Knitting and Crochet

I am a bit of an obsessive. I get 'into' something and everything else falls by the wayside. This time last year I had just bought a new sewing maching and was sewing for England; I taught myself to crochet in September and I have the crochet and knitting bug at the minute.
I am sure it's something to do with the fact that you can sit and knit or crochet in front of the TV whilst being with the family and making relatively little noise. Machine sewing takes me away from everyone with my machine going ninety to the dozen it is not great for conversations.
I have been doing some hand sewing over the Christmas break, I was between knitting projects and picked up my hexie tin.

Each time I recieve some fabric from swaps and friends, I snip a row of it off and add it to my hexie tin. This means that the fabrics I use to make up a cushion will have nice people sewn into it too. When I look at the individual hexies I can remember where the fabric was from and the person or project connected with it, which adds another dimension to the finished article. This will be another cushion when I get back to it.

Back to knitting; if you are a knitter you will know all about Ravelry, if you are new to knitting and crochet you might not, so pop over and check them out, there is loads of help and patterns there for all levels of experience and I have found it a great resource. Just recently I was inspired by the lovely Lynda - Hookin with LaaLaa to join the 'Crochet a Long ~ Block a Month 2011' on Ravelry with the purpose of making a block each month and at the end of the year joining them all up to make a blanket. So this is what has just fallen off my hook, it's a mess and it's very wonky, I am sure I missed stitches somewhere or perhaps even added extra, but it will do for a filler square ~ I will try harder for the 12" version (as my Nanna would say "a blind man on a fast horse won't notice it"):

I am a novice knitter, I was taught to knit as a girl but never persued it and now I wish I had; but like the crochet I am practicing and teaching myself as I go. I have been buying this magazine for a few months now and have eventually given in and subscribed as I would be gutted to miss an issue, it's been an invaluable help to me.

There is at least one thing I want to make from this mag each month and usually do, remember the big chunky cable scarves, they were from this mag.

Here is my latest make from this month's mag these little hearts (top left above), I didn't turn them inside out to seam them, I tacked around the outside as I liked the finish better and I added beads instead of buttons, and added lavender to the stuffing, but it's close enough. Oooh and I finished off with the sweetest little bows, courtesy of the lovely Alex ~ thanks again honey!

I did tackle a knitted purse from a previous magazine which came with a free purse frame, it turned out nice but was such a pain to do, I will show you that later this week.

Oohh, can I ask you seasoned knitting and crochet ladies, how do you store your yarns? Mine is taking over the house and it's so bulky I don't quite know what to do with it. It's current home is stashed in multiple carrier bags behind the couch, under the bed and wherever I find a crevice~ this can't be the best method???

p.s. don't forget my little Stitch giveaway, it closes on Friday.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

~NOW CLOSED~ Cath Kidston 'Stitch' Giveaway

~ NOW CLOSED~

I have had my eye on this book for a while and gave in and bought myself a copy. To cut a very long and tedious story short I ended up with two copies, hence the giveaway! It's all there including the kit to make the purse on the cover.

If you would like to be added to the hat for a chance to recieve this copy of 'Stitch' please follow the simple rules below.

Simple Rules:
To enter the giveaway you don't have to follow me but I do need to be able to contact you. If you don't have a blog please leave a valid email address.
Just leave a comment on this post and I will add you to the list.
If you have your own blog and if you wish, please add me to your sidebar and link to this giveaway and I will add you again.

Please let me know if you do and I will add you twice.

I will draw the winner this Friday on the 14th January and I will post out as soon as I can.

Good Luck x

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

The Sales...

The best bit about the lull between Christmas and the New Year is sale shopping. To be honest I don't go in for the fighting on the high street for run of the mill stuff you don't need but my lovely friend and I did have a trip out to our local garden centre 'Heighly Gate' and picked up some bargains in their sale, most of these were half price except the Joules wellies (but they had £10 off) and I did have Christmas money to spend:

A beautiful calendar which is right up my street, vintage railway posters:

Some wonderful tins full of chocolate fudge and toffees ~ I didn't even know what was in the tins when I bought them I just had to have them, very art nouveou and art deco, the one one the left will be a button tin I think and the other is a money box!

