New goods & good news!

A few new goods in my etsy shop:

Aaaaand an explanation of why it's been so quiet on the blog front...I have some good news!

I haven't been able to share it with you previously in case co-workers read my blog, but Ben & I are moving to France! Okay, so only for winter season for skiing, but that's pretty exciting! We're taking Mia the Husky with us (complete with her ickle dog passport!), and we leave at the end of November to move into our apartment in Chamonix, France. It's something we've both wanted to do for some time, but getting degrees, jobs & cars always came first. Now we've been saving for a house deposit for some time, but it struck us that we could do something more exciting with some of the money...once we get a mortgage we won't necessarily get the opportunity again.

So on Friday I handed in my notice at work; due to the nature of my job (I'm the only person in the office who does it!), I've given 2 months notice and have been assured that there's a place for me there when I get back in May. Watch this space for more exciting news, mainly skiing related; I've been knitting up beanies for Ben for months, so hopefully I'll manage to whip one off him head (he's like an excited child, wearing them round the house until we go) and will show you a few...

Let me know if you have any skiing, packing or travelling tips! I'm going to need them!

Have a great week,

A Xxx

Inspiration

Just a few images that are inspiring my current makes:

Black lace (image via weheartit)

Camel coats...well, camel anything really! (image via weheartit)

Cabled knits (image via weheartit)

Creamy linen...(image from sunnypeaches)

Especially when paired with peachy cameos! (image via weheartit)

Can you tell I'm getting geared up for winter fashion?!

A Xxx

Open for business!

Sorry I've been AWOL recently; there's been a lot of activity going on behind the scenes while I've designed new banners, business cards and graphics:

Just to let you know my little Etsy shop is now open - thanks to all who gave advice, hopefully I'll be back to blogging soon and will give you all a proper update!

Hope you're having a fabulous week!

A Xxx

Making it on my own

One good thing about saving money is that you end up finding better ways to spend your time, that don't involve much money at all; I'm always making myself such time-consuming to-do lists, and in an effort to keep myself away from the shops last week, I did actually tick off all the lovely "chores" I'd set myself:

Lucy's Toasty mitts are finished, slightly felted and drying on the Aga.

I have a stash of button hair clips & earrings ready to sell

The oyster shells are scrubbed and awaiting their new lives as candle holders (the wicks haven't arrived, but the seller promises me that they're on their way!):

Little red bows of felt are lined up on the side to be stitched onto everything:

The craftiness did take a little longer than expected, but all in all I spent no money, had less "bored" time, and now have pretty things cluttering up my house ready to be sold, once I work out whether I'm going down the Etsy, Folksy or Misi route. I must say that even as a *huge* Etsy fan, I am veering more towards Misi, simply because it's UK based and has a smaller pool of sellers on there at the moment, but do let me know if you'd recommend anywhere else!

This week the boyfriend is away on business (well I call it business, he's entertaining customers on a corporate yachting week, so no chore there!), and so I'm on my lonesome as far as feeding and amusing myself is concerned. So this week I'm going to:

• Have a go at cooking baked onions. We have a glut of onions in the vegetable garden, and Sophie Dahl's recipe looks delish.
• Ditto cook myself some potato gratin. But more because it's comfort food, and it'll be perfect to nibble on whilst watching all my programmes while he's away...an entire evening of Project Runway, ANTM then BNTM anyone??
• Peruse Shazronnie's lovely blog Making Stuff. And then make some Belgian Buns from her recipe for my round of Cake Club for work on Friday... this isn't turning into a "to-cook" list, promise!
• Make a start on some crochet garlands, using my huge stash of vintage crochet cottons left to me by my great-aunt...perfect wedding decorations!
• Cast on a Slip Stitch Stash Hat (try saying that a few times!) for my middle sister Isabelle, in her favourite colours.

Have a great week everyone!

A Xxx

This week I'm going to: 8th August

(image via Flickr)

• Make a start on my very own paper bag waist skirt, using Suzannah's tute here.
• Receive the candle wicks I ordered this morning, and make candles from the gorgeous oyster shells I collected on the beach last week.
• Stitch a load of felt bows for hairclips, to eventually sell on Misi/Etsy/Folksy (tbc!).
• Cast on a pair of Toasty mitts for my little sister Lucy, using the gorgeous yarn I picked up from Kingcraig - Lambswool & Silk and only £2 a ball? Yes please!
• Get down to the local plant nursery and buy a couple of Samphire plants. Jenya has one in her office and it's inspired me to start a little houseplant collection of my own! At least I think it's Samphire - my MIL seems to think so and google agrees - any other takers? I want one!

Have a great week!

