It seems to be the time of year for me to get knitting for charity!  Happens around this time every year.

Amongst the school holiday activities, I’ve been fitting in knitting some ducks to sell for the local community group at the first annual duck race on Bank holiday Monday.  I’ve made a little duck family!

Next on the list is to start some little hats for this years Innocent Big Knit. I hope to make half a dozen or so in the next week or two.

Finally I’m going to make something to raffle for the Christie as part of Barry’s Project 150. I attended the ‘Style in the City’ a few weeks ago and decided I would help out, so watch this space for a raffle in the coming weeks.

Happy crafting
x

I’ve gone back to make up some more hearts and flowers cards this weekend, as I had exhausted my stock and needed some more anniversary cards. As I was looking through my paper stash I thought it might be nice to make some simple cream / white cards with flowers in a similar tone. So I made up lots of flowers in different colour combinations. I thought they would work well for wedding invitations, what do you think?

Parchment Flower Congratulations Card

Parchment Flower Wedding Card

Flower Wedding Invitation

I’m going to make up some more in different colour combinations, and make some with hearts on too. I love to use vellum and parchment for these, so watch this space for more and let me know what you think.

Happy Summer weddings
x

For the first time in ages , I have the opportunity to blog while my daughter does some semi-organised games outside!  We’ve had a trip in to Bury and done some crafting at the Fusiliers museum. today it’s been making a Minden Rose in the Gallipolo Gardens.  It’s a lovely idea, unfortunately the volunteers did most of the flower making, it would have been nice if they let the children be a little more hands on, but we do have another idea for making at  home.  Anyone know where I can get some paper straws?

After the flower making, it was photo time and now it’s playtime!  Lots of games – skittles, croquet, hula hoops, hop-scotch and giant Jenga!  The best thing is we can be outside playing and crafting.  There are loads of children, great for swelling the museum donations buckets, I only wish I’d brought some crochet with me.  I really wasn’t expecting to have this opportunity to sit and relax.

Face painting next.  This is a must for my daughter she absolutely loves it, we’re having a rainbow with stars today!  Then we’re off to the library and art gallery to see what exciting treasures we can find!

I think we’ll be back for the craft session again next week too!

Happy Summer crafting x

I have been working on more fruit following on from the launch of my fruity keyrings last week. The fruit bowl full of keyrings proved popular on facebook and I was asked to make some more fruit (minus keyrings) for my local Slimming World group. How could I resist?!

So here’s my little fruit bowl, soon to be seen in group!

I am particularly pleased with some amendments to the original patterns, namely crochet stems and the additional embroidery details on the strawberries.  I also experimented with a plum (top right).

I have also tried making a banana to add to the keyrings.

Banana keyring

I’d love to know what you think.

And remember, if you have a slimming club and would like some fruit to add to your table, drop me a line at kath@handmadebykatherine.co.uk or visit my facebook page on www.facebook.com/Handmadebykatherine

Happy crafting
x

Since the knitted apples went down so well with the teachers at the end of term, I have been knitting away making more.  But I have branched out a bit from just apples, making an entire fruit-bowl full of edible looking summer fruits!

Keyrings

I’ve really enjoyed experimenting to make these. I think my favourites are the little cherries and the pineapple!

Cherry keyring

Pineapple keyring

I’m currently working on a banana and a plum design, and I might see if I can manage a bunch of grapes!

I shall be selling them at £4 each, and I’d love to know what you think of them. Drop me a line at kath@handmadebykatherine.co.uk, visit my facebook page (www.facebook.com/Handmadebykatherine) or tweet me @crafty_kath

They make me feel very summery!

Happy crafting
x

I’ve been knitting quite a bit more than usual in the Summer months this year, mainly down to the fact I have a lovely set of bamboo knitting needles (a fabulous Christmas present from my sister-in-law) which means my knitting isn’t suffering due to the heat (metal needles squeak for me when my hands get hot). This has been very important in the last couple of weeks with the incredible heatwave we’re having at the moment.

So whilst I’ve been struggling a little to find a craft fair to attend, I’ve been putting my time to good use and making some new stock and experimenting with patterns and ideas.

With the Open Golf on I thought I’d make some golf club covers and have a few different designs.  I love the feel of knitting with larger needles and the aran yarn is so soft.  It makes great pom-poms too!

Grey/Cream Golf Club Covers

Red/Cream Golf Club Covers

Red/Cream Golf Club Covers

I’ve also made a new cat, with some multi-colour yarn I had in my stash. It comes complete with a black crochet nose and red button eyes!

Multi-colour Cat

Finally I thought I’d use up some oddments of yarns making some ipod covers.  I hate wasting lovely yarn, so this has been a great way to use up some gorgeous chenille and merino wools. along with a cotton and baby soft yarns.  These are so tactile!

