Fabric : Fibre : Family
Whilst I’ve been missing from this little corner of the blogosphere, I’ve been off doing ‘real life’ stuff. Most of it has just been the minutiae of everyday life, coupled with a real drive to slow things down (not entirely successfully, but we’re making a start).
However, you may have seen on Insta that Dave and I managed to bunk off parenting for a couple of nights and zip up the motorway to the Southern Lake District for a bit of time just being Mr and Mrs.
Goodness, it’s nearly October!!! We survived that summer holidays alive. It wasn’t elegant, but we made it. The last 3 weeks have been dominated by a renegade molar and regular dentist visits, but I’m hopefully the right side of it now. I’m also hoping that October can be a little more relaxed than the past few months.
Autumn has arrived here in Lancashire, and we are being blessed with chill mornings followed by warm, sunny days filled with that glorious golden light you get at this time of year.
Basically, I couldn’t be happier with the weather. It’s my favourite time of year.
And to herald the new season, new socks for Dave are in order. So here they are.
I’ll admit that whilst I was knitting them, I wasn’t enthused by the colourway. But now they’re finished I’m finding them delightful.
I’m particularly fond of the magenta pink stripe. And the green.
And, of course, they’re perfectly matched! Joy!
I have a very happy husband. And a small girl demanding the next pair of socks to be put on the needles is hers. Pink socks it is, then!
Project notes
| Pattern: | Regia 4ply sock pattern |
| Pattern cost: | Free |
| Yarn: | Drops Fabel |
| Colourway: | Candy Print |
| Purchased at: | Wool Warehouse |
| Yarn cost: | £4.60 (for 2 balls) |
We are so lucky to have many birds living in the woods at the bottom of our garden (including some very noisy woodpeckers, who are some of my favourites). At the moment they are happily feeding their beaky faces with the fruits of a very hot summer. But, for once, I’m ahead of the game and ready for winter with an adorable little bird feeder that I made at The Clay House at Cedar Farm a few weeks ago.
This was another new challenge for me, as whereas previous projects have been made from slabs of clay, this was made from balls pinched into shape.
It’s not terribly easy as the natural inclination of the clay is to do it’s own thing and completely ignore everything you’re asking it to do. And then it just laughs at you and collapses in on itself!
But a bit of perseverance (and the odd Anglo Saxon expletive under my breath) and I had two different sized bowls ready to join together to make my acorn shape.
The large hole above was cut out with a knife…the smaller one made with a piece of wooden dowling. The decoration to the “hat” of the acorn was also made with a knife. It started off very neatly and quite precise, and rapidly descended into boredom and random stabbing!
Which kinda worked in the end!
Coats of glazy stuff were applied. One matt, so the birds don’t slip on it, one shiny and pretty.
A bit of baking in the kiln, and voila!
Now all I need is for my resident handyman to hang it for me and we’re ready for the winter. Just not yet, thank you very much. I’m enjoying the sun too much.
In a break from normal crafty posts , I’ve got a tale to tell that explains the radio silence around here in recent times.
Last autumn I was invited to a group meeting for adoptive parents, and, against my better judgement, decided to attend. I had a feeling that it would all be a bit too “hug a tree” for my taste, but the inviter assured me all would be well.
Right up until I got out of my car in the Starbucks car park, I was ready to go home. But that would have been rude, so I went in, got a large coffee and joined the group of other ladies, none of whom I’d met before.
This is one of those life lessons about how your future can turn on something as simple as walking through the door at Starbucks. And I should know by now that these things happen, because it was under similar circumstances that I met Dave, and look how that turned out.
The ladies around the table were lovely, and we still have monthly meetups, just to remind ourself that we’re not alone with our quite specific parenting challenges. But about 20 minutes in, a latecomer pulled up a seat and joined us. And this is where things take a turn.
I’m sure we knew each other in a past life. I have other friends like that. It’s weird, but cool. And we kept meeting up for coffee, then lunch. All the time laughing and swapping notes about things we did or didn’t know about the resources and support our children need. And just how hard it is to find those resources, because often you don’t even know what you’re looking for until you find it!
And over coffee one day, back in Starbucks, we were bemoaning that fact that this information is sooooooo hard to find, and that it should be easier, and all in one place, and somebody should build a website……..
So we did.
And we’re rather chuffed with it!
This is our first iteration…we have plans for lots more shiny stuff. But for now we’ve hit the main problems that people like us (parents/carers of adopted children with additional health and educational challenges) have to address on a daily basis. And when I say address, I mean battle, because the services are so underfunded you have to fight hard and long to get the support they need.
