Blogoversary winner and Barefoot Festival

*Drum roll*…..the winner of my third blogoversary giveaway is Holly B, she was carefully selected from the list of partygoers by the Halfling, aka Pippin, and the very thoughtful gifts that she bought to the party were a set of magical knitting needles and crochet hooks so that I would never have to rip back anything again. A very useful gift!  Holly, if you can send me your address, I shall be sending you a gift shortly.

So what else have I been doing? Well, I’ve finished teaching summer school! Hurray! Six long weeks but it’s over now! I really need a break now, I feel like I’ve been working non-stop all year! Anyway I finished on the Thursday night, whipped up some bunting from an old dress, some ribbon and Sergei (my new overlocker). The old dress I had was black, so I used red thread to contrast, and then I drew chakra symbols on alternating flags using dimensional fabric paint.

Then my friend Viv and I packed up her van on Friday morning and travelled to deepest Loughborough to the Goddess Camp, now known as the Barefoot Festival, a festival of dance and music.

Viv and I were volunteering for our tickets, so we pitched up (I was in a tent) and we headed to the gate to do our duty. Armed with Hi-Viz jackets and radio’s we bossed all the wanna-be Goddesses off to the appropriate camping and parking locations. 

Friday night was good fun, we joined in the Ceilidh dance night, lots of Irish and English folk dancing

There was also drumming, and a Capoeira group

We did lots of workshops including Bollywood fusion, Tai Chi, Tribal dance, African dance, Heavy metal tribal fusion, Bangra, loads of fun things.

Viv learnt to Hula hoop.

There were Morris dancers

And on Saturday night there was a big show, with lots of dancers, belly dancers, African dancers, burlesque dancers

There was also a stunning fire display with fire poi, fire hoops, fire staffs and fire breathers.

The weekend was fabulous and we made some great friends.

Paying it Forward

Since the Recipients of the Pay it Forward game have now received from me, I'll post pictures of what I sent to Kasia and Morgan. I tried to send things that the recipient wouldn't or couldn't do themselves, I know Kasia makes beautiful jewellery and knits, but I'm not sure if she sews, so I sent this little heart brooch pin, made from felt and hand embroidered with little beads and sequins.

This is what I sent to Morgan, I know from past swaps that Morgan doesn't knit or crochet. It's the Single Skein Scarf from the Happy Hooker, threaded through the centre with a satin ribbon. Sorry about the bad photo.

Friday night was a productive night despite the yummy bottle of wine *lol*, I finished this wall hanging based on 'someones' wishlist for the FOC swap. Sorry about the bad camera phone piccy, it's the best I can do at the moment. First I silk-painted the tree and the background, using silk paints and then some glitter fabric paint, I did that during the week; then Friday night I sewed it onto some backing fabric and edged it with lace to give it a 'looking out of the window' effect. There's a channel at the top of the hanging so that the recipient can thread a piece of dowling through to hang it straight. It needs to be ironed though :-) I also made a lining for the FBB and started a felt flower pin to decorate said bag.

I had a great day yesterday, M was working in the morning, so I had a bit of time to myself for a change. I managed to get to grips with the hula hoop, averaging at least 50 hoops at a time and even managing to get up to 100 sometimes! I ache a little today though, so it must be doing something good. I definately need to get a bigger heavier hoop though. I'm using a kids one and although it's a pretty purple one with flashing lights, it's not big enough to get any of the special moves. I'm considering making my own. More on that project when I get the stuff together. I even managed to get a yoga session in too! I did my MTV Power Yoga DVD which is one of my favourites. It's one I keep coming back to, it's challenging enough to feel like I've actually 'worked out'. Although I've been to a (Hatha) yoga class and bellydancing every week, for like ever, I feel like they just maintain a basic level of fitness and suppleness. The power yoga (and now the hula hooping) takes it up a notch to a more cardio level (i.e. I sweat *lol*). I haven't had time to do any Ashtanga yoga since Christmas really, and I really felt like I'd lost some of my suppleness. I couldn't get as far into the postures as I usually can. *Note to self; try and fit in the time to do my yoda DVD's at home more regularly*

It was such a beautiful day yesterday that I popped into town for a wander; I had a couple of things in mind that I wanted to get, but couldn't find what I needed. I did find this beauty at a charity shop though for a couple of quid. It's a beautiful dusky rose corduroy and I've been lusting after the designer hippy ranges of embroidered corduroy clothing for ages, but I'm far too stingy to pay the prices they want for them. So this will end up embellished - I just have to decide on the design. I really love corduroy, it softens wonderfully and feels so nice! I like velvet for the same reason.

I saw a few things in town yesterday that have given me inspiration for some new projects; one of them being a garter stitch scarf with the edges embellished with beads and sequins that Accessorize wanted £22 for! It was such a simple design too, even a beginner knitter could have whipped it up in no time at all! Sometimes the problem with being a multi crafter is that you often look at things and know that you could make it yourself for a fraction of the cost. I decide to treat myself and then can't justify spending the money on anything I see. I just don't have the time to do everything I want to do *lol*

I've finally finished the wrap part of the tassle edged wrap during a marathon Simpsons session. Now I just have to make the flowered tassles which will hang off the trefoil motifs along one side of the wrap. I love the slight glittery effect that the strand of silver running through the pink yarn gives.

After checking round unsuccessfully for some cream yarn to contrast with the lilac for Februarys Cross your Heart square in the 12" Square CAL, I finally decided on a stashbusting pink yarn instead.

Pink and lilac will co-ordinate well enough with my sis's bedroom.