Making things........slowly!

Crafting time has been difficult to find lately. Sophie has been staying here more often, Heather is not settling until late, I have been reading more than usual, and life has just been rushing along. But I do have a few things to show.
First is a chunky sweater for Cain. I have been knitting it in plain stocking stitch as the stitches are so well defined and uniform and I think they look great and need no embellishments or creative stitchery. The pattern is from the top of my head and all guesswork but I think it is coming on nicely. Just the arm to finish and the neck to trim in some way and then it will be done. The colour is great don't you think?



Another thing I have been finding very relaxing is making these little needlefelted balls:


There's something about all that rolling and stabbing that is so therapeutic, especially at the end of a hectic day. Heather especially loves them and has a couple which she loves to pass between hands and follow around the floor. The boys just like to throw them at each other!

Also on the needles is a small blanket which I am making to cover Heather's legs when out in the car. Our car is not the best of its type and the heating is a bit hit and miss so she needs a little something to keep her comfortable. And I can't wrap her in a big outfit as she'd get too hot when I pop her in the sling when we get to where we are going. Hopefully this blanket should do the trick and keep her warm. It's being knitted in Paton's fairytale color 4 me DK which is a pure wool which comes in lots of lovely colours. I chose these three colours as they are so warm.


And finally............I still haven't bought any wool! I'm doing well aren't I? Even John is shocked as I turned down the chance to go to BlackSheepwools craft barn last week. This weekend might be a bit difficult though as John heard about the stitch and craft show in Manchester and asked if I wanted to go............... Must resist the urge to say yes. Besides, it's the Aintree craft and hobby fair in March and I do want to go to that one. Anyone else going to either?
Oh well, that's enough for now. Off to get on with the list on the right.
Happy crafting everyone.
xx

It's been ages!

Just a very quick post here today to let you all know whats happening. Or rather, not happening! No time for crafting as a certain little girl has decided that she simply MUST be held from mid afternoon until midnight every day and also that she mustn't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. And that means throughout the night. So nothing really to show and tell.
There is just one thing I have to write though.
My resolution.
I am definitely, definitely absolutely NOT going to buy any more wool this year until I have made a serious dent in the stash I already have. My cupboards are filled with beautiful yarns all waiting to be made into gorgeous items of clothing but I simply don't have enough time with the childrens needs right now so I really can't justify buying any more, no matter how lovely, or soft, or bargain priced. So at the moment I am simply loving the snow - if I can't get into town then I can't be tempted. And if the postman can't get here then there's no point in looking online is there?
So thats all for now. Will hopefully find some time soon to get creative again but we'll leave that to Heather to decide.
Happy new year everyone.
xx

Choo Choo Thomas.....

The hat is done. And I love it! Warm and thick and just like a proper woolly childs hat. What do you think?


Knitted in the same DK oddments as the mitts, the hat itself is simple and very quick to knit up. The only time consuming part was the intarsia for the lettering. I hope it's clear enough what it says, the "K" isn't the best.


Owen hasn't seen it yet as it is now hidden away until christmas. Cain is the model and size tester instead as they are both virtually the same size for hats and gloves.


On the needles now is the scarf to complete the set but I think this might take a few days. Also on the go is the crochet blanket for John but not sure I will have this done for christmas. I keep it upstairs and do a row or two each time I go up there. I'm sure the family think I have some sort of bowel complaint, I'm going up to the bathroom such a lot the past few days ;-) But I don't want John to see it so I'll just have to keep it this way.
Well off to prepare lunch for waking poorly little ones, and back in a day or two with the latest makings.
Oh, do you know it's only four weeks to christmas?
There'll be late nighting crafting going on in all your homes I'm thinking!
Take care.
xx

And now for something completely different.....

Well ok, not completely different........same basic materials, needles and wool. But used in a very different way. Meet little Santa:


Can you see how he's made?

He's needle felted!
So he's not amazing, and I haven't been able to get a good face, but I did so enjoy creating him. It's very therapeutic and stress relieving, the repeated jabbing of the needle into the fibre until the shape begins to appear. And great fun manipulating the piece into the form I wanted it to be. I wasn't even sure what I was making at first so Santa's inside are made from multicoloured fibres which I then overlaid in red simply because the original colour was a little dull. Then as a body shape began to form the image of a little Santa gnome came to mind. So I jabbed some more and created a head, and then rolled and jabbed some arms to attach to the body, then jabbed away at some more red fibre to create a hat and then finally I jabbed a few wisps of white into his face and added a ring of white around his hat. No sewing, no gluing, no pinning, just all held together by each fibre locking onto its neighbour. Amazing isn't it? I left him up on the mantlepiece to be spotted and to see if anyone could guess how he came to be. And he confused them all. Was he shop bought? Was he glued from felt? Was he knitted somehow? Knitted? With no visible stitches? "Well perhaps he was brushed after knitting to make him fluffy?" was one suggestion. And when I relieved he was formed from some wispy bits of wool and a very sharp needle they were all rather surprised.
I think I like this needle felting thing. And I will definitely be having a go at some more christmas/winter themed makes. Not sure how they would hold up to handling by little people but as decorations they should be fine. Now what to make next?
Well after the gifts I currently have on the go of course ;-)
See you all soon with hopefully a glimpse of dearest husbands crochet blanket that I started yesterday. I am forever finding him asleep on the sofa in the cold living room as he insists on watching tv late at night, silly man. Or maybe I might be able to show you the Thomas hat to match the gloves from earlier.........

