My Very Own Craft Room

Thank you all so much for your good wishes following my husband's retirement.  We're settling into a pleasant routine, helped by the lovely warm weather we had last week.

As a result of his retirement, I have taken over the room he used as his "study" and it's now been re-designated as my "craft room".  I had the foresight to decorate the room bright pink some years ago, so it was as easy process to convince him that he wouldn't want to use the room after his retirement.

I have collected together all my crafting bits and bobs.  They were previously scattered (hidden) around the rest of the house.  I must admit that I shocked myself at how much "stuff" I actually had.  Craft books alone fill most of the shelves in the bookcase.  I found so many duplicate items that I had bought that had been stored and forgotten about.  All I can say is it's a good job that I have spent this year de-stashing my yarn, because I would never have been able to fit it in the room otherwise.  It's certainly made me appreciate having a more streamlined yarn stash.

My mini sweater bunting is decorating the walls, and it's lovely to see all the different yarns and remember what I originally knitted with them (mostly socks).

There's still some more organising and tidying to do before I'm happy with everything and can remember where I've stored various things.

And because I'm no good at being disciplined, I bought three more craft books this week!  I'm going to struggle to fit them in the bookcase, but they were only £1 each, so I couldn't leave them.

There's something interesting in all of them.

This week I have finished the cardigan I was knitting.

Most of my cardigans are cropped or just below the waist length.  This is my preferred style for cardigans as I tend to wear dresses and skirts all the time.  Occasionally I wear jeans but I don't have any longer cardigans to wear with them, so this boyfriend-style cardigan fills a gap in my wardrobe.

It's in worsted weight yarn that had been frogged from a previous unloved cardigan and the pattern is a free one by Vanessa Townley.  You can see full details of this project on my Ravelry page, here.

 I'm now working on a shawl with the last of the unused yarn that I bought at Yarndale last year.

I love the colours.  The pattern is for a two colour striped shawl, but I'm just working with the one colour throughout.  It's semi-circular and the body of shawl is in stocking stitch with a lace edging.  The pattern is from a book by Kirsten Kapur and is called Cladonia.  I'm hoping to get this finished over the next week before Yarndale.

Finally, as well as the craft books, I bought some fabric this week.  I wanted something to make dresses and skirts for the Autumn.  I ended up with two fabrics, one for a skirt and one for a dress.

Dress fabric

Skirt fabric

I don't think I'll have time to make a completed outfit this week, but I'm hoping that I can get the dress cut out - ever the optimist.

Oh and finally, finally, I just remembered, Grace gave some some amazing fabric when I saw her recently.

Isn't it fabulous, Paddington Bear is my favourite character from my childhood and I still have all my books.  This fabric will be made into a tote bag for a knitting project.  Something else I'd like to get done this week - so long as I can find more hours in the day.

Well I had better get a move on if I want to get everything done.  I hope you all have a happy and productive weekend.  Bye for now.

I Don't Like Gardening...

It's amazing how creative I can be when it comes to making excuses not to do the gardening.  Mostly I rely on the weather to back me up - it's too wet, too windy, too cold, too hot.  This week has been a gloriously hot and sunny one and guilt about the garden has finally caught up with me.  The flower beds are full of willow herb, moss and grass, so some action was needed.

My usual excuse for it being too hot might be worth a try but the guilt won in the end.  So this week I've been out in the garden having a good tidy up and do you know what, I've really enjoyed it!

I made a point of starting early before the sun was too scorching and I was surprised at how much progress I was able to make each day.  Just goes to show what you can do if you make an effort.

The garden is looking so much tidier and weed free.  The flower beds, now stripped of the weeds, don't look as green as they were, so there are a few gaps that look a bit bare.  But on the whole it's been very satisfying.  I don't have much in bloom at the moment but here's a few photos of what there is.

I don't think I'll ever be a true gardener, but my fingers do feel just a touch greener this week.

Lazy Summer Days

The weather is warm and the days are long and I'm feeling oh so lazy and relaxed.  There's definitely been a lull in activity in blogland, myself included.  I appreciate the efforts of those who have soldiered on and continued with their regular posts.  You have my admiration.  Every day I think to myself, I'll do a post today, but it never seems to get from my head to the blog.  So I'm making an effort today, to catch up with what I've been up to over the past two weeks or so.

Since I last posted, I've a few finished objects, plenty of works-in progress and I've had another weigh-in of the stash.

So let's get started, and here are my finished projects.  Firstly this shawl.

I just adore the colours.  I wear pink and grey more than any other colours, so this shawl is perfect for me.  I love the gradient colour changes.

