Hanging around

There has been a lot of talk recently Chez Stitches about the outstanding curtains that need making.  Unfortunately the amount of sewing hasn’t remotely matched the amount of talking.

When I did get round to sewing the curtains for Button’s room (she’s had a blind since she arrived but the curtains hadn’t quite made it to the sewing table) I managed to make a complete and total mess of the pleating.

After much cursing and even more deft handiwork with a seam ripper, they are now finished and hanging, although they still need to be properly “dressed” to set the pleats, but its far to cold to not use them at the moment so that will have to wait.

These are just a simple lined curtain with a hand pleated buckram heading.  No interlining.

The next pair is on the table already.  All cut and ready to sew.  They are the duck egg silk curtains with a beaded edge for our bedroom.  They will be interlined so will take a little time to make as they are completely hand sewn. But I think they’ll be worth it.

I can’t wait

I’m a HUGE fan of Christmas.  I love the decorations, and gifts, and Its a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, and stockings (not that kind…honestly!), and turkey, and pudding, and….you get the picture.

But it’s still November, so a little too early for festive spirit.

 

Image courtesy of www.twistedthread.com

What I can’t wait for is tomorrow.  For tomorrow I’m up bright (well, maybe not bright) but definitely early, to collect Ma Stitches and head over to Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show.

I shall report back!

It’s fashion, dahling

Start ‘em young, I say.

Well, it’s been a busy weekend. And we couldn’t have done it without Dave and Simon’s muscles.  Thanks guys!  We are blessed with our friends.

Ma is safely ensconced in her new pad and it’s looking lovely already, despite the large piles of boxes.  We thought the big van was overkill…it wasn’t.

We won’t talk about the driving rain, high winds, accidents (not us, thankfully), broken windows (that was definitely us) and broken cookers that conspired against us!

Ma and Pa Stitches-in-Law have been chief babysitters all weekend, for which we are immensely grateful, and whilst Button was with them today Pa SIL took these pictures of Button’s new jeans. And her auditioning for Anna Wintour’s job, above! You may remember that I copied a pair of ready to wear to make the pattern.  I’ve added a little to the front for the next pair, but all in all, I’m pleased with the result.

With apologies to Dr Seuss

Today we did something we don’t often do

We sat down and watched ‘Horton Hears a Who’

And whilst on the sofa we sat and we giggled

I picked up the jacket  I have on the needles

It’s given me problems and I’ve wished it ill

But all that I needed was to apply skill

By closely attending the pattern and chart

I’ve finally mastered the designers art

So after some false starts and a bit of delay

The dread Snowflake Jacket is again under way

And now that the back is so nearly done

Here’s hoping that knitting the rest is more fun!

Done!

Image courtesy of Google Images

Tonight I’m a happy girl.  The painting at Ma’s flat is finished, and whilst I’m never going to win any prizes with it, it surely looks a million times better than it did before I started.

The carpets arrive on Friday.

We collect Ma and her worldly goods on Saturday.

Not long now.  In the meantime I’m going to try and finish the curtains for Button’s bedroom.

Bus pass birthday

Oh, I’m so in trouble for that post title!

Halloween is Pa Stitches-in-Law’s birthday.

We always find it to be a jolly good excuse to hide in the kitchen, avoid the trick-or-treaters, and eat too much chocolate cake.

It’s always chocolate cake.  A new family tradition.

This year was a special birthday, and as there were more of us than I can comfortably sit around my table, we decamped to our local hostelry for a family lunch.

But just because we’re away from home, there is no need to deprive the birthday boy of his anticipated chocolatey goodness, now is there?

Well, that didn’t work!

Simplicity 2560

I’ve been working on this cardigan from Simplicity and, frankly, it’s awful.

The pattern is really easy to make up, which was part of the appeal as I’m so super busy at the moment.  The sizing is a wee bit roomy, but no surprises there for a Big 4 pattern. And although it needs hemming, it does look exactly like the picture.

So what’s the problem?

It looks bloody awful on me, that’s the problem.

It turns out to be a terrible shape for me.  One that makes me look really fat and frumpy.  And no, you can’t see any pictures.  I’m not putting them out into the webverse to scare future generations.

I’m glad I tried it, as it wasn’t something I’d usually think of making, but it simply didn’t work.   And I don’t think it’s a waste as I’ve learnt something about the shapes that suit me, and also more about using the differential feed on my overlocker.  So I shall just put it to one side and reuse the lovely jersey at a later date.

 

With apologies for unseasonality

I know it’s still October.

I know Christmas is still a while off and we haven’t had Halloween or Guy Fawkes yet.

And I know I’m the first person in the world to rant and rave about Christmas decorations arriving in the shops in September.

So, with all this in mind I apologise for this post, but with Ma Stitches being here I took advantage of her slightly more advanced quilting knowledge and we made this for Button today:

Ok.  Temporary Christmas insanity abating.

Hats off to Button

I LOVE this little hat.  It’s made in very cheap acrylic yarn (Silcaress from Cygnet) as that’s all the local shop had in stock and I needed to get this on her head, and quick.

The pattern is the cover design from the Sirdar Little Sweet Peas book, with just one repeat of the lace,  and is a dream to make in no time at all:

I have  mittens to match on the needles using the same pattern as the red ones.

Even more stitches from Ma Stitches

Ma Stitches is back again still trying to sign for her new flat.  The gross incompetence of the housing agency is astonishing to say the least.  Hopefully by this time tomorrow we’ll finally have the keys.

The good news is that once again she has a morsel of knitting for Button in her case.  This time it’s this little beauty:I have absolutely no idea what the yarn is other than it’s cotton that I had in my stash.  The pattern also is a mystery. I’ve downloaded it from somewhere on the internet and can’t for the life of me find it again.  So apologies to the lovely designer…if you can help me out I’ll be thrilled to make the necessary acknowledgements.