SA Cosy Winter Swap

Tags

autumn, birdie, birdies, birds, candies, candy, cards, jelly beans, SAcosywinterswap, stationery, tea, teas, yarn, yarns

You may remember the Alpaca yarn to sent to my buddy in the SA Cosy Winter Swap.  🙂

My package arrived as well, and it is stunning.  I have been looking online for some pretty autumn coloured yarn, and each time I got distracted.  Good thing, as my swap buddy sent me 2 gorgeous skeins.  How amazing is that.

SA Cosy Winter Swap

SA Cosy Winter Swap

SA Cosy Winter Swap

She also spoiled me with teas, candies (I love jelly beans) and stationery.  Plus the sweetest little birdy ornament.  She also sent me a lovely shawl pattern, that I have already printed out and it is awaiting me, patiently sitting on my workdesk.

SA Cosy Winter Swap

Loved this quick and easy and cosy swap.

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Knitting is happening

Tags

autumn, beanie, cowl, daughter, handmade, Handmake, Knitting, mittens, on my needles, speckled yarn, speckledyarn, winter, yarns

Knitting is definitely happening.

Finished a quick pair of speckled mittens for my daughter and another beanie for my son in law.

Beanie and Mittens

Mittens

Beanie

 

I dropped by my local Yarn Shop, and I just could not resist these.  They are nice and soft and a bit on the bulky side.

On my Needles

On my Needles

Of course, they seemed to have already found their way onto my needles.  I will probably be knitting more summery goodies soon, as the days here are already getting warmer, but for now I am quickly doing a few last warm winter goodies.

Happy crafting all.

Winter Break update

Tags

alpaca, autumn, beanie, bear, bears, bunny, ceramic, ceramics, cross stitch, daughter, embroidery, fairies, handmade, handmade bear, Handmake, Knitting, lace, make-over, manos, miniature bear, mittens, paint, speckled yarn, speckledyarn, stellarfibreworks, tiles, winter, yarns

It has been my annual Winter Break and I have enjoyed the break so much.Getting away from the busy work and office is sometimes just what a person needs.

Miekie and I both enjoyed to lazy cold mornings, and spent the time having lazy, slow breakfasts before we started the day.

I got time to catch up on some reading, specially on some of my loved magazines.

The usual amount of knitting definitely took place.  My Alpaca Wrap is now already half way there.  I finished a Manos del Uruguay beanie for my son in law, and have another on the needles for him.  And my daughter is getting matching mittens to wear with her speckled wrap.

Grey Alpaca Wrap

Speckled Mittens

Green knitted beanie

Beanies

With me being home and able to work during the sunnier parts of the day, I could also work on more delicate projects.  One of these were these little fairies in cross stitch.  According to the instructions of the kit, you only stitch areas you want to highlight.  What a lot of fun they are.  Nearly done, and then I will frame them and find a special place for them.

Fairy Cross Stitch Work

Fairy Cross Stitch Work

Wilbur the Bear is now no longer a kit sitting on the table.  I cut the pattern pieces and am ready to start stitching him together.  I want to add a few things, and have gotten cute silk ribbon roses and antique looking buttons as well.  I suspect Wilbur will be a girl bear in the end and may need another name.

Wilmot Handmade Bear

Wilmot Handmade Bear

This wooden box had been around my home for a bit, being used on the odd occasion for this and that.  I finally decided to put it to proper use, give it a complete makeover and keep it around.  So with rather a lot of layers of paint, I was able to smooth it over, and stop it from showing up a nasty stain through each layer of paint.  Finished it off with a bit of pretty lace and a cute ceramic bunny.  Now I can keep it around for any little project or storage.  Sometimes these little wooden boxes are all you need.

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

Wooden Box Makeover

While waiting for a friend the other day to arrive for a cup of coffee and a chat, I ended up browsing in a little shop.  I could not resist these cute tiles.  I think I will use the smaller ones as memo magnets and the bigger one will be just perfect for a mug cozy.

Little Ceramic Tiles

Heather Gray Knits

Tags

autumn, fall, FAll weather, Giveaway, handmade, Handmake, Knitting, lace knitting, lace shawl, Shawl

Finally Fall is here and the days are cooler, actually pretty colder even in the mornings.

This morning was the perfect Fall morning with a thick layer of fog / mist in my neighborhood when I left for the office.  You could actually smell the damp in the air.  Simply amazing.

And a really good excuse to grab this beautiful little soft and warm shawl I got from the very talented Heather Gray.  She is just amazing.  I entered into her free giveaway and was the very lucky and successful winner of this really pretty shawl.  I could not wait to wear it and today was perfect for it.

