Making Macrame Plant Hanger with Craft Lab at La Biblioteka

Thursday 30 November 2017

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Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth 

So a while back after a few baileys I randomly booked myself and my boss onto one of Craftlab's sessions at La Biblioteka for a wee cheer up. 

We got our spaces on the Macrame Plant Hanger session for £30 each including materials, tutorial, plant, prosecco and snacks all booked via the Craft Lab website

We were welcomed on a cold Tuesday evening into the cosey workspace on the second floor of La Biblioteka to welcoming faces and a glass of prosecco. 

Julie who hosted the class made us feel right at home and we started learning how to do the two knots we'd be using that evening. We then picked our cord colours for the plant hangers and cut them to the right length.

Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth


After getting the hang of the knots (won't say i've quite mastered it yet) we started work on our plant hangers using beautiful hoops and a gathering bond to work down from.

Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteethCraft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth

From this Julie guided us through creating the shape of the plant hanger using a twisted bar knot. As a beginner it was fantastic having Julie to hand, she's fantastic teacher and made everything so clear to follow. It was such a relaxing process I could make knots all night with Julie's assistance!

Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth
Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth
At the beginning it was hard to see how these cords were going support a plant pot but as we finished each set of knots it began to shape and to say I got a little excited is an understatement. 

Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth
Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth

Craft lab, sheffield, craftlab, la biblioteka, macrame, macrame plant hanger, typewriter teeth, typewriterteeth

The finished product looks amazing in my wee house and was so simple to do with Julie's help! I even had a little time to pick up a few goodies from La Biblioteka after.




Find out about Craft Lab's upcoming workshops here or follow them on instagram for beautiful updates.
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'Everything Everything' by Nicola Yoon

Thursday 2 November 2017

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“Just because you can’t experience everything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experience anything.” 

‘Everything Everything’ was given to me as a birthday present from a dear friend. I had assumed that it was another young adult novel centred around an illness, accident or misfortune so I had never picked it up before but there was a little more to the novel than I was expecting. 

Madeline Whittier has SCID, severe combined immunodeficiency which basically means she is allergic to the world.  Because of this Madeline lives a quiet, calm life centred around learning and losing herself in books until a new family moves in next door. The new neighbour Olly becomes her new focus as she watches the family unfold. 

When the pair finally connect Madeline becomes desperate to see the world through Olly. Yoon replicates digital relations, using excessive text messages and instant messenger as the pair fall for each other quickly, finding and supporting each other through their unfortunate circumstances. This unconventional narrative makes their relationship develop quicker and with this they push the limits of Madeline’s illness close to death. 

Everything Everything Nicola Yoon


Outside of the plot I was intrigued by Madeline, it is easy to mistake her for someone a lot younger due to her lack of life experience. Yet when interacting with Olly she plays it cool, so what initially comes across as maturity is a reminder that Madeline is much older than she is treated by her mother and her nurse. Throughout ‘Everything Everything’ there were hints like this, of things that were not quite right. Where did she learn how to behave like that. Is it from books and films? The internet?  

It niggled at the back of my mind that Madeline already had a connection to the outside world via the internet. There are numerous references to Madeline’s popular tumblr and I couldn’t grasp that in her isolated world that she wouldn’t have reached out before Olly. A coming of age whirl wind romance is clearly a force worth risking your life for. 

This driving force made me feel like I was waiting for recovery or death but what Yoon delivered was a fantastic twist and refreshing change compared to novels on a similar par. Although I was disappointed that the twist is barely explored and almost washed over. Have you read ‘Everything, Everything’? What did you think of this or hints of internet popularity but personal isolation? 

Also I haven’t watched the film yet, is it worth it? 


Not read it, grab a copy here: Everything, Everything
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Interview with Lauren aka Babyrockets for Things & Ink

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When I have a free bit of time in life I love to do pieces for the Things & Ink blog: www.th-ink.co.uk 

For Halloween I saw the opportunity to interview a spooky babe who kept popping up on my Instagram feed. 


[Harriet Heath]


I talked to Lauren aka BabyRockets about her love of Halloween, her incredible tattoo collection and her fantastic home. Check it out over on the Things & Ink blog here. 

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