Yarn Love

Has it happened to you?

You make a committment to finish what ever it is you are doing and then,

AND ONLY THEN

can you get on with something else. You know....

I'll do the dishes AND THEN I'll sit down and relax.

I'll go for a long walk AND THEN I'll eat just a tiny bit of chocolate.

I'll finish a project AND THEN I'll start something new.

Well for me this weekend the wheels fell off.

IN A BIG WAY!!!

I started TWO new quilts and TWO new knitting projects!!!!

BLISS!!!

I spent two days at a quilting workshop at the Cobar Quilt Shop.

Day one for me was spent learning machine quilting with Pauline.

I'm going to turn all of my sample blocks into a quilt that I have no real love for other than the Amy Butler fabrics that I've backed it with.

Day two was spent starting this beauty, putting into practice what I'd learnt the day before. So far I've got two butterflies done and will get it finished for the end of April.

In between all this sewing I started this jacket, ready for some nice knitting time on the way to Griffith next weekend. Its knitted out of Amy Butler Belle Aran. I have grown to love this yarn. It has a soft hand and I hope that it hangs well when its finished.

Then, just to prove that I am obsessive, I started the Lee hat.

Seeing it on Ravelry was love at first sight and I had to start it right away.

This against all better judgement...

Does it protect me from the sun??  NO.

Can it be worn right away??  NO, its way too hot at the moment.

Does it feed my fantasy of living in the English countryside and rambling along wooded lanes dressed in tweed trousers and sensible brogues, topped with a beautiful cardigan and cute hat, before stopping off at a sweet village Tea Shop and indulging in tea and scones?

YES! YES!

I've chosen a heathered green, grey yarn from Jellywares. To me it had a vintage feel. Not really a colour I would usually wear but it felt so right for this pattern.

Now my arm aches and I'm too tired talk!

Hora! Nani iro ga daisuki yooooooo!*

Ever seen those crazy, slap stick Japanese game shows and TV ads?

Nani iro patterns are nothing like that! To me they exude serenity and coolness of all kinds.

Don't freak out that they are all in Japanese. The directions are all there if you are at one with the universe Grasshopper!

Follow me to here to begin your journey little one....

I found their fabrics here as well and am trying really very hard to resist the temptation to rush out and buy lots...but the children are wanting non essentials like food and medicine.

And then I found this...



A cute top from a Nani iro pattern on the Tessuti blog



Check out the blog of this shop too and get inspired all over again!

: :

Kx.

* It means...'Wow, I love Nani iro!'

You can add a little OMG in there too if you want!

More to do...

The temperature is rising here and sitting still knitting doesn't have the appeal it usually does. Lace weight alpaca does tend to stick to one's hands!

I've been clicking away on this beauty. Its the Laar cardigan from Gudrun Johnston's book 'The Shetland Trader'. This book has some beautiful designs and there are quite a few in my queue. I didn't swatch (ahem) and decided to do a smaller size as casting on 372 stiches sitting outside with friends, wine and heat was not fun, so the growth in the Cascade yarn I'm using is welcomed!

But, as I said the temperature is climbing and tomorrow will be over 40 C, so sewing has captured my attention.

One knitter whose patterns I like also does a bit of sewing and I'm inspired by what she's made.

She also has some great designs on Ravelry.

Saturday Afternoon

Here's a little bit of rather dodgy Saturday afternoon sewing.

 I had this rugby top in the 'can't throw it out but its too old to wear in polite company' pile. So, a bit of repurposing meant it could become a new peg bag.

I cut two pieces from the body. Remember that this is DODGY Saturday afternoon sewing so measurements are not a feature! I should have basted the two pieces togther, right sides facing, but as you can see I glued it instead!

 I roughly drew an oval (or is it a sea cucumber?) and stitched around it.

 Then I turned it out, pressed it and top stitched.

 Here's the other side. I used some beloved Amy Butler to brighten my day.

 Put it all together...sew it up and don't forget to leave a gap at the top for the hook of the coat hanger, which is what I use to hang it from.

 I like to sew across the corners then trim them.

 A before and after shot. The old bag was made from some Peter Rabbit linen that I loved, but 4 years of our climate hasn't been kind to it.

I still have a few VERY old wooden pegs to remind me that although there have been many advancements for women, most of us are still hanging out the washing!

: :

Kx.