Crochet and Charity

So how has your week been so far? I have been busy working and crocheting - I have been busying making these fingerless gloves for a gift!

I love the colour of the yarn and have called this pattern Lemon and Lime

Turned Down

Turned Up

I would like to show you this remarkable video about a brave little girl called Claudia, Claudia who was 4years old (6 now) was born with EB, Epidermolysis Bullosa is a painful genetic skin disorder that causes skin layers as well as body linings to separate and blister at the slightest touch.I first saw Claudia on a Documentary called "This is Me" and I was so moved at such a little girl having so much acceptance and courage and in truth over the next two years that followed I would often think of her and say a prayer for her. 

Then while watching one of my favorite shows Nationwide, which I usually watch to see all the crafters around Ireland - who is on it? Claudia and again I am in tears at watching this little girl in her normal life - and I am not crying out of pity for her but out of complete awe for her lovely soul, again this one little girl touched my heart and so I contacted Debra Ireland the charity whose mission is to fund the development of treatments and cures for all forms of Epidermolysis Bullosa, and meanwhile to do all in its power to alleviate the suffering caused by EB. and asked could I send them some handmade super soft hats for the little members and was delighted to get a quick reply saying I could!

My goal is to make hats and matching scarfs for the dozen little boys and girls ages 3 - 6yrs  in a soft and cuddly yarn. I am giving myself a deadline as this is very important to me and I dont want to get sidetracked by other projects, So I will give myself one month at the latest to get them done and sent in time for the cold winter months. This really is something I feel so strongly about and will also be sending a cash donation too.

What charities do you support?

Books, Runaways,Birthdays and Invitation's for Cream Tea

So I woke up this morning and came out to the sitting room, looking forward to getting nice and cosy with a hot cup of tea and my new book "Sarah Love" by author Geraldine O'Neill

"As she puts the final stitches in her perfect wedding dress, Sarah Love receives dreadful news which wrecks all her future plans. Heartbroken and humiliated, she leaps at a chance to make a fresh start away from her native Tullamore. Within a week she has crossed the Irish Sea, and is lodging with other young women in a house off Newcastle city centre, just a short walk from Harrison’s – the rundown knitting and sewing shop where she will work for reserved and troubled spinster, Lucy Harrison. Sarah now finds herself amongst people of different classes, religion and race, and when her Irish nationality is attacked she must discover the skills to survive. Putting the past behind her, she channels her energies into rebuilding the old-fashioned, neglected Harrison’s into a thriving business and her wonderful sewing and design skills soon lead her down a new and exciting path in life. A path without love though, as she is too raw to consider romance again. Or so she thinks …"


When I was on my Holiday in Sunderland, I received a phone call from Geraldine O'Neill just asking me a few questions about CafeCreate stitch'n'bitch Galway, she wanted to ask me how I set up the group etc .. as she would be writing about craft groups in her column in the paper with the release of her new book ... so since then I have been dying for it to come out - and 22 pages in, I am not disappointed! all craft lovers will love this as straight away the details of hand sewing and lace is beautiful!


After a while I noticed Little Melanie was no where to be seen! I called out for her ... no answer! I looked around the house ... no sign of her! I was getting very worried when there on my coffee table I found this note:

So here it ends, the adventures of Little Melanie are no more! I will miss her terribly but I also know she needs to create her own adventures...


A few weeks ago while reading one of my favorite blogs Michelle Made This I saw she had posted about a wonderful top she had got herself in Debenhams, as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it

Isn't it just beautiful! Michelle also showed a picture of her wearing it and I think she looks so pretty in it 

so I was completely won over, and wanted to race to the shops just to get one for myself, I don't usually buy anything from Debenhams as it can be a little pricey, but with my birthday coming up I decided what better reason could I have to treat myself!? So here I am:

One thing I have noticed is that on all three pictures here the pattern and placement of the flowers are different! Which I love as then the top is more original! Thanks Michelle for bringing it to my attention, also thanks for letting me post up the pictures from your blog, and next time your in Galway I would love to host an afternoon cream tea for you :)

As far as crochet goes, my hand had been giving me ALOT of trouble the past month but thankfully that has eased up and I don't have too much pain in it, I will hopefully be getting a glove soon for the injury and then I can still crochet on bad days, I have been taking much longer then usual to finish my Christmas Shrug and BFF Jumper but I hope to have both finished by the end of the week.
As always I thank you for taking a few minutes out to come and visit me and I always love reading your comments! Have a wonderful day, I am off now to have a cup of tea, croissants followed by some peppermint creams while watching "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (the original)!