So if you, or anyone you know, has children who need a bit more support than the average bear, do come and check us out.
Normal crafty service will now be resumed.
It seems so long since Father’s Day, and I’d completely forgotten to share these socks with you.
As you all know the drill by now….it’s all about the yarn with these vanilla socks from Regia….and the sun is shining….I’m just going to let the pictures do all the work.
Hope the sun is shining with you…..have a great weekend.
Project notes
| Pattern: | Regia 4ply sock pattern |
| Pattern cost: | Free |
| Yarn: | Drops Fabel |
| Colourway: | Ocean View |
| Purchased at: | Wool Warehouse |
| Yarn cost: | £4.60 (for 2 balls) |
Continuing our intermittent day dates, where Dave and I do something creative together, we recently did a basket weaving course with the lovely Joe of Creative with Nature, whom you may remember from my willow hare escapades.
This time we were making baskets, and they are a completely different process. Which made for a really interesting day for me, learning something new again.
We started off making the base.
This simple cross was opened out so you could weave between the sticks to form a circle.
I swear it’s not as easy as it looks. Apparently, traditionally apprentices would spend a year just learning how to make bases of different shapes, ensuring that each of the “spokes” are evenly spaced. I can understand why. Getting that even separation was impossible for me.
Once the base is completed you slip in some longer stems to form the frame of the basket.
And then you weave.
We did two different types of weave. They do have specific names, but I’ve completely forgotten what they are.
What I do remember is that the fancy weave that makes the top of the basket completely flummoxed me, and, as we were rapidly running out of time, Joe stepped in and helped me out with the finishing touches.
That beautiful finish is all down to Joe. The slightly wonky shape of the basket is all my own work! 😉
Dave’s a natural at basketry. His is so beautiful, with a perfect shape and lovely tight weaving. But, despite the flaws in mine, these are a gorgeous pair of baskets, and I’m inordinately proud of them.
As I did when I made the hare, we had a lovely day with Joe and came home feeling quite accomplished. I have my eye on her Stag Head course….maybe in the autumn!
For quite some time now, Summer’s Grandad has been telling her stories about a small mouse named Monroe and his wife, Marilyn, who live in their home and have fabulous adventures.
As a girl with a wide creative streak, she is entranced by these tales.
Whilst I was making Spencer the Pug for Dylan (who’s now called Robertson, for reasons that escape me), it seemed a fine opportunity to make Monroe and Marilyn for Summer.
Obviously, for a project such as this, there is only one designer you need…Julie of Little Cotton Rabbits. I’ve waxed lyrical about her delightful family of woodland creatures before, so this was a complete no-brainer.
Julie’s patterns are not a quick make. They are beautiful heirloom knits and as such need a little work. But neither are they a difficult knit.
You just need to pay attention to her scrupulously written pattern and all will work out. She holds your hand all the way, not just with the knitting but with the sewing up and stuffing too!
And at the end of it you get these magical little animals to delight someone special in your life.
Project notes:
| Pattern: | Boy mouse with a cabled sweater |
| Pattern cost: | £6.75 |
| Yarn: | Bergere De France Calinou |
| Colourway: | Bleu Nuit & Lac |
| Purchased at: | John Lewis |
| Yarn cost: | £7.00 |
Who ate all my time! I can’t believe it’s over a month since I last posted.
Life here is super busy. Isn’t everyone’s?
After many years of battling we finally have some support in place for the children, so have social workers, family support workers, and conferences and workshops coming out of our ears! Funnily enough it’s also led to a friend (also an adoptive mum of a chap with additional needs) and I to realise that there is a huge hole in the market for a one-stop-website for parents and guardians like us.
Over coffee one day, lamenting the lack of such a resource, and wondering why somebody didn’t do it….we realised that we were just the people to fill that gap. Now we are working hard for an Autumn launch. Its exhilarating and exhausting in equal parts, and the steepest of learning curves, but we’re only a month in and getting great feedback, so watch this space.
With all this going on, you can imagine that crafting time is limited….I haven’t looked at a tapestry sheep in weeks, and my sewing plans are gathering dust. I’m slowly working on a waistcoat for Dave, but I’m awfully glad he’s patient!
Thankfully, I have been knitting. Most recently finished are these beauties.
Look at those colours!
Look at those perfectly matched stripes!
Sock perfection! And a happy husband. I’ll take that win!
