I'm Sew Excited

We've had a mini break, not really a holiday, just a break from home.  Grace went to Glastonbury (which she really enjoyed) and while she was away, we stayed at her flat in Sheffield to look after her hamster!

I don't know whether Juno the hamster appreciated us being there because she spent all her time trying to chew through the bars of her pen to escape!

Anyway, we had a lovely time in Sheffield, very relaxing.

Now that I'm settling into dressmaking and feeling more confident, I've been watching The Great British Sewing Bee on TV.  This is the first time I've watched the series, which is now in Season 4.  I really enjoyed watching this and feel that I've learnt quite a few new things.  At the moment, my dressmaking projects can be classed as "Easy" or "Beginner" but I'm determined to branch out and tackle some more challenging projects in the future.

For the time being I'm making nice, simple summer dresses.  Here is the latest one I've made.

(I never look relaxed when my husband is taking the photos!)

I have again used the Simplicity 6262 pattern, but having put sleeves in the previous version I made, I have decided I'm more of a sleeveless dress person - at least as far as summer dresses are concerned.  I added a ribbon around the waist this time.  It adds quite a nice trim, but I could have done with applying it better - next time I'll be able to do it better.

I'm hoping for some warm and sunny weather now, so that I can wear it.

Whilst we were in Sheffield I was looking at the sewing machines in John Lewis.  I thought I should maybe update my machine and I was interested in finding out more about how to do buttonholes.  When I got back home, I thought I would check the handbook for my machine to see what it could do as far as buttonholes were concerned.  I was amazed and overjoyed to find out that my machine does one step buttonholes that are precisely sized to the buttons you want to use.  I've only had this machine a mere 21 years, and who knew that it was as clever as that!  I really need to explore what else it can do, I'm clearly not using it anywhere near to its capabilities.

Tomorrow I'm planning on cutting out another summer dress, pink this time - let's hope my optimism is rewarded with some nicer weather.

No Ends, But Plenty of Beginnings

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend.  We had a lovely spontaneous trip to Sheffield to see Grace.  Although it was still very cold and windy at the weekend we did get out and about in Sheffield.

On Saturday we visited the cathedral.  Grace has lived in Sheffield now for two and a half years, but this was our first visit to the Cathedral and we were very impressed with the interior.  From the outside it doesn't look very exciting, but inside there is a lovely mix of ancient and modern architecture, plenty of interesting side chapels and, my favourite, lots of lovely angels to spot.

On Sunday, we walked to the Botanical Gardens.

It's always good to meet up with Grace, because we have plenty of knitting chat to catch up on - comparing works in progress, yarns and discussing future projects.  For the trip, I took my Leftie Shawl.  This had been languishing at the bottom of the works in progress pile, mainly because it's a good travelling project so I was saving it for the next long car trip.  I managed to get lots done on this, more than I thought I would. I could quite possibly finish it this week - I'll have to find a new travelling project for future trips.

The other shawl I have been working on and  had intended to finish this week has been put to one side because I've cast on another Fair Isle Hat.

I want to get the pattern written up and the best way to check what I've typed up is to knit it up again.  I'm using leftovers from the cardigan I knitted Eve, so it all helps towards stash reduction.

I've also been doing some dress making - little and often, so it's coming together nicely, without any stress.

Neckline and armholes to finish off, zip to insert and then only the hem.

I've also joined in with a new crochet CAL.  This one is called Mandala Madness and it's by Helen Shrimpton.  The pattern is being released over 18 weeks.  So far the first 6 weeks are available.  Here's the pattern picture of what's been released so far.  Isn't it gorgeous.

The finished object will be a very large circular blanket.  I've only just joined in but I'm part way through the second part.

I would have made more progress but my eye strain problem flared up again - you would think by now I would have learnt that trying to read complicated crochet patterns on my Kindle late at night is not good for my eyes.  Anyway, I've had to put it down for now, but as soon as my eye recovers, I'll be back with it - but only in good light!

I've just remembered that I do have something finished after all.  I've been continuing to make my mini sock yarn sweaters to add to my bunting decoration.  Here's another 7 that have been completed recently.

So that's what I'm up to at the moment.  I'm off down to London on Friday to have a girlie weekend with Eve.  Can't wait for that.  I'll have to sort out a new travelling project for the train journey.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

A Weekend of Mixed Fortunes

Thank you all so much for the lovely messages and comments for Eve's birthday.  It was wonderful to receive such kind and generous thoughts.  I would love to say that Eve had a wonderful time in Barcelona over the weekend, I'm fairly certain she did, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet because, due to the French air traffic controllers strike, she is still in Barcelona!  She was sat on the plane ready to take off for her flight back to London yesterday when everyone was asked to get off the plane because the flight had been cancelled!  She's had to buy a new ticket home on a British Airways plane today and there's still a possibility that the flight could again be cancelled.  Hopefully she will get home eventually.

In comparison, my weekend was trouble-free as far as travelling goes, but possibly not as glamorous as Barcelona.  My husband and I spent the weekend in Sheffield with Grace.  It's always wonderful to spend time with Grace, we spend all our time knitting and talking about knitting!

This weekend was particularly exciting because we had tickets to see my favourite ballet, Swan Lake.

I must have seen this ballet at least eight or nine times, but I never tire of it.

