Progress

So I’ve actually been doing things lately, shock horror! (I know, I surprised myself).

I finished my mum’s Christmas present, for example.

The colour looks abit washed out in this photo…

… This shows it a little better

I started this about 5 days before Christmas last year, so it was a big ask for me to actually finish it in time, but there’s no excuse for me to have only just finished it! The pattern (which unfortunately I cannot remember the name or where I found it) wasn’t difficult, and I quite enjoyed knitting it. I just lost the motivation to finish it after Christmas, as I had no time goal in which to finish it.

I’ve also been knitting SOCKS D: I’ve tried socks before, and made a royal mess of them, but this one actually WORKED! The heel isn’t all twisted, and the toe is so even and neat! If I could change anything, I would make the foot a few rows longer, and possibly knit on ever so slightly bigger needles – it feels very snug. But live and learn! I’m on the leg of the second, and looking forward to perfecting it – I have several other skeins of sock yarn (more than I thought!) so I can make an even better pair once I’ve finished this pair

The garden is doing beautifully – my beans actually have beans on them! My tomatoes have tomatoes on them! My peppers (which I never expected to make it) are beginning to flower! And the Lollo Rosso is going berserk

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So Like A Rose…

One of a bunch of roses currently adorning my desk

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Ahoy hoy!

Well I survived the dentist’s chair. It was almost pleasant! Didn’t get any beads done today – been napping this afternoon, tentatively eating soup and mashed potato, and trying to ignore the sudden urge to eat pickled onions. I don’t think that would go well at all.

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Merry Christmas!

The mince pies are made, the presents are wrapped and the drinks are topped up.

Merry Christmas, see you soon x

“touching base”

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in nearly a month.

I’ve not been well over the last month, and it’s really taken it out of me – I’ve just not done anything craft-related since then. It’s extremely frustrating for me, not feeling up to doing anything, although I have done a couple of rows on my Ripple. It was my 18th birthday on Friday, so I’ve had a rather strange (but nice) weekend.

I hate feeling like this. Feeling so helpless is horrible. Hopefully I’ll be back to my myself in a couple of weeks. I don’t want that to spill onto this blog – this is the one place that I don’t talk about that.

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Finished and frogged

Finished mittens

I’ve worn these every day this week, I love them! I may try and knit some more with a flap, you know those mittens that you can either wear as mittens or as fingerless gloves? They might be more practical!

I also finished my first sock this week. I nearly cried. I can’t get it on over my stupid toes. To be honest, the pattern is very plain – I’m going to frog it and find another more interesting pattern (hopefully one that fits!) Anyway, I’m going to leave socks for a bit I think, and focus on Etsy and Christmas knitting. Can you believe Christmas is only a month away?! Or is it just me who is surprised?

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Socks and soup

Closeup – click for the full view,

I had real trouble trying to knit the heel flap on this, so I took it along to my knitting group (yes, I found a local knitting group! ) and a lovely lady (I think her name was Lucy) taught me how to do it. Now I’m steaming up the leg towards the ribbing and cast off! But I have no idea how long to knit for – I don’t have accurate scales so I can’t weigh the yarn to check hen I’m at the midpoint. Any ideas?

Homemade carrot soup with crusty bread – tonight’s dinner.

I made this (roughly) following a recipe my mum has used for years. It’s so tasty, I may go and get myself a second bowl

I’ve just remembered I never blogged about this top whorl drop spindle I bought on Etsy. I bought a bottom whorl drop spindle last year and I never got to grips with spinning, so I thought I’d try a top whorl spindle. I still haven’t got to grips with it, but it’s pretty. I wish I could spin

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Umm… Err…

I sort of… Went for it…

SmurfPop on Etsy

*looks very shifty and nervous and is in two minds about it*

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Hang about…

Where has the last fortnight gone?! Sorry about that! I’s got some pictures for you.

Zip pouch I did using this tutorial – just a wee practice

Dress WIP – this just needs a zip and a hem, but I’m still putting it off

Sunrise from my bedroom window, 1st August

Aaaaand just a little bit more craft…

A second set of padded clothes hangers I’ve sewn this week

Now, I’m debating whether to list these hangers on Etsy – I really want to get some things listed on Etsy but I always have a bit of a crisis of confidence with this sort of thing – what do you think?

To do for the rest of the week:
Finish bias-cut skirt
Finish dress
Do some prototype knitting
Get something up on my bedroom walls

Think that’s enough to be getting on with, don’t you?

Brief update

Just thought I’d make a quick post to say that I’ve left college for the summer now*, so this means I theoretically have the next two and a half months devoted to craft. There defintely needs to be some changes for me over this time; to manage my time better, be more productive, be less afraid to try things etc.  

* I’m re-taking the first year again in September. I’m pretty damn upset about it but it’s my own fault.

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