Frustrating Week

 If you’ve read one of my posts from January you will know that I have a new phone.  It worked well with the mobile network I was on, but now out of contract I could move to another provider and save a bit of money (it helps these days) and get some points which helps with going out and about.  The new provider works off the same network that I was contracted to so there shouldn’t be a problem, or so I thought.

I transferred my phone number but my phone number could not be verified, which meant that although I could make and receive calls I couldn’t receive or send texts, which a lot of organisations now send for confirmation or authorisation.  Backwards and forwards to the mobile shop they couldn’t rectify the problem and although they highlighted the problem with their technical support it wasn’t resolved. This had gone on for 3 weeks and trying various things, even replacing SIM cards, we gave up and cancelled the contract and now looking at a new provider.  It’s been frustrating having half a service.

ANYWAY you are not here for my mobile woes.  Things can only get better. On a brighter note on Tuesday (Valentines Day) the Amaryllis flowered. One flower

By Friday, there was a second flower

It look beautiful and worth the wait.  There is a third flower bud lurking under these two, but will have to see if it makes and appearance.

I have a start

Here’s an arm of a cat.  This pattern is from a book I’ve had for a while called Cute Crocheted Animals by Emma Varnam. This will be a girl cat called Henrietta.  I have since completed another arm, two legs and starting on the body. I bought Hobbycraft’s WI double knit yarn, but it seems a lot denser than the Stylecraft yarn I’ve used for part of the body, so I’ve doubled the Stylecraft and that seems to work well.

 

I have a finish too.  The colourwork hat that I started last month, has now been blocked and ends sewn in and it looks good.  I did have to sew down the cast of row as it curled up in spite of blocking and heavy pinning out.  I really pleased with this.  It’s the  Lombard Tam. By Virginia Sattler-Reiner. 

Going well and less frustrating is my Harvest cardigan, the body is going well and comparing it with my original cardigan it is definitely the right size - yay! This is the photo taken this morning.

And, with David’s help as due the problems with verifying (as credit organisations like to do to stop fraud)  I took advantage of Toft’s free postage last weekend and earlier this week I ordered two small kits.

The lime green and yellow are for a mini daffodil and the dark green and magenta are for a mini chrysanthemum flower.  The yarn is of course sent by post and the patterns as PDF documents so I can keep them on my iPad and I’ve printed out too. Who could resist a daffodil at this time of year and I can have a mini daffodil when their time has finished! 

Once I get a working phone all will be well in my world! 

Spring Colours

 Weekend before last saw us at Kingston Lacy, our local National Trust location.  It’s well known in the area this time of year for snowdrops and they just seemed to be growing everywhere. So I thought I’d share some pics.  In the Fernery snowdrops we’re growing alongside cyclamen. Daffodil leaves are peeping through too but won’t flower for a couple of weeks.

Winter Aconites and small irises were also making appearances in the gardens

Walking through the woodland to the kitchen garden, were some other plants looking forward to spring, like these witch hazels

And we saw the odd camellia flower, this one was held by David so I could take a photo

It’s always lovely to see signs of spring coming, full of hope.

Deconstruct, Reconstruct, Arrggh!

 Its now February

I loved the texture of last month's dishcloth that it had to be February's marker.

I edited my last post to add that I had to unravel my blue cardigan, so here's the story.

I was pleased that I got to finishing one sleeve and was set to pick up stitches for the second sleeve and tried on the cardigan. The sleeve felt really tight which seemed odd as the sleeves on my brown cardigan were roomy.  I used King Cole Fashion Aran for both.  I compared both and found the sleeve with on the blue one narrower.

I looked at the circular needles, which are plain grey Pony circulars and put the needle through the needle gauge and found to my horror that I knitted with 4.5mm not 5mm needles.  Below is the difference in stitches from the neckband downwards.  

The construction of the cardigan is that its started with a garter neckband, knit the top row,  then pick up stitches along one side of the neckband and bottom row from the provisional cast on.  From there the increases are done for the raglan shaping.

So there was only one this for it to unravel the yarn, which I did yesterday afternoon. I watched You Tube which kept me amused while doing this job, so below is a deconstructed cardigan body.

A couple of evenings ago I started another neckband and last night I started re-knitting the cardigan with the correct size needles and I checked my tension and its correct!

