Monday 24 December 2018

Happy Merry Christmas to all!

Very, very happy holidays and for 2019 loads of crafty happiness, good health of course and lots lots lots of good news, - in short, all best wishes to you from me and my reindeer Comet!!
Comet is made of felt pieces sewn together (a Mollie Makes pattern). I gave him a nice warm scarf made from a yarnscrap of lovely soft Blue Sky Fiber suri merino.





Cheeky Comet, he loved the photoshoot!




Saturday 22 December 2018

Selbu Mittens

The Selbu Mittens is a pattern by Skeindeer Knits. You can buy it here on Ravelry. Skeindeer is a London-based Norwegian pattern designer highly influenced by traditional Norwegian knitting. She hosts a nice YouTube podcast that I watch regularly.
The pattern is well-written and easy to follow, and I loved learning new techniques (like the Old Norwegian cast-on). It was a bit like solving a puzzle to me. This colourwork knitting is really something I want to do more of.
The yarn I used is John Arbon Textiles knit by numbers DK, bought online from Knit with Attitude
(a local yarn shop in London). I am very happy with these mittens, they are so super warm and cosy. I made them as a Chritmas gift and I hope they will be well received!




Sooo cosy and warm!



starting a new project is always a bit daunting…












Sunday 16 December 2018

Elsa

This is Elsa.
She is made from textile scraps (I even used a shoe cleaning cloth I got in a hotel). The yarn I used is Scheepjes Cotton (brown) and a lovely mini-skein of Trava and Wool, bought at Yarnporium London. I based this on a pattern I found in Mollie Makes issue 84, but changed the knitted part of her dress and made the scarf a bit smaller. I also gave her a more open and confident look.  I often don't like the way girl dolls and cuddly toys have been given this all too sweet and submissive look with long eyelashes etc. So here's Elsa : a real girl bear, smart and confident and ready for the world!




Here is Elsa taking a nap whilst I am choosing yarn for her scarf:


Monday 10 December 2018

Touchstone Shawl.

This summer, during some travelling, I made the Touchstone Shawl. It's a free pattern on Ravelry, by Laura Aylor. It's quite a big shawl and lovely to wear. The pattern is not difficult and it kept me interested. I used gorgeous Malabrigo Dos Tierras, in the colourways "pearl ten" and "arch angel". I love working with this yarn! I bought it at The Sheep Shop In Cambridge (UK). Sadly it closed in September 2017. The disappearance of more and more local yarn shops is so sad. Buying online just isn't the same!!







 It's a big shawl!


Wednesday 5 December 2018

Craftivism and a brilliant quote

Climate change and global warming scare me a lot. I think there's quite a big chance that a lot of people will suffer badly from the effects.
I try not to brood on it too much, because that doesn't help anyone. What we all can do, however, is let our voices be heard at particular times that could be significant. So when I heard about the Claim the Climate March in Brussels on December 2nd, I decided to participate.
I took my mini banner kit from the "Craftivist Collective" and went looking for a quote that I found wise and suitable. I started sewing and stitching and ended up with this great banner. Because we're in this together.
and the March last sunday was amazing and exhilarating : so many people, lots of young people, all of them asking for better ways to live together. It was a hopeful day.