Mini Blanket... at long last!! Fancy Soap... (and an award!)

Well... I have finally finished a "mini" blanket I've been working on since before I started blogging.  A picture of part of it is even in my bar thingy at the top!  I think I've mentioned it a couple of times, but so long ago I doubt anyone remembers!  (Apart from my friend Anna - here it is at last Anna!!)

When I call it a "mini" blanket - it's basically the size of a baby blanket, just without the baby!  I will put it over my knees like a granny!

I love the colours, although I'm not sure those pictures show them off that well.

Here it is, looking rather uneven, and very small!!  Odd photo!


And as it looks better rolled up... here is another rolled up shot - don't get too excited!!  ;o)

As if I hadn't put enough photos in... here are more of soap, shaped like a cupcake, from the Lumberjack as one of my Valentine's presents.  It's a bit too edible-looking, though - I'm not sure I can trust myself not to take a bite!

All wrapped up prettily... and inside...

How nice is that?!  Can you believe it's soap?!  Amazing... although it's far too nice to use!  (Eating is another matter...!)


He even got it from Folksy (supporting handmade - good work, Lumberjack!)  Click here for the shop.




Now, onto the award...

I have been awarded the Liebster Blog award from Twinkles, Tutorials & Twirls - thank you so much, very sweet of you!  Here are the details:

The Liebster Award is awarded to 200 or less followers in the hope that it will bring new visitors and followers to their blog. If you are happy to accept the award the steps are:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

Post the award button on your blog.

Pass the award on to 5 bloggers who inspire you.

Leave a comment on those blogs to let them know.

The five blogs I am going to pass the award onto are:

Gem's Country Life Dream

Muddy Puddle Crafts

Sew Ray Me

The Sewing Boutique

Sew Sweet

I have tried to pick blogs I've not awarded before, as well as my memory serves me!  Sorry if I've nominated you before.  If any of you are not into the whole blog award thing, and want to ignore it, then feel free!!  I won't be offended!

February Make 1

This is February Monthly Make 1 (see Monthly Make 2012 on my sidebar).


Actually - this is the 2nd make of February, but the first one can't be shown yet, as it is for my nephew and I haven't given it yet.  I don't want my sister-in-law seeing it here first!


That one was a right pain in the..... but this one was beautifully simple!

It is a hanging heart/door hanger for a little girl whose name begins with M.  My name also begins with M, and I don't mind saying I'm quite tempted to keep it myself!!!


The flower was crocheted using a pattern from the Cute and Easy Crochet book, with a bright pink mini button sewn in the middle.

It all seemed to come together really well, and I'm really pleased with it.  I like the way the white embroidery thread gives a nice contrast for the blanket stitch.

I love it!  (Even if I do say so myself!)

A Valentine's Win!

Thanks for the lovely comments on my fabric coasters!  It is very funny that my bedside table looks dust-free... trust me, it isn't!!  Probably the only surface without dust in my home is the section of my windowsill that I normally take my blog photos on... and that dusting is achieved by wiping my hand over the surface before I plonk my latest crafty thing on it!  (What a domestic goddess I am!!)


I mentioned that I won a giveaway... here it is!!  It was a Valentine's Giveaway from Marie, of Heartfelt Handmade.  (Check out her blog, it's lovely!)  Thank you so much, Marie!  Such lovely items, I was so excited to unwrap them... and an extra heart I wasn't expecting!


A gorgeous hanging heart with rose...

A beautiful 'LOVE' banner - this is really lovely...

A pretty flower brooch...

... which goes perfectly on the collar of my red coat...!

I love it all, and everything was made so perfectly, and looks so lovely!  Thank you again, Marie, such lovely gifts to win!


Lucky me!!

PCH - Fabric Coasters Ta-Dah!

At the weekend I quickly whipped up these fabric coasters for the bedroom - another step towards having a pretty crafty home (link in sidebar)...

I love the fabric!  I used a plain pink fabric for the back, and wadding in the middle.

I probably should have staged that photo, and found some pretty things to put on the bedside table, other than the ancient alarm clock that lives there!  But it was Monday morning and, as you can see from the time on the clock, I should have been well on my way to work - not faffing around taking photos of coasters!!!


Oh, and here is another shot of the jar-cover from my last post... complete with strawberry bonbons!  Yes, I bought them for the sole reason that I thought they'd look pretty in the jar!  (I'm sure that won't stop me munching on them, though!)

Yum!