Moral of the story is to double check needle size and keep checking the tension.  I shouldn't have taken this for granted!  I may not have a cardigan by the end of February, but it will be well on the way.

Reaching the End of January

 It seemed a long month, but here we are the end of January and it’s now February. There’s been a bit of sorting out, a little bit of sewing, a lot of knitting, but not much finished.

It was my daughter’s birthday last weekend and she asked for fingerless gloves, which were finished in time and really pleased with. She wanted a dark colour and I had some dark ruby red hand dye yarn which fitted the bill.

Coincidentally another present she received was a new handbag in a similar colour. As before I used the Fingerless or Not pattern by Snapper Knits. As she has smaller hands I kept with with 2.25mm needles throughout, with a smaller stitch count for the rib and increasing to the correct number after. Having made all these gloves, 5 pairs in total now I think I ought to make a pair for myself! 

Also on the needles is a Harvest cardigan, which was started the end of last month and not only is the body done, but it’s gained a sleeve. One more sleeve to go and it should be finished soon.

I’ve made a washcloth/dishcloth this month as part of the Year of Dishcloths by Garlene of the Kitchen Sink Shop.  I receive a newsletter from her each month and January’s pattern is called Speculaas, after the Dutch spiced cookie (there was even a recipe too). I made this from Sirdar Cotton Rich Aran yarn in a green.

So having finished the gloves and making good progress on the cardigan I have allowed myself a new cast on.  This the Lombard Tam, a kit and instructions from Lucy Locket Land at last year’s Yarndale (not in stock in her shop). The yarn used is Jamieson and Smith Spindrift wool, which is really grippy and just the thing for a FairIsle design.  I have found the first row after cast on has curled up, so I’m wondering whether to block that little bit of knitting or to sew down that cast on to the back.  I will block the hat when it’s finished anyhow so maybe it might settle after that…

As for sewing I’ve got back into the groove of making blocks for Siblings Together, though one didn’t go right (which I did correct) so recipient Kerry will get 3 blocks of log cabin hearts. It’s difficult to be random in fabric choices and rather than cut out the strip pieces it might have been better to cut out strips as I went, but it’s done and sent off.

And progress has been made on the quilt as you go quilt, 3 rows joined together but I have sewn at all in the past week. there’s enough purple fabric for the binding at the end.  The pic below shows some of the blocks joined into rows earlier this month.

And this is how it looks today

Quilt as you go is not the easiest of options as you can’t see the back when sewing up the strips, which have to be folded down and caught by the machine stitching on the front side.  I’ve tried to keep the back strip down by using the glue pen used for English paper piecing.

I’m back to doing ATCs and this month was My Favourite Place and it’s more about what happens in my favourite place, which recently has been my craft room.  So it features patchwork (from painted paper) which is also ‘quilted’ by putting the paper through an embossing plate on my Sizziz machine), a sewing machine, hexagons a button and a piece of cotton yarn. The one I’ve sent is on the right, but I usually make two so I have a visual record of what and how it’s made.  I did hesitate to send this for the swap, but just went for it.

So that’s my makes for this month.

3/2/23

Edit to this post:  I"ve had to unravel the cardigan - more in my next post - so here's a pic of my deconstructed cardi.

Joining in with Mini Archie's January Furtle Around the Blogosphere.

Old Stuff, New Stuff.

I’ve had cause to look at some old photos on Flickr (remember that? I think most people at one time had an account, before Facebook and Instagram. I mentioned about the bag below in my last post.

I had put some of my old challenges and and postcard swaps on my Flickr page and if you have a few minutes you can have a meander through my photos to here .   On there is a selfie photo from 2007, which I found this on the site…

And today I’ve taken a selfie photo.  Not so fresh faced as just over 15 years ago, but above was my first camera phone. Below is me with my new phone, which I updated yesterday (I’ve had others in between). My old iPhone had lasted me 8 years, so I hope this one lasts as well.  I kept it going for as long as I could but newer technology had forced a change. 

I’m currently working on a quilt as you go quilt, except the blocks have been made by me. I’m assembling    this ‘new to me’ project as someone has left the completed blocks and the fabric to put the sashing strips together.  I purchased the quilt pieces in a pack for just £3 but have no history as to why the maker got so far and stopped.  It may go to charity, possibly Linus or Quilts for Care Leavers. So here are some pics, the one below is on Sunday afternoon, when I joined 3 rows, there were another 4 to go.

