Tag Archives: knitting

Our Handmade Tree

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This year I’ve let my daughter have a tree in the hall, and given her a huge box of decorations.  The box was full of handmade decorations, some made by her through the few years of her life in nursery and school.   It’s been a real journey of remembering watching her decorate the tree. She made one of the decorations at playgroup when she was only just 1!  It’s great to see how she’s grown as some of the decorations she’s made at school have her photo on.

Handmade Christmas Tree

Once she had reminisced with me over all her decorations, she got out some of the decorations I’ve made over the last twenty years or so. I love the little snowballs at the bottom of the tree. They were some of the first decorations I made over twenty years ago. So there’s a real mix of little stockings, snowflakes, hearts and some Jean Greenhowe decorations (including the snowballs). We love our little handmade tree and long may we keep adding new decorations to it.

Merry Christmas
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Big Knit 2014

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While I’ve been off my feet I’ve taken the opportunity to use up some of my leftover yarn stash and make up some little hats for this years Big Knit.

This year they are quite simple designs with pom poms.

Big Knit Hats

It’s been a great way of making something for a great cause and keeping my busy while I recuperate.

Happy crafting
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National Knitting Week

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I have just learned that this week is National Knitting Week. So it’s time to get out my needles and start a knitting project. I have just finished my first beret. Made in bright blue chunky yarn. I love knitting with large needles (10mm in this case) and chunky yarn, projects knit up so quickly.

Chunky Beret

So what are you going to make this week?

Happy knitting
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The Big Knit 2014

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It’s that time of year again when Innocent launch their Big Knit in aid of Age UK.

As I’m currently sat with my feet up due to an operation, it’s the ideal time for me to knock out a few hats. This year I’m going for little bobble hats in a variety of colours and yarns.

This is an ideal project for any knitter and you can really make a difference. The hats are put onto bottles of Innocent smoothie and for every one sold, Innocent give 25p to Age UK. The hope is that this year they will have 800,000 little hats.

So get out those needles, there are patterns on the big knit website (http://www.thebigknit.co.uk/) and have a go at raising some funds for a great charity.

Happy crafting
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Work-in-progress

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I’ve got so many projects on the go at the moment that I thought I’d share them. I think it’s the heat and humidity that’s been taking it’s toll on my ability to finish these (well that and the fact that it’s school holidays). I’ll get there though!

First of all I have my next baby comforter. It’s in shades of pink for a girl (obviously).

flower granny square

comforter pieces

I should finish the other 2 squares soon and then I can have this one finished. I’d like to make a blue one as well, although I have a lovely soft green yarn, so it might end up in blue and green!

Next is a present for my daughter. She asked for it quite a while ago and after her fabulous school report I decided I would get round to making her something.

Dinosaur body

It’s going to be a dinosaur, a stegosaurus I think. The pattern is from LGC: Knitting and Crochet issue 62. They have loads of free patterns on the website too and they knit up fairly quickly. My daughter has been bonkers about dinosaurs for ages, so this one seemed very appropriate.

Finally there’s my latest granny square blanket. This one has been in progress for some considerable time as I ran out of blue yarn. But I’m on the final lap of this now, just finishing off the frilly scalloped edging.

P1220907

blanket close up

This is my largest blanket to date and looks good for a cot, or as a small throw. It’s inspired me to make a more colourful blanket with different granny squares. I have a bag of other squares and a couple of half finished amigurumi rabbits and chicks too. I wish there were more hours in the day to do everything, but it’s hard finding the time when you’re entertaining a 5 year old!

Happy Summer Holidays
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Crafting in the sun

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I can’t believe how hot it’s been so far this Summer.  And it’s the school holidays too!  I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been struggling to do anything let alone any crafting.

My house has a South facing back garden with the patio is raised above the garden and it’s been like a sauna sitting out.  I’ve been hiding inside as much as I can but that hasn’t been easy either.

I struggle to knit in the summer as my hands get very hot which often makes my needles stick or worse, squeak.  But this year I’ve been using my bamboo knitting needles and I’ve managed to start a new knitting project as a well done present for my daughters’ brilliant school report.

I have also managed to do a little crochet, but I’ve found using yarn a very hot business, so I’ve been making some cards ready for personalisation and orders.

Card insert

I’ve taken a liking to ripping paper!

I’m looking forward to some slightly cooler, or at least less humid weather so I can get on with some more crafts.

Happy crafting
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New Favourite Magazine

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I think I’ve rambled before about my love of crafting magazines. I don’t think I’m alone in this and in that I have generally chosen the magazine based on the whether I want the free gift on the cover or not! Sometime last year I rediscovered my passion for knitting and wanted to find some new patterns, and it was this that lead me to the newsagents and a really good browse of the shelves. Here I found Let’s Get Crafting: Knitting and Crochet. What a great find. Appealing totally to my need to make something immediately, it comes with a pack of yarn, knitting needles and a crochet hook. And the magazine itself is packed with patterns, both knitting and crochet, to make with the free gift. There are also a few patterns to make with your own yarn too. There a loads of quick and simple ideas and some more involved makes, like items of clothing. What I also love is the guide at the back with diagrams and instructions on how to do some of the stitches used in the makes.

I think it is well worth the £8.99 price tag. I will have to look into a subscription!

I bought the latest issue to take on my holiday, but I was not allowed to take the knitting needles or crochet hook on the plane unfortunately. So I spent my journey reading through all the article, lovely patterns and deciding what to have a go at. I was also thrilled to see that I had been published on the letters page.

Hop and Chirp

My little ‘Hop and Chirp’ that I made for my daughter and nephew for Easter were made using patterns in the magazine, and it was a lovely surprise to see them in the magazine.

As a thank you for sending in my photo, they have sent me a gift of stitch makers and pattern bookmarks! A very nice touch.

It is definitely worth having a look at this magazine, whether you are new to knitting and crochet or an old hand. And if you do make something from their patterns, then send them a photo on their facebook page, you never know, you could be in the next issue too!

Happy crafting
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