Stash Basket.

So my friend Dawn requested some pics of the basket I mentioned in my last post. So here it is. My mum had something similar when I was little. Wee Sis and I used to love rummaging through it. So we were both excited to receive our own. The one Wee Sis received is black and covered in skulls and contained some fabric. She is still sewing and I will post some things she made for me in the next week or so. Mine contained sock yarn which I have since used (photo's of what I used it for will be posted in a couple of weeks).

Here is the inside. Pretty but hardly at the rummaging stage. I can hear it calling out to me to be fed with sock yarn. Possibly like the Wire.

If you are a Doctor Who fan you'll get it.

Stash!

Since the start of my student days my sock yarn stash has sadly become depleted. Actually I am currently using the last of it. My mum got me a lovely knitting basket in the style of Cath Kidston for Christmas and it is sadly empty. Until now that is. Have decided to get my stash up and running again. I treated myself to two new yarns and I can't wait to use them. The top one is by Opal. It's a German company so don't ask me the name of  the colour type. I can tell you that it is described as blue- brick red. I already have a pattern in mind for it although no idea who for as yet.

The second is my favourite. It is coming up to Easter and once again my sister and I have decided to make gifts. I am stuck for ideas but know she would be disappointed if there were no socks. This is by another German company called Schoppel Wolle and the yarn is called Zauberball. Again don't ask me what the colourway is. I picked it because it seemed to Eastery and my all black wearing sister does love pink.

I got both from Modern Knitting which is a fantastic website for sock knitters.

Odd's 'N' Ends Challenge

So I announced my knitting groups challenge this week. The challenge is to make something with our odds and ends. The above photo is all my leftovers from my sock knitting. I have until August to make it but since I am going to be limited on time I have made a start. I figure if I do a little bit every week I should have something to show for it come August.

It's not the most original idea. In fact I know someone else who has said they are going to do something similar. I contemplated changing it but I really want to use this up for my original idea so I'm sticking to it. I'm sure they will both look different in the end. I'm not going to reveal any more than that for now but I will link you to the knitting group blog post with more details about the challenge. You can find it here.

I'm Back and Still Crafting

A few friends have mentioned that I shouldn't give up my craft blog and have requested that I come back. My initial reasons for giving it up was that I didn't have quite as much time as I used to have. However, I do still craft and so here I am.

My last big craft project was for my sister's birthday before Christmas. It was a big birthday and the plan was to have her unwrap something for every year she was born. Some of those gifts were handmade and sadly there are a couple I don't have photo's of.

First of all there was the socks. I couldn't make her gifts without putting some socks in there. The yarn is by Rico and is called Superba poems sock yarn. I picked it purely for the colour changes which I knew would appeal to my sister. Whilst the colour changes are amazing it's not the best yarn to knit with. Prone to splitting plus the width of the yarn was uneven through out the ball. Not sure I would use it again if I am honest.

This cushion was originally meant to be part of her birthday. In the end though I didn't have time to finish it. I managed that just this week. The colours were picked out to match her living room and were done in 4 ply cotton using a 3.5mm hook. I had always wanted to try a granny square cushion and I'm pleased with how this turned out.

I have to confess though that I cheated a little. Back when this was supposed to be for her birthday I knew I wouldn't have time to line the cover. So instead of buying a plain cushion pad from a craft shop I bought a cushion with a cream cushion cover. In the end it probably cost a little less to do that than to buy a pad and fabric.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Another long break away but I can promise I haven't been idle. I have been working on a baby shower gift. I also made the decision to stop my socks a month challenge. I decided to go back to University to do a second degree and I am sure I won't be able to keep it up. I am also giving up the knitting for my folksy store. It's looking a little empty just now. If anyone wants to commission me I am happy to do it but I just won't be knitting for the store. With that decision made I am in two minds whether or not to keep this blog up. For now I will but I have a feeling there will be fewer and fewer posts during term time. Having said that I have a few crafts up my sleeve that I hope to get to work on soon.

A friend of mine from my knitting group is expecting her first baby. As we always like to do we threw her a baby shower and we all did some knitting or sewing for her. I fell in love with these trainer style baby bootees that I knitted in the past so I had to make them again. Unfortunately I was a little behind so she got these ones a week late.

I did manage to finish something though. The soon to be mum LOVES stripes and I thought the socks I knit would be ideal. I knitted up a few sets in cotton (surprise). I found a simple hat pattern on ravelry (love that place) and I knitted up a couple to match.

Sister's Sewing Skills

Saturday I was over at my sisters for a craft day which didn't really happen. I was supposed to help her with her sewing machine but there is something wrong with it and my limited skills can't help. Not to worry super gran has been called upon who can literary fix ANYTHING. It hasn't stopped my sister from hand sewing and I thought I would show off some of her skills. She is now obsessed with bags thanks to the lesson I gave her a few weeks ago. She has made a few more and has embellished them with buttons.

She then made some draw string bags which I have to admit look amazing. Would make lovely gift bags. I especially love the buttons round the rim. My favourite is the orange and blue but sis prefers the red.

Blind Leading the Blind!

A few months ago my sister asked me to give her lessons on how to use her sewing machine. Even with my own lesson a few weeks ago I wasn't entirely confident teaching someone else. I am just a beginner too but decided what they hey, I'll give it a go. I gave her the choice of learning to make a simple pin cushion or the Japanese folded bag. She of course chose the most difficult of the two. It is actually simple to make but keep in mind I have had one lesson and made one myself. Thankfully I needn't have worried. Lorraine isn't just arty she is also crafty herself and so picked it up despite my poor teaching ability. You can see her finished bag above. She has since made several and has embellished a few with buttons. I promise to take photo's of them when I see them.

In terms of the sewing machine itself I was actually able to give her some handy hints. Not bad considering!

This is the one I made when teaching my sister. It's significantly bigger than the last one I made although still not big enough to hold socks (which is my goal). Back to the drawing board on that one. Yes, most of my fabric involves black, red and white.

Lorraine isn't actually a stranger to sewing. She has made me many lovely things all hand stitched. Generally I am the guinea pig for these projects which she uses in work. Just now she has been hand stitching birds and promised to make me one. I even got to chose the fabric. This little bird is called Brigitta.