Just wondering if anyone is still out there in blogger universe. I'm still busying away knitting and sewing.  Latest creation just in time for christmas.

Dress updates...

Hey folks, I've been very bad at noting my creations lately...but I'll try and rectify that. i've got a few things to show you, but I'll start with the one that I wore today - I made it some time ago. It's a jersey material and as it turns out - it's an ideal length and material for cycling. It's breathable so doesn't make me too sweaty; and a good length so i don't flash my knickers at passing motorists.
So there we have it...me in a field in my new dress (with cardigan nonchalantly slung over my shoulder)
And yes, my hair is growing...(patience..keep those scissors away..)

Remember me...

It's been a little while again. Several reasons,  1) I've not been doing a huge amount of sewing or knitting. 2) The bits that I have been doing, I accientally deleted all my photo's off (including my amazing Istanbul trip - gutted and 3) I've been a bit of a traitor and started posting some things on facebook - what am I thinking!

So I'm going to try and re-start this blog lark and get back to it. 

So - a little sneaky peak of my recent work.

1) My lovely Malmo cat on her enourmous marimekko cushion

The other of me in a pink version of the rasperry sweater from ravelry. Please forgive the hair I'm going through a "growing out phase" hence the slightly pained look. The jumper I'm pleased with though.

Really, she's a normal sized cat.

Been away for a while.....

Hi, I've not posted for some time. I've had a spell of either not being overly creative; making things for others or just plain lazy.

But I've produced a few things that I'm super proud of...so here we go...

This is my new kitchen blind. We bought the fabric from skandium sale shop a few years ago and have been thinking what to use it for. It's Marimekko and just seemed too fabulous to cut up. It's got a panda in bowler hat and braces!
The structure of the blind came courtesy of this website tutorial (jenduncan). The fabric needs to settle down a bit when in the folded position but so far it's working really well.

So knitted stuff. My nephew came over to visit - he's 9 months and I'd not met him before so guessed the size for this really sweet looking cardigan. It's available on Ravelry.
Sheep Yoke baby cardigan by Jennifer Little
It was a fairly quick knit, and used wool I already had. Unfortunately i didn't get to see him in the cardigan. Maybe I can persuade my sis to take a photo. I now want to make one for myself.

I mentioned in my last blog that I was knitting a red, plain jumper with some lovely wool. Well, here it is. 

 And finally the newest addition to our household. Some funky cat toys have been made for this little madam. She's called Malmo. (Excuse the shaved patch...she's had some work done).

Fun of making your clothes

The great part of being able to knit and work with wool is that option of recreating something. This wool - found for about £4 in a charity shop has been reincarnated in several forms.
The beginning was a Rowan pattern with weird angled sleeves. It was an interesting construction but looked a bit boxy on me (a regular difficulty with Rowan designs for me).

So i re-arranged the sleeves; changed the neckline but it still wasn't working for me. And so it was frogged. And out of the wool created two garments:
I made a cardigan http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Phill/mrs-darcy-cardigan#
and this lovely sweater http://www.pickles.no/yum-creamy-raspberry-sweater/ (as per the picture above. I really love the design an the fit....now i just need the weather to warm up so i can wear it.

I've made a new red jumper from fresh wool.....and now am frogging this blue monster

- again a lovely design by Rowan but just too big and boxy (maybe i need to start measuring myself and checking my gauge.....hmmmm naaaaa).
Please no-one talk me out of it cos it's already done......i wonder what it will become...

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! It's been a while since I've posted - sorry about that.

So what have i been up to? It's been mainly Christmas gift making...and finishing a lovely jumper for yours truly. That's be posted soon when I've taken a picture of myself in it.

I was a bit silly and didn't take pictures of the gifts that I made...except I did manage to snap the magical felted slippers that I made for my mum.  They were the design by French press. It's my first adventure in felting; it was a little scary - especially when i saw how huge they were knitted before felting - but I was rather happy at the way they turned out. I think I'll knit myself a pair

Also on the needles is Totoro mittens for Mr Bento - first one is done - ends not yet woven in...next one is on the needles as we speak.

