More Hoopla

I've started Alice's hoopy thingy for her newly decorated bedroom. I think it's going to be lovely (but I may be slightly bias). She has owl wallpaper on one wall so I took inspiration from that (for inspiration read traced) and decided to do the main bit in felt, and some little embellishments in hand embroidery. I really need to learn some embroidery stitches, so this will be my project for doing that!

This whole site has some pretty comprehensive tutorials on it, so I think I'll use that as my reference and generally wing it.

Alice's Hummingbird longies are knitting up nicely too, the pooling could be better, but part of what I love about variegated wool is that you never really know how it's going to knit up.

There's a group on Ravelry for pooled knits, some of the examples are amazing. Some are not so, but really, what's not to love about anything hand knitted? Oh, you need to see the Ugliest FO thread!  Hobby craft have 3 for 2 on all their yarns at the moment, with that in mind I just bought some Sirdar Click to join in a Mystery KAL on Ravelry, hopefully it'll look nice. With my 2 free balls I bought some Click Chunky, I might make a hat for me with it, what do you think of Capucine?


Anyway, best get my craft on!

Hurray for Hoopla

I am a little bit obsessed with hoopla these days. For those of you who don't know what hoopla is you are in for a TREAT! You know those wooden embroidery hoops? Well, take those hoops, mix them with quality fabrics, cute designs and hand embroidery and you pretty much have hoopla.

I just started following a million hoopla boards on Pinterest, look at this one - awesome, non?

I'm desperate to do one for Alice's bedroom, she has Owl wallpaper and if you've looked at my Pinterest recently you'll have seen a million pins for her room, there might be a few over there on the sidebar --->> (love being able to put my Pinterest feed her on the blog, tres handy)

There's a lovely one here on Etsy that I like, but I want something more. I think I need some embroidered lettering too, I'm not sure what though. I'll keep you all updated with what I decide though (I do know the backing will be a pink gingham!) and I hope you get bitten by the hoopla bug too, I surely can't be alone in that?!

In the meantime, I've been knitting up some super cheap Red Heart yarn I got from Sainsbury's, it was reduced to about £1.30/100g and 3 balls has made a tunic for Alice and a teeny tiny Granny Square blanket (it won't stay that way, I just need to buy more!). 

Next on the list is some more longies for Alice using some gorgeous yarn I got from Jill at Knittybots. I gave her this picture and this is the yarn she dyed me

I've done a couple of full circle skirties recently too. One for a friends rainbow baby's 1st birthday, and the other a jo.knit.sew customer. I've been really please with how they turned out, particularly as I improvised the pattern. 

For now.....get your craft on!

Chez Jo.Knit.Sew ...

I have a school age child! How has that happened? One minute ago he was but a newborn scrunchy baby wailing and feeding and wailing some more, surely?

School jumpers have been bought, shoes, book bag, lunch box, tie (wtf, he's only 4, why does he need a toe?) and pe kit. On Wednesday he'll be crossing the threshold into full time education and he won't be able to escape for at least another 12 years...scary!

Part of me looks at him getting ready to go to formal education and seriously wonders if it's the right thing? Is 4 too young to be going to school (even if you're in age 7 trousers?!) Jone education was always something on the periphery for me, not my husband, but I always thought it would be a good way of ensuring my children had a love of learning. Turns out school is what is probably best for my exuberant, boisterous, busy, inquisitive 4yr old, so that's where he's going. Still, it'll give me more time to make stuff, every cloud and all that!! (well, until the baby starts crawling!)

There has been an elephant in my lounge.

No one has mentioned it, but a granny stripe blanket I started last September has been shoved down the side of the sofa for about 6 months.

We had a furniture shift round and I could see it, staring at me, willing itself to be finished, do I gathered all my crochet enthusiasm and set to it. 2 days later it's finished. I'm actually really happy with it and all it's blankety goodness!

I used cheap acrylic from Wilko's and the blanket weighs in at 740g so the total yarn cost was about £15. Well that plus the 11 months of hard and tedious labour!

Enough I hear you cry, show me the blanket. OK, here she is!

Seems like a long time since I posted.

And obviously it has been, lots has happened since then, another baby being the most significant event. Miss Alice was born in April at home, as planned.

Craft wise I've been doing lots of girls knitting, hurrah!

And I have a new toy!!

Exciting stuff, Mr Attitude starts school next week **gulp** so I'm hoping I'll have more time to get my craft on, my to do list is rather large!

Dolly Tai - Tastic

I had a couple of people interested in Dolly MT's last week and I'm really happy with how they turned out. I love the Russian doll fabric from Fabric Rehab, and the IKEA Jungle fabric is always great!

Long Time no Blog

I appreciate it's been months since I last updated the blog. I haven't entirely been resting on my laurels though, Sam has had a Hotshot from my Snugglebots yarn, and I seem to have caught the hooking bug!  I'm really enjopying Crochet at the moment and have added Hooty Hats to my shop. I love them, they're so cool looking. I did the first for a nappy swap on a forum I use as a little extra, but decided I loved them so much I would happily make more!

I seem to have grown more yarn as well since I last posted - some Thomas TNG yarn with a blue trim and some Gorgeous yarn I recently got from Knittybots

I've seem to have been consumed by all things owly recently! I've done a few owl applique T's of late, again inspired by my secret nappy swap, but other people seem to like them so again, I've added them to the shop along with a bunting t-shirt I made on a whim. Cute huh?!

I think that's probably more than enough for now, Happy Crafting...back to the Christmas knitting!