all kinds of different things

We had a little birthday boy last week

so there were lots of festivities !

At school, here, at home ...

(oh my ... 5 already ?

so long ago that he was that tiny baby ?

time flies ! )

A most wonderful present !!!

*

Yesterday daughter, a friend and I

went to the "Knitting fair" (Brei- en Haakdagen) in Rijswijk.

Lots of stalls with goodies

to make into new knitting, crochet

or spinning projects, and lots of inspiration.

So much to choose from ...

*

I was very busy last week

making some new textile necklaces

It progresses so very  s l o w l y  :

the fabric needs to be stuffed, closed

and turned into pumpkin shapes.

making some tiny matching crocheted flowers,

felted balls are being embroidered,

finding the "right" beads

then string it all on waxed cord,

.....

I hope to finish more than one to take to the market

in Ouwerkerk (Zeeland) on Pentecost Monday

(and five amulet pendants are finished now)

*

During a nice sunny day

I darned some of my oldest socks

(I was lucky to find still some leftover bits that matched)

It was really fun sitting there

looking at all the flowers of May

The Allium roseum "jungle" almost in bloom !

Next week the weather will be fine :

so more garden-time !

super fun day

I had looked forward to this day

for a long time !

Today (and also again tomorrow)

there is a felting exhibition and fair

VILT EXPO

in the Eusebiuskerk in Arnhem.

It was not only fun meeting again 

with felting friends and suppliers,

but daughter went with me and 

I would meet my Blogging-friend Birgit again !!!

(we tried to arrange a meeting before, but that never worked out)

So we arrived from the "west" and the "east"

and met in Arnhem

interior design (Ellen van der Wiel) and needle felt (Caroline van Noord)

One of our favorite suppliers : Adrian Salomé

So many yummy colours !

           Linda Lammerts            and              Ina Singeling                

Carla Louwes

and the delicate fantasy work of Fransje Smit

(and there were many others)

We admired, talked with all kind of people (known or unknown)

bought stuff,  drank tea and coffee, and talked together

and went to "Dudok"

(yes : there is one, and it looks just the same as the one in R'dam  !)

and drank more tea and coffee

and talked a lot more !

What a super fun day,

thanks Birgit ! 

*

Some days ago I received a sweet present from

another far-away friend in Germany :

a tiny bit of sleeping spring !

Thanks Delia !

another knitting challenge

Now that I succeeded

making the "petal cowl" with the Noro yarn

I wanted to tackle the other challenge :

restyling this pattern for flat knitting.

Quite a puzzle

when I reached the stacked decreases !!!

But YIPPEEEEEE 

I managed to solve the problem !

So I have another project in the making.

Last Saturday I went with daughter

and some of the "Alpaca" ladies to Tilburg

with the train to a knitting fair.

Lots of wonderful stuff !

It was a fun day 

(and of course we purchased some stuff)

(thanks for the company, Gitte)

day 3

This third October was (again) unusually warm.

I was invited by my dear UK friend Jane

to go to the "Handwerkbeurs"

(craft fair) in Rijswijk.

The good idea was to go by boat/metro and train

instead of driving there by car ...

rush hour isn't very pleasant on Fridays !

It was a wonderful day and we both bought

some yummy goodies from different stalls. 

(thanks Jane, it was great !)

So I must confess I'm cheating a bit :

I did today's Pink Ribbon mandala already yesterday.

This is number three

"an apple a day ..... "

Karisma colour pencil on fine water colour paper (A5)

the mandala is 12 cm (5") in diameter

sold

If you like this original artwork

you can email me on fiberrainbow@gmail.com 

it will cost you € 3,- (+ postage)

(see you tomorrow)

two more days

Preparations for the Christmas Fair

are nearing the end.

That is NOT because I'm almost

finished with all I wanted to do

...

but it's because

in two days time

the Fair starts,

this Friday ánd Saturday !

There are a lot of things that just will not be finished in time.

Creating craft and needlework is taking

a lot of time !

That's okay with me, but that means

I have to adjust my "targets"

So no more bags ...

just finishing off want I have so far,

and I'm very satisfied with

the new red one !

"Ages" ago we organized a big Christmas Fair

on the school I then worked,

with lots of things made by children

ánd a lot of their parents.

We had so much fun creating,

and the Fair was a HUGE succes !

Daughter reminded me that one of the great things then

was a lottery

with three wonderful prizes to win

(made by creative people)

Now I will have my own little lottery on the Fair :

people can guess how many felted balls there are in a glass jar

This will be the prize for the person who gets it (almost) right !

Mouse was made thanks to Gabi's

wonderful PDF tutorial

Thanks again Gabi !

(Off, finishing a few things ....)

soft stones

Right before Christmas I will experience

for the second time

what it's like to have a stand on a fair

(the first time, last year on a Spring Fair wasn't exactly a succes,

but ... why not try again)

I don't like to make things just because

I want to sell them,

it kind of hinders my free creativity.

So now I must find things to make that I like doing

ánd that are salable

This is one of my first tries :

soft stones

I took some real stones

gave them a felted jacket

and started stitching.

Because it is a Winter Fair I thought it appropriate to start with white

Simple stitches, but the combinations are fun to do

Sorry, almost forgot to give Lisa credit for her felting tutorial

which is very helpful for a lot of people.