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It seems so long since I posted a finished object here…and this one isn’t even one of mine!
Ma has made Button this gorgeous and very practical hoodie:
It will keep your ears warm on the chilly spring days we’re having at the moment:
The cute ribbed sleeves make it sporty:
Pattern: Sirdar Play Days Book 4 – version: Sammy
Yarn: Sublime Soya Cotton DK – Shade 080
The weather here is wet and wild at the moment. We snuck out in a rare sunny spell before dance rehearsals this morning to take the pictures. The rain is closing in again and the wind is getting up…but Button doesn’t care because she’s snug and warm.
And I have a dress finished that I will photo asap and share with you. Promise.
Keep warm and dry this weekend.
The pattern is Ella from Kim Hargreaves.
I knitted it in Wollmeise laceweight.
I’ve got to get better at saving ball bands ‘cos I have not other idea than that!
All I know is that this is the perfect sweater for lounging around the house in.
Cosy but not bulky.
Great with leggings and flats.
A fabulous colour.
This sweater makes me happy.
I may just make this sweater again…with just a normal cast on edge…and enough yarn for full length sleeves.
I had just enough yarn…but I’m also now in love with knitting laceweight.
Button has two new additions to her wardrobe…both in lovely shades of lemon.
First up is a t-shirt I upcycled from one of Ma SIL’s t-shirts.
I cut the body and sleeves of this t-shirt utilising the existing hems. I reattached the neck band to the neckline using a fancy stitch on my normal machine. I constructed the t-shirt with a zig-zag stitch so although I have an overlocker and a coverstitch machine, I only used my ordinary machine to make this, which makes it accessible to everyone.
The pattern was drafted by me using one of Button’s existing RTW t-shirts.
It’s a simple but effective make and I have another 4 or 5 of these ready to go.
I’d be happy to do a tutorial on this if anyone is interested. It would be easy to use the same technique to upcycle a man’s t-shirt for a woman as well.
To go with this new t-shirt, Button also has a lovely new cable sweater knitted by Ma.
The yarn is a cotton slub 4 ply that my lovely friend Liz gave us.
The pattern is from MillaMia’s book ‘The Close Knit Gang’.
Image courtesy of http://www.millamia.com/home.php
It’s the first pattern we’ve knit from this book and I don’t think it will be the last. I’m keen to knit the cover jacket and there are several other garments that I’d love for both of the kids. They are classic and wearable, not remotely twee and with an urban sophistication that I love. They are the kind of things you’d pay an arm and a leg for in an upscale London boutique (if you’ve nothing better to do with your money and no crafty skills, that is!).
I this this colour looks fabulous on Button and this is a perfect duo for playdates when the weather is a bit unpredictable…as it has a tendancy to be in this part of the world.
Thankfully, she really adores both garments. Phew!
Crikey it’s been busy here this weekend.
I’m getting the urge to completely redecorate the house. Which is a crazy idea because a) I don’t have the time and b) I don’t have the pennies!
To compensate for this I coerced The Husband into helping me clear out all the crap which had been thrown into the eaves in the sewing loft and was giving me hives because I knew it was there.
We filled the boot of my car with rubbish!
And sent a full knitting machine ensemble over to Ma. She knows how to use it and will put it to use until the happy day we can rip the loft out and re-fit it properly, with room for all knitterly and sewerly gadgets.
Today I cleaned.
And ironed.
And The Husband food shopped.
And the kids played fishing games at Nana and Grandad’s. And between us Pa SIL and I got us up to date with photos…so here we go!
First up is Button in her new stripy dress
- I’m so cute…is anyone watching?
- Who you calling minxy?
Beau then got in the act with his new Made by Ma sweater
- “Hey! I thought this was my photoshoot! What’s he doing in it?” ” Looking cool, little lady, looking cooooool!”
I have no idea what the yarn is for his sweater. It’s chunky and it’s black and that’s about the limit of my knowledge. It was gifted by a friend at my knitting group who was de-stashing (thank you) and it’s too cute on him. The pattern is a vintage Patons pattern number 4611.
I keep expecting him to pull out a beret and start playing jazz!
And if that’s not enough cuteness for you I’ve also got pictures of Button’s latest cardigan.
- I feel like dancing, ooh, dancing, ooh, dance the night away!
I’m being really rubbish here ‘cos again I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what that yarn is. Its an acrylic/wool mix and super cheap and you can throw it in the washing machine!
The pattern is from the Sirdar Little Sweet Peas book and is design B.
It has some cute frilling at the hip.
I love this. It’s a good basic cardigan and a quick knit. I think I’ll make it again soon in some nice yarn. And add some length because that girl is growing!
We’ve been out playing with friends today and these outfits have been much admired. I need to make more of those dresses!
And finally… just because I’m a proud mummy and I can…here’s a couple of gratuitous shots of my adorable babies.
Ma’s been at it again. She knitted me a Christmas cardigan and showed me that this is how lovely Aran weight cardigans should look.
The pattern is New York Cardigan by Erin Harper which you can purchase on Ravelry (of course…this is one of my favourite resources for knitting patterns).
The yarn is Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran.
It’s so delightful to wear. Soft and cosy and comfortable.
