You're Never Alone With A Clone...

Do you remember the little knitted dog set I made just before Christmas?  Well here it is together with the real dog it was based on...

I just love it when I get feedback on something I made!  Now I have to make a second one, exactly the same.

Do you fancy having your pet immortalised in yarn?  Look no further, I can do that for you!

Soggy Saturday...

 After making a cactus for the animated film, I thought it might be nice to make some variations for sale.  This is the first one so far.  I plan on using all sorts of tiny pots that I have accumulated, so the sizes should alter as well.

The flower is made from looped embroidery silk and sewn on the top.

I had a go at crocheting a snowflake from a pattern in the Christmas edition of Making magazine.  The photo does not do it justice - I am very pleased with the way this looks, especially after using fabric stiffener.  I can imagine several of these hanging on a mobile and twirling in the air.

Iam just about drying out after a morning trip to Alton and the craft/farmers' market.  It was pouring with rain so we didn't want to browse for too long, just bought various local made cheese, venison and vegetables.  I couldn't leave without visiting my new favourite yarn store.  This beautiful Lima alpaca/wool mix yarn is being sold for £2 a ball, and the larger teal balls were £3 each.  I have no idea what will be made with them, but just had to have some! It's a serious addiction y'know...

We're Still Here...

Did you ever wish you hadn't started something?  There is an element of that feeling to all my projects today!
This shell bouquet was very problematic - first there was the glue incident, then I had no idea how to attach all the shells and beads plus wires together.  Then there was more glue play - I'm not good with glue at the best of times.  Finally there was the addition of ribbons and finding the tiniest pieces of feather to insert (with more glue!)  It took me a week, on and off, but I am pleased with the result.  Next problem, how to post it without it getting damaged...

Then there was the aspidistra....I nearly flung this across the room in despair yesterday as I realised I should have inserted wires into the leaves before using fabric stiffener. However, after much thought, I found a solution to the assemby problem with a piece of trimmed polystyrene, into which I sewed the base of each leaf, through the knitted 'earth'.  Then the whole thing could then be jammed into the pot securely.  There are a few pieces of wool at the back holding it all in place which will hopefully never be seen!

This was the scene in my kitchen this morning - I decided it was time to sort out my stash as it had reached the point where I was buying new wool rather than search to see if I had the colour I  needed.  I had to move it all in a hurry a few weeks ago when my partner returned home after 5 years working abroad and hadn't the time to organise it.  Consequently, there were areas that looked like this...

However, now it is all bagged by colour, with all the 'good' yarn in a box away from the everyday DK.  The theory is that I will be able to lay my hands on what I want now with the minimum of fuss. Any bets on how long that will last?

With regard to the 'hurricane' last night, we are still here.  Several trees down in the neighbourhood but no major damage.  Lots of leaves to be cleared up, but that's about it.  Let's face it, it was just some quite bad weather...

Pompom...

I bought this yarn a little while ago - just couldn't resist the cuteness!  Finally got around to trying it out - this will eventually be a child's hat for sale in my Etsy shop.  I can't wait to see how it turns out and where the pompoms will finally end up.  The yarn is called Jester, for good reason!

Yesterday was my last day at the day job until September - yay!  I spent Monday and Tuesday clearing out my desk, helping to re-organise classrooms and generally cleaning, lifting and carrying - not much fun while the weather was so hot and humid.  I did come away yesterday with a few thrifted items - one of which is this book box which was going to be thrown away.  I had a flash of inspiration and thought it would be great as a raised vegetable planter!  So I have washed it down, drilled holes in the base, deliberated on whether or not to paint it (I don't think so) and will be filling it later on this week.

I also liberated a fab treasure chest made of sturdy cardboard which had come with some promotional material, and one of the teachers who is leaving and clearing out all her stuff gave me three massive balls of brand new cream aran yarn.  Result!

Pick & Mix

Today's post contains a bit of everything!  First, here is some cute yarn I bought from Yarn Paradise.  I can thoroughly recommend this website - the choice of yarn is incredible, the prices are cheap (as long as you don't mind buying in bulk, but bulk can sometimes only mean 2 or 3 balls) and the shipping is by DHL and fast.  I'm not sure what I will make with pink yarn threaded through with little dolls, but whatever it is, I can't wait!

I finally got around to sewing a food bowl and toy for this little cat, so now he is up for sale in my Etsy shop.  He's one of a kind, seeing as he is a reject from the animated film - just too big!

