Uh, no, Miss Stoeger? I have a note from my tennis instructor, and he would prefer it if I didn't expose myself to any training that might derail his teachings.

Errr mi gerd, I have been a bit busy recently, what with one thing (Rainbows sleepover) and another (horrific food poisoning - marginally worse than the sleepover).  All the EMOTIONAL PAIN of the last few months and years have been worth it, and I am in Year 2 doing lots of fun stuff next year - Art, Geography, History, Creative Writing, Science, what's not to like.  Fantastic.  Still got the essay of doom to do, but that will be done sooner rather than later, and at least getting one done means that I'm on track for the second one.

Anyway.  Knitting, knitting, knitting.

Stuff I am actually working on actually.

The Weather in the Streets blanket

There's been some progress.  Slight but some.  I think I've got about 16 loose ones now, I'll sew them together when I get to 20.

Yellow squares - 122/143 done - 21 to go
Blue squares - 63/72 done - 9 to go
Grey squares - 79/102 - 23 to go
Turquoise squares - 4/11 done
Red squares - 8/10 done
Pinky-Red squares - 8/10 done

Orange squares - ALL DONE

Pink square - DONE
Purple squares - DONE
Dark Green squares - DONE
Pale Blue square - DONE
Pale Yellow square - DONE
Dark Blue square - DONE

Miette cardigan - Done, except for buttons and a block.  I need to buy buttons; despite having jars and jars of buttons, I never have 10 matching ones.

Wisteria jumper - Still needing a bloody sleeve.

Hexipuff quilt - least said, soonest mended.

Petrie top - There's been a change of plan here.  The yarn I had earmarked for this is going to be put towards a Viane cardigan for the outfit along 2015.  I'm starting it as soon as I've finished typing.

It is doubtful whether these will be started this month.

Knitted Coco

Coraline cardigan 

Owls for Robin
Socks for me
Petrie top (with the remains of the yarn.  I have about 10000 balls of it, job lot, and I should have enough for two projects)

This is a WIP I have lost

Peacock Mitten

These are not being started until the weather turns crap again.  I have no guilt.

Burton Bear Cowl for Hattie. 

Elwood mittens for Lucy.  

Rainbow jumper

A Little Birds jumper with no steeks .

Reknit an unwearably large jumper for Simon

These are DONE and are therefore my favourite projects

Myrna Cardigan
Hattie's cardigan
A pair of simple socks for the children
Garter Yoke Cardigan
An Owlet for Lucy
Lucy's Cowl
Hattie's Cowl
A Burton Bear Cowl for Lucy
Simon's socks
Boreal
A tiny jumper for Nicholas
Sparkly Owlet for Hattie
Ringo mittens
Aiken
Striped jumper for Lucy
Nicholas' POP blanket

Lucy ripples

Hattie rainbows

I've done a lot of knitting since last July, and a lot of sewing.  It's a wonder I ever get time to teach.  My children are horrifically neglected in every way, although they have A LOT of blankets.

New Year, New You

Happy New Year and all that.  I was going to do a round up of all the millions of things I made this year before today, but the germs attacked on Boxing Day, and I have been prostrate for days.

Anyway.  I've made 21 things out of wool - knitting or crocheting - which is considerably less than previous years.  Sewing has taken up a lot more time this year, and I've made 8 Coco dresses or tops and at least four others.  This year I want to make things I actually wear, so that will be more jersey dresses and more cardigans.  The wardrobe is full to bursting at the moment, so perhaps some winnowing out of the stuff is called for.

From the top left down in columns: New Year's Day cowl, Spotty Dress (my first dress), Spotty Coco, Stripey Coco dress (most worn thing ever), bird dress, Green and grey Coco.

Idlewood, Boatneck Bluebell sweater, Cherry Coco (my first Coco). red and blue baby cord skirt, Elsa dress.

Fox brooch, Upholstery skirt (too big), fleecy Coco, Myrna cardigan (OAL 2014), Butterfly top, blue and grey sock for Simon.

