butterfly sparkle designs

Folksy Christmas

2011-12-14T00:26:00.001Z

These are a few of my favourite things...

I thought I'd make up a little Folksy treasury, with some ideas for last minute Christmas shopping!

To start off with a festive theme, how about a little wool robin brooch from The Fluff Pot, with a cute wee beady eye?

What do you get the person who is determined to be Scrooge? Madi Illustration has the answer with this fabulously un-festive card!

I love these funky crayons from Colour Me Fun, they're a perfect stocking filler for kids, and you can get them in all sorts of different designs from Lego men to aeroplanes.

Men are notoriously hard to buy for, but if you're looking for something unique, you can't go wrong with these gorgeous little retro cufflinks from Fluffsstuffs.

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Finally, if you really want to get into the festive mood, how can you resist these gorgeous Christmas cupcake earrings from RainbowhART? They look good enough to eat!

What's on your Christmas wish list? Share your links!

Make do and Mend

2011-12-08T00:02:00.001Z

Last Saturday, I took part in my first ever craft fair, Make do and Mend at Platform in Easterhouse, Glasgow. I was pretty excited and apprehensive beforehand, as I'd never sold at a craft fair before. Luckily, Make do and Mend was a good place to start! The people there were so nice, and I chatted to some great crafters and was tempted by all kinds of lovely goodies. I met Freak Carousel and her awesomely scary/cute jewellery, and had a good natter to We Felt it Too.

This is what my stall looked like all set up -

I was a bit worried that I wouldn't have enough stock, but the table was only just big enough for all my things. The fair opened at 11am, so I had a browse round the other stalls and bought myself two lovely rings, a pair of earrings and a big slice of lemon drizzle cake! Unfortunately it was a miserable day, and business was slow. However, I managed to sell quite a few items and got lots of kind and very constructive feedback on everything from my products to my prices.

After four hours it was time to pack up and trudge home through the puddles, but not before I had received an invitation to head down to Little Birds Market at Sloans in Glasgow, which was on the next day.

The outdoor craft market at Sloans is something I've browsed many times before, but Little Birds is a new venture set up by Laura McIlquham of Love Me Again. In their own words, "Little Birds Markets aims to bring the very best in vintage, craft and design offerings together to create an interesting shopping experience for shoppers and a platform for entrepreneurs, crafters, designers and businesses to meet like minded people". They certainly lived up to their mission statement, with two floors of Sloans bursting with fabulous handmade loveliness! I was dazzled by customised shoes from Dawntroversial, and loved the wide variety of inventive jewellery and accessories that were on display. However, my absolute favourite stall was that belonging to The Grey Earl. I loved his impossibly cute illustrations of Batboy and Robbie, the dynamic duo who have a kinky twist. Check out his website - especially the picture entitled "Santa Baws"!

Just by chance, I also happened to notice that there was a craft and design fair on at the Royal Concert Hall. Of course, I had to pop in to have a little look - and once again was very tempted to spend a lot of money! There were beautiful hand carved wooden toys, cute little soft toys, bright knitted children's sweaters, and gorgeous jewellery. I loved Dazed Dorothy's stall, especially her brightly coloured leather purses with button decoration. I also really admired Squirrel and Bear, who create beautiful traditionally patterned Scottish knitted accessories and toys, with a contemporary twist.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, and I came away with a purse full of business cards and a lot of inspiration. My designs are now going to be sold at Resonate Arts House in Alloa, and after that, I may well be heading back to have my second go of selling at a craft fair!

Meet Rosie

2011-11-30T23:52:00.001Z

This is Rosie, a little sock monkey/cat/animal thing. She's made from a pair of stripy socks, with two button eyes and an embroidered face. I'm now working on her extended family!

A Parliament of Owls

2011-11-28T23:39:00.001Z

I had a play with some felt the other day. First I cut out these little guys...

...then I sewed them together, embroidered some wee details, and stuffed them. They're going to hang on keychains, to be sold at Make do and Mend on Saturday!

I love owls! Some of my favourite clothes have owl prints on them, and of course I have an Owls sweater that I knitted.

Owls are everywhere just now - how cute is this bag? and these hats?
And if you love owls too, you simply have to get over here or here - just look at the loveliness!
If you have children, this is the cutest story ever. Fluffy baby owls :)

Alternative Christmas

2011-11-26T01:18:00.001Z

I'm a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas. Deep down, I love the old festive traditions, the family recipes, the yummy bread sauce, and the cosy firelit moments at the end of the day. Generally, though, I hate the new commercialised face of Christmas. It's not even December yet, and festive tunes are playing in the shops, the decorations are up already, and we're all being encouraged to buy buy buy. I think it ruins the specialness of Christmas Day itself, because by the time the 25th comes, we're all thoroughly Christmassed out.

However, I'm going to be selling at my first craft fair, Make do and Mend at Platform in Glasgow, and the theme is Christmas gifts. So I thought I'd better try and get into the festive mood, and make some things that would fit the impending occasion. Yesterday I had a play around with felt and created some wee gifts, which I'll photograph soon. First though, I'd love opinions on my alternative to traditional Christmas cards. I decided to use letters cut from newspapers to spell out the messages, and stuck to a relatively neutral colour palette of greys, blacks and reds. I wanted to create a smart, minimalist feel, but I'm not sure if the resulting cards might just be a bit too "out there". Here's a sneaky peek of one of my efforts - what do you think?

Disaster!

2011-11-23T22:37:00.001Z

Look at this gorgeous wool that I got the other day! Babylonglegs Semi Precious, merino silk blend, deep purple colour. Don't you just want to hug it?

One hour later it looked like this. I want to cry. Never had such a bad yarn winding disaster in my life. Just as well my deadline for using this yarn is still a couple of weeks away - I'm going to need all that time to unravel it!

Snowflake Baby Set - Knit Now Magazine

2011-11-20T16:17:00.001Z

Knit Now magazine launched in October, a new and very welcome concept in the world of knitting and craft magazines. There are too many publications out there which are aimed at beginners, but which make the mistake of assuming that new knitters want to create shapeless, unfashionable garments and accessories, often in novelty yarn. However, Knit Now have wisely decided to keep their patterns chic and intelligent - beginner friendly but not patronising. The magazine's focus is on accessories, meaning that it's the perfect read for people like me who have hundreds of odd balls of yarn and nothing to do with them. They intend to publish hat, sock, scarf, shawl, glove, bag, toy, home and baby patterns, but no full size garments.

I was really excited to see my pattern, Snowflake Baby Set, published in the first issue. This is a set of cardigan, hat and mittens, sized to fit 0-3 years. I was inspired by all the Nordic patterning in the shops at the moment, and wanted to create a child sized design which incorporated some of these elements. The Snowflake set features traditional Nordic stars in Fair Isle or stranded knitting. It's a unisex design, with a buttoned raglan sleeve cardigan that will suit a boy or girl. In my sample I used Patons Diploma Gold DK, a washable wool mix yarn that is soft enough for baby knitting, but has enough wool content to work well for the stranded design. I chose the strongly contrasting colours of red and off-white, but this could look equally good in a monochrome combination of navy or black with white, or in two softly muted shades of grey or blue. You could also use a yarn such as Sirdar Snuggly DK if you prefer not to use wool.

How adorable is the model they used in the magazine? She's just the cutest! I also recommend, from that issue, the gorgeous Autumn Forest Gloves by Kyoko Nakayoshi. She's a designer I have a huge amount of respect for, producing lovely designs which are always so simple and elegant. I love her use of cabling in particular.

If you'd like to knit the Snowflake Baby Set for yourself, I think you can still get back issues of the magazine - go to their website for details.

Moss

2011-11-20T15:57:00.001Z

I was really excited, earlier this year, to have my first pattern accepted by the Knit Picks International Designer Program! It's a fantastic scheme which allows you to have your patterns for sale on the Knit Picks website, making them available to a much wider audience - as well as showcasing Knit Picks' amazing selection of yarns.
The design which was published is Moss, a chunky cabled shoulder bag. It's designed to carry your everyday essentials and stand up to frequent use. The bag is fully lined, and has a button closure at the front. Some knitted bags can stretch, so I wanted to make sure that the lining would take a reasonable amount of weight, and allow the bag to still look its best as well as being practical.

My original sample was knitted in Stylecraft Signature Chunky, a fluffy woollen yarn which has now been discontinued. For the Knit Picks sample, I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky, an amazingly smooth and squishy pure wool yarn which is available in a wide range of colours. I chose a lovely green shade, Oregano, but my test knitters made beautiful bags in deep shades of orange, which worked equally well.

Picture courtesy of Knit Picks

With this design, I was inspired by the yarn to create something very textured and springy, with a feel of the outdoors. I used thick basketweave cables, and then the moss stitch edgings gave me the name. I'm really happy with the finished result, and now I just have to keep up with the orders from various friends who would like one!

If you would like to make your own Moss bag, simply click on the link in the pattern name near the top of the page, which will take you directly to the Knit Picks website.

Chunky Woven Scarf

2011-11-20T15:49:00.001Z

Just released on Ravelry, the Chunky Woven Scarf, a perfect last minute knit! The scarf is knitted in a textured basketweave pattern, and can be made in two different widths. Adjusting the length is easily done by adding more pattern repeats, and the woven effect is unisex. My samples knitted up in a couple of hours, making this an ideal gift knit.

I knitted my scarf in Sirdar Bigga, a wool and acrylic blend that has now been discontinued. However, any super chunky yarn that knits to the right gauge could be substituted - try Rowan Big Wool or Drift.

This is the wide version of the scarf

The pattern is available for free on Ravelry - click the link in the pattern name at the top of this post.

Three Way Chunky Hat

2011-11-20T15:40:00.001Z

If you're looking for a quick Christmas knit, look no further! I've just released a free pattern on Ravelry, the Three Way Chunky Hat. This hat is the perfect addition to your winter wardrobe. It only takes a couple of hours to knit, and can be worn as a beanie, slouch hat or beret. The chunky yarn knits up quickly and easily on big needles, so you can make a hat as a last minute gift, or knit yourself several in different colours.

Worn as a beret

I knitted my sample in Sirdar Bigga, and it only used one ball of yarn. This yarn is a wool and acrylic mix that is now unfortunately discontinued, but any super chunky yarn that knits to the right gauge would also work. You could try Rowan Big Wool or Drift.

The pattern is available now on Ravelry - click the link in the pattern name at the top of this post.

Guppy

2011-11-20T14:06:00.003Z

Here is the first of my new designs - Guppy, a sleeveless pullover featuring a wave and fish design, knitted using the stranded or Fair Isle method. The back opening means that it will fit easily over a baby’s head. It’s designed in warm and cosy Sirdar Snuggly DK, making it the perfect extra layer for chilly days. The pullover is sized from 0-2yrs, and knits up quickly enough to make it an ideal gift. The pattern is available to buy now on Ravelry by clicking the link in the name.

Guppy Pullover

Wicket

2011-05-29T23:54:00.004+01:00

Wicket is a sleeveless pullover for babies and toddlers, designed to stretch and fit comfortably over a shirt or t-shirt as an extra layer on chilly days. I was inspired by traditional cricket sweaters when working on this design, and wanted to create the feel of a vintage garment, but with a slightly more modern look. The sweater is designed in three sizes, 0-6mths, 6-12mths and 1-2yrs.

The sample is knitted in Sirdar Snuggly DK, a lovely soft yarn which has the advantage of being machine washable. I knitted my sweater in cream and green, but you could experiment with the colour scheme to create your own effect - maybe the colours of a favourite sports team, or something radical and funky like purple and orange!

Wicket is available to buy in my Ravelry store.

Sweetheart

2011-05-22T22:57:00.003+01:00

I've just released a new pattern, "Sweetheart". It's a cute little cardigan for babies and toddlers, inspired by traditional button-up raglan designs. The cardigan comes in 3 sizes, 0-6mths, 6-12mths and 1-2yrs.

This sample is knitted in Sirdar Snuggly DK.

This sample shows an alternative colour scheme.

New Patterns

2011-01-07T15:37:00.007Z

I've just released three new patterns in my Ravelry store.

First up is the Sweetheart Hat, a design for babies and toddlers. It’s generously sized with a picot brim, and knitted in super soft yarn. Make it in the colours shown here for girly cuteness, or try more vibrant combinations for a different look.

