Spots and Stripes

On my needles

2012-01-25T13:23:00.000Z

Poor Flopsy Bunny feels the cold and no more so than on her walk to school in the mornings. Now we don't live a long way from her school. She doesn't have to tramp down country lanes and over fields, oh no, we do just live round the corner, a 10 minute walk if Little Roo isn't too preoccupied with examining every leaf and stone on the way. But when your beloved daughter says she has cold legs, despite thermal tights, then there is really only one thing to do - knit her some leg warmers!! So I selected some gorgeous Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in her school uniform colours and set to work knitting. Unfortunately I hadn't even got half way down one leg (she wants full length leg warmers . . .) when I had run out and then I worked out how much I would need, based on what I had used so far and came to the terrible realisation that these were going to be VERY expensive legwarmers. Now the wool is very gorgeous and is incredibly soft and is the cosiest type of wool there is but I just couldn't justify over £20 on a pair of legwarmers, which she may not even wear once they had been made. So I decided they would do for a pair of gloves instead and unpicked my knitting. A quick trip to our local hardware store and some more (cheaper) grey wool was purchased. It is definately not as soft - even a bit itchy I suspect, but over tights I hope that won't notice and not nearly as gorgeous but definately more cost effective - does that make me a terrible mother??!!!

PS Gorgeous wool on left, hardware store wool on the right!!!!

Now I've just got to get them knitted before spring arrives!

Whoops . . . At it again!

2012-01-20T12:46:00.002Z

'Snow time' by SpotsandStripes

Its been very frosty today, but we want the snow!

TheLeveretsNes... $18.00	PureRoxInPrint $48.00	whitetulipbout... $1.45	confeltti $16.00
AmazingSticker $13.99	ME2Designs $40.00	Kindredscents $0.20	WeirdAndTwiste... $45.00
zirkulas $29.00	galafilc $16.00	bomobob $30.00	BobkaBaby $55.00
TheFoxandTheTe... $24.00	christianesuth... $12.00	AirthandOlson $15.00	beyondthepoiso... $10.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Owls

2012-01-18T16:34:00.002Z

Last year Flopsy Bunny was given a whole lot of crafty presents for her birthday from her friends - I'm not sure where people got the idea that we were a crafty household . . . !!! Anyway out of all the lovely gifts that she was given, this one was the one I was the most excited about. I bided my time, not suggesting that she should tackle the one I wanted her to do and then in the summer she bought the box to me and we got started! I was so impressed with how quickly she picked up the back stitch and how little help she needed - just a bit of needle re-threading and untangling. So here we have it, the Owls, finished at the weekend and looking lovely don't you think? I'm so proud of Flopsy Bunny - she's done a great job! The crafting gene is strong in this one I think!!!

If you are interested the kit comes from the Little Experience Company - and it is great. It includes everything you would need, scissors, needle, thread, stuffing and good instructions. Lovely packaging and design, you can also make two pairs of glasses from the box. Can't recommend it enough! (and no I'm not getting paid for saying that either!!!!)

A quick knit

2012-01-16T12:16:00.000Z

I had to do a quick bit of knitting at the weekend as a friend's baby arrived a little early . . .

When I first saw these bootees on Ravelry I just wanted to knit them, but alas my babies were both too big so I had to wait . . . Luckily a friend obliged me and had her baby last week - whoopee an excuse to knit these gorgeous little shoes! So cute and really easy to make. I made one bootee in one evening so easily done in a weekend! The only modification I made to the pattern was to improvise on the long tail cast on, which looked a bit fingers and thumbs for me and too tricky to work out at the time! Still I managed to cast on and would say I got the same result! The wool was left over yarn from another project and the buttons came from my button box - I love it when I get to use up some of my leftover yarn!

Ah babies, knitting these almost made me want another one . . . almost!

Late harvest

2012-01-09T22:29:00.000Z

Somehow the carrots got forgotten. I'm not sure how, but there it is, they have sat in the ground all Autumn and this weekend I decided to see if I had any that where worth eating! Well I must admit I was surprised. I guess it is thanks to the mild winter we have had this year. But we certainly got a crop and they are tasty too!

We had a lovely weekend in the garden, harvesting(!), chopping wood, collecting kindling, sweeping leaves, you know those kind of winter gardening jobs! I also planted a pear tree to replace the tree that came down in the snow. It will soon be surrounded by crocuses that Flopsy Bunny and I planted in the Autumn. I am really looking forward to seeing where these flowers appear - there are going to be some straight rows I think - not the random effect I was after I fear!!

Then today my search for a shepherds crook, to hang my gorgeous bird feeder from, was over! Thank you lovely friend who gave it to me! This was also the lovely friend who gave me this . . . Excellent taste this friend has in pretty garden things!

Sale shopping

2012-01-06T17:46:00.000Z

I don't usually bother with sale shopping, there is never anything I like left in my sizes so I tend to avoid it - that and the usual scrummage that it involves. But never say never to a spot of sale shopping in the wool department of John Lewis - just went in for a quick look and whoops, came home with this - New Year, new cardigan that's my motto this year!

What's yours?!

2011: A review

2012-01-02T22:27:00.002Z

So here's to 2011. I seem to have had a busy time by the look of my collection of things that I've made. It's always lovely to gather together my photographs into one place, to step back and think 'so that's what I've been up to'! I hope you have enjoyed my journey and that you will join me again this year. What will 2012 bring I wonder . . .

On the twelth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-23T21:54:00.000Z

we dressed our front door

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and here's hoping you have a wonderful 2012

On the eleventh day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-23T21:28:00.000Z

it rained quite heavily . . .

Luckily I had followed up a link from Angry Chicken recently for this lovely doll and her doggie. It has been gorgeously painted, I love the water colour and character of it all. A little background story to get you going and some lovely outfits to try on so lots of opportunities to make up stories. Flopsy Bunny played with it a bit - we rather liked the little jacket for the dog and the fact that after cold wintery walks dot comes back for a cup of hot chocolate - something we like to do too! What a treat Emily has given us.

On the tenth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-21T15:44:00.000Z

. . . three little doves

Not a finished project yet, but I thought I would give you a sneaky preview of what I'm working on at the moment. Imagine 7 more with embroidered eyes too! I'm really enjoying this one - a little Christmas present to myself . . . !

On the ninth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-18T19:54:00.000Z

. . . I filled two tea cups with pretty bulbs

It is always tricky to know what to give my two grandmothers. Yes I am blessed, both are going strong at 96 and 102 and its good to know there are longevity genes on both sides! But then what to give . . . This year, having seen this idea in a number of florists I decided to give it a go myself. So off I popped to our local antiques and brick a brack shop - Oh how I love that shop - a real aladin's cave and I always find what I'm looking for! Do you remember these? - well as I said this shop rarely fails to deliver, and this time I am really happy with my kingfisher cups - rather lovely don't you think? Then it was just a case of putting some compost in, popping in a bulb and topping with moss and hey presto, gorgeous granny presents.

On the eighth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-17T17:00:00.001Z

. . . we added some sparkle and shine

A friend has noted that I had been on the 'seventh' day for longer than a day - I think she noticed the flaw in my little plan . . . ! Luckily while it has been quiet on the blog it has been super busy behind the scenes. Presents bought and wrapped, cards written and plans made. I think I have managed to get all my Christmassy things done this week and I'm hoping to devote next week as Christmas craft week with the kids - watch this space!

I just love Christmas, it has to be my most favourite time of the year. Decorating the house and tree gives me a real thrill - even if Little Roo has taken to pulling the christmas tree over for the second year in a row! For me the best part is rediscovering my decorations and adding to them. I'm also enjoying Flopsy Bunny's little contributions. She rearranged my deer, which are a new addition this year, but she made it into a game, I could hear her softly speaking to the deer as she put them in their new places and has obviously decided that the candle holder is their food trough! It did bring a smile to my face.

On the seventh day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-12T22:51:00.000Z

There was some sillyness!

Yes, knitted paper chains, or should they be called knitted wool chains. Rather silly I know and I'm not sure what came over me, except I saw some really lovely felt ones recently and thought felt, wool, knitting!! I'll have a go. I've never been one to see the point of knitted cupcakes and vegtables but I'm beginning to see the appeal now- it's more in the fact that you are able to do it rather than for the finished object but then that's my take on it! DH is slightly concerned that our house is going to resemble this!

The beauty of this chain is that it is mighty quick and easy to make and you can keep adding whenever the urge takes you. One picture frame this Christmas maybe a whole room next year!!! (Sshhh - better keep that quiet!)

On the sixth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-11T20:39:00.001Z

. . . a sparkly forest grew

Inspired by my holly leaves, Flopsy Bunny decided she wanted to do something with green felt and after her attempts at drawing holly - which didn't go as well as she hoped she settled on Xmas trees. Using her template I cut out the felt trees and she set about with the decorating. As you can see she definately believes more is, well, more!! A girl after my own heart - you can hardly see the outline of the tree for all the sparkle and sequins. These little trees have had ribbons added to hang them and are going out to family and friends this Christmas!!

On the fifth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-08T10:56:00.001Z

I made a holly decoration!

There must be something in the air at the moment with lots of thoughts of holly. Over at Attic 24 there has been some lovely holly making. I'm wondering if my holly looks a bit bat like?! Ho Hum!

As you can see I've got a little behind on my days - well there have been some very special birthday celebrations to prepare. Now Little Roo is well and truely 3 and has been sung to everyday, I can turn my attention to Christmas!!

On the fourth day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-04T20:40:00.000Z

. . . I baked my boy a cake

Yes, you might have guessed from yesterday's post, it's that time of year again, Little Roo's birthday. I can't quite believe he will be three on Tuesday - I look at him trying to see the baby he once was and just see this grown up boy - still quite little though! Anyway, despite trying to convince him otherwise he requested a dinosaur cake again this year. I was gutted as I had big plans for a space rocket cake made with Swiss Rolls!

On the third day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-03T23:16:00.005Z

I created an Etsy Treasury List . . .

'Dinosaur Love' by SpotsandStripes

Dinosaur Love Tote Bag
Metal Stamped Personalised B...
Dino Love Wallet
Tall Love - Illustration PRI...
Spike 2.0 the Dinosaur Plush...
Dinosaur Print - Apple iPhon...
Custom Handpainted Wooden Dr...
Dinosaur Pattern. Soft Toy. ...
Dinosaur Stick Hobby Horse -...
Crochet Pattern- Luke in the...
Custom Dinosaur Hat
Felt Dinosaur Play Mat Tote ...
Dinosaur Building Blocks (Se...
Wall Decal Children Monogram...
Dinosaur Plush Stuffed Baby ...
ROAR Navy Triceratops Dinosa...

