A little bit flitty and flighty

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 . . . .?

Felting experiment

So this is what I've been up to this week. I've started on my felting experiment. Not sure how it will turn out and I have another 5 pieces to make so watch this space . . .

Felting Tips . . .

I'm certainly no expert on felting. Of the three projects I have made, one certainly didn't turn out as I had hoped, but the two bags I made - here and here - turned out fine. So I just thought I would share a few tips on felting that I have picked up on the way (it's also meant to be a reminder for me too!)

1. Use needles smaller than the gauge requires this means that you get a better looking felt at the end and that the individual stitches will not be visible.
   
2. Increase friction by adding a towel to the machine if you are only felting a small item. Or save up items for felting and wash them all together.
3. Add a colour dye catcher or two if you are felting knitting with contrasting colours. I wish I had done this with my striped embrace bag as the dye did run and the light green wool didn't keep it's colour so well.
4. Use the right wool! Which I found to my cost! 100% pure wool is needed but you should also look at the washing instructions, you need wool that is delicate and ideally not machine washable.
5. Reshape the felt when it is still wet so you get the finish and shape that you are looking for.

Happy felting!!

Last of the daffodils

Our daffodils are all but finished in the garden, here's a last look at their yellow cheerfulness!

I was hoping to post about my next project, but I've been having some technical difficulties with my felting! I bought some 100% wool which I thought would be perfect, knitted up a gauge square, popped it in the washing machine - nothing, no felting, no shrinking - eek! So I tried again - same thing - at least I now know you could wash some jumpers at 60! Anyway, I now have new wool, which the lady in John Lewis assures me WILL felt - so ... watch this space!

Life goes on ...

So I'm still waiting for Little Roo to make an appearance. This baby is obviously not going to be rushed and wants to make a grand entrance to much cheering and whooping. After the first few days of feeling annoyed that things were not happening, I have now become quite calm about the whole thing and resigned to the fact that I have no control over when this baby will come.

Instead I am getting excited about Christmas. Flopsy Bunny has been opening doors on her advent calendar and dancing to Jingle Bells on our Christmas CD. I am in full swing making chutney to put in our family Christmas Hamper. I always like to make up a batch of jam, relishes and biscuits to give to family at Christmas. Not least because it helps with any glut of produce we have. This year we were given a whole lot of cooking apples which have been made into Spiced Apple Jelly and I've just finished some Pumpkin Chutney. I've recently found a great blog - Gerwerken, which has lots of lovely tips for a green and budget conscious Christmas. Ideas include receipes for making candles and soap as well as other crafty ideas - well worth a look if you want some inspiration.

I've also been busy knitting and have made Flopsy Bunny's doll a hat and scarf for Christmas - another stocking present which uses up left over wool! I was really pleased with the hat which I think has come out well. I had several attempts at getting the shape and size right. I've also finished my sister's bag - whey hey! Slightly disappointed that the light green wool dyed a little darker in the felting process but still love the shape and the way the colours blend together. Fingers crossed she'll love it too - although I must remember that it's me who has the bag obsession not her!

New Beginnnings

I love new beginnings ... there is something about that mix of excitement, expectation, trepidation and unknowing that makes life new and wonderful again. That is how I feel right now with so many new beginnings starting their course it seems my life will be taking a new direction and I'm not sure where it is going.

This blog is a case in point. I am launching myself 'out there' wondering what this blog will turn into and how it will develop. Will I be dedicated and post regularly or will it wither into the ether? I'm hoping to record a year of my crafty endeavors and hope to get some inspiration from you. Although with the imminent arrival of baby number 2 (another new beginning) I am going to need lots of inspiration or is that sleep?!

My nesting instinct has well and truly kicked in and I am knitting like mad, the only question is what next, shall I opt for felted slippers for flopsy bunny (my rabbit obsessed daughter?) or something for the baby? There is some pink Rowan Yarn in my stash pile calling out for slippers and after the success of my last felting project I feel gun ho to felt again. So there we are - decision made - will start the slippers tonight (already have the pattern thanks to Ravelry and Midnattsol's blog ). I'll let you know how they turn out...