This zombie is also finished - I have a summer fair coming up so am trying to build my stock up a little.  I'm not sure if anyone else likes kntted zombies as much as me - we shall see!

But look, his arms, legs and head come off and his stomach falls out - what's not to like??  If you'd like a zombie too, please get in touch and assure me I am not the only one....

This was another idea I saw in a magazine recently - minature seaside planting.  I'm really pleased with how this turned out - the planter held some tired daffodil bulbs for the past year and needed rethinking.  The two plants are actually from the Alpine section of the garden centre, but when put with some pebbles, gravel and shells, look suitably seasidey.

This is still as far as my tomatoes have got - plenty of flowers but not much else as yet.  I suspect I have already lost in the Great Tomato Race - we can't compete with a warm Devon greenhouse!

And finally, if you have seen the new sweetener Stevia on the shelves of your local supermarket and wondered what it is made from, here is the plant.  I am a sucker for unusual plants and when I saw this a couple of weeks ago, could not resist.  If you break off a leaf and chew it, at first it tastes kind of like grass (mmm, grass..) but then when you have really pulped it, the sweetness comes out.  I don't think you are meant to do this!  I read yesterday that you are supposed to harvest your leaves at the end of the summer, dry them in the sun (in the UK???) and then make infusions out of them with boiling water, rather like tea, then the end result can be used to sweeten drinks etc.  If there are any leaves left by autumn, I shall give this a go.

Next on the needles, three bluetits.  Rather like buses, you get none for ages then three come along at once....

Luscious!

While on a bit of hiatus waiting for feedback on a couple of scarf designs, I found myself with a bit of time to spare in which to get on with some stashbusting.  I have a lot of lovely balls of yarn that I have been collecting over the past year but never seem to have the time to utilise them.  This is a ball of sock yarn - far too pretty to be used for feet!  So I am knitting a scarf/shawlette with a cable design - it's such fun watching the colours emerge as I go along and very relaxing not having to make up the pattern myself for a change!

There has been a development regarding the tomato race between myself and Soggibottom.  Not only have our poor seedlings been struggling against adverse growing conditions, despite being indoors and nurtured, but Midge's cat decided to tip her tray of pots onto the floor....oh dear! As mine are straggly wisps with barely any secondary leaves, we have had a chat and decided to 'cheat' and buy some stronger plants from our local garden centres.  I will still persevere with my seedlings, but don't hold out much hope for them. This year it will be interesting to see if either of us even get tomatoes, let alone win!

I was going to spend some more time in the garden today after getting out there for the first time in months yesterday, but it's raining.  Oh no, guess I'll have to get on with some painting then.....what a shame!

Droolworthy!

I can't be the only one who gets so excited by yarn!  This arrived in the post today and it is absolutely gorgeous - shades of grey (no, not fifty...) and airforce blue in a luscious bamboo chenille.  I have to knit a cat from this for the animated film - I just cannot wait to see how that turns out!

The yarn is called 'Baby Elephant'and was bought from Yarntopia Treasures on Etsy.  I'm hoping there will be a substantial amount left over so that I can make something else from it.

Balls of Wool.....

The Unravel show nearly passed me by for another year - I had found out when it was on, made a mental note that I must go this year....and then promptly forgot all about it.  It was only when talking about yarn with a stallholder at a craft fair yesterday she mentioned it was on this weekend - phew, thank goodness for fellow yarnoholics!

So off we went, through the cold and snow, and spent a couple of hours drooling over more yarn than I could use in a lifetime. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how you look at it - the ticket desk would not take card payments, so I had to pay my entrance fee in cash, thus depleting my wool budget. I still managed to come away with a decent haul - some glorious rainbow sock yarn, a skein of multi-coloured fabric yarn, a ball of Guernsey wool, a ball of brown alpaca (which has been earmarked for a crochet Dr.Who as someone has a birthday coming up) and 8 assorted balls of wool which were 50p each.  And a bag of bells. 

I had a go at spinning - now that's a lot harder than it looks!  We also had fun petting this sheep which was very friendly indeed.  I think Stacie would have taken it home given half the chance!

This was on display - absolutely incredible. I would have liked to have had a very close look to see how it was made, but there were a lot of us admiring it.

There was also a fair bit of discussion about how very anatomically correct it was too.  Balls of wool indeed.....

Battenburg & Booty!

A very small piece of cake......I nearly bought myself a battenburg by way of research, but thought better of it!