OK, a bit of a cheat here, but ever so much fun. Inspired by Cupcakes for Clara - she has created some lovely ones. So my theme has been definately influenced by a dinosaur/dragon loving soon to be three, but wishing he was four, Little Roo. xx

On the second day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-02T14:05:00.000Z

. . . we made some paper stars

Flopsy Bunny was off sick this week with a little bug, so it gave us an opportunity to do some Christmas crafting together. After much deliberation she choose these beauties. Lots of fun to make and even more fun to decorate with the glitter glue! We will be sticking them on to ribbon to hang in Flopsy Bunny's bedroom.

On the first day of Christmas . . .

2011-12-01T23:11:00.001Z

. . . I finished my Cloche Hat

It is certainly getting Christmassy around here and not just here but in Blogland too. I was reading SarahWoodonline today and loved her idea of an advent posting each day, giving us a lovely online tip - what a treat AND what a good idea! So much so I've decided to pinch it, well sort of, it's a sort of challenge to myself and a Christmas deadline for all those things I want to make. Instead of an advent posting I'm going for, wait for it, have you guessed yet? Yes the 12 days of Christmas - might just be able to make 12 things before Christmas!

Although hopping over to Soulemama today made me think now here's a woman who will be able to create more than 12 things before Christmas and they will be gorgeous and she has 5 children and one of them is a baby - how she manages to do it all is beyond me. Anyway she has some absolutely gorgeous fabric in her stash and I'm looking forward to seeing her finished results. Attic 24 is getting all Christmassy too and I've been inspired to buy the book she has recommended by Clare Youngs.

So enough of my Christmas ramblings and back to the hat. This was meant to be my New York hat. DH and I went for a sneaky weekend last weekend without the little ones and it was truely wonderful. My first time in that amazing city. Anyway, I had been gearing myself up, getting ready. All my friends who had been said it would be cold, even if the temperature's not that cold, the wind really is, so I packed my snowboots, winter coat, gloves, scarf and was desperately trying to finish THIS hat. Alas I ran out of time so the hat didn't get finished in time, which was just as well as it was scorching - in the 20's - I was sweltering! Luckily the hat is now ready for the cold snap we are having at the moment.

The pattern for the pattern can be downloaded free from Ravelry if you are a member, it's called the Kim Cloche. Great pattern, although I did modify it slightly as did other Ravelry members and excluded rows 2-5 which seem to give the top a better look. I also had to use slightly smaller DPN's as I couldn't seem to buy 5mm ones anywhere! Anyway, it seemed to work! The hat was finished off by a lovely crocheted broach that a friend made, how I wish I could crochet - maybe one day . . . !

Matlida Jane - I love you!

2011-11-23T13:40:00.000Z

I can't tell you how much I love this cardigan and pattern. I just love, love, love it! Ysolda Teague is a designer genius. I have so loved knitting this cardigan, it's been a pleasure, and so very clever. You knit it from the top down. There are raglan sleeves which mean that there are no seams to sew and I'm sure it has made knitting that much quicker. Ysolda also has a total eye for the shaping - wonderful. I was a little worried that I had knitted a size too small, but it fits like a dream. There were a few fiddly bits, like lifted increases and casting on in the middle of a row which I haven't done before, but a quick response from Ysolda and everything made sense! B and A lifted increases, before and after - of course! There were little things in the pattern that I loved like the knitted buttonhole facings and the shaping to give you a mitred corner at the bottom corner. So here it is, my Matlida Jane and enough wool left over to make some fingerless gloves - for those chilly days when forearms might get a bit nippy!

Three generations craft project

2011-11-21T14:28:00.001Z

It started off as a Granny and Granddaughter craft project. My mum had given Flopsy Bunny this gorgeous book on how to make princessy type things. Flopsy Bunny had chosen the castle and we got everything together except we didn't have any paint. Not to worry says my mum we will cover the boxes with fabric - ahh can you see where I get it from?! Anyway, during this whole process Flopsy Bunny lost interest and decided to take on a more supervisory/overseeing role and somehow it turned into a mother and daughter project instead. Which was lovely, I must say we both really enjoyed ourselves a lot - Flopsy Bunny came along to put on the finishing touches and here it is! A princess castle!

Corners of the house

2011-11-15T12:53:00.000Z

We've been having a bit of a move around at home. The dining room has been moved round and we've created this little corner which shows off my grandfather's desk beautifully. Which, as you can see, is slightly battered but very beloved! The picture on top of the desk is by the very talented Flopsy Bunny. I think there is definately some synchronisity going on in our house. I've been looking for ages for a picture like this, an abstract, sort of stripey with those kind of colours and lo and behold my little gorgeous Flopsy Bunny created this last year. Doesn't it just look fab - or are my rose-tinted glasses a bit too rose-tinted in this matter?! (I do have thoughts along the lines of - when she is a world famous artist I can say - "well this was her first piece, aged 5!" hee hee!!) Anyway, I love it! It will be making it's way up the wall just as soon as I get out to the garage to find a hammer!

Of course looking at this photo you can clearly see a need for those cushions to be changed and my mind is already whirring, a bit of linen, some applique - watch this space . . .

On an entirely different note, we had a lovely sunny autumnal walk on Sunday, through some beech woods above our house and DH captured this beauty.

MIA

2011-11-12T15:55:00.001Z

I'm not quite sure what has happened this last week, but it seemed that I was VERY BUSY! Looking back I'm not sure what I was actually doing, but never mind, the long and short of it is that I haven't posted for ages. So here's a quick update. Grape Jelly! You might remember last year I tried making Mosto Cotto with the grape harvest from own little vine. It was lovely, but alas did not last as long as I was assurred it would do and started getting a nasty film on it - I did wonder whether I had sterilised the bottle well enough. Anyway, I thought this year I would try something different. The lovely Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook has a great receipe for Grape Jelly and with our bumper crop of grapes this year I managed to make three jars. I'm not sure how well it has set as I was a little impatient . . . ! Here's hoping it tastes yummy.

My underwater girl

2011-11-01T13:09:00.001Z

Flopsy Bunny could have gone to school as a mermaid for her underwater topic day - we'd borrowed a lovely costume - but no it wasn't quite the look she was after! Instead on Friday I was faced with conjuring up a new outfit. After a quick think, a hanging basket, some pink fabric and ribbon and a few hours later we had the ta da moment - a jelly fish outfit! Flopsy Bunny is VERY pleased with this outfit (thank goodness) and she will be chasing after her friends all day today trying to sting them . . .!

Spookiness, 200th post and a giveaway!!

2011-10-31T12:54:00.000Z

We are all geared up for a night of spooky spookiness. The pumpkin has been carved . . .

there's also a window display . . .

and of course the old favourites - the pumpkin head banner. The costumes are also ready, Little Roo will be going as a wicked wizard and Flopsy Bunny has chosen a skeleton costume for this year. Pop back tomorrow to check out Flopsy Bunny's underwater creature costume that she will wearing tomorrow for her water topic day at school. I must admit I am rather proud of it!

Also on an entirely different note - this is my 200th post!! I'm not quite sure how I've managed that but there you go. Anyway, in honour of this landmark I will give away a free copy of my sweetheart cushion pattern for any knitters out there. Just leave a comment before 8pm on Friday 4th November!

A week of fun (and craftiness!)

2011-10-30T11:07:00.000Z

It's been lovely.

Knitting Graffiti

2011-10-21T13:22:00.002+01:00

The lovely Sarahwoodonline shared this article with me and a couple of our friends and well it has made us all giggle and more disturbingly they have decided that I too need to be a graffiti knitter - I'm meant to be taking on Oxford!! Deadly Knitshade, the organiser of the knitting graffiti states on her webpage that the aim of

"Guerilla knitting or ‘yarnstorming’ is the art of conjuring up a piece of knitting or crochet, taking it out in the world, releasing it into the wild, and running away like a mad thing"

Well never one to turn down a challenge it has got me thinking - maybe not Oxford but I might have a sneaky go in our village. What really did it for me was the fact you need some great assumed name - how cool is Deadly Knitshade? I'm thinking Ninja Knitter as my assumed name and I will need a knitted eye mask - probably something in reds and pinks with stripes (obviously!). I think the "running always giggling wildly" afterwards is what I am looking forward to the most!!!

Anyway, I have the small matter of a cardigan to finish first though . . . !

Doh! I've just read more of Deadly Knitshade's website and discovered there already is a Knitting Ninja!! Back to the drawing board on the name front - any ideas??!!

My first knitting pattern

2011-10-19T15:34:00.001+01:00

A lovely lady on Ravelry asked if she could buy the pattern for this cushion - do you remember the Heart design one . . .

well that just made my day, actually my year! Anyway, I've been beavering away writing up the pattern and actually having to finish the cushion because I never did sew on the button and make the loop fastening! So that has been done, photo's taken, pattern written and made into a PDF and it's now lining the shelves of my Etsy shop - if anyone else fancies knitting it!!

Baking and Storing

2011-10-16T08:59:00.000+01:00

Sarah Raven's lovely apple cake, and even though it didn't all go according to the receipe (my fine breadcrumb consistancy was rather more like large doughy balls!) this didn't seem to make much difference. Very yummy and a hit with all.

I also had a bit of an epiphany over our fennel plant the other day. When I planted the fennel about four years ago I didn't intend to eat it, I just liked it's fluffly leaves and thought it would go well in the herb bed. Each year the plant gets bigger and bigger - this year it must have been about 6-7ft tall! So it wasn't until I looked out of the window one day while washing up that it suddenly dawned on me - those are seed heads I was looking at - Oooo I could dry those and use the seeds! I can't really believe I haven't done it before - lots of lovely fennel seeds.

A pickling weekend

2011-10-11T10:18:00.000+01:00

DH has been a busy little bee this weekend and there's been a nose tickling aroma in the air in our house. Our home grown chilli's have been harvested and pickled and then DH moved on to some pears that we had been given by his parents and they got pickled too! I was slightly worried that if anyone stood still too long this weekend they might end up being pickled!! Both receipes came from the lovely Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook. I just love that book and there are so many lovely receipes in it. I think I am going to make her apple cake this afternoon for the little one's pudding. It is good to have our annual favourites, like blackberry and apple jam but then it's also good to try something new. I'm looking forward to some lovely cheese at Christmas with a pickled pear sliced up - delicious!

Knitting News

2011-10-10T22:29:00.000+01:00

Well I finally plucked up the courage to unpick most of the knitting I had done, back to where it had all gone wrong. Although it is always hard to do I'm glad I am back on track and I am just LOVING this pattern. It is sooooo clever, knitted top down and in one piece, no seams to sew and look you can try it on as you go along to make sure it fits!!!

