Butterflies, butterflies . . . everywhere

Oh its got a bit butterfly crazy around here.  I blame it on having to knit two pairs of butterfly mittens, one after the other.  Then a visit to the lovely Soulemama's blog had me stopping in my tracks . . . was that a butterfly hat . . .??!!

Yes it was and knitted in almost the same colour as my mittens, so it didn't take long to make the leap - I needed a matching (well almost matching) hat.

This pattern was fab, easy to follow (and remember) which means you can just get on with the knitting rather than having to check what you are meant to be doing.  I uummed and aaahhed about whether to make it smaller, i.e. less slouchy as others had done but went with the original, which I'm really pleased I did as I like the way it fits.  I doubled up the 4ply yarn that I used for the mittens to make the aran weight needed for the hat pattern.  Other details can be found on my Ravelry page.  I was hoping that I had got butterflies out of my system but Flopsy Bunny has requested a butterfly hat and I think I have just enough wool left to make her one . . .

Catching Butterflies in the snow

Do you remember this?  Well it's taken a while to get a finished shot, as I ended up making a pair for my sister and then had to give them to her before I had a chance to take a photo - Christmas can be a tight deadline at times!  Anyway I cast on straight away for my pair and here they are in all their glory.

Such a lovely pattern, I love the designer, Tiny Owl Knits, she thinks up really quirky and cute designs!  Details of the mittens can be found on my Ravelry page.

Of course the fingerless part of the gloves means that they are a bit chilly on the fingers for this time of the year.  But I had decided that they were far too gorgeous for outside, possibly getting mucky wear and they will become my 'it's a bit chilly inside and my hands get cold when I'm working on the computer' gloves!  I always like to accessorise for every occasion as friends will know by my coat, hat, gloves, scarf, handbag and shoe collection . . .!

Everything has a hat of snow

We've woken up to a winter wonderland this morning.  It is so magical and so still.  Before the roads got too impassable and the schools closed I popped to get some emergency provisions - a couple of circular needles and some wool - oh yes and some bread and milk!!  For there is really only one thing you can do when the fridge is full, the wood has been brought in and the snow is thick and even and that is to knit! 

This is our tobogganing hill, we will be up there tomorrow, all kitted out with sledges and lots of fun!  Hope you have fun in the snow too.

Corners of our house

This is our new music corner - slightly pretentious sounding I know!  Flopsy Bunny has just started recorder lessons and had her first lesson last week.  It is so lovely that she is learning to play an instrument and she is so excited, she came rushing out, beaming and announced that she wanted a music stand for her birthday.  As luck would have it a trip to Granny's at the weekend meant that we came home not only with a music stand, but a first recorder music book and DH's old recorder.  Now Flopsy Bunny and I can practice together - I'm determined to be able to play something other than 'London's Burning'!!  The advantage of this corner is that it is out of the way and the music stand can be kept up for any impromptu practising that might happen.  Unfortunately it is not out of ear shot . . .!

The year ahead

January is a wonderful month.   The new year holds so much promise for the future, new things to do, new adventures to have, with a sprinkling of the unknown thrown in for good measure.  A friend asked me recently if I had made any new year's resolutions this year and I said that unusually this year I hadn't.  She then asked what I would normally resolve to do and to be honest I couldn't remember!!!  I'm sure most of my resolutions were about living a more healthy life, eat less, exercise more, you know the type, not surprising I've forgotten them so quickly! 

So this year I remembered a blog post by another friend about her 'word-of-the-year', (Aren't brain's amazing, popping things into your head when you need them most.  I like to think of my brain as having pockets of information ready to delve into - obviously really gorgeous pockets with lovely fabrics, with trimmings of lace and ribbon and with a few buttons thrown in . . .  OK, I've gone off the track a little . . .!) .  So instead of having a resolution to live up to you had a word of the year to live by - easier to remember than a whole list of things.  I started pondering on what my word might be, more caring? Better at keeping in touch with friends? More craftiness?  All good things but then I decided that it wasn't ideas that I was lacking in but the oommph to get them done.  So my 'word-of-the-year' is action!  Which fits well as you can often hear me cry 'action stations' when I'm trying to galvanise people to leave the house!!

So action for me this year, is to take all those bubbling ideas I have swirling around my brain and make them happen!  I've started by repurposing a lovely basket that I bought in Corsica, which just sits around waiting for a sunny day in summer when I might use it - now it will get constant use as my new knitting basket! I've also decided to keep my craft notebook and a pencil in the basket too so I can jot down ideas when they come to me and that usually happens when I'm knitting.  Wow, all that action is making me tired, time for a cup of tea and some knitting I think . . .!

What would your word be for this year?  Please let me know in the comments, I would love to hear them.

2012: A Review

It's always good to look back at a year and think of all the things that have happened, all the things you have done and achieved.  Looking at these photographs now has surprised me, because I really didn't think I had got much crafting done this year and yes, it is not a huge amount but more than I had expected.  

I've got lots of ideas bubbling around in my head, which I am going to have to jot down at some point and hope that I will be able to make some of them this year.

So here's to your crafty year, I hope you too are bubbling with lots of ideas and filled with enthusiasm to complete them - whatever they may be!  Happy New Year!

Christmas Leftovers

Before I launch into the New Year, with resolutions, new projects, hopes and fears . . . I thought I would just finish off with a post-Christmas post.  A quick catch up if you like.  So remember the goody bags we made for the family?  Well DH whipped up a quick batch of these yummy ginger biscuits, with the help of Flopsy Bunny and Little Roo - well they certainly helped in eating the miss-shaped ones!  Because they were made quite close to Christmas we didn't have time to ice them as we were a bit worried the icing wouldn't have set hard enough and they would all stick together.  Anyway, they were pretty delicious without the icing.

Talking of just finishing off presents, the last present did get made!!!!  Yes do you remember these?  Well, I'm not sure why they took so long to finish, probably it was just because I needed a bit of time to sit down and do them in the midst of all the Christmas preparations.   They turned out beautifully and so I have quickly cast on and started another pair for me!!!  Unfortunately because of the last minute finishing I didn't get a chance to take a photo before they were wrapped and labelled and put under the tree so you might have to wait a bit longer for a look at the finished item.

I'm going to attempt to do a bit of a 2012 round up review, so do pop back in a couple of days or so and then I can get properly started on 2013!!