Wednesday 15 August 2012

Nifty knitting needle holder

It was Mum's birthday yesterday and I made her this handy little needle holder (although I haven't given it to her yet so I hope she doesn't read this post!)  I had seen a couple that I liked but thought that they looked easy enough to make.  So after some maths - not my strongest subject - I mapped out a pattern and would you believe it - it worked! I was quite surprised as when I usually make up my own patterns things don't always go to plan.  Might have to make one for myself now as I'm forever losing my needles and this is the perfect solution.

 
I've been busily making bread since I last posted and have decided that remembering to feed and stir the sourdough starter was just another something to remember - as a friend said when she tried it herself "I've got enough mouths to feed without adding another".  But we've been busily making the French loaf and tomorrow will try a 50/50 wholemeal and white loaf in our fabulous borrowed breadmaker.  I'm hoping that our friends' don't need it back in a hurry as I'm loving it.  Grant walked in the house on Monday night to the smell of bread cooking and was instantly hungry!

We had an incredible Pockets of Craft night last week with a record 13 people showing up to learn how to make sock monkeys.  We had a lovely evening - it really is a great way to get to know people in our community with similar interests.  I may also have found someone to teach the group another skill - re-purposing adult t-shirts into little girls dresses.  I attended a Learn how to use your overlocker class on the weekend and had so much fun learning how to properly use my overlocker.  I had used it just for tidying up seams but now I'm ready to give rolled hems a go too! Fun, fun, fun!

Xo

Lovely things

Whoops! I wrote this ages ago but just realised that I hadn't posted it....



Seems like forever since I've posted....  I've been busy working on all sorts of different things and not really finishing anything.  Gus has a chunky roll neck snuggly jersey in the works and Felix has a vest which now that I'm a wee bit through it, I've realised that its my old school colours - yellow and brown.  Wonder if there is something hidden in my subconscious or if I secretly liked the colours but just complained about the brown because everyone else did? Or perhaps even brown has become so fashionable that Bream Bay College was ahead of its time??? Ha ha!

My skinny and a little-on-the-short-side Felix was running out of pants so I finally got around to taking up his trousers.  Gus' pants from about the same age don't quite fit yet but the smaller ones aren't quite right either.  I thought he looked quite dapper wearing his 'flash pants' as Gus calls them, however they do for some reason remind me of golfing pants.  His Great Grandad would be proud!
Having had Gus allergy/intolerance tested has got us thinking about the hidden ingredients in food, so another step in the direction of trying to reduce or eliminate the hidden nasties in our food and environment is to try my hand at breadmaking.  My generous mother has kindly agreed to loan me their breadmaker and I've just now finished making my sourdough starter (well, its not strictly a sourdough as it has active yeast in it but after doing some research it seems that when using the breadmaker the active yeast is necessary).  I'll see how it goes.  Let's see if it bubbles away and if I'm any good at the whole bread shenanigans.  
I discovered these delightful books at our lovely Hutt Library last week.  Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett is a beautiful knitting story which Gus thoroughly enjoyed - particularly the bit about the awful Archduke who tries to steal the neverending box of yarn.  I wondered if Gus could relate on some level with my seemingly neverending suitcase of wool! Its such a cute wee story.
Labour of Love is a necessity for any keen knitter with a girl aged 3 and above.  The designs are just totally gorgeous, in fact almost too nice as I'd be too worried about all my hard work getting destroyed.  I can't wait until my niece is a little older so that I can knit something from here for her.

This fabulous concertina sewing box was a birthday present for Amanda Baker in 1975 and I am now the proud owner of it.  It came complete with some miscellaneous sewing items, including a couple of wooden cotton spools - I couldn't believe my luck as I've been looking for some for a while now.

....Well I'll sign off and write another post as some lovely things have been happening lately on the craft front. Xo