Joy

 

Hello there folks. I have been sewing for fun, not for work. My big girl is getting ready for her end of school prom. We didn't want to leave the dress shenanigans until the last minute hence a finished Prom dress in winter. Heidi chose a pattern where I gave the all clear but unfortunately I did not read the back of the packet properly and it turned out to be for stretch fabrics and we had already received a non-stretch satin. 

Oh dear!  Annnnyways... I made I work and we did a few adaptations. It already had an elasticated waist so we got away with the waist fit and simply cut two bodice pieces and lined the bodice to finish the armholes and neckline. The biggest hack was to add a slit to the back to enable her to get it over her head. Heidi made a lot of the main dress herself and I made the beaded overskirt. This is removable by a hook and eye with the bow covering the join so that she can wear the dress for different events. She absolutely loves it and of course so do I, especially the hem. Five hours of bead unpicking along the seams was not fun but I have almost forgotten that now!  We had a little photo session (in the snow!) because I was sponsored the fabric from Minerva where there is a full write up of the materials used. Here for you folks are simply some eye candy photos. Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by. Jo xxx

March...ing along into early Spring with all of the weather. It is time for fun, florals and a clear out.

Baking - Scones for mothering Sunday and continuing my table vase challenge this week with more daffodils.

 

Having - a spring clean in the wardrobe department. The doors would not close so I knew it was time for a sort out. There is only one way to do this in my opinion and that is to empty it completely and only put back what I really want. I did a charity shop run and some homemade gifting to friends.

Loving - the snow fall. We are a family of sledgers! We are very fortunate/unfortunate, depends how you look at it, to live on a high ridge. There is always good snowfall and plenty of slopes.

Considering - what to do with my fruit cage. I am really disappointed. How can something so holey that cost £500 collapse in a flurry of snow! Bloke says he can fix it.

Looking - at another rainbow. With so much varied weather in March we have been looking at a lot of rainbows.

Disliking - Thursday. Had an oestoepath appointment and then a flat tyre. I couldn't get the spare off the back door of my Jimny and had to ring the nearest tyre place to come and rescue me. I was filthy by the time the guy arrived and he did it in 10 mins. He looked at my dusty clothes after I apologised for not changing it myself and said, "God loves a trier!"

Crocheting - with my youngest. She is making a crochet jumper for herself and I have been sewing in the ends.

Finishing - our community bunting. My girls, and a few peeps at the craft club I run, have been making bunting....loads of it. It has totally cleared up my scrap fabric pile which is a joy to me. My part was to attach it all to the tape.

Ta Dah!

Making - a start on those mini skeins by learning to fade. OK, so my first green fade wasn't great but the next purple to blue one is awesome. Always happy to learn something new.

Finally the view on our second smaller snowfall.

I am off to check out your blogs, I am more of a reader these days than a commenter but be assured I am still checking in. Jo xxxx

 

End of Winter

Am I right in assuming if you live in the UK you have had enough of Winter? I have. I always feel like this around the end of February or beginning of March because I like to get into my garden and greenhouse to plant some seeds and look forward to the growing season. We don't have lambing to deal with this year so I don't even have a distraction.

I have squeezed in another knit before the lighter nights when my evenings consist more of dog walking and gardening rather than sitting on my backside knitting. I always feel at my most unhealthy at this time of year.

This is a bit of an mash up wool wise but I wanted something to knit straight away. The pattern is a simple tank from Erika Knight which I picked up in Ippikin for £1. The yarn was in a sale bin in the same shop but there was not enough to make a single colour version.

Anyway that didn't stop me and I managed to get 4 grey and 3 purple to make a randomly striped one. The back is all grey and the front is worked in such a manner that the random stripes worked up until I ran out of grey. The yarn is an exceptionally smooth merino. It is called Adriafil Bucaneve. I had it for £2:50 a ball!

I managed to sort the flipping hem issue on this top because the pattern is structured so that you pick up the ribbing at the end rather than starting with it. I dyed my chewing gum grey white shirt purple but the jury is still out on whether this is a good combo.

My mind is definitely turning to warmer weather. I bought a pack of mini skeins last year at Wonderwool Wales - it was one of those pretty purchases that happens on a whim but the brain power needed to actually decide what to make with it almost outweighs the joy I had at the point of buying it. You can't help making these kinds of choices; you are a slave to them if you love wool. The pack was reduced from £44 to £10 - that is what did it!

Anyway, I sorted out my wool basket and found a few balls of Drops yarn in a neutral colourway and deciced to try my hand at some colour fading. The pattern I landed on was a simple summer vest from The Knitter magazine. Not sure how it is going to work out yet but you know me, I will just keep knitting. 

