Waiting for Spring to Spring

A couple of months seem to have slipped by since my last post; I have no idea how this happened, nor where time goes.

Weather here has been total pants. I’ve never know March and April to be so cold. To make matters worse, I’m still carrying a knee injury from they urn if the year – have now been instructed to rest for 3 weeks.

To cheer myself up, I’ve started on this crochet wreath for craft room. I was so pleased with how neat me base turned out, I almost didn’t want to cover it. I bought a styrofoam base from Hobbycraft, which means the wreath us lovely and light and will be easy to hang.

I am especially pleased with the big pink flower and the thistle. Should get this finished this week, although I need to set aside some time to clean my desk, as I have a few sewing projects I want to start.

What projects do you have lined up over the next few weeks?

Toodles xoxo

The Rain in Spain

Hello again, Oodlers. Since I last updated, I’ve spent a lovely few days in (not so) sunny Spain.

On the Saturday, we decided to explore Malaga a bit. I fell in love with the city, even though the weather was a bit on the chilly side (okay, I was so cold I thought I might die!) and we ended up leaving early than originally planned, just to get a heat on the bus. Some stunning buildings and we took in the Picasso museum as well. Next time my task will be to take only hand luggage but find space in it for my DLSR camera!

I’ve also managed to master bead crochet and made this necklace for a crochet group swap on Ravelry

The best part of the swap was that I managed to swap in person whilst on holiday, as by a total fluke, my partner lived about an hour away from where we were staying. We spent a lovely couple of hours chatting and drinking coffee.

Here are my lovely swap goodies.

The pincushion will be fab for when I start learning dressmaking (definitely this year – no excuses!), as I’m really bad for sticking pins in my trousers (well, jammie bottoms) and forgetting about them until they stab or scratch me later.

Toodles for now xoxo

I Get A Round

Hello again, blogosphere. I’m still hooked (pun intended) on crochet. Remember the Tucson Throw I did a few weeks ago? Well, I still had some yarn left, and a silver round cushion I got years ago in Ikea, so I though it crochet a cover for it. I used a basic granny circle pattern I found on Ravelry, but the best bit for me was working out how to shape the back to let my puffy cushion sit inside it nicely.

Futon on the spare room is looking very swish now.

I now have to work out how on earth to crochet a cover for the other cushion, which is a 5-pointed star shape!

Other than that, I’ve learned bead crochet. This only happened 2 days ago, so no photos yet! It’s actually ideal for taking to work or doing whilst watching tv, as you don’t need to worry about dropping beads. Stringing them is an utter pain though.

I completely forgot it was pancake day yesterday, so I think I may make sofficini (aka crispy pancakes) for Sunday dinner instead.

Anyway, must dash – need to string more beads for my current project.

Toodles xoxo

Simple Pleasures

One of my aims for this year is to take time to enjoy little things. I’m terrible for taking on too much, going hell for leather, then spending any spare time I have procrastinating. This year I’m going to relax a bit but try to be more productive in my spare time.

Something that gave me enormous pleasure was finishing my crocheted Tucson Throw.

It was a free pattern on the Naturally Caron site and my first big crochet project. I used Sirdar Supersoft Aran in Scrummy Plum, Kingfisher, Denim and Sand.

I decided not to put the fringing on it, but have some yarn left over, so I can always go back and do it at a later date. It already has pride of place on the futon in the spare room, which doubles as my craft room, so I’m looking forward to spending some chill time in there now.

Next up I’m making a cushion cover in the same colours. I love big projects but when they’re done, I really like to do some smaller things. I’ve also got the urge to pick up a beading needle again; I have a few unfinished objects to work on, so trying to convince myself to work on these before starting something new!

Another simple thing that makes me smile is my new egg chicken

I had wanted one for ages but couldn’t make my mind up between cream and patterned. It looks so much nicer in the kitchen than egg cartons lying around.

Better dash, my hook and needle are beckoning.

Stay warm everyone.

Toodles xoxo

Sneak Peek

It’s amazing how quickly we fall back into the humdrum routine. I definitely seem to have a bout of the winter blues this month, but hopefully with the lighter nights starting to come in, I’ll soon be feeling a bit more chipper.

I was going to post a work in progress photo of the crochet throw I’m working on, but as I’m going to finish it this week (feels like I’ve been working on it got a million hours), I thought I’d keep you in suspense…instead I’ll show you the yarn I’m using.

I really love these colours, as they’re strong, yet still somewhat muted.

I’m at that stage where I just want the throw finished and to start something else, maybe a bit of beading and a smaller crochet project which I can do simultaneously. I always feel like this with a project – I’m sure it’s because I hate that boring finishing things off part!

Anyway, better get cracking on, or it’ll never get done.

Toodles xoxo

Time for tea

I thought I’d show you this gorgeous vintage china cake stand my lovely friend, Jo, gave me for Christmas.  She made it herself and it’s so fabulous it makes me want to bake loads of cakes and scones.  In fact, I may just have to get some jam and clotted cream at the weekend and have a cream tea, using some of my loose leaf teas from Eteaket (my favourite tea shop).

On the craft front, I’m just beginning to get my motivation back after feeling poorly.  We have a craft fair on Sunday and I don’t have as much stock as I’d like, but I’m sure between Lesley, Sigrid and I, we’ll have enough stuff.  Progress with my Belle Ruffle wristwarmers has been slow – it’s definitely showing that it has been a long time since I knitted on 5 needles (I think I was 7 or 8 the one and only time I did it, and even then it may only have been 4 needles).  I’m now on “take 3″:

It was also my first time knitting on a circular needle, which took a little getting used to.  I’m now at the stage where I’m ready to transfer to my 4 needles.

