July’s A-Furtling

 The big project this month making a lot of progress is the Flora’s Fauna crochet blanket, which I started in June.  Most evenings have been spent crocheting this CAL and despite starting a week later I’ve not caught up but always been consistently a week behind, but that doesn’t matter.  I’d joined the Rosina Crochet Facebook group and seen some lovely examples of this blanket. Some have used own yarn choices, some the kits.  

Here’s this morning’s photo of where I’ve got up to

Above the leaves section there will be owls, after that a narrow band of butterflies. So it will be a fair size blanket.  I am amazed at how the design is worked out and the effectiveness of the yarn domination by working into either the back or the front of the stitches. A really good design.

So for the finishes.  I started and finished a top for myself and worn it twice already! 

It was a top that was far too big at the front so I made a please at the neckline and used a button to disguise. I’ve put more detail in my last post and yes, I will be making another blouse.

I’ve made my last blocks for a while for the Siblings Together quilt bee as I’m giving that a rest for a while.  The blog mama asked for these heart blocks,

And a bonus block for me (that will join my orphan blocks).

A bit of paper/fabric crafting with this ATC (small postcard 2.5 x 3.5”) on the theme of nursery rhymes.  I’ve got a break from ATCs this month.

Baa baa black sheep and I had in return Little Miss Muffett, made by Ivy

I was sorting through my paper crafting stuff and found designs that matched to make a new home card for a friend who is hoping her move will happen soon (house moves seem to take a long time to get done nowadays).

Another washcloth has been made, so that was a quick project.  I’m gathering quite a collection now.

It is the House of Styles dishcloth and although it may look grey in the photo it is a lovely delicate blue Hobbycraft It’s Only Natural cotton blend yarn.

So that’s my finishes.  For August I hope to get a baby cardigan done for the local baby bank, more progress on Cece’s cardigan (only the backs been made). I should have finished the FF blanket too and there may be a new sewn top now that I’ve made one already. I will have to get a wriggle on with my black/pink quilt (still not finished that).

Looking forward to Festival of Quilts next month- it’s been a long time since I’ve been there and looking forward to that and other places to go while in the area.  We will be staying in Bromsgrove so not too far away from Brum. Quarterjack Quilters will also have a small exhibition near Wimborne and there is an Arts and Crafts exhibition in Wareham to look forward to as well.  So much going on, will I get the time?

Joining in with Mini Archie’s July Furtle Around the Blogosphere. 

It's Been A While. again

But I'm still keeping busy. I’ve not been doing much sewing and managing a little bit of knitting (when not too hot) and crochet (ditto).

I’ve got two blocks done for the Siblings Together block mama and these are heart blocks.

I followed the instructions instead of cutting the bottom half square triangles a bit bigger to get 2 for one blocks, so I was left with 4 half square triangles of a smaller size.  So I joined them together for my orpahan blocks, which one day will become and odds and sods quilt.

From the makings above I had some fabric to make some small scissor cases.

As for knitting and crochet there seems to be a lot of projects on the go. I think I ought to do less starts and some finishes done.  I’ll list these here.

1. The Flora’s Fauna blanket - it’s progressing well as I’m near the end of the fourth section, so there will soon be squirrels.  I’m a week behind on the CAL, but that’s ok as some people has just started on it. This is a pic of the end of part 3.

As an addendum to this I've now got more done.  I've finished part 4 with the squirrels and working on part 5.

2. Cecily’s cardigan. Same design as Flo’s,  but with the addition of 2 rows of ribbing which doesn’t curl as much at the bottom.  I've got the back done as far as putting the stitches on hold for the yoke. (Pattern Sirdar 5217, yarn is King Cole Smarty in Cobalt).

Next is a dishcloth (I think better as a washcloth) from Garlene of The Kitchen Sink Shop, inspired by the Agatha Christie novel of The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  I'm knitting this in Hobbycraft's Its Only Natural cotton blend yarn in pale blue and it looks pretty in the lace pattern. Sign up to her newsletters and the dishcloth patterns are free and there's been some really nice ones.

