My knitting is 'Fyne'

After finishing the Big Needle Knitted Throw I wanted a new knitting challenge. I was trawling through my folder where I store all patterns and things of prettiness that I swear blind I'll make one day, umming and ahhing and it jumped out at me. A tank top by Rowan called 'Fyne' and made using Rowan Felted Tweed yarn...

Great... I have my pattern! On a high, as Fair Isle is definately a new challenge for me, off to my knitting box I went and found the right sets of needles - fantastic! now I just needed the yarn :/

So, a few weekends back I poottled off to the nearest Hobbycraft which have quite a large yarn / wool selection. After walking up and down the aisles several times and to my dismay I realised that they didn't have this highly sought after Felted Tweed. I quickly whipped out the Blackberry and searched for the elusive yarn only to discover that over half of the shades I needed are no longer available! (turns out that I had pulled the pattern from Simply Knitting magazine in 2008) I made a snap decision to buy the closest matched Rowan yarn that Hobbycraft had and be on my way. It was a hard decision as the colours were all different and I wanted what was in the picture.

The same day I started knitting. I did the waistband which was now in a mottled dark grey colour and then changed to the main body colour... la la la

The following day, I wasn't 100% happy with my substitute yarn so went on a trip to John Lewis in Southampton. Yayyyyy!!! They sell the Felted Tweed!! :) and lots of it. Although half the shades are no longer available, the range of colours in this yarn created a kid in a sweet shop scenario and I matched the missing colours as near as I could with the above picture.

I then frogged everything that I had previously done and this is where I am up to so far...

Luckily the colours that they still had in production were the blue for the waistband, the fawn for the main body and the striking ginger

I love it and cannot wait until I am finished :) I'm tempted to go and get an extra of the blue and fawn though... just incase I run short and then find that they have changed their stock :s

What are you working on at the moment?

What would you turn this into?

I recently purchased a remnant of fabric from a charity shop for a couple of pounds, which I think is gorgeous and summery. It makes me smile.

But I have a problem in not knowing what to make from it... and am open for suggestions.

Here is the fabric...

It is a creamy white with yellow, black and grey flowers splashed over it - obviously! and feels a little satin like but withou the brassy high sheen effect.

It is approximately 5ft x 7ft in size.

I can hand sew and have a sewing machine (although I am not too experienced on this yet!).

I am thinking of something to wear preferably. What do you think...?

Can you crochet?

I recently read a blog post that has spurred me to learn how to crochet...

Penny of Planet Penny recently posted on her blog about some mice that she crocheted from Nicki Trench's Super-Cute Crochet and I was visually 'hooked' :)

Oh so cute!!

I've got the book...

I've got the yarn and hooks...

I just need to teach myself how to crochet now :)

Two big finishes

I have been a busy bee lately at work and play but I have still found time to be crafty :)

For some reasons all of the crafty projects that I start appear to be mammoths!

Well in this past week I have finished two big projects - the 'big needle knitted throw' and the cross-stitched 'Lizzie*Kate Flip-Its'.

Here are a few pics...

I love it. It feels heavy and comforting and definately keeps you warm. For an idea of size that's a kingsize bed.

I used all sorts of yarn throughout... fluffy, sparkly, soft, textured, glittery, velvety.

And here are my 'broomstick' needles again :)

The other big project - the cross-stitched Lizzie*Kate Flip-Its...

I started this a long time ago but half way through the August Flip-It (the one with the sunflower) about 6-7 years ago, it was put in the craft box and temporarily forgotten about.



I think my favourite two months that I stitched were January and February because of the snowflakes and the colourings :)

Which are your favourites?

At the start of this year and due to one of my new year's resolutions, I re-discovered several crafts and projects that I had boxed up. A sudden thirst made me charge on to the finishing line and I am delighted to have finished these two big ones :)

What projects are you currently working on? 

So pretty!

A handbag is a vital part of any women's daily routine, I would even consider it a kind of security blanket in some respects.

Looking at one of my favourite handbags this morning, it prompted me to do this post and question 'what is in my handbag?'.

My bag of the moment is the Cath Kidston Briar Rose Day Bag...

I love it! I am definately a big bag girl and the thing about this bag is that it is like a tardis :)

It is crammed full of essentials that I need throughout the day, still with room to spare. Here are the basics...