Busy busy

Hello again; well things have been busy; but good busy....there have been home decorations - turns out Bento is a bit of a carpenter and has created some lovely alcove shelves in our new abode...

Work in progress....

 Finally complete...

(check out the marimekko curtains and lovely cushions created by yours truly (though not too closely at the curtains...they aren't hemmed yet.....well they only hang behind the sofa...shhhhh).


And of course the fabulous olympics and paralympics took place in London. It was a really inspiring; communal and enthusiastic atmosphere. So of course we did our bit (please note the flags are not stickers but face painted on; albeit using a stencil.

And finally my latest challenge last weekend was cycling from Oxford to London - to prove it here is us at Heathrow! It was really good fun...i'd do it again for sure, but maybe choose a different route this time - the Chiltern hills and villages were gorgeous but there must be a way around the A4!.
So you can see why my sewing and knitting have taken a back seat..and next week Vienna here i come - woo hooo!!!!!

Hello again

Hi all. I promise i have been doing stuff; just been keeping quiet about it. Some changes in jobs; increase in gardening and house stuff...but i have made a jersey dress that I can't seem to do without...

I've also been adjusting and adapting and... ahem tidying up some of my other clothes.

I'm also on the lookout for a French penpal.....so if anyone knows anyone who would like to write to me in part french/part english (and accept some very badly written french (but good english) in return then please get in touch!! (Just had an amazing holiday in the south of france and I'm determined to improve my french skills.

 A Bientot!

: )

My "i didn't make it to Paris" cardigan

Bento and I were due to have springtime in Paris but due to illness we had to cancel our trip so I spent the time knitting and catching up on movies (all about my mother; blame it on fidel; dogtooth and he's just not that into you.) I ended up making this scandi inspired cosy cardigan (from stitch and bitch 2). And its become such a staple I can't believe I ever lived without it.

3 hour sweater - my foot

Ok so the pattern is the 3 hour sweater. Not true but it is a fairly quick knit. I'm quite pleased with the outcome but would make it perhaps an inch longer.
Would also like to try it in all one colour. This was stash busting as I had 2 skeins of wool that I wasn't sure what to do with them. (One left over from bento's mittens; and one a gift from my friend Clare).  So a combination was born.

Sewing for the house

Ok,I promised myself that this blog wouldn't be house obsessed but I had to show my chicken doorstop and the sausage dog draught excluder. Great for stash busting and the dog is full of all those fabric and wool offcuts I couldn't bear to throw away.

oohps!

I can't believe it's almost 9 months since my last post - ohhps indeed.
And before anyone get's excited the 9 months isn't significant; although lots of rather exciting things have been happening.
We bought our very own house together - which has been really exciting so my craft activities have involved making curtains; ripping down weird built in wardrobes and ripping up old musty carpet.

I'll try not to get too obsessed with the homemaking side of things but you'll have to forgive me if suddenly things start to bloom in the garden and i feature pictures - it's really cool to see what comes up next.

So there you have it - i'm back. Apologies for the silence and also the disappearance of pictures (I changed e-mail accounts and forgot that it was all linked so my piccies disappeared too!)

Will show you my "i didn't make it to Paris" cardigan; and my new black dress soon.

july breton top

I loved the outcome and wearability of my black jumper that I decided to make another one, but this time inspired by the water/boating life of Stockholm. Its another stash buster...so a free jumper with wool donated from my grandma and some left over rowan freebie wool.
I like it... now what'll be next; and will I ever post the pictures of my sewing...

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June skirt

Inspired by one of the free patterns on grosgrains website, here is my new paperbag skirt. Ben doesn't love it; says its too bulky and heavy...I have to agree but thats kinda why I like it. Sorry for the self-portrait..will have to get better at those.
 More projects to follow including deconstructed macaron dress; and a penciltastic skirt.

