new year new book

Knitting - a hat

Merlot, but a bit fudged.

2010 Resolutions - crochet

I will learn.

I will!

Knitting - Colinette Art

I decided on Mustard....

Knitting - Colinette Art

pattern ideas for my Colinette Art (only one hank!)

79% Wool, 21% Bamboo
173m (189 yards)

Gauge, 19sts and 24 rows (4", on 5mm)

mitts
Mitts that Fit from twinset.us here

a scarf
Dear by Boudi Knits here
Mustard by Jane Richmond here

a hat
Merlot by stickchicky here
The Slouch II by Caffeinated Frenzy here

inspirations in nature - part 15

knitting - hand warmers

I used Garnstudio's Drops Silke-Tweed (5ply) and this pattern.

Merry Christmas

Inspired by this

Big Girl and her girlie friends.

Knitting - doughnuts

3 iced doughnuts using this pattern from CakesKnitsandCosies on Etsy.

Christmas gifts 2009

my Christmas list so far....

journal jar for 7 year old boy

stripey mitts 1 - 9 year old girl

stripey mitts 2 - 8 year old girl

stripey mitts 3 - 8 year old girl

purple 'lace' mitts (emo) - 11 year old girl

black (emo) mitts - 11 year old girl?

mitts - 4 year old girl

pitter patter socks 1 - 18mth old girl

doughnuts - 2.5 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

mitts - 36 year old girl

Magnetic doll like this one here


Still to be done!!!!

magic painting box like this one here - where can I get teeny tiny paint brushes...?

crayon roll like this one here

a felt sandwich like this one! - almost done

stripey socks - 36 year old girl- delayed until February birthday

socks - 4mth old girl - may now turn into a dress....

Knitting - doughnuts

a 'naked' doughnut using this pattern from CakesKnitsandCosies on Etsy.

I'm not happy with the dough colour (too dark) but the shape and 'feel' of the nut is really good!

(magnetic) paper doll

using the free pattern from Wee Wonderfuls and magnetic paper from here.

it is very cute but the I wish it was magnetic card as the paper feels a little too flimsy.

2009 review

a list of my ideas and projects from 2009

sewing on leaves - no more sewing done...

art cubes - nothing done for ages...


blue cone

backsides - like this idea still


location location - no progress at all, and I was very excited about this!

pom poms - no progress really...

softies - a few made
20 Cards - slow slow slow
Dolls House - some progress
Small Stitching - not even attempted
recycling - forgot about this!
Exhibition 2009 - CANCELLED
sock - still not got a pair!!!
self portrait - haven't even described it yet

and no need for the strike through font

and I haven't included any originating in previous years

I did have several ideas for exhibitions through the year but only managed one (and I wasn't even happy with that)

oh dear, another procrastinating year...

I need to write an "I did it list!"

Knitting - a dolls house blanket

knitting - hand warmers

pre-schooler sized versions of these 'bigger' kids ones.

CO 32
knit for about 22 rows
Cast off 6 for thumb
knit for about 14 stitches
So far I have knitted 4.5 pairs of these in various sizes...

getting a bit bored now...

Knitting - Blue Cone

My large Blue Cone is gathering dust...


whilst looking for a nice scarf pattern for my Colinette Art I came across this scarf/shawl pattern (again) and a variation of it...

I think if can soften the texture of the Blue Cone wool I may attempt this lacy version...

Knitting - a secret blanket

In October my stitching group hatched a plan to create a patchwork blanket for Karen (the Professional Artist) in recognition of her enthusiasm and dedication to the group.

8 people contributed squares knitted using a Lion Brand pattern, double knitting wool, 4mm needles.

I came out really well! (after many many hours!)

The variety in colours and subtle textures have made a really warm vibrant blanket!

it measures approx 120cm x 105cm

I learnt a lot through its organisation and construction!

1. either ask everyone to weave in ends OR specify the length of tail to be left, to ensure its long enough to use to sew up!
2. keep an eye on tension, some knitters are looser than others, luckily we weren't aiming for perfection but some squares were very big compared to the tighter squares...
3. leave enough time for finishing with a nice edge... knit, crochet or fringes...

Knitting - purple fingerless mitts

are these Emo?

If the mother of my 11 year old niece reads this can she let me know if these would be a welcome gift...

I'm so out of touch...

