Stuff

I have finally got all of the original applique onto Oriana's quilt the photos are a bit fuzzy but it is looking quite good and I am looking forward to deciding what happens next with it. I think it is going to be quite organic as a ton of pins doesn't really appeal to me.
Last Monday, Elenya broke her finger at school, the school didn't inform us and when it turned green later in the evening I took her to casualty. I phoned to complain the next morning. Two days later they phoned to say that some horrible boy had decided to squeeze it.She walloped him around the face and although I don't condone violence I think this would probably have more effect than the exclusion handed out by the school.So I then took her out of school for the rest of the week for her own safety.This week being half term so another week to rest it before anyone else grabs hold of it.
I realised last Thursday that gorgeous Kid Silk Aura is not the same as KidSilk Haze, it really is obvious if you look at it but I had picked the perfect colour for my Rowan Exchange gift and hadn't checked tension or yardage but just started knitting. I had been knitting for about a week. Stupid I know, I have never done it before and I will never do it again!! As after I ummed and ahhed about whether to buy more Aura or change to kidsilk haze I then had to frog it. A truly horrible experience. I am now way behind on my gift and having a bit of a panic.

The shoemakers children

The story goes that the shoemaker is so tied up with making shoes for other people that her children run barefoot. It is the same story for the children of the quiltmaker. Every year my children look on as I make and gift quilts to the children of friends and Mario's cousins. Last year my friends J and the little blue tortoise forced me to promise that 2007 would be the year that the twins could get quilts (Elenya made her own a couple of years ago)I promised but nothing happened I just couldn't find the time or the inspiration for the perfect quilt. All this has changed when we were in Belgium I picked up a copy of QuiltMania which had this quilt.
Oriana really liked it so this with a few alterations it going to be hers. I had great fun getting hold of the fabric as Moda were less than forthcoming about a supllier who actually stocked that particular range. Yet again I am grateful for the internet!The original is pretty small, certainly not big enough for her bed so I have added another border which I have I plan to applique a little a week posting it here should keep me on the straight and narrow!



I finally finished my felted bag.It languished for quite a while as I didnt really fancy making the i-cord but,once I actually put my mind to it,the whole fuschia thing really didn't take that long at all.


Just as well really as I have yarn for another noni bag that has been stashed for the last couple of years. As the yarn fairies came and wound it all for me a couple of weeks ago for which I a huge thank you! I might actually get organised with that sometime soon.

You always should have a quick and easy project on the go and mine of the moment is Swift by Marie Wallin. I am knitting it mainly because I had small amount of Diana Handknit cotton in my stash that I wanted to get rid of and this should do the trick. The pink is a coldspring find I am actually loving how it is turning out, it reminds me of the cover from Sons and Lovers

Finishing stuff off before starting the Rowan Exchange

Ok this week has been hard! I have my Rowan victim, I have my yarn and I know what I am making but I am forcing myself to finish some stuff before I cast on the gorgeous yumminess that is this years exchange.
The crochet bag (simply Knitting 2006) is done and I have to say I am pretty pleased with it I was finished by thursday which was great. The cotton was chosen to go with the lining which I think it does.

The original called for a picot edge all around the opening but, as I had done it in two colours I felt that was probably guilding the lily. I have given this one to my mum just the thing to take to the beach when we go to sunny Wales in August. I liked the pattern so much for this I might even get around to making me one.
My Ripple Scarf is done, it would I hasten to say have been done sooner but I ran out of kid silk for the edging and as I didn't know the name of the colour it took a little detective work before I could buy more.

Do you remember the purple crochet bag? well it was much loved and I got a wonderful thank you card from Ashleigh (some people are a pleasure to please)

Rowan Parent and Child weekend

I have just spent a wonderful weekend in Holmfirth with five great kids! Three of my own; my neice Esha and our friend Shannon. The projects given (an elephant or a bag/cushion) were a little ambitious for new or young knitters and many of the mums involved finished elephants over night. Esha is a die hard knitter and didn't move from her seat more than about twice a day over the whole weekend because of this her Amelia is complete.
This was Inigo's first real knitting and he needed a lot of help but he is pleased with how Maxy turned out. Oriana,
Elenya and Shannon are all making cushions the fronts are all sewn together (by the girls) and the delicious ice cream cottons are just what is needed for summer.
Needless to say with all this industry I didn't get much done myself. But I did invest in a couple of books. Young Rowan and Little Knits I am drawn to the crochet.
Speaking of Crochet........Well I think I am developing an obsession. My Ravelry queue has doubled in size. The loose knit group were making bags for April, my knitted one is languishing but my crochet one a pattern from Lets Knit is finished.
It is going to a little girl that I childmind,Ashleigh, as she fell in love with it as soon as she saw the magazine. She doesn't know that it is for her but has been very keen on it's progression as it is in her favourite colour purple. I have started another at the weekend this one is from an old simply knitting magazine