Next, there's a hat for grown-ups. This hat combines the softness of butterflies knitted in flecked tweed wool, with a hint of dark gothic style. It’s pleated at the top, and is finished with a small bobble and a picot edging. The butterflies can be decorated with beaded detail, or left plain as shown here.

Finally, these gauntlets were made to match the Gothic Butterfly Hat. If using the suggested yarn, the hat and mittens together can be made with two balls of Rowan Pure Wool DK and one ball of Felted Tweed. The thumbs can be knitted in the main colour, or in the contrast as shown.

Plans for the year

2010-12-26T11:40:00.002Z

Wow! It's been a long time since I updated this blog! I have been very busy though - there's been quite a few acting jobs, many many hours spent on trains travelling all over the country, and a lot of knitting. Now it's that time of the year again where I'm looking at what's happened over the past twelve months, and starting to re-evaluate things for the next twelve.

I'm going to have a lot of changes and developments to deal with in my personal life over the coming year, especially since I now have two walking, talking bundles of fun causing havoc on a daily basis! However, on a craft front, I want to try and get as organised and goal orientated as possible.

The past year was a major FAIL for my goals. On the surface the figures look great, but I think I have more yarn than I started with in January!
In 2010 I wanted to use 100 balls, and keep track of my overall metres knitted. I used around 120 balls, though I didn’t keep an exact count, and I knitted approximately 15,234 metres, or 9.5 miles! That sounds like I should have a big dent in my stash, but unfortunately I never stuck to my first goal, which was “knit only from stash”.
So, my goals for the New Year -
1) Catalogue ALL my stash into the Ewe Stash app on my phone, since there’s only about half of it on Ravelry just now, and having it on the phone means I can have it with me to remind me what I’ve already got, if I get the urge to supplement the stash.
2) Complete all projects currently on the needles. Except perhaps the very big 4ply cardigan, which isn’t quite working out.
3) Knit all projects that I have yarn stashed away for - so that will be Sunlit, Sage, and one other Kim Hargreaves project that I have a ton of All Seasons Cotton for, but I can’t remember what it is.
4) Look at the John Lewis clearance sale and try not to be tempted, but I will allow myself one purchase of something Rowan and woolly if it’s an absolute bargain, as it’s something I will definitely use.
5) Write patterns for and knit all the designs in my notebook.
That’ll do to be going on with! Wish me luck :D

Cuthbert

2010-07-28T15:32:00.003+01:00

Cuthbert is a very unimpressed owl, who regards the world with a baleful stare. Nothing really interests him nowadays, so he spends his time imagining how much more exciting life would be if he were an emperor penguin. He has a habit of standing as tall as he can and wrapping his wings around him, to try and get the proper regal look.

Scottish weather suits Cuthbert, as he likes the cold, but he can cope with sunshine as long as he doesn't have to sit directly in it all day. He does not tolerate baths, although he is surprisingly fond of children.

Cuthbert is currently looking for a new home, and you can find him in my Folksy shop at the link on the right.

For Sale!

2010-07-08T12:29:00.003+01:00

After a lot of work, my Folksy shop is now re-opened! It takes so long to photograph and list things with two toddlers helping, but I've finally got it all done. Take a look at this link if you want to see what's currently up for sale. :)

Folksy Shop Re-Opening

2010-06-25T17:51:00.001+01:00

It's been a long time since I've updated this blog, and even longer since I've done any serious crafting. However, all that is about to change! My tour is nearly finished, so I'll have free time again. I'll be updating my Folksy shop with my stockpile of bags and accessories, and releasing a new knitting pattern for a baby hat, just in time for autumn/winter gifts.

Hopefully, I'll soon be back to blogging more regularly and catching up on everyone else's blogs as well!

Funky monkey

2010-05-30T20:29:00.005+01:00

A few months ago, I decided that I was going to try and get rid of some of my yarn stash. Now, I've been getting on quite well with this, but things don't always go to plan. I had loads of Rowan Handknit Cotton lying about, and started using it up by knitting a wee stripy tank-top for my son. However, I quickly discovered that I would need a few more colours, and ended up having to buy another three balls. Of course, I now have lots of half balls lying about, which still need using up, so I'm really back to square one again. Never mind, at least I'm happy with the tank top! Here it is, modelled by the little monkey.

It's a great pattern, from Zoe Mellor's book "Adorable Knits for Tiny Tots". The only problem is that the neckline is quite tight, so I had to adjust it slightly by starting the decreases for the front neck a few rows earlier. My wee boy loves it, and I can see it being well used this summer.

I've had a bit of a break from knitting recently, after my wrists started to protest at the long hours they were being subjected to. Work has been pretty mental as well, with twelve hour days on tour to get through. However, I'm starting to work through the backlog of unfinished projects and design ideas, and I'll be releasing the pattern for a cute little fair-isle baby hat soon.

May

2010-05-21T19:38:00.007+01:00

This month, and indeed the year, is flying by. I can't believe we're in May already! I'm so busy with work at the moment, having just done a week long run of a play at the same time as touring with another show. As a result, I have been rubbish at crafting and keeping up with my blog. However, I do have a few pictures that kind of sum up my month so far.

This is a little cabled swing cardigan that I made for one of my son's friends. It's a size 4-5 but fits him, and he's just turned 3. You can't see the detail too clearly in this picture as it's such a light coloured pink yarn, but it's a very pretty cabled design. The yarn is Sirdar Baby Bamboo, and the pattern was in Knitting Magazine last November.

This next picture shows my current long term craft project. It's an old dollshouse that I had as a child, which I'm currently revamping for my son to play with. It's been stored in a shed for a while, so it needed a good clean. In the process of cleaning the inside, I remembered that I'd done all the decoration with water-based paints - you can imagine the mess! It's going to take a lot of scrubbing to get all the old paint off before I start redecorating it again. This will be a fun project to do over the summer.

Finally, here's a wee pic from my tour. We were up north in Fort William, and passed through the beautiful area of Glencoe. This kind of scenery makes me happy - and having lunch on the beach in Caol under the shadow of Ben Nevis made work so much fun!

Vintage style

2010-05-01T11:29:00.006+01:00

Here's my not-so-wee baby modelling my latest knit, which I finished off a few days ago.
It's a vintage style baby cardigan by Sirdar, which was printed in Knitting magazine as well. The yarn is Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton 4ply, part of a bargain bag from Kemps Wool Shop. I paid a fiver and got four balls of this, and six balls of the DK version in grey.

The cardigan was a very easy make, and only took two and half balls of yarn. The moss stitch texture looks and feels lovely in cotton, although the original pattern called for acrylic. It's a great pattern, and I'd highly recommend it as a quick and cute baby gift.

Spring has sprung

2010-04-30T19:09:00.006+01:00

I picked these in the garden today -

and then found this little sunflower sitting out on my doorstep!

I knitted the dress in stash yarns - Sirdar Calico for the main colour, and James C Brett Kool Kotton for the contrast. I try to avoid excessive pink, especially as she's such a little gingernut, and this dress can be worn with her big brother's old khaki t-shirts. As you can probably tell, she loves it!

I've not had much spare time recently as I'm still on tour with Hopscotch Theatre Company, and I've just got a part in a play at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow. However, I'm working on a number of small projects whenever I get a minute to myself. Next up is a burgundy cotton summer dress, again to use stash, and Kate Davies' Manu cardigan for myself.

Meet Lucy

2010-04-06T00:33:00.005+01:00

I dug out my copy of Jean Greenhowe's "Knitted Toys" last week, and as soon as I saw this little doll, I just knew I had to make it for my daughter. I say little, but the doll is slightly over 18 inches tall! She's a proper cutie, with blonde plaits and a full wardrobe of dressing up clothes. I'm going to call her Lucy.

This was a great project to use up some of my scraps of acrylic yarn, so I made Lucy a purple frilly pinafore dress and a traditional button-up cardigan in pink. The pattern includes instructions to make a hat, scarf, mittens, jumpsuit, dungarees, trousers, waistcoat and another dress, so I'll probably knit up some more outfits in the future.

New bag designs

2010-03-27T18:10:00.007Z

My stash of fabric still seems to be expanding - I think perhaps it breeds when I'm not looking! So, in an attempt to decrease the pile, I made some more bags to sell at the Make Room where I display my work.

First up, is a denim purse made from a recycled pair of jeans. I added a leopard print felt heart, edged in blanket stitch, and bright red textured buttons.

Next, I used the rest of the denim to make another purse, this time with a heart and star detail on the back, and metal jeans buttons on the front.

Finally, I used a felted scarf to make a fringed wool bag with an embroidered flower detail. I added a braided handle made from Icelandic Lopi wool that's too scratchy to knit clothes with.

Here's a wee close up of the embroidery - I did it freehand so the proportions of the flower aren't quite perfect. This is something I'd like to do more of, as I'm only confident with a basic chain and satin stitch.

I'm very busy at the moment with various knitting projects and commissions, but I have lots more bag ideas in the pipeline too.

Thomas the Tank Engine

2010-03-22T21:28:00.002Z

I'm totally bogged down in work just now, with two designs on the needles, a full-time tour to do, and the normal business of housework and childcare. Because of all that, this sweater took much longer to knit than it should have done, and there were lots of mistakes - such as the fact that the sleeves should have been set in. Oh well, my son loves it all the same!

Parliament of Owls

2010-03-14T09:59:00.006Z

I have to admit, I've become a little obsessed with the Owls sweater. I've now knitted one for each of the kids, as well as a tiny little version with a matching hat, to use as a baby gift.
Here's my mini parliament of owls!

Note to self - try not to become obsessed with a pattern that requires you to sew on tons of tiny buttons!

Eco Rabbit Bag

2010-03-05T22:06:00.003Z

As I said in my post about Fairtrade Fortnight, I decided to design a bag using fairly traded yarn. This bag was crocheted in Patons Eco Cotton, a yarn produced with BioRe cotton, which is ethically sourced and organic. I used a natural colour palette, but it would work just as well in muted pastels or even bright shades.

It's the perfect size for everyday use, with plenty of room for your essentials. The handles are reinforced, and the bag is fully lined with a stiff cardboard base. If you want your bag to be washable, you could use plastic canvas instead of cardboard to finish if off.

The pattern is available to buy now on Ravelry for £1.50, or by following the link on the right hand side of my blog.

Baby Owl

2010-03-05T18:38:00.003Z

I made the Owls sweater for myself a few weeks ago, and just had to make the baby version, Owlet, for my little girl. This is a fantastic sweater to make for gifts, as it took only two days to knit, and used just one and a quarter balls of Sirdar Supersoft Toddler Aran. The only downside is that it's quite a fitted sweater, so you have to be careful to choose the right size. I knitted the 18-24mths size, and it fits her now at just 8mths. I think she looks adorable in it!

Fairtrade Fortnight

2010-02-28T23:02:00.003Z

I've been working with Hopscotch Theatre Company for the past month, performing in a show called "Brand New Andrew and Fair Trade Fred". It's a production which is touring to schools throughout Scotland, spreading the message about fair trade and ethical consumerism. Many young people pester their parents for designer brands, but few of them know that these clothes may have a hidden human cost, often involving exploitation of children the same age as them. It's a really interesting and fun show to perform, as it encourages the audience to rethink their attitudes while also providing an hour of music, comedy and all-round entertainment.

Well, as it's currently Fair Trade Fortnight, there are plenty of events going on around the country. One such event is the Fair Trade Experience, which just took place this weekend in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. We were asked to perform our show there on Friday night to an invited audience of Co-op members and guests, and then did four excerpts over the course of the weekend. It was a fantastic event to be part of, with stalls, activities and displays to entertain people of all ages. I spent a while going round the stalls, and picked up some lovely Mothers' Day presents for my mum, as well as a jar of gooseberry jam from Swaziland for my dad. My mum's presents came mainly from a stall run by Rainbow Turtle, a stockist of fairly traded goods in Paisley. They run a charity which aims to enhance the profile of fair trade by campaigning and educating with different groups and organisations, as well as directly supporting producers in developing countries financially, and stocking their goods in both Paisley and Linlithgow. The stall had all kinds of little gifts - carved wooden tulips, pencils and pens with animal heads, felted purses, bracelets and other jewellery, little bugs made from nutshells and wooden whistles among other things.