 

Heather Gray Knits

Heather Gray Knits

Heather Gray Knits

Back to Normal…….

Tags

autumn, bear, fall, fall sweater, handmade, handmade bear, Handmake, handsewing, knitted bags, Knitting, lace, lace knitting, lace scarf, lace shawl, lace yarn, mohair, mohair knitting, project bag, project bags, Rowan summer tweed, scarf, sewing, Shawl, Summer Tweed

There is probably nothing quite like a bit of cooler weather and the promise of a change in the seasons to get me creative again.  It has been a great summer and I had a wonderful, long summer break.

But I find that things are slowly getting back to normal.  For me at least.  I am on a creative crafting roll, and have so much that I would like to start on.  But I have to keep myself at bay and set limits, to some extent at least.  I am slowly working on the blanket, although with my fingers itching for other projects, I have to wonder if it will be ready for winter.

I did finish off my Smocked Lace Scarf in Burgundy Mohair.  It is amazingly soft, and I look forward to wearing it in the coming winter.

Since my scarf is off my needles, I am starting a shawl.  I don’t have a set pattern for this, as I just have an idea of what I want it to look like in the end. I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

And I really think it is time for a bit of needlework and stitching.  This cute 30cm bear has been around for a while, and I finally cut the pieces.  Now for some sewing!  She is pretty easy and straightforward to make.

 

Two other knitting projects are also lurking in the shadows, and may just find their way onto my needles in no time.  The Rowan Summer Tweed is for a Fall top/sweater for when the days turn cooler, and the bulky yarn I have taken out to knit a project bag or carry all, slightly bigger in order to carry the bigger knit or crochet projects.  I will be on the lookout for a pretty piece of interesting fabric to use as a lining.

First yarns for the year

Tags

100% merino, autumn, bamboo, bamboo knitting needles, crochet, handdyed, handmade, Handmake, Knitting, manos, manos del uruguay, manos silk blend, merino wool, natural yarns, nurturing fibres, silk blend, winter, yarns

It is a new year and I spoiled myself with a bit of yarny goodness.

The holidays are now a thing of the past and things are seemingly slowly beginning to return to normal.

Our weather has become much more bearable, and we have had a bit of rain as well.  This meant more knitting and crafting time.  And with that said, it means only a few more months before we start thinking about winter again.  So that meant a bit of yarn as well.  One never knows when you need something from the stash.  🙂

Carle from Nurturing Fibres always has the most stunning colourways, and I simply could not resist her latest, in Satchel and Shipwreck. Her hand dyed yarns are really beautiful, and they knit so well and quickly.

And who can resist Manos Del Uruguay!  I absolutely adore this yarn, and the merino and silk blend of these are super soft.  They knit and wear so well, and are comfy and warm all day.  These are imported into SA by Gina from Natural Yarns.

These are not really meant for me to knit with, I just loved them to much to not order a set.  Pretty bamboo knitting needles finished with a soft shiny pink bead.

Of Chicago Fire and Bronchitis

Tags

autumn, blue, colourful, colours, crochet, Knitting, project bag, scarf, yarn, yarns

Its been pretty quiet on the homefront here lately.  I caught a nasty case of Bronchitis, and was “ordered” to stay home and rest.

So to pass the days and get the rest I needed to get this nasty bug out of my system, I spent my time with the really cool gang of Chicago Fire.  I binge-watched the series, which is awesome, and I worked on some small projects that I could put down any time when I fell asleep, and just pick up again without much effort.  I crocheted a small colourful doily, and finished a small knitted project bag, that I lined with some pure linen.

I also had the time to finish my Autumn colours scarf, which I think turned out pretty neat.  It is a colour that I adore, and I can see myself wearing it very often during the winter months.  This colour reminds me a lot of the changing leaves during Autumn.  Just too pretty to not have around during the whole winter as well.

Beading time

Tags

autumn, beaded items, beading, bugs, fall, festive, festive season, flowers, handmade, Handmake, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, stitch markers, teddies, teddy

It was time to make some stitch markers, one can just never have enough.  I simply adored these autumn colours and made rather a few.

Of course, I also had to make some for the Festive season, and I simply loved the “bugs and flowers”!  So cute and colourful.

New on my Needles

Tags

autumn, buddy, cables, Knitting, on my needles, scarf, socks

It is time for the next socks on my needles.  I have started a pair of really dark deep purple socks for a swap.  These are a bit very dark, and I must admit I mostly knit them during daylight.

And to make up for when I cannot work on the socks, I have started a scarf in these stunning Autumn Colours, either to wear when its a bit cool and rainy here, or ready for wear next year in the colder winter months.

Looking forward to seeing how this yarn is going to knit up.  I am loving the colours it is producing already.