Finished projects and works in progress!

Well I went up North and Saw my Gran (BB) and had a really good time shes a massive inspiration to me and makes me want to be creative and shes so good to talk to and bounce ideas off of Dan has decided that she is a legend and I have to agree!! she was so stoked that she had a staring out competition with a man at the Northwich market that was having a gawp at the big blonde hair and leopard print coat that is me and she won!!! apparently he became very uncomfortable at BB having a gawp Right back and busied himself with his market business!! Thank you BB!!!

anyway while I was away I completed one of my projects which is my vintage raglan cardigan from a late 1940s pattern that was photocopied for me from my friend Jo's collection so a big THANK YOU to Jo I love everyone of the patterns that you gave to me but I found just the right buttons in my collection and just had to knit it!!! anyway I changed the pattern a little bit using smaller needles as I wanted a tighter knitted finish but I love the finished product! It was my first attempt at a cardigan and button holes but I managed to get it all finished in 3 weeks due to all the long bus journeys I do and I haven't been able to take it off it goes with everything and is such a wearable piece!!

Anyway whilst I was up north I did one of my favourite things and that is scour the charity shops and markets for their goodies and OMG did I find some lovely stuff!! I picked up some vintage knitting patterns from the late 50s early 60s that include some fantastic knitted suits and cardigans that are going to have to be knitted up in the most garish colours imaginable but I popped into he local oxfam and found 2 boxes of vintage dress patterns 50% of which were all in my size!!! good golly I ended up over 2 trips taking home 17 patterns at the huge price of 50p each!! and there are some beautiful ones there are some 70s halterneck dresses 80s catsuits and some fantastic 60s dresses I was spoilt for choice!!! not only that but in the market there was a fabric stall that had some of the most fantastic 80s style fabrics so I came away with a fantastic navy and light brown hounds tooth fabric its simply devine!!

Once we were back at BBs she got my mum to go through some of here old fabrics and found some of the most fantastic 80s Aztec print fabric that I have ever seen and would be perfect for one of the dress patterns that I had got from the charity shop!!! I cant wait to sew it, it might have to be a Christmas dress!! She has also given me some beautiful pastel fabric pieces that will be perfect for another quilt my mum suggested that I made a special one that had fabrics donated from family members as some sort of memory quilt, I think it sounds lovely but I need to get somewhere with the simple patchwork quilt that I'm trying not to destroy!! I also found some beautiful soft lemon mohair style wool in another charity shop and have started with a early 50s batwing sweater its knitting up lovely and the colour is perfect for the jumper I cant wait to complete it, its from a pattern that BB had cut out from a magazine in the 50s and its such a sweet design and so simple as its in two pieces!!

Thanks again Jo for this fantastic pattern!!

I saw these buttons and knew that they had to be on this cardy they're a lovely vintage brass and I only had 6 so it was obviously meant to be!!!

Dans socks are storming along and I'm halfway through the 2nd sock I just have the task of knitting the mid section to fit a size 12 foot its never ending!!! but its good for bus travel as I can just knit while desperately looking for my bus stop in the pitch black of night!!!!

Anyway theres been a lot going on a lot of projects I just wish I had the time to throw myself into all of them!!! There is one thing that Ive not really talked about that has been making me frantically sketch out ideas over the last few weeks and that is my ceramics, I don't have any good pictures as nothing is fired or completed yet but I have rediscovered my mojo and discovered aspects that I really love, mostly Scraffito and Raku I spent some time on the potters wheel last week and all these feelings came flooding back and I instinctively knew what to do, 20 minutes later I had 3 small pots but I was really happy with their shape and thickness next week I'm going to go crazy with some slips and decorate them before firing, once I have some finished items I will do a ceramics special post (in the next few weeks so watch this space!!)

will post again soon and hopefully I will have more photos to show off!! Cheerio!!!

Will be going away!!

Im going to see my Nanna in Cheshire for a few days this week, its been over 18 months since Ive seen her and Im really looking forward to catching up with her!! When I come back I will post photos of the works in progress I have been doing in my ceramics class Im really pleased with the way some pieces have come out all I need is to get the glazing right :s

I will also post photos of the knitting I have been doing over the weeks Im long overdue with knitting photos I think!

Anyway Ive got ironing to catch up with and a kitchen to tidy and 1/2 a maderia cake to polish off before tomorrow EEEEEK!!

