Saturday, January 23, 2010

Craft Day

Hi Rose! It's 'Craft Day' over in London today. We miss you, although it does mean there is more food to go around...

Stephanie's Kiwi themed dessert and (of course) some pasties...


And so you can have a craft day too, here's the wrist warmer pattern...

- 3 ¼ mm needles (I think I ended up using slightly bigger though)

- I used DK wool

CO 37 sts and do a few rows of rib K1 P1 (I did as much as I thought looked nice). The pattern for the main bit of the wristlets is a ‘Lozenge Pattern’ (needs a multiple of 12 sts +1)

Row 1: (RS) K1, *p1, k9, p1, k1: rep from *

Row 2: K1, *p1, k1, p7, k1, p1, k1; rep from *

Row 3: K1, *p1, k1, p1, k5, (p1, k1) twice; rep from *

Row 4: P1, *(p1, k1) twice, p3, k1, p1, k1, p2; rep from *

Row 5: K1, *k2, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1, k3; rep from *

Row 6: P1, *p3, (k1, p1) twice, k1, p4; rep from *

Row 7: K1, * k4, p1, k1, p1, k5; rep from *

Row 8: rep row 6

Row 9: rep row 5

Row 10: rep row 4

Row 11: rep row 3

Row 12: rep row 2

- Then repeat these 12 rows.

- Few rows of garter stitch to finish (maybe about 6??!)

- Sew up

The original pattern was 12 stitches wider and my mum knitted it with a slightly finer wool and it was fine but I needed to make it a bit narrower! I started them quite a few times before I figured that out... I think I used a bigger needle too, sorry can't remember properly!


My mum made me these for Christmas (they are amazing) and they were big so she sewed up a bit at the top so there was seperate thumb section! Nail varnish courtesy of you.


An apt finish for craft day, Stephanie is nearly finished with the bag...!

x Missed you x

Sunday, January 17, 2010

I have finally made it...

Hi Ladies,
I have finally made it onto the blog! Do not have any photos or much to say but am looking forward to seeing you at the knitting weekend!

Rose - must say I loved the boots!

Friday, January 15, 2010






Hello my beautiful and crafty friends, first up this evening the cute-as ladybird which Flair knitted and which sits on my lapel looking awesome. Next up is a hat for Kiwi Anne's birthday which is soon. She requested a pink hat, so I hope she likes it!
Lastly, I thought I would post Rachelle's first ever bit of knitting. I showed her about 3 stitches and then she was away. She is a total natural and is now knitting a complicated double moss stitch hat for her FIRST project. I will post pics when she is done.
Rowan, I know you have some brilliant projects so get posting!
x

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Aunty's bag



Yesterday, when I needed to mend my jeans, Jude (Robert's mum) got out "Aunty's bag".

Aunty was Robert's great aunt, she was a spinster and it turns out, she was right into tapestry and cross stitch. Her bag is full is old wool, needles and the cross stitch fabric stuff.

I've never done cross stitch or tapestry and really, lets face it, I'm no natural stitcher. So my first few attempts (pictured) are pretty bad but I am going to persevere and make someone some sort of Mexican wrestling themed patch.

There's an added bonus that when I'm stitching with the embroidery hoop I feel like I'm in Jane Austen.

I also started knitting some wrist warmers - but don't have a classy pattern like Flair. Maybe someone could post a link/reference/pattern for your cool wrist warmers?


Sunday, January 10, 2010

Clutch and dresses

Now with optional strap :)


Deptford dresses recently modified.....



Friday, January 8, 2010

Gingerbread Stars


Thank you for your recipe S-te! x

Baby Jumper

I am not knitting another of these for a while, it was so fiddly to finish!I was planning another nearly identical one for Ali's twins but I think i'll go to plan B, Also it will be 30 degrees in Kuwait when her babies are born so they probably won't be needing woollen jumpers! Luckily, everyone is having babies these days, so it will find another home!
Notice the smiley face buttons!


Pants

...playing catch up. A dirty pants bag to take on holiday and a silver necklace with 'pouch'. Thank you x

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Cold Hands Warm Heart

Hi ladies, alas I have no cowboy boots to share (no Rose, I have not overcome my 'thrift town induced' jealousy) but I have been doing some making. Here is a broach I made for my friend's birthday...
Here's some wrist warmers (or 'wriztletz') my mum told me how to make...

And finally, my new favourite things in the world, mittens with fleece lining!! I had to start them 5 times to get it right but it was worth it!

They kept me mighty warm this morning, they are wonderful and brown so you look like a bear (or at least Rachel does when she tries to type in them). Rose I can't wait to hear more about your Amercian adventures (although I'm not sure I'll believe you as I like to pretend you're still in Bermondsey and just choosing not to spend time with me), I was with you in spirit in Thrift Town. I think you may have been with me in the animal charity shop in le Corn as well, the wedding dress was still there (a bargain at £30)! Love you Rose you thrifty b*tch x x x

Kiwi Kookie Kutters



I got these for Christmas, we used them to make the Cheeseboard kiwi, and then I made gingernuts.

Xmas Gloves



These are the fingerless mittens made for Claire for Christmas. Not much good when it is so cold here! You need finger-full mittens, ay Flair!?
I am jealous of your dresses Rose, take a pic of you wearing them, I bet you look awesome.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Thrift Town and other Frisco Thrift Shops




Thrift Shops in the USA are amazing. They are enormous - big barns on highways, not little high street shops like in the UK.

One of the best we went to was Thrift Town in San Francisco. Thanks so much Flair for your tip. I hope you can get over your jealousy of my trip there and find it in your heart to still like me!

It was an amazing shop, on two floors with all the clothes organised in colour order. (That's my perferred method of Thrift shop organisation by the way!) Thrift Town is on Mission, a really old part of San Francisco, near the beautiful old Spanish church and mission buildings. Its an area where loads of Mexicans live now as well as lots of hipsters so we fitted in just fine!

I bought two blue green dresses in San Francisco - my favourite is the silk one, from Thrift Town - it was $5.

You'll be pleased to know there are three excellent "Op Shops" in Otaki. Two of them are closed until the 11th of January for summer holidays but you can be sure we'll become regulars once they open again.

Hope you guys are having some fruitful charity shopping expeditions over the winter. Miss you xxx