Friday, June 29, 2012

So I've been busy

It's been a busy few weeks.
I stayed in Sydney for 2 days so I could go to the Darling Harbour craft show. It was wonderful. I spent way too much but had so much fun.

I was inspired by all the beautiful quilts......perhaps a little too much, as I came home the proud owner of a new sewing machine. I tested it out on Tuesday.
Kimono fabric Kisslock Purse

And my 5yr old daughter tested it on Wednesday (there was a school strike). Isn't she clever? I did the ironing and rotary cutting tho.
Little Misses cushion - front

Little Misses cushion - back
I also made 50 sets of my hairclips for a local school.....doesn't it kill your fingers to work with buttons in quantity?

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

More Knitting, frogging and shopping!

I'm a sporadic blogger, aren't I? Anyway I have still got the knitting bug.
I've made more baby hats....and frogged some that I made a mistake with :-(
frogging
Joel beanie

Ruth Ann Bonnet

And I have bought some more wool....I've never used this brand before. It's to make my son a beanie. I bought it at a local wool shop. I like buying craft things from small local businesses. Hopefully they won't all disappear, if I buy from them. Large multinational companies staffed by 15yr olds are for dry goods, electrical wares and cheap imported kids clothes, nobody there would know anything about the product they are selling.

New Wool
When I was little there were lots of small craft shops around. I can remember one in my very own suburb. She used to do a 'Knitaway'....kind of like a layby, she would put away enough wool for whatever the project was and you would buy the wool one ball at a time as needed. Can you imagine anyone doing that now?

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Knitting

Over the school holidays, I was knitting. It's really the perfect craft for when the kids are about, easy to put down, relaxing.....but you still get a feeling of accomplishment.

My mum taught me to knit when I was 5, and I still do it the same way, by hand, counting rows with needle holes in the woolband, the only thing that has changed is that now I do my own making up :-). I usually knit during winter and pick HUGE projects that I take forever to finish, so this year I raided my stash for lonely balls of baby wool or 8ply. This was the result - although 3 things in this pic still need finishing touches. I estimate I have enough of the wool from my stash left to do 2 more pairs of booties.
handknits done over the Easter break

Baby things it seems are just the right size to try out new stitch or colour combinations. Even if they are totally pointless as my children are older and no one I know is expecting.

I enjoyed it so much that I treated myself to a couple of balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto and I must say that I am enjoying knitting with this wool so much that I may never buy another ball of another brand. Look how distinct the pattern is showing up!


on the needles

Next I really need to make up the Jo Sharp kimono style jacket I made myself last year....and knit just one more sleeve for my daughters cardigan, thank heavens I choose the larger size for her otherwise it would already be too late!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Pretty colours

autumn leaves against a cloudy sky
I want to make something in these colours!

Friday, April 6, 2012

The dog ate it....

I haven't crocheted in a looong time. I can do it, but I prefer knitting. Last night I sat up and made this flower (after changing to a lighter wool cause I can't see anymore). The morning I showed my daughter who dropped it.....the dog promptly picked it up and and chewed it to pieces before we could get it back.
crochet flower
 So instead I let her loose in my stash of knitted flowers, this is what she chose. I'm told it gets very cold here in winter....maybe she needs matching gloves!
a new hat for winter

Friday, March 23, 2012

Cupcakes

This was my grandmother's patty cake pan, I actually have three. When she became to sick to bake, my mother used it. Now mum is disinterested in cooking and I use it.
Patty Cakes
Today I baked a double batch, for the schools cake stall. Made using 6 of my aunty's home grown eggs. But it is used regularly, the kids like to take 'junk' food for school lunches. And the last time I bought cakes I read the ingredients - I wasn't sure if they were food or a maths lesson, from the amount of numbers in them!

Monday, March 19, 2012

I am.......easily distracted.....

Yesterday I went into my sewing room. I was looking for a nice print to use as a lining.
Instead I found a totally useless scrap of this print. I have made a skirt (which no longer fits) and a bag from this fabric previously and I'm down to bitsy pieces with it.


Hand embroidery embellished print

I had seen this idea previously on a blog....embellishing a print with embroidery, and had always wanted to try it. I used one strand of DMC floss, satin stitch, lazy daisy, fly stitch and colonial knots - colonial knots are the one where you make a figure 8 around the needle, I find it easier than french knots :-).
Design wall thingy

The other thing I managed to do, was hang a strand of wire between two command hooks.....so that little bits stay out to inspire me.