Another knit in my bag is some donated yarn which I'm knitting into a cardigan for the local baby bank.

The pattern I've used is the fuss free baby cardigan by Louise Tilbrook, which I've used before and thought the colours of the yarn neutral enough to suit either sex. The yarn is James C Brett's Stonewash DK in rather unimaginative SW1 colour way.  The pattern is knitted top down and I've reached the point of putting the sleeve stitches onto waste yarn to knit the body. Its really knitting up lovely and the feel of the yarn is quite good too.

If that wasn't enough knitting I also have some corner to corner knitting in my room if I'm watching You Tube!  Another lot of donated yarn was 3 balls of chenille type yarn in pale pink from which I'm making a blanket suitable for pushchair/car seat.  It'll be rectangular, so I've started decreasing on one row, while increasing on the alternate row.  When I think the lord sides are long enough I'll started decreasing at the beginning of all rows.  (Hope that makes sense).  I have no idea what make the yarn is but it is really lovely and soft and lightweight too, so will make baby snug without adding any weight.  The stitch marker is denoting the side on which I'm making the decreases.  With increasing I'm knitting front and back of the second stitch at the beginning of the row. Decreasing is knit 2 together at the beginning of the row, which makes the ridges at the row ends.  

And I surprised myself by sewing a top.  I took a sewing pattern which I've had for ages which is a New Look one which is in sizes up to size 22.  I am a dress size 16, but when I made skirts a few years ago I made size 18.  Anyway I cut out size 22 with the theory that I can cut down but can't add on!! I did cut down to 20 but found the neck line too big.  So I made a design feature.

I crossed over the fabric at the top, sewed a short tuck and added a button!  The fabric was a Robert Kauffman one that I bought several years ago at the fabric sale at Farnham Maltings.  I decided it had its hibernation time and had to be made into something and I'm pleased its worked out.  If I make the pattern again I will make the adjustments down the fold line instead of the seam lines which will bring in the neck.  But I'm pleased nonetheless.

That's why I've had no time to blog!!

July and 900th Post.

 

This month’s marker was from the knitted fabric of the shawl I finished last month.  Although spring colours (the yarn colourway is crocus) I just love the pops of purple in this. 

July has had a slow start and I’ve not been up to much. I’m continuing in the Flora’s Fauna blanket and by Wednesday finished part two, which has snails and hedgehogs in this section.

The next section has acorns and is worked in the two yellow colours, though I might change is acorn seed to green with the pale yellow background, but I’ve got a bit of time to work that one out.

I’ve started on another cardigan, this time for Cece.  Same pattern as for Flo’s (by Sirdar) cardigan finished last month.

I’ve been starting to think about Christmas and the groups that I go to I would often make something small instead of giving Christmas cards. Last year I made some needlecases using fabric selvedges.  I’ll be using larger scrap fabrics to make small items this year, so I’m pleased I have a plan in place to make a few items at a time.

I have made a decision about making blocks for Siblings Together and this month will be the last time of block making.  I’ve been doing this for several years and time to take a break.  I will still look out for mini block drives but don’t want to commit to making blocks each month now. 

Today David and I went to our local NT haunt at Kingston’s Lacy near Wimborne.  Always lovely to visit and as a really hot day an opportunity to have ice cream.  The flowers in the gardens are gorgeous,

As I said it’s a hot day and even the sheep were in the shade and moaning how hot it is ( they’ve been shorn too!).

It’s my 900 th post (sorry no giveaway).  I keep the blog going as a journal mainly of makes and although I’m a bad journal keeper, as diaries remain unfilled, I seem to like keeping track this way.  So looking forward to 1000th post in a year or two.  A lot of people have moved away from blogs to more immediate media or video blogs but I’m happy to keep going as long as Google keeps going with blogs.