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The Recipe For ARIANWEN

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Bom bom bom byeeya we all stand together!

This is the latest baby quilt that I am working on and for obvious reasons all that is going through my head is Paul Mccartney's Frog chorus. I have three baby quilts to make before we go to Belgium. As there are yet more babies being born into the family. I love this fabric! It came from Walmart in Canada. My mum brought a piece back back several years ago, .
I actually loved it so much I then bought more on Ebay. I wanted originally to make clothes for the twins but they grew out of the design before I had time to cut anything out. I have about 5 metres of it so turning it into a quilt should deplete my fabric stocks a little. Anyway I was inspired to make kalidiscope frogs. .
It took several sessions to cut them all out several mistakes were made as it all had to be fussy cut. More than once I cut a frog out only to find it wasn't sitting exactly the same as its mates and because of that I had mucked up the frog next to it. I had counted them several times and I actually thought I was really clever sewing them all together on saturday.It was less complicated sewing them than I originally had thought. I just sewed a segment at a time until the circle was complete.



Everything was running perfectly until I realised I have only made 8 circles so will have to unpick one as I don't have a template. That is a job for next weekend I think The SSS is progressing slowly I finished clue 1 on Sunday night and promptly mucked up clue 2 Yesterday.


It is obviously destined to be a long slow project. Tonight I will tink back what I did yesterday. I have couple of mindless projects on the go one of which is a cute, little,bright red shrug curtesy of Ravelry which hopefully will be finished in the next day or two. I am not sure what I will wear it with but it's brilliant colour should fend off the winter gloom. I forgot to take a photo earlier and it is now far too dark to take any photo's roll on summer!
After saying I wouldn't buy any yarn until I had used some up I sucummed to this.!
It is an usual option for me neutrals. But I just love this yoked look and this is the nicest version I have seen and couldn't decide on something brighter as I feel a little bit jaded by my usual choice of colours. I really want to cast this on but I really should finish the Tilted Duster first or I know it is going to end up shelved which is a shame as the weather is definately cold enough for it

Very fetching

Oh I feel smug!Two pot luck pressies. ok so technically it is only one as I am unlikely to give them separately. It has been ages since I knit anything on 4mm and I had forgotten how pleasurable it is. I learnt on 4mm and they really are comfortable. The hat is slightly different from the pattern as I decided to keep the rib going until the bitter end which adds a bit more interest to the crown. I also have decided that knitting small things as a yarn to try it out is probably a good idea. I started out slightly sceptical about the DB Cashmerino, microfibre equates to synthetic in my mind.Which I really object to knitting in. It was lovely and sprongy to knit with but it snaged really easily and there was clumps that hadn't been spun properly. All forgivable on a small project but I am not sure I would be so happy if I had invested a cardigans worth. I will try it again though just to sure it wasn't just that batch as there are some lovely patterns for it that I just calling to me to knit.
The update on the Sss is not good. I got overconfident with the 0/ and ended up with not enough stitches so I am still on clue1 Urgh! I have however tinked back and should be able to carry on this time with the aid of stitch markers.

A New Year

I have spent the last week feeling frustrated with everything and more than a little depressed. It wasn't helped by Tigger having a fit on Monday. I really thought we were at the end but he revived curtesy of a tin of salmon and a steroid shot.
I had great plans for all that I wanted to get done during my two weeks off.But we did lots of visiting so really didn't accomplish very much at all. Getting back into my normal routine seems to have helped though I am missing the children now they are back at school.
On the knitting front I finished Gretel just after christmas and have worn it a lot! Very warm and pretty.

I toyed with making the fetching Mitts from the ravelry site in the same yarn but have decided against it. I am still plodding a long with the tilted duster though I am really unsure that I like it. You can't really tell what it will be like but the vibe is not great.
I have joined up for yet another lace knitting KAL.Spring Shawl Surprice.

I think this will be the last one for a while as although it is lovely I am feeling jaded with lace knitting. I am only just half way through the first clue which is depressing as the second clue was released yesterday. This one like the others that I have done will be a present for one of Mario's Aunts.
I have always said that although I will sew for money I will only every knit for love. So when the Loose knit group started I thought it a very good idea to join up. The idea is that you knit a gift a month. Whether you give them for birthdays or save them all up for christmas is your choice. I thought it might use up some of my unloved stash. Does anyone else have one of these? Yarn that was cheap but just clutters up the place because there is either not enough of it or it doesn't talk to you. January it gloves or mittens. I was excited by this as I have loads of small amounts that would be great for gloves but, I have to say I haven't started well as I just bought this to make the first of my pot-luck presents. A pair of the fetching gloves. If you think there is a lot of yarn there for just a pair of fingerless gloves you would be right. I bought enough to make a matching hat.



