Works in progress...

So I've been flitting around in and out of the craft space without achieving much at all!

The purple pecker is still a work in progress though it is nearing completion. Just a little more assembly and embroidery - maybe there will be a finish this week?

A new sock project started a week ago using leftover's from the most recent socks made for the father and a friends leftovers of the same yarn in an alternate colourway.

Yarn - Regia design line in eggplant and fog, Pattern - Eisern by General Hogbuffer

The sock itself is not a challenge but the combination of yarn and mostly working on this while out and about has presented it's own problems - dropped stitches in this yarn are difficult to retrieve. There have been many dropped stitches so far!

I've been busy in the sewing space too, now that the sun is putting in a more regular appearance.

So far it has been all about the cutting but I'm confident a whole day at home would ensure good progress on these pieces. We'll see how long it really takes.

Hope your week has been colourful.

Changing things around...

So I pulled these two lovelies out Friday all ready for some sewing action when I got home from socialising,

but I picked up a new book on my way home and spent the journey having a little read.

The book has lots of good ideas for exploring knitted fabrics as well as some really cool patterns specifically for yarns made from fibres other than wool. 

I couldn't be distracted from my needles and yarn so knitting won, besides which it was cold out there and sitting under this growing yarn goodness was very cosy. Cape the third is coming along nicely even with all those stitches to work each row.

The fabric is having a turn today, I've done some of the unstitching already so there should be some quality time at the sewing machine this afternoon.

Thanks Wendy for hosting FNSI, I really do enjoy the creative company via cyberspace and will swing by later and see what some other creative types accomplished.

May your weekend be filled with bright spots.

October's finished!

And all I have to show for it is more woollies which is probably just as well as so far this spring has been short on heat around here.

Twisted drops socks in purple vintage Patons Beehive fingering, design by Irene Birk.

Grey checkered cowl in grey Sean Sheep wool/soy protein mix and Cleckheaton Candy boucle wool/acrylic/nylon mix, which has a lovely sheen, design by BillS.

The Blue Spot bag is crocheted from Bendigo woollen mills classic and lined with cotton flowers, design by Sharon Ballsmith found in 'Interweave Crochet Summer 2011 edition'.

Burgundy socks finally finished and gifted to the Father, knit in vintage Patons Beehive fingering 3 ply from a suitably vintage pattern requesting this yarn.

There was more knitting, still socks and I am currently working on the second sock of two pairs one of which is close to done but didn't make it into the October finishes due to a ridiculous amount of time spent on some administrative stuff in the past week!

I've stroked fabric and planned and plotted projects but I need to clear a space to allow for some serious cutting before the sewing can begin or maybe I could just sew these 'pre-cuts'.

Shapes cut from scraps some other time! stored neatly on the bottom.

Those apple core shapes on the left are even sewn into pairs. Wonder where they were headed??

Tonight is the first Friday so there's fun to be had with Friends, you can sign up over at Cheryll's.

Happy new month wishes to you.

Fabric with Friends

Ooh, look I found the fabric I went looking for.

All I accomplished with the fabric on Friday night was to cut the pieces required and then I reverted to sitting on the couch.

I pulled out this project too. The fabric and pattern were collected back in 2009. It is true I have pondered the instructions (all 45 pages of them) on a number of occasions since the purchases were made, but I am still missing some of the important bits required to get this lovely useful bag together.

I may have just the excuse looming in the not too distant future to use this type of bag so I need to collect the remainder of the requirements to get construction under way. It was lovely reacquainting myself with this array of Ink and Spindle fabrics and I am looking forward to getting back to my sewing machine regularly.

There was a little knitting last night and today at my local knit group, but I think you've probably all seen those two socks often enough lately. I can report though that the burgundy sock has progressed to the foot and the purple sock going in the opposite direction is up to the leg.

When I got back from socialising this afternoon I turned on Nomee for a little run through. Since the last time I used her, about a year ago, she has spent a little time visiting first 'the old people' and then the sewing machine doctor. All's good and she's quite positively purring again. I started with something small and it is almost done, just some finishing touches to add. I will have evidence soon.

Thanks Cheryll for having us round, it's so much fun to create with friends.

Wishing you all a creative Sunday.

Happy dancing

All the way back from the Post Office!

(I may have been disappointed if the contents turned out to be something different!)

Thanks Australian Homespun - I won a fat quarter bundle of Helen Stubbings new range 'Life is Beautiful'. 21 fat quarters and a half metre panel.

Yippee - the colours are gorgeous and the designs pretty.

I'll be gazing at this pile of loveliness and just enjoying them all bundled up together - they will get their own space on the fabric shelf just as soon as I get around to cleaning that space.

Thank you Homespun.

The first three days of the Advent swap have revealed some useful lovelies, I'll show them at the end of the week.

 Hope your week has gotten off to a Happy start too.

Oh yeah, Shopping...

on Saturday.
Honestly there are almost too many choices at Mill Rose.

These two fabrics joined me on the trip home, along with a skein of grey Perle 8.

Happy Me.

 I did a little sewing and crocheting on Saturday both at Mill Rose and in the evening - and finished this little heart hanger.