The Adventures of Little Melanie, Day 7

So as everyone knows each Saturday I attend the CafeCreate stitch'n'bitch group in the Menlo Hotel, so it is only natural that Little Melanie came as well, she had a wonderful time meeting all these wonderful women and even had a nice chat with Aga and then had her photo taken with the beautiful Michelle, who did ask me to let you know she was hungover ... or still drunk .... cant quite remember which one ..... ;) 

The Adventures of Little Melanie, Day 6

What a wonderful day we had with Little Melanie yesterday - Morgan and I decided to visit my Parents and my brother and sister in Renmore - we decided to take Ben the family dog for a walk to the beach which is a five minute walk from the house, the lovely thing about the walk is this: to get to the beach you have to walk through a wooded area, its so close to nature it is just beautiful

what was a short walk for us turned out to be a very, very long walk/hop for Little Melanie

We soon came to the clearing where we stopped to give Little Melanie a chance to catch up with us and also so we could feed the ducks and their babies in the lake beside us

Little Melanie was so tired she sat up in a tree watching Antony and Shauna having fun

When we got to the beach Little Melanie was still tired and opted to sit and watch us going paddling

Here is Shauna holding a crab to show to Little Melanie, needless to say she screamed and jumped into Morgans pocket!

"Come into the sea with us" we begged her, but Little Melanie shook her head and said "No, My dress will get wet and I will get sand in all sorts of places!" So Shauna decided to have a swim to show her just how fun the beach can be!

Here I am helping Shauna out of the sea and also getting ate alive by flies, itchy itchy flies!

We really enjoyed our time at the beach and all left a little colder, wetter and happier! Shauna even got a lift home...

What a lovely Friday we had, how did you spend yours?

The adventures of Little Melanie, Day 5

So today was the day that Little Melanie came to visit everyone in the nursing home - and boy did she make people smile! 

She started the day by attending the prayer group - and she loved the gospel reading 

with her witty sense of humor and pretty smile, she charmed everyone to pose for a picture with her! 

Little Melanie really enjoyed getting to know all the girls in the Staff Room

even the chef made her a blueberry muffin! 

On our lunch break we got to work, practicing on the sewing machine, turns out Little Melanie is a natural on the machine

In the afternoon she got snug and cosy with the residents to watch the film at the movie club-
"Definitely maybe" 

When we got home Little Melanie was feeling tired and sleepy but still managed to hop onto my Mother in law Elizabeth’s shoulder and fill her in all about our day

The Adventures of Little Melanie, Day 4

Oh when I got home from work today I was in BIG trouble!, I had forgotten to bring Little Melanie with me! She met me at the door and was not happy!

I reminded her how forgetful I could be and promised I would take her tomorrow .....

She still was not happy, I promised to take her to town on Friday..... She still was not happy, I promised to run her a bubble bath tonight..... She still was not happy! I was running out of things to promise, when suddenly I knew exactly what would cheer her up ....

CHOCOLATE!!

Needless to say all was forgiven! 

The Adventures of Little Melanie, Day 3

This Morning when I awoke to the sound of my alarm at 6.45AM, I realized that yes, the winter is upon us, the morning was dark and the rain hit the window with no signs of stopping - isn't it just horrible getting up when it is still dark and cold outside,!?

I tried waking Little Melanie up, but she was having none of it! she told me in a very stern voice that I was to leave her alone to sleep, she can get into a right temper if her sleep is disturbed!- so alone I went to work.

What a wonderful surprise I had - a lady staying with us in the home had brought in her sewing machine! this machine is one she saved and saved for in the 1950s - and in the afternoon she agreed to give me some lessons - here we are together stitching and listening to all the old favorites like Danny Boy, Little Boy Blue and 40 Shades of Green.

When I got home, I found Little Melanie begging my husband Morgan to take her for a walk - "Please, Please Morgy", she asked.  

So Morgan opened his coat pocket and told her to hop in, having no legs would make walking very hard for Little Melanie

Little Melanie enjoyed their stroll in the sunshine (very different weather from this morning!)

They even stopped and picked blackberries - "Now dont spoil your dinner!" Morgan told Little Melanie while handing her one last big blackberry.

They came home very happy, tired and full! and Little Melanie is planning to come to work with me tomorrow!