Happy 2014!

This is the post I wrote on New Year's Day and never published. There is no good reason why it didn't get out there, so I've decided to publish it, now we are in April !

Hooray for a new year!  2013 was my most challenging year yet and I am so excited for the changes 2014 will bring.

There was a lot of good stuff in 2013 though...

My best knitting year ever! I also did some sewing.

I got better at being a homemaker.

I realised I had to outsource a bit.

I did heaps of walking to school and kindy.

I learnt to make sushi.

I put lots into helping my kids and they brought me joy.

I put effort into being a good friend and others definitely did this for me. Plus, I made some lovely new friends who will be with me for years to come.

I hope every year I get a little bit kinder and wiser- I think this is true of 2013.

And now for 2014...

Back to full time work. Two kids at school. Two starting childcare. Husband working only part time! 

I would love to blog more this year and even just catch up on my many unblogged projects, but, as before, life may get in the way and that is completely okay.

Hope 2014 is great for everyone!

Click-clack therapy

Wow, this year has been my most complicated yet, and also my best knitting year. I think it's actually because I've been under more pressure, I knit more, like others might go to the gym or something. So I'm now four knitted items behind in my blogging.  Here are the best snaps I have managed of the first two.

First, Stella for Baby D. 12 month size, in Patons Dreamtime 4ply I never used for her brother. Turns out the Wedgwood blue is lovely on a girl. Needed to use smaller needles on the neckline, and it's still wider than I would have liked, but cute, and it got worn a heap.

Next, a Milo for our little boy B.  22" size in Cleckheaton Perfect Day in the colourway that looks rather like a lamington.  Knitted quickly over 4 days, which was just as well, as he never wore it! I knew there was some risk of this, which is why I chose a quick project. B won't stand wool on his neck, but I was hoping a wide neck vest in really soft yarn might be okay. He was on to me though! At least it's big enough to try again next year (and we'll start with it over a skivvy).



This was the least miserable picture of him in it! Oh dear.

More to come on my spring knitting projects...

KCW Day 6! Already!

So I have struggled this week due to a whole range of reasons, but at least finished something early this morning.

Another dress for S.

Pattern:

Lucy Dress from Be Be Bold. Bought it at a craft fair years ago and now am making up the biggest size which is a 4. A very cute pattern, with straightforward instructions. I especially love the pleated sleeves.

Fabric:

Japanese cottons also from Be Be Bold. Wooden buttons from Spotlight.

Sewing:

Cut it out and did a little sewing on Monday. Then a few hours late Saturday night/ Sunday morning. No dramas, perhaps as parts are similar to some Oliver + S things I have made.

Of course S loves it. It has already been for a pony ride and some pretty spectacular climbing at the park!

Knitting, knitting, knitting...

...has been consuming me of late.  I can't believe I didn't get into seamless knitting earlier.  Things are getting finished and worn.  I now can do magic loop, spit joins (I know, gross, but actually very good), long tail cast on, backwards loop cast on, single crochet bind off, decrease bind off and am learning to knit continental style.  Most of these terms, let alone how to do them, were foreign to me, like, two months ago.  And I have used mostly stash yarn.

Finished on the weekend:



A sunflower yellow Granny's Favourite for S.  Yarn from a failed blanket project, which left me with several seemingly unusable colours of Cleckheaton Country.  I never thought I would use this yarn by itself in a garment, but S liked it and I was keen to start something.  And it's actually really cute on her.



Sunflower buttons from my Mum.



Had enough for a full length body and middie length sleeves (5 year old length).  Great pattern again from Tikki.  I sized up a bit (23" rather than 22"chest ) so it can be worn next year

And here is my first person-sized seamless knit, a Kina which followed the doll version.  Again in leftover Cleckheaton Country.  I didn't blog this ages ago when I made it.  It is not my best, as the edges are a bit lumpy at the bottom, due to me using lots of short lengths and joining at the edges (in my pre-spit join days).  But it is fine for kindy.



Two more knits to catch up on, oh, and I am intending to do Kids Clothes Week again next week!

Bloglovin'

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Cardy for Baby.

I am getting into seamless knitting this autumn, so things should actually get finished.   This is a new favourite pattern- Olearia by Tikki.  Fun to knit, quick and pretty.  It only took 3 balls of Cleckheaton Country (which I chose for the lovely strawberry colour).



Finished with the perfect old buttons handed down from my aunty- I was thrilled to have enough of them.




Baby D just turned one and is in a hurry to grow up.  She loves pretty things and was excited to wear her new cardy.  Dear girl, stay little a bit longer!

KCW Day 7/Something I prepared earlier

So on the final night of Kids Clothes Week, I didn't sew anything.  I did spend some time (hours?) laying out fabric and patterns, but was crippled by indecision, and fatigue perhaps.

But I have this top which was made late last year I think, that never got blogged.  And it fits my Liberty theme.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Swingset tunic, Size 3 for Miss S.  My second time with this pattern; I made a dress version when S was a baby, which has recently been worn lots by her little sister.



Fabric:
Liberty Hello Kitty Strawberry Fields.  It took only 50cm of 115cm wide fabric, plus some plain lawn from Spotlight for bodice lining.



Sewing:
Again, easy as I'd done it all before, and it's an Oliver + S pattern.



S loves it, although wishes it were a dress. It does make for easy climbing, though.  

So glad to have done KCW again.  It definitely helps me to get stuff done, and to blog.  I will be at it again next time, in a just a few months (now it's four times a year!).  Thank you Meg from elsie marley and everyone else involved.