blueadt_knits

More snow

2012-02-10T21:58:00.007Z

It snowed again last night and this time we had about 2". So nothing horrendous and with winter tyres on the car and Yaktraks on my boots I enjoyed our walk this morning.

As did the dogs:

Annie seemed to have a bit of bounce but the snow revealed just how much she drags her hind paws when she walks.

They both slept well after breakfast...

A little bit of snow

2012-02-05T18:52:00.007Z

We had our first snow of the winter last night and woke up to 3" on the ground.

Whilst it isn't a patch on last years snowfall it was still very welcome. Last night when I took Annie out for a 'comfort break' I realised that it was the first time I'd walked in snow since my accident on December 23rd 2009. Snow on the ground when in leg brace and on crutches means that I couldn't get out of the house and the following year I was using a walking stick and again I found myself housebound.

So I thoroughly enjoyed feeling the crunch of snow under my boots but not enough to give up my Sunday in bed. DH & DD took the dogs out this morning to play:

Annie is nearly 11 years old, blind and has been ill recently. She has arthritis and has been having problems with a middle ear infection recently which leaves her feeling very ill and often unable to walk. So I've been back and forth to the vets with her over the last couple of weeks and hope that the antibiotics do their stuff soon .

Oscar as always LOVES snow and acts like a total clown . Annie normally loves it too but it's too much for her now.

Accuquilt I applied bondaweb to the fabric before cutting the shapes out, ironed the shapes onto the duvet cover and then sewed around them with my sewing machine.

Purple hearts on a duvet cover

One heart covering the hole looked a bit lonely so I gave it some company. I wasn't that keen on the blanket stitch that the machine produced so continued but with hand sewing. :

Appliquéd hearts on short-sleeved baby vests

A friend of mine has a little baby girl which gave me a great excuse to buy some cheap white baby vests from a supermarket and raid my bag of fabric scraps.

Appliquéd hearts on long-sleeved baby vests

They have been very well received. After I'd sent them I found this blog post which has given me plenty of ideas for future gifts.

And just to demonstrate that there is also some knitting going on here's a photo of my latest project just before it was finished. It's currently blocking and I'll share more details when it's dry and photographed....

pile of garter stitch

From one charm pack....

2012-01-29T21:36:00.025Z

Last weekend I did some sewing. It was my MILs' birthday 2 days before DHs' and what to get someone who has everything?

So I made her a present:

Quilted Tote Bag

Pattern: Mad Quilters' Quilted Tote Bag

Fabric: 22 5" charm squares of Moda Glace (which was given to me by a very lovely knitter), plus green cotton from my stash.

I added a few changes including a magnetic clasp

a magnetic clasp

an internal pocket

and

and a key retainer

The bag is very roomy for it's size:

2x 50g balls of sock yarn inside with plenty of room to spare

All these modifications were new to me and I used this tutorial for the Internal zipped pocket

I enjoyed the pattern but as a relative beginner found a few things a bit confusing.

Another 6 charms from the same pack were used last year when I made a little present for the physio assistant who was wonderful and helped me through the pain of using gym equipment for the first time since my accident:

Zippy Wallet in Moda Glace

Pattern: Zippy Wallet by noodlehead

Zippy Wallet in Moda Glace

I've made this pattern twice before for my niece and my Sister In Law and still enjoyed making it.

Zippy Wallet in Moda Glace

It was very well received and apparently the pocket is perfect for a hotel key card.

I still have a few charms (5" squares) left mainly of Christmas fabrics but have no plans for them yet.

I'm still behind on revealing my sewn projects and also have a knitted project that will be finished soon.

Happy Birthday DH

2012-01-26T17:12:00.002Z

My gorgeous husband is celebrating his birthday today. We've had the day off work, went out for lunch and he has a great new 'toy' to play with.

His mum got him a great card which I had to share:

For Airedale lovers the card can be bought from Marks & Spencers

Twisted pleated project bag

2012-01-25T21:20:00.009Z

I'm trying to catch up with my sewing projects as I've made loads of things but forgot to blog about them. I made this bag in November for Jacky on the Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns Forum in a birthday swap.

Twisted Pleated drawstring bag

It was a bit intimidating making her something to be honest as Jacky is an experienced seamstress whereas I'm still a bit of a novice. I spent AGES considering different patterns until I came across this:

I added a special touch to cover up the drawstring knots:

Japanese Flower trim

The use of pleats meant that it took a lot of fabric and a lot of sewing. I've never sewn pleats before and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be:

Twisted pleats on drawstring bag

And another view:

bottom of Twisted Pleated drawstring bag

This bag was very well received and is now being used daily as Jackys' knitting project bag.

Headphones pouch

2012-01-24T21:30:00.014Z

As I go to the gym regularly now in an attempt to get full use of my leg back I'm using my ipod a lot whilst I'm exercising. So in November I made something to keep them in:

Headphones purse

Pattern: Circle Zip Earbud Pouch tutorial by Dog Under my Desk.

The fabric came in a scrap bag from Quilters Cloth and I LOVE fabric scraps. The lining fabric is a solid hot pink that matches the main fabric perfectly. I chose to add a clip rather than a key ring, as suggested in the pattern, as I don't always want to take it out with me. I've found this little pouch really useful and the wires don't get as tangled.

Charms

2012-01-20T14:52:00.001Z

A sneaky peek

2012-01-16T08:52:00.001Z

At what I was doing yesterday.....

Something cheery in January

2012-01-03T17:05:00.001Z

Both DH and I returned to work today after the Christmas break. I always find January a long dismal month after Christmas so decided yesterday to make us both something to brighten up the working day.

These are for DH:

The pirate fabric was a small scrap from Arianwen when I first started sewing. DH has a thing about pirates and always enjoys International Talk like a Pirate day in September so the fabric had to be his. He asked for two coasters, one for his coffee and the other for his glass of water.

I also made myself a new coaster as my last coaster is looking a bit tatty.

I must wash this one more frequently as I often drink iced water and leave the coaster wet.

There are other projects to reveal but I'm waiting for DH to sort out the photos (hence using my mobile) and also some knitting.....

A little notebook cover

2012-01-02T18:39:00.009Z

I decided to make a present for an friend of mine. We go back a long way but as we don't live near each other any more I don't see her very often & haven't been to her new flat. So what to make for this woman who has everything without knowing what colours she surrounds herself in. She isn't into technology (my first thought was a fabric phone cover but she hates her phone) but seems to be open to handmade items.

I decided a notebook cover (with a little notebook) was the way to go.

First I rummaged through my bag of scraps. These little triangles were given to me by a friend as leftovers from a quilt she'd made:

Then I found another scrap & made it a bit bigger:

I backed it with interfacing for stability and then did a bit of fancy stitching to jazz it up a bit (the colours are a bit off here the other 2 are more representative).

Finally with a little bit of elastic to hold the notebook inside it was ready to wrap up and post:

Anyway she loved it and was amazed to hear that it took an afternoon to put together. It would have been quicker if I hadn't been making it up as I went along.

I'm using my phone for photos at the moment so they're not wonderful.

Handmade gifts

2011-12-30T21:16:00.007Z

I made these coasters for my Dad for Christmas and they were very well received. He uses the travel organiser I made him last year regularly and promises to do the same with these.

The other gifts I made were mainly chutneys, as I made 8 batches this year using the vegetables we grew, and also made some Christmas cakes.

Another little handmade gift will appear soon.....

Tumblers

2011-12-27T13:37:00.002Z

I got an Accuquilt for Christmas and have been having fun. So far I've sewn half the rows but haven't joined them together yet.

Post Christmas

2011-12-26T20:11:00.002Z

We've had a relaxing time and are enjoying time at home. The furry creatures are chilling as well.....

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T20:31:00.001Z

I've been meaning to write a post for ages but never found the time. Life has been busy since my last post. Yesterday was the second anniversary of my accident yesterday and although I'm not yet back to normal yet I have made good progress. I was discharged from both the hospital and Physio in July. I then did an 'exercise referral' at a local gym and now go regularly.

Knitting and sewing has been going on but I can't share any photos yet so instead have a peek at the basket of chutney I made for my Secret Santa gift at work.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

Pot-tay-toes

2011-06-15T18:07:00.001Z

No prizes for guessing what we had for had for dinner tonight....