April brought birthdays

The weeks seem to be whizzing buy so a quick update on the end of April before I get into the wonders of May.
Elenya and My mum both celebrated birthdays and I got something knit for both. The interweaves Sienna cardigan for my mum was a delight to knit. She says it is lovely and warm just as well as the weather doesn't seem like it is picking up.
Elenya's poncho was from Lets Knit Magazine and although it really is pretty it was a nightmare to knit. It is in Eskimo Drops that I bought when we were in Belgium which would have been lovely in any colour than black!! The pattern was rubbish it said cast off 8 stitches when it meant cast on 8. I had to botch it as I didn't realise until it was finished and was trying to attach the endging. Eskimo doesn't like being pulled about so I couldn't pull it out luckily Elenya is a small size and she likes it. Though Ithink she looks like something out of a Scottish Widows advert

The happy hooker.

My grandmother taught me to crochet the same time as she taught me to knit. But due to a lack of patterns that I liked I have never really done anything other than the odd baby bonnet.
However when the latest Rowan magazine came out the only thing that inspired me was the Helon Dress. A major crochet project if ever I saw one. At the same time as I was humming and hahing over that, BlueADT suggested a Rowan Crochet weekend. Killing two birds with one stone was what I thought. Not to mention a night away in a hotel and dinner out with grown ups! I jumped at the chance.
Saturday morning I arrived at the Rowan mill full of excitment. It was a group of nine; and I think that most of the others crocheted regularly. We started with felted pots. A 12mm hook and chunky yarn, thrown in the washing machine. I made one there and made another yesterday but I am not sure that there won't be more. I think they would be good presents filled with goodies though I might have to keep these two. Then we crocheted a square with sequins - well some of us did, mine had a kind of triangular feel about it( I think I may need more practice before I tackle the dress!).
Then I started a ruffle scarf. In Rowan Tapestry and KidSilk Spray BlueADT became more impassioned about chocolate coloured yarn the longer we were there. So much so that I threatened to charge her a £ everytime she mentioned chocolate But, I have to say I really think my scarf looks like a Cadbury's Ripple. I have just had the most lovely restful weekend not withstanding the dreadful rendition of Bridge over Troubled Water for an 80th birthday party which was also happening in the hotel that we were staying in. I am in love with the hook and I can't wait for my next weekend at Rowan

Two weeks of knitting

We got back from Belgium on sunday and unlike last year the computer seems to be working fine which means I can tell you exactly what I got up to.
First things first. I finished my SOTS11 on the tuesday before we left which meant that I could give out all of my pressies. Elenya kindly modelled.










When I joined Ravelry I joined the Belgian Group which has opened a whole new dimension to visting Belgium. I now have people to visit! Mario and I spent a lovely morning with Nel and her Daughter Karen and a very mad dog called Harry. I was so enjoying it all that I forgot to take photo,s. But, they have an internet shop crafy4you which I got to play in. I bought enough for three different projects that I had in mind.
so much for down sizing the stash. Mind you after seeing Nel's personal supply I feel very virtuous! That wasn't the end of my stash building either. The whole of Mario's family (which is a lot!!!) know I knit and this huge bag was waiting for me.I have projects planned for most of it already.
I really could do with more hours in the day.







But the most surreal experience of all was joining a SnB in Hema a small department store in Brugge My in laws couldnt quite believe I was going to knit in town but I did and met three lovely knitters and lots of interested on lookers what a great way to spend an afternoon.
I also went to see my friend Katie in her Bear and Patchwork shop De Lander. She has set me a challenge to run a patchwork workshop. Anyone who knows me personally will know that I am always teaching somebody something. Anyway I think I am going to rise to this challenge. I just have to make up the sample for what I want to teach!


The projects that I actually took with me I finished. After I finished the tilted duster I thought I would knit the Nantucket Jacket also by Norah Gaughn. I already had the yarn for it that I bought last year. when I got it out though I realised that is was nearly the same colour as the duster. so rather than turning into a very weird woman who only wears Norah in purple I decided on something else. It is for my mum, for her Birthday which is on Sunday. So a picture on Sunday I hope for that one.

The challenge in the loose knit group for march was socks.
My monkeys are now finished to put away as is February's hat which was left over Yorkshire tweed from my Juno I still have a few balls more of that so maybe gloves or a scarf next.

Quilty,Quilty,Bang Bang!!