Cath Kidston Candy Flower Green purse, Bath flowers pass holder, varierty of make-up, deodorant, my favourite perfume - Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, tissues and leather gloves (it is cold in the mornings you know!)

In addition to the above pictured essential items, I also carry around the following:

- my keys
- my Blackberry
- earphones for Blackberry
- scissors
- sellotape
- pritt stick
- couple of pens and highlighter
- mini sewing kit
- spare bracelet and earrings (in case I need to instantly change my look)
- standby chocolate
- inhaler
- spare neck scarf
- couple of memory sticks

There is often further additions but I would consider all of the above as permanent residents in my bag.

There are a multitude of sneaky pockets and zips in all Cath Kidston bags which I love. Everything has to have a place in my life and to have a bag that enables this too is fantastic!

I would like to thank Cath Kidston for their creative and practical bags which makes going about my day-to-day activities a lot easier whilst being fashionable too!

So what kind of bag to you use and do you carry as much as I do?


Disclosure: I was not paid to write this review and all photos are my own.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

These are fabulous!! I had a Cookie Monster teddy when I was younger (not sure where it is now though - probably hidden away in the parent's loft somewhere) but last time I saw it, you could still make out the remnants of biscuits where I had repeatedly rammed them in his mouth pretending that he was eating them!! haha

Someone on twitter posted a picture of these cakes and then passed my the recipe link.

I am planning to make them at the weekend but if you want to beat me to the kitchen here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

12 Cupcakes (shop bought or homemade)

Frosting

The frosting is a vegetable shortening and icing sugar mixture. You could use butter cream but the frosting is pure white and colours beautifully. You would need to double the buttercream you usually use for 12 cupcakes

Blue colouring - use a good one for the best colour

Coconut - dyed blue to match the frosting

12 Choc chip cookies

Melted white and dark chocolate to make the eyes.

Method:

1. Use an icecream scoop full of frosting to get the right shape and then dipped in it coconut. Press the coconut on and tidy up the shape.
2. When the frosting has firmed a little cut a slice out near the bottom and push a cookie in (you may have to trim the cookie little depending on the size of your cookies). Or make his mouth further up and put cookie pieces around it.
3. The eyes are made by using melted white to make a circle and then dark chocolate in the middle. Don't make them all exactly the same - it adds a bit of character to the finished cakes!
4. Simple - very messy and lots of fun!

Reading the recipe, it's a little vague but I'm pressuming that the 'frosting' is made up by mashing and mixing the cupcakes with the butter cream mixture... what do you think??
Anyways, they look great :)

Wool...

A while ago, I went to a big craft fair up at Olympia or was it Ally Pally?? can't remember it was that long ago! but I was inspired by a variation on a great craft... knitting with big needles. We're talking B.I.G. needles. The type that you couldn't really wip out of your oversized bag on the train in fear of not only taking someone's eye out but possibly knocking their head off!!

Here they are... (that's not me by the way!)

I was intrigued and I wanted to give this new found craft a go but I didn't want to pay the extortionate amount for the giant needles, so I set about a plan to create my own.

I purchased a broom handle for a couple of pounds and chopped it in half. Then I used a stanley knife to sharpen one end of each of my 'sticks' to a rounded point. I then needed something on the other end to stop the wool slipping straight off, so I got hold of some oversized elastic bands and wound them round the ends very tight. Perfect! I now had my own giant needles.

And this is what I created...

It's folded in half but it is a heavy throw to go on a bed. Its wide enough to span the width of a bed but is only two foot deep. I had originally given it to my mother-in-law who admitted that it doesn't get the use that it should.

My plan is to expand...

I discovered that there is a wool shop in town, Sandcastle Yarns, that for some reason I had never ventured to before (maybe because it is a fifteen minute walk from the high street) but I decided to have a lunchtime walk today to check it out and get some new yarn for the throw...



The treasure trove...

Wool, fabric and threads...

Fabric and threads...

More wool (oh and fabric)...

Buttons galore... (I restrained myself, I was coming for yarn!) 

So, this is the little stash that I purchased. I was specifically looking for the textured variety. I was quite amazed and the variety of craft materials that they sold, I will definately be going again :)

I've added them to my existing stash, which is now ready to let the throw extension commence.

I would definately recommend Sandcastle Yarns to anyone remotely insterested in craft. A fabulous find :)