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Green fingers

2011-06-13T19:45:00.003Z

After my accident left me unable to walk last year DH took over the gardening. These photos were taken last weekend and there has been a lot of progress in that short time.

Last year DH grew lots of different vegetables some where more successful than others and this year he's carried on:

These were the strawberry plants we started with last year. The position they were in was a bit shaded so instead of fruit we got a lot of runners

strawberries

It was DD's job to plant them all up in tiny pots & then I put them into troughs at the end of the summer. This spring DH built a home for them with some timber we given to burn from a dismantled garage but it was put to better use:

strawberries shelves

There are 15 troughs of strawberries, 1 of lobellia to attract the bees and the 3 on the bottom shelf are lettuce seedlings. We've been enjoying strawberries for breakfast for the past 2 weeks and tonight had enough for pudding as well!

The original strawberry plants are much happier this year as they're against our new polycarbonate greenhouse so are very warm and toasty in a sheltered position. Last year DH grew both tomatoes and cucumbers in a cheap plastic greenhouse but this year he's taken things a bit further:

tomato plants in our new p/c greenhouse

He has grown 7 different varieties of tomatoes from seed most of which are in the 8 x10 ft polycarbonate greenhouse in the back garden with some chillies, okra and basil:

various plants in the greenhouse

It won't be too long before the crop starts...

The other tomatoes can be found at the front of the house with the strawberry shelves and the plastic greenhouse from last year.

Tomato tree

DH built the 'tree' last year when we bought the hanging grow bags. He 'over engineered' it so he can hang off it but it works wonderfully well and soon the plants will be covered in both cherry & cherry plum tomatoes. We've planted Petunias, trailing geranium and lobellia above them to encourage the bees.

In the plastic greenhouse he has cucumbers and courgettes:

cucumber and courgette plants

Last year this small 'greenhouse' held tomatoes and cucumbers and was far too crowded and it ended up being a nightmare to water and care for. So this year DH has ensured that all the plants have enough room to grow.

A tiny cucumber:

cucumber plant

We had our first cucumber yesterday and like those from last year it was gorgeous! Fresh cucumbers taste so different to those bought in the shops as do all the fruit and vegetables we've grown so far.

Returning to the back garden, we removed 2 trees this spring in an attempt to improve the light for our new greenhouse which we hated doing. The wood has been put to good use but still it felt wrong. So I bought 2 apples trees which are currently in pots but will be planted out soon:

apples

There are 3 varieties of eating apple on each tree so in a few years time we'll be self-sufficient in apples in the summer (as long DD doesn't eat them all) and the trees won't grow too tall so won't cause a problem with light.

We've also got salad potatoes growing which will be dug up next weekend:

salad potatoes grown in recycled dog food bags

The bags are left over from the dog food and we've found plenty of uses for them in the garden plus I've just given about 40 of them away on our local Freegle group. We had some potatoes growing at the end of last year but the early snow killed them off. This year we're planning on moving the bags into the greenhouse in the autumn when the other plants have finished which should help keep them going until Christmas.

Also growing but not photographed garlic (about 12 varieties), assorted lettuces, peas, beans, radishes, blueberries and plenty of herbs.

How does your garden grow?

Essential Tweed socks

2011-06-07T19:08:00.010Z

Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

Pattern: David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Plum (now discontinued)
Needles: 2mm
Time taken to knit: J21st January 2011 to 2nd June 2011

Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

The yarn was a present from my friend CL in Canada a few years ago. It's made a lovely dense fabric and is very soft after one wash. However I don't know how long the coloured flecks will last as they're very loosely combined with the yarn.

Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

This pair were knitted toe up, two at a time. The feet and body of the socks are in 3x1 rib and the cuffs 2x2 rib as I like my socks to stay up. I decided to use a simple rib as the flecks would detract from a more complicated pattern.

Toe Up socks in Knit Picks Essential Tweed

Overall I'm pleased with them but would have liked them to be a bit longer.

Preparing for winter

2011-05-31T15:06:00.003Z

We've been busy over the past couple of months chopping and splitting wood to burn on our wood burner. I'm not sure if we've got enough for the whole winter but I think we'll be ok for a bit.

We've had our wood burning stove for 3 winters and since then it's snowed each year. Last year we had a record 18" of snow in early December and there's nothing like sitting in front of a wood burning stove flicking and whilst it's snowing outside.

Birthday gifts

2011-05-26T08:25:00.002Z

I've always wanted to sew due to the speed and ease that you can create a totally unique item. Knitting is always constant but it can take weeks to make a scarf or a pair of socks whereas a sewn item can take an afternoon or an evening. So for me now being able to do both is ideal.

After I made some presents for my niece last month her mum requested the same as she loved them so I obliged:

Make-up bag

a shot of the other side as I used lots of different fabrics:

Make-up bag

and the inside:

Make-up bag

Pattern: Strippy Charm Pouch from Modabakeshop
Fabrics: Moda Bliss

I fancied a change from the other make-up bag pattern that I've now made 4 times so book marked this pattern as soon as I saw it.

I also made a little purse just like her daughters as it had been much admired:

Zippy Wallet in Moda Bliss

the lining fabric

Pattern: Zippy Wallet by noodlehead

And one for me

2011-05-09T07:55:00.006Z

I made this using scraps of Indian batiks from 2 current projects.

I like the back as well.

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Sunday afternoon......

2011-05-08T15:54:00.001Z

It's nice having time to get things finished......

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Coasting along

2011-05-06T20:40:00.003Z

I made a quick present for a friends' birthday last week:

fabric coaster

The pattern is 'Coasters' from Quilting in No Time which I've used previously with the make-up bags.

6 fabric coasters

They were easy to make and useful for an ice cold drink. I'm planning on making one myself soon for my desk.....

And another one

2011-04-28T18:24:00.005Z

My youngest niece had her 11th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Her Mum had told me that E had been caught 'borrowing' make up in an attempt to look more grown up so I thought that she would appreciate a grown up make-up bag of her own:

Fish make up bag for E

The only stipulation from my SIL was that she likes blue. So I started with the fish fabric from Fabric Freedom but then ended up adding a solid purple & variegated pink to compliment the fish.

My modification of reducing the width of the lining by 3/4" is definitely the right thing to do:

lining of fish make-up bag

As previously the pattern is 'Cosmetic bag' from Quilting in No Time

Then I made a matching purse as girls can never have too many bags or purses:

Fish purse

It is a neat little pattern and I thought the pocket would be good for a bus ticket. I added a line of top stitching just under the zip the same as one the make-up bag as I like to 'hold' the front in place and also a vintage Mother of Pearl button on the popper.

Pattern: Zippy Wallet by noodlehead

The lining has a different construction to that of the make up bag and I prefer it:

lining in zippy wallet

Both were well received and Mum has asked for the same for her birthday....

Another year older

2011-04-25T20:07:00.005Z

It was my birthday on Saturday and DH ensured that I was spoilt. It was a 'significant' birthday and we'd always planned to go abroad for it but due to a number of reasons including the fact that it was Easter Weekend we decided to stay at home. My main present was an upgrade to my sewing machine:

I've already been playing and LOVE it. In addition I've got a second hand Embroidery machine which I've no idea how to use but am looking forward to learning.

We went to York for the weekend and visited the 'Quilt Art' exhibition at the The Quilt Museum which I loved. The weather was like high summer so sun glasses were worn. We later went out for a meal with friends to my favourite vegetarian restaurant which was great fun.

I was also spoilt by my Secret Santa: :

Birthday gifts including

This thoughtful package included a little package that Oscar was extremely interested in and he was very helpful in removing the tissue paper.

Oscar enjoying handmade dog biscuits

I hope he'll still accept the supermarket dog biscuits that he normally gets as his bedtime treat or am I going to have to start baking dog biscuits myself?

A rare sight

2011-04-22T12:12:00.003Z

Oscar relaxed after his morning walk. He's the highest energised dog I've ever known, chasing the ball tires him out but not for long.

Nearly finished for another year

2011-04-22T11:46:00.002Z

It's still gloriously warm here and my tulips are nearly over. It's more like mid summer than spring and we could really do with some rain to fill up the water butts.