I have also cast on a pair of Monkey's which is the second of the pot luck with the yarn I bought at Harrogate. I have wanted to make a pair of these for a while although I have just started the pattern I can kind of see what is going on already which is really nice.I managed this yesterday whilst watching kids play at an indoor play gym.




My in-laws came over christmas. My MIL liked the santa quilt so much she said I could make her one. This is amazing as she actually thinks all knitting and sewing is crap. Yes she has told me that. Anyway that is now started. As I would like to give it to her at Easter. She said there wasn't a rush but if I wait until next year I will definately have lost motivation.It is strange to be making it again a real feeling of deja vu. The quilt that I start for christmas is also still on the go but it might get put away to finish next year. Three more of Mario's cousins have had babies which equates to three more baby quilts. I am determined to just use stash for these too. I guess that is probably my main resolution to clear my fibre stash and if I am buying only to buy for a specific project.

Wishing you all a very merry christmas!

Time seems to have got away from me and I have only just finished writing my christmas cards which although technically under the wire is very very late.
The reason for my tardiness is my Reindeer quilt which I finished last night. The pattern suggested using only the hands of children under 10 but, I decided to have one copy both Mario and my hands and make it into a proper family quilt. Rudolph's antlers are made from a copy of each of the childrens hands.
In october I imagined that I would have loads of gifts made but the reality is that I only managed two ( well the kids got slippers but, they have been wearing them for a while now!)
The Hemlock Ring for BlueGreenWorld it is in Cascade 220 which I bought from a very nice lady on Ebay.
I really like the design and had thought that I might make one for casually throwing over my sofa but, I shall put that idea on hold for a while as it was definately one that needed concentration. the dark colour was a nightmare in the evenings so it was one that had to be played with during the day. It blocked really well but subsequently bumped up in the middle after being wrapped. It has been opened and was a hit with both its recipeint and her very aloof cat Jack who actually let me stroke him once he had given it a good sniff.
The other present was for J it is the swallowtail shawl from the interweaves magazine. Totally breathtaking when it has been blocked. It also has the advantage of using less than one skein of the Jaggerspun. This is definately one I will make again though with beads rather than nubbs as they really slowed me down.

I hope that you all have a wonderful,peaceful christmas and that the New year brings you everything you need.

Oops I forgot to post!

I hadn't realised how long it had been since my last post. I seem to have had a terrible cold for several weeks with a cough that I just can't shift. I have dusted off my sewing machine and have several christmas inspired projects ( I have to say the quilt mania magazine has a lot to answer for) started hopefully that will be finished in time for christmas there are somethings that have been completed but I would have to say I have started more than I have finished!
The finished projects in order of appearance are an Advent Calender for my friend's little boy Tobey.
I had a jag of making these about 3 years ago when I made for all the children I knew but, that was before Tobey was born. His mum put in a request last year but I couldn't find a nice one.This one was waiting for me in my local shop funny how that sometimes works. It only took me an evening to put this calender together. Though I have to say by the time I got around to posting it advent was already under way. It's late arrival hasn't stopped it from being popular with Tobey!



From Santa with Love Quilt. You might remember this from last year, I just ran out of time so put it away. I am really glad I did as I have come to it fresh and the embellishments that I found to go on it are perfect. I think I have mastered machine quilting though it doesn't look proffessional yet the tension is right which is a vast improvement on what has gone before. I am putting my new found skills to use on Anna's Starrey night another quilt from earlier in the year.




The Harrogate slippers are finished, you wouldn't think 24 rows could take so long but they were not very interesting to knit just garter st also I was a couple of rows short on both Oriana's and Inigo's so had to send off for some more yarn which was really annoying. Elenya has the stripey, Inigo the red and Oriana has the flowers. It took three machine washes to get them to the right size and Elenya's are still a little big I would have to say that the sizes are over generous. The children love them however, and my mum and the childminded children are also looking longingly!
I have cast on Gretel by Yolanda in the Lang SilkDream wool and silk I bought in Belgium earlier in the year aren't I good using stash.

Isadora Duncan Eat your heart out!

I know it has been a little quiet on the blog front, time seemed to run away from me not that I have a lot to show for it. I got my invite from Ravelry ( I nearly missed it as my email ate it as spam) for any of you who haven't joined yet it really is fantastic. Free patterns,links to thousands of other patterns which you can queue up for things you would like to make in the future and wool information plus loads more. Browsing has taken up quite a bit of time as I dream of all the things I could be making.
I managed to pull something in my shoulders and neck so ended up having to take a break from knitting which lasted nearly a week. It has been suggested that it could be down to how I was reading my lace chart.I say nearly because one morning Inigo said he needed a hat so I whipped this one up to give to him at the end of school. He was absolutely chuffed to bits jumping around the playground shouting "my mummy made me this hat! " It really is nice to be appreciated.