Puerperium for Nicholas, Green and Grey Coco again, MASSIVE MAN SOCKS FOR SIMON, Charley Harper bird Coco, Sew Dolly Clackett dolly Cambie.

Cat Lady Anna. Flamingo Anna, Boreal, a cowl for a little girl, Lucy's rainbow socks, chicken skirt.

What a lot of terrible photos of me.  That's the worst thing about making your own stuff - looking at pictures of yourself. Urgh.

Busy old year, and that's not all I've made at all.  I thought I'd spare you the rest, although one of my plans is to update the Handmade Wardrobe section of the blog.  At some point.  

Sewing and knitting plans for this year?  Just keep on keeping on and hopefully get the hang of it.  I'd really like to be a size 12 before I'm 38, which should be a bit of a saving on fabric and wool, and I really hope to make some trousers this year.  Hattie needs an Elsa dress too, which should be easy enough to get done in a couple of evenings.

Ah well.  At the moment, my only plan is to get over this cold and get out running again.  Or maybe to go into the front room and watch Mapp and Lucia and knit a new jumper for Hattie.  It's all go here. 

Two Dresses

The trouble with children is that they always want you to be doing something with them.  Mine are pretty independent most of time; Hattie likes small world stuff, Lucy likes drawing, but the minute I try to do anything like iron some fabric prior to cutting it out, it's all "Muuuuuuuuummmmmm, I'm boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreed".  Even if they are watching TV, the minute they hear the sewing machine touch the table, the TV turned off and the pestering starts.  So it takes me a very long time to sew anything.

This dress started off as a dream, weirdly enough.  I was drinking gin in a bar with this generation's Orwell, Owen Jones, off of the Grauniad, wearing a dress made out of clouds.  That's what happens when you read Private Eye in the bath, you have weird dreams about class warriors.  Anyway, I kept on thinking about it, and couldn't find any fabric that was suitable, until I went to Hobbycraft, and spotted this.

I think that was just after Easter, and it sat in my stash for a few months.  Then I made it into a Cambie dress, with the most perfect topstitching around the neckline.  It didn't fit.  Not even in a oooh a bit tight, lose 5 pounds way.  It didn't fit one bit.  I think the Cambie dress and I have a love hate relationship; something to do with me having an hourglass figure (it's TRUE.  My bust and my hips are EXACTLY the same measurement) and the Cambie dress being one that flatters a pear shape.  The bodice is either too big or titchy, and the rest just looks odd.  

Anyway, I couldn't face starting again, so I ripped its seams open and added panels of fabric to the zip and to the side seams.  It is now a patchwork cloud.

Take a picture where I don't look like a moron, I said.  Try to make me look normal, I said.  It's a bit cold for sleeveless at the moment, hence the Myra cardigan.  I might make one in bright yellow - a sunshine to go with the clouds.

I am nearly 37.  There is nothing wrong with wearing a dress that is made out of clouds.

The other dress is the grey Coco that I started a while back.  It needed pockets, cuffs and a hem.  It now has all of these. I am going to wear it tomorrow to be a Junior Church teacher.  It has a sort of ecclesiastical vibe to it.

Seriously, I'm going to have to change my photographer.

The optician has told me that I need to wear my glasses more often rather than just my contacts, so the search is on for some I like that aren't too expensive.  It's all so difficult and terribly, terribly dull.  In other news, one of the little girls in my class thinks that I am my Nursery Nurse's mum.  So I'm going up for an early night, then tomorrow I'm either getting Botox or buying up all the make up that Mac can make.

It's knitting Jim, but not as we know it

A knitlist update before I go off on one about Disneyland.

For the girls:
Hattie's cardigan.  DONE.

As you can see, the stripes do not match, although the pink ones are predominate, as per instructions.  She is indifferent to it, the little weasel.

A pair of simple socks each - DONE

Lucy's are a bit patchwork - I made one in the red/yellow/orange colourway, then realised that I was going to run out of yarn before I could finish the second sock, so I put the pink from Hat's socks in as the heel, finished them up with the original colourway, then had to finish the edging with green.  Lucy likes them not matching, and I've promised her a pair of orange socks that do actually match to make up for it.  Plus, two whole balls out of stash, just like that.  Gone!

Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown
One of these for each of them - yarn bought, Lucy's is next on my list, after I've finished the sock.

For me:
A Garter Yoke cardigan in that lovely blue - no progress
Finish the Wisteria jumper (not much to go) - too hot to think about
Finish the other Peacock Mitten in time for winter - will do in September
A Coraline cardigan in either that same lovely blue, or in the other blue I've just impulse bought - Not yet
A Petrie top with navy and blue stripes - still thinking; will need to buy yarn for it, and I don't want to do that
A knitted Coco (no link, because I am going to make it up and channel Tilly) - got some yarn for it
A pair of socks - didn't get to start in France, but will try to do them in the car in the next few weeks.

For Simon:

Reknit an unwearably large jumper - I've had a look in his cupboard, and chosen the one to reknit.  I need to take measurements and search out the pattern.
More socks. - I've done the toe and a lot of the ENORMOUS HULKING MAN FOOT of the first one.

 I stage my photos so well, don't I?

Blankets:

Owl Obsession for my new godson - got the yarn....
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June) - weather written down for the past three months, nothing else done
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket - on hold
Lucy Attic24 Ripple Blanket - not started
Nicholas' POP blanket - I've done a few squares, but am being very slow about it

Done:
Myrna Cardigan

I'm not doing too badly at the moment.  The fact that I started it a month ago has made me far more focussed than I was last year.  Maybe it will all get done this time.  Knitting and crochet are far easier to find time for; I can do them in front of the TV when the girls are in bed, plus they are more sociable - nothing says LEAVE ME ALONE, I'M CONCENTRATING more than a whirring sewing machine. 

The raccoon problem is under control. They have their part of the town and we have ours.

I've been a bit laid back about the Outfit Along; it's a really great idea, and has focussed my colour choices slightly, but I found that there was way too long to do it in - I'm very quick when I sew; because my time is limited, I like to get as much done in a session as possible.  

I've already worn the dress out a couple of times;  to a wedding, to a party and to my WI meeting, where I also wore the cardigan, and was just far too hot.  I think the heat here in London is prohibiting wearing knitted items.

I was recognised by someone off Instagram when I bought this fabric.  How weirdly modern.  The whole lot is from John Lewis.  

They match pretty well, don't they.  I thought I'd maybe make the cardigan orange, but actually the blues go really well together.  The dress pattern is the Anna dress, which is superb and very easy to follow - French seams on the shoulders, get me.  I didn't make any alterations to the cardigan, except I picked up fewer stitches; I always slip the first stitch off each row, so I picked up 1 stitch for every other row, which works well.  Everything else was as written.

There are more lovely outfits here.  An Anna dress pattern can be bought here.  A Myrna cardigan pattern can be bought here.  I absolutely love the keyhole pattern at the back of the neck.  I may well try to add one to my knitted Coco, once I get off my bum and get on with that.

Leslie, what do we do when we get this angry? We count backwards from 1,000 by sevens and we think of warm brownies.

A bit about the knit list 2014 - 2015.

I have to confess to cheating slightly when I drew up the list. I was already more than 50% through my blue Myrna, and only put it on the list to have a bit of a soft start.

Still, my list, my rules, what are you going to do about it?

Blue Myrna, and don't I look silly in it?

For me:
Finish the Myrna cardigan - DONE AND DONE
A Garter Yoke cardigan in that lovely blue - about to finish the yoke
Finish the Wisteria jumper (not much to go)
Finish the other Peacock Mitten in time for winter
A Coraline cardigan in either that same lovely blue, or in the other blue I've just impulse bought
A Petrie top with navy and blue stripes
A knitted Coco (no link, because I am going to make it up and channel Tilly)
A pair of socks

For the girls:

A cardigan for Hattie, probably this one - the back and one and a half bits of the fronts are done. The stripes do not match. This is a bespoke design. My daughter wants me to go a bit (more) bonkers.
Ringo and Elwood mittens in grey and brown
One of these for each of them
A pair of simple socks each

For Simon:

I am going to reknit one of his unwearably large jumpers. Either this one or this one. I was a terrible knitter when I made these, and I'm much, much better at it now. So now he gets a recycled jumper.
More socks.