P.S have a cool Halloween everybody and stay cozy!!!

Its super late!!!

Well its 1am and Ive gotta get ready for work tomorrow and Ive forgotten to take my Knock out pills so I think its safe to say that I will be sleeping in in the morning so now is the time to post!!!

In the past couple of weeks I have learned a few things such as how much I took evenings for granted, Ive been working until 9.30 /10pm most evenings during the week and my creative pursuits are seriously suffering as a result and Ive been playing catch up when I get any free time at the weekend but that's not going well either because I'm mostly snoozing!!! but the thing is that I <3 class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">don't go crazy thinking that its machine washable and shrinking your project that you spend a whole evening on DAMMIT!!! I think you can safely say that I was TOed!!!

Ive completed 50% of two pairs of socks and Dan has been mooching around the flat in them dropping hints that he would really like the other one to either of them he doesn't mind which so that's what Ive cast on this evening another sock that will be my bus project for the next week or so!!

Ive been collecting 1/4 metres of fabric here and there whenever Ive got some spare pennies and Ive developed a little collection of gingham's and poloycottons in pastel colours, and then last week I went to see my chum Margaret who has a vintage textile shop in Kemp Town and she found me two fat quarters of the fabbest fabrics in the world ,one is mostly white and is filled with sail boats and french text in lovely pastel colours and the other is a lemon fabric with white fruit tree outlines, well the plan is that this weekend I'm getting out the sewing machine and starting on a patchwork quilt and I will post again with some progress hopefully soon!

I have been working on a knitting project over the past 2 weeks but I want to reveal it once Ive finished with it as its been a challenge and I want to see if it looks any good before I get all excited about it, I will say that its a vintage item made with vintage wool that I got from my local charity shop (Thanks Help the Aged in Hove!!)

The plan for before Christmas is too get the old Etsy shop off the ground and actually complete a few projects I'm fed up with having lots of floaty ideas that get me excited and keep me up in the night I WANT RESULTS!! well hopefully the next time I post I will have more of a routine going on and will have some finished items and hopefully some proper works in progress that I can really get stuck into!!

Cheerio for now

Its all been a crazy week!!

Well another week and a bit has gone by and a lot of things have been happening, Ive been settling into my new job but at the moment it involves working some unsociable hours and its been really difficult to do anything creative in the evenings after doing the chores and making kick ass teas! so I'm not being as creative as I would like...........but hopefully that's all about to change, Ive enrolled into Brighton University's ceramics course that's on Tuesday evenings until March next year its going to be great, and Ive been checking out Ceramics Review and Craft magazine for inspiration Ive got a lot of ideas floating around and its going to be great to do something with them and to make them into something!!

In the past few weeks Dan and I have really tidied up the flat and have set up home in the living room so that we can be close to the grillets and as its warmer and its just a nicer room so we've put our heads together and decided to make the bedroom into a craft/ writing/guest room, were going to invest in some shelving and I'm going to make some nice frameable pictures to have up and were going to make the flat a bit more homely (its time we think we've been here over a year and were so settled and this really feels like home!!!) and so Ive got a project to make some nice things for the flat so that's going to include some prints for the walls (I'm looking at 1920s film sirens for inspiration) and baroque frames Ive been setting some time aside each day to do some sketches to get some ideas together (I'm hoping to spend more time on it next week) and I'm going to make quilt for the bedroom and some nice cushions to make the bed look more interesting and so that it can work as a bed and as a big old sofa too, we've set up Dan knitting machine in there as well and all my yarn is there just waiting for some shelving for it!!! So I'm on my way to having a little room that I can do all things creative in and not have to worry about mess and tidying up for meal times its going to be great!!!

At the moment I'm trying to be a good wife and knit things for Dan at the moment so hes gone through my yarn stash and picked out two of my favourite yarns (DAMMIT!!!) for socks for himself we looked at the socks that I have made recently and he picked out the elements that he liked and didn't like and together we've heavily adapted one of my 1940s patterns to something that he would like to wear and there looking quite good I'm 1/2 way through 1 pair and they are awaiting a buddy and Ive just finished the heel on another sock to another pair so that I don't get bored!! My 1950s lacy sweater is hibernating at the moment until I can really give it some proper attention and I found in the depths of my craft bag last night some beautiful cream pure wool that I got from a car boot that is just gasping to be made into a sweater so Ive been scouring Ravelry for inspiration so watch this space. Also if anyone knows of a good mittens pattern let me know of it because I've got some Noro wool that is seriously meant to be some outrageous mittens!!