I feel like I'm really motoring along on it now, which is just as well as a new knitting shop has just opened up in my nearest local town. So very exciting but also so very dangerous too (to my bank balance and queue of projects!). I haven't ventured in yet but I did have a quick look through the window at the books and lovely shelving before it opened. As you can imagine I have been updating my knitting wish list of knitting projects over at Ravelry . . .

Bonkers about Conkers

2011-10-09T09:28:00.000+01:00

This year's conker display. Last year we had step art, this year I'm going for more of a glass installation look!

Boxy loveliness

2011-10-06T17:17:00.000+01:00

Yes, I'm at it again, covering boxes! This time it's a box file - it's all part of me getting more organised (hope you are liking how I've managed to bring in some craftiness into all this organisation!!). Anyway an annoying area of my kitchen was this big pile of correspondence, the pending stuff that requires some input before filing or recycling and in the past it has just sat in a big unsightly pile next to the kettle. I've tried several things, like putting the pile on a lovely old silver tray that my grandmother gave me, but no it still looked like a messy heap on a tray! Then flicking through a Cath Kidston catalog I came across these lovely box files but I bulked at the price and couldn't really justify it - even if it helped me get more organised. Then the brainwave struck, boring old box file, big bottle of PVA glue and some gorgeous Zoffany wallpaper that I really really wanted on my dining room wall but the light in that room just didn't work for the paper and I still had the sample (which I think just proves why hoarding is such a very good thing!!). So there you have it, one lovely box file, filled with lots of papery bits and bobs and when it gets full I have to chuck something out - a perfect system!

Belt Bag

2011-10-03T11:06:00.000+01:00

This is a present for a friend of mine, who like me is off to New York soon (I'm sooooooooooo excited - but more on that later!) Anyway, we were having a 'New York' chat and my friend was talking about taking a 'bum' bag but thinking that they are not very attractive - well that got me thinking . . . So I came up with the belt bag - with pockets for your phone and wallet. Safely attached to your belt, but your arms and hands free for shopping, sightseeing, you name it!! DH thinks I've gone loopy (well, to be honest that happened a long time ago), but I was wondering what you thought? Good idea? Should I make some for my Etsy shop - I think the straps need to be a bit shorter but personally I really like this bag. I'm also thinking it would be really useful for the school run!

Getting organised

2011-09-30T12:05:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure if it's the long 6 weeks of summer, with all those unstructured days that have suddenly made me feel that it is time for a bit of a routine, or whether it is now that Little Roo is more independant and I am feeling a pull to do more of my own things rather than soley concentrating on the little ones. Anyway, whatever it is, I'm getting organised!!!

I suddenly realised that I have A LOT of things that I want to do and if I am going to attempt doing anything then I need a schedule!! It's funny how you find other people in the same place as you. I have been enjoying reading Attic 24's cleaning and tidying blitz which has spurred me on as well as a visit from a very organised friend who said, I need a schedule and lists!

Well without boring you all with the details all I can say is that I am being ruthless - I even took off a cardigan midway through the day and put it in the recycling bag because I thought "this just doesn't suit me - out it goes!!" Anyway, I've got a long way to go but I am determined to come up with something that I can stick to, which also means I'm allowed to do some crafty things during the day without feeling guilty - well they are on the schedule you see!

Here are some of the last of my sweetpeas - can you believe I kept them going until nearly the end of September - horrah!

A mottled harvest

2011-09-22T15:59:00.000+01:00

DH and I are trying to decide how many Borlotti Bean casseroles we might make with these - I'm going 3 but DH reckons just the one! What do you think? Memo to self - only grow high yielding crops next year . . .! Pretty though aren't they!

Frogging

2011-09-20T18:48:00.000+01:00

Isn't it always the way that just as you are really getting to grips with a pattern and worked out all the W&T's and lifted increases and knitted all the raglan increases that you come to the dreaded part of COUNTING THE STITCHES and realise - eeekkkkk wrong number at every section . . .! I have been putting off the frogging for the time being as I can't quite bring myself to do it - but as I have also been having a major clear out (more on that in another post!) I desperately need some new knitwear - so frogging it is tonight!

Autumn

2011-09-15T15:19:00.001+01:00

It must be autumn again as I've started photographing conkers!!

Of course there's also the annual step art that goes with it . . .

Little Roo and I had such lunchtime fun today - trying to spot the Red Arrows - WOW - here they are

Being thankful for small harvests

2011-09-13T20:10:00.000+01:00

I've been quite grumpy recently about our veggie patch. When we started to grow veg this year, I didn't have any particular expectations of what I hoped to achieve. But then my enthusiasm went into overdrive and my mind started thinking about self sufficacy and all of a sudden I had great expectations for my veggie patch and I'm afraid to say became very disappointed when it didn't live up to all my new big ideas.

It hasn't been helped my numerous articles recently on how to deal with vegtable gluts - arrgggghhh - if only we had had a glut. I had dreams while on holiday of all the blanching and freezing and cooking and freezing I would be doing when I got home, but no, nothing remotely resembling a glut materialized.

Then I thought - hold on a minute - we have grown things this year and eaten them, I must remember to be thankful for that. The green beans did well and we grew enough for a good harvest to eat each week, we have borlotti beans drying as we speak and the tomatoes are coming along, OK not masses but probably enough for what we need each week. Of course the courgettes were the big disappointment of the year and next year I won't get carried away by fancy yellow varieties and will stick to a good old green variety.

But what I must really be thankful for is the masses of potatoes I've got!! Well with a whole new vegetable patch turned over to them, I couldn't fail could I?!

But it turns out my real talent in vegtable growing is my interesting shaped potatoes - here's one that looks like a mouse and I've dug up other oddly shaped ones too!

So with so much in life I've learnt a lot this year about vegtable growing and have ideas about what I will do differently next year and that's the thing to keep hold of, to remember to take baby steps rather than galloping off with heady ideas of self sufficacy - especially when I hadn't set out to do that in the first place!

Talking of galloping off, here is a visitor who seems very interested in our veggies too . . . !

So it begins

2011-09-07T23:21:00.000+01:00

Having started this knitting project - a rather gorgeous cardi for me - I am slightly daunted by the pattern. So far so good, but it looks from a quick glance to be a pattern I'm going to have to concentrate on and not one that can be easily done with half an eye on the TV or fire! Oh well. Still feels good to be knitting again.

From Devine to Disaster

2011-09-05T15:18:00.001+01:00

The holiday started wonderfully, Umbrian tranquility - I even managed to lie on a sun lounger and read a small amount of a book!!!

Then disaster struck and my adventurous Little Roo, got a little too adventurous and swung and jumped and landed badly, managing to fracture his leg. A fraught week was spent in an Italian hospital and then we were air ambulanced home in a private plane.

It's going to be a little quiet around here for the moment, while Little Roo recovers and mends and we all get back to some semblance of normality.

On the bright side we seem to have come back well and truly to Autumn, which can only mean - log fires and knitting!

Here's a pre-break holiday shot of Little Roo in his Duck shorts (or are they longs?!)

While I should be packing . . .

2011-08-12T13:09:00.004+01:00

. . . I've been making long shorts for Little Roo (gorgeous fabric don't you think - its from Lizzy House - Red Letter Day - sadly I think it has been discontinued) . . . (I have to admit that I was totally inspired my Oxford Kitchen Yarns, I thought her trousers were so gorgeous I had to make some for Little Roo too!)

. . . I've also been making some I-Spy bags. They were featured in Handmade Living. Really easy to make and really effective, I hope they will bring some distraction on our travels. Do you recognise the fabric - again, another lot of gorgeousness?! Of course for Flopsy Bunny you can't go wrong with a bit of Cath Kidson!

Just a little way of saying, we are going away! For some sun, I hope and to recharge our batteries. Check back in a couple of weeks . . .

Brambling on Sunday . . .

2011-08-09T08:34:00.000+01:00

. . . Jam on Monday! We've gone early this year. But it seems the blackberries have too! So in between showers on Sunday, we hot footed it up the hill to our favourite bramble patch and within 30 minutes had collected about 5lb of blackberries. A fortuitous visit from my parents brought with them cooking apples, so my favourite jam was made. We've got enough for the year this time - 14 jars, last year was a disaster and we ran out in May!!

A good day for ducks

2011-08-04T15:16:00.000+01:00

A week of firsts

2011-08-03T17:53:00.000+01:00

Our first tomato . . .

Our first carrot . . .

Our first (proper-sized) courgette and first crop of French Beans. My thoughts about one day becoming self sufficient may be a long way off!! We are doing well with the beans though, which is just as well as our courgettes have been a real disappointment - and I had all those receipes ready too!!

A quick look on google - whatever did we do before google?! - showed that the prescribed wisdom is that courgettes don't need to be in a greenhouse - whoops! I've managed to get as many out as I can but those in grow bags will have to remain. Then thoughts differ, as to why my courgettes start off well and then go mouldy and brown at the end - a lack of pollination, or too damp, or too humid or some unknown reason. My mum's courgettes are having a similar problem so maybe it's genetic?!!

Luckily my sweatpeas have been been flowering like troopers. Not many I grant you, but enough for a small posy on my windowsill all summer and there are no signs of them letting up yet!

Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye

2011-08-02T12:02:00.003+01:00

I'm having a bit of a summer wardrobe crisis. (OK, you would be forgiven in thinking that this might have been a serious post!!) Three of my much loved summer staples, the stalwarts of my wardrobe are in their last throws, i.e. they need to be thrown out! I've worn them and worn them and worn them and now they are worn out. This skirt is going at the waistband, although I think I can salvage that as it is inside and won't be seen. Then there are a pair of light weight green trousers which I love. Such a good buy, £15 about 15 years ago - not bad I'd say, but I fear that they are really beyond repair now. Yet despite this I'm keeping them because I might just get round to making a pattern from them and trying to replicate them (Hmmmm . . . the likelihood of that happening ?!). Then there is a lovely white skirt with an elasticated waistband, which was such a good fit, unfortunately I discovered that I could still wear it when I was pregnant, under the bump and two pregnancies later and lots of wear pre and post pregnancy has finally meant the elastic has stretched too far that even my hips can't stop this skirts gradual descent!