There were so many other stalls to choose from though, and so many things which showed true crafting ingenuity. I especially liked some little wire lizards which were made from recycled soft drink cans, and shopping bags created from old remnants of plastics. I was also intrigued by a stall run by Ethics Girls, a group which aims to make it easy for us to choose ethical products. They run an on-line shop, magazine and forum, and are also becoming a co-operative. I've always assumed that fair trade fashion would be really expensive, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the prices displayed. They couldn't compete with Primark, but I think that's a good thing. Surely it's better to buy fewer, more expensive and better quality pieces of clothing than lots of throwaway fashion that harms the environment and decreases the quality of life for the people who create it.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. I'm a lover of cheap fashion and bargains as much as anyone else, but the guilt factor has been starting to creep in. I was very affected by the BBC Three series "Blood, Sweat and T-shirts", which exposed the conditions in sweat shops overseas. It was shocking to see women separated from their children and men who were unable to live with their families, as they were working such long hours for a wage that gave them no quality of life. This sort of exploitation doesn't just occur in the world of fashion though - the BBC recently screened "Blood, Sweat and Takeaways" which showed similarly appalling conditions for workers in the food manufacturing process. I've been trying to think of ways in which I can become a more ethical consumer, starting with the theme of this year's Fair Trade Fortnight, the Big Swap.

Of course, being an avid crafter, I also started thinking about the materials that I use in my work. The fair trade movement has really started to have an effect in the world of craft, with fair trade yarns becoming more and more popular. Debbie Bliss Eco, Manos del Uruguay, Mirasol, Artesano - these are just some of the yarns that benefit both rural communities and the environment. However, as we say in our show, fair trade things don't just have to come from overseas. Buying from local farmers and shops can be fair trade too, and there are many yarns made by small scale producers and cottage industries in the UK, and a huge number of crafters who sell hand-made gifts and clothing that has a more personal touch.

Personally, I think that the resurgence in handicrafts and self-sufficiency is a great thing. Sometimes it feels like the world, and our local high streets, are being taken over by giant businesses which annihilate the competition. I would love to return to the high streets of my childhood, where you could visit a greengrocer or farm shop and get fresh local produce. Now it's all too easy to go to one supermarket and get your weekly shop there, especially as we all lead such busy lives nowadays. By making and growing our own things, we can reclaim a bit of individuality. Handmade things will often be one-of-a-kind, and are so much more personal than mass-produced items in shops.

It can be hard to choose fairly traded and ecologically friendly things sometimes, especially if you're on a budget. However, crafting can be a way to avoid adding to the profits of big businesses, if you can't afford to buy the more expensive fair trade alternatives. For example, I buy most of my clothes in charity shops, as well as sourcing many of my fabrics and yarns from there. Freecycle can also be great for finding things you need, and offloading unwanted items which would otherwise go to landfill. Recycling and repurposing will help the environment, and perhaps save a little money which could then be spent on fairly traded, organic and eco-friendly goods when you do decide to buy new.

As you can probably tell, I've been quite inspired by my involvement in the Fair Trade Experience. I'm currently developing a pattern for a bag using fairly traded organic cotton sourced by bioRe. I've also put together a list of my favourite fair trade stockists, and crafters who use recycled and repurposed materials. If you can, please consider supporting some of them!

East, People Tree, Monsoon Fair Trade, Traidcraft
Nic's Eco Knits, Maximum Rabbit Designs, Swirlyarts, Lili Draws Pictures, Fizzy Popov

Cheerful orange

2010-02-12T23:42:00.004Z

I was commissioned to make an orange bag for the Make Room where I'm selling my designs, and I've been struggling to find the time to do it. I did the required charity shop trawl to get fabric a fortnight ago, but my evenings have been filled with housework and exhausted napping on the sofa. Finally, I got a few hours spare to create the bag, and this is the result.

I used an old wool coat to make the main section of the bag, and felted it slightly in the washing machine to make it extra soft and less likely to fray. Then I stitched on the embroidery border from a cotton smock top, and created a flower with a beautiful dip-dyed scarf and a yo-yo in deep orange. I added a polyester satin orange lining, and bamboo handles. I loved the buttons from the coat, so I sewed one of them into the centre of the flower.

It looks like a really easy make, but as I do everything by hand, it actually took a good few frustrating hours. The first lot of handles didn't work, so I had to take them off and add wider ones so that the bag didn't sag. However, I'm very pleased with the result, and hope the recipient will be happy!

Owls

2010-02-06T15:49:00.004Z

I just finished the most fantastic sweater EVER! I have found my new favourite pattern, and will probably make it again many times. The sweater is Owls by Kate Davies, and has currently been knitted by nearly 2500 Ravelry users. You can't argue with that sort of popularity!

The sweater is knitted from the bottom up, with a fitted look created by waist shaping at the back. Many of those who had already knitted the sweater found the shaping a bit problematic, with a sort of baggy effect forming at the top of the back. I tried to eliminate this by trying the sweater on regularly while I was making it, and adapting the shaping to fit my own measurements. I started off by making the 36" size, and then did less increasing after the waist shaping than recommended in the pattern. I made the body very long, added the sleeves, and then knitted the yoke in the 34" size for a close-fitting look. I can't decide whether or not to add button eyes, so I'm leaving the sweater plain for the moment to see how I feel.

The whole thing took only 4 days to make, but the sleeves knitted up in 2.5 hours each - such a quick project. I used Sirdar Peru, which is a lovely soft blend of wool, acrylic and alpaca - the only downside being that you can't machine wash it. I'm so happy with this project, and I'm just about to start making the child version for the kids!

The Owlet sweaters will have to wait a bit though, as first I have to finish the fair isle 1940's style sweater that I'm working on just now. Here's a sneak peek of some of the patterning...

Overdose of Purple

2010-01-29T20:04:00.005Z

Remember this post a few weeks ago, when I talked about my plans to make a sweater dress with some appallingly bright and sparkly purple yarn? Well, I'm currently wearing the finished result!

I used the Grouch pattern by Elspeth Kursh as inspiration, casting on the same number of stitches and working the decreases in the same way. Then I just went off on a tangent, and made the pattern up as I went along. I shaped the dress up to the armholes, then divided to knit front and back separately. I knitted the bodice with wide straps and added set-in sleeves, edging the whole lot with several rows of double crochet. This is the finished dress - apologies for the terrible picture!

The pattern is now available in my Ravelry store - here.

Some more bags

2010-01-29T00:00:00.005Z

Here are a couple of bags that I was commissioned to make for the gallery where I'm selling my designs. I was asked for something green, with a star theme, so made these two bags.

The first one is created from a Ted Baker scarf and a man's jumper, plus an old bed sheet. I made a sort of star-like corsage with the felted fringing from the end of the scarf, and finished it off with a big wooden button.

This is a bag for people who have a lot to carry - students, mums or business people perhaps. It comfortably holds books, files and papers, or even a large craft project. The handle is lined so that it will take quite a lot of weight without stretching.

The second bag started life as a tweed skirt, felted and transformed into a cute little handbag. I made a yo-yo corsage and finished it off with a mock leather green button and a felt circle.

The bag is fully lined in green, and has a star detail on the front. I added rolled felt handles to make it extra sturdy.

Apologies for the appalling pictures, I'm in rehearsals full time at the moment so I'm never home in daylight!

I'm so excited!

2010-01-20T20:20:00.007Z

I was trying to come up with a sensible, professional title to this post, but just couldn't think of anything. I'm so excited - says it all! There's a new gallery opened up in my local town centre, called the Make Room. It's a community project, bringing together artists of all mediums from across the county. I was tempted to go in for a look about after I spotted a display of knitting in the window, and discovered that there was a possibility that I could show my work there also.

Well, I took down a whole selection of things that I'd made, and they're now proudly displayed in the gallery! Better still, the Make Room will sell the items for me, and take no commission. It's such a fantastic opportunity to promote my work and really develop my business, and I'm really quite chuffed about it. Selling on Etsy and Folksy seems to be such a long, slow process, as it's hard to be noticed with so much competition. At this gallery I have my work displayed in a window on the main street, where I can reach a much wider audience.

The Make Room isn't just a great thing for artists selling their work though. I think it's going to have huge benefits for the local community, introducing people to a wide range of arts and crafts. They are running taster sessions and workshops in everything from glass to ceramics, textiles, photography and art. There are also opportunities to network with other artists and craftspeople, and find out about groups and classes in the local area. Everything is free, although some classes need to be booked to keep numbers manageable. Unfortunately, the project is only planned to run until June at the moment, although I'm hoping that it will be successful enough to be extended.

I went along to one of the workshops today, run by Nic from Nic's Eco Knits. Her philosophy is very similar to mine with regard to crafts, with an emphasis on using recycled materials, trawling the charity shops, and reusing everything possible. A group of us were let loose on bags of felted sweaters, fabric scraps and buttons, to make whatever we wanted during the two hour session. Nic demonstrated the technique for making a flower corsage and some yo-yos, and then we got to work. I decided to make a bag, and this was the result:

It's made with a gorgeous heathery purple felted sweater and some grey tweedy fabric, with a purple cloth lining and plaited handle. I enjoyed learning the yo yo technique, and I can see that they could be very addictive - I'm tempted to add them to everything!

I was inspired to make the bag by a larger version that I sewed yesterday, when I was getting together some stock for the gallery. This one was made with felted scarves that were hand woven in Ireland, found in one of my local charity shops.

I decorated it with a bit of the felted fringing from the scarf, with a lovely purple button as a centrepiece.

Let's go retro...

2010-01-18T22:28:00.004Z

I would like a 70's or 80's dress that I can wear with a big chunky patent belt, tights and boots.
This idea -

This yarn -

This pattern?

I think I will adapt it so that I knit in the round to the armholes, then divide for front and back, making a wide strapped bodice. Then crochet edging in a contrasting purple, perhaps adding sleeves in the purple as well. I do love to experiment. Watch this space!

Busy weekend

2010-01-17T19:58:00.009Z

It's lovely to have a quiet weekend when you can get things done, and don't have to rush around anywhere. They're few and far between for me, so I like to make the most of them.

First off, I made some little boots for H from a Sublime pattern in Knitting magazine, using some lovely soft cotton mix Sirdar Calico. They are baby Ugg style boots with a thick lined cuff, to keep little feet cosy. I made them in size 1-2 years, so will add a sole to stop her slipping on the floor as she'll be walking by the time she wears them.

Next, I continued working through my stash by using up some scraps of Sirdar Snowflake Chunky. I made these slippers for my mum, adding a little snowflake embroidery on the fronts, and contrasting buttons.

Finally, I went through my collection of sweaters and scarves to felt. I threw the whole lot in the washing machine on a 60 degree cycle, and these are the results.

They will be become bags and accessories in my Folksy shop very soon! I also salvaged these beautiful clasps off a vintage Fair Isle cardigan, which I plan to reuse on one of my current knitting projects.

A very productive weekend I think - off to watch Dancing on Ice and do some knitting now!

Winter warmers

2010-01-12T16:08:00.004Z

My mother in law gave me a fantastic gift for Christmas - money for yarn! So I allowed myself one treat in the New Year, even though I'm not supposed to be buying anything craft related. Since I was treating myself, I went to John Lewis and got some yarn that would normally be way out of my budget - Rowan Silky Tweed and two balls of Rowan Felted Tweed DK, both in a lovely heathery purple.

I made a Slouchy Copy Cat Hat with the silky tweed, which I've worn non-stop ever since. It's a great easy pattern, knitted up in an evening, and the yarn is so warm and lovely, although it doesn't have a lot of elasticity.

Then I made a pair of gloves from a Louisa Harding accessories book, using one ball of the felted tweed. I still have a ball of this left to use in the future, so I might make another beret or something, haven't decided yet. I really needed some warm things for the winter, so I'm very happy with my new hand-knits!

First makes of the New Year

2010-01-09T22:07:00.001Z

I've been knitting away busily since 2010 started, finishing off some of those WIPs that have been lingering in my living room. First up was a little bamboo cardigan for H, which I cast on months ago! The pattern called for a knitted edging and ties, but I couldn't be bothered knitting five stitches for ages. Instead, I edged the cardigan with several rows of double crochet, and added ties of ivory satin ribbon. Then I sewed on a little teddy bear patch to finish it off.