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Looking handsome

2011-04-21T20:15:00.002Z

Frankie pretending to be black & white

More repeated projects

2011-04-19T21:34:00.003Z

It seems that I'm unable to make something just once. After I'd finished the make-up bag for my friend DD came sidling up & asked if I'd make her one as "hand knitted socks have never been my thing"....

Red skulls make-up bag

She loves it and I've now got another skull project lined up for her.

Then I made another one as a leaving present for a colleague:

Blue make-up bag

Unlike the first one I made I'm much happier with the lining on these two and I've made it 3/4" narrower than the pattern suggests:

inside of blue make-up bag revealing lining

Pattern: Cosmetic bag from Quilting in No Time

It was also well received.

Mmmmmm

2011-04-16T18:03:00.001Z

DH made some blueberry muffins....

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It's cold tonight

2011-04-15T19:51:00.001Z

so we've lit the fire possibly for the last time before the autumn. Oscar approves.

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A few days later.....

2011-04-13T14:02:00.001Z

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Spring at last

2011-04-10T10:44:00.002Z

We've got a mini heatwave going on which is lovely after such a harsh winter.

Lots has been going on in our garden including a new greenhouse so I'm hoping for a good crop of tomatoes and want to make vast batches of pasata to bottle up for the winter. .

Both knitting and sewing has been taking place as well but photos are bottle-necked at the processing department so my phone will have to suffice.

I've also finally got some good news about my knee as I'm seeing another Physio and have started work in the gym. I can't wait to get rid of my limp!

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What would you make?

2011-03-09T21:10:00.001Z

Last month I had the difficult task of making something for someone who has been amazing supportive to me over the past year. She is also an accomplished knitter and sewer and mentioned in passing that she'd love to have a handmade gift. So I knew that whatever I made would be appreciated but what to make?

Lots of ideas were considered, pondered and then discounted but eventually I settled on two:

red door stop

This was made with upcycled upholstery fabric before the other door stops but as it hadn't been given away then I couldn't share the details. The room it was intended for has just been replastered, a new hard wood floor laid and the walls are painted white with red as an accent colour. However instead it's found a new home in the hall way stopping the front door smashing into the very stylish designer radiator, but at least it's being used.

I also wanted to make her something more personal. Again I dithered between patterns but it was the fabric which finally dictated my choice. I had 3 gorgeous fat quarters that needed a pattern that took 3 fabrics - and found my answer in Quilting in No Time:

Cosmetics bag

Please imagine the base colour as lilac as you'll get a truer picture.

I couldn't resist the dancing couple:

dancing couple detail on make-up bag

The construction looks very stylish (in my opinion) but is simple to achieve:

base of make up bag

and I love how the patchwork strip brings the design together:

close up of centre pattern

I added a cream zip:

I used a 10" zip rather than the 12" stipulated in the pattern

My one criticism of the pattern is that the lining is too wide once you put it inside the outer bag:

lining fabric bunched up

So I'd recommend trimming an inch off recommended lining size given in the pattern.

I LOVED this bag and was reluctant to give it away. It was VERY much appreciated and is already in use. Since then I've already made another one and more are in production/being planned.

Learning to quilt

2011-02-26T13:00:00.012Z

When I got my sewing machine for my birthday last year I really wanted to learn how to quilt but didn't know where to start. Until a trip to my local Scrapstore with my art loving daughter revealed a cheap source of 'upcycled' fabrics. So I decided to play with the techniques and had a lot of fun.

The first quilt I made was a pattern called 'Puss in the Corner' from Traditional Patchwork Patterns with Plastic Templates by Rita Weiss

Puss in the Corner wall quilt

I made it using the plastic templates included in the book but the squares aren't quite all the same. The floral fabric is an upcycled curtain material (I think), the cream is a calico that I bought cheaply and the green border & backing was given to me to play with by a friend.

close up

I echoed the seams with a contrasting thread when quilting but then left it unbound as I didn't how to do it.

Then I made another one using an amazing piece of scrap material:

Terracotta Woman wall quilt

It reminds me of a terracotta wall fountain. I patchworked her face and then using an open toed foot drew out the detail in the fabric:

Close up of Terracotta Woman's face

I also picked out the detail in the leaves:

ivy leaf

It then joined the first one in the 'pile to be bound' as I still didn't know how to do it.

Then in November I went to the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate & came home with a Double Strip 90 degree ruler from Creative Grids. I made 2.5" strips and had fun with some Sanderson upholstery weight fabrics:

Upcycled Sanderson upholstery fabric

and turned them into this:

Blue & Yellow double strip wall quilt

I echoed the seams again but this time in a matching thread. I also used a thicker wadding so it's a lot plumper than the others.

Blue & Yellow double strip wall quilt

I really enjoyed using the ruler and so DH bought me more for Christmas.

So now I had 3 wall quilts sat in the corner unbound. They stayed there for a few months until I plucked up the courage to do something with them and I turned to YouTube. First I learned how to bind them:

and then I had to sort out the back. I started off by sewing it by hand but got fed up as it's slow and my handsewing isn't neat. But then I remembered another video that I found a few months ago that demonstrated how to finish the binding with a sewing machine:

neat binding, binding join and the stitching in the ditch is hardly visible

I also added triangles in the corner to make it easier to hang them up (a tip I found on one of the Quilters forums on Ravelry):

Corner triangles to hang wall quilt

I did all 3 quilts over 2 evenings and have conquered my fear!

All 3 quilts, the yellow door stop and the tall fabric box have now found a good home with my local Scrapstore to provide inspiration to others.

Boxing Clever

2011-02-23T12:47:00.006Z

On my travels around the internet I came across a pattern that I had to make as it seemed very simple yet so clever.

I was aiming for a box 3 1/2" tall so adjusted the formula to suit. My first attempt using scrap fabric wasn't too successful as I made the outer sleeve too tall:

Tall fabric box

The next one in the same fabric was a bit better:

fabric box

Then I dug out one of my favourite fabrics that I got in the sale at Fabric Rehab:

White Russian Dolls fabric box

I only used the nice fabric for the outer sleeve so that I've got some left for another project in the future.

Black Russian Dolls fabric box

and one together:

Russian Dolls fabric boxes

It's a very clever pattern and cardboard is used to support the sides so it can be removed & the 'box' washed.

A few knitted stitches

2011-02-17T12:11:00.000Z

are being done here amongst the sewing.

Toe up, two at a time socks

This photo was taken at the weekend and they have grown since then. The yarn is Knit Picks 'Essential Tweed' in Plum which I think is discontinued now. It came from deep in my stash and was a present from my friend CL in Canada a few years ago. It's a lovely soft yarn but hopefully will be strong due to the 25% nylon content. I'm using 2mm needles for a nice dense fabric.

Upcycling

2011-02-15T12:30:00.003Z

When I first got my sewing machine last year for my birthday I really wanted to sew but to be honest I didn't really know where to start. I'd had a crafty weekend with Arianwen a couple of years before & made a Simple Tote from Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter and also a very basic baby quilt (which still isn't finished) and another friend gave me a couple of lessons but that was the extent of my experience. I started collecting pretty fabric but it's expensive and when you don't know what you're doing quite daunting to cut into.

So I was fortunate to discover that a local charity for Creative Play for children & young people has 'upcycled ' fabric available for a small cost. My 15 year old daughter is studying Art at school and we went to kit her out with supplies and materials and I came back with a bag of fabrics. Most are from sample books of upholstery fabrics and if not reused in this way would probably go to landfill. This gave me the freedom to play with my sewing machine and enabled me to learn a lot. The Door stops in my last post were made with upholstery fabric that I got there and I'll be giving them the yellow one plus some other things I've made soon for display purposes to inspire others.

The Upcycling of fabric really appeals to me. Resources for it's manufacture, dyes etc have already been used so my crafting has minimal impact on the environment and it also saves money which is always important. With this in mind I've also been scouring charity shops as I want to make a quilt for our Super King bed and have found duvet covers to be a wonderful source of material:

100% Cotton Double Duvet cover originally from Ikea cost £5

100% Cotton King sized Duvet cover with 2 pillow cases originally from M&S cost £5

100% Cotton Double Duvet cover with 2 pillow cases cost £3

It's bizarre that every cotton duvet cover I've found so far is pink and green as these are the colours I want to use in my quilt. I've found polycotton covers in other colours but I only want 100% cotton fabrics.

