Christmas Time

Heroes, giants, villains, wizards, true love

I bought a fibre club from storied yarns recently and decided its worth a post all of its own as I can definitely recommend it. I was interested in this club as you get to choose the theme of the club, (there are suggestions for general topics to help you think of something if your stuck.) For my fibre club I went with the favourite film option and chose The Princess Bride (who doesn't love that film) and I love how she has interpreted it.

I got in my package.

4oz BFL dyed in some lovely shades.

the note she sent explains her inspiration in the choice of colours.

- a farm boy, poor and perfect, with eyes like the sea after a storm
- a red dress and golden hair, enjoying a daily ride or a dip in eel-infested waters
- the sun setting behind the kiss that left them all behind

if you know the film the above will make perfect sense :)

Some chocolates, which after a little internet searching I believe they are (well were I've eaten them already) Hershey's mint Candy Cane Kisses, which were yummy and not something I've had before as you don't really get Hershey's over here.

And some princess bride themed badges.

The fibre has spun up lovely and I found some natural coloured roving in my stash that I think may also be BFL though I can't be 100% sure to ply with it.

Now to decide what to make with the finished yarn??

Wednesday again

I've been mainly spinning this week. I've finished off spinning up the Wesley and Buttercup BFL I started last week and found some undyed roving (that I think is also BFL but I'm not 100% sure as it wasn't labelled) that I have spun and plyed the dyed fibre with and has made a lovely yarn. I'm really please with it though I'm not asking DH what he thinks again as his comment was well done you've made string LOL.

I've also spun up another fibre club I had in my stash. Its the November fibre club from playatlife fibre arts. Its mixed BFL dyed up in shades of red, brown, purple and green.

It started as this

and is now (bottom bobbin and bobbin on table)

I think I may try and get a nice brownish shade to spin up and ply with it rather than a paler cream.

I've taken part in a secret santa on NM's and my gifts are on there way to their recipient at the moment but mine arrived yesterday. I got a clothkits purse which I'm planning on having a go at later this week hopefully and should be useful as the size looks like it will be good for my crochet hooks and maybe a small pair of scissors, might stop me loosing them.

I've also made a Joseph costume this week for my Eldest who was playing Joseph in the Nursery Nativity. I went to see it this morning and the whole class were fab and so cute in all their costumes. 

I've still got a couple of shawls to finish and a quilt and tablecloth to make before Christmas and am thinking on making DH a Kindle cover if I can fit it in too. All really to be finished in the next week as the last week before Christmas is already a right off for crafting. Eek not going to do it am I.

For more WIP projects please visit Tamis Blog

WIP Wednesday

I have managed to do quite a bit this week unfortunately some of it I can't share as its for Secret Santa gifts. But what I can share is since finishing the spooky quilt I have been madly cutting out fabric to finish off the kaleidoscope quilt and summer sampler quilt I started earlier this year as part of QAL's but never actually finished. 

The summer sampler one I want to get finished fairly quickly as I'm planning on giving it as a gift to my Gran for Christmas along with a shawl I'm also trying to finish in time for her.

I've also found out some fabric I bought last year for making a christmas table cloth (then we didn't actually have a table at the time) so I need to get that made this week really.

And finally I've also been spinning up some lovely dyed BFL I received this week from Storied Yarns. It came for the personalised fibre club roving I ordered last month (am going to post more about this later when I get the chance to write it out) and as the kids settled earlyish last night I thought I'd sit and do a bit of spinning while I caught up a bit with all the tele I've been recording (my sky planner was nearly full and I've managed to catch up on a massive amount of Castle, Vampire Diaries, Ringer, Alphas and Criminal Minds in the last couple of weeks to try and clear it down a bit). I record alot but don't actually sit down to watch it all that often then find I've got hours worth of tv series to get through as I'm about 8 weeks behind on everything LOL.

Now I just need to decide what I want to ply it with.

For more of the weeks WIP please visit Tamis blog 

Nearly a year to the day but its done.

Well its been a busy couple of weeks. My eldest turned 4 last week and we had a bit of a party for him on the weekend with family staying,. But I have still managed to get quite a bit of crafting in as well with my favourite finished thing this week being the blanket I started mid to late November last year.

So its taken pretty much a year to the day to actually get myself in gear and finish it but the spooky blanket is finished and my eldest loves it and it now has pride of place in his bedroom.

Upon request I made a dinosaur theme cake for the party

And I finished spinning up some bright coloured merino and plyed it with black welsh and tussah silk to make a very fireworks inspired yarn. A little over spun in places and I could have done with plying it a little tighter but not bad overall I think, I'm planning on making a scarf I think out of it otherwise not sure what I'm going to do with it.

I have also finished something for my secret santa gift but as its a secret I can't post pics of the finished object sorry.