You can't see any decorative sewing here because it needs to stay a secret for a little longer.

Sunday, I spent the afternoon at the Botanical Gardens with some creative yarn types and hooked up this pretty bowl.

Lily Sugar and Cream cotton yarn and a 3mm hook make it quite solid.

So happy with how quickly these come together.

I sorted my tags today.

Very fun - and only one bambi ended up with a broken leg!

Time to get wrapping happening.

Creative Tuesday wishes to all.

Scattered...

that's where I am right now.

Anyone for vegetables?

Nice new fabric for making a special present. My local Spotty came to the rescue on this one, the bigger better store over the other way didn't have this fabric! As I was there on the Christmas shopping night I got  a good deal too.

A little peace in my weekend.

(Another of the tag designs from Vivian Robinson published in Homespun No38, Vol 7 No6)

I sat on the beach Saturday and stitched this in the sunshine - Perfect.

A little hooky bowl loosely based on a pattern found here.

(excuse the loose thread in the photo - too lazy to take another one now it is finished)

Perfect size for sweets or threads or maybe little Christmas baubles.

This worked up very quickly and I think there will be some more appearing soon.

Now I need to get some serious tidying happening as the Agent has decided after more than 8 years it is time to do an inspection! Honestly he could have waited until after Christmas surely?

Sure hope there was sunshine in your creative space this weekend.

Colourful...

making Rocky Road for a family gathering.

 Preparing vegetables for soup.

Playing with fabric.

Sure added some colour to a grey weekend.

Enjoy some colour in your week.

Distracted by...

pretty fabric.

The sun came out on Saturday between some heavy rain showers and I couldn't resist playing with these bright fabrics.

Squares and strips make a few square blocks.

Then the cold set in for the evening and it was back to the couch for some serious knitting.

More knitting Sunday and a little finishing off today - I have another nearly pair of socks.

As I am not a perfectionist and my toes are currently cosy I am not concerned about the odd row out!

The pattern is Cable Cuffs from the book 'Fab Feet and Cosy Toes' by Anna Tillman. The construction is very clever with the cable cuff knitted flat, then joined into a round. To knit the leg you pick up the stitches along one edge of the cuff which folds back over the sock when worn.

The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply - a pleasure to knit and soft and cosy to wear.

Now I have a pair to wear while the others are drying.

Hope there was some sunshine in and out of your craft space this weekend.

Sunny Snippets...

The sun is shining and all is good in the land.

Playing along with TinnieGirl.

Bird or fish?

So last week while I was out of town for training there was a little shopping - one needs to make the most of these opportunities right?

I know the purple swirls at the front and the blue/green circles on the left are fabrics I already have, just topping up the supplies while I was in the neighbourhood.

A little red and green for some Christmas fun - they are not specifically Christmas fabrics which is part of the appeal for me as they will complement lots of fabrics in my stash.

 

 Do you see the little birdie in the top of the picture?

That is a Creative card pattern - Chubby Birds by Jodie Carleton.

Too fun 

Even if my first attempt looks more like a fish!

I won't be put off by that I will just practice by making more.

Back to my knitting - I may have ten cosy toes by the end of the week.

Hope your week is off to a great start.

Making a mess

(Or contemplating patchwork??)

While my brain was refusing to calculate the number of little bits of fabric required for my latest dumb idea, I decided I could start cutting anyway. It will be a scrappy deal.

When this container was overflowing - I thought that would be enough,

and I set about some sewing to see whether this idea may actually work.

Ooh - look the first finished blocks - Yep, they look good with the blocks I made last week.

It appears now I just need to cut another gazillion little pieces of  fabric so I'll have enough for all the blocks!

Only half the blocks are done and this is all that is left.

(Now I remember why I don't do patchwork - a little too late!)

Just in case anyone is interested there has been some progress on the Colour Affection shawl - not very much longer!

Hope your space has been warm and dry and a lot colourful.

Sewing progress...

In no particular order - 

there was a little sewing on the weekend.

A set of coasters - a gift for someone who no longer lives in Melbourne.

Found the fork and spoon fabric piece in the stash and could not resist using it for the back - making them fully reversible.

Some blocks made from Aussie fabrics and scraps.

A little fabric purchased on Saturday, there is a plan.

And the mess that was Sunday afternoon - using left overs from previous projects always leads to much disorganisation in my sewing space. More planning and sewing required for this project to gain some semblance of order. There was a little more sewing action but there is no evidence of that here.

Still clicking away on the knitting and enjoying the couch time under my mohair blankie.

Hope your week is off to a crafty start.

Sleep In!!

I mean Sew In -

Last night was Friday Night Sew In hosted by Heidi and Bobbi - but as my title suggests there was way more sleeping than sewing. In fact not one stitch was sewn. 

There was a little cutting for some new projects - yes, that is plural. More than one project started with the Melbourne and Sydney prints. I really wanted to sew but  knew that would have ended in disaster or at least  a lot of unsewing last night.

I did manage to knit a couple of stripes on the latest project, taking things nice and slow on this one.

Hope there was some sewing action at your place.

Red thread

I got it!

Random Snippets

Random pictures from the week that was. 

Joining in over here.