I couldn't resist this lovely yarn from Cafe Knit - dyed with woad and spun from a local flock in East Anglia, this Lavenham Blue yarn is simply gorgeous.  Not too sure what I will knit from it yet, but it has to be something with a hint of Boudicea.....

Just got an unexpected windfall - a work colleague is clearing out her spare room and asked if anyone wanted a couple of bags of fabric....well, you can guess who was first in the queue!  Lots of interesting bits and pieces, as well as a HUGE piece of black felt....

I have to admit I smell this afternoon.......it's time to make chutney again and there is a big pot of beetroot bubbling away on the stove, filling the house with a spicy vinegary delicious aroma, which clings to the hair and clothes.  Beetroot was my favourite of the chutneys I made last year, absolutely delicious when on fresh crunchy bread with goats cheese....mmmmmm!

Wowee!!

Look at my treasure!  This came in the post today - 40 balls of pretty, pretty crochet cotton - my mind is just exploding with ideas as to how I can use it for tiny knitted sea-creatures.......

This lovely bracelet came in the post last week - it was made for me by Sybille over on Magpie Magic. I love all the jewellery she makes and own several fantastic necklaces that she has made just for me - it's just a shame I can't wear them all at once.  The 'C' on the bracelet is an old typewriter key - reminds me of my days at school learning to type on an ancient manual typewriter that required supreme strength of fingers if you wanted the 'a's to show - those of you who learned to type on a computer keyboard don't know how lucky you are!

Starting Over......

Quite a few weeks ago, before the various pieces of commissioned work, I was in the middle of painting this using my lovely set of Derwent Inktense pencils and colour blocks.  It all seems a very long time ago and I feel that I have forgotten the method of working I was using as well as losing all momentum and enthusiasm.  Recently, several people have asked me if I have more than one painting on the go at the same time - the answer is 'no' and this is the reason why.  I find it very hard to go back to a picture once the initial excitement has died down.  While I am 'in the moment' there is a certain rhythm to the work - I get to know exactly which colours and brushes I need and how to obtain the effect I am after.  After a protracted break, especially one during which other paintings using other mediums have been completed, it's hard to get back into the mindset of the abandoned work.  I will give this one a go, if only for the fact I put an awful lot of effort into getting it this far, but my heart's really not in it.

My yarn stash has remained fairly static for a long time, new yarns being bought strictly for commissioned projects rather than just because they look pretty.  However, this week I have cracked and bought some scrummy raspberry pink Louisa Harding yarn from Stash Fine Yarns sale with a view to knitting myself a lacy shawl/scarf.  The tiger striped sock yarn was for a possible commission which fell through, but I couldn't resist it's rich oranges and have a germ of an idea for a new knitted creature.  For the time being however, I have a couple more things to knit for other people, after which I can hopefully get back to knitting for my own pleasure for a while!

Delectable........

Here are the macaws, finally finished.  I wasn't too sure where I was going with this, but the journey was terrific fun.  Just about as I had completed the final brushstroke on the second macaw, I noticed a drop of painty water on the paper that wasn't supposed to be there.  That's when I discovered that Inktense colours really are permanent!  I used my head this time and tried bleach on a spare scrap of paper - which didn't work - neither did trying to cover it with white paint.  So rather than have a faded blue splodge smack-bang in the white area, it morphed into a sprig of leaves...which I actually quite like in the end as it contributes to the composition nicely.  Sometimes accidents really are 'happy'.  This will be for sale on Etsy later in the day.

 Fine

Stash Fine Yarns have a 3 for 2 sale at the moment - I couldn't resist this gorgeous pale mint green & white yarn.  I don't know what it will be yet, but it had to be mine.

We have a giant sofa and a large 'cuddle' armchair, but this is where he chose to sit. As long as you are comfortable Clovis!

Cornucopia.....

The last jellyfish painting was part of a swap with the talented Sybille at Magpie Magic in exchange for one of her gorgeous necklaces. It arrived in the post yesterday and I adore it.  I am afraid the photo does not do it justice - the weather is overcast and wet today and I just cannot get a decent picture even with my daylight lamp. The necklace is very long, with a triple strand at the bottom and is full of wonderful treasures - an ammonite, glass beads, wooden beads, filagree, pieces of shell, beads that look like shell, you name it, it's on there.  I already own another of Sybille's necklaces which also has a enthralling collection of matching and coordinating beads and bits - they are always a pleasure to wear as they not only look good, you can spend hours admiring all the little details!  I would highly recommend her jewellery - it's all original, beautifully made and always fascinating.

