There's always knitting....

At last,  a bright enough day to try photographing the knitting as I promised - though my camera and the computer are still conspiring to make all my photos rather too dark.  I fear the computer is failing  - one of the reasons I'm not blogging much .

This was the little mitred blanket I was halfway through when I broke my arm.  Each square is knitted separately from 23 stitches down to one, then picking up the next 23.  I used ends from the stash and I think it's rather nice - the pattern makes it quite warm but light.

This little hat and poncho is for baby E - now a toddler of 21 months, who is coming to see us next week.  I remember having a little poncho for my daughter at that age,  it was very useful as you could pop it quickly over a sweater or a coat for an extra layer without struggling with sleeves.  I particularly like the hat which should have tassels but I think they'd be too tickly on the cheeks!  The yarn is Sirdar Crofter and the 2-3yrs size took about 3 balls. 

Various babies are expected over the next few months so I've started doing the odd pair of bootees etc. as I don't know yet whether they will be boys or girls - hopefully, these pieces will finish up looking like those in the pattern photo!

Blogger absolutely refuses to turn this the right way round although it was taken at the same time as the other photos.

I've got this mitred blanket on the go in between other things - it's slightly larger than the first one and the yarn is from my sister's stash, so I hope I have enough to make a square 12 x12.  I can always use something else for the border.  It looks very blue in the photos but is actually a lavender grey colour.

Finally, I knitted daughter one of these (- no she's not the model!).  Although it's only knitted on 7 stitches it nearly drove me mad unravelling the gauze. Anyway, she's pleased with it and it didn't take long, but I'm not taking orders!  The yarn is Katia Ondas and there's a free pattern and instructions with the yarn if you fancy one - it's fairly widely available and one ball costs £6.75 on average and makes one scarf.

You'll realise from the amount of knitting that I haven't been out much - though the weather today cries out for a walk on the hills. It's been very busy here with endless adjustments to M's routine  and I'm now more or less on duty from early morning until she's showered and dressed - this involves actually being in the shower so I then have to go and shower or bath again afterwards, making the whole process rather lengthy. It's put paid to various plans daughter and I had for a few nights away, though I still hope to get away with my friend (postponed from September) when things settle a bit, as daughter will do the early morning for me.  H does  quite a lot of the day unless he has an organ lesson or some other committment, and we did actually go to Birmingham together this week leaving daughter to hold the fort.  M is revelling in her new-found power and each new concession to her needs opens up a new line of complaint.  We'd all be happier if she'd just stay in bed for half an hour longer but that's a vain hope!

I'm half way through making the squares for a quilt - some sewn together, about 2/3rds of the cutting done.  I'm using a pattern from Fat Quarterley No 6 called Summer Garden, as I had a layer cake of fabric ready to use.  I don't think mine will be quite as large.  It shouldn't really take very long but interruptions every hour or so to follow M's inflexible schedule ruins my concentration, so I waste time.  Photos to come......

Back from broadband wilderness

Where have you been, I hear you ask.   Nowhere, unfortunately - unless you count trips to the eye department.  Our broadband has been unreliable to non-existant for about three weeks and we had no phone either for part of that, so communication has been limited to mobiles and the odd trip to daughter's to use online banking (and post a few comments on other people's blogs).  But mostly we've all been stuck at home.

I've been knitting madly - especially when stuck in the carpark or waitingroom, though it can be a bit too hot to knit in the hospital, so stand by for some knitting posts when I can get things committed to digital.  I've got lots of sewing planned but not started and I've read quite a lot too (and the house has received a bit more attention than usual), so there have been certain advantages.

Thank you for the lovely comments on the previous post about my Mother.  She would have been amazed at your interest and your kindness. I'm glad that I managed to convey how lovely she was.

Fingers crossed I'm now back online but I've a backlog of emails to deal with, so I'm sorry if you're waiting for a reply. 

A room of one's own

Thought I might get on a bit quicker with the sewing if I tidied up.  I'm really lucky that this house has room for a sewing room (half the huge utility room) and I also have a small office - one's in the basement and one's at the top of the house so it would keep me fit if I ever got enough time to use them both as I would like! Anyway, here are some pictures of my (more or less) tidy sewing room

I do have the fabric  to make curtains to go all the way round under the work surface which would tidy everything up no end.  The table extends to about 5 foot so I've plenty of work space.  This is slightly less than half the room - the other end is full of washing machine, dryer, freezer, bird food, spare loo rolls - you get the picture.  My sewing machine is about 40 years old - husband bought it for me before we were married and it's only needed one repair since, despite bouts of heavy use - sewing costumes for school plays out of strange shiny fabric tested its patience.  I do have a newer one, but it never seems to do what I want and is difficult to thread so it's on loan to daughter.  I've no excuse really but to get on and finish the sewing I've committed to  - quite a long list has accumulated over the past few months.  Hopefully, better weather will get the washing outside to dry - sewing with the dryer going isn't fun.

