Holiday? What Holiday!

Technically, I am on holiday from work with the schools being closed for summer.  However, I still have lots of work to be getting on with.

I have a couple of these to be doing - lovely to be drawing dogs again, I think they really have to be one of my favourite subjects.

This is slowly taking shape - it's nice to take some time out now and again and knit a rock - just free-forming and no idea what it looks like until it is stuffed.  These rocks have been sewn into place now and I have plans as to how the bottom section will look.  Then I have to populate it....

As well as the above, I have been spending a great deal of my time knitting something very complicated for the animation involving beads and buttons and a lot of sewing.  I've also been designing another scarf for Dunlop McCandless, which is still in the prototype stages - I shan't know if it has been successful until it is all sewn together.

Some of us are finding the summer harder going than others......

Sunshine....

School broke up three days ago and I have been making the most of the sunshine by doing the garden - it was a jungle out there after a month's heavy rain.

I've also been catching up (or trying to) with some of my outstanding commissions - knitting little shoes, hats and tables; designing a knitted wolverine, knitting more pebbles. It's also been an opportunity to go through my big box of jewellery that I cart to various local craft fairs with less and less enthusiasm.  I've photographed some pieces that have been tucked away for far too long, and they will be in my Etsy shop over the next few days.  I don't get time to make jewellery any more, and it is a shame that what I have is hidden away - here's a chance for some necklaces and earrings to go to good homes.

More To The Collection....

Last week we took a trip to Ikea - I hadn't planned on buying anything much, but I just had to have this set of cookie cutters. By the time I've finished, I'll be able to make a gingerbread zoo.....

I've not had the time over the past week to do much crafting - the last week of the summer term is always very busy.  I did manage to squeeze in a spot of jam making though - made with fresh raspberries that we picked the day before.  Delicious!

Guess Where We Went Today......

...it was fantastic!  I liked the film very much, but it didn't move me - the stage show had me weeping through most of it.

One of us preferred the goose puppet to the horses.....Philistine!

Do You See Where This Is Going?

Despite having more work and less time to do it in than ever before, I have managed to make a start on this little knitted rockpool set.  It's been quite liberating knitting rocks - just free forming as I go and learning a little more about short row shaping at the same time.  The prawn and the anemone were already made - do you think a five year old will notice that only cooked prawns are pink?

I can't be the only one counting down until the end of term - only four more days but it feels like an eternity.  At least Sports Day has been cancelled due to a saturated field - very sad for the children, but I must admit to giving a small cheer at the thought of having the afternoon free to get those knitting needles flying!

Teddy Goes To School

Remember a poor little half-made teddy about three months ago? Well, I have finally finished him - I am ashamed to say it only took half an hour to sew up his arms and attach all his limbs, so he's been hanging around all that time for nothing really.  Then I knitted him a little school jumper and made him some grey felt trousers as his bare (bear) bottom didn't look right - I know there are some kids who wander round our school trouserless on occasion, but he doesn't have to be one of them!

He is going to be a small gift for someone who is leaving who I know collects teddies.

Our blackbird babies have hatched - I can hear them cheeping up in the nest.  No chance of getting a better photo though - I don't want to scare off the mother at this late stage.  Now, if we can keep the magpies at bay and make sure Clovis is supervised in the garden when they fledge, they might have a fighting chance of surviving this time.

Friday 13th Wasn't So Bad....

After spending my morning yesterday watching the finals of the talent show at the infant school where I work (there's a couple of hours of my life I can never get back...) I returned home to find a very large parcel had arrived. Inside were these wonderful pieces of fabric!  They have been designed by the very talented Helz Cuppleditch, who I met virtually on an artist's forum, and met in reality at a craft fair in Sussex.  She had been sent whole rolls by the US company as samples of the finished product and didn't know quite what to do with them.  She very kindly sent me this great selection, which I shall be using in the next couple of weeks to make a few gifts for my new great-nephew who arrived a couple of days ago.

See more of Helz's beautiful work here.

In the un-official tomato race this year, I am the winner!  Unfortunately, due to the weather this 'summer', Soggibottom Cottage has lived up to it's name and not produced any red tomatoes yet.  I don't have much to crow about as this is the sole red tomato in my garden.....

And my garden is looking more and more like the outside of Sleeping Beauty's castle, with the shrubs going berserk, the vines taking over and the grass unkempt.  It's not through lack of enthusiasm, I just can't catch a break inbetween being at work and torrential rain.  I hope I can get out there with the lawnmower and some secateurs before I need someone with a machete to hack us out of here!

Finally, yes indeed, it's a knitted stethoscope.  Not much more I can say about that...