It wouldn't be so bad if I had something to replace these clothes, but it is almost impossible to go shopping when you are trying to look for something similar to those much loved items. I've come to the conclusion that I need to make my own clothes, not a new thought by any means but it seems now is the time to get back into it. I used to make everything I wore when I was a teenager - even making my own coats. The problem I have and one of the reasons I stopped making things was that I just can't seem to find any good fabric shops, which sell material for making clothes. It seems everyone is so geared up to quilting these days. So I'm sending out a call for help, if anyone knows of any good online dress fabric sites please let me know in the comments section. Please help - my wardrobe needs YOU!

Princess and the Pea: The sequel (part 1 ...!)

2011-07-30T16:17:00.001+01:00

I think I have become rather addicted to needle felting. There is something quite calming about stabbing a small rolled up ball of wool, rolling it around in your fingers as you stab, to create a 'pea'! Something similar, I guess, to stress balls high powered executives were meant to squeeze in the 80's! Anyway, luckily my first attempt of making a pea, after the last one mysteriously disappeared, ended up looking more the size of a sprout or small cabbage, so I had to make another one - oh the disappointment!! So here we have the pea - I have every expectation that this pea won't last long before it too becomes lost, so I will be needle felting for quite some time.

I've also fashioned a ladder, as requested by Flopsy Bunny, from some twigs and gold thread - following along the lines of SouleMama's ladder. Flopsy Bunny hasn't quite forgotten her list of things still needed . . . but I'm hoping that the 'pea green dress' might be the last thing that is really needed and then I can put this project to bed - so to speak!!!

Garden round up

2011-07-28T22:15:00.002+01:00

As July draws to a close, I thought a quick garden round up was in order. As the summer holidays stretch out before us, the flowers are echoing that summery feel, with hot colours everywhere!

Bright yellows

Oranges and reds . . .

I'm always amazed by gardening, I've not really done much planning or design, it's been more a case of planting what I like; but despite this hapzard approach to my garden design I have managed to get some all year colour - not much I grant you, but enough to make me smile and think I've made a start! My gardening knowledge is basic but there have been a few little nuggets that I've picked up along the way. Always plant in 3's or 5's seems to be the mantra of most gardeners. Then my sister-in-law said that the most successful gardens she has seen are those that have the same planting repeated around the garden so that your eye is drawn around. So there you are, we are in the season of the hots!

I've also got a lovely new addition to the garden in the form of this willow heart, a present from a lovely friend of mine who visited at the weekend with her gorgeous family. I'm rather taken with it, and it fits in wonderfully with my love birds!

The vegtables continue to grow, and I wish that I had planted some earlier as there is nothing to eat at the moment! It's a little like survival of the fitness in our garden at the moment, a roe deer ate all our lettuce - luckily we will have the beans - well so far it seems!

May the glut soon be upon us!!

If you don't like spiders, then look away now . . . !

2011-07-25T22:26:00.000+01:00

We've had a super start to the holidays, bike riding, swimming parties for some and picnic lunches for others. We then thought we ought to undercover the sandpit and see what state it was in since last year. The little ones busied themselves with a bowl of warm soapy water, cleaning buckets, spades and rakes, while I had the more gruesome task of getting rid of the creepy crawlies! It was a bit of a nature spectacular this afternoon outside our back door. First we spotted a little frog hopping around, who quickly hid under a box when everyone came over to examine him and then I spotted these two mummies . . .

I don't think I have ever seen a spider with an egg sack or one with lots of teeny tiny baby spiders crawling around, but there they were on the underside of our sandpit cover - obviously the place to be to raise your spider babies!! It brought back many memories of Charlotte's Web - I must get that book to read to Flopsy Bunny - it was another favourite of mine as a child.

An epic craft project

2011-07-19T14:40:00.000+01:00

This seems like it has been an epic craft project. Maybe because I have been thinking about making this for such a long time. I've also savoured selecting the fabrics and thinking about how I was going to make it. The actual making didn't really take that much time at all. It's been like a good book, I've loved the making and didn't want it to end. So here is the epic . . . (there may even be a sequel!)

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a little girl who just loved the story of the Princess and the Pea. She loved reading the story, looking at the pictures of THE bed and all those mattresses and was completely fascinated by the idea that a real princess would be able to feel a pea placed under all those mattresses and that it would make her black and blue all over. When the little girl grew up and was a mother of a daughter, she was delighted that her daughter discovered Lauren Child's version of The Princess and the Pea and loved the story just as much as she had all those years ago. An idea began taking shape in her mind, a bed, some mattresses and a princess . . . Luckily she had lots of inspiration on the way.

Maileg has a wonderful version, which I was very tempted to buy but then I thought no I should make one. I remembered seeing Angry Chicken's version and loved the bed she had found. I couldn't find anything similar in the UK so at great expense bought the same one Angry Chicken had used from Total Class Creative in the US - the postage cost more than the bed!! Soule Mama had also made a version which as you would expect from her is totally gorgeous. Soule Mama's blog directed me to Tree Fall's blog (which is now a favourite of mine) and Tree Fall has been making a princess and the pea version which she sells on Etsy and instead of a bed there is a handy tote bag to carry your mattresses and princess around in! I love that idea.

Then I just had to come up with a princess. I did consider a knitted one, having seen Pamela Susan's knitted princess, but didn't like the neck and thought it would take too much time trying to design a pattern for one. So I made a fabric doll which Flopsy Bunny loved - phew! Then of course there was the needle felted pea which has mysteriously disappeared and I need to make another one!

Of course, just when I thought I had finished Flopsy Bunny announced, "well we will need a ladder and the princess needs a crown. Oh yes and another dress, a pea green dress. Of course there needs to be some more people, the prince, a king, a queen . . . " At that point I went to lie down - sequel indeed - this really is an epic craft project!!

Farewell stripey arms, we are going to really miss you

2011-07-13T13:56:00.002+01:00

Our gorgeous and lovely pusscat died unexpectedly yesterday. It was all rather sudden and shocking. Luckily she didn't suffer much. She has given us so much over the 8 years she has been part our family and we are all very sad.

Lunches have just got interesting

2011-07-11T15:05:00.001+01:00

Our first harvest of lettuce. It's funny how totally satisfying it is to eat something you have grown yourself. I've never grown lettuce before but I was really impressed that it tasted just as good as some I would have bought in a supermarket - but even better tasting because we had grown it ourselves and it was picked minutes before eating - yum! Hopefully next month the cherry tomatoes and red peppers will also be ones we have grown ourselves - it's getting really exciting in the garden at the moment.

Handmade Living: A Review

2011-07-05T19:55:00.000+01:00

It seemed only fair that if I was going to review a craft magazine that I shouldn't just review one - well that's my excuse anyway for buying another one! So at the same time as I bought Mollie Makes I picked up a copy of Handmade Living. Another new craft magazine to hit the shops and also released at the same time (this copy is issue number 2). Handmade Living is more on the lines of traditional craft magazines and doesn't have the same unique feel (in a tactile and aesthetic way) as Mollie Makes. Despite this I did really like the magazine. There were 9 projects to make, and they boasted 98 ideas on the cover, and there seemed to be a lot more content too than Mollie Makes. I loved the bird wreath and will definitely be making that one. I also liked the easy lunchbag, although I had seen a similar tutorial over at The Long Thread for a lunchbag which I liked, mainly for the fabric I think! The I-Spy Bag looked genius and I thought I might try and whip a couple up for our holiday this year. So plenty of projects to be inspired by. I also liked the fact that they had features on cooking (the chocolate stackers would go down well in our house), as well as gardening and beauty.

They feature a Beautiful Blog each month at the end of the magazine and this month showcased Poshyarns - I think Rebecca is a woman after my own heart! A potter too! Not that I am a potter I hasten to add but I did love having a go at being a potter many moons ago! You must check her blog out - very inspirational.

Although Jane Brocket does seem to be the woman of the moment, with her new book The Gentle Art of Knitting just out. Handmade Living had a rather gorgeous knitting pattern for a cushion featured which I thought I might try out - it's a bit spotty and stripey - well just my thing really! Then over in Mollie Makes Jane has a bright and beautiful pattern for a crocheted blanket.

So all in all I liked Handmade Living and at £3.50 it's a little easier on the pocket too! Could these magazines see the end of my love affair with Country Living . . . ?!

A bit of making this weekend

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000+01:00

It was Flopsy Bunny's school fete today so there were cakes to be made . . . Poor Little Roo couldn't understand that they weren't for eating straight away - although he made up for it at the fete and made sure he got a good helping there!

Then I started making my borage ice cubes. I'd seen this idea a while back and thought I must grow some borage!! Only three flowers so far - but I'm soooo excited. You need to half fill an ice cube tray with water and then pop the flower on top. Freeze the cube and then top up the tray with water so that the flower is trapped in the middle, refreeze the cubes and you get gorgeous ice cubes to go with your summer pimms!!

Ah yes, there is only one to harvest at the moment, and it is rather small but perfectly formed don't you think?!

I have moments of being really organised - I think it's my Capricorn side, being born on the cusp it doesn't always show itself!! Anyway, a while back I decided to index my receipe books by ingredients. It was really useful when we had a vegetable box delivered as I could easily look up receipes for the various vegetables I found in my box. So I thought I would share with you my courgette receipe index card along with the various receipe books we own! In the hope that it might be useful to any courgette growers out there that are in need of some inspiration!

The River Cafe Cookbook: Bk. 2

Penne with ricotta and courgette

Tagliatelle with deep-fried courgette

Wood-roasted courgette

Courgette carpaccio

Courgette Frittata

Courgette, prosciutto and menta

Real Cooking - by Nigel Slater

Slow-cooked courgettes with lemon and basil

The River Cottage Year

Baby courgette salad

Courgette and goat's cheese soup with basil

The River Cottage Cookbook

Deep-fried stuffed courgette flowers

Courgette and milk soup

courgette sauce for pasta

Courgette souffle

Risotto! Risotto! 80 Recipes and All the Know-how You Need to Make Italy's Famous Rice Dish

Fried zucchini blossoms

Lamb risotto with zucchini

Risotto with zucchini and their blossoms

Soup Kitchen

Courgette soup

Plenty

Stuffed courgettes

Courgette and cobnut salad

Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook - I just love this book!!

Courgette risotto

Courgette and dill farfalle

Courgette souffle

Courgette souffle tart

Courgette and lemon salad

Greek courgette pie

Crisp courgette wedges with anchovy mayonaise

Matthew's stuffed courgette flowers

Tam's stuffed courgette flowers

Courgette chutney!!!!!! A must if you have a massive glut and are tired of all the above!!

River Cottage Every Day

Courgette Kisir

Lemony courgettes on toast

Courgette and potato cakes with mint and feta cheese - this one might see a lot of action this year with all the potato plants I have!!

