Easy Gift Giving April 30, 2011

I’ve had an idea for a kid’s present going around in my head and finally had the chance to give it a go.  The two children of the lovely Donna have their birthdays close together and rather than giving more toys, I took the opportunity to try to get my idea together.

A while ago I bought some hamburger shaped bento boxes from an import store that was closing down.  I can’t quite remember how many I bought but there are a few.  They were cheap but lovely quality.

So I decided I needed to make a bag for the bento boxes to sit in which looked a bit like a paper bag from a well known fast food outlet. I made them out of a linen/ cotton blend fabric and just made it up as I went along.

I ended up with this:

Gryff was the guinea pig but he loves his as much as the two lovely kids did today.  The bento boxes are not ideal for lunches as they don’t fit a sandwich easily but they are great for snacks and the kids like pulling them apart to see what is in the different layers.

The whole process was fun. It was easy and quick and I think the kids really like them.  Watch out if your child is likely to get a present from me any time soon….

Noro Striped Scarf April 17, 2011

This scarf is a really long time coming. I think I started it in May of last year. It was a really long, boring knit. One that made me question, on more than one occassion what possessed me to start it. One that made me beg (the much more level headed) Donna to ‘intervene’ if I ever suggested I would start another such ill-conceived project ever again. Still, I love all 7 foot of it and now it is done, I’m pretty pleased it is mine.
The pattern (such that it is) is on Ravelry and the yarn is Noro Yuzen. 4.5mm bamboo needles.