My ongoing and ever improving relationship with my sewing machine.

Ages ago I purchased myself a second hand Janome sewing machine from a colleague.  I was so excited about starting sewing but then I realised I wasn't very good at it.  Initially I just gave up and put it away but soon realised the only way to improve is to practise.

The first thing I made that I was particularly proud of was a knitting needle roll.  It was a disaster from the start but fortunately my bodging skills at that point were a lot better than my sewing skills and I fixed the problem of the inside being on the outside, the ribbon being within the lining not outside and various other issues.  I still use it now which is a testament to its strength despite it's poor make up.

I didn't do a lot more sewing from this point as I didn't feel the need or the inclination.  Then I went on my embroidery course with Jane Lightfoot (look up her page she is amazing) and I found an interest again because she showed me how to do the simplest of things that I had never figured out before.  I just love the finished article.

This lead to the creation of a wonderful glasses case for my Mum for Christmas, this took a lot of brain power as I had to figure how to join the lining to the case without a visible seam.  Instead of just jumping straight in with the sewing machine I tacked the fabric first to make sure my idea worked, it did!

Then, this week I decided to make a crochet hook roll for my beautiful new harty hooks from Fleabubs, they didn't fit in the knitting needle roll and I couldn't have such beautiful hooks laying around.  I raided my stash of donated fabric samples and chose two pieces that complemented each other because done alone was not big enough.  I spent time planning this item so that the stitches for the pockets were not visible on the back so the ribbon was attached in the seam rather than stitched on afterwards.  I had so much fun making it that I am ready and raring to go with larger projects.

I do plan on making a quilt but I have no timescale in mind for such a thing so we shall see if that ever gets finished.

Top down raglan

Before Christmas I decided it was about time I used up some yarn I purchased in last years sale at Knit Nottingham.  I had ummed and ahhhed for a very long time (nearly a year) about whether the yarn was actually me as I did purchase it as a bit of an impulse.  I figured I had it so it was a good practice and if I didn't like the finished article I could frog it and use it for something else.

I started by discussing how to make a top down with Eleanor Knit Nottingham and Verity Truly Hooked.  Verity said a top down raglan is very easy if you can divide by six, something I was certain even my mathematically challenged brain could manage.  I took this advice on card and thought about.  My conclusion looked something like this.

I didn't end up using this method in the end because I was informed of an easier method that didn't involve so much maths and thinking.  

I started with a length of chains to the length I wanted my neck line to be.  I then made a double crochet in each chain, joined and made a round of trebles.  The next row I put two trebles in each treble and from there on put one treble in each.

I continued like this until the top was the length I wanted before making arm holes.  I did add one or two raglan increases before joining the armholes but in hindsight I did not need them.

When it came to the arm holes I laid the top of the garment flat and by eye chose the points for the armholes, i counted the number of chains on one side and made sure it was the same for the other three points.  I marked these points and when making my round on that time I joined the two points with a length of chains.

I then kept crocheting in the round picking up the stitches in the chains for the armholes.  Once the jumper had reached my bust I started decreasing.  I put these in darts at the side of the jumper front and back.  All in all 4 decreases every row.  I then just continued until the jumper was long enough.  I hindsight I should have increased again because it is a bit small at my hips.  When I got to the right length I added 6 rows of treble rib in a complementary colour.

As for the arms, I picked up around the arm holes and worked in rounds again.  I made one decrease every other row until the arms were the right width.  I worked both arms at the same time to make sure they matched, I'm pleased I did because I would not have remembered what I had done.  Again I continued until they were right length and added six rows of treble rib in the same complementary colour.

At this pint I thought I had finished but I out the jumper on and the neck line was far too wide.  Again I picked up the stitches and crocheted in rounds making decreases until the neckline was just right.

I am so happy with this jumper, I already wear it often and I have received a number of compliments, it's great!

A poppy blanket for baby Poppy

A month ago friends welcomed their beautiful little daughter Poppy into the world.  A new baby is a great opportunity to get creative.  With Christmas and the multiple gifts I was making I didn't have much time to think about it until recently.  I spoke to Tom about what he thought and he asked if I could make a blanket with poppies on.  He even offered to pay for the yarn, yes, you did read that correctly.

First I referred to Ravelry to see if I could find a pattern for a crocheted poppy within a square.  I found some beautiful pattern but this is the one that caught my eye because it was simple yet very effective.  

