought was loads) of ivy and bring it home to weave with, however, as you can see I ran out pretty quickly and had to relocate my crafting to the park.

 Spot the wren! Or what I think is a wren.

 I think someones annoyed I'm here...

So I've still got a bit o trimming to do and probably will need to go over the basket with more bits of ivy because ivy shrinks lots as it dries, but I think this is a pretty decent basket considering its made from ivy and I haven't made many baskets before! I would like to make myself one at someone, and will probably have to soon seeing as Mossy keeps on eating mine...

Someone Wants Your Attention...

Mossy has a funny way of letting you know when she wants a bit of love. She'll gently put her paws on you, wait a moment, and if you STILL aren't stroking her, she'll start digging on your chest!

 Poor Eddie, but she was asking very nicely!

 At last, cuddles with mummy...

Recycled Sea Glass Beads

Today I finally got round to putting some of my Recycled Sea Glass beads on Etsy, so hopefully they will catch someones eye soon! Its always a little bit painful to see them go, but also very satisfying to know someone values your work. I found all these colours on the same beach in Plymouth, and I particularly like the two blue ones, as they are fairly rare.

Mount Edgecumbe Haul

I am going to be selling some of my recycled sea glass earrings in The Upcycled Home Co of Mount Edgecumbe, which is very exiting, but before I can do that I need to make them! I  had a stroll around the beach about 2 minutes from the shop and although it was a horrible windy day with the tide coming in fast, I did manage to find some real beauties.

Here are some of the more unusual ones, I was really doubting I would find any blue, as I never have there before, but luckily I found 2 little pieces. There is also a tiny piece of bright turquoise which is really beautiful, but unfortunately it is so tiny it would hardly make one droplet, let alone a pair of earrings.

 I also found a range of sea shells and I love the range of colours and patterns although I'm not really sure what to do with them! A while ago I did try to drill holes in some of the yellow snail shells, but they just cracked apart. Maybe I should have used a better drill...

 And finally this teeny tiny hag stone! Actually the hole is so perfectly round I am half wondering if its been drilled and somehow dropped onto the beach. I am collecting all the beads I find on the beach and hope to someday make a necklace with them all, so this would make a nice addition!

Spinning Mossy

So Mossy seems to be moulting at the moment so I'm getting handfuls of her fur which is great because I am so desperate to start really spinning with it! Now she is a bit older her wool is so much easier to spin, the small amount I got when she was a baby just seemed to snap and pull apart, but now its a little thicker and silkier which is great.

 So here is my first piece of knitting from mossy, some tiny little baby socks! They are incredibly soft and cosy, I wish I had enough to make some for myself! I have just put these on my Etsy shop and it feels good to have made something so lovely purely from my baby's fur!
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/277793522/handspun-knitted-angora-baby-socks-new?ref=shop_home_listings

Mossy

One of the best feelings I get from making things is when I can really make them from scratch. Somehow I don't think my landlord would be too happy if I were to bring a sheep home. Thats when I started reading about Angora Rabbits. Pet rabbits. With wool!! And not just any wool, but the softest warmest most luxurious wool ever! So here she is, I got her from a really helpful local breeder about 3 months ago and she's amazing! Thats not to say she's easy to look after, as she needs grooming and playing with once a day and has a slightly irritating habit of chewing through phone chargers. Her favourite foods are apples and raisins and she hates the sound of the Hoover which is unfortunate because she makes so much mess.

Hand Spun, Dyed and Knitted!

It's taking me a bloody long time but I am finally finished! It is such a lovely feeling to be able to make something totally from scratch using only natural materials that came from places you know. I even saw the brown wool being shorn off the sheep at an agricultural show. elderberries, walnut husks and onion skins gave some of the white wool from the brecon beacons a flash of colour, although I would have liked to only use foraged dyes (I cant say the onions were wild!). I spun almost all (apart from half of the left sleeve) of the wool on my drop spindle, but then was given a lovely spinning wheel for Christmas which is sooo much quicker! 

I also would have liked to have made the buttons myself, but I suppose this is something I could experiment with some time.

I thought it would be itchy but it is surprisingly soft and wearable. I can't wait to keep on spinning!