A Xxx

A belated birthday message

Sorry this greeting is late...I didn't think you'd mind, as you don't observe dates...

Happy 2nd birthday to Olive,

the cat who likes eating Turkey Dinosaurs, walks with the dogs & scritches...

A Xxx

Love is in the air!

Hullo, hullo, hullo!

Hope everyone's enjoying the fab weather and having a wonderful summer so far...it's certainly been a lovely one in this household!

The last few weeks have been manic; a frenzy of making & doing, plus a sad farewell... my best friend has just moved from England to Ohio, and gets married tomorrow!!

So just for her (and for you my dear readers!), as I can't keep anything secret and it would be out of fashion for me to do so, I've got to share with you all the crafty things made for Georgie's upcoming nuptials!

The Hen Do:

Georgie was given a lovely send-off at the gorgeous London Beach Hotel, where 6 of us enjoyed spa treatments, dinner & itty-bitty silk lined party bags, filled with tiaras and bubbles:

The Wedding Gift:

A little something for the happy couple to mark the special date - please bear with me, this is my first attempt at embroidery, I hope she likes it!

The Housewarming Gift:

Two Union Jack cushion covers (to be finished obviously!): lacy for the bride, ribbony for the groom, to adorn their new home and remind my friend to call home once in a while:

Good Luck tomorrow Georgie & Curtis!

A Xxx

Still here!

Sorry for another long break, but it's been a busy couple of weeks at our place - a couple of balls, plenty of BBQs and LOADs of hayfever. It's getting so bad that I'm sitting here with a cold flannel over my eyes to stop the itching...

So until my hayfever subsides (I can't spend too long on the computer or I'll scratch my eyes out...argh!) I'm having a little break. I'll be back in July with loads of exciting news & pictures.

Hope you're having a great June!!

A Xxx

Ingredients for a successful Sunday

Beautiful weather:

The chirpiest tea towels I've ever seen:

Gifts from my Grandad:

(bronze to sell at car boot fairs, but I'm keeping the biggest owl - it's a tea light holder!)

A huge pile of eBay sales to post:

And a boyfriend who's finally putting up the shelves in our bathroom, 2 years after we moved in...I'm a happy bunny now!!

Have a great weekend!

A Xxx

A long spell away...

Oh gawd, what another long spate away from my blog life!!

As you know, our puppy Mia had an icky face infection, and so my life has pretty much been taken up with giving her medication 8 hours apart (plus a couple of 2am sedative doses to stop her itching) and sleeping/getting on with work! Apologies to everyone who's had to wait days for replies, and a big thanks to Cass & Jinny for taking some husky roving for spinning! She's now getting much better, mainly thanks to an expensive visit to a specialist dermatologist and huge doses of steroids!

So in my 2 weeks away, I've managed to finish a couple of projects, start a few more, buy some furniture AND start my Christmas knitting...that's early isn't it?! I've fallen in love with Boutique Knits, and having finished one Sideways Grande Cloche, I've been commissioned to make several more:

I've also started on the Pseudo Shibori Scarf (a Christmas present), which is coming along great...the yarn is ancient Phildar I found in the charity shop, and the halo is gorgeous:

I've also taken to getting my sewing inspiration from the shops; instead of trawling the web for hours, last week I popped to the shops to add projects to my sewing list. So far I've made a top similar to this Topshop vest:

I just love the zip detail on the back...I'm making more :D

Have a great week!

A Xxx

Anyone fancy some free roving?

So the title of this post is pretty self-explanatory, but there's a catch...

This isn't just any fleece I'm giving away, it's the winter under-coat of my 11 month old Husky - I was a bit hesitant but it's soooo soft and apparently our breeder spins with it with great success. You see, we left our pup on Friday evening looking like this:

And by this morning, following her 3rd trip to the vets in as many days, she looks like this:

Grotty I know! Apparently Huskies are very susceptible to getting sore faces, but being such an impatient little puppy, she won't let it heal - after constant scratching, we've eventually had to sedate her this afternoon.

Therefore, she cannot groom herself, it's getting warm and she's uncomfortable. So I gave her a little brush. One full washing basket later of undercoat brushed out:

And she's a bit happier!

But what to do with it? I gave up on spinning a while ago, and I can't leave that much out for the birds to nest in.

If you'd like it, please leave a comment below, and I'll email you back to get your address. I'll happily split it between a couple of people if there's a rush, but it will be first come, first served!

Hope you're having a great week!

A Xxx

Oh Happy Day!

There are a few blogs I read regularly, and every time a post pops up on my Reader, I race to open it. One such blog is LyddieGal's Chic on the Cheap, and being the star that she is, she's passed on the Sunshine Award!