PCH - Jam Jar Cover Ta-Dah!

Oooh, what is this beauteousness??!!

This is the project I had started working on in my last post... as the title suggests it is a jam jar cover!  I decided this qualifies as part of making a "pretty, crafty home" (hence "PCH" in the title - see the link in my sidebar).


Actually, it isn't a jam jar... it's a honey jar...

I started with this ancient jar, which has been lurking in the back of the cupboard for quite some time... seems it was out of date two years ago!  (I'm a delight, aren't I?!)


Now look what I have...

This picture still shows glue residue on the two sides of the jar, where the label was.  I guess it had been on so long, it did not want to relinquish its sticky hold on the jar, no matter how much soaking, scrubbing and nail-varnish remover-ing I did to it!!!


After the Lumberjack and some white spirit stepped in... finally the jar was clean and sparkling!!  (Although a slightly dingy photo below...)

The pattern was from the book Cute and Easy Crochet.  Although I ended up changing it a bit, as mine was coming up very small.  I had to add extra rows etc...not sure what I was doing wrong... but I love how it's turned out!

If I get round to it, I may make more!  It's fitting it in around the many projects buzzing in my mind.  Not to mention the quest to find a job, and studying for a course I've just signed up for to help me with my future career prospects!  (But I won't bore you with that stuff - it just doesn't match the craft fun!)


And... in the theme of a pretty, crafty home... I've bought this lovely new hand towel for the kitchen.  It's not really crafty, but it's pretty.  And I think it looks a bit like rows of crochet - so it's got a bit of a crafty theme, at a push!

Sorry - dingy photo again!

Ooooh, and I just won a giveaway!!!!  So exciting!  I'll blog about it properly when it arrives!

Cowl Order and New Project!

Remember my cowl from a couple of posts back?!  Well, my friend Fliss saw it, liked it, and ordered one for herself!  And here it is...

Luckily I'd bought two balls of this wool, so I had enough to make another one.  And now I can buy more yarn with the money I've made - yay!

I wrapped it in brown paper, tied with red and white bakers twine, decorated with a doily.  I've seen this kind of wrapping in various places on the internet, and love it.  I was glad to get chance to give it a go!

And here is my next project that I've started working on...





What's it going to be?!  You'll have to wait and see...!

Bunting Ta-Dah, January Monthly Make and Pretty Crafty Home

Thanks to all for the great feedback and response to my last post!!  I really enjoyed reading all those positive comments!  Thank you!

Now... lots to report...

Firstly, I have signed up to Annie the Felt Fairy's Monthly Make 2012.  Most of you will have heard of this, and are probably signed up too!  It is where you pledge to make something every month for the year.  Well, I've made a bit in January already, as you will have seen.  I have decided to use my paw-huggers/wrist-warmers from my last post as my January Monthly Make.

But I am also going to add today's ta-dah too!  So that will be two January Monthly Makes, pictures of which I will add to the Flickr January group - link here.

So... the ta-dah!  It is some personalised felt bunting, for my nephew Button - well, for his nursery anyway!  (As you can see... Button isn't his real name!!)

I couldn't decide which picture was best - one was with the flash, one without - so you've got both!!  Plus more detail....

Probably an unnecessary amount of pictures!!!

The other news is that I am joining in with Cherry Heart to make a Pretty Crafty Home.  This is a great idea for inspiring us to make our homes prettier and full of lovely crafty bits, and if we can thrift and recycle to do it then all the better!  This project sums up the plan I already had for my flat, so it's perfect to join in the fun with others, and get inspiration from their ideas!  And hopefully it will help me to actually get on with it, rather than just thinking about it!!!

Paw Huggers Ta-Dah!

What on earth?!  Another ta-dah?!  How am I fitting all this crafting in, as well as the day job?!  Anyone would think I am fervently avoiding something... like... perhaps getting my CV done and starting job searching...?!


Back in June last year it was announced that our site is closing, and we're all being made redundant.  It has been a long slow process, and I've been merrily living in denial... but my end date is 31st March, so I really need to get my bum in gear and my CV up-to-date.  However, I have instead been focussing on crafting... hehehe bad girl!


This is my latest ta-dah:

It's a fingerless glove, or 'paw hugger' as the pattern calls it.


You may remember that for my birthday the Lumberjack gave me the yarn and pattern for this - read more about it here.


Here is the yarn, and the start of my making:

It was my first attempt with double-pointed needles, working in the round like that.  It was also the first time I tried cable knitting (which I loved - hence the cable cowl I ta-dahed a couple of posts back!)