Blankets:

Owl Obsession for my new godson
Hexipuff Quilt (I'm aiming to get 250/500 done by the end of June 2015)
The Weather in the Streets (should probably be finished by June)
Finish the bloody Elephants blanket
A blanket for Lucy's 6th birthday, which is in September, so may well be sewn together stripes instead of something knitted - I've decided to make her a Lucy Attic24 ripple blanket, which will be for her birthday but not on her birthday, if you see what I mean.
AAAARGH. I FORGOT TO ADD NICHOLAS' POP! BLANKET. I'm making that too.

We're going away next week, so I will take a ball of yarn for Simon's socks, a ball for the girls and something for me, and see what I come back with. My record for making socks is something like 5 in 14 days, and we're doing a lot of driving, so who knows.

Cruising down the Sunset Strip, and there's nothing that's not, not within my grip

Someone crashed into my car today.  I'm not really in the mood to write anything deeply profound, or even to show off my new top.  I'm OK, just shocked, worn out, adrenaline depleted and grumpy with a sore back, the car can almost certainly be mended and apart from a bit of a wasted afternoon of being completely out of it, there's no harm done.

Actually, what the hell.  Another Coco.  Made out of the fleece stash.

It is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable

Last Sunday, after making the amazing Coco dress, I attempted to finish the dress I'd started a few weeks ago.  It's in a quilting cotton, so very thin, possibly even a bit see-through, so I had to line it; a new adventure.  I used a bright, bright blue lining fabric, as well as bright blue bias bindings, instead of sodding facings.

I wrote a big blog post about the dress, and all the good things, and what I'd learned and all that, and sodding Blogger lost it.  Grr.  Anyway.  It's a fabulous dress, bit small around the bust because the lining stretches less than the main fabric; but without the top underneath, it fits fine.  Might have to make a bright blue cardigan.

How do you like my rockabilly quiff?  That's what happens when you brush your hair without wearing specs. 

March Madness 14/31

Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.

My god-daughter turned 5 on Tuesday.  I know what 5 year old girls like; their taste veers towards the pink, fluffy, cute animals, Disney, cuddly end of the toy spectrum.  My 5 year old really, really wanted a hot water bottle for Christmas, so I assume that all 5 year olds want hot water bottles as their top present.

Pink.  Fluffy, cuddly fleece.  A Polar Bear, the best of all the animals that can rip your arm off at the shoulder.  It took me two evenings to lovingly hand-sew it all together, and the best bit is that it used up a big chunk of the never-ending fleece stash.

The pattern is from Mollie Makes, issue 35.  I took a photo before I put her mouth on, and then forgot to take another picture.  Rubbish.  I do like it though, and I'll make one for myself at some point, and probably for Lucy and Hattie too.

I also made a cowl, but it looks exactly the same as the cowls I made my daughters, so no pictures there.

March Madness - 7/31

March Madness

Last night, at around 10pm, I had a super idea.  Why not post something fascinating, witty, scintillating and generally all round great EVERY DAY in March?  I could call it "March Madness", or something equally brilliant, and then it could catch on and everyone (no one) would think I was great.  10pm is too late for finding the computer, turning it on, sitting and thinking, so I thought I'd start today, and backdate it (hem).  Anyway, BRACE YOURSELVES for lots of pictures of fabric, sewing projects and children.

First up, a finished project.  I wrote about Lucy's quilt a few weeks ago, and finally got around to finishing it this weekend.  I don't have a lot of time for sewing, as it involves a lot of preparation, and I'm starting to think about making another dress; but even after the girls were horrible on Saturday, I still used my precious sewing time on my ratbag daughter.  That is pure motherly love.

It's not a great photo, but the quilt is keeping her warm tonight.  I finished it just before I went to bed, and put it over her, and she sighed, rolled over in her sleep and smiled.  My heart lifted, and her rotten behaviour was, almost, forgotten.