Phew that's a lot of courgette receipes!! But a favorite in our house is Courgette Dollops!

Courgette Dollops

225g grated courgette

50g grated onion

50g self raising flour

75g grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs, beaten

dash of milk

salt and pepper

oil for frying

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well together. Heat a large frying pan with a little oil or butter. Place heated table-spoons of the mixture in the pan and cook for 2 1/2 minutes until brown. Turn over and cook the other side for a further 2 1/2 minutes. Eat at once!!

I'm off now to check on the greenhouse to see if it's going to be a courgette dollop night tonight!!

A Princess

2011-06-27T22:38:00.000+01:00

A Princess, ok without a crown - much to Flopsy Bunny's dismay and without shoes too! But a princess non the less. I might need to redo her hair but Flopsy Bunny is pleased with her. We are still negotiating whether she is the Princess and the Pea or Sleeping Beauty. Flopsy Bunny prefers the later and you know, maybe that's OK, as there is a bed for this princess to sleep on!

{Sigh} Bowl of Beauty

2011-06-24T13:00:00.000+01:00

Love, love, love, love, love them!

Mollie Makes: A Review

2011-06-22T22:06:00.001+01:00

I was having a little wander around blogland recently and stumbled upon this new magazine, Mollie Makes, it had created quite a buzz amongst us crafty types. Now I'm not really a craft magazine buyer. The covers tend to put me off before I even venture inside, they tend to be too busy and feature projects that are just not appealing enough to make. I'm also a bit of a stick in the mud when it comes to magazines and tend to just buy the one, Country Living, mainly because they have gorgeous covers and lovely photos . . . (can you see a theme going on here?!)

So I thought I would give Mollie Makes a try. When I picked it up off the shelf I just loved the feel of the magazine, a slightly stiff cover, with a mat finish and cute felt flower give away on the front too - well that sold it to me straight away! Inside didn't disappoint either. A good array of gorgeous photos to keep me happy, details of 7 different craft projects to make from cute felt animals to pin cushions, a couple of interviews and more. Although I haven't made anything featured the instructions and photos looked easy to follow. All in all I was impressed. Some of the online criticisms I had read of the magazine were about the amount of adverts there are - and yes there are a lot, but I didn't think it distracted from the magazine at all and in fact I found them useful - a really nice looking wool shop in Bath - I feel a road trip coming on . . .!

One of the other things I liked about the magazine was how they mentioned crafty people who blog and featured items from people's Etsy shops, it really felt that talented individuals who write blogs and sell through Etsy are getting some recognition too. I also liked the craft event calender - wonderful idea.

The only other criticism of the magazine that I read online centered around the cost and at £4.99, it is more expensive than my CL magazine. But cleverly they have a deal where you can get three issues for £5 - well I will certainly sign up for these and see how the issues develop - whether this magazine becomes a monthly addition to my shopping basket or an ad hoc buy well it will all depend on those cover shots! But it is beautifully produced and inspirational and a wonderful breathe of fresh air amongst some very staid craft magazines. Well done Mollie Makes!

Re-use and grow

2011-06-20T13:40:00.001+01:00

It's a bit on the lines of Make Do and Mend! We bought a new BBQ at the weekend and as I drove home I started to think about getting rid of the old one and how it was going to be a real pain taking it to the tip. Then a flash of inspiration! I had DH taking off it's legs, filling it with compost and now we have our very own salad planter - OK not a very attractive planter I grant you but I'm so pleased we managed to find another use for that grotty old BBQ!

While I was out and about with my camera I thought I would give you a bit of an update on the state of our produce. As you can see below the potatoes are completely out of control!

I'm pleased with my newly weeded veggie patch with deer protection! I had almost given up hope of the garlic growing, but there it is, growing well, along with the Borlotti Beans, Runner Beans, the odd rouge potato plant and a pumpkin plant! Ooops I almost forgot the carrots, which in fact do need thinning out.

The greenhouse has been taken over by tomato, pepper, chilli pepper and courgette plants.

Lots of courgette flowers which will hopefully mean lots of courgettes to eat soon - luckily I have a whole host of courgette recipes all ready and waiting!!

How is your garden growing?

Love and Stories

2011-06-18T22:27:00.001+01:00

DH told me last night that his boss had said he was a good story teller. It planted a seed in my mind. Then today, a day for thinking about love and marriage, I thought that's one of the reasons I love DH, he tells a good story. Sometimes you don't always realise the many things that draws you to another and makes you choose them to spend your life with. Then there are days like today, when you catch a glimpse, get reminded of something and it makes you smile and feel all warm inside.

Today, my friend Fiona is getting married. When I think of what I might wish for her in her married life, it is lots of those glimpses, those moments of feeling warm and lots of smiles!

This is my small stone for Fiona and Kaspa - not a usual one, but that's what came to me! Also I've added some sweetpeas for good luck. Sweetpeas will forever remind me of my wedding day as I walked down the aisle holding a bunch!

Through my letterbox

2011-06-16T23:15:00.001+01:00

A whole pile of gorgeousness arrived. Although I seem to have projects piling up at the moment and no real time to concentrate and get them finished I've decided to add to them! So many projects so little time!!

Beady Bunting

2011-06-13T13:25:00.000+01:00

The blocking has been done and the bunting is up. I had such fun working out this pattern, making the flags just the right size to fit above this window. DH and I have on going conversations about the windows in our kitchen and whether they need curtains/blinds. I'm of the opinion that yes they do - any excuse for some soft furnishings!! DH on the other hand thinks that we are not overlooked and should leave them bare. So I thought if this is how it is going to be then there needs to be some softness around - I've got it - bunting!!! I found this most gorgeous red wool - Sirdar Snuggly Babybamboo - which is just soooo lovely and the red is just soooo right for my kitchen. Then inspired by other knitted/crocheted bunting, Attic 24 made some lovely little triangles, then I stumbled across Susie at the Circus on the Ravelry site and she had made the most lovely crocheted bunting and added bells to the end. I was tempted by the bells, but then I had a quick look through my bead collection which my lovely sister had bought me for a Christmas present this year and found the most gorgeous beads, just the right colour - beads it is then!!

Tssk, tssk, tssk

2011-06-08T20:22:00.001+01:00

I'm telling myself off at the moment. With several projects half finished or almost finished I've launched into another new project! So while my little ones tucked into their supper tonight, which for once they seem content to eat without my supervision, I quickly drew up a pattern for a doll. Not just any old doll but a princess doll and not just any old princess doll but a real princess doll! Remember this? Well it seems that now is the time to make it. Although unfortunately I have now lost the pea, it was quite small and I'm sure I put it somewhere safe . . .

As you can see my other projects are being hampered somewhat. Saffy has decided that the quilt is the only place she is sleeping at the moment, which does make it a bit tricky when it comes to sewing. Particularly when she fixes me with one of her glares and hunkers down even further - if that is possible! It does bode well that the quilt will be cosy and warm though - sadly it was needed for a rather cold and windy camping expedition and I didn't get it finished in time!

Block, block, block, block, blocking . . . .

2011-06-06T14:01:00.000+01:00

(The title of this post needs to be sung to the tune of Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick, Chicken, Lay a little egg for me - don't ask me why, it just popped into my head that way!). After reading many posts about blocking I thought I would finally give it a go! I love this one from Knitty, which I completely relate to as I have never blocked before or even knew how you might go about it. But recently I read this post over at Little Tin Bird which made me think - I do need to have a go at this blocking thing. It seems to be the thing all knitters do!

It's funny how we pick things up. I can't even remember how I learnt to knit but as my mother, and both grandmothers knitted I'm sure one of them taught me and really I have just picked things up as I've gone along. So as no one sat me down and said '.... and then you need to block it', it's not something I've done. Although that is not strictly true as I do do a kind of blocking, which I picked up from my mum which involves a damp cloth, steam iron and jiggling the knitting into place as you ironed. So I thought, now is the time for trying the professional method!! I borrowed some foam play mats and had just the finished project that would benefit from a bit of blocking. It also gave me a chance to use my gorgeous pink water sprayer - I ended up buying a blue one as well as they were so gorgeous. So there we have it, blocking done, now I can settle back with a cup of tea and wait for the magic to work!!

Help Needed . . . for a couple of love birds

2011-06-05T16:17:00.000+01:00

My friend Fiona of Planting Words and other blogs fame is getting married on the 18th June - all very exciting. She and her fiance Kaspa have asked for a special wedding present, no not some luxury item for their home, but a moment of our time, to stop and observe something carefully and write it down and post it on their Wedding Stones blog. Now I know that you probably don't know Fiona or Kaspa but they are on a mission - here's what Fiona and Kaspa have to say;

As you know, we are both on a mission to help the world connect with the world through writing. We are also getting married on Saturday the 18th of June.

For our fantasy wedding present, we are asking people across the world to write us a ‘small stone’ and send it to us here.

A small stone is a short piece of observational writing – simply pay attention to something properly and then write it down. Find out more about small stones here.

You can find out all about our project at our website, Wedding Small Stones, and you can also read our blog at A River of Stones. If you get bitten by the small-stone-writing bug we also have a challenge coming up, when we’ll be challenging you to notice one thing every day during July and write it down.

Thank you for listening, and we hope we’ll be returning from our honeymoon to an inbox crammed with small stones, including yours.

Warmest, Kaspa & Fiona

Seems such a lovely idea and a great gift even if you don't know them. Please go and have a look at what they are both doing over at Writing Our Way Home, you might even be tempted to write something for them yourself.

Victorian Cottage Museum

2011-06-01T20:04:00.004+01:00

One of the things that I like about living in an old house, apart from the quirky characteristics and charm that old houses bring, is thinking about all the people who have called this house a home. Our little cottage, the Gardener's Cottage, was built in 1890, so I would think a lot of people have lived here over the years. I wonder sometimes who the original gardener was, a Mr Reiss, and what he would think of the garden now - oh I do hope he is not too upset with how it looks now - if only I had hours to pour into it! So these are some of the things that I wonder about. One day I will actually try and do some research and try to work out who has lived here. I read a wonderful review of a book once - sadly I can't remember the title of the book - but the premise was similar. The author had researched the families that had lived in her house and then she wrote a novel, trying to imagine the lives that these people lived.

Anyway, I seemed to have trundled off the point somewhat. The other joy of living in an old house, inhabited by many people are the treasures we find in the garden. I've started a little windowsill Museum in the kitchen for all my finds. It is so wonderful to be digging away in the garden and suddenly unearth something, like that glass bottle stopper which I found in our new potato patch at the weekend.

So here is to all those who have called this house a home and I hope you loved it just as much as we do!