For more finished objects please visit tamis blog and see what everyone else has been up to this week.

Yarn Bowls and other lovely stuff

I went and picked up my new yarn bowl yesterday and its lovely so thought I'd share

It has been custom made for me by a local pottery. I decided I'd quite like a yarn bowl a while ago. I looked online initially and found very few places in the UK that made yarn bowls and none of them had ones that really jumped out and said buy me :( I looked then further afield and found more available in the US but was put off by the fact I would essentially be getting a breakable item posted all the way from the US to here and with my luck I'd just get a package full of lovely pottery shards. So my light-bulb moment came when I was driving home from the supermarket passed a local pottery, I popped in to ask on the off chance they made them. They didn't :( but the lovely lady there offered to make one for me if I supplied her some pictures to show what exactly it was :)

Well I've had a few other new things into my crafty stash over the last few months and think they deserve a bit of a mention as well. 

These include a sunflower swift. 

This is very well made, feels really sturdy and spins very smoothly so I can highly recommend them if your in the market for a swift. I bought mine through Skeins and it arrived in a couple of days.

I also got a new spindle and nostepinne made by Enid Ashcroft.

the spindle is made of zebrano with an oak spindle (tech bit for those that want to know is whorl diameter 1 3/4", spindle length 9 1/2", weight 29g) and the nostepinne is made of cherry and has a WIP gauge on it as well which is useful. 

A Jumbo flyer kit for my ashford traditional that I got on Ravelry

and finally I've had a few fiber clubs arrive this last month. 

The first is from playatlifefiberarts. 

Its dyed Polwarth and the colourway's called Jacks Lament based on the nightmare before christmas. The colours are lovely and very me I would have probably picked something similar to this were I shopping for fibre so am really please with it. I've had a message to say this month is on its way from the US so just waiting to see what shes done this month.

The second has been dyed by Longdrawjames and is called fireworks in the bedroom and is dyed in some lovely shades of pink, purple and orange. Not something I would have usually picked but I actually really like it.

Remembrance Day

They shall grow not old, 

as we that are left grow old: 

Age shall not weary them, 

nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun 

and in the morning 

We will remember them.

Poppy was made using the free pattern found here.

WIP Wednesday 14

Is it Wednesday again already. I'm sure the weeks are getting shorter. OK so what have I been up to this week.

Firstly I've made a crochet Poppy from a pattern a friend from NM's has written. It looks great and is straightforward to make so if anyone is still in need of a poppy for Friday she has provided the pattern free on Ravelry here

I've worked some more on the zen jacket for the CAL and its coming along nicely now.

I've also been spinning this week. I've had a total fail when it comes to spinning on my new wheel, a secondhand hitchhiker. I just cannot get it right but my spinning has been getting alot better with my traditional.

thats a little overspun but at least the thickness is more even.

nearly no bits I can see overspun in this though. Yey

I did these on Monday and filled another bobbin with the various brights last night. I've got a jumbo flyer on the way so am going to wait to ply them till that arrives.

The other thing I've been playing with is making crochet necklaces and bracelets. I've been playing at making up my own pattern for the first time as an idea of giving them as Christmas presents maybe. I've no pictures at the moment but if I get the sizing figured out I'll do some then.

For more WIP posts please see Tamis blog and have a look at what everyones been up to this week

Remember Remember

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason, why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot. 

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.  

By God's mercy he was catch'd
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

Hope everyone had a good bonfire night this weekend. We had a great time watching the fireworks. We didn't have a bonfire this year (I haven't ever done penny for a guy or a guy for the fire but we do usually have/go to a bonfire) but the boys enjoyed the fireworks and didn't seem to miss it.

For anyone not from the UK who doesn't know, Bonfire night is celebrated on the 5th November each year in remembrance of 1605 when Guy Fawkes was caught trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament. From a young age most people know the rhyme remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder treason and plot and will celebrate bonfire night with a bonfire and fireworks (some people still have a guy for the fire) though I think fewer people nowadays probably know the reasons behind why they wanted to blow up the houses of parliament in the first place.

WIP Wednesday - Bit late today

Nearly missed it today. Well I've been working on the blanket but didn't get it finished for Halloween but hopefully will have it nearly there by Friday (I keep saying that but one week it will be true). I've started sewing the layers together I need to do the binding and I might do some free-motion sewing on it at a later date but at least it will be usable till I get round to that.

The second thing I've been working on this week is the Zen jacket for the G+ CAL. I finally got the yarn to start it as I realised I didn't have enough of the yarn I was going to use and couldn't get anymore of it so had to have a rethink.

I haven't worked on my rippled wrap shawl at all this week so no progress there.

For more WIP posts please see Tami's Blog