Thanks so much! So I've decided in the spirit of karma, to keep it going!

Rules

- Put the award on your blog

- Pass the award to 12 positive and creative bloggers

- Link the chosen ones within your posts

- Inform the chosen ones by commenting on their blog

- Share the love and the link to the person who gave it to you

I'm sending the love to:

Smiles Go With Everything

Rattling On...

Contented

Do you mind if I knit

Alexandra Mason

My Happy Sewing Place

One Pearl Button

Field and Fen

Freshly Picked

Green Rabbit Designs

Knit the hell out

Busywork

Go and see them - I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A Xxx

Lots of lovely links

Okay so some of these aren't new, but I've just found them and I love them...enjoy!

Tailor's Dream bobbin earrings - aren't these the perfect gift for a seamstress?!

Madeline's Anthro inspired Tank tutorial. I'm off to buy a plain tee to make one of these today...thanks Suze for introducing me to Madeline's blog!

ChickyC's Aubergine wrap cardi pattern - it's on Burda too, I love it!

Sarah London's Wool Eater blanket - I've got blankets on the brain and this one is gorgeous...

Rachel's birdie brooches - so simple but so beautiful, in every colour you could want!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

A Xxx

Let the crafting (re)begin!!

Hullo! It's been a long bloggy break, but the wrist is healing (badly sprained, apparently I already had wonky bones anyway, and can't drive for 2 weeks yet) and crafting can recommence!

We've finished our squares for Cheryl's blanket and have around 25 squares now (thanks again to Georgie & Dawn who kindly mucked in too, very much appreciated) and have a vague diagonal pattern set up:

I'm finishing the sewing-up over the Bank Holiday weekend...finished pics to follow. By the way, the granny squares there were crocheted by my 55yr old male boss...awesome.

Before my little mishap, I had started on a swathe of new projects; after the success of the OPB sew along, I began another skirt from the March issue of Burda. Obviously it had to be put to one side last week on account of not being able to sew with a cast on my arm, but yesterday once it was off I had a little go on my machine, and managed to finish the skirt completely. Using some of the tricks learnt in the sew along, I've added a contrasting hem & waistband, and have sewn my first pockets! The one problem I had with the pattern was that it excluded seam allowances; while I'm getting better at tracing patterns, this was still a little messy. But practice makes perfect, and although I'm probably not doing my healing wrist any good, the skirt is pretty...

(My OPB Marie skirt...and the pocket detail on yesterday's finished piece)

I think from start to finish this skirt maybe took 5 hours, so if I keep it up I may have enough clothes to participate in a me-made-month; I loved seeing what Zoe came up with during her me-made-March, and it's really inspired me to make a wardrobe full of clothes that fit & suit me perfectly. I've made a little cover for Bertha (my dressform) to practice darts and get my measurements just right, so now I've got my eye on a few tops... anyone got any suggestions for a good first top pattern?

Have a great weekend!

A Xxx

Oh Noes!

Thanks for everyone's kind words & suggestions for my friend...she starts Chemo this week and so far we have around 20 squares for the blanket. It's been great seeing everyone at work pull together and knit!! My boss shocked us all by revealing that he can crochet!! Apparently he learnt when he & his wife were young and poor after buying their first house...I don't think I can imagine my boyfriend stepping up and doing that! We've just got to sew the squares up now - I'll be sure to post some pics of the completed masterpiece!

Just a quick update however... I know this hasn't been a particularly short post, but I have typed it all with one hand - I've fractured my wrist! So no knitting, sewing or crafting for at least 2 WEEKS!! Please bear with me with regards to posting etc, as I'm not sure how well I'll keep up until it's healed.

Over and out - have a great couple of weeks if I don't see you!

A Xxx

Home again, but not all safe and sound

Hi All, hope everyone had a lovely Easter and some well-deserved time off!

Las Vegas was great - full of bizarre people, free drinks & incredible sights - I've posted a few holiday snaps on my Flickr, but I won't bore you with them here...except for this one, because everything about it makes me happy:

***yes, it is made of jelly beans!***

While the days are getting longer and I'm spending more time outdoors, I've really fallen behind on my knitting and started doing, well, outdoorsy things! Walking the dog, hanging up washing on the line, cleaning my car - all things I dread/wouldn't dream of doing in the cold!

However today my to-do list was put into perspective...today a close friend at work was diagnosed with stage 4 Melanoma, which has completely bowled us all over. Our office is a pretty chatty one, with lots of cakes, magazines and laughter, but today we fell silent. She's 35, newly-wed and just the cheeriest person I know...