Last week I also got sent a little parcel with some delicious beads in it from another talented lady, Jo Sacker.  She made these for me as part of the exchange a few months ago for a knitted dog and sofa. As she has moved house and was in a bit of disarray as far as bead-making facilities were concerned, it took a while to complete the deal - but I think you'll agree it was well worth the wait.  I am planning to make a bracelet with these very soon.

The postman also brought me some scrummy rust coloured sock yarn and some guinea-pig coloured eyelash yarn.  This little guy just needs a set of back legs - and then a little friend and somewhere to live!

It's that time of year again, fruit is starting to ripen and our local pick-your-own farm opened last weekend.  We took a trip up there yesterday and were pleased to discover that not only were the strawberries ripe and luscious, there were plenty of gooseberries as well.

So today is a jam making day - we ran out of last years' jam about a month ago, and I had to resort to buying a jar of raspberry jam for my daughter's breakfast toast - she wasn't keen on the home-made marmelade or  elderflower jelly.  She'll be all right for a while with this little lot....

And finally, I have no painting commissions on the go at the moment so it's an opportunity to have a little play with the Inktense pigment blocks. 

It's been quite a while since I painted a tiger so I am thoroughly enjoying this.  The black markings are being painstakingly painted with black Inktense diluted to make ink, the rest of the picture will hopefully be a bit more free and colourful.  The great thing about Inktense is that once dry, the colour can be painted over time and again with no ill effects, so as long as you plan what you are going to do, great depth and vibrancy of colour is possible.

I'm off to continue this while I have the time!

What a Beautiful Day....

The sun is shining and it's quite warm out there today, just like summer.  We've had an outing this morning to Farnham to visit the art shop for supplies and the yarn shop...well, just because!  Of course I can't walk out of there empty-handed....

...but they were in the sale.

There is another pug set in progress, more my own design this time as I haven't liked the bought patterns I have used.

He just needs a blanket & a toy now.

Some of us spent the afternoon like this....

Others of us will be doing the same but indoors - just as much fun, but without the sunburn!

I Got The Blues.......

Long story short, work owed me a heap of back pay, got it last week, treated myself to the above skein of blue heaven......it's yarn made from old blue jeans!  How brilliant is that?  (Big thanks to Sybille at Magpie Magic for showing it to me!)  I have a project lined up for it - I lost one of my most favourite wristwarmers last week, the ones I always wear to walk the dog, so I think a new pair in denim blue is in order.

In the meantime, I am crocheting a light lacy blue cotton triangular scarf for myself now that Spring is hopefully on it's way and we can dispense with all the heavy pullovers.....soon, please?  I am using the same yarn as I knitted this shawl with and thankfully crochet is very much quicker!

Rock & Gem Show

Yesterday we went to the Rock & Gem Bead show at The Maltings in Farnham. I've only ever been to the Gem & Bead version of this, so was very interested to see the collections of semi-precious stones, crystals and fossils on display for sale. Most of it was way out of my league price-wise, but I did think this trilobite fossil was definitely worth £3!


Strings of these fabulous mother-of-pearl ammonites were a breath-taking £95...but round the back of the stall was a table of bargains, amongst which I found a lonely ammonite for £4. It has a hole drilled through it and I am so looking forward to making a necklace with this as it's focal point.

I just love fossils and find them absolutely fascinating - an interest which must have been started by my mother's enthusiasm for fossil collecting. We spent hours as children pottering around beaches and quarries in the Isle of Wight looking for ammonites, sea urchins, belamnites and many more. In the cliffs above Compton Bay, you would often see an enormous ammonite embedded in the soft stone but you knew that as soon as the cliff eroded and fell, the fossil would be smashed onto the beach below. The Isle of Wight has been the source of many dinosaur bones too - dinosaurs seem to be this week's theme!


This weekend saw the Iknit Weekender up in London and I had planned to go with Sybille from Magpie Magic, but we ended up calling the trip off due to a shortage of cash all round....we knew it would be an expensive outing, what with train fares, entrance fees, lunch, and of course, feeding a pair of severe yarn addictions. But I was quite happy to settle for a trip to the Interknit Cafe in Farnham instead, where I picked up a couple of balls of Bergere cotton yarn in their bargain basket and some gloriously bright red sock yarn - the camera is not doing it justice here.


One lone bargain skein of Louisa Harding Thalia ribbon yarn just got stuck to my hand as well - I'm knitting up a very quick scarf using immense wooden needles made from DIY dowling pole. So the yarn addiction was fed without spending loads of money - what more could a girl ask for!