Knitting for Children In Need ....

We have always talked, at work, about us doing something as a group for Children in Need and this year my work pal, Rose, and I have decided that this will be The Year .....

We are holding a KnitFest (although this might change to CraftFest) in November .....

As you might have guessed there will be knitting but there will also be sewing (such as aprons, peg bags and the like), hand made cards and altered items (of course), home made cakes, home made jams and chutneys and anything else we can think of .... We even have the local Model Railway Club coming along with a couple of layouts.
Our employer has very kindly given us the use of two of our Community Buildings for free and access to the rather clever office laser printer and photocopier - so every single penny taken will go to Children in Need .....
So in amongst all the recent stresses of my life, I have been knitting ......
Here are some finished knitted bags .....All of them are lined courtesy of my new sewing machine - lol. Remember the rather sagging muti-coloured one from a previous post - lol and the big blue one at the back even has pockets on both sides of the lining - how clever is that - lol.
Here are some Works in Progress ....
Everything here needs to be sewn up and finished off - the three knitted hats need pompoms (not made one of those for years and years - lol) the knitted snake needs facial features (this is a great hit with the Gorgeous One aka Finley William), the child's cardi needs the second sleeve putting in and the whole thing sewing up and the green piece is going to be another bag .....
And here's Pudsey - another Work in Progress ......
My sewing up skills will be put to the test with this one - so Pudsey will probably go to an experienced knitting friend of mine to be put together ......
And this is the Current Work .....Another knitted bag in a nice linen/cotton mix with the yarn used double - so it should be a fairly quick knit ....
Coming away from knitting, I was beginning to get a bit concerned that I hadn't played with any paper, ink or stamps and made a mess for ages. My craft room was soooooooooo tidy but I just didn't feel like doing or even want to do anything - but that all changed yesterday. I went to the Craft Barn in Surrey for a day long workshop with Sue Roddis and we made this ....This being a wooden perpetual calendar. I've never been to a workshop before but I had a great time and I bought another calendar and some other wooden bits and pieces to alter ....
Going to the class gave me the kick up the proverbial and as soon as I got home, I was back in my craft room and playing catch up with the girls in a monthly ATC swap group I belong to ....So - there you have it - what I've been up to.
Off now to make some notebooks for the KnitFest/CraftFest .....

The Moment of Truth - Part 2 .....

Once again life got in the way and, unfortunately, the Felted Bag has become a bit of a work in progress ......
I have made a couple of the flowers (three more to go - possibly more) and these have to be felted. It seems such a waste to put the washing machine on for just five flowers, so I will wait until I have knitted a couple of felted hats .... more on those another time .... Apart from the ecological issue of water wastage, I've hit a bit of a stumbling block with the handles - how on earth do I fix them to the bag? The knitting pattern doesn't help and the Noni website makes it look quite difficult but onwards and upwards, I'm sure a solution will come to me - in time .......

The Moment Of Truth .....

It took me a bit longer than straight after the last post to pluck up the courage to put it all in the washing machine - but here it is - ready for lift off .....I felt like how I imagine expectant fathers used to feel when they weren't allowed to be present at the birth - lol. I was pacing up and down and sitting in front of the machine while it went round and round and round - and finally it stopped and this is what came out .....I was dead impressed - lol. I've had a practice go at making a flower - so off now to make a real one before bed.
Have a good week everyone .....

Knitting With Red Hot Needles ......

Sometimes I think I am so fickle ...... the other week it was the gorgeous Studio 490 stamps (although it still is - lol), earlier today my friend Sue (the one who hasn't got a Blog but should have) told me about the new Nestabilities (I can feel a spend coming on - lol) and the last week or so has been knitting ........... which will soon become felting ..... (well it would be rude not to follow what a lot of other people are doing - wouldn't it ....)

Anyways from this ....This being Cascade 220 yarn, which is 100% wool from Peru via Canada, a beautiful pattern for a felted bag by Noni and a US size 8 circular needle - all supplies from Get Knitted in Bristol ....
To this .....This is the finished knitted bag which is held up with a pile of paperback books. I am now off to put it in the washing machine on a 60 degree wash with this .....
It may well be that this is the last you see of this project - lol.
Be back later with the felted (hopefully) piece ........

Clickety Clack ..... and Studio 490 ...

I was prowling round a well known book/mnagazine/all sorts shop on Reading Station a couple of weeks ago on my way to see Mum in hospital in Taunton and my eye fell on some knitting magazines. Great I thought, I could look at them with Mum, who is a keen knitter, and cheer her up. The mags proved to be a huge hit and we talked about heel turning on socks, the thumb method vs the two needle method of casting on and other such knitting stuff for at least a couple of hours .....

Now I haven't picked up the needles for years but was so inspired by Mum and the mags that I have been knitting for the last couple of weeks .....
This is what I made first of all - just to see if I could still do it .....I used a very old pattern (one of those Patons Great Bazaar Knits booklets - price 1/6d - lol) for the basic shape and then made up the pattern of garter and stocking stitch blocks. I spent yesterday afternoon trying to line it but couldn't get the lining quite right . The problem being that the bag is really stretchy and 'pleated' but c'est la vie - it is an unlined knitting bag ......

