Real rag balls and what to do with them.

I've often had rag balls around my house for decoration but just fake ones with foam in the middle. But now I have a reason to have real ones.

My crafting buddy and good friend, Lisa, has recently shown me how to make braided rugs by crocheting strips of material that I ripped from old sheets. To stop these strips getting tangled, I wind them into a ball and hey, presto, a rag ball that is both pretty and functional.

My first rug I started on, I unwound and redid several times as I practised getting the tension right as it always seemed to pucker and make a hat shape. Then I decided I didn't really like the country colours anyway, and started on a new one in shabby greens and blues to put next to my bed to keep my footsies away from the freezing floor boards in winter. I'm nearly finished and I'm really happy with this one.

I've always loved the look of braided rugs but new, factory-made ones are sooo expensive. I much prefer the fact that I've made it myself and did a bit of recycling in the bargain. And I've never really liked when things that are old-fashioned from a make-do time are mass-marketed. It's like you get the look without the work, just buy it all from a catalogue for an instant finish. Although I've certainly been guilty of that at times. I've always felt a bit fake having ragballs that weren't real. I much prefer the real thrifty beauty of reusing and prettying up old things for a new purpose.

Lisa came over today for our fortnightly craft morning. Last time she taught me crocheting, this time I helped her make one of my recipe books. She bought me this cute spotty mug and pretty teatowel because the cupcakes made her think of my recipe book. Isn't that lovely.

I've also been wanting to make myself a new double-handed oven mitt in pastel colours (my old one is in bright blues and greens and is really grubby) and I found this cot sheet with little teapots and cupcakes at Vinnies today for $1.

It'll make a great oven mitt to hang on my oven door next to my new teatowel, don't you think. And there'll be heaps left so maybe I'll make some placemats as well to replaced my dark blue primitive ones.

I usually just have the morning off on Thursdays but Rosie's a bit sick today so I took the whole day off. I think I needed it too because I sprained my ankle really badly at netball last night. I'm sure I heard or felt a real crack it seemed, and I had to hobble off the court and spend the rest of the game with ice on it. I managed to drive home okay but when I got home and Mitch bandaged it up for me with ice, I burst into tears like a baby. It really, really hurt and I think I got a bit of a shock. It's okay today, although swollen, and I'm limping around, so an afternoon on my feet running around after kids probably isn't a good idea.