The second thing I finished was a postman hedgehog for F. He is obsessed with Camberwick Green, thanks to his grandad's vintage DVD collection! His favourite character is Peter the Postman, so I made a little Jean Greenhowe postman for him to play with. This was so easy to knit, but the finishing took a long time and was rather fiddly.

My pile of WIPs isn't any smaller though. I cast on for a lovely red cabled coat from The Knitter magazine, made two pairs of fluffy slipper socks for my sister, and knitted myself a cosy hat and gloves with some wool I got with Christmas money. Will I ever get through the to-do pile? At least I've used 10 balls of yarn towards my yearly target of 100. Back to the knitting now!

New Year

2010-01-02T20:37:00.001Z

Well, it's 2010 already! Time for me to make some New Year's resolutions. Here's what I've decided to do in the upcoming year.

1) Knit from stash
There is far too much yarn in my loft, and I have a terrible habit of being unable to resist a bargain. This year, I'm going to try and knit from stash as much as possible, only buying new yarn when absolutely necessary if it's for a gift.

2) Use 100 balls in 2010
This will help with the stash burning. I'm going to try and get through at least a hundred balls by the end of the year, but more if possible.

3) Make time for a new craft
My aunt gave me some felting stuff ages ago, and I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I'm definitely going to experiment with at least one new craft this year, and hopefully develop skills that I can combine with my knitting.

To help with the stash burning, I've compiled a list of things I want to knit this year. I do still have a lot of WIPs on the go, but I've been working through them and trying to finish some off recently.

WIPs

Denim sweater for my brother
Vintage nautical sweater for me
Long line 4ply coat for me

Things to make

Owls sweater
Glacier cabled coat
Ribbed sweater
Tapestry sweater

That'll do for the moment, I'm sure there will be plenty more things to add to this list as the year goes on!

Thermal

2009-10-16T21:05:00.001+01:00

I have just found my new favourite sweater. This is Thermal, from the online knitting magazine Knitty.

It took me two long months to knit, in between other things, and I can safely say that it will be a long time before I undertake another adult-sized sweater in 4ply yarn. However, I think the hard work involved is going to be worth it, because I LOVE this thing!

Look at the cute little ladybird buttons!

Roar!

2009-10-11T10:12:00.001+01:00

This is so cool! I was asked to test knit this hat for Kate of Tot Toppers, and I jumped at the chance. It's a stegosaurus inspired dinosaur hat, and I knew F would love it. Five hours later, I had a finished hat. It was so easy to make, with the spines being the only slightly fiddly bit. He's been wearing it ever since - here's his dinosaur face!

10 Things About Me

2009-10-02T16:01:00.001+01:00

I've been tagged by Vonnie with this - here goes!

1) I'm a professional actor, and fit in acting work around being a mum. This Christmas I'm touring as Smee in "Peter Pan" - can't wait to be a pirate!

2) I have an enormous stash of crafty things, and a notebook full of ideas, but never get enough time to do them all. Once the kids are in bed, I'm so tired that I generally just veg in front of the telly with a bit of knitting. I'm determined that one day I will try felting and beading though.

3) I used to work as a juggling teddy bear at Blair Drummond Safari Park. I hoped that sweating inside a fur fabric suit for eight hours a day would help me lose weight - no such luck! It was quite good fun though.

4) I've never been to school in my life, apart from to sit exams. I was home-educated from the start, and did all my GCSEs/A Levels through distance learning. Definitely the best thing my parents ever did for me.

5) I'm probably the biggest wimp in the world. I can't stand horror films, heights, dogs, wasps and rollercoasters - I do like spiders and snakes though.

6) When I was a kid I wanted to go to university and study Japanese. As it turned out, I trained as a nursery nurse and then went into acting - don't know what happened there!

7) I have a big family. My parents have ten siblings between them, and I'm the oldest of six. It makes family gatherings very big, noisy and fun.

8) I can raise one eyebrow, curl my tongue and make a noise like an owl hooting. Can't whistle in tune to save my life though.

9) I went to Milan on a college "research trip" (ie holiday) and did street theatre outside the cathedral in the middle of the night, then nearly got arrested and had to make a quick escape on the subway.

10) My favourite ever meal is lasagne followed by chocolate fudge cake. Very unhealthy but amazing!

Must organise...

2009-09-27T23:43:00.001+01:00

Ok, I posted a few days ago about possibly having a problem with my stash. I decided to organise it a bit better, and I have discovered that I most definitely have a problem. I'm not proud of this, but here is a photo of my yarn stash all in one place.

It's ridiculous! I'm getting close to the Ravelry term SABLE - Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. In my defence, about 50% of this stash was given to me by elderly friends or people cleaning out their cupboards, so I haven't actively bought it all. Even so, I need to get it organised and start using it up.

I currently use Ravelry's stash organiser, which is a fantastic idea, but I find it hard to keep up to date. I never get round to uploading photos of my yarn, so then I start to forget what I have. I decided to revert to a good old fashioned low-tech notebook. I'm writing down the name and weight of the yarn, the meterage per ball, and the number of balls in stash. Then I'm attaching a small sample of the yarn to the side of the page, so that I can instantly remember what it looks and feels like. The notebook can then be used alongside my pattern collection when I'm trying to find yarn for new projects.

Believe it or not, I do have plans for most of the stuff in there. The only problem is that my brain knits faster than my hands, so it's going to be a while before yarn becomes finished objects. However, my aim for the next few weeks is to match yarn to patterns and try to find some sort of order in the chaos. Wish me luck!

Homemade Book

2009-09-23T20:41:00.000+01:00

I found myself with time to kill yesterday, and spent a couple of hours browsing the craft books section in Borders. This book just jumped off the shelves at me, with a fantastic mix of craft projects, cooking, home-making ideas and gardening. It's called "Homemade: Gorgeous things to make with love", by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thomson.

There are so many amazing ideas inside this book, you could spend hours trying them all out. It's divided into sections for the four seasons, and the projects go along with this theme. I particularly loved a decorating idea for a patchwork wall, using wallpaper scraps or postcards. There's also a fantastic bag, made using old clothing labels sewn together in a patchwork design. The lining is created with the front of a shirt, and the buttons and buttonhole band form the fastening at the top of the bag.

If you're looking for inspiration I would highly recommend this book. It's whole philosophy is based around recycling, thrift and imagination, and there are plenty of projects that you can create with children as a family. The crafts covered include knitting, crochet, sewing and painting, so there's a little bit of everything.

I think I have a problem...

2009-09-19T18:44:00.000+01:00

I think I might need Yarnaholics Anonymous, if such a thing exists! I can't resist yarn when it's a bargain, and I happened to stumble upon three huge bargain bins in my local craft shop today. Even though there is far too much yarn in my stash already, I couldn't help having a rummage through the bins just to see if there was anything that took my fancy. Half an hour later, I came away with this...

Now, I know it seems like a lot of stuff, but I paid only £15 for this whole pile of yarn, and it's worth almost £50! There's some soya, a lot of cotton, and a small ball of some beautiful sparkly pink fluffy stuff. I do have plans for the sparkly stuff, as I thought I might make a sequinned purse, but I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest yet. It will probably end up as clothes for my kids, or the blue cotton might possibly become a textured cushion. It's going to be fun finding things to make!

Tilly Teddy

2009-09-17T22:59:00.000+01:00

This is Tilly Teddy, made from a pattern by Emma King in her book "The Best Dressed Knitted Bears". She's going to go to a new home with one of my son's friends, a little girl who is two. I made her with Sirdar Calico in a lovely rose pink shade, and Rowan Calmer in dusty lavender for her clothes. I did adapt the pattern quite a bit as the original had lots of sequins and things on it, and I wanted to make a very simple toy as it was for a toddler. It's a lovely little pattern though, and knits up in about 3 or 4 hours, so great for a last minute present.

Mobile Phone Case Free Pattern

2009-09-08T20:38:00.000+01:00

My husband amazed me today, when he asked me to knit him a case for his mobile phone. This is from a man who usually hates knitting and handmade things, so I jumped at the opportunity. He recently bought some very cool Adidas trainers in bright multi colours, and wanted the case to match them.

I have a whole box of bright coloured acrylic yarn oddments in the loft, so I dug out a variety of colours and set to work. The pattern is below if anyone wants to have a go, and he loves the finished result!

Mobile Phone Case

You will need:

3.25mm knitting needles
4mm crochet hook
Yarn in your preferred colours - I used black as the main colour, and blue, pink, orange, purple, yellow and green as the contrast colours.

This case measures 4.5 x 3 inches.

Cast on 20 sts (this can be adjusted to make a wider or narrower case, but make the number divisible by two) and knit 2 rows in stocking stitch. All subsequent rows will also be in stocking stitch.

Row 1 - With the first contrast colour, knit two stitches. Then knit two stitches each in the second and third contrast colours. Repeat to the end of the row.

Row 2 - Purl this row, working all stitches in the same colours as previous row.

Rows 3 & 4 - Work two rows in with main colour.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 with the other three contrast colours.

*Knit 6 rows with the main colour. Knit 1 row in the first contrast colour.

Repeat from * 8 times, using each contrast colour in turn, and starting again from the beginning when all have been used once.

Knit 2 rows in main colour.

Cast off.

Fold the case in half so that the cast off edge is just under the checked piece of knitting, matching all stripes. Sew the side seams with backstitch, and weave in ends.

Edge the top opening and flap of the case with two rows of double crochet in the main colour, adding a chain loop in the centre of the flap on the second row.

Sew on a button to finish!

Designed by Torya Williams for ButterflySparkleDesigns, 2009. Please do not reproduce the pattern or the design for financial gain.

Vintage knitting

2009-08-26T21:46:00.001+01:00

My mum has a huge collection of old books which I like to browse through from time to time, and I discovered this fantastic vintage knitting book the other day. It's called Practical Home Knitting, and was reprinted in 1949. Some of the patterns are charmingly dated - for example a brightly coloured fair isle hat and scarf set that will apparently be sought after by any young man under twenty. I can't quite see my teenage brothers wearing it!

I did notice one pattern that I thought would look great knitted up as a modern garment. It's a sailor style top with a textured boat pattern and a classic sailor collar.

The pattern called for 3ply yarn and No. 9 needles, which seemed like an odd match to me. I went on the internet to find out some information about vintage yarns and knitting, and discovered a number of really useful websites. Kristen Rengren has written a whole series of articles about the subject, covering everything from yarn substitution to adapting gauge for a better fit. There's also a website called Skiff Vintage Knitting which has a lot of tips and tricks for deciphering the patterns.

I was quite lucky in that the pattern happened to be in my size already, so I didn't have to worry too much about adapting it. According to the websites I found, vintage 3ply is more like modern 4ply yarn. I swatched some grey Regia yarn with the No. 9 (3.75mm) needles, but the tension was just too loose. Then I remembered a cone of blue acrylic at the back of my stash, and swatched this with 3.25mm needles. It knitted up beautifully, so I got started!

The pattern is beautifully designed, with hems at the bottom and sleeve edges, and of course the lovely textured pattern. I think it's going to look quite cool with jeans when it's finished, and tie into the nautical trend that always seems to pop up again in fashion. Even if I never wear it, it's a fun experiment in vintage knitting, and I've learnt loads!

Moss stitch purse

2009-08-17T20:19:00.001+01:00

John Lewis was having a sale, and I couldn't resist picking up a few (well, lots!) of bargains. I haven't made anything for my Folksy shop for ages, so I decided to design a purse with some RYC Cotton Jeans.

I made it in moss stitch with a double crochet edging on the flap, and a crochet hexagon on the back. The lining is made from yellow cotton, and there's a zip fastening under the poppered flap. It's perfect for holding money and cards, or using as a little evening clutch bag.

The colour scheme was inspired by 70s hippy style and citrus fruit, which might not be to everyone's taste, but I like it! I'm off to have a look through the rest of my purchases and do some more designing now.

Although, it's hard to find the time when there's something this cute to play with...

Crochet football

2009-08-02T22:35:00.001+01:00

I've finished my first real crochet project! It's a football from Simply Knitting magazine, and although it was supposed to be for H, F hasn't let go of it since I sewed the last stitch! I used cotton yarn from my stash for the outside, and white cotton fabric for the lining.