And this is at this morning - all the rows were joined by Wednesday and I cut out strips to join together. The light is bad in this picture.

I hope I can make a start on joining this weekend.  Let’s see how it goes.

 

It Was 16 Years Ago Today

 That I started my blog.  I wanted somewhere where I could journal my makes and some family life dropped in now and again.  Looking back at that first year I was a member of a couple of Yahoo groups (which sadly no longer exist) making postcards and sometimes some experimental techniques (heating fabrics, using an embellisher machine) and swapping.  I also had a Flickr page (that’s still going, just Google ‘Sue Wild Flickr’ and that comes up with my profile and photos).With my friend Brenda we hosted sixty quilters with a Quilting Day, which happened to be on St Patrick’s Day that year. So it was kept busy with quilting/sewing projects.

International Quilting Day organised by Brenda (left) and myself.

On a personal side,  I became a grandmother for the second time (to Leo, now a tall 15 year old and due to take his GCSE exams later this year!) and also a mother-in-law to Carly and Mary as they married my sons Jamie and Alex, that year.  And I managed to fit in a full time job too (how did I find the time?).

So what has changed?  Blogging was popular at the time and there was something called a blog ring, so the blog could be linked up with other people’s blogs with the same interest. One was run by Canadian quilter Michele Foster called Quilting Gallery and the blog ring was called Quilting Bloggers with blogs from around the world but that was disbanded.  She now runs a site called Aiming for Accuracy  I used to keep links in my sidebar of those I follow, but that’s no longer in use.  

One of my postcards, made for my sister, when she moved into her bungalow in 2018

A lot of other blogs are not kept up, but I’ve kept on with mine although I don’t get many visitors as it’s good to look back at what’s been achieved.  I’m not that brilliant at keeping journals so I’ve found it a good place to use mine as such.  Going through the years and changes that I’ve made, moving from and returning to my home town of Poole, working, retiring, holidays and works in progress.

A set of postcards, there are seven as I kept one for myself) on the theme of shoes for BQL postcard swap in 2007

Recently on one of the Facebook pages, UKQU (UK Quilters United) one of the admins said about a bag challenge this year on their sister UK Sewing Challenge group.  Another person mentioned about BQL bag challenge years back and looking through my blog I found I took part in that challenge in 2008 and one of those bags is still in use now for a knitting project! I wrote a blog post, but didn’t say a lot about it, here

Other things that have changed is that the postcard swaps are no more, which is a shame as I liked being challenged with a theme.  The BQL and Arts In the Mail went some years ago, before the demise of the Yahoo groups, but UKQU had a one to one postcard swap but that stopped a couple of years ago during Covid lockdowns.

A pouch from a sew a long earlier this year.

As for my own work, I would have called myself a quilter a few years back, but now knitting and crochet had returned into my craft life, together with embroidery and recently a bit of paper crafting. I have said that I don’t want to go down another rabbit hole, but who knows where things will lead. Quilting is not as important to me as it once was and I guess everyone evolves in one way or another as artists don’t always stick to the same techniques. So long as I can hold a sewing or knitting needle or crochet hook or pencil I will keep crafting in one form or another.

Thank you for bearing with me over my brief look back at the last 16 years.

New Year and a New Month

 Here's January Monthly Marker

For this year's markers I thought I would share some mini quilts from a challenge that I took part in 2016.  The one above is called Blue Monday, which marks the time in the middle of this month when its a long way from the pay day of December to the pay day in January with the bills from Christmas coming through. 

So its a time of New Year Resolutions and to think of the year ahead.  I'm going to keep things low key this month and do a bit of sorting out and not get too bogged down with things to be finished.  That can come later.  I have got some knitting on the go but that is done in the evenings, but I made a start between Christmas and New Year.  It is another Harvest cardigan, a free pattern by Tin Can Knits .  I was going to start this later this month, but a friend wanted a ball of chunky wool to finish her cardigan and Wool Warehouse had the same dye lot as the wool she was using, so I ordered the yarn  for this cardigan as there's free postage when you order over £25.  The yarn I'm using is King Cole Fashion Aran in blue Jura colour way. Last year I made the same design in Fashion Aran Combi in a brown colour but that is now discontinued, but it is a lovely snug cardi for this time of year so I had no hesitation in using Fashion Aran again for this one.