If you see a woman,with steam coming from her ears, do come over and say hello. The last few weeks have been totally manic,as per usual I have left everything to the last minute. I have been loving knitting the the SOTS11 it is so pretty I decided against beading it in the end mainly because of time. It is also simple enough that it can be done in front of the TV. Just shows everything doesn't have to be complicated . Because I want to take it to Belgium I have been tackling several clues a week. I start clue 8 this evening and then I just have clue 9 wish me luck on that one.
Three baby quilts were needed for the new Belgian arrivals. If you are interested in the time frame of these.
The Star quilt top (for Aaron) was completed except for the applique the thursday before last. Most of the fabrics were from my stash. I love the Crayola print.I was like the frogs going to be children's clothes but they grew faster than I could sew.
The Flower top (for Floor, yes that is the right spelling)was started and finished except for applique last Saturday. The fabric for this was going to be a bluse for me it is lovely but not really for my colouring. Floor's mummy has beautiful red hair so hopefully Floor will have the same colouring and this will be perfect for her.They were both appliqued and then tacked together on Thursday. Friday most of the Frog quilt (for jayden) was put together and then assembled on yesterday.

This wasn't my original take on the frog quilt but I think my original calculations were wrong and I just couldn't get it to fit together. I have plans for a rencarntion for the original blocks.They were all quilted yesterday and then the binding put on today. I am feeling a little tired now but very glad that I am finished.

Behold the Tilted Duster.

Some of the comments I have had via email from friends who don't knit have been hilarious. Was it a new type of cleaning product? How did it work? It just shows that knitters and non knitters speak a completely different language. Mind you the skirt is knit to the fronts and the back then you add the sleeves.
I had just finished the skirt and I had a panic that I had actually sewn the fronts the wrong way round. If that had been the case it would definitely have ended up as cleaning cloths. It has taken me ages to complete - mainly because there is a photo in the Interweaveknits magazine that makes the model look really stoop shouldered. I figured if it did this to a young model it really wouldn't be that kind on anyone older. The yarn also felt a little bit stringy when I was knitting with it. The finished article is really soft not at all itchy. I am wearing it with a vest top without the urge to scratch. It is also really elegant and seems to look as nice with jeans as it does with a skirt. The only thing I would do differently is the placement of the button holes. If i was doing it again I would put the first button hole lower to stop it gaping.
This is my Friday skirt so called because I whipped it up on Friday. I was rummaging about in Mamie's button collection and decided to use the white shiney ones as decoration. I didn't have quite enough for what I originally wanted to achieve but I am quite pleased with the result. It was very theraputic arranging the buttons. The fabric was left overs from some outfits I made for the kids a couple of years ago.

Another Beret

I could get used to the immediate gratification that the loose knit group is giving me. This one is for Shannon, Elenya's very good friend. I promised her one to match the scarf she bought herself when she bought Elenya's. She saw me knitting it yesterday was surprised that I had actually started it. I will give it to her next time she comes to the house. Which will probably be sometime next week. I have cast on another but this one is definately being put away for christmas. That will be the last hat for the month. There is a good chance that march is going to be either socks or scarves. I doubt I will get more than one done of either of those.

Memories

As some of you know I live in the house that my Dad grew up in and I visited continually during my childhood. Every piece of furniture and smell within the four walls reminds me of my Grandmother, Mamie and of my dad. Both have been gone a long time now. The kitchen is basic, no worktop, no fitted cupboards and no dishwasher. Usually when the kids are baking I move them into the dining room so that they can circle the table. But occasionally I bake. I bake in the kitchen and every childhood memory floods back as I remember stirring frantically batter and cake mixtures perched precariously on top of Mamie's spinner rinse. As I pour my muffin batter into the cases I can almost hear Mamie commenting in the backround as she watches what I am making. I bought the book Muffins Galore on a whim on monday. It has been worth its £5 already as it has brought back such happy memories. Not to mention delicious blueberry muffins!

Meet Valentine.

Another half term bites the dust and the kids have gone back to school. During half term the weather was fluctuating between cold and unseasonably warm. I decided to pack away all of the wool and get busy with summer projects as soon as the Tilted Duster was finished. The duster will be complete by the end of today and it is freezing cold fog outside and as I write it has started to snow. Not really condusive to thinking about summer knitting. So I think I will spend the rest of February finishing stuff ( I have one or two Kals on the go!)

This is Valentine, I bought him as a kit last year when we went to Belgium. I have bought one for the last couple of years when we have been over. Each one has sat about until it is nearly time for us to go again, I won't let myself have a bear stash! I finished sewing him on the 14th but didn't complete him until the 15th. He is the smallest bear I have made and because of that had to be hand sewn. The kids love him and I have to say I think he is pretty cute. There really is something very gratifying about making bears.
The latest hat is Elenya's. I have a feeling I forgot to increase after the rib but, I didn't notice until I cast off anyway she seems to like it.Which is the main thing. It is made from a stray ball of Debbie Bliss Alpaca silk that I had left over and it matches the very nice scarf her friend bought her from primark.
I have a couple more hats I would like to make for the February loose knit challenge.Another Beret, this time for Shannon the friend who bought the scarf and also at least one for my pot luck pressies