Poppy in granny square

by Crochet- atelier

My next step was of course choosing the yarn.  I made my way to Knit Nottingham and selected my double knits.  I then turned around and spotted the sparkly red chunky yarn!  It just had to be purchased so the double knit went back and the chunky came home with me.  I am so pleased it did because the weight if the blanket and the warmth is just wonderful.  It also worked up really quickly and made a very nice sized blanket.

I decided to make the blanket up of four quarters.  Two of them would be made up of two poppy squares and two granny squares and the other two quarters would be made up of large granny squares.  

I decided to join as I went along, I tried slip stitching the squares together and it worked brilliantly.  It looked neat and left no gaps between clusters which some joining methods can.

Once all the joining was done I decided to edge the blanket with the red and black, I started by making a row of half trebles in the red and a row of doubles in the black.

Here is the finished item.

Finally here is me giving the lovely Poppy a cuddle under her new poppy blanket.  I think she looks rather happy with it.

Excitement!

The new year has started a fire in me, I am so excited about the year ahead and the projects I can work on.  I normally find January a very gloomy month but I have really enjoyed the time I have had to selfishly work on projects.  My to do list has grown, along with my stash, oops.  I love this excitement though, it motivates me to finish one project to move onto the next and it keeps me going throughout the day because I know I can go home to a stitch here and there.  For a non crafter, artist or enthusiast of any kind I think this is hard to understand but the majority of people get it and I find it is spreading to more and more people around me.

My to do list is pretty much full for the year, I can't see much more getting done because it is so big.

Here are some images of my plans, watch this space to see if they actually get done or not.

Top left: Hue and Value Shawl by Anne Blayney

Top right: Flutter-by socks by Shannon Robalino

Middle right: Amory by Kim Hargreaves

Bottom left: Vignette by Amy Herzog

Bottom middle: Anchored by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

Bottom right: fabric for a quilt.

I am aware I have set myself quite a challenge but it is a challenge I am ready to take and I am really in no hurry.  I have WIP's all over the house already and I am not entirely sure I will ever finish them.  They include a really complicated Aran, a really boring sweater and a giant blanket.  One day maybe.

Anyway, that's all for now, I have a few things to blog about this week so keep your eyes peeled for more from me.

Little bow slippers

For Christmas some of the girls from knit group and I got involved in a secret Santa and a meal out.  For a while I had been saying how I wanted a copy of Cute Little Knits by Jemma Weston.  I was fortunate enough to unwrap a copy at the table and with Jemma sat opposite me I even got it signed there and then.  How lucky am I!

I knew straight away that I wanted to knit the little bow slippers so I set off in search of the yarn.  I had a bit if a drama getting the boucle I needed.  Firstly I ordered two balls from a shop online with some felted tweed to go with it, only one ball of the boucle arrived.  Then I ordered some more with some felted tweed but ordered the wrong weight boucle so had to cancel the whole order!  I finally decided to get up of my sofa and go to John Lewis, I did however order some boucle to be click and collected.

I chose the dark brown boucle purely because slippers getting dirty and the darker the yarn the less it will show.  When I got to John Lewis though they had a whole sack of a grey/beige shade boucle in the sale, I got two of them as well.

As for the colour choice for the top of my slippers I honestly went for the final ball of felted tweed DK in the sale, it just so happens that it matches my dressing gown, winner!

As soon as I got home I cast on, I was just so excited.

I knitted the tops and soles pretty quickly because the boucle is very chunky and the needles were 8mm.  The pattern for the sole and the linings was really good fun, I needed a nice quick project to rekindle my love of selfish knitting.

The pattern calls for the soles to be felted, I have never felted before so put them in on a wool wash.  I later learnt this does not felt the fool, hence why it is a wool wash. I tried again and they came out beautifully felted and solid.

Next I had to start on the top of the slipper, these were so much fun, almost every row was different and this kept my attention.  Plus the thought of essentially making my own shoes was just amazing!  When I had finished the top it was time to sew up...

Sewing up, not my strong point because I am not very good at figuring out how things go together.  I started by sewing the top and lining face to face to turn the right way around, I did this wrong and could not turn it the right way around...oops!  After many attempts and sleepless nights, i did some on my lunch break and by jingo I got it right.