I also found this skirt a few years ago before I started sewing but I'm sure you can understand why I bought it:

Lady bird skirt from Get Cutie

Lastly I'm going to leave you with a teaser of one of the items I've made to donate to the charity mentioned above:

will be revealed soon

Which one would you like?

2011-02-13T22:04:00.004Z

This post is for Arianwen but I'd also love to hear what other readers think.

I've been playing with my sewing machine and some 'upcycled' heavy weight upholstery fabrics recently & couldn't resist trying the Door Stop pattern from Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter:

green fabric door stop

or this one?

yellow fabric door stop

The first would compliment your carpets and the second your newly upholstered suite.

The flower details are really pretty:

yellow flowers

green flowers

So Arianwen would you like a door stop to prevent cats getting trapped in a room? Or (like cats) do you even have room in your home for more than one?

More Grumpy Fish

2011-01-30T22:42:00.005Z

Last weekend I made a little extra present for my MIL's birthday to go with her Grumpy Fish Travel Organiser.

Drawstring bag

I thought that a little drawstring bag would be really useful when travelling to keep essentials together in a handbag or rucksack. This was the first time that I'd used the button hole function on my sewing machine and it's so easy!

close up of button hole

Now to learn how to make a drawstring bag with a circular base.....

Caroline's Crochet Hook Case

2011-01-27T08:30:00.006Z

This is the last of the handmade Christmas presents that I made:

Crochet Hook Case

I started with this pattern and made myself a prototype. However it wasn't exactly what I was looking for so I changed a few things:

Caroline uses Clover Soft Touch hooks so I made it wider to accommodate the bulkier hooks.

Crochet Hook Case for Clover Soft Touch hooks

I also added an extra set of pockets to accommodate her hook collection as it grows:

Crochet Hook Case with double pocket

and the pockets on the right are wider to holder the bigger sizes:

Crochet Hook Case

I also had to angled the top flap due to the bulky nature of the hooks:

Crochet Hook Case open

as I didn't want fabric sticking out when it was folded up:

Crochet Hook Case with flap down

Finally I added fabric ties rather than a button as I thought it was more secure and less hassle when using it.

The verdict was that's it's perfect for her needs and she loves it

However I wish I'd bought more than half a metre of the fabrics....

Some knitting for a change

2011-01-23T22:09:00.008Z

My mojo deserted me for a while (again) but at last I have finished something:

Jacques Cousteau Hat for DH

Pattern: Jacques Cousteau Hat
Yarn: Wendy Mode DK in Denim shade 227
Needles: 3.5mm
Time taken to knit: November 8th 2010 to January 15th 2011

Jacques Cousteau Hat decrease

I made him another hat last winter and although nice to look at it wasn't deep enough for him as he wants to be able to protect his neck on early morning walks with the dogs and this fits the bill.

I've also cast on for something else:

Purple toes....

Stop Press

2011-01-20T08:30:00.002Z

There is a knitted Finished Object in the blueadt house!

Washing and blocking needs to be carried out before photographic evidence can be provided but the rumour has been confirmed by a reputable source.

So in the meantime

Frankie says Relax.....

Let it fly.....

2011-01-18T21:06:00.007Z

Following on from my last post I can finally reveal some more of the things that I made as Christmas presents:

Grumpy Fish Travel Organiser for my MIL

Pattern: Travel Organizer Tutorial by Thimble

With pockets for a passport, tickets, boarding pass and two zipped pockets for coins I thought that these would make useful gifts to be used for years to come.

Grumpy Fish Travel Organiser close up showing the zips

To date this is the most complicated sewing pattern I've tackled. I did it whilst having a crafty day with a couple of friends and without their help it wouldn't have been a success. The zips proved to be a bit complicated but I got there in the end.

Grumpy Fish Travel Organiser closed

I'm not happy with the elastic closure as I didn't measure it accurately & it's wonky but after nearly 7 hours of work I didn't have the heart to unpick it and reposition the elastic.

Then one for my Step Mum:

Flower Travel organiser

I was delighted when I found this solid cobalt blue cotton in Dunelm as it's just right with the other two fabrics.

Blue flower Travel organiser

and straight elastic!

Flower Travel organiser

and finally one for my Dad:

Travel Organiser

Dad loves oranges so I had to search for the right fabrics.

~Travel Organiser

I couldn't buy orange zips locally but found them here. However the smallest zips they sell are 7" so I made his organiser slightly bigger than the others but I now know that I could have cut them down once sewn into the fabric.

and a shot of the cover with the elastic tucked inside but it's straight I promise:

~Travel Organiser

I added medium weight iron-on interfacing to the two largest pieces of fabric to make them stiffer. DH thinks that the closure needs re-thinking as he's not impressed by the elastic but I'm happy with them.

I've also made another one but it won't be going to it's new home for a while so for now stays hidden. There is also another Christmas present to share but that deserves a post of it's own....

Christmas gifts

2011-01-07T19:01:00.011Z

Well the cold turned into flu & knocked me flat. DD got it first & in true style was generous with her germs and then I in turn gave it to DH. So Christmas was a bit of a washout in our house to be honest.

My knitting mojo has deserted me yet again and everything I touch seems to go wrong so I haven't been doing much of it. So instead I've been sewing. I made some Christmas presents but they were of the fabric kind rather than fibre.

Firstly a make up bag for my 13 year old niece:

makeup bag

Pattern: Makeup bag Tutorial by 'Come and see the Seitz'

I lined the bag in black cotton but forgot to get a photo of it open.

This was only the second time that I've inserted a zip so it was a bit nerve racking but I'm pleased with the outcome. I put a Boots giftcard inside so she can treat herself to something to put inside it.

Then a bag for her 10 year old sister:

blue batik tote bag

and a peek at the fish fabric that I used for the lining:

blue batik fish material bag lining

It's a pattern I've used before but I left off the applique this time.

The bag in particular was well received and taken to school this week with pencil case and other treasures.

I made a few other things as well but am waiting to hear that they've been received before I share the details.

Airedales playing

2011-01-03T20:26:00.006Z

Although a bit late I thought some of you would enjoy these photos. The first few were taken in the heavy snow we had early in December:

Oscar jumping on Annie

Oscar sniffing something.......

Oscar enjoying the snow

Then we had more snow just before Christmas:

Oscar posing with his beloved ball

Oscar & Annie running

Oscar bouncing with his ball

Oscar LOVES the snow.....

A year later

2010-12-23T19:06:00.006Z

Today a year ago I had an an accident. Due to it initially being diagnosed as a sprain I didn't see a physio for a few months. The first consultant told me I'd be walking within 3 months which proved to be too optimistic. Finally after 4 months I had a full diagnosis:

Bone bruising (fractures under the soft surface of the bone) within my knee

2 torn medial hamstrings on the inside of my thigh

Medial ligament torn off the bone

Severe damage to the muscle on the outside of my thigh

A year later I can walk but have a pronounced limp. I'm no longer on Tramadol but have to use a walking stick if I go out and still have difficulty with lots of simple things including put a sock on my right foot.

I'm hoping to make a full recovery and am aiming to be able to run with Oscar again.

A year ago I considered two women to be very close friends.

One has been absolutely amazing. Without her help we would have probably have to re-home Oscar as I couldn't cope with him at all. She came in to help me nearly every lunch time for 7 months to walk both dogs, bring me something to eat & drink and help me to the loo etc. On rare days when she couldn't help DH would take half a day off work as I really couldn't cope all day on my own. When physiotheraphy finally started DH would drop me off on his way to work & she would pick me up as I wasn't allowed to drive until the end of May.

I haven't heard from the other friend since February or March.

It's really proven to me that when things get tough you find out who your friends are!

I've put some weight on due to the pain killing properties of chocolate and a total inability to exercise but have decided to forget about dieting this Christmas. Last year the celebrations were a fog of pain to be honest and I just want to relax and enjoy the time with my family this year. When I can move without pain I'm hoping to be able to exercise again.