Its from a pattern by Creative Yarn, here, which shows them in action...

Knitting - Twist Fibre Craft

My friend Karen (the Professional Artist) and I finally sorted out childcare and visited Twist Fibre Craft in Newburgh, Fife.

There are so few 'fancy' wool shops (and certainly within bus travel for me) that this was a real treat.

I made a few purchases (I sold some crafty books and bits and bods to pay for it - "one thing in, one thing out")

a beautiful hank of Colinette Art

some handmade felt

and some buttons


The shop was lovely with a selection of Noro, Colinette, Rowan, a little Debbie Bliss etc. A good selection of sock wool, books and accessories.

I particularly liked the hand knitted accessories they displayed amongst the wool, suggesting what could be knitted and how...

It did cater for a certain taste in knitted garments and there was perhaps a lack of everyday yarns and colours...

but overall well worth the 90 minute round trip!

one month on...

I have been very busy and a little unwell, but mostly I have had nothing to say, or at least I didn't know how to say it.

I am so out of habit of blogging...

This is not the first time I've had a months break but I think its getting harder to get back into the habit... not sure what that means...

I'll begin with some catch up posts...

Christmas gifts 2009

my Christmas list so far....

journal jar for 7 year old boy

stripey mitts 1 - 9 year old girl

stripey mitts 2 - 8 year old girl

stripey mitts 3 - 8 year old girl

black (emo) mitts - 11 year old girl?

purple 'lace' mitts (emo) - 11 year old girl

mitts - 4 year old girl

pitter patter socks 1 - 18mth old girl

pitter patter socks 2 - 18mth old girl

socks - 4mth old girl

doughnuts - 2.5 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

mitts - 36 year old girl

stripey socks - 36 year old girl

a felt sandwich like this one!

magic painting box like this one here

crayon roll like this one here

Magnetic doll like this one here

Christmas gifts 2009

my Christmas list so far....

journal jar for 7 year old boy

stripey mitts 1 - 9 year old girl

stripey mitts 2 - 8 year old girl

stripey mitts 3 - 8 year old girl

black (emo) mitts - 11 year old girl

mitts - 4 year old girl

mitts - 3 year old girl

pitter patter socks 1 - 18mth old girl

pitter patter socks 2 - 18mth old girl

Penelope - 3 year old

doughnuts - 2.5 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

mitts - 36 year old girl

stripey socks - 36 year old girl

a felt sandwich like this one!

magic painting box like this one here

crayon roll like this one here

a long random list - update

Not much has been changed...

1. design Microsoft Access database and easy to use interface to store customer special orders, subscriptions and wish lists for Kingdom of Adventure
   
2. continue to develop record keeping for Kingdom of Adventure
   
3. organise a surprise for someone - sshhhhhh!
   
4. baby gift - paint fabric, stitch and frame
   
5. contact lots of various people re an outdoor space for local playgroup including grants and funding
   
6. finish my Beginning Embroidery piece (now called Beginning Miro) for the Fife Art Exhibition 2009, i.e. 19th September.
7. start to clear garden of summer flowers plant some bulbs in garden
8. write my definitive Christmas list and execute it!
9. rip out wall cupboards and extractor fan in kitchen, paper and paint walls and fit open shelving
10. fix living room curtains!
11. make lots of soft furnishings (cushions, curtains, rugs, towels) for Big Girl's Big House ("Its the biggest house I've ever seen!")
12. finish all the unfinished knitting projects, including 2 ugly bags and a monster
13. finish my ECDL in Excel spreadsheet course
    
14. start an advanced Access database course
15. plan my route to Art College
16. start a business
17. find a how to build a website course
18. make doughnuts
19. make a pretty needle book
20. make 20 random cards
21. clear the leaves....
22. list another load of stuff on eBay - photo,weigh, list, sell, package, post
23. decorate a 4ft snowflake...

Knitting - hand warmers

One done, one to go.

They are really nice (if I do say so myself!)

I used Garnstudio's Drops Silke-Tweed (5ply) and this pattern.

These are for a gift, but I want a pair too! So... I found this pattern (Kumara) which uses aran weight yarn which should make it a quicker knit...

still alive

I am still here... just not making anything... I'm not even compiling any crafty lists (unless you count Big Girl's Christmas list)...

I've been busy with this and this and something else which I'll talk about later...