So in an effort to bring everyone together with some focus, out came the knitting! We've agreed to each knit an 8x8 square (there's around 7 of us who can knit) and see how we go from there, probably doing another 2 or 3 each. Our initial thought was a hat for her 18 weeks of Chemotherapy starting from May, but as Chemo patients can get quite cold during treatment, we're working together to make a blanket first.

So if any of you have any nice square patterns you'd like to suggest, they'd be greatly appreciated! We vary in proficiency from basic garter stitch to intermediate - I've had a trawl on Ravelry, but if anyone has any favourites I'd love some help!

Thanks in advance...

A Xxx

See you in a week!

Photo source: Las Vegas Gateway (we're staying here, at the Bellagio!)

I'm off to the airport this afternoon, as we're heading to Las Vegas!!!

We've got loads planned, including a sky-dive, a dinner show and meal here. I'm sure I'll have loads of pictures to show when I get back!

Wishing everyone a great Easter week...

A Xxx

I'm sure I was meant to be DE-stashing...

I just thought I'd show you what I've been working on in my lunch hours - Vanessa's Little Squares - aren't they gorgeous? The pastels are to be used in the original pattern for a scarf, and the rainbow brights will be made into a garland for my living room, to hang across my boring brown blinds!

I did start this project as a destashing exercise, but seeing how pretty the scarf looks, I feel I may need some extra pastel coloured DK to finish it!!

A Xxx

A return to normality

Thanks everyone for the kind messages last week - I felt a bit silly seeing as it was such a minor injury, but I'd hate for you to think I had just gone AWOL! Obviously there are so many bloggers who have had worse luck than me - I should be grateful I only banged my head!

So to resume posting, I thought I'd show you what I got up to on my birthday last week. Usually I only get flowers from my boyfriend, but this year my parents treated me too, so the house is filled with blooms:

I got some lovely presents on my actual birthday (I've spent the weekends either side celebrating); a gorgeous felt-making kit and book from the girlies at work, and very pretty, very SPARKLY, Skis from my boyfriend! Plus matching poles - I can't wait to use them...even if it isn't for another 7 months until the next ski season!

I have to say the highlight of my birthday did actually precede the 22nd of March, however, as the boyfriend took me to London for the weekend. We took the train up to London, checked in at our gorgeous hotel, then did a spot of shopping at Walthamstow market. Now I'd heard recommendations on Craftster and Ravelry that this was THE place to buy fabric & swing notions, but I had no idea of the scale. I came away with bags and bags and bags of fabric, zips & thread, all for the grand sum of £20! I don't think the stallholders were that impressed with my squealing, but I assured them that it was in delight!

Just take a look at my spoils:

30 zips for £1.50 ( a whole rainbow of 10" zips plus muted 8" zips)

This gorgeous fabric, £3 a metre - I think I bought 3 metres, I'm going to make it into a dress for my uncle's wedding, possibly with this pattern!

I did grab more fabric than I could ever photograph/upload onto Flickr - highlights included a thick jersey (like rugby top material) for 50 PENCE a metre, and floral poly-cottons for £1 a metre.

No excuse to buy clothes for a while I'm afraid!

I've loads more to show you - apparently my crafting urges were heightened by the blow to the head, even if my eyesight was shot to pieces! I'm just waiting to take some pictures of my finished OPB Sew Along skirt, then that'll be posted to show it off!

A Xxx

Ouch!!!

Apologies for the lack of posts, I'm not really meant to be on the computer.

On Sunday night I hit my ead quite badly on our granite kitchen worktops whilst playing with our puppy, and I still have mild concussion 4 days later, so I'm going to take a couple of days break from blogging/commenting. The doctor says recovery could be being hindered by excessive computer use (!), so I'm giving my eyes/head a rest...see you next week!

A Xxx

A quick update

Hullo, hullo, hullo! Apologies for the lack of posts, I've been extra-craftily busy this week!

I've finally finished my red, white & blue granny square blanket, but have no one to give it to! It's going in the present drawer until I find the perfect recipient...

I've also started a new project for the gorgeous Toast jumper I picked up on my last charity-shop trawl. If all goes to plan it should end up similar to this... I hope it turns out OK!

(OPB week 3 - pleats & waistbands)

And most excitingly, I've caught up on the OPB Sew Along! Last week was pleats & waistbands, and this week, we put in our zip! Seeing as I'm more of a hands on student, I did need to mock up a few bits to work out the pleats would sit, and how the zip would go in, but I'm so pleased that it's nearly done...I'm itching to wear it!

(OPB week 4 - side seam & zip!)

Now I'm off to pack for a weekend away - it's my birthday on Monday so my boyfriend is taking me up to London for the weekend, where we'll mostly be here, here and HERE!!!! Squeeeee!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Xxx