First off, the Time for Tea swap sign-up is now closed! I will be emailing all participants tonight with a questionnaire and I will also email the newer signer-uppers with an invite to the Flickr group where we can share photographs of our works in progress and swap parcels. I’d like to use some of your photographs at the end of the swap so if you’d rather I didn’t, please let me know. Signing up to flickr is not mandatory, just another excuse to get to know each other a little better.

Today’s post is for me to do a little showing off. When I was trying to decide what to make for Annie in the Owl Swap I came up with the idea of a bag she could keep her knitting in. Now for me the critical element in a knitting bag is that it MUST be able to fit my knitting needles in it. Also, personally I don’t like record-style bags – I’d prefer something a little more upright without losing any space. Now with apologies for the less-than-fantastic photographs – this is what I came up with:-

I also liked the idea of being able to close the bag over but still have a little access to the contents, so I made one large strap that can be slung over a shoulder, and another smaller strap for the large strap to go through and hold it closed.

Of course, this bag still had to have some relevance to owls really so I had my first attempt at appliqué. For a first attempt I was pretty pleased with myself although I’d have liked my stitches to be neater.

I only wish I was a neater seamstress because if ONLY I could sew in a straight line, I would make and sell these bags. Ah well, if wishes and all that! What do you think? Would you use it if you were a knitter?

Crafty plans for this week include my first ever attempt at making a cake with fondant icing, a little work on some longies I’m making for the new baby and a start on a couple of patterns from the fantastic Amanda at KitschyCoo. Luckily I will have my partner in crime Kat here to help me out tomorrow. Hooray!

Posted under general crafty updates, sewing, swaps

Sod’s law, innit? I’m actually getting some crafting done and I can’t post about it until after the 14th February when it’ll be sent to the very lovely Annie from overmilkwood. Annie actually mentioned that she’d left a comment on the entry featuring my Give a Hoot mittens but it hasn’t shown up and since Hannah had already mentioned this I’m now slightly worried. If you’ve posted a comment and it hasn’t shown up please would you mind sending me a quick email so I can do some investigating? I do love getting comments and I worry that I’m missing some.

My lovely husband and I went to Stockholm for a few days last week on a very belated (well, it’s our first anniversary in three weeks!) honeymoon. It was absolutely marvellous and I’m trying very hard not to do that really dull tourist thing of coming back from holiday and showing everyone 50 bajillion boring photographs but I feel I have to share this one.

Those are the two Great Grey Owls resident in Stockholm’s Skansen open air museum. The female (Ropia) is on the left of the picture and the male (Bert) on the right, and Bert got so close to me I could have touched him. Seriously! It was absolutely amazing until they both ate some mice which wasn’t so pleasant.
Stockholm was lovely if very cold and definitely somewhere I’d like to experience again.

I will be back as soon as I have blocked out the most recent items I’ve been working on. My friend Eileen had a baby a few weeks ago and I’ve made a really lovely little lace hat for her daughter plus I must show you blocked photos of the Give a Hoot mittens.

Posted under general crafty updates, knitting, swaps

I can’t help it. Since my last post I’ve developed a minor obsession with owls leading me to cast on these fantastic mittens. Want to hear something shocking? In over 20 years of knitting this is the first item I’ve made for myself. Annoyingly, I thought I had more of the yarn I cast on with so I’ve completed the first mitten and have had to start the second with a ball that went through the washing machine and had a bit of a kool aid accident. I’m hoping that since it was a 30degree wash the transferred dye won’t have set but I suspect I’ll be out of luck and will have to overdye the mittens. Bear in mind it’s not blocked yet and doesn’t have the eyes sewn on – here’s a taster for you.

I’ve also been searching Etsy and adding a whole load of owl-themed items to my favourites. I’m determined I’m going to buy The Owl and The Pussycat artwork, I just loved it as a child and it reminds me so much of a beautifully illustrated book that I had.

I’m also still working on a Jean Greenhowe Rainbow Baby but I’ve got somewhat bored after making and stuffing the body. Doesn’t this look a little creepy?



Other than that, I’m kicking back and taking it easy this week. Both the hubby and I are back to work tomorrow and we’re both trying to mentally prepare for it so I’m still in bed with my knitting, a big glass of water and season 3 of The West Wing. It’s going to be interesting getting the five of us out the door by 7.30am tomorrow but luckily I get to crawl back into bed for a little while. It’s a hard life

Posted under knitting