The crocheting was easy enough to do once I got into it, but it took me a while to work out how to do the lining. I had to cut out pentagon shapes, and maths has never been my strong point. My old protractor was dug out for the first time since I did my GCSEs!

I'm inspired by the success of this project, so I'm working on a rug for the kids' room now, and would like to try a doily at some point. Crochet is more fun than I thought - now I just need to learn to do it without looking so I can watch telly at the same time!

Our dinner from the garden

2009-07-27T22:44:00.001+01:00

We enjoyed our first meal with home-grown produce this evening! I went out and picked about a quarter of the current pea crop, and got F to help me shell them. Of course he ate a lot of them while he was "helping", but we still had these left for tea.

My dad had helped me to lift a row of potatoes the other day, and it looks like we'll have a good sized crop of them as well.

Put them together with a bit of fish, and we had a lovely meal.

I'm looking forward to getting the rest of the crop, and expanding the vegetable garden next year. This year I just planted strawberries, peas, potatoes and onions. However, I've got a raspberry bush which should be ready to fruit next autumn, and there's rhubarb at the bottom of the garden as well. I'd like to have a try at carrots and tomatoes, and I would love an apple tree. Roll on self-sufficiency!

My first blog award!

2009-07-17T19:59:00.000+01:00

I've been given a blog award by The Crystal Lady - look, here it is!

This is the first award I've ever had, and I'm so pleased! The rules of the award are as follows -

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you love and/or have newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

4. Use the One Lovely Blog award picture from my blog, on your blog to let everyone know that you have one lovely Blog!

I'm going to pass it on to:

Adventures of a Lady in Training

Tatting my Doilies

Anna Maria Horner

Incy Wincy Stitches

Maximum Rabbit Designs

Inspiration

2009-06-23T21:10:00.000+01:00

The urge to "nest" is making me do strange things. The other day I decided to sort out my bin liner of scrap pieces of yarn. This bag is full of wool, cotton, acrylic, bamboo - all kinds of fibres, colours, shapes and sizes of balls, from mohair to boucle and everything in between. I've always intended to have a look through it and make something beautiful with all the different colours, but I never got round to starting the job.

I decided to start by getting everything out on the floor and making some sort of colour wheel so that I could see what was there. I'm no artist, so the colour wheel was made entirely from memory, and might not be 100% accurate!

I discovered that there were some largish balls that might make a little bag or perhaps a pair of baby bootees. Other scraps are so small that they would need to be combined in a patchwork design, or knitted in stripes.

I love the deep pink colours that I found - some scraps of cashmere and merino, one ball of novelty silky yarn, and vintage crepe from the 1950s.

Then I discovered sea-green mohair, some slubby dark green wool, and Lister Lee Bri-Nylon in a lurid yellow colour. I dread to think how this would have looked when knitted up into a whole garment!

Some beautiful soft fluffy yellow angora made me think of Easter chicks, so maybe there's a toy just waiting to be knitted up there.

Then I came across this mix of fibres in cool, calming shades - speckly tweed wool, soft dove grey bamboo, and fuzzy lilac mohair.

So what will I do with these oddments? First of all they went into a clear plastic box, rather than being consigned to the binbag. Then I went looking for pattern links and ideas that used lots of colours. One of my favourites has to be Miaou's fish blanket, a riot of colours and giving off an air of rainbow cheerfulness. I don't know if I have the patience for this type of project though!
I also love Attic 24's crochet hexagons, although I think I'd need to use yarns that were all the same type in order to get a good finished effect. Alternatively, I'm really inspired by these freeform crochet ideas. The mix of colours and textures would be perfect for my assortment of yarns, and I could create a wall hanging or some really unique artwork.

On the other hand, I may throw a whole load of colours together and see if inspiration strikes me - if anyone has any ideas for using up random scraps of yarn, feel free to send me a link and let me know!

Cyber Sam

2009-06-20T00:29:00.001+01:00

Can you guess what this is going to be?

It's Alan Dart's fantastic Cyber Sam robot, published in last month's Simply Knitting magazine! Of course, my son fell in love with him straight away, so I set about making a toddler friendly version. Alan's patterns always look so complex, but are actually quite simple when you get going. The whole thing took me two days to make, and most of that was sewing up time.

The original version was meant to have aerials made out of cotton buds, and cardboard stiffeners in his feet, but I left those bits out so that it would be machine washable. I also adapted the face a bit to make it more friendly, and here's the finished result!

It was a great project to use up some of my acrylic stash, and as the pattern suggests, you could make it in so many different colours. I love the design of the arms and legs, because you can move all the joints to create a properly poseable toy. Although you can't see in this picture, there are little knitted rivets at each joint as well - such attention to detail! I'm a real Alan Dart fan now, and I'm off to make up some of his snuggly bugs from the latest edition of Simply Knitting, to use up a bit more of that stash.

Topknot Hat Free Pattern

2009-06-16T18:33:00.000+01:00

I loved the natural colours of these yarns, and wanted to create a hat that reflected the earthy theme in its design. This topknot hat is like a little pumpkin with a stalk, and will look cute on a boy or a girl. The yarns are soft and pure organic cottons, but also machine washable, a great bonus for new mums!

Size

3-6 months, with head circumference approx. 36-38 cm.

Materials needed

1 x Patons Eco Cotton shade 00110, 100% cotton, 130m/142yds per 50g ball (Yarn A)
1 x Freedom Sincere DK shade 603, 100% cotton, 115m/126yds per 50g ball (Yarn B)
1 pair 3.25mm needles

Tension

24sts x 32 rows – 10cm/4in in stocking stitch with yarn A.

Abbreviations

K - knit
K2tog - knit 2 stitches together
P - purl
RS - right side
St(s) - stitch(es)
St st - stocking stitch

Pattern Instructions

Cast on 90sts using A, and work 4 rows st st, beginning with a K row.

Next row (RS) – K16, K2tog, K17, K2tog, K16, K2tog, K17, K2tog, K16 (86sts).

Work 5 rows st st, beginning with a P row.

Change to B, and work 4 rows K2 P2 rib.

Change to A, and work 18 rows st st, beginning with a K row.

Decrease for top of hat

Row 1 – *K4, K2tog, rep. from * to last 2sts, K2(72sts).

2nd and every alt row – P to end.

Row 3 - *K3, K2tog, rep. from * to last 2sts, K2(58sts)

Row 5 - *K2, K2tog, rep. from * to last 2sts, K2(44sts)

Row 7 - *K1, K2tog, rep. from * to last 2sts, K2(30sts)

Row 8 – P to end.

Change to yarn B and work 2 rows st st beginning with a K row.

Next row – K2tog to end (15sts).

Next row – *K2tog, rep. from * to last st, K1 (8sts).

Work 3 rows st st, beginning with a P row.

Next row – K2tog to end (4sts).

P 1 row.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, pull through remaining sts and draw up tightly to secure. Sew the seam with a narrow backstitch. Work blanket stitch round the cast on edge with colour B to finish.

Designed by Torya Williams for ButterflySparkleDesigns, 2009. Please do not reproduce the pattern or the design for financial gain.

Mitered square blanket

2009-06-12T22:27:00.000+01:00

I've been working on this blanket for a wee while now, and decided to get it finished off before the baby arrives. It's been a great project to use up stash cotton, and I'm happy with the way the colours work together. Unfortunately, I laid it out on the floor to see what my husband thought, and he pointed out that one of the mitered squares is slanted in the wrong direction! My inner perfectionist has serious problems with this, but there's no way I'm unpicking the whole thing just to re-angle one square.

I made the squares by casting on 66 stitches and knitting one row (on the wrong side). I then did the mitered square pattern until there were 2 stitches left, and knitted the two together. They're really easy squares to do, so great mindless telly-watching knitting. There are only two rows -
Row 1 - K to centre 4 sts, K2tog twice, K to end.
Row 2 - K to end
I used the tutorial on this blog as inspiration.

I joined the finished squares together by crocheting them, which saved my sanity by eliminating a lot of sewing up. Then I edged the whole blanket with 5 rows of double crochet. The yarns were a real mix - Avanti Cotton, Rowan Handknit DK Cotton, and some unidentified charity shop finds. However, they all appear to have knitted up to a reasonably similar tension and work well together.

Gifts for baby Harry

2009-06-07T23:47:00.000+01:00

I found out the other day that one of my ex-workmates had become a father for the first time. I love any excuse to make baby gifts, so I had a look through my patterns and planned a wee present. I decided to go with a brown/natural theme rather than the traditional boyish blue, which gave me an excuse to go yarn shopping.

Here's the completed present -

I made the teddy bear from a pattern that was free with this month's Knitting magazine. Designed by Emma King, it came as either a ballerina or a pirate bear. I took the basic pattern and made it in Freedom Sincere DK, a gorgeous soft organic cotton. Then I cut out little patches from denim with pinking shears and hand-embroidered a satin stitch H on the tummy patch, as the baby's name is Harry.

The socks were from an amazing book, packed full of adorable designs - Cute Knits for Baby Feet by Sue Whiting. I made the pattern "Socks in a Box", in a 3-6 months size to allow for growing room. The yarn was Patons' Eco Cotton, in a lovely variegated brown and cream colour with orange flecks. I had a few problems with the wrap and turn technique and grafting the toes, as the socks are just so tiny. I forgot how small baby feet can be!

Finally, I decided to make a wee beanie hat with the remaining yarn. I wanted something that would be wearable in summer and autumn, and would fit a 3-6 months size. There are many beanie hat patterns around, but I just decided to make up my own, after measuring a baby hat that I had lying around. I was really happy with the result, and will probably write up the pattern when I get a chance.

I wanted all the packaging to tie in with the theme, so I made tags with brown paper and attached them to the gifts with raffia. I also made a little card with brown cardboard and denim, and then wrapped the whole thing up in brown paper. I hope they like it, and I can't wait to see some cute baby pictures!

Stash burning!

2009-06-06T22:56:00.001+01:00

I have a confession to make - I have a ridiculously large stash of yarn in my loft. When I say large, I really mean large - at the moment it fills 10 stacking boxes, a bin bag, and a big crate. In my defence, I didn't buy most of it. I live in the town where Patons' yarns were originally produced, and when the mill closed down my mum bought up loads of the stock. As she doesn't knit much, I took at lot of it off her hands. Then other people found out that I knit, and offered me their excess stash. Then there's Freecycle, charity shops, etc etc - the stash just keeps growing!

Over on Ravelry there's a thread where people are flashing their stash, posting a photo of the whole thing altogether. I couldn't do that without some major reshuffling, but I decided to have a look in the boxes and see if I could actually use some of it. As it happened, I found five big 250g balls of baby acrylic yarn, which I had bought when Aldi was doing a craft offer. I've knitted in the past for the charity Bonnie Babies, so I decided to use up the yarn by making some clothes for them.

For those who haven't heard of them, Bonnie Babies are a brilliant Scottish charity who make clothes for premature babies in hospitals, as well as blankets and burial garments for the little ones who sadly don't make it. They send to hospitals all over the UK, to a neonatal unit in Rwanda, and to Blythswood Care as well. They're being supported by John Lewis in Edinburgh and Glasgow, so if you're in the area you might see their patterns and information on display in the stores. I dug out some premature sized patterns and got knitting, starting on May 11. I finished the last ball today (well, I cheated a bit - about 75g of the white was so tangled up that I threw it away) so that's almost 1250g of yarn used in less than a month!

Now I'm going to finish up my other projects currently on the go, and I also have a baby gift to make for a little boy who was born the other day. Then I'll have a look through the stash and see if I can clear some more out of the way - leaving me room to buy more of course!

A good use for old jeans

2009-05-25T00:41:00.001+01:00

My little sister turned 17 today, so I spent a few hours the other day making a present for her. I have a couple of old pairs of jeans that I wanted to make use of, so I decided on a denim tote bag. It took about 3 hours to make and broke the needle of my sewing machine, so I had to put the handles on by hand, but I really enjoyed making it. Here's a picture of the finished bag -

I ripped open the leg seams of the jeans and sewed them together front and back to make a square bag shape. Then I stitched down the pocket linings at the front to make solid pockets, and sewed the zip and fly shut. I had a black and white skirt that I got in a charity shop, which I used to make the lining -

The handles were two strips of denim, folded in half, stitched together and then turned right sides out. I stitched them flat and attached them with a solid backstitch. After that I added a felt applique - probably should have done this bit first, but it was an afterthought as I thought the bag looked a bit plain. I also added a necklace from my goth days as a bag charm.