I gave this amazing friend a present last week of pure cashmere yarn from ColourMart as a 'Thank You for Everything' present and it brought tears to her eyes

Now if I could only shake off this stinkin' cold.......

It goes on......

2010-12-02T22:34:00.002Z

The snow is getting deeper and it's getting colder....

Poor old girl

2010-12-02T11:28:00.003Z

Annie didn't enjoy her walk this morning as she had to plod through 16" of snow. She'll be 10 years old next April and is slowing down.
Oscar at 3 years of age had a fantastic time....

However this information is second hand as my knee isn't yet up to walking in snow so my husband is exercising them and has been for nearly a year.... Thanks!

Winter wonderland

2010-12-01T08:22:00.001Z

It snowed heavily over night & is still coming down. I've been trying to keep the bird feeders full and clear of snow but am fighting a losing battle.

This morning Oscar bounced through a foot of snow whereas poor Annie plodded. Neither were impressed with the bucket of warm water I dipped their legs into!

The street light in the street behind our garden lends a Narnia like touch to the scene.

It's cold!

2010-11-28T19:15:00.003Z

We've got snow and the dogs are enjoying it....

However Oscar didn't want to play with anything else apart from his ball this morning and barked his head off when it wasn't thrown quick enough.

We're enjoying our wood burning stove and our wood shed is full of seasoned logs so if the cold weather continues as predicted we can stay warm. The cats and dogs are enjoying it as well......

Drops Shawl

2010-11-21T20:31:00.019Z

Drops Shawl in Noro Silk Garden Sock

Pattern: Drops Design 120-4 shawl in ”Delight” with lace pattern .
Yarn: 533g of Noro Silk Garden Sock in S269.
Needles: 3.75mm circular
Made for: Me
Size: I increased to 490 stitches before introducing the second lace section.
Time taken to knit: August 4th - November 14th 2010.

Drops Shawl in Noro Silk Garden Sock

This is my first Finished Object of the year which is shameful but I'm no longer on Tramadol so my mind is now free to concentrate on my knitting.

close up of lace pattern with center

I've loved this colourway for a long time and took a few weeks to find a pattern that did it justice. I wanted some lace but not enough that the pattern would be lost in busyness of the stripes. I think the garter stitch works perfectly with the rustic colours and texture of the yarn.

Close up of lace pattern with garter stitch

Another close up of lace

Miles of garter stitch

close up of the lace section again

I knitted the largest size as I wanted a warm shawl to wrap myself up in & that's what I've got!

It's so big I can wrap myself up in it!

Still chugging away......

2010-09-14T11:53:00.001Z

The end is in sight but it seems a long way off. I've reached 430 stitches and need to keep going to 490 before I introduce the second lace section.
I love the colours and know I'll enjoy the end result but I'm bored of garter stitch at the moment.

Miles of garter stitch

2010-08-15T12:07:00.002Z

I'm currently knitting a shawl in Noro Silk Garden Sock shade 269. I'd converted this colour for over a year and gave in last month during a trip to York when I visited Ramshambles. I chose the pattern very carefully as I didn't want something that was too busy for the neutral colour stripes and still wanted some patterning. I've got about another 50 rows before the first lace section......

Out of my comfort zone

2010-07-11T09:55:00.005Z

I've been playing with my new sewing machine recently and made this for one of my friends as she's returning to the US after living here for the past 4 years. She'll be missed

Cat Tote

Pattern: Simplicity 2575 Cat Tote

The actual sewing didn't take long but the preparation took far longer than I'd anticipated. I was lucky that another friend came round and talked me through the pattern step by step and also encouraged me to trace the pattern pieces which I'm glad I did as they are so flimsy.

close up

DH thinks that the cat looks Mexican because of his whiskers.

Frankie says, meh!:

Frankie

Still here

2010-06-20T13:30:00.004Z

In 3 days time it'll be 6 months since my accident. I have been discharged by the physio & am allowed to drive again which is great as I hated being dependant upon other people to ferry me around. However the physio thinks it'll take another 5 months or so until I'm back to normal. I have to use a walking stick which I HATE as without it I have a very pronounced limp. I feel very self-conscious either way so not good.

I'm desperate to get moving again and have set myself the task of investigating 'Sports Rehabilitation' next week but don't know if it's available on the NHS. My long suffering husband is still walking the dogs every morning and could really do with a day off/a lie in. I'm desperate to walk them but Oscar is lively and my balance isn't great.

Knitting wise I decided to make something very simple using colours that would cheer me up:

Courtyard Steps blanket

This photo was taken a few weeks ago and I'm much further on now. I stupidly bought only 4 balls of each colour. This wouldn't have even made it big enough for a toddler to use as a buggy blanket but 2 Raverlors were kind enough to help me out and I now have another 3 of the green. I'm still after a ball or two of the pink (Anchor Style Magicline 1462, dyelot 22726) if anyone has any spare.......

Knitting again

2010-05-14T13:14:00.002Z

After a too many mistakes caused by pain and a painkiller induced drug fog I had stopped but now the needles are clicking again....

ETA I take that back, the socks are being frogged as I haven't got enough yarn, yet another bad decision. Anybody want to give me a good price for my stash?

Celebrations

2010-04-23T20:51:00.006Z

For the first time in a long time I've got something to celebrate.

Today in addition to it being St George's Day it's also my birthday. I haven't been in the mood to celebrate but my husband and daughter decided to ignore that and have spoilt me rotten. DH bought me an amazing Sewing Machine, DD baked me some cookies and got me some lovely presents including a cake:

Carrot Cake

I've also been spoilt by friends and my employers sent me a HUGE bouquet of flowers which was totally unexpected.

The reason I've been down is that I'm still in a lot pain from my accident and am totally fed up with being unable to walk and being housebound. I was told 3 weeks ago by the consultant that it'll be another 6 months before I'm fully mobile again which wasn't what I wanted to hear.

In addition to the original diagnosis of bruised bones and grade 2 medial ligament damage my physiotherapist has found more damage:

- Two 'Medial hamstrings' on the inside of my leg have been torn and

- my Iliotibial Band (long muscle connecting the hip to the knee) is trashed as well

I have two physiotheraphy sessions every week and am improving but it's slow and painful. Prior to my accident I used to walk the dogs every morning and run with Oscar so I'm finding my inactivity very hard to cope with.

Hence the sewing machine. I need to learn a new skill so that something good comes out of all this inactivity. I haven't been knitting recently either as every project I've started or worked on has gone wrong but that's for another post......

12 weeks plus

2010-03-20T10:39:00.003Z

I'm finally starting to get better. The horrendous pain has eased and now instead I've just got pain and discomfort. I am 'walking' wearing the leg brace and using crutches and am actually bearing weight on my right leg!

Now my problem relates to the range of movement, or lack of, in my knee. The hamstring had shortened after such a long time of not being used and my knee being propped up on pillows. This is nearly resolved and now I've got to work on the knee. It's stiffened up & I need to be able to free up in order to walk normally again. I need 90 degree of movement in order to ever be able to walk and I have 45 at the moment.

So lots of very uncomfortable exercises to come and ice packs are my reward to numb the resulting pain. My muscles have gone & my leg has wasted away a bit so lots of work to do once I've got the knee working again. I aiming to be running again by the end of the year.

Btw: above is now my morning activity instead of walking with my 'dales, Frankie has the most amazing tummy........

Diagnosis

2010-03-04T16:07:00.007Z

I’ve got bruised bones (tiny little fractures under the surface of the bone that don’t show up on x-rays) with grade 2 medial ligament damage.

In the long term this is good news as I don’t need an operation and shouldn’t have any long term effects.

However in the short term it isn’t good as there is nothing the Doctors can do apart from pain management. I was told that patients normally start to recover within 4-6 weeks but as mine is still so painful I must have severe bruising. I have to continue to rest my knee and eventually the pain will ease.

It's been 10 weeks so far, any bets as to how much longer before I can walk again?

10 weeks

2010-03-03T16:20:00.007Z

after my accident and I'm still here:

Sat in exactly the same chair

wearing the same brace

with the red cushion under my knee.

The only improvement in this time has been the pain relief that I rely on.

Any early morning visitors will hear my alarm clock as it goes off at 4 a.m. so that I can take tablet

before the next one at 8 a.m.

