CAT BLANKETS AND AN OZ BAG

My previous blog was about sending some little blankets for cats to Battersea Dogs and Cats home but since I have had to write twice to find out whether the packet had arrived (or whether I needed to contact Royal Mail re non-arrival of a parcel) I've decided that I'll transfer my affection to Blackberry Farm at Quainton, which is run by the RSPCA. Hmmm, I'm not completely 'easy' about that organisation, either. However it's about 6 miles away so much easier to contact. These are three cat blankets, then, for Blackberry Farm.  This checkerboard design is a mini version of a 4' x 3' I made in November 2011 and which I still have upstairs, wrapped in a charity bag...This one is about 24" square, made in four strips (one colour, one black) which are then crocheted together. 

 

 

 When I went to Blackberry Farm to ask whether they wanted/needed cat blankets I was invited to go into the unit where cats were waiting for new owners. All very quiet and serene with dozing cats either on the floor of the 'cage' or else resting on a shelf part way up the side wall. They were warm and seemed completely relaxed. There's a cat flap to the outside yard, too. And Yes, they'd take any size blankets - so that's what they'll be getting!

I'm disappointed with the photo below, the colours are wrong but that's how the camera has 'seen' them. All the colours should be much stronger; purple, a mid mauve, pale mauve about half way down and a greyish mauve making the topmost stripe. The apparently white stripes near the bottom are really yellow! The yellows should be much brighter and greens more vibrant but - that's how it's come out. This is a Ripple blanket pattern which came from a Ripple pattern book which I bought probably about a year ago and had never used. This was an opportunity to try something different. It's about 18" wide and 24" long. Only two rows to the pattern - it has One Symbol in the book! Once I'd got those fixed in my mind I was away. just using up - well, not exactly Odds and Ends - half-balls of wool, the purple being the linking factor.

Long, long ago I made some Granny squares, until I got bored, then (much later) I decided to edge them with royal blue. Huh! Wrong colour to see in dull winter light, even with a craft light and/or a 'proper' 150 watt bulb over my shoulder. I didn't do the whole bagful of squares, needless to say! All I had to do with the number I needed was sew in the ends and crochet the squares together using a method I found on Attic 24's blog site.

And so to the Oz bag. My friend, Brenda from Haddenham, spent December and January in Australia visiting her daughter and brought this pretty shopping bag back for me. On the reverse it says, 'Woolworths Australia's fresh food people.' The design looks quite aboriginal and that's what I thought it was (though I suppose all the colours make it non-aboriginal). Then I read the swing ticket for the Interpretation of the Artwork...

 

It says 'The Woolworths Limited Reconciliation Action Plan artwork represents creation of country and the connection of people through trade. The Rainbow Serpent moves across the land creating the central circle which represents Woolworths...it creates a pathway leading to the circular motif to the right, this signifies the State of New South Wales, specifically Sydney, where the first Woolworth's store began trading. Following the pathway to the left where it meets another circular motif this represents the second Woolworths store that opened in Western Australia giving Woolworths a presence on both the eastern and western seaboards.

The Serpent continues it's (tut) travels throughout the land creating new formations, opening up more opportunities for trade and interaction. Each main pathway leading to a circular motif represents each State and Territory of Australia including Woolworths' connection to New Zealand.These main motifs are connected to other networks that in turn create new opportunities....'.and continues, giving the names of other firms under the Woollies umbrella.  I thought it was a clever advertising method, linking history, native peoples' inhabiting the land and what is being done to retrieve the wrongs of two hundred years ago up to almost the present day.

 

Sorry about the poor quality of the colours as all the photos were taken in natural daylight, no flash, so I don't understand why it's come out so badly. Hmmm...

 

Now what can I do?? Well, I'm waiting for a therapeutic (single) glove to arrive which I'm hoping will make crocheting easier for longer - I tend to get pain in my left thumb-to-wrist-bones if I do too much. Knitting is OK, at least for the time being. And I've ordered a book from the library which is out on the Mobile Library van - 200 crochet squares to make for blankets, afghan, throws etc. Just waiting to see if it's UK or US crochet terms...