The shawl is lovely and I used all of the 200g I had bought of this yarn, so it's a very generous size.  It's Ullcentrum 2 ply sport weight yarn and the colourway is Sky Pink.  It was the first yarn I bought at Yarndale last year and I'm surprised it's taken me this long to knit it up.  You can see details of this project on my Ravelry page, here.

Next up is the Block a Month Blanket I started back in January.  I decided to just crochet 16 squares for this one.

Each square is 10 inches square, so it makes a lovely lap blanket.  I added a fairly simple edging and I'm very happy with the result.  Details on Ravelry, here.

Another crochet project, a much quicker one, was these cute little flowers.

They are made from a free pattern by Ali Crafts Designs.  The pattern can be downloaded from Ravelry, here, and it really is a simple but very effective design.

My dressmaking is going well.  Yesterday I completed my pink dress.

I'm not sure that the mannequin is showing the dress off very well, so here's a badly taken picture of me wearing it.

The dress is very simple, it has princess seams, a side zip and a gently flared skirt.  It's New Look 6020 and I've made the pattern several times now - a very wearable dress.

I've treated myself to a new dress pattern, the Vintage Shirt Dress by Sew Over It.

It's the first independently designed pattern I've tried, the instructions look very detailed and helpful, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go.  Before then, I want to make a button through skirt (a bit of practice at buttonholes!).  So I need to make some time to get on with these.

And having finished my pink dress, I thought it deserved a pretty coat hanger, so I crocheted up this one, using my Floral Embellishment pattern.

It only took a couple of hours to complete and I think it looks great.

On the needles at present are my Fair Isle cardigan.

Some, but not a great deal of progress there.

A pair of socks.  No photos yet but they should be off the needles in the next day or two.

I also have my crochet Mandala Madness which hasn't made any progress and is in desperate need of some love and affection.

So plenty to keep me busy.

Finally, it's been six months since I decided to be brave and weigh my stash (inspired by Linda from Linda's Crafty Corner).  In February the stash weighed in at a bouncing 18.2 kg - wow!

After being on a crash diet for six months I'm pleased to say the stash now weighs a more healthy 11.6 kg, that's even allowing for the 850g of yarn that sneaked its way in when my back was turned!.

There's still a long way to go and with Yarndale coming up at the end of next month, I need to clear some more works-in-progress, but I feel satisfied that things are reaching a more manageable level.

Well that was a packed post!  I'll be back shortly (no more laziness) and hopefully with some more finished objects.  Enjoy your week.

I'm Ready, Are You?

It's been an interesting few days.  My husband and I had a lovely two nights away in Oswestry, but since we got back, I have not been well for a day or two - achy and shivery and no energy.  It sounds like a bug to me but my husband reckons it could be an allergic reaction to the countryside!  Today I'm starting feeling more normal again - the bounce is slowly coming back.

Oswestry was a fairly last minute decision.  And it worked out so well.  The weather was gorgeously hot and sunny.  We had picnics in the park, a walk around Oswestry, we visited Chirk Castle, lots of pubs and ate far too much.  On the way home we stopped off in Rhuddlan and visited the castle - you can't beat a Welsh castle.

Chirk Castle

Embroidery Exhibition at Chirk Castle

The Fox Inn, Oswestry

Rhuddlan Castle

Today, I am taking it easy, watching the cricket (third test match against Sri Lanka), watching some cycling (Criterium de Dauphine) and catching up with my knitting.  You know you're ill when you don't even feel like knitting!

I've been knitting an aran cardigan (in this heat!) to use up some yarn that Grace had leftover from a hat she made.  I started it on the 1st June and by the end of the 2nd I had completed the back and two fronts.  I was fairly optimistic that I would get it finished within five days, but sadly I had to eat and sleep, so not quite possible.  I didn't take it to Oswestry with me, so I have only just picked it back up today.  I just have the sleeve head on the last sleeve to do - not sure I have any suitable buttons, but apart from that it will be finished this afternoon.

For my car journey to Oswestry knitting, I frogged a shawl I made a while ago and started knitting up a scarf with the yarn.  The yarn is Sirdar Crofter in lovely pinks, purples, cream and grey, so in theory some of my favourite colours.  Sadly every time I knit it up, I'm never happy with the finished article.  Prior to being a shawl, this yarn was a sweater - it has been multi- frogged.  This is its last chance to please me.