OK I've just done a quick search on google and found the book I was talking about Home: The Story of Everyone Who Ever Lived in Our House by Julie Myerson.

Thinking about quilting

2011-05-24T14:42:00.000+01:00

So I've been thinking about quilting recently. I think, totally inspired by Soulemama - she is the most amazing woman and I am totally in awe in everything she does!! So in one of her recent posts Soulemama described how she and her daughter, just decided and then knocked up a quilt - just like that. Well I thought that looks easy - or it looks easy for someone who has made lots of quilts and is a domestic goddess to boot. But never put off by my shortcomings and lack of ability, something started to formulate in my mind. An old and beloved duvet cover which is starting to wear at the edges, which luckily enough is patchwork in design - hmmm this could be an easy way to make a quilt. What with the fact that our first camping trip of the year is this Friday, it also meant I had a tight deadline too - ah nothing like a bit of pressure!!

My back and knees are a little achey from kneeling on the floor but it is all pinned out - now for a spot of sewing. And if I have time two mini quilts for the little people and some bunting too - eeekkk!!! It's definately a case of watch this space . . .

On my windowsill

2011-05-19T19:40:00.001+01:00

at the moment are these amazing flowers. I got completely carried away by them in the garden centre. The lady told me to cut the blooms - 'I know it's going to be hard' she said 'but the plants will bush up nicely and you'll get lots more flowers'. So with slightly trembling secateurs I cut off all the blooms and popped them into a vase. I'll really loving their colour and jollyness and I'm hoping, fingers crossed, that the plants do indeed bush out and give me lots more flowers!

Summer rain shoes

2011-05-18T19:20:00.005+01:00

Here are mine - we all need a pair to wear when it's warm but rainy!! I bought them last year which is why they are slightly battered looking! I think if I was going to get a pair this year they would be these ones . . .!

Now my friends have totally jumped on the Summer Rain Shoes bandwagon and they chose these ones.

OK i've completely changed my mind on Summer Rain Shoes since I saw these beauties! Camper Beetle I love you - just have to justify the £85!
I just thought I might need to explain my shoe category! I realised that living in the UK, we often had warm days which meant I didn't want to wear socks or anything too warm on my feet but needed shoes that would keep my feet dry in the rain - open-toed sandals are just too soggy in the rain. Ah what I need is Summer Rain Shoes!!

Getting your hands dirty

2011-05-09T14:25:00.000+01:00

I was telling DH recently that I had been talking to my mum about composting. "What interesting chats you have with your mum!" replied DH and yes, he's got a point, not the most riveting topic of conversation. But my previous composting attempts have always failed and I've either ended up with a sludgy heap or a heap that never seems to rot down and turn into compost. Anyway, now that we have moved the compost bins and made them more accessible I am determined to get my composting right. How hard can it be?!

It's funny that when your attention turns to something new you suddenly notice lots of things written about it! So I read with interest our local council's leaflet on composting and what can go in your bin - I didn't realise you could put in the contents of your vacuum cleaner or kitchen towels - well there's a thing! Then I looked online and found this great site which basically showed me where I was going wrong; I was getting the mix wrong - it's all in the mix apparently. So too much green stuff and you get a sludgy mess and too much brown stuff (ie leaves, branches etc) and the thing doesn't rot. So a mix of green and brown, ah sounds easy! The brown stuff can also be egg boxes, ripped up cardboard or scrunched up paper. So I've also found a way of getting rid of our confidential paperwork too - scrunch it up and pop it in the compost bin! I'm not sure yet if I'm getting my mix right, every time we put in grass clippings or kitchen waste I now add in some paper or cardboard for good measure - only time will tell!

So back to my chat with mum. I was telling her all this and she said "Oh you don't want to put in grass clippings they never rot down". Great - we've nearly filled our bin with grass clippings - but what to do with them? My question was answered this weekend by the gardening goddess Alys Fowler - who said use grass clippings to mulch your potatoes - yes got lots of them - and courgettes - yes got lots of them too! Hurray, it looks like it's all coming together!

But it made me think about gardening. Alys also said in her article that gardening was a great leveller and she is right. Some people think they just don't know anything about gardening or don't know where to start and I guess I felt a little like that when we moved here and was faced with a big garden where before I just had pots on terraces - although I did managed to grow some veg in grow bags on our roof once when we lived in a top floor flat! But for gardening like other things I think you just have to jump in and have a go and before long you end up talking about compost and being really interested in other peoples views on it!

Anyway, I realise there have been lots of gardening posts recently and not many crafty posts. Don't worry my last post did the trick and spurred me into action and now my lovely red knitting just needs a bit of blocking before I can show you. I'm just gearing up for my next project which I'm really really excited about!

Knitting in the Garden

2011-05-04T14:06:00.001+01:00

So yesterday I got all over excited talking about my flowers and completely forgot to mention all the sprouting things we have going on in the greenhouse and the veggie patches. Yes, that patch of bare earth has sprung to life and lines (rather wiggly lines as it turns out) of potato plants are growing up quickly. Our greenhouse has been taken over by courgettes/tomato/lettuce and pepper plants. All very exciting. Of course we have grown far more seeds than we can deal with so will be off loading some of our little seedlings to friends. But in my experience this is the easy bit - getting them to produce anything is another matter entirely and I am determined to be more vigilant this year and hope we get a good harvest later on.

So you may be wondering what has happened to that lovely red wool I keep teasing you with. Well, not much and quite a lot at the same time! I thought I was being really clever with my knitted bunting. Ha! I thought I will do a provisional cast on, knit my triangles on a circular needle and then knit them all together, casting on stitches in between each triangle. Well, good idea in theory and yes, it almost worked in practice but I just couldn't get my provisional stitches small enough or neat enough when I knitted up for the band. So having knitted all my triangles, fiddled about with it, fiddled some more, ripping as I went. I decided to go back to the more conventional method of knitting my triangles and then picking up stitches to knit the band. Some how, in all that fiddling and ripping I've lost impetus and although it should really be the quickest project in the world to complete it is still hanging around. I'm hoping that writing this post will spur me into action and get it finished. Maybe some nice knitting in the garden after I've picked up Flopsy Bunny from school . . .

A garden post: Springing and sprouting

2011-05-03T19:36:00.000+01:00

Can it really have been just over two months ago that I wrote this post about marking the sunny days off on the calendar because they seemed so few and far between! Wow, what amazing weather we have been having since. It has been truly wonderful basking in the sunshine and scampering around outside. All this lovely sunshine has been having it's effect on the garden too, which has just sprung into action!

My lovely alliums, which have never had a chance to flower until this year (almost four years now since I planted them); the flower heads have always been eaten by the deer in the past. I'm not sure what has happened to our forest friends but we haven't seen much of them this year. But I am so so thrilled to see my alliums flowering at last!!

I love this time of the year as our garden is at its best. I've had to accept that my garden prefers spring plants and that all year colour is something I can only dream about. I've always been slightly against annual plants as they seem such a lot of bother for just one season, but I can see now how they might have their uses and have been scattering seed around liberally thinking that something might take and that after all my gorgeous spring bulbs and perennials have finished I might have something else to jollify the garden.

Crown and Heart biscuits

2011-04-30T16:21:00.000+01:00

. . . for a Royal Wedding street party - well it had to be done!!

Easter fun

2011-04-26T15:00:00.003+01:00

Yay, the finished crown!! I'm so pleased with how it turned out - a great hit with both Little Roo and Flopsy Bunny. Little Roo did look sweet in his Easter Crown running around in the garden for our Easter Egg Hunt.

The inspiration for the crown came from Cupcakes for Clara's blog. I remember seeing her post about the birthday crown she had made for her little girl and thought, ah, a crown and stored it away until the right crown moment came along - which is now! Cupcakes for Clara got her crown idea from SouleMama, who has a pattern for the crown in her book The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections. Anyway, lots of lovely crowns to have a look at and get inspiration from. I wanted mine to be more king like rather than for birthdays etc, hence all the jewels and also it's because I have slightly magpie tendencies and got a bit carried away in the shop!

So talking of Easter Egg Hunts I found these darling little egg tins from Maileg (I just love their things) and thought they would be just the thing for collecting and storing Easter Eggs.

I hope you all had a lovely Easter Weekend

Fairies in the air

2011-04-21T14:18:00.001+01:00

There were lots of fairies in the air yesterday, dancing and twirling around, floating lightly on the currents of the air. I tried not to think of all the new dandelions that would spring up where they settled!!!

Easter is nearly upon us. Flopsy Bunny is very excited by the prospect of alot of chocolate - I hope she won't be too disappointed . . .! Little Roo is just excited because his big sister is but I don't think he really knows what is going on! We've been making Easter biscuits for everyone and in usual tradition, and still to much mutterings from DH, an Easter Tree has been created. It looks a bit busy, my tree, this year. Maybe its the wallpaper behind or maybe I've succumbed (as my sister feared) to the commericialisation of Easter and just bought too much stuff! Cute little bunnies though!

This year to get some inspiration I ended up doing a quick search on the web for Easter Trees. It seems that decorating branches for Easter stemmed from Germany (the Germans obviously have a love of bringing trees indoors - I'm sure Christmas Trees first started in Germany too!) Anyway, I digress, the tradition was to add a decoration each day during lent. I feel slightly better now, as I'm sure I don't have 40 decorations on my tree - my self-control is still there - just!!

Anyway, while I was out with the secateurs searching for suitable branches for my tree, I ended up collecting bits for this arrangement. I just love this yellow pom-pom shrub (sorry I don't know it's name - if anyone out there does please let me know!). The colour is amazing and is brightening up our kitchen no end.

Settling in . . .

2011-04-18T17:22:00.000+01:00

. . . nicely on the dresser is my lovely new teapot. I'm just settling in with a nice cup of tea. I hope you have been having a happy Monday!

Fit for a King

2011-04-15T18:04:00.000+01:00

My lovely friend Sarah has just started a blog. She's doing a 30 day challenge - a post a day - so do pop over and take a look at sarahwoodonline I'm sure she would love a visit.

One of Sarah's talents (her best one, in my opinion, are the amazing cakes she rustles up!) is her ability to find unusual things and things you never realised you needed or wanted on the web. A couple of months ago she sent me an email with a link for - wait for it - yes a knit your own William and Kate. Of course I had to download the pattern but in the end I haven't got round to making it - maybe you will?! But on that Royal theme I thought I would let you know what I'm currently up to on the crafty front. A secret (well not that secret as Flopsy Bunny has got in on the act) present for Little Roo for Easter. His own crown - does he need one? Probably not - but recently he has taken to wearing his wizard tabbard and calling himself a king - and every king needs a crown, plus his sister is not going to tolerate his using her sparkly hair band as one for much longer! So an Easter Crown for Little Roo and he will be all kitted out for the Royal Wedding Tea Party (theme prince and princesses!) later in the month.