The guinea pigs have been fine and weve had them popcorning around their cage and boogieing around the flat they've developed a taste for green beans and go mad whenever Dan squeaks at them its so nice having happy grillets in the house again!!! Edith has been chilling out with me each night 'helping' with my knitting and napping with me its so sweet and I look forward to it each evening!!

So I will hopefully have some completed projects to update on next week so I will post again soon!!! <3

Im still here!!!

Ive got the weekend off so I will do a long overdue post about whats been happening the past week and a bit, Im off to get ready for an evening at the cinema tonight its the late night showing of The Thing at the Duke of Yorks and Im super excited about getting my Kurt Russell fix and spending time with Dan!!

So will do a proper update this weekend of current and upcoming projects and plans and get some of our new photos up here too!!

Hugs <3

New additions to the family!!!

Well we had a problem on our hands at the beginning of the week and that was a super depressed Edith, there was a Tshirt in the cage that Mamma had been using as she was getting cold at night and when we came home with no Mamma Edith would not leave this T shirt alone and when we would take her out of the cage she would squeak until she was put back in and would then lie on the T shirt!! We had to take emergency action and I got some advice from fellow Gpig owners and decided to get her a friend!!!

I phoned every animal rescue centre in east Sussex and the Rspca and various other places and no one had any female G pigs that they could let us look at!!! I couldn't believe it!! I nearly lost hope until I did my usual trawl of Brighton Gumtree online and saw an advert for 3 female guinea pigs, I chatted to Dan and he said I should go and look at them as we could make space for them if I wanted them. so I visited the owner and I couldn't believe what I saw 3 of the most gorgeous faces in the world!!! Let me introduce you too........

EDITH!!!! shes gorgeous and keeps me company while I knit, sometimes she has a nibble too!! Now for the new ladies, here is Ripley she is 3 months old and looks a stunner!!
Maude, a timid little soul but loves a chatter when she is petted!!
And Doobie, named so as she reminded Dan of Michael McDonald from the Doobie Brothers I like her because she looks like shes wearing the special crime scene suits!!

Well we've had them for nearly a week and a lot has changed Edith is the brightest and most animated Ive seen her in weeks and we got rid of the T shirt, shes not to keen on meeting the fellow guinea pigs as they're much younger and she prefers to stay in her cage and visit them on occasion and see whats going on, anyway shes much happier and that is a massive relief to me!!

The new grillets are settling in so well they will let us pick them up and pet them which they weren't doing at first and are chatting away happily to whoever will listen its a happy home indeed, they're super affectionate and a joy to have!!! I look forward everyday to coming home and petting them and then me and Edith sit in our wicker chair together whilst I knit and drink Yogi tea!!! anyway I will update you all on their progress and get some new photies too and of course our head OG (Origional Grillet) will model for us too (she is a camera hog!!!)

RIP Mamma :(

Well, I did take Mamma to the vet and was told that she had cancer so I became very bummed out about my poor little Gpig and after a lot of thought and tears we decided that we couldn't have her suffer and had to have her put to sleep on Saturday morning, (as I said good by she gave me a little piggie kiss.....in fact she was trying to nibble off my strawberry flavoured lip balm but the thought was nice.) anyway Dan and I were really upset shes been a real rock to us over the past 4 years and I appreciate every evening that she spent on my shoulder watching TV and whispering secrets in my ear. She kicked ass and will be greatly missed!! and now I have a depressed and lonely yellow monster g pig I asked some fellow guinea pig owners about it and I am now on a mission to find Edith a friend or two to keep her company and so that she can do all the things she likes like grooming and generally being the big boss and having something to fuss over! In the meantime she has had a mirror to keep her occupied (recommended in one of my guinea manuals but that was short lived as she keeps knocking it over trying to find the grillet friend.

I have been tyring to knit up a storm but its been hard (I thought Id really go for it yesterday but Edith had eaten the wool and I spent a good 5 minutes doing a Benny Hill around the living room trying to get it out of her mouth!!)

Anyway not much more to report I have several sewing projects to be getting on with this week and knitting to do so I will hopefully have more to report next week!!