Did manage to finish these:-

But have been trying to get some more yarn to finish this, without much success.

I only need one ball, so to buy it online I need to want some other things to justify the postage.  I hope next Monday isn't like last week, I might make some progress then!

Hope you're all having a good weekend, weather is quite bright here.

end of round one..

A nice bundle of little things waiting to go in the post, and just a bit of a dent in my stash.  Excuse the photos, my camera is definitely on the blink - a real problem for an impecunious blogger!

Freeze Frame

It really is the most fabulous day here after yesterday's snow.  The sun is shining  there's a brilliant blue sky and the snow looks beautiful on the hills

 

  

and away into the distance - if I had a more powerful lens you could see Worcester cathedral which is just visible to the naked eye when the view is very clear (would be better if neighbour would cut his hedge at this level).  From the top of the house the view is even better. Click on the second photo for the best effect.

Hopefully, the sun will melt the snow on the drive quite quickly, but in the meantime I've got these to keep me busy with my baby sewing....

 

And these already finished waiting to be sent....

Had to prop the pinafore up to take photo which is why it looks as if straps and top aren't even. It's such lovely cosy material to work with - can't find anywhere to take a picture with better light, unfortunately.  As M would say - there's no light in this house!

Here we go again....

The first of the awaited babies has arrived and it's a girl - name as yet unknown.  I've just finished sewing a pinafore in pink brushed cotton and a cardi in raspberry pink wool from my Australian stash (abandoned the pale pink one as the second ball proved to be a different batch and the colour difference was noticable.  Photos to follow as soon as I can borrow husband's camera - which will need charging.  Can't seem to get mine to work now and can't afford to replace at present.
It's been snowing again here since mid-morning and is really heavy - about 10cm at least last time I looked. I went out for a few odds and ends, only to find the town centre blocked off because of a fire, so my journey took longer and meant using a very steep slippery road on the way back, by which time light snow had become big cotton wool flakes and the roads, of course, were ungritted.  I contemplated parking the car up on the main road but several people had cars bashed last time so I put it on the drive after making  sure I couldn't think of anything else we needed.  We're stocked up  for a good few days and daughter will be back at the weekend so I shall again make good use of enforced home time. Just hope the local shop has bread tomorrow, or it's back to part-baked rolls.

Fuzzy logic

The advantage to just not being able to get out is that there's nothing to distract you from getting a few projects finished.  I've been knitting away happily this week in the pauses between the next meal, hot drink etc., and my fuzzy knitting is now finished and waiting for the postman to bring something to stuff it with and some proper eyes to replace the button I used as a prop.  He reminds me of the snowy tree outside.

I also found this waiting to be finished at the bottom of the  basket, so that's two things off the list.

Tomorrow, I may even sort through my stash.  I'm determined not to buy any yarn or fabric until I've used up some of what's here.  When my sister died about a year and a half ago, my kind brother-in-law sent me her stash from Australia - two large boxes!  It's quite exciting as it's not familiar yarns and I haven't quite decided what ply some of them are so it's trial and error.  I also have a pile of fabric sitting in baskets looking reproachful, some newish art materials and a screen printing kit  - all purchased at a time when I had some spare cash, in the expectation of being very hard up once we'd moved here and becoming permanent carer.  I'm hoping eventually to put some things on sale but I need to get them made first, and before that I've baby gifts to make - when I know the sex of the babies, and some curtains! The snow's done me a big favour as it's just not possible to go out at present except to the local shop, so no-one can expect you to!

Hope you're all warm and cosy.

First attempt

 

My first attempt at needle felting really didn't turn out too bad - even husband, always a stern critic, had to agree that it had character.

 Unfortnately, the combination of black fleece and a gloomy day doesn't do justice to my second effort.  I'm definitely hooked (- sorry about the pun), and will certainly be thinking up my own designs, but I may just make a couple more dogs, and perhaps a cat, and I'm sure I've got a pattern for a penguin, and a giraffe would be good...

There's just the small matter of these

 

waiting to be made into a baby gift.  And these

waiting to be made into various projects from these

D is for deer, E is for.....

I downloaded patterns for tree ornaments recently from the lovely Alicia and made them for a friend.  Unfortunately, they were claimed more quickly than I expected and I only managed to photograph one - the little deer. But I had now got the bug and raided my stash of felt and twinkly items which have accumulated over a long period since I used to make costumes for school plays. Out came the beads and stars and ribbons and I made a collection of animal - elephants, dogs, horses.

None of them took very long and it cheered me up on a miserable wet day.  I've now got a request for a penguin!