There’s A Mouse In The House

Among the many books I bought when I took up the crochet hook was one featuring animal trophy heads.  A strange choice I think you’ll agree but one can only have so many blankets around the place and I thought they might be fun.

I started with the smallest animal in the book – a mouse – which may have been a mistake as I’m not used to using 4-ply yarn and a 2mm hook so it was a bit fiddly but it is done.

Mr. T. made me a little wooden shield out of some scrap wood he had lying about.

Now the cats have the first of what might well be several trophies for ‘their room’ aka our conservatory.  Maybe it will discourage them from bringing any more real ones in but I doubt it.

I think I’ll do the hare next but I won’t hang that in the cats’ room in case it gives them ideas.

I know they don’t look very dangerous but, trust me, I wouldn’t want to be a mouse (or mole!) in the vicinity (plus there are four others lurking out of shot!)

To think I used to say ‘life’s too short to stuff a mushroom’.

As I used some scrap yarn – albeit Jaegar alpaca no less – and the wood was scrap too, I’m linking up with Kate and Gun’s Scraphappy Day for which we attempt to make something using scraps every month – or just when we have something to show.

Kate,  Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn (me),  Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Karen,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry and Claire

Now, enough with the animal crochet – I have a half finished dress draped over two mannequins that won’t finish itself.

 

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A Manly Project

When Mr. T’s birthday pressie didn’t look as if it would arrive on time – it was coming from China – I was panicking to think of something I could give him so that he didn’t have to  look all stoically brave yet secretly upset that he didn’t have anything to open apart from his birthday card.

I’ve mentioned before that he has embarked on making leather goods – mainly handbags (hoorah!) – so he does need a certain amount of sewing equipment including needles and, being a bloke (and an untidy one at that) he tends to scatter his haberdashery items around the table top in the shed.  I love any excuse to use the word ‘haberdashery’ it’s one of my favourite words – the French word for it is ‘mercerie’ which doesn’t sound nearly so exciting.

Anyway, I decided to make him a needlecase so that he can keep all his leatherworking needles in one place and off the floor where our dogs could step on them on their way through the shed into the garden as, unlike us, they don’t wear slippers in the house.

 

I used all scraps for this so, conveniently, it allows me to link to Kate’s Scrappy Happy day this month.

I didn’t give him my stork scissors – they are in their just for photographic purposes but I haven’t seen my seam ripper for a while and, I don’t know about you, but I can’t survive long without mine.

His present did turn up on the day in the end so he got a bonus and all feet and paws will be safer.

While I was at it, I made another one which will be a stocking filler for Mlle. Tialys the elder – she says she reads my blog but seems suspiciously ignorant of anything I put on it so I think the secret is safe

I can’t really claim this one as a scrap project as the cover fabric was new but the rest is from the scrap bin.

 Finally I’ve found a use for the Kam snaps I seem to have a stock of too.

Did I say ‘stocking filler’?  That brings me to the subject of Christmas and as it’s such a miserable Monday – weather wise and world news wise – I thought I’d cheer you up by giving you the links to the annual battle of the ads designed to win your hearts at this time of year between Sainsbury’s and John Lewis.  If you’re in the U.K. you might already have seen them.  Manipulatively sentimental, of course, but both beautifully done.  I bet you can guess which one is my favourite.