May

Oh my! Another month over!

And yet, it is still not summer?!?!

 

So here is a little picture of some of the things I was busy making in May :)

Butterfly embroidery - my entry for Le Challenge

My first test-knit shawl

Getting ready to quilt the hexagons!

My first shawl

Saturday Sampler block

 

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Saturday Sampler - May blocks

Finished before the end of May - hooray!!

Just the one block this month, oh, and some plain white triangles that were not nearly exciting enough to have their photos taken!!

So here it is, a little bit of pretty :)

 

 

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Testing

Morning!

We have some sunshine at last!!

As promised, there are swishy-swashy washing line photos today :)

 

 

My first test knit is finished! I actually finished it a while ago, but the rain made taking photos difficult, and it is not quite as it should be so I've been a bit slow to share.

The beginnings of this project are all in this post.

 

 

It was lovely to knit, just enough twiddly stuff to keep it interesting, but not so much that I had to concentrate too hard!

It was all going beautifully until the edge.

Urgh, the edge.

I had to google a few things, although I consider myself to be a fairly experienced knitter there were a couple of things in the pattern that I hadn't done before.

But that was fine, online tutorials and videos are amazing!!

But it still didn't seem right.

 

 

I plodded on, hoping (as I often do) for a blocking miracle!

Sadly I didn't get one this time :(

There was a mistake in the pattern, which is fine - I'm test knitting, I expect mistakes. But combined with my lack of knowledge of the stitches used in this section, I didn't see that it was a mistake.

By the time one of the other testers noticed the mistake I had already finished and blocked it, so I decided I wouldn't rip it back and fix the problem. I find the thought of all that backwards knitting very traumatic!

 

So I will live with it as it is, beacuse it is still very beautiful!

A beautiful, squishy, alpaca snuggle - which clearly I won't need if the sun keeps shining!

It will be perfect in the autumn, and by then I may have even knit another one, with a proper scalloped edge :)

 

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A 'no-reply' blogger

Oh Blogger.

You have confused me so!!

A few people have mentioned to me that I am a 'no-reply' blogger.

I'll be honest, I ignored them. Didn't know what they meant. Didn't want to ask and look stupid.

I mentioned this to my lovely other-half. "Have you asked google?" he replied - this is quite a standard reply and, really, I should know to ask google myself by now!

I asked google, and google led me to this super helpful blog

Amazing!

I am no longer a 'no-reply' blogger!! :)

 

But still, what does it matter? Why do I need to not be a no-reply blogger? How can people reply to me? What's all this about emails? Surely replies just have to go into blogposts where the comments were left? (not that I do this very often because I'm not sure people actually check back to see if I commented on their comment?!)

Urrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

 

So I did something quite unusual for me.

I asked for help.

AND - nobody called me stupid for doing it!!

I asked the lovely Sasha about all this nonsense, and she very kindly told me all about the email notifications I get about new comments (I don't ever look at THAT email account!) and how to reply to them.

 

So now, not only am I no longer a no-reply blogger, I am also able to reply to your comments in a way that you should see (unless you're stupid daft like me!)

I'm sorry that, up to this point, I have not replied to your lovely comments. It's not that I don't appreciate them, I really do! I get very excited when I see that I have new comments waiting for me :) I will try to be better, now that I know how to reply properly to you all!

 

Hmmm, can't possibly have a whole blogpost without photos though - what can I show you today? Maybe a sneaky peak at my latest finished project?!!

 

 

 

Swishy-swooshy washing line photos next time!

 

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Finding time

Today I finally found the time to prepare Miss M's hexagon quilt for quilting.

I knew I would need a while (and a big space) so I waited for the weekend :)

 

I began by cutting a beautiful vintage sheet to the right size for the backing.

The sheet, by the way, was found in a charity shop by my lovely friend Julie, who just knew that it would be perfect for this project! Thanks Julie, you were soooo right!!

 

 

Then I began pinning the centres of the hexagon flowers.

 

 

I tacked the border and then peeled the whole thing from the carpet - it really was a case of peeling as I managed to pin a fair few bits of carpet too!!

 

It already feels so lovely and quilty!

Can't wait to get quilting! :)

 

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Le Challenge - Wings

Ooooh! I'm excited about this!

I was so full of ideas when 'wings' was announced on le-challenge last month.

Making a decision was tough!

But I finally decided on this beautiful butterfly embroidery, totally inspired by a picture I saw on pinterest :)

I hadn't done any embroidery for, ooh, about 15 years!! So I had a few little trial runs.

I found an amazing tutorial here to help with my french knots!

I'm so pleased with the way it turned out.

I think I have the embroidery bug now though!!

As if I have time for another hobby!

 

Off to link up to Le Challenge now :)

I wonder what next months challenge will be????

 

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Saturday Sampler - April blocks

Ok, so these are a bit late!

Not because I hadn't finished them, just because I hadn't taken photos of them!

This month we had to make 1 applique block, 3 Irish chain blocks, join 2 corner triangles on, and applique onto the triangle blocks. Phew!

Here they are, all pretty and lovely...

 

Oops! Little bit of thread escaped into this picture!

 

Not so much to do this month, a few triangles to sew on and one applique block. So no excuses for late photos!!!

 

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My first shawl

I've wanted to knit a shawl for ages.

Don't really know why, not even sure if I will wear it! But I wanted to knit one anyway.

I bought this lovely green merino wool in a sale, which made me very happy! And then I trawled my way through ravelry looking for patterns that I could use with the yarn.

I settled on this one because I like the combination of the stocking stitch and the frilly edge.

I loved knitting it.

Loved the easy-peasy stocking stitch.

Loved the wiggly edge.

Loved it.

Right up until I cast off.

Then it looked horrid. Small and shrively. Urgh, I was sooo disappointed! I blocked it. Firmly! I hoped very, very hard that there would be a blocking miracle.



And there was!

It was totally, utterly transformed.

It looked better. It felt better.

I love it again!

I took some lovely swishy washing-line photos, just because.



 

Lovely!

 

Hexagon quilt top

 

I started this quilt for Miss M way back in September last year. I intended to have it finished for her birthday in November. Then I thought I might get it done for Christmas! No such luck, it has taken a LOT longer.

 

A couple of months ago I finished the middle panel, and realised I had managed to lay out my hexagon flowers in the most complicated way EVER! I was a bit cross with myself, I have no idea how I managed it!

So the edge was tricky, really hard to try and square up enough to make the quilt into a rectangle. I got a bit discouraged, stuffed it in a corner for a while. Every time I pulled it out it made me cross so I stuffed it away again.

 

 

Then on Saturday I decided. Just like that. I WILL finish the quilt top this weekend. And I did! Yay me!!!! I'm so relieved, so glad it is over, which makes me a bit sad because I should love it. Hopefully as I start to quilt it I will begin to love it again.

 

I finished it just in time to take to my mum's for a BBQ. I sat in her garden and took out the papers. Then I managed to photograph it in the last little bit of sunshine :)

 

 

I had a little bit of help...

 

 

 

I just need to quilt it now....

 

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April

 

1. My first shawl - finished :)

2. Mini hexagon bookmarks - so much fun!

3. Dr Seuss kindle cover

4. My first test knit (and my 2nd shawl!)

5. Working on my April quilt blocks (still, right now, the night before they are due in, oops!)

6. A pin cushion - I just couldn't help myself :)

7. Another kindle cover

8. Planning my 'Le Challenge' project

9. Fussy cutting EPP fun!

 

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