Lots of Easter crafts planned for next week so do pop back. I can't quite believe a week of the holidays have gone all ready - all too fast. I'm trying to savour those lovely moments - lying on the sofa cuddling both Flopsy Bunny and Little Roo - wonderful.

It's all go in the garden

2011-04-12T14:14:00.001+01:00

Phew, what a lovely couple of weeks we've had - so much gardening, sorting, pruning, cutting back, weeding and sowing. And still so much to do as well . . . I was so thrilled to see that my gorgeous tulips survived from last year and bloomed again, maybe not as many flowers this time but still as lovely.

OK you might be forgiven in thinking that this is the same shot of our new veggie patch but from a different angle! You might also think that not much has happened since the last photo - but it has had a lot attention over the last couple of weeks. It has been dug over and a hundred weight of ground elder roots and nettle roots and other weeds have been dug out along with a couple of dozen bricks. Then last Sunday I spent the morning planting out our chitting potatoes - we may have over done the amount of potatoes we have planted in fact there is little space in the bed for anything else now! Does anyone know of any good tips for storing potatoes . . . .? DH has been busy in the greenhouse and gave it a big spring clean and tidy up and then set to work planting more seeds.

Tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, chilli peppers, beans - yum - just hope they survive the multitudes of slugs, snails and deer in the garden! We also managed to sort out our compost area and are now back to composting again - which I am feeling very happy about. The grass snakes that live in the bottom of one of our compost bins were not happy to have their home disturbed but once we had cleared it out and started it again they all seemed to have made their ways back in again! Now is the exciting time of waiting to see the little seedlings appear!

Mothering Sunday

2011-04-03T18:35:00.002+01:00

So I have had a lovely day today with my gorgeous family. Cards, chocolates which Flopsy Bunny managed to keep in her bedroom without eating too many . . . and a sweet little pot of flowers! This afternoon was a very crafty one for the girls. Flopsy Bunny made her entry for the Royal Wedding decorate an egg competition for school - entries need to be in tomorrow so cutting it a little fine - but I love what she managed to do - OK with a little help and guidance from me . . . !

Happy Mothers Day to Mothers everywhere!

A bit of spring madness

2011-04-01T13:48:00.000+01:00

I do wonder sometimes about the little ideas that pop into my head. Where do they come from? This latest creation is no exception. The brief was to make an Easter Bonnet for Little Roo for an Easter Egg Hunt next week. Well boys don't wear bonnets (although I think Little Roo would look mighty cute in one). So into my head popped an idea - I'll make a bird's nest hat! An upside down pill-box hat shape, with stripes of coloured felt and some chicks! Hmmmm ......

He's not so sure about it, but Flopsy Bunny loved it!!

Flopsy Bunny especially likes it as it features the famous chicken ribbon which went on her Easter Bonnet all those years ago (I've been searching for a photo of the bonnet but no luck so far, will add one if I find it!) and which she tried to persuade me should be added to the PJ's I was making her. Anyway, here it is, strangely pleased with myself, even if it is a bit left field! I especially like the larger chicks I managed to find!!

A garden post

2011-03-25T12:35:00.000Z

Hasn't it just been glorious these last few days - I've even got some summer trousers out and flip flops - O happy days!! Here are some of my lovely Hellebores - there are many disadvantages of living on a hill but being able to see your Hellebore flowers because your flower beds are at waist height is one of the advantages! Must plant some more - they are obviously loving that little spot.

We've been having some work done in the garden recently - just in time for planting and playing time! A new raised veggie bed - which is completely covered in ground elder so will see me digging away to try and get all the roots out and then potatoes here we come!! They are all chitting away nicely inside and looking forward to their new home. Talking of new homes we have inherited a wendy house (or windy house as Flopsy Bunny likes to call it). It's wonderful and is getting a lot of use already. I have visions of picnics and possible sleepovers if Daddy can be persuaded to sleep out in the wendy house with her one night!

On my needles is some of this lovely red wool and little triangles are starting to multiply . . .

Finishing off

2011-03-21T23:03:00.000Z

I've been having a bit of a finishing off weekend. Here is my second attempt at my circle corsage - which I'm much happier with - well it looks more like I was hoping it would! I also felted the hearts, but rather wished I hadn't now - they are drying on the radiator so will provide photos later this week . . .! But they have come out a bit less heart shaped but quite cute so it might not be all bad!

There has been some glorious weather here for the last couple of days and Flopsy Bunny and I managed to get out into the garden for a spot of gardening. Two rows of garlic have now been planted and watered - by Flopsy Bunny and her brand new shiny pink watering can! We are now waiting with baited breath to see what emerges from the soil. It's been gorgeous again today and Little Roo and I have been dancing around singing 'Hey, Hey, Hey, it's a beautiful day', that's all the words I can remember - and in all likelihood have been modified by me. Anyway, it's been fun and these beauties have been making us all cheerful and spring like.

Reasons to be thankful

2011-03-15T13:45:00.004Z

My thoughts this week have been turned towards the awful situation in Japan. Maybe it's because I have a school friend living there that makes it all the more real - but I can't help think about those poor people who have lost everything, survived the earthquake and tsunami but are now struggling to survive, with limited food, heat and power. It makes me think how much we take for granted. That we can turn on a tap and get water, boil a kettle and make a cup of tea - all of which will be difficult for some to do over there.

It makes me remember the importance of the little things that make up our lives, the kindness of others, little moments of happiness we find in each day and being thankful for what we have. This week I've enjoyed

Watching Little Roo working out how his sister's bicycle works
Coming to bed late and hearing snoring from behind each bedroom door - my own bit of research that shows I am the only one who doesn't snore!
Coming downstairs in the morning and discovering the glowing, still-burning embers of a big log I had put on the fire the night before.
Leaving a comment on a lovely blog and winning (and receiving) a book from a perfect stranger - do pop over and have a look at her lovely blog here we were. The book is called The Story Blanket and it is about a lady who has a colourful blanket that the children of the village sit on for stories. But the blanket gets smaller everyday as new knitted items are found by villagers who are in need of, a sock, a scarf, some mittens, a shawl - until there is no blanket left to sit on. Then the villagers all take a bit of wool from all of their blankets and give it to Babba Zarrah who knits a new story blanket. A lovely story about sharing and giving and receiving.

What are you being thankful for this week?

PS If you feel moved to donate to those people suffering in Japan from the earthquake and tsunami then please pop over to ShelterBox and make a difference. Thank you.

On my needles

2011-03-11T13:10:00.001Z

I'm knitting circles! To be made into corsages. Here's one I've made earlier! (Ooo a bit Blue Peterish there!!)

I'm not 100% happy with this first one as I wanted the outer circle to be more of a circle than the wavy effect I've got going on at the moment. Although it is nice that way too. So second attempt on my needles now - in fact I might just dash off and finish my circle off . . . !

But before I go I just wanted to show you this:

. . . very excited to get started on this one! Freshly bought yesterday and I am just loving the colours.

PS Having written this post, I hopped over to Driftliving - O wow what a site. Well it's definitely a spots and stripes post today - spots in the form of my circles and wait for it - here come the stripes

now where did I put my purse . . .

Spring, spring, spring - must be nearly here?

2011-03-07T13:39:00.001Z

The sun is shining today - horray. How wonderful everything feels on a bright sunny day. Spring is definitely on it's way. Potatoes are chitting everywhere inside! I've got garlic bulbs to plant out asap and signs of life are coming back in the garden. The hellebores are flowering and my peonies are starting to show their little maroon tips, lots of fun to be had in the garden soon.

Then amongst the chicken pox and half term a special little girl turned 5. Five! I can't believe it but there we have it and here is her cake - a little bit wobbly and not as smooth as I had hoped but a feat of engineering non the less! Flopsy Bunny had her party at the weekend and had a fantastic time - I am exhausted having entertained 24 little ones for 2 hours but it was lovely seeing her with all her friends and she was very pleased with her cake - I don't think she even noticed the bumpy icing!

Happy Birthday my gorgeous girl!

Something for the CV?

2011-03-06T08:15:00.000Z

I was wondering - if I ever needed to write a CV again - whether I would add arranging crockery by colour as a skill or an interest?! I do love those Pantone mugs - as you can see! So does DH and now they are stocking them in our local hardware store he keeps coming home with a couple more - more colour arranging for me - whoopee!! Might need a new shelf on the dresser for them soon though . . .

A Busy Bee

2011-03-02T15:52:00.002Z

Despite lots of sickness lately - yes poor Little Roo has succumbed to the chicken pox and is having a miserable time of it too - I have managed to finish a few projects - all this enforced confinement! Anyway, a quick ta-dah for my sweetheart cushion, finished - well almost - a button or two to sew on the back when I've found something suitable. Flopsy Bunny is suitably impressed with this new cushion because it is small (10"sq) and has a heart on it so it must be for her!

Wizard Boy

2011-03-01T16:31:00.000Z

At last some dressing up clothes for Little Roo. As requested by Flopsy Bunny - his very own wizard outfit . . .

. . . and of course every wizard needs a magic wand to cast his spells - which in our house involves turning everyone into a goat! I used the Simplicity Pattern 5512 - which I fell in love with not least because of the girl's cape. I have always wanted a cape like that. I am definitely going to make it for Flopsy Bunny. She is already asking for a Belle dress (from Beauty and the Beast) and I think she might just have to settle for a Belle cape instead. As I have some red velvet left over from curtain making and spotted some lovely cream fur trim in Fabric Land recently!!!

So the outfit was a little bit of a pain to make, mainly because I choose some very shiney fabric which frayed a lot. I appliqued on the stars and set to work making it up. Lovely design but it was miles too big, the smallest size was age 3 but still Little Roo looked a bit like Dopey from Snow White in it. Anyway disaster struck with a too hot iron while I was pressing seams and it meant that I had to chop 6 inches off the bottom. But as it turned out that was exactly the amount needed for it to fit properly! The purple tabbard has been a great hit with Flopsy Bunny and she likes to wear it for a dance class play. I've been instructed to make another in pink for her! I love the edging - silver ric rac and silver bias binding wonderful! The wand was made from black felt and although not very straight and a bit bendy is great because it won't have anybody's eye out!

Three Beautiful Things

2011-02-26T16:20:00.000Z

The sun came out on Thursday! I've started marking the sunny days on my calendar to remind myself I have actually seen the sun recently!! With all that lovely light I snatched up my camera and ran around taking photos. It's a bit of a flowery post today but I'm just loving that I have some colour in my house again and some gorgeous flowers too.