She usually wears mainly black, so I was slightly worried that it wouldn't quite be to her taste, but she seemed to really like it when I gave it to her today. I still have another pair of jeans left in my fabric stash, so might have a go at making another bag now I know what I'm doing.

Freecycle finds

2009-05-22T09:38:00.000+01:00

Weaving is something I've always wanted to try, ever since I experimented with a plastic toy loom as a child. I was really excited to see weaving looms advertised on Freecycle, and even more excited when they arrived at my door! A local school was throwing out the old stock from its home-economics department, and I got two looms and a knitting machine.

The knitting machine is a Bond one, and looks as if it dates from the 70s. I've not had it out of the box yet, but it looks as if all the bits are there, and there should be instructions that I can follow. The looms are a bit more confusing though. This one is a children's toy, probably from the 60s.

There are basic instructions inside the box, which are beautifully old-fashioned. The user is advised to start off with scraps of wool from "Mother's sewing box". There is supposed to be a pattern book included, which has obviously gone missing at some point, but I think I should be able to work out how to thread and use the loom, as everything else appears to be there.

The other loom is much more confusing though. This one is larger, about 12 by 18 inches. It has a project on it already, made with string, raffia and wool.

I'm not sure how it's supposed to work though. I don't really know much about weaving looms, but I thought that you should be able to wind the completed work round one end, so that you could make a piece of cloth that's longer than the length of the loom. There are also these pieces of cloth attached to rollers at either end, which have wooden slats tied to the edges of them.

I don't have a box or any instructions for this loom, so I'm not sure how to identify it. If anyone knows how to use it, or can point me in the right direction for some advice, that would be really helpful! I can't wait to get experimenting.

Babies on the brain

2009-05-18T23:26:00.000+01:00

I only have 40 days to go now until my due date with this little one, so I've been thinking about crafty things I can make for her. I tried making reusable wipes with some old towels, by cutting squares and then machine sewing a zig zag stitch about a centimetre in from the edge. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped them fraying, so I might need to work out another way to finish them. I'm also going to knit some little washcloths with soft pink and blue cotton that I have in my stash, using the Grandmother's Favourite dishcloth pattern. After that, I'm sure I'll have time to make a little summer cardigan or two - baby knitting is so much fun, and the patterns for girls are lovely!

Of course, I'm getting really broody with the due date approaching so fast. Also, Vonnie from Adventures of a Lady in Training has just had the most gorgeous new baby girl, so I'm even more desperate to meet my own little one after seeing the pictures. I've also been knitting a lot recently for Bonnie Babies charity, doing premature and newborn size cardigans to try and use up the masses of baby acrylic I have in my stash. Here are a couple of things I've been working on in the past few days. This jacket was from an old King Cole pattern.

This little cardigan took ages to do because it had separate button and buttonhole bands. I remember now why I usually avoid those kind of patterns!

On the needles just now is a garter stitch baby blanket, the sort that is worked like a giant dishcloth, from corner to corner. The pattern calls for a knitted lace edging, but I haven't got the patience for that, so I think I'll be trying out my rusty crochet skills and making some sort of basic crocheted edge just to finish it off.

Car boot sale booty

2009-05-09T19:55:00.000+01:00

Today I took a trip through to the Kinross car boot sale, with the aim of finding some brown and cream fabric that I could make into a sofa throw. As always though, I got a bit sidetracked when I was going round the stalls, and ended up with a few extra things.

For example, there was all this Wendy Pure at 50p a ball - usually £2.50 in the shops. I thought the little pattern would be lovely to knit up for the new arrival, so I snapped this up straight away.

Then I saw some more wool - lovely baby 4ply and some soft aran. I couldn't leave the bag of buttons and the cute little wooden ladybirds, so I had to have them as well.

After that, I found a little box filled with reels of cotton, needles and sewing bits and pieces, so I had to have that as well.

On the way home, my husband told me that I'd got a message from someone on Freecycle, offering me a whole load of fabric oddments that I'd requested. We decided to call in at their house and pick up the stuff, and I discovered that it wasn't just fabric oddments, there were zips and binding as well.

Just look at this cool cow-themed stuff!

I went to my mum's house to show her all the things I'd got, and she handed me a book on cushion making and a silk scarf painting kit that she'd found in her wardrobe! All in all, a very good day.

Oh yes, the sofa throw. Well I picked up a brown pillowcase that I might be able to use... :D

My first sewn cushions!

2009-05-08T20:24:00.000+01:00

I'm ridiculously proud of these cushions I made today, even though they are the simplest things in the world to sew. It's the first time I've used my sewing machine to put in a zip, and I'm very pleased with the finished effect. Here they are, all piled on my sofa.

The fabric came from a charity shop, and started life as a pair of curtains, also originally handmade I think. They only cost £2.99, and were very faded and sun damaged in places. Luckily, the fabric was relatively undamaged on the right side, so I was able to cut out my pattern pieces without too much trouble. I bought some cheap cushions out of Primark to use the pads, so I took the covers off and used them as a template for cutting the pattern. I sewed in the zips and did all the seaming on my sewing machine, and then hand stitched the cord edging on. I had been looking for piping cord that I could stitch into the seams, but Remnant Kings in Glasgow only had the stuff that you have to cover yourself - a bit too advanced for me just yet!

The four cushions took about 6 hours to make today, so it was lucky that my son was with his granny for the day and I could just sew until the job was done. Now I have red and brown cushions, and I feel like it needs just a bit of cream in there as well to tie the colour scheme together. The trouble is, I'm rubbish at combining colours, so I'm not sure how best to incorporate the cream. I was thinking of getting some brown and cream patterned fabric and making two more cushions with this, using up the rest of the brown piping I have.

Then I thought I could make a throw for the sofa, using the rest of the red, brown and cream fabrics, and binding it round the edges. Perhaps something patchwork in squares, but I don't know how best to put the colours together. I'll have to dig through my fabric stash and go charity shopping again, and see what I can do. Tomorrow I'm off to visit the Kinross Saturday car boot sale, so I might just find something I can use.

Cosy cushions

2009-05-08T00:48:00.000+01:00

I finished my knitted cushions for the living room this evening, and they are so cosy! I used Sirdar Supersoft Toddler Aran, as my husband and son both have eczema and would be irritated by wool. Acrylic will be hard wearing as well, which is an extra bonus. The patterns came from Simply Knitting magazine, and were designed by Sophie Britten. The cushions only took one and half balls of yarn each, so they were cheap as well as quick and easy to make.

Here they are sitting on my sofa - I've changed the picture to one in daylight. The colours are pretty much true to life, with one chocolate brown and one sort of mocha coloured.

Now I can start work on the sewn cushions, which will be a much bigger challenge for me. I'll dig out the sewing machine tomorrow, and have a read through tutorials of how to sew in zips. They're going to be terracotta red with chocolate brown piping, so the colours should tie in nicely.

Nursery Knits and cushion making

2009-05-04T21:10:00.001+01:00

I went to Dunfermline today, and had a wee look around the clearance book store in the shopping centre. This book just jumped off the shelves at me - at £2.99 instead of £14.99, it was a bargain!

There are some lovely patterns inside, so I'm hoping to knit up a couple of things for the baby, and probably a little teddy bear for F.

Tomorrow, I'm going to take a trip into Glasgow to get supplies for the cushions I'm making. The knitting is going well, I just need cushion pads to go inside the covers. I'll also need zips and trimmings for the sewn cushions I'm making, which are going to be stitched out of an old pair of curtains I got in a charity shop. As a very inexperienced user of a sewing machine, I'm a bit nervous about the whole putting-in-zips thing. I found this tutorial on another blog, which looks really useful. However, I could avoid the whole zip issue altogether - this tutorial explains how to do an envelope cushion with piping instead.

I think cushions with piping look really finished and neat, so I might go for this option and see if I can put in a zip as well.

More Felt Applique

2009-05-02T21:01:00.000+01:00

I've finally finished my secret test knitting! Just have to get it all made up and sent away, then I can start on more projects in my extensive queue. Meanwhile, I've been working on the felt applique book that I started ages ago. Here are some pictures of the latest pages.

E is for Eggs. These little eggs have cheeky smiling faces, and slot into the egg boxes.

F is for Fish. The scales are going to be numbered with 3D fabric paint at some point.

G is for Grass. There's a little worm hiding behind the tall grass, for children to find.

H is for Helicopter. The rotor blades are hinged with a button, and can be spun round and round.

I is for Ice Cream. The scoops of ice cream are all velcroed so different combinations can be made.

I haven't had any inspiration for J yet, although I think it will be Jelly Beans.
K is for Kangaroo. The baby fits into its mother's pouch.

Finally, L is for Lollipop. The lollipop heads are all velcroed so they can be put on different sticks.

The way things are going, I might just get this finished before baby number two makes an appearance!

Lentil Soup

2009-04-29T17:12:00.000+01:00

Today I decided to find a use for the bag of lentils I've had in my cupboard for about six months. I'm not a very confident cook, so I thought soup would be the easiest thing to do. It turned out really well, so well in fact that there are no photos in existence as it disappeared too quickly! Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try.

Lentil Soup (serves 4)

175g red lentils
3 small onions
4 medium sized potatoes
5 or 6 average sized carrots
Vegetable stock cube

Put the lentils in a pan of water and boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in 3/4 pint of boiling water, and add to the lentils. Peel and chop the onions, potatoes and carrots, and add to the pan. Simmer gently until the total cooking time is about an hour, or until all the vegetables are soft. Take the pan off the heat and blend the soup until smooth. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Yummy crusty bread

2009-04-24T21:03:00.000+01:00

I've always wanted to be more self-sufficient, but I've been too lazy/tired/busy to actually do anything about it. Well, today I took advantage of a child-free day and made some bread. I'm so proud of it - two lovely white crusty loaves. I just ate a few slices with butter and jam, and it's so good! Think I'll have to start getting up earlier and baking my own bread, the shop stuff just can't compete with a good home-made loaf.

Handbag Tutorial

2009-04-23T23:38:00.000+01:00

I designed and made a handbag this evening, as a gift for my mother-in-law's birthday. I've decided to write up a tutorial of how I did it, as I really like the design and will probably experiment and make more in the future.

The bag is made of dusky pink suede, salvaged from a second-hand skirt. I lined it with deep purple fabric, and finished it with a felt flower and a wooden button. It measures approximately 12 inches wide by 9 inches high, although it could be made in a variety of sizes. I had a few issues with the cutting out, as the skirt I used had been cut on the bias, making it difficult to get a straight bit of fabric. I'm not the world's best sewer, and a lot of this was trial and error, so there are probably better ways to achieve the finished result. However, the whole thing took about 4 1/2 hours to make, so quite a quick and easy project.

To make the bag, cut out two large rectangles of fabric, one in the main fabric, and one in the lining. Cut these rectangles on the fold, so that there doesn't need to be a seam at the bottom of the bag.

Next, sew the side seams on both pieces using a backstitch. Trim the seams and press them flat to produce a neater effect.

Turn the main bag piece right side out, and place the lining piece inside, so that the wrong sides are touching. Line up the corners and seams, and then pin the two pieces together around the top of the bag opening. Using a double thread for extra security, gather round the top of the opening with a running stitch. The aim is to draw in the top of the bag just enough to create the desired effect, while still leaving a sizeable top opening. Secure the gathering thread and spread out the finished gathers evenly.

Next, cut a piece of the main fabric to use as a binding for the top of the bag. This should be long enough to go round the opening, and wide enough to edge the top of the bag for about 3/4 of an inch on both the right and wrong sides. Pin the binding in place round the top of the bag with the right sides touching, making sure that the gathering thread is covered. Seam the two ends of the binding before attaching them to the opening of the bag, so that a neat seam will be seen on the right side. Sew the binding in place with a firm backstitch.

Turn the binding to the right side, fold over a hem, and then pin the hemmed edge to the inside of the bag. Make sure that both sides of the binding are an equal depth. Sew the second side of the binding in place - I used a tiny whip stitch for this.

