Quilt while you're ahead

which one...

do...

you...

like...

best?

If any?

agenda

1) Thank you all for the birthday wishes.  Some of you for presents too.  You're too kind.  I've discovered two more people who share my birthday... that brings the total to 6.  Don't know why but it feels weird.  I know it shouldn't, after all there are more than 365 people in the world so it shouldn't come to a surprise... but still...

2) I've re-discovered blueberries and banana milkshakes (actually I use natural yoghurt instead, as suggested by my wise sister in law)

 

The colour on its own is divine.

 

And it goes so well with the handblown glass... it's the small things, people, that make me happy.

3.  I've been making 'thingies'.  I've got a table at a friend's school's fete in a couple of weeks and I wanted something small that kids can buy with their own money/that might attract kids attention.

 

What do you think... will they work?

 

Just... "don't get them wet, and never feed them after midnight"...

(name that movie!!)

felted knitting basket

My latest felting adventure

to hold my current knitting project

and other things

WIPs

I've joined Amanda's star quilt-along... c'mon do it too, there's still time!

No 3 moved to a 'big boy's bed' on Sunday... this made rethink his quilt

And what are you working on? Do share!!

ain't nobody here but us chickens... part 2

this little one is a hand felted cousin of the previous chicken

they share identical genetic backgrounds (i.e. same size template) and the proof is in the feet

and in the spaced out, slightly vacuous expression

Although this one was blessed with emerald colour eyes, quite a rarity in the chicken world.

Because of the hardship of a hand felted life this specimen didn't grow to the same size, in fact we can safely say hand felting stumps chicken growth by a third.

Bet you didn't know that.

ain't nobody here but us chickens...

a stripy chicken

 

with crooked feet

and a fixed expression.  All those stripes drove him mad.

Believe it or not it's a college assignment.

that was the week that was part 2

Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to attend a brilliant Nuno felting course, here.

We learned heaps and I came home with two scarves I'm totally happy with (not something that happens all the time... you know that one... you go on a day course and come home totally confused but full of misguided enthusiasm with 'things' that get hidden into drawers till you move home and then get thrown away?)

But I am seriously buzzing with ideas.

The combination of fabric (silk chiffon in this case) and merino rovings... offers endless possibilites.

The scarf is soft and strong. And it drapes beautifully.

My second attempt was something light and airy and really girly

a white little number full of gathered spots like this one.  Great to wrap around your neck when you want something small and frilly.  A whisp of a scarf.

Sometimes a girl needs whispy.

Especially when she's surrounded by this:

The demolition work on the kitchen has began.  Please think of me.

that was the week that was

... geesh... has it really been a week?

Tomorrow that mob of lunatic, unruly, completely bonkers individuals who keep calling me mum will return to school... and boy do I need some time off.

So I will celebrate the long awaited event with a yarn shopping trip with my mum who's been helping me herding the tribe this week.  Mr M has requested some hand-knitted socks and given the extra-ordinarity of the request... (he doesn't 'do' knitted garments) I feel obliged to knit him a pair to prove him that I am - once again - right and knitted socks rocks.  Although there is NO WAY I'm going to knit a pair of black socks.   Absolutely no way.   Only someone who has never (and never will) knit could ask for plain black socks. Yawn.

So what's been happening ...

My sister in law had her birthday, and a handmade present was required

and a handmade felt/beads necklace was made

then my parents came over to visit and brought some awful weather from Italy with them.  Grey skies, cold wind...  No 2, always the charmer, wanted to buy flowers for 'nonna's room'.

Yellow is his favourite colour

and although I argued (yes I argue with 5 year olds all the time... why, don't you?) that these were  more orange than yellow...

we agreed they would have looked lovely against the pink walls (which in this photo look lilac...)

No 1 is studying the Tudors at school and wanted to see Hampton Court Palace so we braved the weather and visited the grand house.

Good old Henry VIII.  He liked the ladies, he did.  Married 6 times.  Chopped a few heads.  And he liked a good party.  The kitchen had to cater for banquets of up to 800 guests.

This palace was only one of the many (he got 50 built during his reigns) he stayed in and it's been extended many times in different periods.  Very very interesting.  No 2 wants a bed with canopy now, and was very disappointed he didn't see any 'real' knights.  No 1 was very taken with the  maze in the garden.  No 3 managed to elude my watchful eyes and sit on a throne setting all manners of alarm going. 

The formal gardens were splendid (and very formal)

the 'daffs' out in multitudes

And we all agreed this gargoyle looked a little like Lilli

Wings and scales aside of course.

But it hasn't been all parties and day outs.  Oh no.  There has been some knitting - mum wanted to know how to knit socks from the toe up, and it would have  been awfully rude of my to let her do that by herself. 

And I attended the most fantastic felting course.

Stay tuned for part two.

rolling the time away...

Nature's version.

And mine.

It's a no brainer really. 

I lose.

I'm happier with this.

And this too

And on a totally different subject...

Last week I was searching the web for a new local knitting group.  The one I attended before meets on a Saturday and I like to keep the weekend as 'family-time' as possible.  Plus the boys seems to be always going to parties on Saturdays and the husband is the proud owner of a rugby season ticket... and the games are also on  Saturdays... soooooo... you can see why it's not such a great day for me.

BUT through the wonders of the web I got in touch with Kirsty and voila' I spent two fab hours one evening in the company of very interesting people knitting all sorts of wonderful things.

And I met Kirsty, who is totally lovely and AND owns this fab business called  Five Valleys Fabrics.  Really do check it out.  She sells  all sort of gorgeous fabric : Amy Butler, Kaffe Fasset, and other Free Spirits designers... and not only that, but putterns and bags and yarns and books and hooks... and so much more!

(But don't blame me for the state of your finances afterwords!!)

A lot of you were asking about the crochet letters... I've taken them from a really good crochet book called '201 crochet motifs, blocks, projects and ideas', by Melody Griffiths.

more experiments - and winners

ok, this time I played in school, and since gobblins are not allowed in the premises things went well and we learned some cool stuff.

'Useless' - as Mr M would say... but cool.  And who knows anyway... 'one man's rubbish is another man's treasure' right?

Anyway.  The subjects of the day was 'texture' and we felted and felted and felter until we lost all the digital prints and became smooths like babies' bottoms.  (And there's nothing in the world smoother than that, trust me)

So, we felted marbles and cut them open

we felted over hessian

we felted silk fabric, mulberry tops and cotton thingy (nepps? nipps?)

we felted knitting wool and coloured flax

we scrunched up and stitched innocent soft felt

we even knitted merino rovings with gigantic needles

and then felted the result

(This baby would make the most awesome rug... if it were ten time bigger!)

But now, let's get down to business, right? Enough playing.

You're very very lucky ladies and the boys have picked a number each, which means not one, not two BUT THREE winners!!

And the lucky commenters are:

So,  Jen, Judy M and Sue from Devon send me an email with your details and I'll put something in the post to you next week.

Thank you all for leaving your comments!