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May's Project (with a bit of March thrown in)

I'm catching up slowly with the newly made item per month. I know i still have yet to post for March..
so here it is - not the best photo - bad hair and I'm not sure about the styling but if i don't post it now it'll be 2012. The pattern is rowan hepburn made with 4 ply wool (which was free with my rowan subscription). So it's a free jumper!

And here is May's
I worked really hard to finish it in time for stockholm. Its called "plain and simple" by Veera Valimaki. It's a simple t-shirt shape with buttons on one sleeve and collar. I didn't do the massive collar it suggested - purely because i started to run out of wool - but i love the finish. Also the wool i inherited from my Grandmother; so in effect it's a free jumper too!

The excitement over free things is going to become a resounding feature over the next year. We're in the process of trying to buy our first house...which means absolutely no spare cash for material/wool so it'll force me to dive into my stash and be creative.
My stash did get a little boost the other day. I was proudly telling Ben how good i had been about going into the local sewing shop (darn it and stitch) and seeing some wonderful pink/orange wool plaid material; how i had resisted temptation and walked away without buying any.
The following week he presented me with a bag full of presents (just because...) and among them was 3 meters of said material! I'm a lucky girl....guess what's going to be in June's post!

Stockholm - Running

So after all my carping about being sick and tired of running - I'm so glad that we did all the training - it made such a difference!
We not only completed the Marathon but we managed to knock 43 minutes of our previous time coming in at 3hrs and 59 seconds (the secret goal was to try to run it under 4 hours but we weren't sure we could so we didn't really tell anyone! he he).

I'm so proud of myself and Ben - i certainly couldn't have done it without him! Yay us!



Loved stockholm by the way....if only we could afford to live there (£10 for a glass of wine...really!) We managed to treat ourselves to coffee and cake though.

running fatigue

So we are approaching the final countdown to the Stockholm marathon....3 weeks today. We have our longest run of 22 miles to do tomorrow. We've already run 26 miles this week, our legs hurt, our feet are tired, we are dreading tomorrow. .why do we do it? It is also our 9 year wedding anniversary tomorrow. So to help our cheer I baked biscuits - check out the bracelet that Ben got me as a pressie..I also got some really sweet swallow earrings from tatty devine. I'll post those later.

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aprils project

I know, i haven't posted march's project yet, but I thought i'd get last months out there before I get too behind. It's a simple little bag for my friends birthday....pity that I just found out her husband just bought her 6 new handbags!!

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Cats and Jacques

It's been a funny old month for sure. Our lovely smokey cat went onto his next life - I'm certain he and Liz Taylor are now best buddies and he's getting caviar and venison as we speak : ) We miss you Mr smokey-cat.






So...we took a holiday to France

The very same street where
 Gene Kelly knelt down to pick up some paper! eek!

We had a Jacques Demy pilgrimage to Rochefort... it was great fun. If you haven't seen Desmoiselles de Rochefort you really should. It's a fun 60's musical riot of colour; frenchness and wonder.

February's creation

I caved - my stash busting start to the year had a bit of a hiccup when I passed a shop with a marimekko fabric sale...£10 a meter....i couldn't stop myself..
oohps


So, I've made myself a Macaron dress from Colette Patterns using the purple fabric and some black twill cotton that I had left over ...see there is some stash busting going on

(Check out my new haircut too)


I really love the skirt on this pattern - the pleats and the pockets are yummy. The waist-band is a little tight on me, so not sure if it's a dress I'll be wearing out to dinner.

The running is going really well - we had a race last weekend - half marathon and we beat the 2hr mark (I ran 1hr, 56minutes and 47 seconds - phew!).

Knitting is going well but no completed item for February - but half way through this rowan sweater-vest (love that phrase).

March is a busy month - we're off on holiday to France, have another race and my sis and nephew are visiting. Not sure how much creating I'll be able to do..but hope to post some small bits.