Are you ready to get outside? Jo xxx

February...ing

Just a quick fly in today as we have just got back from holiday and things are all over the place. Have you enjoyed February? Sometimes I think it is the worst month because Winter feels so long but this year it has flown by with family, work, sewing, knitting and our ski holiday.

Travelling - to Austria for our first family ski holiday. Things are different from when Bloke and I used to ski every year, sometimes twice in our 30's. We all have to wear helmets and priorities are different. We wanted a location that we could take walks, mooch and visit when our legs were aching from ski boots. Gone are the days of skiing, getting drunk and skiing on repeat with a hangover all in a woolly hat.

Eating - street waffles with chocolate sauce in Zell am See and...

Copious amounts of ham and cheese.

Loving - the bright days, exercise and the feeling of freedom. It makes you feel really alive.

Knitting - some socks on holiday. It is my go to project for travelling. 

Wearing - my new sweater. I love it so...

Sewing - my second Marnie Blouse by Tilly and the Buttons. My first one has gone to a friend and I sized down and made this one with a smaller sleeve in double gauze. The right fabric choice is key to this pattern.

Admitting - that we all missed Beano immensely while we were away. He was so pleased to see us and lay on the huge pile of dirty washing when we got back for ages.

Arriving - back to a tidy house. Thanks mum. She even cleaned the fridge!

Getting - stilettos for my cutting table. Bloke made me these leg extensions for my table so that I can cut out without having a sore back. Genius eh?

Attending - an overlocker course at Guthri and Ghani in Birmingham. It was brilliant and I learnt so much. It was a bit of a busman's holiday - a day off sewing to learn about more sewing!

Marking - the first week of the flower vase challenge I set myself last year. How long can I have a vase of flowers continuously throughout the year from either hedgerow or garden? I think I am already a few weeks up on last year when I started in March. Today we have hellebores, daffs, and euphorbia.

Leaving - you with the view of course. It doesn't matter where I go in the world I am always ecstatic to get back to this, I think it is engrained on my retinas.

Chat soon. Jo xxx

Winter Knitting round up

 I have had some quite successful knitting projects of late. I find knitting kind of goes in waves for me; sometimes fantastic, sometimes farcical. 

Bloke bought me a lovely new book for Christmas called Ready Set Raglan. If you like knitting top down jumpers is a must have book. It acts as a kind of pick and mix book where you choose your neck finish, hem finish and size followed by the kind of raglan pattern you would like. I love these kind of books because I like a long sleeve and short body fit. 

I chose a split hem because I was trying to trick my jumper into NOT flipping up on the ribbed waistband. You might notice here I am holding it. It is to stop it flipping - it is flipping annoying! 

I blocked the edge which stopped it happening but I think I need to go down more than one needle size when I rib my knitting. It happens on everything I do.

Anyway, the raglan is joyous and so easy to achieve. When I knit another one out of the book, which I surely will, I will do the German short rows at the back neck to make the front neck a little lower but I am really 'knit-picking'

The yarn was a huge hank I bought in a bargain bin at WonderWool last year. My usual shenanigans - you know the drill - no ball band, no washing instructions, no yardage...no idea. But it felt enough for a sweater. It was quite a light mustard colour so I ran a strand of Isager Kid silk mohair from Ippikin (not a bargain!) with it and the resulting fabric was suberb. It fit the gauge requirements, is super soft and warm and took the tone of the yellow down a peg or two.

Next up to ease the budget a little after the Isager purchase I made a birthday present for a two year old with some bottom-of-the-basket left overs. It is one of my favourite tops to knit called Like Sleeves which you can find on ravelry here. It is two rectangles with a row of decreases at the empire line and the sleeves you see are purely an optical illusion! I striped it out to get the antique rose yarn to go the distance. All wrapped and ready to go.

OK, wait for it.....

I finished my tank top and bought a shirt to go underneath. I was due a new white shirt because the two I owned had turned the colour of old chewing gum. I decided now was the time to finally yay or nay the monster top from 2022. 

When I see it in the top photo, I really like it. When I see it below I don't like it because it is all uneven but you know what - I will wear it this spring and see, nobody knows the armholes are different depths. I simply couldn't leave the one armhole unfinished therefore I added a small row of rib. 

I mean weird shape or what?

Finally, I have crocheted a jumper. I am a little late on the show and tell for this little number. I made it over Christmas but it is really ready for Spring. I have a craft group and a few people wanted to make a jumper so we have been making them together. This is stylecraft bambino which is delightful against the skin. This jumper came in at under £20!

We are going skiing next week to Austria. I always like a little portable project for the airport and on holiday so I have cast on a new pair of socks. 

Any knitting/crochet success of late? Jo xxxx