Ipod covers

So, what do you think of the new ideas?  I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them.  I hope to have them on a stall soon too, but if you would like any of the gifts above, please message me via e-mail (kath@handmadebykatherine.co.uk), twitter (@crafty_kath) or facebook( www.facebook.com/Handmadebykatherine).  I can also make them to your own colour-schemes.

Yesterday was the last day of our first school year!  My daughter finished nursery and I decided not to go down the route that everyone else seemed to be going down, and didn’t spend a fortune on cake, biscuits and chocolate for the teachers.  I thought it would be nice to make gifts and for my daughter to make some cards.  So last week, we sat down in the stifling heat, at the table under the parasol outside, ready to make cards and gifts.

I started knitting a couple of little apples which I thought I would add to key-rings.  When finished I made a tiny tag from kraft card, and had my daughter write her name on one side while I wrote the teachers’ name on the other.  I tied them to the apple stalk with baker’s twine.

I thought they were quite sweet and made a change from chocolates!

We then set to work on making four personalised cards for two teachers and her two special friends (they are going to a different school next year).  So we found some relevant photographs and she decorated the cards around the photos with butterflies (3D) and drawings.  We then added a message inside and she wrote her name on the bottom.

Needless to say, they were a huge hit with her teachers.  So I’m now thinking about other things I could add to key-rings for the rest of the year!

Happy Summer Crafting x

Yesterday was the 70th annual Bury Agricultural Show at Burrs Country Park.  We were lucky with the weather this year too, a lovely day, not too hot and no rain!

It was an early start for us as I entered some of the craft classes for the first time.  Needless to say I spent most of Saturday night in a panic.  We set off for the 20 minute walk cross-country to the showground, managing it in 16 minutes!!

I entered four classes in the arts and craft section of the show.  A knitted cat and a little crochet pocket bag in the knitted and crochet class, a watercolour painting in the painting class, a card in the handmade greetings card class and a flower brooch in the ‘any other’ class.  I was pleased with all my entries, although simple in design I felt they showed good technique well executed.

There were lots of entries in the all the classes and I was surprised by the quality and complexity of the pieces.  How the judges came to a decision in some of the classes I do not know.  There was such a difference in the entries.

After a couple of hours around the show, watching some amazing model aircraft and birds of prey, I headed back to the craft tent to see how I got on.  I came out with 2 third prizes, for my painting and my card.  Not bad for a first effort.  Unfortunately there was no feedback on from the judges and they had vanished by the time I arrived.  Having looked at the prize winners, in would appear the patchwork and applique are what the judges were looking for.

I chatted with some of the other entrants and stewards and put some suggestions in for the next show, in order to help those crafters that don’t sew!  Later in the day I spoke to one of the organisers who asked me if I would like to join the organising committee for next year!

So all-in-all it was a good day.  I learned a lot about pieces to enter into the show for next year.  I came away with a couple of prizes and some potential input for the show in 2014!

Now back to 2013 and crafting for the Summer Fair at the Valley on Saturday!

Happy crafting

x

Another day, another commute! This time it’s the bus to Bolton for an orthopaedics appointment! My mind is currently filled with apprehension for steroid injections, so a concentrated effort to write, may hopefully, refocus my mind and calm me down.

It’s the start of a busy couple of weeks for me, both as a Mum and a crafter. I have several birthdays (family and friends) to make cards for, 2 summer fairs (school and community group) and Bury Agricultural Show! In amongst all that there seem to be pirates taking over the area, in the shape of birthday parties, fairs and fun-days at school!

So I need to sort myself out and make a list of things to make, edible treats and other gifts. I’ll need an ingredient list too!

Vanilla Fairy Buns

I hate to say it, but I could do with a rainy day to sit down and get making. With hayfever clogging my nose and fogging my brain, I’m a bit behind where I’d like to be with my stock. A concerted effort over the next couple of weeks should help.

And then I’ll be turning my thoughts to the much dreaded word ……………… Christmas!!!! (Aaarrrgggghhhh)

Happy crafting
x

I’ve been thinking for a while about other things I can do to help with promotion, and to experiement with new media etc.

I took out my Kirstie Allsopp book ‘Craft‘ and discovered some re-runs of her programmes on TV.  And it reminded me about the local agricultural show.  So I’m thinking about entering Bury Show at the end of the month!!  They have a number of categories in the craft tent, so I’m looking to enter the card, knitted item and painting.  I may also go for some of the cake classes, but I need to see what I can come up with first!! It’s the Platinum anniversary (70 years) this year, so the theme is Platinum celebrations.

Right I’m off to get my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!

Happy crafting
x