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'

Just moved over to Bloglovin' from Google Reader.  Please do Follow my blog with Bloglovin if you are so inclined. Thanks!

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.

KCW, Days 5 & 6

Day 5: Slept early without sewing (again!).

Day 6: Another late night to make Miss S's new favourite dress, worn today. A pretty, pastel dream of a dress for our girlie girl.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress.  Size 4 to fit well next summer.  Great pattern which I have made once before here- that version was very well loved.

Fabric:
Liberty Tana Lawn for mid section- it took 40cm (of wide width, 135cm or so).  From Gardams a few years ago; I think the print is Poppy and Daisy.

Pink gingham from The Fabric Store- beautiful shirting similar in feel to the Liberty.  S loves this one- she has been taking this fabric from the stash and using it for dolls' picnics for some time.



Sewing:
Straightforward the second time around.  After putting on the pockets, I said to my husband 'I've lost my mojo' (no response as he was asleep!), but I decided to do just a bit more, and then it seemed so close to finished, I just kept going.  Soon (well at 3am), I had this pretty little dress!

I do love being able to go out as a family on the weekend and having one of the kids in something I just made the previous night.

I also love that she loves it as much as I do!

KCW, Days 2-4

Day 2:  Slept early and didn't sew!
Days 3 & 4: Another Class Picnic Blouse, this time for Baby Girl D.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse in Size 12-18m for 11 month old Miss D.

Fabric:
Liberty Tana Lawn in Hello Kitty London print (Japanese release).  Had 75cm of 115cm wide fabric.

Sewing:
Lovely, as per last project in this pattern.  Sleeve hems even harder in this smaller size! This pattern is great for Liberty Tana Lawn.

Slightly big at neck- tighter elastic next time maybe.



Adorable on and received lots of compliments when out today!

KCW, Day 1

Stayed up late to get this top done in one night.

Pattern:
Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse, Size 4 for 4 year old Miss S.

Fabric:
Liberty Jubilee paisley. This is old stuff. I don't think they make Jubilee anymore; it's a cotton/wool blend (mostly cotton). I made a skirt out of this in the mid '90s, but the fabric may be much older as it came from my Mum's stash back then. Got the Size 4 out of my remaining 95cm of 90cm wide fabric. Very soft fabric that frays easily and is a bit jumpy.



Sewing:
First use of this pattern, usual reliable Oliver + S instructions, cute result. Again I struggled with going over multiple thicknesses with my machine so the elastic ends were sewn in by hand. Sleeve hems were a little fiddly as too small to go around my machine's free arm.



So cute on. Slightly big on S who is really a Size 3.

Yay! This fabric owes me nothing now.

Kids Clothes/Liberty Week

So I'm interrupting my autumn knitting to do Kids Clothes Week again.  And after looking at my fabrics it seemed a good opportunity to use up some Liberty.  I don't think I've mentioned it here before, but I have heaps that I have collected since the '90s.  And I've made a total of two items out of this huge collection so far (and neither was blogged).  And now I have two little girls it seems silly to not actually use it while the girls are still little.  So KCW for me will be involving my Liberty stash in every project. Yes I will really cut up and use this beautiful fabric!



Just a small fraction of what I have to choose from!

Finished!

Chevron cowl (for me?).

Doll Kina.  

A nice quick read! And numerous pots of tea.  

Getting it together.

So it's March now?

2013 has not been the easiest year so far, for a whole lot of reasons. A tragedy close to us, one child starting school, another Kindy, and all except baby (bless her) have been needing extra attention. I am slowly accepting that our children, particularly our boys right now, might be orchids rather than dandelions. I have delayed going back to my job, which I'm sure was the right decision, but at times I'm really missing it. So it's my work this year to be a parent and a friend, to notice all the wonderful little moments of which there are still plenty, and to find little ways to nurture myself so I can be there for my loved ones.

A long-winded excuse for starting a new knitting project maybe?

Merry Merry Christmas!

The last of the ornament gifts to be given. Made of Dad's retired shirts and scraps left from kids clothes and quilts.

May the holiday season bring you great food, company and time to appreciate life's gifts.

Mr Penguin and other things

Since last post I have been sick (with four kids there are so many opportunities to pick up bugs it seems), but still have snuck in a bit of sewing.



Last night I made this Purl Bee penguin for a dear friend's new little boy. I did cross stitches instead of button eyes and put a jingle bell in the body. I do love him and of course spent a bit of time posing him and admiring him in the middle of the night.






Mr Penguin will go with these bibs.



Made out of panels (from the Craft Fair last year, can't remember the brand) with terry toweling backing and my own bias binding out of a denimy looking fabric.




In other news, I have fallen in love with this cover of the latest Frankie, which my lovely husband brought me home from work last night! He knows me well.

Last day of KCWC!

So I have managed one project a night for four nights now, and something for each child. I am quite sleep deprived as a result but very happy with my efforts.

Mr F was delighted to find his new hat this morning and wore it to snuggle in bed with us!



Pattern:
Oliver + S Little Things to Sew bucket hat.  Size Large for 5 year old Mr F.

Fabric:
Groovy Guitars by Michael Miller fabrics and black gingham from The Fabric Store. Sew-in interfacing for the brim.



Sewing:
My first go at this and I did the no hand sewing way shown at A Little Gray.  I will continue to use this pattern this way- so easy and still a very professional look. The top stitching really makes the brim look great. I don't have any excuse for buying kid's hats now.





Worn to Kindy today!

KCWC has been great for me. I have learnt...

I am not that quick at sewing! No one hour dresses here! Each fairly simple, one night project this week  took around four hours for me, but that included cutting and sometimes preparing the pattern. I think I'm a slow edge-stitcher/top-stitcher, but it means I hardly ever have to unpick- so shouldn't that make me faster overall? Anyway, I did get stuff made.

To maximise my sewing speed I need to not have to change thread much, not do hand sewing (those hand-bound pockets!), reuse patterns that are already traced and cut and familiar to me, and avoid pinning wherever possible (kind of essential for the crown of a hat though). And not muck up my overlocker threading! I am also slowed by my set up time as I take out my machine and everything I need to the living room table and then put it all away at the end of the night. An organised, dedicated sewing space would so help!

Also, it is not that hard to blog regularly. My trick this week has been to do a draft on my iPhone while breastfeeding!

Thanks so much to Meg at Elsie Marley for hosting KCWC- I will be there sewing along next time!

Now for some sleep tonight...

Puppet show shorts (again)

Some basic shorts for Baby D, who is now five months old!



Pattern:
Oliver + S puppet show shorts previously made here and here, in Size 18-24 months. As I have said before, the sizing of these is on the small side. Plus baby girl is on the big side, and usually wearing a cloth nappy.

Fabric:
Linen in a natural/putty kind of colour from The Fabric Store. It is lovely stuff. The back tag is twill tape from Typo.

Sewing:
I know this pattern well- this is my fifth pair. I usually have trouble getting through all the fabric layers at the pocket binding when attaching the pockets, but this time I couldn't even get through the previous step of sewing the binding onto the pockets. I kept breaking my thread despite changing around needles and presser feet. Maybe the fabric was too thick, maybe I need a denim needle, or more of a home decorator sewing machine? Don't know- I just moved on and sewed the binding on by hand. Weirdly, I had no trouble this time when attaching the pockets. Did flat-felled seams again, which I love.



I'm so happy with the end result despite having to sew into the wee hours of today to get them done.

This is what they are like over a very bulky (old fashioned terry square) nappy.

She seems thrilled but I think it's more to do with getting a bit of attention from Mum than the shorts.  Our wonderful baby girl!