WOYWW #287

Edit: I just remembered I better mention that I am finally over the virus which lasted exactly three weeks! Thanks for all of your well wishes during the last two weeks, I appreciate it!



 Sorry to mention the H word on WOYWW, but when an old friend like this dies I feel I must mention it. I don't name my machines, I know folk who do, even cars - they are machines! But I have had this Dyson washing machine for somewhere between 8 to 10 years I think. It was desupported by Dyson a few years ago, when they kindly sent a £50 voucher to go buy a new machine - from Comets! Comets went under the same weekend the voucher arrived haha! Anyway Saturday when I had maybe overloaded it with towels to try and save water and power, it declared it had an F11 fault. I googled this, pressed the buttons that would clear it - yes I could open the door (that was a blessing), but as soon as I tried to get it to wash, or just spin it told me to ring Dyson - who no longer want to know. So that, and the fact I have had to keep a screwdriver to open it since the handle to the interior door broke for the 10th time, never to be replaced - I did find one for £29 online, and didn't bother, meant the machine was on the way out of the door.

 Had to find me a new machine quick, before that we had to visit the only self service laundrette in town to wash the very soggy towels. Now this was not the machine I imagined I would buy, or had ever even looked at but it seemed to have every feature I required, so got AO to price match it because they could deliver it quicker than the other place, and have been worrying in case I should have gone for my first choice ever since. Anyway I got a phone call at just before 7am, when I was just dropping off to sleep again for maybe another hour or two - we are 10 minutes away! I had to leap out of bed and dress, no time to shower, and sort the dogs out, and here it was. I couldn't use it until Shaun came home to fix it up, I couldn't even get the bolt things out of the back, and I can't get down under the counter to the socket and water supply.
Now the first wash, and the machine is sticking out into the middle of the utility room while we ran it to check there are no leaks, resulted in hot sheets. Funny, thought I, they normally come out cold. I remarked that very thing to himself. Then I had a thought, had he hooked the machine up to the cold water? The old machine had hot and cold fill, and normally we look for that to save money, but forgot because the old one had lasted so long. Anyway I had this feeling that when the utility room was built himself did the plumbing and might have got the pipe end things the wrong way round, and said he wasn't going to (or couldn't) change them, but never mind we knew! The second wash was underway by then but I cancelled it, and later he changed the hose over - yes now we have cold water!

Here is the desk, finally after all the H trauma! That lovely bit of curved polystryrene came with the machine, now what can I make with that? You can see  Meljen marshmallow snowman I have coloured, and was meant to enter in a mini challenge but I ran out of time. There is a wooden heart and some tissue to cover it, well a couple of hearts, that I came across the other day, must do that! Behind the snowman is a Fiskars punch I also came across in one of my punch boxes while I searched for snowflakes - and I thought I don't use this punch maybe it can go. But I tried it out first to make sure it was ok, the last one like this exploded itself on my desk before I could advertise it! This particular punch does a very pretty corner, and then embosses it and I have never used it before. I think I will keep it for now. Various ink pads scattered round, and tools and glues, and a pile of stamps and folder of stamps I was using on the left and behind. The Crossover machine still has no handle. I told Samuel Taylors that this was taking too long to sort out and I thought they should replace the machine, they then told me that their suppliers were going to send me a new handle and link to a video on how to put it on, should be interesting - if it ever arrives! UPDATE: Samuel Taylor's rang me today, they have a handle, they have a washer, and they have pictures to help me fit them, and they are sending them.

Last week I showed you my Pan Pastel prize and a couple of people asked how I found them, as they haven't used them. Well I am now the proud owner of 3 "pans" of colour, orange, yellow and hint of sienna, and they seem too precious for me to actually use! I got a load of sponge applicator thingies with the orange and yellow, I will try them soon and let you know what I think.

Here are the results of my crochet efforts for presents. I have made three hats, three pairs of hand warmers, and seven Scarfatis, the thin infinity scarves that you wear alone or together. All of this is supposed to be for my neice and SIL and I hope they will like them. Thinking of the purple hat for my neice, with matching hand warmers, and the orange for SIL, and also the brown. Three "Scarfatis each, brown, orange and green for SIL and purple orange and green for 15 year old neice - what do you think?

They are modelled here by Aunt Sally and her friend and now she has got rid of her bonnet I might have to give her a make over - or is she fine as is?

Well I had to try it all on didn't I, so look away now if you don't want to see!

 NOW the watermark finally shows up way too big! Been messing about with watermarking in PSE and not really seeing it!
Here are three colours of Scrafati twisted up and doubled, should be nice and warm, think I will make some more for me.

I love the purple marbled yarn.

 Not sure orange does a thing for me, but this orange is burnt orange and almost looks red so isn't too bad, apart from making me look sunburnt!
The orange has a strange shiny thread in a very dark orange running through it.

 Here is the hand warmer. I definitely need some of these! I had another photo with the purple handwarmers, not sure where it is but I won't inflict it on you now. One of the purple handwarmers has come out smaller than the other, I have no idea why!
I think I will have to rework it. I found that the purple and greeny marble yarn was thicker than the orange or brown and I had to go down a hook size, but was sure I made the two hand warmers with the same size hook - maybe I didn't!

I haven't made a green hat or hand warmers, or do you call them wristies, wrist warmers, hand cuffs (oh that is funny, maybe not), or wrist cuffs?

 Scarfatis not twisted up double.

I had happy post today, a voile bag with a huge ball of yarn to make a particular jumper for me, except I bought some fushia sequined yarn to make the same sweater and not go to that yet, but this seemed to be selling out and it will be cheaper than the fushia sequined one - even though I was sold that at an offer I couldn't refuse price!

Now if you want to go on a tour of lots of other people's desks - just because it is Wednesday - hop on over to The Stamping Ground where the talented Julia Dunnit started this revolution on her own!

By the time this posts I will be on my way home from a very early hospital appointment, well very early start for me again, two in a row! 

I will link up when I can.