Sabrina's Dress

In my twenties I used to do quite a lot of dressmaking - I don't know why - I wasn't particularly good at it and I didn't particularly like it.  Anyway, a couple of years ago I had another go at dressmaking and made a dress.

The dress is a nice simple pattern and it's easy to wear.

So I've decided to make another one.  With this fabric - very summery.

It's cut out and I've completed the bodice.  Congratulating myself on the progress so far I relaxed with some knitting and the Audrey Hepburn film Sabrina (1954).

A lovely film once you get over 55 years old Humphrey Bogart as one of the romantic leads.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed Audrey was wearing my dress!

Her waist is just a little bit smaller than mine!!!

How wonderful, until you realise that Sabrina's dress is from the period in her life where she is young and unsophisticated.

After her return from Paris, older, wiser and definitely more sophisticated  her dress style changes significantly.

Oh well, I don't think I could ever pull off the sophisticated Parisian look so I'll keep working at the innocent young girl look!!

Cockleshell Wrap

Now that I'm back in full knitting mode, I find that I am starting more projects than I am finishing - typical.  So it is always a good feeling when one project finally comes off the needles.

My latest finished project is a beautiful woollen wrap.  It features a striped cockleshell pattern that was most interesting to knit.

The pattern is based on Kate Davies's cowl pattern called BMC (Betty Mouat Cowl).  I knitted mine flat rather than in the round in order to make a wrap rather than the cowl.  I extended the stripes in the pattern to make the wrap wider.

In all I used 12 different colours of Rowan's wonderful Fine Tweed, a 100% wool 4 ply.

Full details of the project can be found over at Ravelry, here.

It's still cold and windy out there - so I'm glad I have my new wrap to keep me warm! If there are any positives to take from this awful weather it's that I have a wonderful excuse to knit more warm cardigans!!

Little Bear

I recently received an email from Diann in Peoria, AZ, USA sending me a photo of the lovely bear she made using my Buttercup Bear pattern.

Isn't he wonderful.  This is her first crocheted animal and I think she's done a great job.

I love seeing the finished projects made from my patterns.  It's amazing how unique each of the finished items are.  

Peterborough

Just got back from a pleasant weekend spent in Peterborough.

We had to take Eve back to Cambridge on Friday so we decided to make a little holiday of the trip.  Peterborough is about an hour's drive from Cambridge so after we had unloaded Eve at university we drove back up to our hotel.

The weather was kind to us and we had a very relaxing time there.  Here's what we saw...

The Cathedral

Very impressive

An Antony Gormley statue

These iron men get everywhere - maybe Antony Gormley is planning to take over the world with them.

Katherine of Aragon's burial place

The red fruit placed on her tomb are pomegranates - these were her symbol - and people leave them, along with flowers, as a tribute to her.

Cathedral Square looks quite continental

The River Nene

Catching the sun in the Cathedral precincts

Edwardian costume display at the museum

This dress is actually from the Television series, Downton Abbey, it was worn by Elizabeth McGovern who plays Cora, Countess of Grantham.

A lovely weekend, and now back at home feeling recharged and ready to go!

Fair Isle Wrist Warmers

Typical - just as I make myself some lovely snug wrist warmers, and type up the pattern to share with you, the weather starts to improve.

Nevertheless, these wristlets are so pretty, they will look good whatever the weather.

They are lined with lovely soft Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply and the Fair Isle in knitted with Rowan Fine Tweed.  I used a total of nine different colours for the Fair Isle.  Just small amounts needed so it is an ideal project for using up small bits and bobs.

The pattern uses a number of techniques, including knitting in the round, Fair isle, provisional cast on and picot cast off.

The pattern is available as a free PDF download, here.

You can see full details of the finished project over on my Ravelry page, here.

Delphine - Finished

At the start of the year, I seemed to have lost my enthusiasm for cardigan knitting!  Usually I have a number of cardigan projects on the go - with numerous others on the wish list.  But January and February saw a lack lustre attitude to cardigan patterns - a seriously worrying trend.

Thankfully, I have now recovered from this temporary situation.  Hot off the needles is Delphine.

This is a Kim Hargreaves pattern from the book Winter Blooms.  It is a fitted cardigan, with cabled panels in between double moss stitch panels.  It has a curved peplum with a lovely nipped in waist and buttoned detailed on the wrists.

I used Sirdar Balmoral double knitting yarn in the shade 'school grey'.  Sadly this yarn is now discontinued.

The only modification I made to the pattern was to alter the neckline.  The original pattern has a round neckline but I felt that a small collar would suit the style better.

As with all Kim Hargreaves designs, the styling and fit are perfect.
Full details of this project can be seen on my Ravlery page, here.

And so, onwards and upwards - bring on the next cardigan pattern!

Sweet Little Birdie

Some time ago I bought a copy of this book...

Stitch and Sew Home by Eline Pellinkhof.

It's full of beautiful and inspiring projects.  Lovely photographs.

Although I'm not much of a sewing fiend, I have urges every now and then to make and create something beautiful.

Going with the flow, I couldn't resist making one of the sweet little birdies.

I decided to go with bright colours to give it some jolliness.

Lovely - urge now satisfied - back to the knitting and crocheting.

Mollie Makes - Farewell

The latest edition of Mollie Makes magazine has just come through the letterbox.

I have had a subscription to this magazine for the past year but this is the last edition I will receive as I will not be renewing the subscription.

The magazine was lovely and colourful, and at first, very inspiring, but after a few copies it became obvious that each month was predictably the same.

So as a final farewell to Mollie Makes I want to end on a positive note by highlighting the good things about the latest edition.

Firstly I like the idea of revamping an old T-shirt with crochet sleeves.

Eve loved this picture of a pug plushie.

Glorious yarn-bombing - I adore this idea.

And finally, cute idea for covering an old stool.

And it's - So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.

Afternoon Tea

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, when it's cold outside, good company is inside and yummy cakes on the plate....

Lemon butterfly cakes, mini spicy fruit muffins and fudge brownies - the perfect afternoon tea.

Yarn-Bombing with Love

When Eve returned from University a few weeks ago, I decided to surprise her with some yarn-bombing in her bedroom.

I quickly crocheted up some hearts and hung them around her room.

I can't remember which pattern I used for the small red heart, but there are millions like it on Ravelry.

The large colourful hearts are from this pattern called Simple Sunburst Hearts by Bunny Mummy.  These were especially fun to make and would look good made into bunting.  I'm going to try her Sunburst Granny Hearts next.

So which room can I yarn-bomb next?