Well, the making of the gloves came to a bit of a halt when I had to do the frill, as you knit it onto the bottom of the finished glove - and I didn't know how to do that.  An in-depth phone conversation with my Mum revealed all, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  So the gloves are now finished - yay!

I have made both gloves, but as I had to take the photo, at least one hand had to be on the camera!  (There is no self-timer watchamacallit thingy on my camera).  The trials of living alone - no-one to take pictures for you!  (And if I listen to my Granny, I'll be living alone until I'm engaged!  When I told her about the Lumberjack over Christmas, her words of wisdom were "don't move him in until you're engaged" - !!!!  She makes it sound like I "move men in" left, right and centre!!  It amused me anyway!)


But wait... what is this...

How did I manage those peculiar pictures?!  My camera was sat on the carpet, with me and my oddly posed hands in front of it... I then nimbly lifted my foot and pressed the button on the camera with my big toe!!!!!!!!!  Nifty eh?!  Oh, my talents are wasted!


Until next time..........!

Baby Picture Ta-Dah!!

Thanks to you all for the kind comments lately - what a lovely bunch you are!  And welcome to the new followers!!  :o)

Well, I've made something else... the ta-dahs are coming thick and fast this year!  This is a present for my brother, sister-in-law and Button (my little nephew born a couple of weeks ago)...

I bought a box frame, and made the picture using card, buttons, lace, ribbon and a picture of Button just a couple of hours old.

I'm also working on another little something for them... so another ta-dah is on it's way!!  Although it's taking me longer than I thought it would, so I hope you won't have to wait too long!

Cowl Ta-Dah!!

Thanks for the lovely comments on my monkey ta-dah!  I forgot to mention where I got the pattern from (not sure where my brain is these days!)... here it is:  Monkey Pattern.  I didn't bother with changing colours to make the clothes, though - I decided I wanted him one colour... or naked, I guess!!


Yep, this is another ta-dah!  Haven't I been productive?!  Over my birthday and Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive two copies of the book 'Cute and Easy Crochet' from some lovely people... so I swapped one of them in Hobbycraft for some balls of yarn in the sale!


This is what I've made with one ball of Rowan pure wool aran:

It is a cowl knitted in a cable pattern, with these lovely wooden 8mm knitting needles:

And this is how the cowl looks on...!

I look like such a poser!!

It was quite quick to knit up, as it is in chunky yarn on big knitting needles.  I was originally going to make a bigger loop that I could double round my neck.  In the end I decided to stop when it was big enough for just once round, as I thought it would be easier to wear.  I sometimes get annoyed if I've got too much going on around my neck!!  (Weirdo!)  The fact that it was finished quicker didn't hurt either!


The pattern I used was from here.  This attempt went much more successfully than the failed one I tried to crochet a while back, which some of you may remember!


Oh, and look at these beautiful roses from the Lumberjack!!

More brownie points for him!!!

Ta-Dah - Monkeying Around!!

Firstly, thank you all for the lovely comments about Button, my gorgeous scrumptious little nephew!!!  I forgot to say that in my last post, as it was a bit of a rushed one!  I really appreciate the lovely thoughts and comments from you all!

Here is a ta-dah for you!  Something that I started making at the end of November - I did make reference ages ago to the fact that I was making something for myself... and finally here it is!

A pink crocheted monkey!  I worked like mad at it one weekend, but then the poor thing spent 4 weeks with only one arm and no tail when I slightly lost interest and got busy with other things!  I eventually got him finished just before Christmas.  (Yes, despite being pink, I have decided he is a boy!!)

I'm rather fond of him!  Not sure why I felt I needed a pink monkey in my life... but I'm glad he's here!

Edited to add: Forgot the pattern, it's a great free one here!

Crafty Presents

Happy New Year!!


I thought I'd show some of my crafty Christmas presents...


Well, this one isn't crafty... but it's so cute - lovely ceramic measuring spoons!

Crafty supplies from my Lumberjack...

I especially love the two packs of ribbons:

A Cath Kidston owl pin cushion from my parents - I think it's too nice to stick pins into, though, so I'll use it as a decoration!

Lovely fabric - I think I'll try some patchwork with this - maybe a cushion! 

A Cath Kidston crochet tin 'book'... 

... containing yarn and a pattern to make a granny cushion!

Lots of projects to be getting on with!