I still didn't enjoy it but just had to get them done because I needed to get them on my feet.  Once I had stitched them up I made a start on the bow, I actually made three bows because for some reason i made a really small one first.

Finally I finished, I think if I had perhaps paid a bit more attention and not been so excited I would have finished them sooner.  I think in hindsight I should have knitted the smaller size because they are a bit lose but not so lose I can't wear them.

I would highly recommend these slippers to anyone, they are so warm and comfortable I just can't bear to take them off once they are on.  I love them.

Razza's alpaca headband

This year for Christmas I tried to make everyone something they either wanted or would use.  I asked my sister Rheanne (aka Razza) what she might want and she asked for a headband for her ski trip.  This was lucky as I had already purchased some beautiful alpaca yarn whilst from Town End Alpaca whilst at Yarndale.  

I browsed Ravelry and just couldn't find a pattern that was right so I just decided to make one up.  It has turned out really nicely and Razza loves it, she has had it on since she unwrapped it yesterday, even in the cinema.

Should you wish to recreate one for yourself then here is what I did.

Materials

4.5mm straight needles.

Aran weight yarn (I used town end alpaca and the ball was 82m, I have some left)

Pattern

Cast on 20 stitches using the long tail cast on method.

First row: k1, p1, k1, p1, p3, k6, p3, k1, p1, k1, p1

Second row: k1, p1, k1, p1, k3, p6, k3, k1, p1, k1, p1

Third row: k1, p1, k1, p1, p3, c6 to the front, p3, k1, p1, k1, p1

Continue in this fashion cabling on every 6th row until the headband is the desired length.

Cast off and sew the ends together using matress stitch.

If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to get in touch.

A beautiful new painting.

Last year we took our first trip to Long Eaton to visit the art rooms there, it's a wonderful space.  When we visited we met Louise Macintosh and just fell head over heels in love with her paintings in the Meadow Collection.  

We soon became twitter friends and many conversations were had about our various creative exploits and how much Tom and I loved her paintings.  I told her some time ago that we would, at some point, be asking for a meadow of our very own and now that time has come.  We had no idea what to get each other for Christmas this year so decided that instead on spending money on things for the sake of it we would get the painting we had been longing for for so long.

I got in touch with Louise and sent over a few photographs of the space we wanted the painting to go in and some other items in the bedroom for colour inspiration.   I even included the all important Mr Penguin, I feel his feet and scarf have influenced the final painting.  I'm not the biggest fan of pink so asked for not too much of that to be included, especially not in the sky.

After a month and a half of patiently waiting we went to collect our new piece of art yesterday from the Long Eaton art rooms where Louise was exhibiting again.  Look at her wonderful art, I want it all!

We decided that we would turn our back and get a cup of tea whilst the painting was unwrapped ready for us to turn around and view in all it's amazingness, it truly is just perfect and I do hope our reactions reflected just how much we love it.

It was carefully wrapped back up whilst we walked around and met more wonderful artists and then loaded up in the car to make its journey to its new home above our bed.

We missed lunch because we were in such a hurry to hang it before a trip to the vets with Edith, it just couldn't wait and took precedence over a rumbly tummy.  Doesn't it look fantastic.

We particularly liked these paintings due to the attention to detail and how well they are finished, even the sides of the canvas are incorporated into the painting so that whichever angle you view it from you can appreciate the flowers, blades of grass and sky.

In the mornings I will no longer wake up to the view of a blank wall but this view which you cannot deny in one hundred times improved and won't fail to start my day off with a smile, something very much needed in these winter months.

I have taken some close up pictures of some of my favourite sections of the painting.  I particularly love the layering of various colours and textures to build up the grass, I don't know my paints so I can't comment on the different types used other than there are solids, metallics, glittery paint and lots of different colours.  It creates a real depth and interest to the backdrop for the wonderful selection of flowers.  Louise told us that this is the first time she has used the burnt oranges and reds in a meadow and I am so pleased she has, I just loved the flowers that resemble poppies, I think they might well be my favourites, at the moment anyway.  There is a colour to reflect every emotion imaginable so I look forward to seeing how my preferences change as my mood does.

We are utterly in love with our meadow and genuinely cannot express our gratitude enough to this wonderful artist.  Not only does she paint amazing art she is just lovely as well.  All in all a good package.  Please pop over to her Facebook page missmacdesigns to see some of her other wonderful art and techniques.

THANKYOU!