Knitting in a foreign language

For all of you who like foreign knitting patterns but find Google translate challenging....to say the least...I have come across these sites where you can make your own translations...
               Happy Knitting

Russian to English

...just a small sample.... go to the web site to find much more

...and this one for

A selection of languages

PROBLEMS WITH BLOG

I am having to redo all my blogs because of a change in my domain name.....my old blog...unique artisan jewellery by mouflon is no longer usable...please accept apologies while I try to reconstruct it here

Gardening in a Polytunnel 2.....Making raised beds

I am delighted with my polytunnel being able to work in all weathers is wonderful.

Like many gardeners I have back problems so high level beds are essential. 
And if you build them yourself you can get them tailored to your needs.

I started with the front and back supports, these were buried in the earth. Then I added cross pieces to hold them upright and to support the 'shelf'.

I then added the wood slats running the full length of the tunnel.

Wide boards, fixed at the corners, made up the boxes.  

Divisions fixed again at the corners were put in every 92 cms. the first box filled with soil.

An empty box with seeds sown in pots.

On the other side of the tunnel I only did the staging half way and left the end to grow tall vegetables like runner beans and peas.

The bottom of the staging being filled with soil ready to plant out courgettes, squash and brassicas.

That's all for now, watch out for Gardening in a Polytunnel 3!

Gardening in a polytunnel in Ireland ... The beginning

Gardening in any weather!

After last years very poor yield in my garden in south east Ireland I decided to order a polytunnel in January, so hopefully this year I shall have vegetables and herbs in abundance.
I decided to get a 10' x 16' from Colin Warren polytunnels
The first job was to level the site...part of which was my original vegetable garden.

The site which I had covered with plastic to kill back some of the grass.

The site then had to be levelled with extra room at the front so that the door could open outwards.

The van arrived with all the kit and two men to construct my tunnel. The hoops and the door frames were inserted into holes and concreted in place. 

The cross braces were put into position and the frames for the doors. Heavy wood battens were fixed all around the base.

Next  the plastic went on over the frame and was stretched taut and fixed around wood battens at the base, which were then secured to the wood already in place. It was then pleated and fixed around the door frames front and back

A stout door was fixed in place.

And a net screen on the back, which also had a roll down plastic door inside for the colder weather.


Watch out for the next part where I shall be planning and building the raised beds inside!

Corsets, Crinolines and Codpieces 8...The Eyes have it!

Shape Changing......Make up for the eyes

From historical records it seems that Kohl or a substitute may have been first used as a aid to deflect the sun from the eyes.  Modern cosmetic 'kohl' does not have these benefits.

Ancient Egyptian  Queen Nefrit ....3,300 year old painted stucco coated limestone

Queen Nefetari, a painting in her tomb, XIX th Dynasty......the eye as depicted here is very similar to the symbol for the Eye of Horus depicted below

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health

I was told recently that men in Morocco rim their eyes with kohl to keep out the sun, sand and dust in the desert.

Amazigh Berber nomad, Sahara desert

It seems that Kohl was worn in countries where the sun was stronger,  there does not seem to be any historical records of it being worn in northern countries until it became a fashionable make up feature in modern times.

Portrait of a young lady by Petrus Christus 1465 - 70

Minoan Lady about 1400 BC originally from Knossos

with

Eye make up and lip colouring

Queen Elizabeth 1580 artist unknown

again eyes are not emphasized

The traditional make up of the Keisha

and a western parody of it

False eyelashes are added for more emphasis

Alice Prin a flapper

... and Twiggy, eyelashes are painted on the skin 

People whom you are used to seeing with eye make up look almost undressed with out it.
And to finish some steam punk make up...an art form in itself....

 I have not been able to credit some of the photos...but thank you ...

Wearable Art necklace and earrings finished at last

  If you remember, if you were following my blog, I started on a new wearable art piece

 It has been a challenge to make this piece..it happens!
I got as far as this....

 and then scrapped everything but the pendant, I have put aside the rest of the design as I still have ideas to make another necklace from it.
I kept the buttermilk silk yarn and introduced a stone and brown slubbed cotton yarn.
This when wrapped around the jersey material blended beautifully with the pendant.
I completed the two pieces of the necklace and made a hook and eye to fasten it.

I tried many ways to attach the pendant, none of them worked for me until I remembered that I had some leather pieces; cut in a strip and bound with yarn made the perfect fastening.

The effect was good but too plain so I added some yarn tassels.

I decided to add some more pieces of leather to the necklace.

At last I was happy with the results; I made a pair of earrings to complement the necklace.

The finished set  'Painted Jasper'

More earrings to add to my steampunk collection

I have been busy making more earrings......for my Steampunk Collection

Silvery Celtic crosses and  fire polished crystal beads €20 ( plus p and p) 1564

Brass wire wrapped cogs antique gold keys and glass beads €25 ( Plus P and P ) 1554

Antique gold cogs and mother of pearl discs €20 (plus p and p) 1557

All earrings have nickel free ear wires and are handmade

My latest steampunk design

Victoriana

Mouflon goes Steam Punk

Steam Punk
Steampunk, is a subgenre of science fiction and sometimes fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Although its literary origins are sometimes associated with the cyberpunk genre, steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the 19th century's British Victorian era or American "Wild West", in a post-apocalyptic future during which steam power has maintained mainstream usage, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power. for more information see the rest of this on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

Some women's fashions www.costumeprize.com

 This is Mouflon's collection of Handmade jewellery in this gendre

all these will be available soon in my Etsy Shop

Victoriana....firepolished crystal beads, antique gold chain and bead caps.

Black Beauty....Antique gold cogs and chain, black glass beads and tulle.

Wheels within wheels....antique gold cogs and chain.

Safety First...firepolished crystal beads, silver chain and safety pins.

Petals....antique copper and crystal firepolished

beads.

......more designs on the way!

Wearable Art Jewellery - a New design

2015-05-14T17:29:34.769+01:00  Another piece of wearable art in the making

I started with choosing the colours and the main feature

The yarns I selected were caramel slubbed cotton, cream silk yarn and stone silk and wool. I wrapped white cotton jersey strips with the cream and stone yarns

A rough sketch of my design idea

This beautiful fossil stone pendant was the featured element and I covered aluminum wire with the caramel slubbed cotton to attach it to the main necklace and for some decoration.

So far so good but it has taken hours to get this far!

Now you will have to be patient, I will blog the finished necklace as soon as it 'comes off the drawing board'