Scarf is knit on the bias

In our house, we are all ready and waiting for the football tomorrow.  The European Championships kick off tomorrow evening and then after that there'll be at least two matches a day for a considerable time.  There will of course be lots of other sport that we will need to fit in, the US Open golf championship is on next week, there's a Formula 1 Grand Prix race this weekend and the Tour de France cycling race starts at the beginning of July - whew, that's a lot of knitting time!

For the duration of the Euorpean Championship, I have decided to knit socks - I'm hoping for a minimum of five pairs.  I have three unused quantities of sock yarn, plus I would like to use some older leftovers.  Each pair will involve a technique that I haven't tried yet - can't wait to cast on and get started.

I'm not going to just knit socks though.  I would also like to start a new cardigan - Fair Isle - yes please.  Look at those pretty colours.

So that's the plan for the next month or so.  Will you be watching the football?  Who will you be supporting?  I will be cheering on Wales (Land of my fathers!).

Leftovers!!!

Today I've been very productive.  I've fitted the new carpet in the bathroom, I've built a new chest of drawers for Eve's bedroom (wardrobe still to be done) and I've loaded up the car with the old dismantled furniture and cardboard boxes, ready to take it to the tip tomorrow.

I'm even making good progress on my various knitting projects.  I've finished the jumper I was knitting - a long-line aran weight jumper, with raglan sleeves.  I was using up yarn leftover from a previous cardigan project (there was a lot leftover as I'd misjudged the amount I needed!).  As I was knitting it, I just had that feeling that I wasn't going to like it, but I kept going and now that it's finished - I still don't like it.

This is the problem - I feel compelled to use all my leftover yarn, but then I end up just knitting things for the sake of it, rather than knitting with new yarn and making something I really want.  So I haven't taken any photos of the jumper yet - I will do at some point - and may be I'll get some wear from the jumper - but I think it's best to move on and forget about it.

Fortunately, I have also finished something that I do like.

This is the third time I've knitted up this pattern for fingerless mittens - it's such a perfect fit and ideal for sock yarn.

This particular sock yarn is leftover (yes - more leftovers!) from my Very Berry socks ( my October socks).  I love the colours in this yarn.  This time I actually managed to get the stripes lined up correctly on each mitten.  Full details of this project are on my Ravelry project page, here.

So far, with this lovely sock yarn, I have made socks, the mittens and a little mini sweater.  I still have about 10 grammes leftover.

The little ball of yarn is sitting, staring at me accusingly - "Use me!" it says - Stash busting is so stressful.

On a different note, I had a lovely message from Judy in sunny Australia who has crocheted these sweet mini Christmas wreaths from my pattern.

She has made them for gifts for her friends in her sewing group.  Judy says -

"We are a smocking & needlework group; we supply 27 Sydney hospital's with smocked gowns, knitted rugs, booties & caps for preemie & still born babies.  Sadly this work is on going.  We supplied 1,000 gowns this year with all the other items.  

Our website is Smocking Arts Guild of NSW Inc.  We are also on Facebook."

What fantastic work the group does, and how lovely of Judy to make the gifts for her friends.  It is always wonderful to hear how my patterns are being used.  It makes me feel so humble.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Lost Days

Not sure if I fell a sleep and missed a few days, but I can't believe how fast October is flying by - the 15th - ALREADY!  So much to do, so little time - as always.

Anyway today I thought I had better show you what I've been working on, before October runs away completely.

I have two finished objects.  The first is this cute crocheted bear.

He doesn't have a name yet, so any suggestions would be welcome.

I made him using a variation on my Tutti Frutti Bears pattern.  I should write up the pattern, and one day I will, but you know how it is!

The second finished object, is a pair of socks.  My October socks were made using the Thuja pattern by Bobby Ziegler.

I love the colours in this yarn, so scrumptious.  I thought about trying to match the colour pattern in the two socks, but the repeat was so long, I didn't bother.  When I've got my boots on, no one will see!

You can see full details of this project over on my Ravelry page, here.

With the trip down to Tewkesbury, I had plenty of knitting time in the car.  I'm still working on the purple cardigan I was knitting in the car when we went to St Asaph and Rhyl.  I decided about half way up the body section, I didn't like the pattern after all.  So I ripped it back to the ribbing and with a little adjustment, changed to my Edith pattern.  I wear this cardigan so much that I thought it would be good to have it in another colourway.

So I'm now back, half way up the body section, but I'm feeling a lot happier with it now.

Embroidery, my quilt and of course the decorating, are also keeping me busy.  In fact, I blame the decorating for the loss of so many days in October.  I need to sort out a new carpet now and some fabric to make curtains - then it's curtains to the decorating, for the time being.