Dance Salsa!!

Started Salsa classes on a Sunday night, back in March. http://www.justdance.net/ I go with Anne and Kerry from work, and Beverley, who was already a friend of Anne's that I did my textile course with last year. We've really got into it and have recently moved up into the 'Improvers' class, apart from Kerry who is still in the Beginners as she started after us. We really enjoy it and this Friday we are going to a Salsa workshop being held at our local theatre. We have a class with a professional couple, then they do a show afterwards so it should be a good night. In the summer holidays we will try to go more than one night a week as the classes are held locally at different venues on different nights, but as Anne and Kerry work for Adult Education and have to work some evenings during term time it is difficult for them to go at the moment. We do feel that we would make progress more quickly if we practised more than once a week. The other things is that it is the ethos of the club and probably of Salsa in general that the ladies will also ask the men for dances which comes quite hard to us all, being of similar ages and having that awful fear of rejection - but having said that everyone is always really nice and you know that you wouldnt be turned down unless for a really good reason, but it is still really hard to do and some nights I have more confidence than others, but as the men are usually in shorter supply than the women, you have to be quick off the mark or you won't get many dances, that's not to say that the men don't ask at all because they do. Anne was on fine form this week and was snapping men up as they got off the dance floor and ended up having a good lot of dances. I really must be more assertive this week because as much as I enjoy watching everyone else dancing, it is good to be on the dancefloor yourself!!

If only I had a big one!!

Just read Lou's latest comment on her blog, Ludabelle, it made me laugh and reminded me of an email I got sent by our security guard at work with the title 'If only I had a big one'. In case you don't know, me and my hubby both work at the same college and hubby Ian is a 'Premises Assistant' which is really a posh name for caretaker/maintenance man. One of his many and varied duties is cutting the sports field and I got sent some pics of him which had been caught on the security camera - he's always moaning that the one he uses isn't up to the job and I think this photo shows why he suffers from tractor envy about the one they use at the school next door!!

My cardigan

Mentioned that I was making a crocheted cardigan a couple of posts ago. Thought I'd put a picture on. I've done the back and this is the start of the left front. Don't know how long it will take me to finish, thought I'd run one up in a couple of days (ha ha) and do several in different colours - taking longer than I anticipated, but only picking it up every few days. I'm using wool from years ago that I half knitted a jumper with and never finished - typical of me - but I am determined that this will be finished soon so that I can put it on over a strappy top on those balmy summer nights!!!

Had better sign off for now. Have promised to get some cards done for the girls at work for tomorrow!!

Feltmaking Course

Last Monday evening I started a short five week feltmaking course. We are lucky to have Rachel Reynolds a local textile artist http://rayreynolds.wordpress.com/,who is covering maternity leave in the Art department at the college, teaching it. Last week made three pieces of felt in various shades of the same colour - not sure what I am going to do with them yet, may have a go at making them into jewellery pieces.

Last night I made a bowl. I had made a couple of vases and a small bowl last year for my textile course, but they were a bit too flimsy so wanted to have another go at making one a bit more sturdy. One of the aims of the course was to try and learn different techniques for making pieces and it was interesting watching Rachel demonstrating how to make the bowl as I am not very good at following instructions from books (as much as I love craft books) and find it easier when I am actually shown what to do. I was quite pleased with the result as it is quite firm and enjoyed the two and a half hours indulgence very much!!

Catching up

Can't believe it is so long since I blogged last - have been going through a stage where I haven't even been looking at other people's blogs - don't know why this is I went through a stage like it last year.

Have had a really sad couple of weeks - will write more soon to explain.

Have started crocheting a cardigan, been very therapeutic, will put a pic of it on soon.

Have missed my exchanges with Lou at Ludabelle and will try and get back into the blogging soon.

The finished article...

Well I finished Niall's hot water bottle cover, with a bit of adapting.

Although the picture in the book looked like it was on a full sized bottle, when I came to the end of the instructions ... it was tiny and a perfect fit for his old 'baby' bottle. Admittedly I hadn't tried out the tension instructions before I started (do I ever?), but did check them when I realised how small it was and they were almost perfect, so it wasn't that - so I kept on going to make it longer then added a couple of extra rows around the edges to widen it a bit, and was quite pleased with the end result, and I had really enjoyed making it.

My Grandma (my Dad's mum) taught me how to crochet, she was brilliant at knitting and made us loads of things when we were growing up, so I feel she would be looking down now, pleased that I had picked up a crochet hook again! My other Grandma was excellent at sewing and I used to make loads of clothes and always went to her if I was stuck on something because she could always work out how to put right my mistakes - usually made because I was too impatient - I haven't changed, one of the reasons why I like crochet is because it grows quickly!!

Niall was chuffed and asked if I could make him a bottle straight away so he could try it out, so that's the main thing! They way it's going to be milder this week!! Typical!

Crocheting - again

I bought Niall a new hot water bottle a couple of weeks ago to replace his tiny ‘baby’ one that he still has and he asked me if I could get him a cover for it as he likes it made with really warm water so that it stays hot for some time, but is too hot to begin with.

Mum and Dad have recently given me a couple of bags from their loft containing loads of wool that I amassed when I lived at home when I used to do quite a lot of knitting and crochet, with Mum’s usual comment of ‘have a look through and see if you want to keep it, if not it can to go the charity shop’ - and it usually ends up in our loft!

I have had a real hankering to do some knitting or crochet lately and got some of my books out that I've got in the last year or so and found a pattern that looked ideal. He wanted shades of blues preferably so I found some blue/greeny shades left over from a jumper I crocheted a frightening amount of years ago, luckily in the same bag was the correct size crochet hook I needed, and off I went - I'll let you know how I get on later.

This is it in production ......