Then I made this ......This is for a 2 to 3 year and I think it's really pretty. As I am a bit of a loose knitter, I nipped over to see The Gorgeous One aka Finley William and used him as a model. He didn't mind trying on a girl's cardi and he really looked cute - I wish I had taken the camera - lol.
I have another cardigan on the go, and a caterpillar, knit and crochet flowers and a crochet ball. To say nothing of a beautiful pattern and wool I bought for another bag - but more of that another time ....

My problem now is that I have so many ideas - knitting, the new release of Studio 490, which the lovely Wendy over at The Stamp Attic is taking pre-orders for (to say nothing of the new Tim Holtz stamps), Christmas cards ...... how do I fit it all in - lol

Bring On The Girls ......

My friend Sue (the one who should have a Blog but hasn't) told me some good news about one of her family that should be shared. Her daughter, Georgia who is 14, goes fishing with her Dad and is a member of Dad's fishing club.
This weekend was the start of the Club's annual fishing competition and Georgia was drawn against the current Club Champion and beat him. She caught 20lbs of fish and he only caught 10lbs. She is now through to the semi-finals and it may be that she will be drawn against her Dad. The days before the match should be interesting - secret bait recipes and all that.
Anyways - well done Georgia and go for it ..........................

Memories of Michael ....

I was woken up this morning about 4.50am with a terrific clap of thunder and couldn't get back to sleep. So off I toddled downstairs to nake coffee and watch the news ....
I couldn't believe what I was seeing about Michael Jackson. It's not often that I fell compelled to be 'public' about what is going on in the world, but this is one of those times.
I went to see him years ago at the old Wembley Stadium with my kids. I remember my son, who would have been about 14, saying 'why do we want to go and see him'. Yet within five minutes of MJ being on stage, both kids were on their feet and saying 'why couldn't we have gone down there (the pitch)". I was too old - even then - lol.
Three and a half hours later that Saturday afternoon the whole of Wembley was still rocking. The man was absolute MAGIC - and my children absolutely loved him. So did I ......
Many, many people will be talking in the next few days about Michael's strange way of life, the criminal case in 2005 and whether he would have managed the 50 dates at the 02 (my daughter had tickets for the 6th of the original schedule of shows next month) and his life will be gone over again and again with a fine tooth comb. Yes, OK, maybe he was strange, but at the end of the day I think he was a Music Legend - and as someone has said this morning - the events of yesterday will make him the Elvis of our generation - and he will live on with his iconic music .......
Rest in Peace now Michael ........

And Yet More Studio 490 .....

So the question is - have I become obsessed. I think the correct answer has to be - yes .... Here is something I have made. It started as THIS ......THIS being a 2' 6" long by 3" wide by 1" deep canvas. There were three in the pack, which I bought ages ago, not really sure what I was going to do with it (them) and now I know - lol.

I used THESE ......And made THIS ...A Paper Artsy house and Studio 490 flowers and leaves; and moving up .....
Another Paper Artsy house and a Paper Artsy partridge and more Studio 490 flowers and leaves; and moving up ......
And at the top, another Paper Artsy house and patridge and Studio 490 flowers and leaves and a heart.
THIS is the whole canvas (I really must take photography lessons - lol) .....
I like this and I might even hang it up on the wall. Hope you like it too.
The next canvas is already prepared for something not Studio 490 ....

How About This Then ....

Some Artful Blogging Blog Candy.
Pop over to see Wendy at The Stamp Attic here to have a look see at what you could win ....

Houses and Clever, Inspiring People ....

Last weekend, on Saturday, I got it right and went to The Craft Barn Extravaganza on the correct day - lol - and had a great time. There were more clever people there than you can shake a stick at and it was just great to watch them all weave their magic. I don't want to single any one person out but Jenny from Hobby Art was as inspiring as ever, the lady from Kazelcraft Stamps had some great stuff, there was a very clever lady from the Craft Barn doing some beautiful stuff with metal (sorry can't remember her name) and I also managed to get quite near the front to see Leandra Franich (very popular lady).

Depite all that, I have to say that I spent by far the most time watching Sue Roddis. What a clever, clever lady and so friendly and sharing. I watched her for so long that when I left I popped into The Craft Barn and bought a pad of Basic Grey Porcelain papers and went home to make houses ...

(I did go in the shop before I went over the road to the Hall but I'm not saying if I spent, because my pal Sue (the one who hasn't got a blog but should have) will say "I told you so" - lol ....)
So here are two houses - inspired by Sue Roddis ....

Both have Paper Artsy doors. The one on the left has more Studio 490 flowers and leaves. The one on the right is a real mish mash of stamps, including the B-Line Designs Checkerboard. and the Stampers Anonymous Ledger Border.
On Sue R's originals, the tree trunk is a wooden dolly peg, I didn't have one of those, so mine is chipboard. The foliage is a fern stamp, stamped and cut out five times and arranged in a tree-like fashion. One great tip is to stamp on patterned paper, which is why I bought the Porcelain pad). This gives a hint of a background to the image rather than just an expanse of white card (you can just about see this if you click on the photo). Copious amounts of Distress Inks to smudge, edge and highlight were used, as well as loads of buttons ....
Had a great time making these and soon there will be a whole street .......
One final thing I met a blogging pal there - the lovely Alison. It was a bit of a shame but we didn't have much time together because I had to get off home. I hope we can meet up again ....