Prep for work tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm to deliver a short session as part of a workshop for tutors about RARPA (sorry for the boring link, but I really did try to find the most interesting one!) My bit is for the craft tutors, and needed a simple activity to illustrate the principles.
"Cut No Corners" will have a simple objective: cut a circle from a piece of paper. I have looked out all my circle cutting tools and realise that none is quite perfect and all have a slight drawback. The tutors will have to write their own SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recordable, Timely) objectives as part of the session and it could be that they will make it more complicated to bring in a bit of differentiation (what an odd website on which to find that link!!) Maybe the challenge will be to cut a circle of a specific size, to cut the hole rather than the circle, or to evaluate the different methods of cutting and produce a tipsheet.
It's certainly made me think about which I'd use and under what circumstances.

What's your favourite means of cutting a circle? Did you realise the hoops tutors have to jump through these days to earn their crust? 

Next project please!

Feel quite chuffed with the finished lace wrap and how snug it is around my shoulders on a chilly night. Did as someone suggested elsewhere and stitched it closed rather than sew on hooks, because the weight of the knitted roses on the front caused it to droop a bit.

Not easy to take my own photograph whilst wearing it, but I hope you get the idea. 

Simple Jewellery workshop

I'm having fun today, getting together a few ideas for a one-off dayschool "Making Simple Jewellery". Have been to the scrapstore and gathered a few bits and pieces and together with a pot of UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) and a bit of memory wire, have done a few respectable samples. Now I just need to work out the best game plan for keeping everybody busy and productive. I also need to find a means of having things to hand without putting the contents of my workroom in the boot.

(This is all paper and card jewellery by the way)

Knitting Olympics Medal Ceremony

Well, there we are, the Yarn Harlot has announced the closing ceremony for the Knitting Olympics and Franklin has designed the medal, which comes in just the one variety - gold. In the end, over 4000 knitters took part, in teams from all over the world. Quite incredible! Team GB did some wonderful work and much fun was had all round.

Certificates were issued too! Wow!

Time on my hands!

I have one of those unusual days today when I have time for me. Time to do the things I want to do rather than those things I have to do! Very precious.

I've offered to do a simple jewellery making workshop for a group of women in a couple of weeks time and so went down to look through my books for inspiration and ideas. Whilst there, I came across a book given to me at Christmas by dear Kiwi friends Fiona and Wayne and realised that, although I had read it from cover to cover when I first had it, what a great book it is!

Every Kete Tells a Story is about the little traditional Maori baskets woven by women, and there's a story with each about how they were made, where they were used and so on, along with a close up photo of the design and a great photo of the maker or present owner, which somehow brings the whole thing to life.

It reminded me of someone who did a textile project about handkerchiefs and the tales they could tell. I'm not generally interested in history, but I do like to learn about people and the lives they led and think these small items of such a personal nature reveal much about the people who made, used and enjoyed them.