Big Girl has been far more creative than me recently...



hopefully have some more arty crafty things (by me!) at some point....

cupcakes...

are all the rage edible or not.

Following my success with doughnuts I had to make some felt cupcakes.

I have no photos of my trials (yet) but so far they have been too small and too pork pie like...

I do like this knitted pattern too...

Needlebook

I've been hankering after a pretty little needlebook but haven't got round to making one.

I finally made one using this basic pattern, however its tiny!

Which is probably a good thing as I do need to cut down on my unnecessary needle collection.

Here it is in action whilst sewing Big Girl's Halloween costume ("I want to be a King, Mummy. Not a Queen, not scary. A King!")

...and yes that is marabou trim...

Doughnut

3rd doughnut using instructions from Skip to My Lou.

2nd one here

1st one here

a long random list - update

1. design Microsoft Access database and easy to use interface to store customer special orders, subscriptions and wish lists for Kingdom of Adventure
   
2. continue to develop record keeping for Kingdom of Adventure
   
3. organise a surprise for someone - sshhhhhh!
   
4. baby gift - paint fabric, stitch and frame
   
5. contact lots of various people re an outdoor space for local playgroup including grants and funding
   
6. finish my Beginning Embroidery piece (now called Beginning Miro) for the Fife Art Exhibition 2009, i.e. 19th September.
7. start to clear garden of summer flowers plant some bulbs in garden
8. write my definitive Christmas list and execute it!
9. rip out wall cupboards and extractor fan in kitchen, paper and paint walls and fit open shelving
10. fix living room curtains!
11. make lots of soft furnishings (cushions, curtains, rugs, towels) for Big Girl's Big House ("Its the biggest house I've ever seen!")
12. finish all the unfinished knitting projects, including 2 ugly bags and a monster
13. finish my ECDL in Excel spreadsheet course
    
14. start an advanced Access database course
15. plan my route to Art College
16. start a business
17. find a how to build a website course
18. make doughnuts
19. make a pretty needle book
20. make 20 random cards
21. clear the leaves....
22. list another load of stuff on eBay
    

20 cards

some weather inspired motifs for my card challenge...

20 cards

I'm combining my recycling challenge and 20 cards challenge...

I loved this idea of using handmade felt and papers and black thread. I'm still hopefully of using these squares (created for Exhibition 2008) but I have decided to recycle the idea and make things a little bigger for my 20 cards project...

Big Girl - Uncle John at the beach

20 cards

I used to make hand stitched cards, some I sold, most I gave away. Some are original designs, lots are cross stitch, most were only stitched once and so were unique in either case.

lots of Christmas cards

These were all stitched between 2003 and 2005.

I do like making cards, especially this size, the aperture is only 2cm x 2cm

And so, as I need yet another project/challenge, I'm going to use up my stash of cards and envelopes and make 20 cards... some will be given as Christmas presents (assuming I get them made before Christmas), others for my own use.

My sketchbook doodlings...

I think my new love of felt may be a dominant theme...

Christmas gifts 2009

my Christmas list so far....

journal jar for 7 year old boy

stripey mitts 1 - 9 year old girl

stripey mitts 2 - 8 year old girl

stripey mitts 3 - 8 year old girl

black (emo) mitts - 11 year old girl

mitts - 4 year old girl

mitts - 3 year old girl

pitter patter socks 1 - 18mth old girl

pitter patter socks 2 - 18mth old girl

pitter patter socks 3 - 18mth old girl

Penelope - 3 year old

doughnuts - 2.5 year old girl

doughnuts - 3 year old girl

mitts - 36 year old girl

stripey socks - 36 year old girl

hot water bottle cover - Gaga

hot water bottle cover - Papa

crayon roll

magic painting box...

Sewing on Leaves

Whilst crafting with Big Girl - she was making more of these - I decided to stitch some of the leaves we collected onto fabric... inspired by this post here...

I did want to use black thread but Big Girl was adamant it should be blue. Since I wanted to stitch, and not fend off a tantrum, I went with the blue...

This has loads of possibilities!

but I'll leave it a while and see how it is in a few weeks...

the red leaves are from my blueberry bush, the orange from a jasmine (maybe?!?!?!)

it looks abit like a colour wheel...

an autumn colour wheel

like I said, loads of possibilities.

it also reminded me of this photo of strawberry leaves taken in October 2007.