Mazes, magic and makings

According to our calendar it's spring, thank goodness.  It did snow a bit yesterday and was blowing a gale today though.

Yesterday evening I made Freddie and Betsy a maze book each, using some lovely free mazes from mrprintables.com and a simple maze generator program.  We had a lull this afternoon so I got them out, and they both really liked their books.

They were both also diverted by a couple of bits I picked up from The Works yesterday - a joke set and a magic set.  Four things in each for £1.49, what a bargain!

They loved me pretending to be scared of the spiders, or being disgusted at finding poo on the carpet.  Freddie did the 'find the aces' card trick with Rob this evening.


I've been doing a few crafty things.  I made a jam jar jacket, upcycling a jar into a flower vase for a friend's birthday.  I used the tute on attic24.

I wet felted two rocks, and invited the kids to help.  They didn't want to, but Betsy sat next to do and did some drawing and we passed an enjoyable half an hour chatting while we worked.  The rocks turned out great, and make excellent dinosaur eggs.

Warmth

We spent the day inside, by the fire.  We made things, and played.

I made bread, and had some homemade bread and homemade jam.  Yum!

Dinner was chickpea and vegetable curry, all creamy coconut warming goodness.  

Something else made me feel all warm and happy today.  My 365 Project book arrived!  I love it.  I made it through blurb and am really pleased with how it's turned out.

Truly a day of warm things, on a cold cold February Friday.

Playing with boats

I finished the top of my granny square cushion cover last night.  It's waiting to be stitched to a charity shop jumper to finish it off.  I used the leftover yarn from the granny stripe blanket.

Freddie was examining his feet this morning, and noticed one seemed to be larger than the other.    I suggested we draw around out feet and measure the outlines.

Sure enough, our left feet are smaller than our right feet.  Betsy and Meg declined to join in!

We went to the home ed co-op, the first time since mid-December (though we did go on the day out at the beginning of the month).  

We did some activities on boats today, as we're looking at transport this month.

A water table and some boats were set up in the kitchen.  The mop was used *a lot*!

Jules showed the kids how to make an origami boat.   I loved this.  I think we'll do another at home and see if we can waterproof the bottom with melted wax.

Recent makings

Now Christmas is over, and I've been able to make things for us again.

I've had a kit from Mollie Makes magazine for months and months. I've finally got around to making it, now I have a smartphone to put into it (yay!).

Rob saw me making it, and said he could do with a cover for his iPod. So I've made this for his birthday, in Port Vale colours.

I've also been working on a large cushion cover for our delicious sofa. I'm using the leftover yarn from the massive granny stripe blanket I made last year.

I've done 45 of the 91 mini granny squares. I need to find a jumper to make it into a whole cushion cover, I'll be rummaging through charity shops to find what I want.

I had to mention these brownies - flourless brownies from a little book of brownie recipes Mum got me for Christmas. In my best Craig voice... A-Maze-Ing! Oh they were good. I'm going to make a pile of blondies for Rob's birthday tomorrow, with candles stuck in them. Can't wait!

Year of projects - 2 blankets and a stole

This is my first update post, and I haven't cast on anything new yet.

I'm in the middle of a quiltalong, with a deadline to meet later in the month as it's a retirement present for my mum. So it's been all about the sewing and ironing here!

I do have some knitting on the go too though, all WIPs before the 1st July.

I started a simple lace stole when we on holiday at the end of June. I'm still not sure about the yarn - I frogged a partly completed Trillian shawl as the yarn just didn't look right to me - maybe this will end up gifted...




I have a granny stripe blanket on the go. It's on hold for the summer as it's big enough to cover my legs now. I've done 34 stripes and I made the beginning chain reallllly long. It's going to be massive, and a stripe takes an hour.


I'm also working on another blanket, the fabulous Lizard Ridge. This is definately a long term project, to be slotted in between other work. I've completed 2 squares, and I love them both! I just love how the colours change in Noro Kuyreon, and how well the knitting pattern works with it.



Here are the balls for the next two squares - I'm ridiculously excited about how they'll turn out.




Hobbycraft opened a new store within walking distance yesterday, and it's an enormous one. On two floors. With lots of fabric, and lots of yarn, and more things I really don't need but really want.

I went in twice, but was extremely restrained and came out with one ball of yarn. It was Rowan Lima, in a really lovely mossy shade of green (the photo is rubbish, the colour is much richer). I'm going to use it to cast on a Sev[en] Circle for my friend's 40th. That's in two weeks, so I'd better get on with it.....

A year of projects...

I'm a day or two late with this but I've been away on holiday (more of this in a future post, no time now). I'm taking part in a Ravelry group year of projects. I love the idea of this, and it's helped me be a little clearer about what I hope to make in the longer term.

So, here are my projects. There is a mix of WIPS, gifts, things for the kids, the home and me.

• Lizard Ridge blanket (WIP)
  
• Granny Stripe blanket (WIP)
  
• Easy Lace Stole (WIP)
  
• Hitchhiker shawl
• Baby Brioche cardigan
• Poppy hat
• Owlet jumper
• sev[en] circle cowl
• Christmas decorations by Lucy at attic24
  

I have the yarn for 5 of the projects already, so this will be a stashbusting year! Yahoo to that.

No pics today as I should have gone to bed about 2 hours ago.......

Work in progress Wednesday

My first one! I have 2 WIP.

I'm about a 3rd of the way through a Shalom cardigan. I'm really hoping to get it finished by the time the NM Big Camp in mid May.


I'm about half way through a massive attic24 granny stripe blanket. This will take the rest of the year!