Tuesday, 27 March 2012

a last minute easter bonnet ::

well isn't everything just a little bit last minute at the moment!

Easter Bonnet!

Milo had his easter bonnet parade today and at 8 o'clock last night I began to make a variety of items to attach to a pre-bought straw hat.

Easter Bonnet!

I crocheted some flowers tied some ribbons, filled a nest with some left over faux mini eggs and even needle felted a couple of chicks and a rabbit!

Easter Bonnet!

This morning Milo instructed me on where to position the items and we collected a few daffodils from the garden to add the the collection.

All in all not too bad attempt for the first of what will no doubt be many last minute easter bonnets!

Monday, 26 March 2012

Cardi in 4 days? Day 4 :: Complete ::

I did it! With a little last minute crochet on the train and some late night weaving in and button sewing, I finished the cardi, though it's probably more of a shrug. I even made the buttons myself, with a little help from the toddler.

I made it a lot shorter than I intended, not just because of the tight deadline (promise), but also because the dress had such a high waist band, I thought it would look better if it stopped where the skirt began.

cardi in 4 days? Day 4 :: Complete ::

I like it a lot and I think it went really well with the dress (I didn't have time to block it, which looking at the photo it probably would have benefited from) and it did it's job of keeping me warm, though it was hardly required what with it being such a delightfully warm sunny day!

This is the only picture I have, because I tend to take all the photo's and truth be told Johnny really has no idea how to use the camera, but I think you get the idea.

I am a little behind with my pattern writing at the moment, but I will write this one up when I get a chance.

Friday, 23 March 2012

Cardi in 4 days? Day 3 progress ::

Nearly there! And of course if I hadn't frogged the bottom I would have finished, but it really was too flouncy.

Cardi in 4 days? Day 3 progress: sleeves and frogging!

Because of the weight of the yarn it is quite a bulky piece, a bit more of a coat/jacket than a cardigan really, but I like the way it looks and how it goes with the dress, so overall it's going very well.

Thursday, 22 March 2012

Cardi in 4 days? Day 2 ::

Almost finished with the bottom now :)

Cardi in 4 days? Day 2 progress :

In fact depending on how I go it may be finished, as on trying it on with the dress it stops perfectly at the waist. Although I am concerened that it flares out a little too much. So I'm going to work on the sleeves today and if I get them done in time I may even frog the bottom and make it a little less flouncy, you know because I haven't given myself a tight enough deadline as it is!

Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Cardi in 4 days? Day 1 ::

So I am going to a wedding on Saturday, for which I have decided to make myself a cardigan to wear with this gorgeous dress from digforvictory :


Of course I have left it entirely to the last minute and started yesterday! I did purchase myself some Aran weight yarn to try and make the whole process a little quicker and I also intended to crochet it. However after doing a little swatch, crochet on the yoke with the Aran was just much to bulky, so now I am knitting the yoke (I'm working top down) and going to crochet a lace pattern on the bottom and arms.

Cardi in 4 days? Day 1 progress.

I have oh so nearly finished the yoke, but with 3 days left, I must admit I'm not feeling all that hopeful!

Wish me luck!

Friday, 24 February 2012

Rowan finds ::

I was so lucky to discover these beauties in the charity shop last week.

rowan finds::


Dating from 1992 and 2000, they are full of some real treasures. In all honestly I can't see myself making any of the garments from eleven, but they are a fabulous part of modern fashion history. So much colour work and lots of oversizing, goodness me I can't imagine how long some of these pieces would take to knit up!

rowan finds::

rowan finds::

But twenty seven, though obviously dated, has quite a few pieces I would still love to knit and wear, in the 8 years that passed between the two publications simplicity really took over, there's lots of ribbing, moss stitch and a few tummies on display under the cropped tops!

rowan finds::

rowan finds::

The thing that is really apparent to me is the quality you expect from Rowan, the gorgeous styling, fabulous photography and stylish garments is forever present.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

my boy the knitter ::

seriously my heart nearly exploded when one morning last week, not long after breakfast, my little boy asked "shall we do knitting mum?", oh go on then if you insist!

Spent ages building milo a train track, he just wants to do knitting!

Now it happens all the time, at least once a day he stumbles away from his current playtime toys and declares "I just want to do some knitting", throughout my own knitting/crochet I am asked, "what you making mum, is a present for me?" and he will sit quietly and for long stretches of time with ball of yarn and needles in hand, he loves to browse through my stash carefully choosing which colours to use today and his imagination is endless, he has so far declared to be knitting, a fairy godmother, an imaginex toy and noddy, to name just a few. He sure is a talented one my boy.


Knitting with the boy, his colour choices!

Of course he's not yet 3, he can't actually knit, he has no interest in learning, if I try and guide him or dare to cast some stitches on for him, he gets frustrated, he just sits there with his ball of yarn, his needles and carefully weaves one needle in and out of the yarn ball (leaving said yarn ball in quite a knotty state if I'm honest), but nothing gives me as much pleasure these days as sitting on the sofa, knitting/crochet in hand, boy beside me, 'knitting' a present for one of his friends.