Finished Objects at long last

I have finally finished the Fairisle tank top (sleeveless top) that I have been working on since end of February, and here it is:
                                                                  
I haven't been able to deliver it to the customer yet as she has been unable to get into Hythe to collect it.                                     

Fairisle Sleeveless Top knitted in Rowan Pure Wool

It was Ivan's birthday last Tuesday, and he has bought himself a Tablet at last, so I made him a case to go with it

The outer case is made from Harris Tweed Tartan, and it is wadded and lined with brown cotton.  The whole case is then bound with bias binding made from the same cotton, and then I cannibalised a new belt to create the clasp.  I have a gizmo that attaches eyelets to whatever, which obviously incorporates two different sized punches to create the holes for the eyelets to go into.  I used this to make holes in the leather around the outside and then sewed it into place.  I did consider riveting the belt to the case, but decided that the rivets could scratch the tablet inside.  Ivan loves it, and I think it looks very masculine.

I'm in the middle of making Teddies at the moment.  Little ones with semi-stuffed legs so that they sit independently.  I've just finished one made with a fat quarter of VW campervan cotton. He is going to be called Victor Wilfred Bear, and I will get round to taking his mugshot, probably tomorrow.

I've been working very hard

And I've finally finished this ...

It's a Sirdar pattern and takes blooming ages.  Mind you once I'd got the hang of the pattern I was able to speed up considerably.  The edging was knitted separately and I sewed it on as I went.  168 inches of edging that took.  The customer is very happy with it, thank goodness.

Now what about this?  This is a WhirlyGig Bug painted onto a snail shell by my incredibly clever daughter.  Luckily the shell is currently unoccupied, especially as I managed to drop it into the pot of varnish so it is now varnished inside and out.

I've got various projects on the go now, including the innumerable UFOs stashed around the house.

Busy, busy, busy

Liebster Award and the real identity of my Secret Santa

Which was Barbara, aka busybusybeejay.  Many thanks for such a wonderful box of goodies.

Following Barbara's rules I have to give you 11 random facts about myself:

1 I am left handed
2 I love driving
3 I love architecture
4 I also love archeology, especially Time Team
5 I adore Top Gear
6 I have collected dragons in the past but have run out of room for them
7 I am now collecting knitting and crochet WIPs
8 I dream of being thin
9 I am contemplating getting a dog
10 I am 46
11 I have two children, a 19 year old girl and an 8 year old boy

Now I have to answer the questions set for me:

Favourite room in the house. Living room at my craft table
Are you a lark or an owl. Definitely an Owl
Do you like cooking? Nope
favourite film?  The Hobbit
Do you like shopping? Not really
Travel plans for 2013?  St Ives
Dinner partner? My other half, Ivan
Can you speak any languages other than english? Screaming Mother and Gobbledegook
Which month is your birthday? March
Do you have a favourite perfume? J Lo
Are you tidy/untidy? Untidy

Myriads of pictures to show you ...

And to begin with, a picture of my wonderful Secret Santa goodies that I should have showed you two months ago (with abject apologies to my wonderful Secret Santa who I think was Allison.  Please correct me if I am wrong and forgive me for my teabag memory)

Can you believe how yummy this lot is?  The shawl has been worn several times since this picture and has attracted many admiring comments.

Next lot of photos are of Amber's stone paintings which she is hoping to sell to raise some much needed spondoolies for Mother's Day, Mum's Birthday ...  oops sorry I mean for art supplies.   (Silly me)

There's one missing, a wonderful study of a Stag Beetle.  Will get that one on as soon as I change the batteries in the camera.

As I have mentioned in the past, I have undertaken some commissions.  The first one was a Snoopy pullover, as ably modeled by Ivan's tip (sorry desk)

And I am currently working on a fairisle tanktop (which is looking very nice) and a baby blanket in 2ply Sirdar Snuggly.  This is the tension and pattern swatch I knitted in the same yarn.

It looks yellow in this picture but in actual fact it is white.

Here's a very clever Blackbird, normally ground feeders, who has worked out how to balance on my hedge and help himself to the fat balls in the hanging feeder.  The Magpies try this from time to time, but being much bigger and heavier birds they keep sinking into the hedge or tripping up and falling head first into it.  They have worked out how to flip the fat balls through the top of the feeder (lifting the lid first) and then legging it with a whole one.

Then of course there's always the Great Tit (thought that was David Cameron but it turns out to be a very pretty songbird)

I'm so excited ...

It's been a busy old time for me, so much so, that I've not blogged about anything for yonks, although I have been keeping up with reading blogs.  (Which to my mind is much more exciting)

Along with knitting away at lavender hearts and Alpacas for the Alpaca farm, I've taken on two commissions for knitted items, a lovely 2ply knitted lace christening shawl, and a fairisle tank top from a very old pattern, that is now back in fashion.  My lovely customer decided that the tank top had to be knitted in the best quality yarn, so now I'm using Rowan Classic Wool; absolutely beautiful to knit with, lovely stitch definition and leaves your hands feeling really soft.  Even for me, as I am allergic to wool, but I am not having too many problems with this one.

As I cannot knit anything like this for my lot, they wouldn't wear it, I am very privileged to be able to produce it for someone who will appreciate it, wear it and look after it.  I think this is one of the reasons I love commissions, to be able to knit things I wouldn't normally get the opportunity to try.

I had a phone call from the magazine, The Knitter, on Valentines Day, to tell me that I am a runner up in a design competition they ran last year, and I have won 4 balls of Gomitoli 4ply yarn.  I am so looking forward to getting them.  I designed a knitted handbag (the competition was to design an accessory using Gomitoli yarns) and I dug the design out the other day with a view to perhaps developing it further.  My reasoning being that if the judges liked it enough to make it a runner up, then perhaps there is a market for it.  But need to get the commissions done first as they are both due in May.

Gifts

My swap box has arrived ... oh joyous excitement ... although I am going to have to wait until Christmas Day to share the goodies within it with you

As you can see.  So it has been firmly closed and placed under the Christmas tree.  However, just to wet my appetite, I found these two charming characters grinning at me from on top of the red tissue

They have migrated to the tree where they seem very much at home.

I'm planning a few present making days next week to finish off the goodies intended for my family.  They've been shoved to the back as I have been concentrating on other things, such as Robins for sale etc.

11 sleeps left ....  

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas Swap boxes again ...

Hi guys, sorry for the long old time between posts - some clown has fast forwarded the year and just as I'm getting used to August it's suddenly November and Children In Need is nigh.

I really hope you are up for the swap box again because I have already started buying bits for mine - not that I'm getting excited of course.

I've been a busy little bunny, knitting little things to sell and making a block a month patchwork courtesy of Craftsy 

This is my shelf sitting Christmas Robin.  He has plastic beads in his bottom to help him sit nicely and I have had a lot of interest in him, although it backfired a little at my knitting group as they wanted the pattern to knit him themselves, rather than buy one from me!  Hmmm not quite the response I was hoping for, but I've written out the pattern and printed a load off.  I shall sell them instead for slightly less than the finished item  :)

It surprised me, considering that the body of the Robin is only about 4 inches high, that it took four pages to write the pattern up. 


I am also working on Woolly Wormheads hat KAL using this gorgeous yarn from Fyberspates

It is a 4ply BFL, Cashmere and Silk mix and is absolutely scrumptious.