A WIP.  

The instructions for this jumper has the cheerful instructions, knit in stocking stitch until the cowl neck measures 15 inches.  Boring.  But ideal cinema knitting.  We went to see the Lego Movie today; I did enjoy it.

Two WIPs to be.

I didn't watch "The Great British Sewing Bee" the first time around, we were in Cape Town over Easter, then I went back for Ouma's funeral, so I didn't learn about Tilly and the Buttons until relatively recently.  The top picture is her new pattern, and I might have a bash at her sew-along next week.  Simon is away on Tuesday; I might have a go then.

The second picture is the same pattern as my first dress, but the fabric is totally different, being quilting cotton, and very thin.  This may prove to be a bit of a mistake, so I am going to have a bash at lining it.  I have lovely turquoise bias binding to match it, and I've already made the front (unlined) and I can't wait to get some time to work on it - probably in May.  

Last picture.  A naughty girl on her scooter.  It's taken her a long time, but she has really got the hang of it now.

March Madness - 1/31

Two finished objects in one day

And it's Hattie's Owl Blanket.  Finally finished after about a year.

I started it last January, then put it aside as, obviously, starting a blanket in January for a birthday in December meant that I had bags of time.  Of course, December rolled around and it wasn't finished, despite a last minute desperate push in late November.  

60 owls is a lot of owls.  

And each one is really quite fiddly.

Still, it's done now, and has a lovely bright pink border chosen by Hattie, and I've already started her 4th birthday blanket - tonnes of time...

For those interested:  the pattern is from Repeat Crafter Me, and you can find it here.  Like most of my crocheted blankets, the yarn is from all over the place, mostly using up bits and bobs.

The List:

Wisteria - yoke almost done, about to start on the body
Blue and Grey Socks - one sock done.  Still.  Knit yourself.
Elephant blanket - one stripe made. Second stripe still nearly finished. This will be Hattie's 4th birthday blanket.
Peacock Mittens - one finished, bar the thumb (still)
Idlewood - still yarn but next to start, once I've finished the thumb on those sodding mittens
Ringo and Elwood mittens - nyeh
Hexipuff Quilt - lots more to go, but I'm not really counting it

Owl Blanket - DONE

Paper Dolls - DONE
Peerie Flooers - DONE
Alphabet Blanket for Noah - DONEGranny's a Square Afghan - DONE

FO Friday

I've finished a project, but it's a bit of a cheat.  I started this jumper back in 2010, finished it, wore it a couple of times, realised that it made me look both fat and even shorter, shoved it to the back of the cupboard and forgot about it.  During a cupboard purge of last year, I pulled it out, started ripping it back, got distracted, then abandoned it.  When we bought my new chest of drawers, and I had to clear out the bedroom, I found it again, ripped it back and re-knitted most of the body.  Because it is circular needles, I just sat there, going round and round and round and round and round until I thought it was big enough, tried it on, kept going, then did a garter edge.  The result is that a pretty unflattering jumper is now a warm and comfy addition to my wardrobe.  And I've finished my first 2014 project.

Hurrah!

FO Friday

Finally.  It is finished, done, bordered and the ends are sewn in and snipped off, and it is finally finished.  The birthday is in a fortnight's time, and I have made her present beforehand, an amazing feat.

For those who are interested: every single bit of DK/light worsted in the stash, often hand-dyed (by Lucy and I), often remnants from other projects.  Quite a lot of small balls were used up making this, so I couldn't make it again even if I wanted to.  I love it, Lucy loves it.  I used a 4mm metal hook, and a 4mm wooden hook, when I lost the metal one.  I hope she'll love it for years to come.

The list:

Alphabet Blanket for Noah - done

Granny's a Square Afghan - done

Elephant blanket (one stripe half made)
Peacock Mittens
Idlewood 

Owl Blanket

Hexipuff Quilt (nearly 120 puffs made, how terribly exciting)
Paper Dolls 
Peerie Flooers

Ringo and Elwood mittens 

I may end up lengthening the list at this rate.