Love to you all

I am pattern sharing today with very few of my own words. Have a go at these, they were so much fun. Could you make one by Valentines day?

I loved making this, the construction is very simple but clever. The pattern is here on ravelry.

BRRRrrr!

Brutal,

bracing,

bounty,

beautiful.

Stay warm folks. I didn't last long at the allotment but I really had to prune the raspberries!

Jo xxxx

Sewing up

Thank you for all your lovely comments on the scarf, she read them all and was really pleased. More knitting today...

...you seldom meet a knitter who likes to sew up garments. Me, I love it. I love the thrill of the finish (you may have noticed) so I like to sew up, it feels exciting. I didn't used to though until I used this technique.

Work with the right side facing you. It makes sense doesn't it? you can see what your work will actually look like. I used to work the other side, sew really neatly then turn it out and hope it looked OK but it was mostly awful.

See in the picture the vertical rows of stocking stitch? Ignore the knobbly edge and think about inserting your needle between the V's in the first good row.

If you bury down you will see a little ladder underneath, put your needle under two of them, then draw the thread through. Pull thread and move your needle to the right hand side.

Do the same. As you work side to side, the stocking stitch will meet up in the middle and appear seamless and flat.

It is called matress stitch. If you have to incorporate a bit of ease because one piece is a bit longer than the other (yes it happens to me) Pick up one ladder on the short side and two ladders from the longer side and it will square up.

If that has all just blown your mind and you want to see a video, here is a link to a really useful tutorial to help you along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpRJzMBXjqY

Hope that is helpful for somebody. 

Sorry to inflict that yarn on you again! Jo x

Pride

I am brimming with pride as I watched Big Sis put on HER scarf this morning. She finished it last night and was really proud of it. Yeah, it has a few knobbly bits in it but it is all hers.

She wanted to sleep in it but for health and safety reasons I suggested she just snuggle up to it in bed! 

The yarn is called flutterby which is a very full chenille.

My heart is swelling today. Well done Little girl, your first real knitted 'thing'. Mum xxxxx

Hooray! treasure box table

Just popping in to show you a little table I decopatch covered for Little M. She had started to have  a collection of objet d'art by her bed that was getting a bit of a trip hazard. 

I got this little box from the hall, dusted it (nearly), emptied it of candles and decopatched the top. The lid swivels to reveal a little hiding place for pens, notepads, barbie shoes, badges, hand written notes, stickers, party bag crap gifts etc.

She is thrilled with it and it was done in an hour. I was thinking of painting it but her chest of drawers is an old 1940's pine set so it looked fine.

Thanks for stopping by and always leaving such wonderful comments. 

Could I tempt you with a little look at my friends blog?  she is a fellow yarn tangler who makes beautiful things. She is a very wonderful and giggly friend too!

Love Jo x 

Live Simply

Time for a change I think with something easier on the eye.

'Live simply' is often a quote or phrase I see on my favourite blogs, I think this is one of the things that draws me to them. (sweeping statement alert) I think people who make things truly believe that they are using their time in a way that means they are living their life simply.

When I saw this stitching kit on the Minerva website I knew I wanted one for our hideaway cabin. When we are there it feels like the essence of living simply. Also, I knew you guys would love it too. So this is my Minerva make for January.

There were brilliant instructions and all the thread was already sorted onto a card. I used chain stitch, daisy stitch, french knots, stem stitch and back stitch all shown in picture tutorials in the instructions.

A most enjoyable winter project.

Thanks Minerva. Live Simply. Jo xxx

Failure alert!

YUK! I can't wear it. Clara the dress stand can't wear it. In fact it is so unbalanced it can't even wear itself!

That varigated yarn on a garment made in sections throws the hole thing out. Slope stripes, none matching stripes, curly border (steam blocked I might add) thick stripes, thin stripes - Eeeer, horrible.

I tried to add a felt brooch but have you ever the heard the phrase, 'You can't polish a turd!' I love that phrase it makes me roar with laughter. So comment all you like, I will be going, 'DA,da,DA,Da' whilst holding my hands over my ears and laughing to myself.

Tis' resting in my charity bag and I am glad that I no longer have to look at that wool in my yarn basket. Jo XXXX

EDIT: You are all so lovely kind soulful people - I had crochet class tonight and a member offered to buy it off me she liked it so much! It was her birthday so I gave it to her as a present and said if she wanted to move the buttons, just have 3, wash it, block it again etc she was free to give it a new home. She was thrilled and so was I. I can go to bed happy now. 10pm Ahhhh.