Then 12 noon,

4 p.m,

8 p.m.

12 midnight, I think you get the drift.....

I have an appointment tomorrow morning with a consultant who should hopefully have the results of my MRI scan and will be able to sort out a plan to fix the damage.

I have also been seeing a physiotherapist who, working without the benefit of the scan, thinks that I need an operation and then lots of work to get walking again after that.

Hopefully I'll know more after tomorrow. I have a fear that I'll be put on a long waiting list but who knows.

Meanwhile life goes on:

Frankie

These were taken just over a month ago but I haven't felt up to posting anything. Frankie is now 7 1/2 months old and is a grown up kitty when he wants to be. He learnt to go out of the cat flap very quickly but it took him a bit longer to learn how to get into the house again.

Frankie

Now that he can burn up all his kitten energy he's often be found snoozing on the back of the sofa, snoring lightly as only a kitten can.....

Long overdue

2010-02-05T20:07:00.021Z

Belated thanks are owed to Random Knits. We did a swap at the end of last year and with everything that has happened since I hadn't managed to say Thank You.

The lovely Donna had a skein of Wollmeise that she wasn't particularly attached to and I've always wanted to try it and adored the colour:

Wollmeise, Knitabulous sock yarns & a project bag!

I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin in Ruby Thursday

Knitabulous Ultimate Sock in New Jeans

The composition is 60% Wool, 20% Silk and 20% Bamboo which sounds as if it'll be lovely to use as well as wear.

I also love the project bag as it's got a firm base so stands up with a drawstring but didn't realise Donna had made it herself until I spotted the little 'Random Knits' tag.

Also included were a packet of Tam Tams, an Australian music magazine for DD and a black skull shaped rubber which went straight into her pencil case. DD came back from Australia last summer with a packet of Tam Tams and we all love them so they didn't last very long.

I sent enough Drops Kid-Silk for a decent sized shawl, an English magazine for her daughter which featured loads of Twilight information and a poster and some very nice chocolate. The chocolate nearly didn't make it as it had been 'found' by somebody but I managed to save it.

Thank you so much, I really enjoyed the swap & loved shopping for you!

And just because I couldn't resist here's another pic:

Wollmeise & Knitabulous sock yarns

Knitting Update

2010-01-31T14:02:00.020Z

Various projects have been started and finished and not shown here for a number of reasons: Some were Christmas presents, others because DH has been too busy to take photos and also because my mojo left the building. I've found my lifestyle change very hard to take in and just because I have a lot more time to knit because I can't walk, doesn't mean that I want to, does that make sense?

Lady Eleanor the Second

Pattern: Lady Eleanor.
Yarn: 400g of Noro Silk Garden in shade 264
Needles: 5mm circulars
Time taken to knit: August 10th 2008 - September 25th 2009

When she saw my Lady Eleanor a few years ago my Step-Mum LOVED it & wanted to 'borrow' it indefinitely.

Lady Eleanor shawl in Noro Silk Garden 264

So I made another for her.

DD having fun modelling the Lady Eleanor shawl

It took me such a long time to make as I associated it with pain having started it when I came out of hospital after surgery and wanted a familiar easy knit.

Lady Eleanor shawl

After the seeming disaster of my Noro Fake Isle Hat Arianwen saved the day with the use/loan of her wooden hat blocker.

Fake Isle Hat before blocking

Fake Isle Hat after blocking

I love it but unfortunately rarely get outside at the moment so haven't worn it yet. DD also loves it so I made another for her:

Fake Isle Hat

Pattern: Fake Isle Hat.
Yarn: 21g of Noro Kureyon in shade 159 and 36g of Cascade 220 in Jet
Needles: 2x 4mm circulars knitted in the round
Time taken to knit: December 26th 2009 - December 27th 2009

Fake Isle Hat

Lastly (for now) what seemed to take forever as it bored me to tears:

Baktus Scarf

Pattern: Baktus Scarf.
Yarn: 90g of Opal Silk Sock Yarn in shade 1121
Needles: 3.5mm
Time taken to knit: May 9th 2009 - December 28th 2009

This scarf took forever as I'd started it for a work colleague & then lost my job so it sat unfinished for a long time and I also found the pattern tedious to be honest. I finally made myself finish it just to get it out of the way and doesn't have a home yet.

So an update of my finished knits. Lots of other things have been started, abandoned & then then reluctantly picked up again but that's for another day.

A month later

2010-01-23T21:40:00.007Z

and I'm still here sat on my butt in same the chair. The brace is still on and I really hate it. The crutches/brace give me blisters and I'm hobbling around.

Being in constant pain definitely gives life a different edge and my priorities have changed. It's now an ordeal to do anything and I REALLY miss walking the dogs in the morning. I've been told it'll be 3 months before I'm walking but one month on and I've had no progress to speak of so I'm not holding my breath.

But life goes on: Frankie kitten is now 6 months old & was neutered this week. He went out for the first time this afternoon & the woodshed was VERY interesting. He's developed a love of dog food so we're trying to persuade Oscar to eat his food so that Frankie doesn't steal it.

Frankie aged 4 months as we haven't taken any photos recently

I started a new job a week before the accident but luckily I'm based at home so haven't had to take time off sick. It's been interesting trying to arrange an invalid working area as I can't sit at my desk but it's doable, the work is interesting and I'm enjoying it.

Out with the old

2010-01-01T23:08:00.003Z

Perhaps to be expected we didn't have the best Christmas or New Year celebrations.
2009 was a difficult year for our family on many levels most of which isn't to be shared here. 2008 was also hard on us so we could really do with a change this year....

Knitting is taking place but I've discovered that when it's one of the few things I can do it loses much of it's appeal. My husband is snowed with all the burdens that my injury has heaped on him, so for now you'll have to make do with a photo of a new WIP (taken with my phone) Thummbed mittens.

ETA 2/1/10 to add links

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T09:55:00.003Z

I hope you're all having a wonderful day with loved ones and enjoying a peaceful & joy filled day.

Our Christmas is a bit different this year as I had an accident 2 days ago involving a lovely farm dog, who obsessed with a moving quad bike, ran into my knee at top speed and sent me crashing to the floor. It's too swollen at the moment to be certain of the damage but for now the Doctors think I've hurt my medial cruciate ligament and possibly the cartilage as well :(

So my Christmas this year involves minimal movement but that means lots of knitting as I can't do much else. Poor DH has to do everything else including all dog walking which he's not happy about as he'd planned a few lazy mornings in bed but I'd swap in an instant.

As I'm typing DD is happily checking out her presents and playing a new CD and I'm pleased that all presents were bought and wrapped well in advance.....

Noro Hats

2009-11-15T20:24:00.009Z

Turn a Square Hat

Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood.
Yarn: 32g of Cascade 220 in Jet & 16g of Noro Kureyon in 70
Needles: 2x 4mm circulars & 2x 4.5mm circulars
Made for: My husband
Time taken to knit: 8th -10th November 2009

Turn a Square Hat

And now one for me:

Fake Isle Hat

Pattern: Fake Isle Hat.
Yarn: 39g of Cascade 220 in Jet & 26g of Noro Silk Garden in 232
Needles: 2x 4.5mm circulars
Time taken to knit: 6-9th November 2009

Fake Isle Hat

I reversed the colours as I wanted a subtlety coloured hat & the Silk Garden is the same I used for my Lady Eleanor.

Fake Isle Hat

I'm REALLY happy with the colour scheme but the hat doesn't fit me very well. It's not too bad on my daughter but I've got a lot of very thick hair so it lifts off my head & is too pointy! It'll be frogged soon....

19/11/9 A possible reprieve. My friend Arianwen has a hat blocker & is going to try & reshape it. Plus DD has announced that she likes it. She showed the photos to her friends & they all wanted the hat!

Crazy Color Fingerless Gloves

2009-11-06T11:37:00.009Z

Crazy Color Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Basic Fingerless Gloves.
Yarn: 29g of Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Crazy Color in Passion
Needles: 2x 40 cm 4mm circulars
Time taken to knit: January 20th 2009 - October 17th 2009

This was another project that got forgotten about but it shouldn't have taken more than a few days.

Now that the weather has turned colder I've taken to wearing them in the house before the fire is lit & often work in them.