Of course I have another pair of socks on the needles, for conversational knitting occasions. But I also have Galaxie from Quince & Co. for evenings in front of the TV.
Image copyright Quince & Co.
I’m knitting it in Finch in the colourway Stream.
Image copyright Quince & Co.
Both the pattern and the yarn are sublime. I’m happily doing a few rounds a night and enjoying the making. I’m usually a product driven knitter, so this is a lovely change for me. And it’s nice to be knitting a garment other than socks!
It’ll be ready for Autumn too.
Project notes
| Pattern: | Regia 4ply sock pattern |
| Pattern cost: | Free |
| Yarn: | Zwerger Garn Opal |
| Colourway: | Kim |
| Purchased at: | Black Sheep Wools |
| Yarn cost: | £7.99 |
This post is so overdue it’s ridiculous. And it’s all been hanging on photographs! Yesterday Summer agreed to take a couple of quick snaps as I was wearing my favourite of these tops, so here we go, at last.
I’ve already covered the fitting changes I made to this pattern here and, I’ll be honest, I’m still wearing that top on a regular basis, despite it’s imperfections. It fits better than pretty much anything I’ve bought from a shop and is great to throw on when I’m running around the house with a pair of jeans doing chores.
I have, however, since then made 4 other versions, with varying degrees of success. The success or failure of the finished garment has been purely down to fabric choice.
First up my favourite. This is a lovely sheer, lightweight cotton that has almost a cheesecloth texture to it. The print is delicious, and it’s cool and lovely to wear as we head into warmer weather, but also a great layering piece with a cardigan for us women-of-a-certain-age!
The fabric is from deep stash and was gifted to me by my friend Christian, who is a seamstress with impeccable taste! I’m glad I’ve finally got this one in my wardrobe and its in heavy rotation.
Second favourite is another fabric from deep stash, which I purchased yonks ago from Abakhan. it’s a printed cotton jersey, and it’s my favourite for when I just need something comfy for dog walking or housework. Love this top and it proves that this pattern is great for knits as well as wovens.
The first of the unsuccessful tops is this one.
The fabric is from the wonderful Stone Fabrics in Devon. I bought this on holiday a couple of years ago, so again it’s good to get it out of the stash. I’ve checked their site and the don’t seem to have any of it left. Which is a shame because the fabric is beautiful, and the print is lovely.
Unfortunately I look like an extra from the Walking Dead in it. It’s a really bad colour on me.
And finally is this lovely blue print.
Which is all the colours that look amazing on me. But the fabric (a bargain bin purchase from Abakhan for very little money) is awful. And clingy. And just plan old nasty.
So I can happily say I’ve now got my first TNT pattern. It’s such a useful little top I’m sure to make more. However, on the sewing table at the moment is a Harris Tweed waistcoat for Dave, and the Imogen top in its second iteration with an FBA. As the kids are back at school next week, I’m hoping to get some sewing done on both of them.
I know I’ve been teasing you with my visit to Toft and the pug I made for Dylan for Easter. Both my kids are nosy, so I didn’t dare put anything up anywhere they might stumble across it before Easter Sunday. We’re safe now, so here goes the first of two posts about impossibly cute woolly animals.
Just after Christmas my friend, Julia, and I had a bit of a road trip to the Toft Studio in Warwickshire. We headed off on the Saturday afternoon, and after a lovely pub supper, a ridiculously early night, and a full English breakfast we didn’t have to cook ourselves, we had a crisp and sunny country drive to Toft.
The setting for the Studio is impossibly bucolic. Classic English countryside, red brick houses and a beautiful building that is home to the studio, shop, and a very warm welcome.
We did two workshops. One amigurumi and one on stripy blankets. Both were for complete beginners, and I came away confident that although I’d never crocheted anything before I could happily complete the white rat that I’d started. I didn’t….I poached the yarn for the wee mice I made for Summer! But I did also purchase the yarn and pattern for Spencer the Pug for my pug mad boy.
And I did complete him.
The hardest part of this project is remembering to count! I’m not a confident enough crocheter to try and do this and watch a film. But it’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little quiet concentration.
Dylan is so delighted with him. Spencer has joined Margaret, the knitted pug, as his favourite companions.
Although now, obviously, he’s not called Spencer. A new name has yet to be decided on. But with toy pugs already named Margaret and Phillip Reeve, who knows what we’ll end up with?!
I’m feeling decidedly accomplished and planning other projects as soon as I’ve worked through some more stash. I can, however, highly recommend Toft workshops. And the yarn is simply sublime! I want to knit All The Things in it now.