Last year my favourite handbag bit the dust. I’d bought it for nine pounds when I was in England in the early 90s and it just couldn’t be fixed this time. It was a satchel type bag, very sturdy black leather and I loved it. I bought a new handbag, another leather one. It cost a lot more and it already needs fixing because I probably cram a bit too much in, but an every day handbag should last the distance I think.

When I was shopping for this replacement bag, I found it really hard to find a bag that I could sling over my shoulder. Most handbags around these days only have short straps, but I like to have my hands free, not battle with a bag that falls off my shoulder. My new handbag is also lined with a fabric that is dirty now and I won’t be able to clean it. And the fabric is pilling which I don’t really like.

Yesterday I was in a shop that sells handmade stuff and saw these handbags that I just fell in love with and I’m totally going to buy one. It’s my birthday soon so what a perfect excuse I have.

The straps are adjustable and everything looks really sturdy and funky. There’s little pockets which are handy for phones and the like and you can choose a different fabric for the front bit. Go have a look at the website and see for yourself.

I’m not being incentivised to say this, but I wouldn’t say no to trying out one to keep of course.

I’ve just started a Reviews section to this blog. It’s a place for me to write about stuff that I want to try out, or am given to try out, as applies to the first review I’ve done. Please, go have a visit.

A few weeks ago my son brought home the beginnings of his tomboy stitch (or French knitting as I found out via commenters below). For those who have never heard of it, it’s a crude form of knitting that’s been around for at least as long as my father (and probably longer).

It’s been great at keeping him occupied both at home and at school. When I used to do it at my son’s age we used empty wooden cotton reels but they aren’t easy to come by any more so an empty toilet roll and four wooden icecream sticks will suffice.

As the image above shows, evenly space the four wooden icecream sticks around the outside of the empty toilet roll and sticky tape them on. Note that on one end the sticks go past the edge of the cardboard toilet roll. This is what’s used to do the tomboy stitch.

I wasn’t around when JJ started his tomboy stitch but I reckon this will work. Loop some wool around one of the icrecream sticks and tie a knot. Loop the wool around again and pull the first loop over the second loop, therefore creating the first stitch.

Move onto the next icecream stick holder and loop the wool around twice and pull the first loop over the second loop again. Repeat this twice more until you’re back to where you started. This will create the base of the tomboy stitch.

Keep going in an anti-clockwise direction if you’re right handed. I’m presuming a left handed person will go the opposite way.

Pull the wool across the stick like the image below so the existing stitch is underneath.

Then pull the existing loop over the piece of wool as I’ve tried to demonstrate below.

Like so.

Keep repeating this around and around the four sticks until you get completely sick of it.

It’s very repetitive but fun to do because it can get really long and kids love a competition. There’s a competition going at after school care to see who’s got the longest tomboy stitch by the end of this term.

If anyone’s got any questions or comments about this method please let me know.

I used to do blog bits and bobs where I linked to blogs posts I’d enjoyed recently. I’ve stopped doing it because it was a bit time consuming and as blogging is my hobby it fell to the bottom of the list.

I’m going to try and reinstate it using Google shared items. Read how to set it up.

Because the Google shared items are dynamic and new shared items are automatically added I’ll repost this once a week and the new items will automatically be shown. I’ll see how it goes anyway - this is an experiment.

Below are the blog posts I’ve enjoyed recently. Because it is generated using Javascript the links may not show up in a feed reader. Like I said, it’s an experiment. Updated: now it doesn’t show up in my feed reader - damnit! Does anyone know of another way of doing something like this?

I’ve had a guest at my place for the last week - her name is Sheila. She’s travelling around Australia and might even venture overseas so she’s a real social butterfly. Actually she’s a big pink bra. It was the brain child of Leigh from All for Women and it’s labelled Sisterhood of the Travelling Bra.

I got JJ to take some photos of me wearing it, then as Monty was hanging around, she had a go too. So I didn’t exactly go out in public and wear it, but now the photos are on my Flickr site and on this website so that’s quite public.

Sheila still has a few places to visit. Maybe you’ll see her around.

Things I love from around the blogosphere, and why:

• "I could have done five or six virgins by now." If this was the only bit you read you’d be doing yourself a disservice and you’d probably get the wrong idea about what the post is about. In fact I think once you get started on this blog you’ll find it fascinating reading. If you remember Granny Gets a Vibrator, this is from her latest blog (As the Tumor Turns), writing about what it’s like during/post cancer.
• I don’t love cruelty to animals - not at all. In fact I don’t understand how people can be cruel to animals. Bob the 42 pound turtle is in intensive care after he was taken from his home and mutilated and his owners are facing a massive vet bill and need help. I’m including this because I love animals and hate seeing them mistreated.
• Small pleasures with a weekly visit to the Farmer’s Market by Ronni Bennett and I can relate to this. A farmer’s market started near my place nearly one year ago. I try to go every week but as it’s on a Sunday morning it’s not always possible because I’m not here or I’ve had a very busy Saturday night. I do love the fresh produce and I love the fact that I’m not helping supermarket shareholders fill up their coffers, but helping local producers.
• Nicole found my post the other day about being pregnant and alone and she’s got a similar story. She didn’t know she was pregnant until she was about six months along so in that respect we’re quite different as I knew just about straight away but it is interesting reading another person’s story. She seems to be pretty level headed and not too freaked out so it will be interesting following her story.
• Last but not least, get your blogging groove back - day 4 from Problogger. It’s about link posts today which is what this post is. It’s a good series and worth saving for when and if you lose your blogging groove. I wouldn’t say I’ve lost mine but every now and again I do. It’s made me get off my butt and finish off and publish a couple of draft posts I had lying around. In fact, I would suggest another way to find something to publish on your blog is to look at your draft posts to see if there’s any material you can use when you can think of nothing else.

What I’ve enjoyed in the last week, and why.

• Thordora at GNM Parents had some childfree time away with work recently. She reminisced about what it was like to feel like an adult again but wouldn’t change her motherhood status for the world. I can really relate to this. It’s very rare that I get childfree time for more than the time I spend at work and when I do I relish it. Actually if I haven’t got plans during my rare childfree time I do a run around the house like a chook with its head cut off because I don’t know where to start.
• Miscellaneous Mum talks about rivalry between two Australian states, namely Victoria and New South Wales. I know this sort of thing occurs sometimes between South Australia (where I live) and Victoria, and taking it to a larger scale, between Australia and New Zealand but if I ever have a go at someone about this it’s always in jest.
• This great blog started when he was born six years ago. Well actually a website started because his mum didn’t know about blogging then and she transferred all the webpages into the blog format when she started blogging herself. To see the lot, look at the archives. Ok, it’s JJ’s (my son’s) own blog. Hopefully one day he’ll take it over from me.
• Essential keystrokes are having a competition where you can win some cool stuff and who doesn’t like to win stuff. To enter is really easy.