On the fashion front, last week joined Polyvore – OMG what a time sapper that is, but so much fun; I am so looking forward to making new boards, hopefully with some clothes I actually own (and maybe even ones I make, once I learn how to photograph them properly for this).  I must limit my time there though, as I am looking forward to making lots of things in the next wee while.  I’m off fabric shopping next weekend, so will make something from my Sew What! Skirts book.

I’m looking forward to hearing about everyone’s crafty makes and bakes.

Speak soon

Lisa xoxo

p.s. thought I’d better put a little disclaimer here, after finding out about affiliate links.  I don’t use these – any things or places I link to are places I use, love and want to share with you all

Fair Game

I’ve still been busily working away, making stuff for our stall at the forthcoming craft fair.  I’m really looking forward to it, but a bit disappointed we can’t take any jewellery with us, as there were already 2 jewellery stalls booked before us.  I’ve also been working on my website when I’ve had a spare few minutes  – it’s very basic at the moment, but it’s beginning to come together now (ok, typing that put a certain Beatles song in my head!).

Here are the brooches I’ve been working on:

I want to make some appliquéd cushions, and maybe a couple of evening bags, for the fair, but it is less than 3 weeks away, so hopefully I’ll have time.

My shorter circular needles arrived today, so I should be able to get a bit more of my Belle Ruffle Gloves done, although I have to pull some back, as I stupidly transferred my work onto 4 needles too early, instead of showing some patience and waiting for the new circular.  Grrrr, will I ever learn.

I also made a little brooch for myself, to go with my new coat.  The coat is much brighter red in real life, with black and blue print, so the brooch actually goes really well:

Thanks for looking.

Lisa xox

Mid Month Mutterings

I can’t believe we’re half way through January already, and I’ve still made very little.  I have started the Belle Ruffle wrist warmers, but have had to order a shorter circular needle, as mine was too long after I started decreasing.

I’ve also signed up to do another local craft fair, with Lesley and Sigrid.  I’m going to be making lots of felt brooches and hopefully some cushions and evening bags.

As well as this, I’m trying to organise my craft space, as it is completely out of control.  I definitely need to pare down and get rid of the stuff I no longer use.

A very quick post today, but I will be back sooner than you think (with some new makes to show).  In the meantime, here are a couple of brooches I made for my fair stock:

I picked up the little easel in The Works for 99p on Saturday – it’s perfect for photos, so I may well invest in a few more.

Lisa xoxo

Knit one, crochet one

One of my aims in 2012 was to update more regularly, and I still fully intend to do so, even if I was off to a bad start, only posting once last week.  I have been busy behind the scenes though; I’ve been working on my own website and hope to have it fully up and running in the next few weeks.  I’ve also been trying to declutter the house, mainly because I’m sick of the sight of all the stuff lying around that we neither need nor want. Another thing I want to do this year is more batch cooking/freezing, which will allow me to spend less time in the kitchen and more time making things. I’ve also started a couple of knitting/crocheting projects and been busily making owls..as well as last week being my first full week back at the day job after the Christmas break.

I saw these Bell Ruffle Gloves on Pinterest recently and fell in love with them.  Imagine my delight when I found out there were available as a free pattern on Ravelry.

I’m going to make them in a dark charcoal colour, with dark red piping and buttons.  So far I’ve cast on, which is an effort in itself, as I’m left handed but have worked out a way to cast on that means I don’t need to read the pattern backwards.  I would have had some done over the weekend, but realised the yarn I thought was double knitting was actually 4-ply, so had to nip to the wool shop in my lunch break today.  This will be my first attempt at using a circular needle, and I’ve also not used 5 double-pointed ones to knit gloves since I was a primary school.  Hopefully if I could do it when I was 7 or 8 years old and can do it now.  Here’s the first of the work in progress photos:

I’ve also been refreshing my memory re crochet.  I learned to do this last year but, to be honest, haven’t done much since.  I made these little star flower things, which I’m going to stitch together to make into a dressy scarf:

What are you making right now?

Lisa xoxo

Twit-twoo

Happy New Year, everyone.  Hope you all had a good one – mine was very quiet and low key but still nice.  I’m now all ready to take 2012 by the horns.

I’ve not been hugely productive so far though, with only one crafty make in 2012, although I have had orders for another 4 of these in different colours, which I’ll get done this week.

What do you think of this cute little fella?

We’re doing another craft fair next month (a retro one this time), so will definitely be taking some of these along.  I am really looking forward to it; there are quite a few things I noticed at my first fair that I should have done, but it was still a great success.  In fact I’m putting it down to beginners luck, as don’t think the future ones will be just as successful.

I’ve also been doing a bit of crocheting, which I’m pretty new to.  I originally was going to make a shrug, but it started out with a chain of 257 stitches, so I realised pretty quickly that there would be no way I’d still have 257 stitches once I did my foundation row.  I’m not yet comfortable enough with crochet to be able to count my stitches with ease and find the foundation row really difficult; I never quite know if I’m going into one chain loop or half of one loop and half of another.  Recognising my lack of experience, I’ve decided to do a scarf made of star-like flower shapes instead – is it a bit of an easy option? Why, yes it is, but easy isn’t always bad

We hosted the first wine club of 2012 on Saturday night.  It was a great success, not least because my bottle won best bottle!  For food I did home-made pizza (with the help of Eve from Cupcakes & All That), penne & Nigella’s meatballs (although I cheated and bought in the pasta), cheese & crackers and whisky mac cupcakes, from the Love Bakery book, which are exceeding scrumptious.  I have to say the Love Bakery book is my favourite cupcake book ever; I’ve made quite a few of them and they’ve all turned out fantastic.

Well, better dash and start 2012 as I mean to go on, by spending more time making and less procrastinating

Toodles

Lisa xoxo