Still running around

I finished an outfit for the princess, which I hope she likes, its very bright BUT it is trousers which are apparently a bit of a no-no at the minute. See that is what happens when you are 3, you get fashion conscious!

I am almost packed, I do need to pack some knitting projects, I need something for new baby girl, so something fun and cute and quick.

I have done a little shopping for the boys then they are on their own! I am sure they won't starve. So far I don't have a shopping list to bring back which is unusual. Maybe they have grown out of eating Pot Noodles! I am sure I will end up with a list by the time I am coming back.

The big question is can I turn this yarn



into these socks before the I come back?

Pheeww

Sewing something important for someone else is always a little bit scary, I am always very glad when it is all gone and the person is completely happy with their garment.
So the dresses fit, she was happy and now I can breathe easy.





So this is my new skirt and t-shirt, I am almost finished a pair of trousers too, they are pale blue to match Wispy who is still very much in an unfinished state.
I am still hoping some kind of miracle might happen, like suddenly tomorrow will have a whole other 12 hours to it, or the fairies will come and pack my clothes AND they will be the right clothes for the right weather in London. It could happen!!

Fanfare please.

I'm done, two dresses, two shrugs, one handbag and a pair of earrings.




She is coming by to pick it all up tomorrow afternoon, so am keeping my fingers crossed everything is okay.




All I have to do now is finish up something for me to wear when I am in London.
I am hoping to pack in a little knitting time when I am away with at least a trip to Libertys.
Wispy I am afraid is not going to be done, though I may take it with me to finish up there, I have half a sleeve and one front to knit.
I am hoping to love it when I am finished as I definitely don't love knitting with the Summer Tweed.
Off to whip up something to wear, back soon.......

Saturday sky

Okay, I know its Monday my excuse is I took the photo on Saturday and had no time to post it.

Dress progress



It needs a final fitting and the zip put in, the bad news is she loves it so much she wants another one made...BEFORE Friday!! This is doable if I don't finish knitting the cardi I wanted to finish, I leave for London on Saturday morning and I want Wispy to come with me.....
Unfortunately not sleeping is not an option, I am useless when sleep deprived!

No time to knit

Things here have gone a little haywire and on top of helping backstage at the school production and sewing a major cocktail dress, I have just received notice to quit our apartment. So am running around like a headless chicken, even more than usual, normal service will be resumed when I stop long enough to do anything worth posting!

Sock yarn

I was so excited to receive this the other day, I have huge amounts of time drooling over Jessie's yummy colours, not to mention checking out her blog for fowl pictures.
Problem is I want to knit these socks but the gauge gods are laughing at me and after 3 different sets of needles I have given up for the moment.
With temperatures at 24deg I don't need any kind of socks right now anyway.
My poor feet had the first sandal outing yesterday and I have two blisters to prove it, lovely!



On the knitting front I am trying to finish this cardi right now, but the attached i-cord is kicking my butt and this is the fourth attempt and its staying, I have just realised that I forgot to leave gaps for buttonholes, so it will have some alternative closure, to be decided later! It is a bit bright but I am sure it will be loved.

I am working on a BIG sewing project for a friend of a friend, she needs a dress for an award ceremony with her company, it is apparently some big do in San Diego. I am just waiting for her to come and be measured and have the toile fitted and then I get to cut up the hugely expensive, irreplaceable fabric, which is always kind of scary!

I found out recently that my brother had been reading my blog and had noted that I mentioned I MIGHT use the Trekking for his next socks, it is his birthday really soon so if he is going to get socks, I really have to start them, I could always write him another IOU!! Or they could just be late, why break the habit......

A little more sunshine.

This is for all of you who still have snow and spring hasn't arrived yet.





Sunshine shrug for the princess knitted in alpaca/silk dk, colour Orange Grove about 55g on 4mm needles.



Next up the almost finished fairy princess dress, I need to sew on some trim to hide the ugly sewing, (I hate lycra!) and it probably needs more sparkle, which I will let her stick on herself.




I am still slogging away on the lovely Wispy but oh how I hate double moss stitch, especially in Summer Tweed. I am on the 2nd sleeve and have one front to do. I have started a new project to ease the boredom, oops had to be done, more tomorrow.

The next bit is for Granny, the fashion student on his way out and his new shooooz!!

Shawl info

I bought my pattern from here, its the oak leaf shawl.
Though I am sure Yvonne told me it was also in this book, I am sure she will correct me if I am wrong.
This is the second time I have knitted this pattern and love it as the border is knitted at the same time, so when you get to the ends you are done!


I recently bought another to skein of silk to match the one Yvonne bought me recently as I loved it so much I wanted to knit something I would wear more than a scarf or shawl, in saying that I do wear my 2 little shawls all the time right now, so maybe another shawl! Anyway its not a bad match so I am searching for inspiration to see what it will become. The second skein is a little bigger so I reckon I have about 470metres, any ideas?
In case you couldn't tell there are still no photographers in the house and I never realised how difficult it is to take a photo in the mirror, this is about the 20th attempt!

Spring is here at last.

Yesterday we went to visit the chateau at Vizille, it has a lovely park and we have visited it before.

We only had one boy who was up for a trip to the museum, which had been rejected as boring last time we were there.


When we arrived we decided it was too nice and sunny to be indoors, so instead we walked around the park and admired the colour all around.



Love was in the air for the ducks and swans, which caused quite a lot of hilarity as they chased off some of the kids who got too close.

The swans also had some competition for some bread as the fish seemed to be hungry too!



I finished knitting another Filigree Lace Shawl in this yarn,



except I left off the pink/purple and added another green. They are all small skeins of sock yarn from the Natural Dye Studio in various yarns including the silk/alpaca which is yummy. It reminds me of Fruit Salad sweets and is fun to wear, though I am not usually a green person at all.


Photos soon when I can find a photographer who is better than the two that are here right now.

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Matilda Jane went to a Party

At last MJ has buttons, all 8 of them, ribbon, the right amount and I had somewhere to go to wear her and my skirt, so here we are

and the back, sort of, the photographer is rubbish.


Only problem was MJ was having such a good time at the birthday party she refused the first offer of a lift home, which meant not getting home till 2am. Which in itself is fine, the boys were all away, Jim was at work, except I had volunteered to look after our friends 4 year old, who is adorable but she arrived at 7.15am, lets say lots of tea was needed before I was up for the 5 hours of sticking, cutting, beading and sewing, we did make a princess dress, complete with lots of sparkle, she had fun, now I need a little nap!!

swaps are the best

A while ago when I posted about chocolate, Jacqueline and I got into a little discussion about chocolate and tea. She suggested that we do a little swap later this year, when her weather got cooler and before my weather heated up too much for the transportation of chocolate to be a bit dangerous. I have to say Jacqueline went way overboard with my package, I can't say what is my favourite part of this package (I love it all) but one of my favourites is this.

My very first tea-cosy, isn't it cute? I have been saying for ages, I need to make a tea-cosy, either knitted or sewn and just never got around to it. Now I have my very own crocheted, lovely cosy. I am going to buy a new teapot for it, as mine is a little tall, I need a shorter , fatter pot, I think.

The package contained so many goodies, including some fabulous yarn from here, that hasn't decided what it wants to be yet.

Some amazing chocolate, cadburys that I have never seen and some Haigh's, including chocolate frogs and Bilbys.

So thank you so very much Jacqueline, I love everything. I hope your box arrives soon.