Lots of lovely Gisella Graham Christmas ornaments, all half price ~ I put them straight on the tree as I will lose them before next Christmas otherwise.

So I am now spent up but I did enjoy myself and that's what counts isn't it? What mega bargains have you grabbed this January?

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

I've Been Busy...

First day back to work yesterday since before Chrismtas and all I can say is Blahhhhhh! I was so used to lie in's and lounging about until lunchtime that it has hit me hard, but I do love the money they give me every month so I will just have to pull my socks up and get on with it!

So back to Christmas, I did manage to keep to my handmade pledge and I made many of my gifts, I did however forget to photograph them all, but during my time off work I have been pottering making bits and bobs, first there is the jewellery, which is rather addictive hence the box full of it on the right; I am handy for quick presents as my teenage son has cottoned on to!

This one was five strands of tigertail and I made it a little on the long side, I am not too happy with it and might have to fiddle with it a bit, but I did love the clasp which is a two part magnetic heart. This bracelet reminds me of a spider somehow??
Here we have another of those cable scarves, the black scarf was very chunky indeed and was made on request from my son as a gift for one of his friends. The cushion was made way back in the late summer when I was learning to crochet, but I never got round to making a back for it I didn't quite know where to start but I sat and and made a back for it last week, it does not have an opening but I can unpick it if I need to wash it.

Now on to the hat, this may look like a disaster but it was a suprise gift for my teenage son. It's based on a Sci Fi movie and series Serenity and Firefly ~ one of the charachter's (Jayne Cobb)mothers made him a dodgy hat and he wore it throughout the series. My son has not had it off since Christmas Day ~ go figure?

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

Spread the Bloggy Love

Just wanted to pop in to share this with you.

The lovely Jackie of Sew Special Bears is organising a swap based around Valentines day. The idea is that things are a little lacklustre following Christmas and New Year celebrations and this is just a little something to look forward to; to spread the love!

Pop over and have a look at Jackie's blog, she explains it all there, it is open until the 7th Jan so join in if you fancy it.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

~ ♥ Happy New Year ♥ ~

Happy New Year lovely ladies ~ did you celebrate in style, or did New Year just creep in and sit at the back. However you did it, it's here and it's time to shake ourselves off, make a few resolutions, give thanks for the good bits, of which blogging was one of mine.

Huge thanks to you all for following, commenting and encouraging my crafty makes.

Over the last few weeks I have recieved some fab bits and bobs from some lovely blogging ladies and wanted to share them with you.

Here we have some lovely pay it forward gifts from Crafty Helen at Home (can't link as Helen has since deleted her blog), that I had signed up to earlier this year, I had forgotten all about this so this was a real suprise:

This bundle of treausre is from the lovely Alex, I adore the fabrics and little bows and ribbons, right up my street ~ thanks honey!

Some lovely handmade Christmas bits from my friends Pene, Lynda, Amanda and Annie ~ thanks again lovely ladies!

Isn't blogging just amazing? Well I am back on the wagon and will be posting again, I have been crafting over this festive period and will update you in the coming days.

Love to you all.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

To My Secret Santa!

Just a quick post to say many thanks to my secret santa, I recieved some wonderful goodies all just delightful, it was great to get lovely gifts from likeminded friends.

Here are my delights:

This is the first thing I saw when I opened the bag and I had a right laugh, I though my Santa had eaten the other half (I probaly would have) and that it was to share between us until I found the top half and realised it has just broken in transit!

Just look at all the goodies: Chocolate, Candles, Plaques, Scrapbooks, Bowls, Ribbons, Buttons, Fabrics...The buttons were just amazing, the christmas pudding salt and pepper made it's way onto our table in time for Christmas Lunch, and the candle has been burned giving off it's christmas message and amazing smell...

This beautiful handmade christmas scrapbook was just so beautifully done...

Wasn't I just spoiled rotten!! I did guess who my Secret Santa was ~ I used my powers of deduction and realised quite soon that it was my lovely friend Jackie of Sew Special Bears ~ so again, many thanks my lovely!

I sent my parcel at the end of November (just to be sure!) and I have not seen my partner blog for ages so I hope it reached her.

A big thanks has to go to other lovely blog friends Rebecca and Lynda for organising this, what a great idea it was many thanks my dears! xx

See you all soon.

With love.