Above is the back, below the front view

So far I've done the shoulder shaping and the sleeve stitches are on waste yarn.  Theres still some increases on the front but after that it's garter and stocking stitch until I get to the bottom.  

I've got to do an 'audit' of any sewing projects that are outstanding and find where I am and what to do next.  As ever social media always tries to find a way of drawing into a shiny new project, but no, I must try not to succumb!

In recent times I've taken to doing some paper crafts but again do not want to get drawn into card making if I can help it.  I have been thinking about whether to carry on with ATCs, but I would like art of some sort.  I have enjoyed seeing Art, Paper Joy's daily ephemera You Tubes last month and it is tempting to start art journalling.  I think that I miss the creativity of postcards that I used to make and swap years back but I do need to be organised and have a 'kit' of things to be able to pick up and go with.  So I think I need to focus on that.  

Last autumn I took the decision not to make any blocks for Siblings Together Bee for the time being, so I'm free to be able to look at what quilts need finishing too.  I also picked up a pack of quilt blocks ready to join together so will have a go at that.

So, right, lets get on and get off that computer!  I'll be back next week.

(After 3 posts from me already, you'll be glad of a rest!)

Looking Back to 2022 - Places Visited.

 It was great to be out and about again after the previous 2 years of restrictions.

Not far into 2022, we had a quick break to Gloucester in February as David wanted to go to the Waterways Museum, which turned out to be closed due to unforeseen circumstances, which was a shame, but had a meander around the city, cathedral and off the cathedral square a shop dedicated to The Tailor of Gloucester. My brief post about it is here.

These two pictures show views around the docks in Gloucester, above is a little chapel. Below are the houseboats moored in the canal basin.

In April we had a day out in London with my brother in law and his wife. Initially it was to find a grave in a cemetery in north London, but because it is more than 75 years ago the plots are reused, so what we were looking for is no longer there.  But we made the most of the day by visiting Stratford Olympic village, travelling on the Underground and the Docklands Light Railway to Canary Wharf. 

In May we went and had a week in Guernsey and a chance to spend some time with distant relatives (on the Wild side).  I’ve posted about this here.  Living in Poole there is a Condor Fastcat service that links with the Channel Islands and St.Malo, France, so it took no time at all to get to the port! Before COVID we often had day trips to Guernsey (well, a few hours, most was spent on the boat journeys) so it was good this time to spend a bit more time on the island.

David in Trinity Square, where we think his dad once posed in the same place

The back of Victor Hugo's house, a little bit of France (it is part of the Musee de Paris) on the island

August saw us go to Bromsgrove to stay around the Midlands for the Festival of Quilts, which I haven’t visited for 3 years.  We went exploring the area and visited the Needle Museum in Redditch, the British Motor Museum near Stratford Upon Avon, Hanbury Hall and locally the Avoncroft Outdoor Museum. Before going home we also went to Wightwick, near Wolverhampton.  I’ve written a post about our trip here.  A separate post about Festival of Quilts here

Above is one of the many displays of needles by one of the companies in Redditch

A life size Lego model of a Mini at the British Motor Museum

Tudor chimney pots at the Avoncroft Outdoor Museum

A china collection at Wightwick Manor.

On to the end of September, beginning of October and a stay in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.  A chance for me to go to Yarndale, a wool festival in Skipton, amongst other things.  We went back to Skipton again on one of the days to take in the rest of the town, but also visited Eden Camp, Harrogate Fountains Abbey as well as exploring Knaresborough itself.

The crypt at Fountains Abbey

Play area at Eden Camp (no, we didn't take exercise there!) the huts where the exhibitions are displayed at a bit dark inside.

Skipton Castle

At the Embsay and Bolton Abbey railway, this is the first electric railcar from 1901.

Looking up at Ripon Cathedral.

That was a lot of time away and things have been quiet on the run up to Christmas.  We had intended to go away somewhere in November, but that was put on hold, but think we’ve done pretty well on the exploration front this year. Lots of memories to look back on.

Future plan is to go away to Scotland in early summer this year and David has sort of worked an itinerary, but I am hoping we may get away before then, well I'm pretty sure we will.

So thats it for my look back at 2022.  I hope you've enjoy these last 2 posts.  Now onward to January.