The Sheffield Lyceum is a beautifully ornate theatre.

The ballet was a delight with gorgeous costumes and an interesting modern interpretation of the story.   The following pictures were taken from the Swan Lake Gallery on the Northern Ballet website.

So now I'm back safely home (which is more than we can say for Eve!)  and I'm ready to enjoy another creative week.  I hope you all had a good weekend and that your week is filled with creative fun.  Bye for now.  

New Hamsters and a Knitting Round Up

The previous weekend, we were on our travels again, this time to Sheffield to see Grace.  She has just got two new dwarf hamsters, girls this time, and we were very excited to see them (we were excited to see Grace as well!)

They're very shy at the moment but hopefully will settle in their new home very soon.

It was good to spend time with Grace, knitting and chatting about knitting (my husband's attention is lost as soon as I mention the word knitting!)

Here's a round up of some of my finished projects.  I mentioned last week that I had finished a shawl, so here it is.

The pattern is called The Love of a Pirate and I really enjoyed knitting it.

For full details of the pattern and yarn, please look on my Ravelry project page, here.

I've also knitted up another mini sweater.

It's great fun making these sweaters - the plan is to make bunting with them, but I'll need quite a few more yet.

I've also crocheted another bag using my Handy Dandy Sock Yarn Bag pattern.

I love the colours in this one.

I'm hoping, this week, to get the purple cardigan I'm currently working on finished.  It's 4 ply so slow going, but I feel as though the end is in sight.  So, at last, I feel as though I'm getting on top of things.  I hope you are all having a productive week.

Rosie Posie Granny Bag - Finished

I'm hoping that June will be a month that sees me catching up with all my works-in-progress.  I've got a provisional timetable to help me get things completed. Which I think is not too unrealistic.  So it was with a great sense of satisfaction that I was able to tick the first one off the list this afternoon.

Here is my lovely, bright and beautiful Rosie Posie Granny Bag.

The motif, of which I made 44, is the Rosie Posie Grannie Square by Sandra Paul of the Cherry Heart blog.

I originally started this project back in March.  All keen and excited but I never got much further than the 7 squares I had originally done.  The project has been lying around for ages, with the occasional square completed.  When we visited Grace, last weekend, I wanted a portable crochet project to take with me, so picked up this one.  And do you know, I was amazed at how quickly I completed the remaining squares over the course of that weekend.  I left Grace's with only four squares to complete.

This week I have joined them all and crocheted a small stripey border along the top of the bag.

For the lining I have copied the idea I saw on Daffy Suburbia's blog, The Suburban Daffodil, for using a bought bag as the lining.  I bought a cheap cotton tote bag from Primark with a lovely flower print on it.

I already had handles I wanted to use, bought years and years ago but still lying around waiting to be employed.  I turned the Primark bag inside out and used the original handles from the bag as loops to attach the new handles.

I'm very pleased with this project.  It'll be great to use in the summer for days out.  And it would also make an excellent yarn-holding bag!

One project ticked off the list, several more to go!  Have a good weekend.

Busy Doing Other Things

Yes, I'm busy doing other things - I'm not crocheting!

I thought I should make an effort with the Easter decorations so I prettied up some twigs.

We don't do much these days to celebrate Easter but it's nice to add a little colour about the place.  When the girls were little, the house would be full of knitted bunnies and  knitted Easter eggs.  I still have the bunnies but I haven't brought them out this year.  Grace is coming home for the weekend, so we'll all be together, I love it.

I've also been busy not crocheting but sewing.  I made another work-in-progress bag for my knitting.

I used the lovely Alice in Wonderland fabric I bought in Sheffield market last month.

This bag will be used for my April socks which I plan to cast on later today.

The new square patterns for the Block-a-month CAL will be released today, so I can't wait to get stuck into them.

So plenty to keep me busy.  But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't NOT crochet, and here is my Sophie's Universe blanket up to part 7 which I completed this morning.

Look at those amazing roses.

I have such admiration for Dedri Uys, the designer of this pattern, she is so gifted.

And this central flower is going to bloom in part 8, which I may just feel compelled to work on this afternoon!

So I have a busy day planned, and despite my good intentions, crochet is high on the list!

knitting and Nattering

We had a lovely weekend in Sheffield with Grace.  I do so enjoy our knit and natter meet ups.

 

I knitted up the sweater for Mr Bakery Bear and so he is all finished.

We took a photo of three bears, my two and Grace's, before we made the sweaters together.

And here they all are, fully dressed.

As always Grace didn't need much help mastering the cables pattern.  In return she instructed me on Kitchener stitch.  I came away with a diagram of how it's done so hopefully I'll get it right next time I try.

We had a great day out at Weston Park, visiting the museum.

Me with Snowy the polar bear

Here in Liverpool we haven't had any significant snow (I think it snowed for about quarter of an hour once but didn't stick) so, on our journey to Sheffield, it was quite a sight to see the Penines looking so wintery.

Grace and I got plenty of knitting done over the course of the weekend.  We knitted together whilst watching an old favourite film, Van Helsing!  I've started some socks, more portable than taking the cardigan with me.  I'll have to put them to one side for now whilst I finish the Miette cardigan, I've fallen out of love with it again but I'm hoping our love - hate relationship will reverse again when it's done.

I hope you all had a good weekend.   Bye for now.