There you are, three lots of gorgeousness dotted around and smelling heavenly. I'm just wishing that spring would hurry up and arrive soon. I'm itching to get outside and start work on the garden and we have big plans on the veggie front this year!

A little bit flitty and flighty

2011-02-19T15:07:00.000Z

I've been a little bit flitty and flighty on the craft front recently, which is most unlike me. Usually I like to finish one project before launching into the next - unless I'm not getting on well with a project and then it just gets parked - usually indefinitely! Anyway, here I have lots of projects on the go, all of which are going well but there are just too many!!! Which to do? Things haven't been helped by some deadlines that have come up, a fancy dress party - yes someone might be going as a wizard! A birthday - ok I've gone a bit mad on that one - more on that later! Valentine's day - yes that has passed but those hearts do need felting and I've wool for some more and I might add some embellishments . . . The list goes on.

Luckily every cloud has a silver lining and the cloud came in the form of a very spotty Flopsy Bunny. Yes I thought she had some inbuilt immunity to chicken pox the number of times she'd been exposed to it and not got it, but somehow, out of nowhere spots appeared and there we were house bound for a week. Hmmm what to do . . . .! So the silver lining has meant that I have managed to crack on with all my projects in a rather flitty and flighty way, while administering to the sick and playing with the toddler - who no doubt will be ensuring another house bound week in the near future!

So the birthday, well, that deserves a post all to itself, not least that not much has been made yet and so in my usual style it will have to form part of the I.O.U. birthday present list. But I did get the above made and I have to say, I'm very pleased with my efforts! My first try at needle felting. Now, any guesses as to what I'll be making . . . .?

Love is in the air : Part 2

2011-02-15T12:42:00.000Z

A couple of cute little hearts waiting to be felted, and maybe a couple more to join them before they jump into the washing machine. What a great way to use up left over yarn and a really quick and easy pattern too once I had got my head around what I needed to do. Again, I found the pattern on Ravelry but you can also find it here. So I learnt two new techniques with this pattern - who'd have thought it with such a little project!! I had never tried the figure of 8 method of casting on so that you get equal numbers of stitches on two needles and then knit the front and the back at the same time, but I found a really good clear explanation over at Hello Yarn. The tops of the hearts are finished off using the Kitchener stitch and I found a good explanation of it at Knitty: little of purls of wisdom. It always amazes me that you can find out anything on the internet!!!

Anyway, with the help of these lovely blogs I managed to make my hearts. I did realise as I started to write yesterday's and today's posts that I do get a bit carried away with themes sometimes - I had my Bunny Obsession last year - although I have a feeling that is ongoing - I have a post or two coming up on that theme! And I'm obviously going through a bit of a heart thing at the moment! Now what to do with the hearts when they are finished . . . .!

Love is in the air : Part 1

2011-02-14T08:10:00.002Z

We've gone all romantic here, well a bit heart obsessed if I'm honest! These little hearts were such fun to make. Flopsy Bunny and I had a very sticky time making them last week. I found the idea on Ravelry (where else!!) if you are signed up to the site you can find the receipe/pattern here. But they are just so easy to do, all you need is some wool, heart shaped biscuit cutters and some corn starch glue or I think PVA glue would work just as well! Flopsy Bunny decided it was a bit too messy, which surprised me as she came home from school with glue in her hair and on her sweatshirt - maybe there can be too much messy play at times!! She enjoyed cutting the wool and choosing the colours though and left the messy stuff to me. Which from mine and the kitchen's sake was a result!!!

Anyway hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Sweetheart knitting

2011-02-08T13:59:00.000Z

Ah February, love must be in the air as I've been knitting hearts! This is version #2 of this cushion. The first version involved a patchwork of knitted squares which I sewed together but somehow the sewing together bit didn't really give the finish I was after. So a bit of frogging later (luckily this is quite a small cushion so I didn't feel too bad about pulling it apart and starting again!), here I am with version #2. Slightly bigger than the first attempt as I realised that the smallest cushion pad I could get was 10"x10". It would be lovely if you could let me know what you think - obviously it hasn't been blocked yet and I haven't done the back! - but I was thinking this might be the pattern I use for my knitting workshop! Do you think it would be the sort of thing a beginner knitter might like to do? Please be honest . . .!

I think the glorious sunny weather is having an effect on my creativity. I really did feel I was hibernating in January and not much was done at all. But now the sun is out, there is blue sky, birds are singing and I have lots and lots of projects in my head. Next on the knitting front I am planning to knit myself a hat, I need to get on with this before it warms up too much, otherwise I won't get any wear out of it! Then there's the wizard outfit . . . well fabric has now been bought and a pattern too. I was thinking I might design something myself but realised I didn't really have time and there was an absolutely gorgeous one in the pattern books which was just what I had in mind! So there we go. Flopsy Bunny has requested some knitted clothes for her various animals so I have a very full to do list.

Hopefully I will have a finished cushion to show you shortly and who knows what else!

Car knitting

2011-01-28T14:31:00.000Z

OK, it's not some new form of knitting, or even knitting a car - it's just knitting in the car!! I had a wonderful moment this week when Little Roo decided to have a snooze on the way back from shopping for food and so I thought I would take the opportunity to sit and have a knit! Must remember to keep some knitting in the car for other moments like these!! The knitting is coming along and hopefully I will have something to show you very soon. Just as well really as I am planning on knitting a hat next and as it is soooo very chilly today I wished I had started on that first! O well.

Getting organised

2011-01-21T14:16:00.000Z

It's been a bit quiet on this blog recently hasn't it? I've been trying to get myself organised - and boy does that take a lot of work!! So I've been sorting and tidying and finding homes for things, a New Year de-clutter so to speak. I think it will be an ongoing process as I have so much clutter and not much space!

Anyway there have also been some exciting developments in my little world and I have been asked to run a knitting workshop for beginners. My head has been rushing and my needles whirring, all very exciting.

I've also been a bit ruthless and previously knitted garments are being ripped so the wool can be knitted into something else! This little baby jacket has been one of the victims. Although I'm hoping to re-knit the wool into some little booties for a soon to be born baby and maybe a little kimono too - we will see. DH couldn't really understand why I was doing this and now, looking at this photo I'm wondering the same thing too! I guess it is part of my make do and mend mentality that I have going on for all things crafty. I have started unpicking a cardigan that I made years ago which I don't think I will ever wear again and thought the yarn is really lovely I could knit another cardigan with it. But then I happened to be looking in the Rowan's Greatest Knits book and there was my cardigan (top row, second in from the right) - a rowan classic! I should have kept it, but I've half unpicked it . . . ! Eeek - it's the Russian stacking dolls all over again!

2010: A Review

2011-01-07T14:21:00.005Z

I thought I would have a quick review of all the things I have made this year - a bit of an eclectic mix don't you think? It's certainly been a fun making year and although I didn't quite manage to make as much as I would like - so many projects, so little time - I'm pleased with what I have managed to do and the things I have learnt along the way.

Next year - oops this year, I have a great book to wade through, a birthday present from my lovely brother, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: 150 Inspired Sewing Projects from A-Z, which I'm sure will inspire me to make lots of things. I am looking forward to a quiet evening by the fire to dive in and have a good old read. I'm also going to buy this lovely book, which I am coveting from my sister's present pile, Home Sweet Sewn: Over 20 Beautiful Sewing Projects to Make Your House a Home. I've already decided to make the lovely angel for the top of our Christmas tree this year. Actually both of us have decided to go for that one - trying to recreate the angel that was made by our grandmother and which sits at the top of our parents tree every year.

So I had better update my projects list! Of course there is one project which is right at the top of the list and quite urgent as it is a belated Christmas present for Little Roo from his sister. She announced just before Christmas that Little Roo needs some dressing up clothes and that was what she would like to give him - so I need to rustle up a wizard outfit as quickly as possible - watch this space...!

A house of her own

2011-01-05T12:22:00.002Z

Ta - da! After a long time in the thinking and planning stage and then a long time making - I've finally finished Flopsy Bunny's table tent!! Just in time for Christmas too and she loves it! I'm pretty pleased with it too!

The gorgeous fabric on the panels is from Tanya Whelan's French HatBox Collection - I used the offcuts to make the butterfly bunting. I also borrowed Don't look now!'s flower design for the back panel as I would love to make one of her cushions and thought this would be a good taster for me.

Apologies for the slightly crumpled look - it has been used ALOT before I could get a photograph of it.

The long awaited Xmas present

2011-01-01T20:28:00.000Z

I was hoping to make this for my sister last Christmas, there was a bit of a theme going on with her presents as I had also bought her this jewellery stand! But then life got in the way of knitting and it didn't really go as planned and then the wool that I had originally bought didn't really work with the pattern*. So fast forward a year, I went for the wool recommended in the pattern, Beaded Lace Yarn in American Beauty - which is divine, although a little pricey! I found the pattern for the Knitted Lace Jewelry Frame on Ravelry - what a great site - and here it is. It was so easy to make after the initial trial and error of trying to get the sizing right for the frame - but I did and I am sooo very happy with the result.

*But it was wonderful for my knitted Lace Ball!

O the weather outside is frightful,

2010-12-19T12:09:00.000Z

but the fire inside's delightful

and we've really no place to go

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

Advent Slippers

2010-12-17T18:01:00.001Z

I just fell in love with these slippers when I saw them a couple of years back - not a great photo of them I know. The first year I filled them with little toys and sweets and then last year we didn't get them out - too much going on I think. But this year I thought we must have them on display and started to think what to put in them. I didn't really want to fill them with toys and sweets when the little ones will be having so much of that anyway. So I decided to put a piece from our nativity scene in a slipper each day. Flopsy Bunny just loves our little nativity scene and has really enjoyed adding a bit everyday, and I just love how she has arranged everything - entirely without prompting - very neatly!!

So a week to go to the big day and I've been doing a bit of totting up of what needs to be done. Two presents need finishing off and one started (and finished!). Oh and I was going to print some wrapping paper too - Hmmm I wonder how that is all going to get done with two little ones skipping around the place! Hope your Christmas preparations are going well :)

A flutter of butterflies

2010-12-14T23:42:00.002Z

Some more butterflies waiting to be made into bunting - for an order!! I know I've already shown you the completed version but this fabric is just so gorgeous that it is worth a second look - don't you think? Anyway the fabric is by Tanya Whelan and it's from her French Hatbox collected - I just LOVE it and I have pretty much used up every scrap I have of it.