Your bag should now look like this - in my picture the pins are still showing, but you get the idea!

The next step is to make the handles. Cut two long strips of fabric, about 2 to 3 inches wide. Fold in half lengthways with the right sides together, and sew a seam with backstitch. Turn the handle right side out, using a knitting needle or something similar to help if necessary. Fold the raw edges inside the handle at each end, and then attach the ends to the inside of the bag. I used a whip stitch for this bit. Although I handsewed everything, you could probably sew this quite neatly on a machine, perhaps oversewing decoratively with a contrasting thread. You can see the different stages of the handles in this picture - I'm holding one handle before it's turned the right way out, and the other handle has already been attached.

The final stage is to decorate your bag. I used a felt flower with a wooden button at the centre, and sewed it near the top of the bag. You could also add sequins, applique, flowers, buttons, ribbons - anything that suits you and your taste.

The smell of fresh baking...

2009-04-22T19:46:00.000+01:00

Here are the scones I baked this evening, to use up some flour and margarine I had left. They smell amazing, and look so yummy that I don't know if they'll last the night!

The recipe is really simple, adapted from Delia Smith, and here it is if anyone wants to try it. These quantities make 6 scones, but you can double it if you have a bigger family than I do.

4oz self-raising flour
3/4 oz margarine

Sift the flour and rub in the margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a large teaspoon of caster sugar, and mix in milk to make a smooth dough. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's about 2cm thick, and then cut rounds. Brush the tops with milk to make them golden, and bake on Gas Mark 7 for 15 minutes (ish). Enjoy!

Felt Applique Book

2009-04-21T21:53:00.001+01:00

UFOs. Unfinished Objects. The bane of my life! I've spent the past year steadily working through my knitting UFOs, and have managed to get things down to just two projects on the go at any one time - one that I work on, and one that I need to finish but can't be bothered with. Now it's time to start on the sewing and embroidery projects.

I started to make a felt applique alphabet book when I was about 16, inspired by a 70s/80s American craft book belonging to my mum. I started to cut out and sew some of the pieces, then it all went into a box until I got pregnant with my first child four years later. I thought pregnancy would be the perfect opportunity to finish the project, especially as I was confined to a sofa for most of the last few months. Off I went to the nearest haberdashers, bought the remaining felt that I needed, and cut out all the pieces. This time I managed to sew all the pages up until the letter "K". Then the reality of life with a new baby kicked in, and the applique book disappeared along with all my spare time.

I'm now determined to finish the book before the end of this pregnancy, which gives me a deadline of about nine and a half weeks. Here are a few photos of some of the pages I've done so far.

A is for Apple. The ladybird is velcroed on the back so it can be stuck on the apple in different places.

B is for Butterfly. This one isn't quite finished yet. The pompoms will be attached to pieces of yarn to form antennae, and can be threaded through the holes in the wings.

C is for Clown. He's a bit freaky actually, and clowns don't usually scare me! Apologies for the awful quality of the picture, I need to learn how to take good photos.

And finally (for the moment), D is for Dinosaur. His jaw is hinged with a button, so he can snap his sharp teeth. He's a friendly dinosaur though - he carries a daisy as he skips through the meadow.

I'll post some more pictures of my progress soon - hopefully in better light!

Busy weekend

2009-04-19T20:32:00.000+01:00

This weekend I finished the sample and test knitting I was doing for Abstract Fiber. It's all parcelled up now, ready to be sent off. I test knitted fingerless gloves with a braided cuff, which taught me a new technique. The cuff was cast on with a provisional cast on which gives you two sets of stitches, and then knitted sideways. When it's long enough to go round your wrist, you kitchener stitch the live stitches to the extra cast on set - a perfect seamless join! I really like the end result.

Here's a close up of the lovely braided cuff pattern as well.

I finished the test knitting just in time, as one of my work colleagues asked me to help her with a fancy dress costume. She's off to a hen night as She-Ra, and needed to make armbands and a gold emblem for the front of her dress. I love a challenge, so volunteered to take the whole thing home and finish it off. I made the pieces double sided and sandwiched some wadding in between them, then quilted it to show up the details. Here's a photo of the finished pieces - I did try to get my son to model, but he wasn't too keen!

Wedding gifts

2009-04-13T10:57:00.001+01:00

One of my managers at work is getting married soon, and I decided to make her a present for her wedding. I was a bit stuck for ideas, and after trawling loads of craft sites and books, I still couldn't think of anything to make. I wanted the present to be practical, rather than something like a sampler or a keepsake, and I wanted to tone in with the pink/grey theme of her wedding.

Eventually, I settled on a photo album, and bought one to use as a base to decorate. I had a pink suede skirt which I used to cover the album, and I embroidered a cute little rabbit from Somebunny to Love to go on the front. I then added buttons to the corners, a ribbon edging, and soft purple cardboard endpapers inside. I was toying with adding the date of their wedding and labelling it as a wedding photo album, but I decided to leave it quite neutral so that they won't be limited in how they choose to use it. I'm very pleased with the finished result - here it is!

It was nice to do something other than knitting for a change. I also made them a card, which was really fiddly to cut out and nearly took longer than making the album!

Abstract Fiber

2009-04-12T23:04:00.000+01:00

I'm knitting again, this time for Abstract Fiber in Portland, Oregon. A parcel arrived through the post the other day, with two gorgeous skeins of yarn for me to use. The one on the left is Smith Rock, and on the right is Lady Macbeth, both 4ply weight hand-dyed superwash merino.

I'm sample knitting the Spring Forward socks from Knitty with the Smith Rock colourway, and also test knitting a pair of fingerless gloves with the other colour. The yarn knits up beautifully, although I had to go through a long and frustrating evening of hand winding it into balls before I could get on with the actual knitting. After two days' work, here's the progress on the socks so far.

I really like the pattern, although it doesn't show up too clearly in this photo. It's very simple to remember, perfect for someone like me who likes to watch telly while knitting. I tend to get lost in lace patterns quite easily if I'm not concentrating, but it would be very hard to go wrong with these socks. There are only two simple pattern rounds, and every other round is plain knitting.

I'm hoping to get these two projects finished off quite quickly, as another parcel arrived on Friday - Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran for the final test knitting project on my to-do list. Unfortunately I can't reveal anything about this one at the moment, apart from the fact that it includes lots of colourwork and charts, so it will need my full concentration!

What a busy day!

2009-04-12T22:44:00.000+01:00

I'm knackered after today! Not only was it Easter Sunday, but it was also my second wedding anniversary. I was woken up by my husband with a bunch of a dozen pink roses, which was lovely, but made me feel bad because I hadn't thought we were getting each other anything! Here they are in my living room, brightening the place up.

I decided to be productive, so I got up early and baked banana bread with my son. It's the first time I've tried it, and I had a few issues with the cooking time and the consistency. After a phone call to my sister, who's more of an expert than I am, I managed to produce a fairly successful loaf. I would have taken a photo, but it didn't last long enough for that! It's been ages since I've baked anything, as my husband tends to do pretty much all of the cooking. I'm feeling all domestic goddessy now, and am even considering sewing myself a little apron for the kitchen!

We all went to visit the in-laws for an Easter buffet lunch, and had far too much chocolate - I have had to hide one of my Easter eggs in a cupboard so that I'm not tempted to eat it any time soon. I'm determined not to get too massive at the end of this pregnancy, as I was so uncomfortable last time.

After that, I went to work for a long and exhausting shift. We were absolutely mobbed, so I was glad to get home and put my feet up. Happy Easter everybody!

More test knitting

2009-04-06T14:13:00.000+01:00

Here are some finished pictures of my latest test knitting ventures. I'm finally reaching the end of my to-do pile!

First up, the Laced Leaves cardigan by Carol Feller. Here's a front view...

...and a back view, which shows up the lovely pattern.

I also finished test knitting the SOLI sock for the Cupcake Factory, which is in aid of the charity Streams of Life International. I love the wavy effect of the pattern, and here's a snap of the finished item.

This picture shows the pattern much more clearly.

I've really enjoyed doing all these test knits, but I will be glad to have some time to finish off outstanding projects and work on some of my own designs for a change. My garden is also calling desperately for attention, so now that summer is definitely on the way I'll be able to get stuck into the wilderness and make it all pretty!

Sneaky peek of another test knit

2009-04-02T23:46:00.000+01:00

Here's a glimpse of the test knit I've just completed for Carol Feller of Stolen Stitches. I can't tell you much about it just now, but I do love the finished result. It's a cardigan, and I made it in Paton's Washed Haze Aran, in a shade called Spice.

Unfortunately I had to take this picture at night, so the colour doesn't show up very well. It's more of a rusty brown, not as orange as this. Incredibly, despite my huge button collection, I couldn't find any buttons that were suitable to finish off the job! Another excuse to go button shopping though - I'm thinking something leathery and weathered.

The cardigan was a great pattern to knit, and I'll post an update when it's published and I'm free to reveal more details. Until then, you can check out Carol's work in the latest issue of Yarn Forward magazine, where she has a feature and a lovely top pattern published. Here is a picture of her design - it's the orange and brown one that you'll see if you scroll down, called Fritillary.

Whole Wheat Cardigan

2009-03-29T12:20:00.000+01:00

I've finished my test knit of the Whole Wheat Cardigan! This cardigan is a truly gorgeous pattern - not published yet, but it will be soon. The designer is Alexandra Charlotte Dafoe, who can be found on Ravelry.

I knitted it in Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK, the softest yarn I've ever worked with. It knits up so nicely and really shows off the stitches well. The lace and cable pattern is really easy to memorise, so it's perfect for knitting in front of the telly or while reading. It's also a really quick knit, only taking me six days in total including all the finishing off. Here's a picture of me modelling it -

It shouldn't be quite as stretched as that over the bust area, but I knitted it to pre-pregnancy measurements. It'll fit really well in the next six months or so! Here's a shot of the back, which shows off the pattern quite well -

and here's a close up of the pattern itself.

I absolutely love these buttons, they're beautifully detailed and also really cheap! I have two button jars in my house but couldn't find any buttons suitable for the cardigan, so I had a great excuse to go out and buy some new ones for the first time in ages.

I'm really happy with this cardigan. It's going to be a great little cover-up in the summer, but warm enough for spring and autum as well, and it'll go with so many things. Now on to the next test knit!

Crochet testing

2009-03-27T18:28:00.000Z

I'm a total novice at crochet, but I recently tested a crochet bag for Smart Cat Studios on Ravelry and found it surprisingly easy. I used some multicoloured chenille yarn that I've had in my stash for ages, and the whole thing worked up in a few hours. I didn't think it was really my son's style, so I gave it to a little girl that he knows.Here's the finished result -

It's made a little hole in my stash of odd balls, but there's still a whole bin bag in the loft to get through! I just can't bring myself to throw away those scraps of 25-50g of yarn. Sometime I'd like to knit a log cabin afghan to use them up, but I'll need to do some sorting of colours first.

I'm busy with test knitting at the moment as well, with two cardigans, the SOLI sock and a blanket project on the go. One of the cardigans is nearly finished, and has been a dream to knit with the gorgeous Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK. I've never used yarn so soft, and I can't wait to wear the completed cardigan. Here's what it looks like so far - the design is the Whole Wheat Cardigan by Alexandra Charlotte Dafoe.

Latest crafty makes

2009-03-21T20:20:00.000Z

I've been doing so much frantic knitting recently that I decided to have a wee bit of a change. I picked up a whole pile of cross stitch kits in a charity shop a few weeks ago, so I dug them out and chose a cute little rabbit to try. The finished result looked great, and I'm going to use it in a cushion, so I decided to do another one for my mum for Mothers' Day. They're called "Somebunny to Love" and really are the cutest little things.

Here's the one for my mum, all framed and ready to give her tomorrow.

Apologies for the bad photo, the glare on the glass means that you can see my hands holding the camera. I also made a Mothers' Day card with some offcuts of the paper that I used when framing the picture.

Finally, here's a picture that I've been wanting to post for ages, but my camera has been refusing to take good quality pictures for some reason. I felted a man's sweater some time ago, and used it to make a bag. The decoration and lining are made from a paisley pattern silky scarf, which was a nightmare to sew with. I'm pleased with the finished result though - here it is...