I love the detail on the front band:
Once again I prove I’m the luckiest girl in the world!
Funny story, though…I wore this cardigan yesterday to take Ma out for belated birthday coffee and cakes and to purchase fabric for her birthday gift. We were sat having coffee and Ma got up to get serviettes. When she returned she was laughing to herself. She’d been thinking as she walked away from the table what a lovely cardigan I was wearing…only to realise it was the one she’d made!
Which goes to prove what I’m always telling her, that she is indeed a talented craftswoman.
You’ll remember I’m sure the Fairhope cardigan I’ve been knitting.
The last time you saw it, well, it looked like this:
And then, of course I ran out of yarn!
But now it’s finished.
In fact it’s been finished for a few weeks.
But I’ve got to tell you it’s not a happy ending.
You see, this is what Fairhope should look like when finished:
Gorgeous, no? Elegant and cosy and just generally lovely.
Yeah! Right!
Although, in fairness to the lovely Kim, the pattern has been a joy to knit and the cardigan itself looks exactly as it should, just with a few inches extra length.
I think the problem is with the model.
I’m only sharing this with you because I know you won’t laugh.
But really…..this is an amazing pattern that is just completely the wrong style for me. I think it’s that good old learning curve rearing it’s head again!
Thankfully Ma really enjoys such tedious tasks as unravelling unfortunate knits. Which is a godsend as frankly I’d rather stick red hot pins in my eyes. I’d even gone so far as to get permission from the designer to sell this cardigan.
But I love the colour.
So it’s back to the drawing board…with big fat thanks to Ma!
And let’s face it…if this is the worst thing that happens to me this week then the world is a pretty cool place. So watch this space.
The other day I was looking at my “goals” page to see just how much I’d achieved this year and what I’d not managed to do.
All in all I’m pleased with the results as, whilst there are things I’ve not done, I have been really quite productive this year, all things considered.
Most thrilling is that the yarn stash is now almost non existent. I have the red Wollmeise on the needles andsome more Wollmeise going to a friend’s for knitting into socks (I really don’t enjoy knitting socks). All that’s left is the grey yarn that was the Miss Maddy jacket. It’s languishing unloved waiting to become something lovely.
I was waiting for inspiration.
It struck in the form of Burda magazine.
I think I’ll probably swap out the shearling sides for tweed and add leather straps, but this will be going on the needles soon. And as it’s knitted in bulky I’ll use up all the yarn I have as I suspect I’ll be knitting it doubled to get the tension.
Today I’m fighting a cold and whilst I’d rather be sewing whilst the bairns nap, I think sitting by the fire with hot lemon and honey and some quiet knitting is the order of the day. I have to be fighting fit for tomorrow…I’m off to London for the day and might be squeezing in a little fabric shopping before meeting Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat for lunch!
Remember how I was making splendid progress with the Fairhope cardigan.Well, I’ve been knitting like a woman possessed and am now just 20 rows from finished.
And I’ve (gulp) run out of yarn!!!!
Which is what happens when you substitute the recommended yarn, add some length, and are rubbish at maths!
Thankfully, the lovely ladies at English Yarns have come to the rescue. They have the same dye lot (miracle) and a ball is winging it’s way to my rescue as I type.
I can’t believe just how lucky I am!
October is turning out to be an overwhelming month.
All of it in a good way I hasten to add.
I’m so busy I’m meeting myself coming back.
Spending time with my family and friends, keeping the home in some semblance of order, and actually doing the required amount of study for the current module, have all served to keep me away from the loft and my sewing machine. This is, of course, the way I like my life to be and have no complaints but nothing in the way of finished projects to show at the moment.
Thankfully one of the Christmas presents is made. I only have 3 to go. I have everything I need to get these done except for a zip and some time.
That said, some projects are progressing very nicely, thank you very much:
- Kim Hargreaves ‘Ella’
- Fairhope
- 4 blocks of The Gardener’s Journal quilt top are done
- Pocket for an apron I’m making for myself
- The North Country quilt is 3/4 finished
It’s strange how buoyed I feel by this little recap.
Sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees, but this shows that things are getting done, even if it’s not as quickly as I’d like.
I hope you’re making progress too.
When I started this blog in 2008 it was really just a way to connect with my family who at the time were living nearly 300 miles away.
I wanted to share with them our progress as we knocked our home into shape, and photos of the children following the adoptions.
I had no idea that I’d still be doing this 400 posts later, even though my family all now live within 2 miles of me!
I hadn’t anticipated that anyone else would read my ramblings, or that I’d connect with so many talented women all over the world. Women who inspire me to be a better and more creative person.
So to say thank you for being there for me I’m excited to hold this, my first ever, giveaway:
This is the Lazy Daisy Shawlette by Orange Flower Patterns knitting in Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in hot pink.
It’s so soft and cosy.
And it’s could be keeping your neck toasty warm this winter.
How to enter
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) For a second entry subscribe to this post by email…little box at the top left of the page…or by subscribing through Google Reader.
3) For a third entry, link back to this post on your blog.
This giveaway closes at midnight GMT on Sunday9th October.
I’ll announce the winner next week.
International entries more than welcome. I’ll post this little beauty anywhere.