Hope you're all having much fun with your crafting and creating too.
xx

Mitts and bits for christmas.

So I'm cracking on with the christmas list now. Finally got around to knitting the mittens to go with Sophie's hat and scarf:


Knitted on two needles so very quick and easy, the pair completed in one evening. I'm thinking of maybe appliqueing a little something on them just to pretty them up a little more. Emma likes very girly things for Sophie! The scarf is knitted in stocking stitch and so the sides curl inwards. To combat this it is going to be lined in some lovely pink cotton fabric and I might use the leftovers for the appliqueing. But no definite decision yet as sewing really is not my strongpoint.

And another pair of mittens, only not quite so easy and definitely more time consuming:


I've knitted these for Owen and his love of all things Thomas. The intarsia wasn't too bad, nor was the extra embroidering of features. The worst and most time consuming part was the sewing in of loose threads. Or more to the point, sewing them in neatly with such a limited working surface! All these threads (and more) to sew into one little mitten:


I have another handmade beautiful thing to show you today. This lovely little dolly made especially for Heather for me to pop in the christmas stocking:


Oh how I would love to be able to sew as well as this. But I can't. And so special thanks go to Pippa for creating this little doll just for us. Heather has already had a sneak peek and just didn't want to let go so I'm sure dolly will be much loved. Thank you Pippa.

Now I think I should go and finish sewing up that second mitten before little one opens her eyes. And maybe even start on the hat to match.
Happy crafting all.
xx

Back to gift makes.

At last, back to the christmas crafting. A present for Sophie the Cinderella topsy turvy doll.
This way up she's a sad young lady missing the fun:


Then flip her skirt over and she's the belle of the ball:



A Jean Greenhowe pattern knitted up on oddments of DK and 3mm needles. This dolly took ever such a long time as the needles are so thn and the resulting knitting was quite stiff to work with. The skirts were the time consuming part as they were just mostly rectangles but with several thousands of stitches in each one! The rest of the parts, arms, hair, body, trims etc were quick and easy though so once the skirts were out of the way it was a nice speedy make. The making up was a bit time consuming too, stitching all the little parts together. I was hoping to make one for Heather too as she seems quite taken with it but I think that will have to wait until next year, I really am not that patient of a knitter...........
Oh well, one make off the list, many, many more to go!

At last!

I finished the cardigan!
Actually it needs a slight adjustment to the neck opening, maybe another button, but yep, it's definitely finally all knitted. Lovely and warm and very autumnal. The older girls aren't so keen on it, they say it looks too old for me and that it should be more fitted but there is a special reason it's a size bigger than it should be.............I wanted it big enough to cover two. No not another bump.............I want to wrap it around both Heather and myself. It's very warm work carrying a lump of a baby against ones body no matter what the weather is, and I find it simply too warm when I wear a coat so the cardigan is the way to go. Tried it over us both when Heather was in the wrap and it's just about right for a front carry. So I'm very pleased. Shall I show it off?

The details? Patons shadow tweed in shade 6202. Seven 100g balls in total to knit up an approximate size 12/14. Well I'm a 10 just now and it fits around me and Heather. The yarn costs around £4.50-£5 per ball but luckily for me John came across the yarn originally in the car boot sale priced £5 for 6 balls. Not so fortunate was that I had to go buy another ball at full price to finish the collar. But £9.50 total cost is pretty good for a handknit wool mix cardigan don't you think? Knitted up on 7mm needles so should have been a quick knit but because of the overall moss stitch pattern it took a little longer. The yarn is lovely to knit with. It is a chunky yarn but in a single ply so the stitches can be a bit fluffy and occasionally I put my needle through in just the wrong spot and so had to have a quick look that all was well. The colour changes are fantastic, working in long sections of deep green then turing to rich russet red before going back to green again, with lots of subtle flecks of gold, blue, orange and lighter green. The flecks are barely there but are a lovely surprise flash of colour as you knit.
So there you go, I can finally stop going on about "that" cardigan and enjoy keeping warm and snuggly in it instead. And get back to the christmas list.........