The first week of the Easter holiday was all about getting jobs done, in and around the house. Usually, if you asked me if I enjoyed housework, you’d be met with a very emphatic no! We have a cleaner come once a week as we both work long hours and if it was down to me we’d have a window cleaner too but since Mr O bought a window cleaning gadget (that doesn’t smear…honest!!) we have to do it ourselves! As Mr O has been very busy with the garden and putting up another shed for the garden tools, its down to me this time. I’ve been looking at those dirt smeared, streaky windows for a long time and finally set about tackling the worse windows downstairs. It wasn’t that bad to be honest but it does make me very cross when I cant get them perfectly streak free! I needn’t have worried though because, less than a week later, the hall window has marks on it again at cat level, the kitchen window has splatters from the washing up and the back door is once again full of smeary little handprints. Grrr!
As much as I have moaned about doing the jobs, I might actually have enjoyed them a teensy bit. I think its because I’m usually so busy that giving up any precious free time to do housework is quite frankly hateful. Last week though, because little Miss was still in kindergarten and I had a bit of extra time (admittedly, I could have spent it crafting!) doing the jobs weirdly made me feel a bit more connected to the house, like cleaning, tidying it, showing it a bit of love and tending to the garden somehow brought me closer to it. Does that sound bonkers? The whole house was tidied, hoovered and floors steamed. I tidied and sorted the craft room a bit more and finally got around to moving Little Miss into the bigger bedroom that used to be my craft room / spare room. There are more jobs to follow this week, including recleaning those blasted windows and cleaning the ones I hadn’t yet got to, cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, including all of the kitchen cupboards (I’m not looking forward to this one, I will admit), weeding and cleaning the balcony (another yucky job I keep putting off) and several admin jobs that have been lingering for a few weeks, hovering over me like evil little spiky clawed gremlins!
In amongst all the jobs, there has been a little time for crafting, although not nearly as much as I would have liked.
I finished off this little fella:
I managed to do a little more on the rainbow squares blanket for Little Miss and I love how its taking shape. Joining the squares together is proving to be a labour of love but it will be worth it when its finished. 3 columns down, 10 to go!
I decided to get all the remaining squares off the floor so that I could clean the floor and Mr O suggested putting them onto knitting needles. I love love love the look of them like this, they look like colourful crocheted kebabs. I almost don’t want to use them as they’re adding so much colour to my craft studio lined up like this.
I also managed to snatch a bit of time for some embroidery in the sunshine whilst little Miss played in the garden …
Last week I was a little bit naughty and for the first time this year, I broke my self imposed ban on purchasing any more crafting goodies.
I ummmed and aaahed but they reminded me so much of the tablecloths my grandma used to embroider and nostalgia got the better of me, I had to have them. I know its yet more embroidery bits to add to my stash but they sparked joy and will continue to do so and bring back happy memories as I sew. I don’t think these will linger in my stash for long though as I am just itching to get started on them.
A fair bit more crafting went on over the Easter weekend but I’ll post about that separately in a day or two.
Happy crafting
Karen xx
That mandala is just gorgeous. And I’d definitely be considering some kind of decorations with squares (and knitting needles!) that you won’t need; I also like how they look. Maybe strung on skewers with a bead at the end of each to keep the squares on, so they could be hung up somewhere? What a neat long-term, do some when you feel like it, kind of project.
Thanks Maia, I do tend to like having a few projects on the go at once, keeps things interesting. I keep meaning to get back to the crochet square skewers but they are still there looking pretty. Hehe.