...and a shot that shows the lining.

My lovely prize

2009-03-21T20:14:00.000Z

Recently, I entered a competition over on Crafter...oo! to design and make a wearable recycled accessory in a weekend. My felted starfish brooch won a mystery surprise prize, and I got it through the post today! Just look at this...

Isn't it gorgeous? I have a really pretty chain I can put it on, and the colours are my favourites. The marbled stone at the centre is just so beautiful - I can't wait to wear it. Thanks very much, Crafter...oo!

I'm so broody!

2009-03-18T16:55:00.000Z

Another of the girls that I work with just gave birth, and I went to visit her the other day. I'm now totally broody! The baby is a gorgeous little boy, nearly a whole three pounds lighter than my wee one was at birth, so he seemed tiny to me. I love seeing little baby feet and hands - they're so cute! Still 15 weeks or so to wait until my latest bump will make an appearance.

I took some handknitted presents along with me - this sweater, from a Patons pattern...

...and these little socks, from Debbie Bliss's book "Simply Baby".

The sweater was supposed to be made in Patons Fairytale 4ply, but I substituted some very old Sirdar Soft Cotton that I had in my stash. I wasn't sure how it would knit up, and my tension was a bit off, so I put the denim patch on to give it a sort of rustic effect. It drapes nicely though, and will be cool for summer.

The socks were made in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino - such a lovely yarn to work with! It's dreamily soft, and as the name suggests, is part merino and part cashmere. I got two balls from a charity shop at 59p each, and there's enough to make another pair of socks or a hat.

Test knitting

2009-03-13T20:07:00.000Z

The first part of the pattern arrived last night for the sock I'm test knitting at the moment. It's designed by Carissa at the Cupcake Factory, and the proceeds will go to Streams of Life International. The pattern comes in sections via e-mail, and I've knitted up the first part already - the cuff and four lace repeats. It's the first time I've knitted lace in the round, and I had a few problems on my first attempt. I made the mistake of not using stitch markers, and ended up with several extra stitches and a very "interesting" pattern. Fifteen minutes of exasperated frogging later, and I started on attempt number two with stitch markers in place! Here's what it looks like so far -

and here's a close-up of the lovely pattern -

I'm looking forward to getting the next part of the pattern so I can see how it develops - it's quite fun doing a mystery project!

Baby things

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000Z

I've finished the present for my manager's new baby - here are the results. I made a little tank top from a pattern in "Simply Knitting", using wool that I picked up in a charity shop. I think it might be a cotton mix, and it's lovely and soft and squishy. I also made some booties with Rowan cotton, which look so cute I almost don't want to give them away.

I made a little card as well, using some tiny wooden animals that I had. Making baby things makes me so broody - only 16 weeks to go until I meet my own little one!

Lots of finished objects

2009-03-08T18:52:00.000Z

Well, I finally finished my dad's sweater, and he loves it! It fits perfectly, and the yarn feels so nice, soft and squishy. I have no idea what kind of yarn it is, as it was a charity shop find, but I think it's probably 100% wool.

I also decided to make an entry for the Crafter...oo! recycled crafts challenge that was being run this weekend. I wasn't sure if I'd have enough time to make something, but I sat down with my sewing box this morning and found some inspiration! The challenge rules stated that the item should be mainly (if not all) recycled materials, and it had to be a piece of jewellery or wearable accessory. I decided to make a brooch, and went for a starfish inspired design.

I used the rest of the mohair wool scarf that I had felted, and then edged it with scraps of metallic threads that were lying in my sewing box. I also had buttons and sequins that were all charity shop finds, so I used some of them to finish it off. I'm quite pleased with the end result, and will probably pin it to one of my hats.

My manager at work welcomed his baby son into the world this week, so I've got my knitting needles out and started on some presents. I've made the Herringbone Booties from Zoe Mellor's book "50 Baby Bootees to Knit", using Rowan Cotton 4ply that I had in my stash. I'm also doing a little cabled tank top pattern by Debbie Bliss which was in Simply Knitting a while ago - pics to follow when I'm finished.

After all that, my sister's sweater dress is finally on the needles - roll on inches of stocking stitch! Then my test knitting stuff for two different projects will start to come through the post... I can see this being a busy month!

I love charity shops!

2009-03-01T21:07:00.000Z

Is it just me, or are charity shops amazing things? I don't know if my local area is especially good, or if it's a nationwide phenomenon, but I love them! There are five charity shops in my small town, and I go for a wee look around at least once a week. The other day I spent £6, and got 2 t-shirts for my husband, a cross stitch kit for a cute little elephant, a paisley pattern shirt for my little boy, and this book:

There is nowhere else in the world where I can go and get that many things so cheaply.

I also like charity shops for the fabric and wool, as my budget doesn't really stretch to buying too many craft supplies. I made a bag for my friend's birthday with an unidentified greeny grey flecked yarn, a brown linen skirt and a brown macrame belt, all finds from charity shops. I used the Brea pattern by Norah Gaughan, and it worked out pretty well even if I say so myself!

On another subject, I'm thinking of doing a degree with the Open College of the Arts, starting with this textile course - Does anyone have any experience of the course, or studying with the OCA? I'd welcome any advice or comments that you might have before I go ahead and book a place.

Look what I got!

2009-02-25T20:20:00.000Z

I got a wonderful parcel of goodies in the post yesterday. Melinda from Bonnie Babies offered to send me a whole load of buttons that she had, and I can't believe how cute they are! There are some really old ones from Woolworths, and others that could possibly date from the 50's or 60's. Here are some of my favourites, but there were many more.

I especially love the little ice cream cones and pencils, and I have so many ideas of how to use them. At the moment, I'm thinking that they would work really well as decoration on little hair slides, brooches or coin purses.

I haven't blogged for a while, mainly because I've found Crafter...oo! It's so addictive, and there are so many great links to tutorials and useful information. I've also been working on a purse that I test crocheted for someone on Ravelry, but I can't show a picture yet as the pattern hasn't been published. I should really go and knit some more of my dad's sweater now - only 1 1/2 sleeves to go *sigh*

More bags and buttons

2009-02-16T20:10:00.000Z

I've spent the past few days working on a few more bag designs, and have managed to finish two. Here they are - the first one is a patchwork mini tote, large enough to hold a student's A4 papers, or a knitting pattern, needles and wool. It's entirely hand-stitched, and lined in cotton. The fabrics are vintage cottons, and it's finished with four marbled buttons.

Here are a couple of detailed pictures, one of the button and one of the lining.

The other bag was felted from a mohair and wool scarf, originally hand woven in Scotland. It's decorated with sequins and buttons, and lined with purple cloth. The handle is an old beaded necklace.

I found some lovely buttons in a charity shop today, and here are some close-ups of the most interesting ones. I paid a pound and got a handful of buttons - bargain!

I also made some labels for my designs with my husband's help, using a tutorial from Laurraine at Patchwork Pottery. They're so easy to make, and I highly recommend it as a tutorial. I used 1" wide cotton tape, and it worked really well.

My first bag designs!

2009-02-12T20:01:00.000Z

Following my charity shop excursion the other day, I spent a quiet evening felting away. The scarf that I bought felted beautifully, and I made two bags from it. There were lots of purple trimmings in my sewing box, so I added blanket stitched edgings in sparkly purple, and some buttons shaped like flowers. The finished designs were going to go on my new Folksy shop, but my mum snapped up the handbag as soon as she saw it! Here is the handbag with a pendant chain handle -

and some shots of the inside and details.

This is the second bag -

and a close up, plus a shot of the tag I made.

I went round the charity shops again today, and found a huge pile of 100% wool mens' sweaters. I bought and felted one in burgundy red, and plan to make a tote bag out of it. The lining will be a paisley silk scarf in burgundy, cream and green. Other finds included a dusky pink suede skirt, perfect for a posh handbag, and a pink silk scarf with butterflies on. I also felted another mohair and wool scarf to make bags, and did some sketches for a patchwork bag with bits of fabric I had in the loft.

Tidying the stash

2009-02-10T18:58:00.000Z

I had an hour to myself today, so went for a wee stroll round the charity shops in the town. I've been needing a new sewing box for ages, and was pleased to find an old filing box for £1, and a nice glass screw-top jar for 99p. I also picked up a pink woven woollen scarf and a piece of purple material, which I'm going to make purses with - only £2.48 for the pair.

Finlay "helped" me to sort out my sewing things, which was an interesting experience! Here are my buttons all together -

and here are some close ups of the most interesting ones.

I love sorting through my stash - I always find things that I forgot I had, and get lots of inspiration. I found some buttons that will look good on the pink purses I'll be making, and I have started to felt the scarf in the washing machine. I also discovered lots of ribbons, laces and sequins, which looked pretty all together.

Progress on my Dad's jumper is going well too - I've finished the back and have cast on the front.

There aren't enough hours in the day!

2009-02-08T18:11:00.000Z

I could really do with 24 hours of productive time, and then 12 hours to sleep - there are so many projects that I want to do and ideas that I have, and not enough time to do them in!

This week has been really busy. First of all I finished the sweater I was making for my mum, in Idena Cotton Sport. The yarn knitted up really nicely, very soft and smooth, and it means I have a bit more space in my loft.

Then I decided to clear out the loft and organise my stash. I have a terrible habit of being unable to resist wool from charity shops, so I have a very haphazard collection in various cardboard packing boxes. Unfortunately the roof had leaked and one box of fabric had begun to get mouldy, so I transferred as much as possible into plastic stacking boxes. In the process I found all kinds of fabric, embroidery kits, wool, and other things that I'd forgotten I had. I have lots of ideas for patchwork bags using the fabric I found, so I will need to sketch some designs. I also found a felt alphabet book that I started making when I was about 16 - it's still only half done! Oh well, it might just be ready for baby number two!

I also found some blue yarn that I'm going to use to make a sweater for my dad. I've had the pattern for ages, but now I've found the perfect yarn. It's a charity shop find, but I think it's mostly wool as it's very soft and warm. Here's the pattern that I'm using. I've knitted almost up to the back armholes in three days - not bad going so far!

Snow and scrummy yarn

2009-02-04T17:52:00.001Z

It's been snowing here all week, on and off - it's so much fun! We had a snowball fight at work, and F enjoyed playing out in the garden.

I also test knitted another hat for Erssie Major, the Biggie Rib Super Bulky Slouch Beanie. I had some King Cole Magnum Chunky in my stash in a sort of purple and green multi shade, and it knitted up perfectly. It's a really easy pattern to make, just K1 P1 rib and some simple shaping, but the finished product looks very effective. The yarn is mostly acrylic with some wool in it, very light but also warm and squishy. I'll be wearing it out in the snow to keep warm!

I'm nearly finished working on the cotton sweater I'm making for my mum - only the collar to do now. It's knitting up nicely in Idena Cotton Sport which I had in my stash, and feels very smooth. I also bought some Hayfield Bonus DK to make a sweater dress for my sister - all in black though, which I HATE knitting with!

Me and my crafts

2009-01-29T20:34:00.001Z

My very first post on my brand new blog! I'm an actor living in Scotland with my husband, toddler son, and another baby on the way. I'm predominantly a knitter, but I do like sewing, patchwork, crochet, beading, applique and cross stitch. I'll try pretty much anything, so latch hook rugs and quilting are next on the list.

I do test knitting for a few designers, recently for Erssie Knits and Molting Yeti.
Here's my most recent test knitting project - Pulpo the octopus. He's big and cuddly, and my son loves him!

I also knit for the Scottish charity Bonnie Babies, who make clothes for premature babies and those who sadly pass away. They send clothes to many hospitals all over the UK, and recently to the only premature baby unit in Rwanda.

One of my favourite pastimes is trawling through the local charity shops and junk shops, looking for things I can use for craft projects. Today I found two duvet covers in tiny floral prints, which I'll use for patchwork.

I also got a large piece of white broderie anglaise fabric, and a whole pile of vintage buttons.
The ones on the card are brown leather from Woolworths, originally 18p.
I also got a set of very old cracked leather buttons, shown in close up in the second picture. The last picture shows a mixed lot - two wooden ones, a big red and black swirly patterned one, a brown wood effect one and a gorgeous gold and multi coloured one.