I finished the last clue of Secret of the Stole on Sunday. I still don't know the theme of it but apparently all will be revealed on Friday. Let me tell you -it is long. The last few clues felt like I was wrestling with a giant anaconda it would insist on twisting around on itself and trying to choke the life out of my yarn. I haven't actually measured the length but whilst blocking it took all of Elenya's bedroom floor. It is really quite lovely and very unusual it has crossed swords in clue 6 so my end guess is escalibur as I thought the begining clues looked a bit like light on water when looking at other people's work.

The final perk of the last couple of weeks was my trip to Harrogate on Saturday. I went armed with a shopping list this year as last time I ended up buying loads that I didn't need. In fact nothing that I bought last year has actually got finished how bad is that. The interweaves pattern book I hadn't intended to buy but it just kind of called to me. The other one I did. The yarn is a bit dreary but there are a couple of amazing patterns I had seen it advertised on the back of a couple of the knitting magazines one in particular caught my eye though a picture of it escapes me.

Well a girl can never have enough sock wool and this is nice........

Buttons for the Tilted Duster- they are bigger than stated in the pattern but I think they will look really striking - if not I will have to think again.

These weren't on my list either but I thought the kids would like a pair of these each and they are quick and easy knitting which is always good.

The only thing that I didnt manage to get was the wool for Venezia pullover from last winters Interweave. I had envisaged being able to play with the different balls of wool which was why I hadn't already bought the stuff on line. Anyway I was disbused of that idea and ended up shelling out £8 for a shade card. They did however have another pattern Autumn Rose also by Eunny Jang which is a really sexy shape. I now have that book on order from amazon. I will decide when it gets here which one I am going to cast on.

The photo isn't great but,this is a really amazing xmas bauble. I saw them last year and was tempted. Anyway the upshot was when I got home I wished that I had bought it so here it is(maybe get around to it for next year!!

This fabric was for the reindeer quilt on the front on this months quilt mania. The idea of using the kids hands for antlers appeals to me. I shall try and draw around them over the next couple of weeks even if I don't get it finished for this year.It will be nice to have a record of their hands as they are now. Elenya is so close to being a teenager she probably would object next year anyway.

Cherie Amour and other stories.

What can I say, I just love this sweater!! I think it is probably the nicest thing I have made all year. I finished it a couple of weeks ago and I have lived in it since.

It is warm enough to wear with a vest top, soft enough not to itch and to top it off it is really sexy! a great combination. I would make it again as it was quite straight forward the only thing I would do differently is lengthen the waist.It is a little short without a good yank! If you are planning on making this measure under your bust to your jeans belt.

Another clue for the secret stole is completed. I have given up on trying to make head or tail of the hints, as they all now relate back to the older answers.
I am sure it will all become apparent in the next week or so anyway. The knitting of bubbles is at an end or very nearly which I am glad about as I had to really push myself to get through yet another week of them.






The tilted duster is plodding on quite nicely. I have finished the fronts, back and done the ribs for the sleeves. I had to take it down a needle size as on a 6mm it was the consistancy of a string vest - very unattractive. The yarn is very similar weight to the cascade 220 if anyone wants a snippet to compare against their stash just drop me a line and I will send you a bit.

MysticWater I signed up for this weeks ago but had decided I probably had enough to do and I would perhaps buy the yarn for it when I went to Harrogate. Hah!! After seeing other peoples beautiful work I just had to get busy. The yarn is zephyr again in ice blue. I had wanted the agean but I really like this and as I have some lovely cotton that tones with it I think I will be keeping this one for me.
This is the first chart of clue one, and as clue 3 came out today I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

Hint four - ok I am totally lost on the clues!

There was mutterings by one lady that the result might be Elizabeth but, I can't really see how the stole would tie up into that so I shall just have to wait and see. It really is pretty - it just shows it doesn't need to be complicated to be very effective.
Half term went by in a bit of a blur. I was childminding over the holidays which made it very busy. The pumpkin carving was hilarious. If you can imagine 6 children all armed with a spoon. I have only just managed to rid the dining room of all the seeds that mysteriously flew into the air.




There was tonnes of pumpkin flesh so I christened the bag of maple sugar my cousin brought last year and made pumpkin pie. The rest ofpumpkin is in the freezer ready to make another which I will do as it was delicious.



The ghosts were fun to make - I got the idea from a friend and even the little ones could manage it. The ones in the picture are just the few that Oriana and Inigo made so quite popular.I think we will make angels at christmas.


And finally Inigo became a beaver. This is a big thing for him as it is the first activity he has done separately from Oriana. The second week he had to go and make friends with "strangers" which he found very stressful we forced him to carry on going and I think he is going to settle in well. She has been settled in Rainbows for a while but initially was dragged screaming there every week.