Lyra helps with the photoshoot!

The excitement was too much!

A Lesson Learnt....

2009-10-25T11:08:00.008Z

I've been on a finishing spree recently as I have too many projects on the go at once.

'A Lesson Learnt Bed socks'

Pattern: Little Shell Rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Just over 100g of James C Brett Pure Merino in red (PM10)
Needles: 2x 60 cm 3.5mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: December 2007 - October 13th 2009

The blocked shot as always

These socks were started over Christmas and then put on hold for MIL's Broad Sprials (and because I'd reached the Short Row Heel & I HATE SRH's) but not picked up again until now. Which is where the lesson learnt comes in...

follow the line from the Short Row Heel

See the problem?

Have another look....

Because I left this pair for so long my tension had changed and it's really obvious.

horrible toe

I also don't like the fit to the heel or toe. The heel is hard to stretch over my foot (I think I have high arches) & the toe seems huge but in future as mentioned previously I'm sticking to David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook so that doesn't worry me.

But as bed socks they'll do and will be a reminder not to leave projects so long in future. However I have more old WIP's to clear before my conscience is clear.....

Waffle House Socks

2009-10-18T11:39:00.005Z

Waffle House Socks

Pattern: David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook with Waffle House stitch pattern inserted into the formula.
Yarn: 56g of Opal Petticoat 1251 & 19g of Stylecraft 4ply in Navy.
Needles: 2x 2.25mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: August 3rd 2009 - September 19th 2009

The blocked shot!

Both yarns were given to me in swaps and I went toe up to make them as long as possible. This is the 4th time I've used this pattern & I love it.

Waffle House Socks

Previously I used it to make Toe-up Cho' 7 socks, Out of the fire and Diagonal Lace Socks and will be swatching again soon for another pair

Waffle House Socks

Hermione hat

2009-10-16T19:20:00.003Z

Hermione hat

Pattern: Hermione Hearts Ron
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton. Used 70g.
Needles: 2.75 & 3.25mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: August 26th 2009 - September 1st 2009

DD loves her hat!

The only modification I made was to knit 12 rows of rib rather than 10.

This hat was knitted in ‘snatches’ of time whilst we were VERY busy working on our house. A round whilst DH drove us to the builders merchants or sat up in bed late at night. The yarn was a bit splitty but workable. I've got loads left and already have plans for some of it.

Cat-astrophe......

2009-10-12T18:34:00.004Z

Frankie: snoozing oblivious to the threat that is Ginny

Ginny: Let me at 'im!

Lyra:If I close my eyes he'll disappear.......

It is possible......

2009-09-19T21:12:00.004Z

Please bear witness I am knitting with an 8 week old kitten on my knee albeit asleep as he has crashed due a day full of fun and frolics. Yarny evidence can be spotted in the top left hand corner and I'm casting off a pair of socks.......

Play Time!

2009-09-17T20:41:00.007Z

He's known as Frankie aka Thunder Paws and both dogs LOVE him.....

Pumpkins....

2009-09-12T16:16:00.002Z

Our vegetable garden is now sporting a number of young pumpkins. Hopefully we'll have one big enough to carve for Halloween and of course there is always pumpkin soup......

New recruit!

2009-09-08T14:44:00.004Z

For what seems like ages I've wanted to get another cat, a boy cat to be precise and if possible a blue boy. Years ago when DH and I first got together he had a gorgeous long haired female called Furry Cat who was sadly killed on the road, I vowed then that one day we'd get another fur ball and this little scrap meets all of those requirements.
He is 7 weeks old and as yet un-named but suggestions are welcome :)

ETA:

DD would like me to point out that she took this photo! :DDD

Home grown vegetables

2009-08-27T18:32:00.003Z

At the beginning of July DH and I decided to start a vegetable garden. It was bit late but we've got a few things growing and tomorrow I'll be harvesting our first courgette. The conservatory is now a greenhouse with tomatoes, peppers, chillies, cucumber and even a melon plant.

Next year I'll be better organised and start earlier. I'm hoping to grow a crop of salad leaves all winter but don't know how successful that'll be.

ETA: This is the receipe that I used with our first courgette and it was very nice.

Spaghetti with courgette & cherry tomato sauce

serves 4

200g cherry tomatoes
1 courgette trimmed
350g dried spaghetti
frylight or one cal
1 garlic clove peeled & crushed
1 bunch of basil stalks removed
2 tbsp very low fat natural fromage frais
6 spring onions finely sliced
salt & freshly ground black pepper
basil leaves to garnish

Finely chop half the cherry tomatoes. Cut the rest in half & reserve.
Coarsely grate the courgette & squeeze out the excess liquid & set aside.
Cook spaghetti.
Whilst pasta is cooking heat frylight, add garlic & courgette & cook gently for 3-4 mins stirring frequently. Add halved tomatoes & cook for 2-3 mins.
In the meantime roughly chop the basil & place in a bowl with the fromage frais, spring onions & chopped cherry tomatoes.
Serve in warmed bowls & garnish with basil leaves.

This recipe comes from an OOP Slimming World book called Fast Food and is one of our favourites.

Enjoy!

Big Bad Berries Blanket

2009-08-16T18:39:00.013Z

Big Bad Berries Blanket

Pattern: Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
Yarn: Wendy Fusion. Colour Juniper Berries. Used 256g.
Needles: 5mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: February 5th 2009 - May 24th 2009.
Size: 78cm x 73cm

Big Bad Berries Blanket

Inspired by another project on Ravelry I sewed 4 flowers onto the corners of the blanket so that they wouldn't cause discomfort if the baby was laid onto the blanket.

Full frontal of the Big Bad Berries Blanket

I wonder how many people will find my blog for the wrong reasons with that title!

Big Bad Berries Blanket

A friend reminded me of my rusty crochet skills when she showed me how to make these:

crocheted flowers

then I got a bit more adventurous and made these:

Meconopsis Flower from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet

Scabious Flower from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet

A number of friends are due to give birth very soon & it'll be given to the first baby girl!

Current WIP's

2009-08-12T21:08:00.002Z

A quick post to reveal some of the projects I'm working on at the moment:

Waffle House socks

Shetland Triangle Shawl

Plus some older ones. I'm trying to finish them & get down a smaller more manageable number.....

Bouncin' on the Beach

2009-08-10T18:31:00.010Z

Oscars' first visit to a beach

he likes sand under his paws

Wow this is fun!

Got it!

Mine.....

I wanna take it home...

Wheeeeeeeee!

I'm gonna get you!

Umph!

Poor Annie!

Quick recovery....

Ouch!

Come here.....

1,2,3...

Bitey face!

Just keep your tail still....

Hahaha you can't catch me

I said keep it STILL!!!

Annie & Oscar relaxing after all their fun

These photos were taken on location in Northumberland, England on our recent holiday & all photos were taken by DH (as per usual):

View Larger Map

Kiwi & Custard

2009-08-08T19:25:00.013Z

Ribbons Baby Blanket

Pattern: Fiber Trends 'Ribbons Baby Blanket' by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: King Cole Smooth. Used 100g of Moss, 49g of Buttermilk & 57g of Cream
Needles: 4mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: June 18th 2008 - May 28th 2009.
Size: 58cm x 58cm

This blanket sat for a long time ignored in a corner as 2 stitches came out at a colour change. I managed to sort it out but am not 100% happy with my fix.

Ribbons Baby Blanket

It was intended for another baby but she is too big for it now so next week it'll be heading off to London as my best friend at school is having her second child in a few weeks.

Ribbons Baby Blanket

On holiday

2009-07-29T21:00:00.001Z

We're all enjoying a change of scenery especially Annie as she loves paddling in the sea.

Braving Lace

2009-07-18T21:54:00.002Z

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take part in a Nancy Bush workshop on Estonian Lace. Apart from a few pairs of lace socks I've never been brave enough to partake in lace but this is soon to change:

Estonian Lace sample

I used some Jaeger Baby Merino 4ply from my stash & really enjoyed the challenge:

Estonian Lace sample

Estonian Lace sample

Next I'm taking part in the Socktopus Mystery Shawl KAL

The first clue is to be released via Twitter on Monday but here is my swatch using Knit Picks Gloss in Concord Grape:

SMSKAL Swatch in KP's Gloss Concord Grape using 5mm

24 hours later

2009-07-17T06:56:00.001Z

Typical of an English summer it's now raining & I have two soggy dogs.

cool(er) 'dales

2009-07-16T08:14:00.002Z

The dogs have a bath, blowdry, haircut & pedicure much to their disgust but hopefully they're feeling a bit better for it.

