January...ing

Hello there, long time no posting! It has been a busy month of getting back to normal after the festive season in some pretty dreich weather but I always find there something to pick out as a positive in life. Lets poke around and see what we can find...

Trying - to make the most of the bright days by getting out with the dog.

Sewing - With lace which is not as hard as you think. This is the Montrose top by Cashmerette patterns.

Making - A flouncy wrap dress for my birthday party. This is Simplicity 8637 in Minerva Exclusive Viscose Challis.

Inviting - my favourite people to a pudding party at home. We put a tent on the side of the house, my girls ran a bar and we made our house like a pub for the night! It was a special birthday for me...the big 50. We were not able to celebrate building our own house in lockdown so it was a great celebration to invite people round who did not know where we had moved to. It is a shame that in January, people could not see the view but hey ho.

Updating - the state of our sofa cushions and a wonky lampshade that was damaged in our move 3 years ago. I love covering a new lampshade in fabric. The kit is reasonably priced from danells and the fabric was given to me by a friend so really just some sewing time needed for the new cushions. All that fabric has gone now which makes me happy.

Sharing - some sewing tips for adding waistbands. I absolutely love my job with Minerva as a videographer and have become a better sewer as a result. You soon get better when you are filming yourself! This is the Ness Skirt by Tilly and Buttons in a beautiful china blue cotton sateen. It has some stretch so a fitted skirt is the perfect match to this skirt pattern.

Knitting - a sweater from my new raglan knitting book which bloke bought me for Christmas. I am running a mystery DK mustard yarn with some isager mohair silk and the colour and texture is gorgeous. That is a chocolate orange in there not a ball of yarn!!

Cutting - out my latest vintage pattern find. The 1970's patterns look really current at the moment. Those long pointy curved edged collars from the 70's never made a come back did they!?

Watching - as the view from the kitchen window changing minute by minute on Monday evening. I struggled to choose the best one for you.

 I have been woefully bad at blogging this month what with school closures due to no hot water, getting back into work mode and planning a big party so I am off to check out what you have all been up to. Thanks for checking in. Jo xxxx

Knitting

 Happy New year to you all! My yarny adventures are back on track after the (still debatable) disastrous tank top project. Here is a little round up of positive wooly goodness. 

This is an easy peasy crochet scarf made solely of chain stitch. If you have a burning desire to learn to crochet then this is  fab starter project because the rhythmn of chaining helps you to fins some muscle memory for how you are going to hold your hook and yarn. It will create your crocheting style. Three people at my new craft group all made one and they wear them with pride. The very simple pattern is on ravelry here

My mum had one ball of yarn left over from my cosy tank top request so I whipped up a hat for our ski holiday which is in February. I used a bit of colour to work the pattern and again, this is a super pattern for beginner colour work fans which you can find here.

My last project from over the holidays is a sort of fail turned triumph. I started making some reindeer socks for myself. I was using two double pointed cable needles but the nay bit at the top seemed too big but I knit on enjoying the colourwork. After the reindeers, I decided not to add the sock part but to add some rib instead and make wrist warmers. 

I loved the process of these; mindful Christmas knitting but I did wonder how much I would wear them. It turns out they are really wearable especially for sitting to read, working on the laptop when I don't have the heating on and for wearing with long sleeved tops and my coat. 

The girls and I have continued to enjoy craft club in which we have taught lots of people to crochet, help to read their knitting patterns or share inspiration for future projects.

The bauble project was to encourage everyone to read a crochet pattern and switch between the stitches they had learnt. "What is a treble again!?" was what I mostly heard that evening!

Sometimes we take quick snap photos of each other to share on a gallery. This one was the turn of my big girl nearly finishing her first sock. My teens sit and chat easily with the women who are all over 50 which makes me very proud. The girls chat and interject with ease and I often ask Heidi to sit next to a new crochet learner to help them along. 

I might have had enough of a break to go back to that sleeveless sweater now...I will keep you updated of course!

Best Wishes for 2023. Jo xxx

December...ing

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! We have been busy, busy...of course, but nothing too stressful.

Catching - our last few lettuce except one before the first frosts of early December but I am pretty proud that we were still eating homegrown salad until at least the 1st December.

Trying - a game pie for the first time ever. It took three days! Marinating the meat first in port, constructing the pie and then leaving it overnight to cool down before adding aspic the the third day. It was delicious.

Working - my last edit for Minerva before the Christmas break. I made a bunting tutorial with Christmas fabrics.

Sewing - a Winter themed Rosa shirt dress. It was great for Christmas day and many events during advent. It took me a long time to make because of the piping detail which also hampered me being able to fit it easily but I like wearing it. I also made a simple jacket in boucle which feels more like a cardigan so I can wear it with my jeans too.

Watching - Panto at Shrewsbury theatre. I wore my winter outfit and enjoyed an afternoon out with the girls. I thought they might find it a bit odd being older but we all enjoyed the performance.

Admiring - the decorations and skill involved in producing such creative installations on a mansion visit to Attingham Park. Each room was decorated in the theme of a craftsman, trade or service associated with the house. Lots of artefacts not normally on show were used in the displays. Just a couple to tantalize you; the upholsterer and the carpenters tree.

Recreating - a few little things which inspired my girls at the Mansion. Big teen worked out how to make the paper Christmas trees we saw in the library decorations and made a few for us.

Decorating - our own Christmas tree and the house. We don't have outdoor decorations and our decs are pretty low key - mostly little things we, or our friends, have made.

knitty things...

Crochet things...

handstitched things...

wooden things...

Receiving - a beautiful door wreath from Beth who grows her floral display flowers on my small holding. She makes such wonderful individual wreaths every December and she always makes me one as a thank you for the year. This year I had cones, pheasant feathers and ivy.

Baking - Christmas cakes for Gran and Grandad, Uncle and a small one for me. Little Teen decorated her grandparents one with royal icing and ribbon. I'm all about the actual cake so Big Teen glazed mine with fruit and nuts.

Walking - with our dog Beano in all weathers. Spaniels need soooo much exercise otherwise they go even more loopy than normal. 

Eating - Christmas dinner with my husband, girls, my mum and my Aunt. Then playing a few games in the afternoon.

Checking - in with the view for you folks. The frosty weather threw up some superb views including one with the moon and quite a few with a warm purple/pink haze.

Relaxing - today with some blog reading, spot of crochet and and an afternoon cake bake. Where did all the other cake go???

Jo xxxx