Still here

2009-07-12T14:52:00.003Z

Lots of changes here including the fact that we're childless for the summer: DD is on her way to Australia, as I write, for the holiday of a lifetime.

What shall I do with myself?

Knitting is happening and I have 2 FO's but as yet no photos. Lady Eleanor should be joining the queue very soon and then I'll be casting on something new.....

Toes

2009-06-26T12:39:00.001Z

Knitting on a train...

Summer Evenings

2009-05-31T19:53:00.001Z

Some might think that we're missing our Wood Burning Stove....

Finishing....

2009-05-26T14:35:00.003Z

We've been away for the weekend & I packed some long abandoned projects to keep me busy. One has already been finished & my Baby Ribbon blanket above is near completion as I'm working the border. Each round is taking over 20 minutes so progress isn't fast.

I've concluded that I have too many projects on the go and am trying to do something about it....

Finally February Socks.....

2009-05-10T18:52:00.006Z

After 3 attempts I've finally made a pair of socks with the beautiful Koigu yarn I received as part of the Hot Socks Swap. . My
first attempt last year was a disaster as was my second. But finally I'm happy with the combination of yarn & pattern:

Diagonal Lace Socks

Pattern: David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook for the structure & maths with Diagonal Lace as the pattern. The construction of the two patterns is the same but I wanted the reassurance of the formula from the first.
Yarn: 2 skeins of Koigu KPM 115711
Time: March 22nd - May 4th 2009
Needles:2 x 2.25mm 60cm Knit Picks (or KnitPro as they're now known) circular needles.
Technique: Two at a time toe up with a Turkish cast on & a very stretch cast off. .

see how well they fit my feet!

Diagonal Lace pattern

and finally the blocked shot:

opening up the lace pattern

The colour is a bit dark in the last photo & more accurate in the others.

I'm pleased that I've finally made a pair of socks with this yarn that I'm satisfied with. I've already cast on another pair but will be frogging them later as the toes need another plain row between increases so in the meantime I cast on for a quick project last night.....

Homeward bound

2009-05-04T12:34:00.001Z

We've had our first caravan holiday of the year and am now heading home. DH and I relaxed whilst DD typically found loads of reasons to strop. My purple koigu socks are finished and I'm about to swatch for my next pair whilst DH takes us home.

Morning!

2009-05-03T07:01:00.001Z

We met this old lady on our walk this morning....

Purple Progress

2009-05-02T09:24:00.001Z

The heels have been turned + I'm now working up the legs...

Transformation

2009-04-25T19:39:00.004Z

I've been very busy today:

Oscar before grooming

Annie looking stinky

Annie & Oscar

Oscar looking clean & handsome

Their winter coats are now in the compost bin and both dogs are feeling great. However we'd forgotten just how small Oscar is although he makes up for the lack of inches with personality!

Sock update

2009-04-13T18:44:00.000Z

Diagonal Lace Socks in Purple Koigu

I finally settled on Diagonal Lace Socks by Wendy Knits and am really pleased with the combination of yarn and pattern. The construction of the sock is almost identical to David's Toe up Sock Cookbook but without the maths so I'm using the pattern stitch & the maths from David's pattern. They fit really well which is great as I was starting to think that this yarn was jinxed!

Then as if one wasn't enough I've got another little pair on the go:

red baby socks in progress

These will be finished soon but not revealed fully until gifted.

Dual Dishcloths

2009-04-09T18:42:00.007Z

In a recent swap on the Crafty Threads & Yarns forum I was spoilt by Modelwidow who spent a lot of time stalking me which is evident by the wonderful items she sent:

Everything was very neatly wrapped in pretty lilac tissue paper.....

Dishcloth & gifts

Leaf Allover Cloth in Anchor Magic

and then as I was tidying up our 'studio' I found another little gift:

Purple & Silver Stitch markers

Thank you so much Modelwidow. Everything was chosen with great care & I really appreciate it. The cloth is great to use in the kitchen & the yarn is far more absorbent that any I've used before so I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

I sent to LadybirdLinz who loves the colour green and anything to do with ladybirds.

Summertime Spa Cloth

Pattern: Summertime Spa Cloth
Yarn: Texere's Double Top in Turquoise
Needles: 3.75mm
Time: March 17th - 20th 2009. The cloth kept me amused whilst I was sick with mumps but don't worry Linz I washed it before I sent it to you!

close up of the Summertime Spa Cloth

I also included a few extras in green with the 'ingredients' to make some Ladybird stitch markers!

Now the fun begins...

2009-04-01T18:27:00.003Z

Toe up sock toes in purple Koigu

and I get to choose the pattern!

Sunday Afternoon

2009-03-30T18:33:00.003Z

I did some gardening....

and had help!

We all need one of these now & then!

2009-03-27T22:26:00.006Z

Like a lot of knitters my choice of project depends on my mood. If I'm tired I can't handle lace or 4ply. Whilst at knitting club, I can't concentrate on a complicated project & still enjoy the company & conversation, so tonight this came with me:

Big Bad Baby Blanket in Wendy Fusion Juniper Berries

It's a really simple pattern but very effective & I love the way the colours are working with the 'shapes' created:

Big Bad Baby Blanket

a real treat.....

2009-03-25T22:01:00.014Z

I often wear socks that I've made myself and have made a few pairs for other people but have never had the chance to wear any made for me by someone else.

Until now that is:

Machine knitted Coral Snake socks

However there is something even more special about these socks. They were made in two & a half hours using a hand cranked sock machine!

I had in my stash 4 balls of a very soft yarn that is now discontinued so rather hard to find. It went in an aeroplane to America and in return I received Curlicue, Salem, Knitters Summer 2008 and the added bonus of course of these beautiful socks.

check out that short row heel!

For those interested in the construction the short rows on the heels and toes are done on the machine and the only part done by hand is the kitchener on the toes.

These machines were invented in the mid 1800's & then experienced a resurgence in popularity during the First World War. Popularised by the Red Cross they were used to provide troops with warm well fitting socks in an attempt to prevent the then killer 'Trench Foot'.

I wonder how long would it take me to use up my stash with one of these machines?

btw: If any of you have any Wendy Velvet Touch Chunky unloved in your stash and you'd like to give it a good home pm me via Ravelry and I'll put you in touch with a very willing recipient

blueadt_knits

More snow

A little bit of snow

Pimp my vest...

From one charm pack....

Happy Birthday DH

Twisted pleated project bag

Headphones pouch

Charms

A sneaky peek

Something cheery in January

A little notebook cover

Handmade gifts

Tumblers

Post Christmas

Merry Christmas

Pot-tay-toes

Green fingers

Essential Tweed socks

Preparing for winter

Birthday gifts

And one for me

Sunday afternoon......

Coasting along

And another one

Another year older

A rare sight

Nearly finished for another year

Looking handsome

More repeated projects

Mmmmmm

It's cold tonight

A few days later.....

Spring at last

What would you make?

Learning to quilt

Boxing Clever

A few knitted stitches

Upcycling

Which one would you like?

More Grumpy Fish

Caroline's Crochet Hook Case

Some knitting for a change

Stop Press

Let it fly.....

Christmas gifts

Airedales playing

A year later

It goes on......

Poor old girl

Winter wonderland

It's cold!

Drops Shawl

Still chugging away......

Miles of garter stitch

Out of my comfort zone

Still here

Knitting again

Celebrations

12 weeks plus

Diagnosis

10 weeks

Long overdue

Knitting Update

A month later

Out with the old

Merry Christmas

Noro Hats

Crazy Color Fingerless Gloves

A Lesson Learnt....

Waffle House Socks

Hermione hat

Cat-astrophe......

It is possible......

Play Time!

Pumpkins....

New recruit!

Home grown vegetables

Big Bad Berries Blanket

Current WIP's