Rosie posy tea cosy!

I've been working on this tea cosy for over a year. By that I really mean... I finished the plain green part of the tea cosy and then never got round to knitting all of the flowers and leaves to go on top. So as part of my 'finish all WIP's' new years resolution, I got my self motivated and got knitting!

I was inspired by Alice's spring explosion tea cosy over at Crochet with Raymond, you can see her patterns on Ravelry here.

I crocheted the large lilac rose and the red layered rose using my book Crochet Bouquet and the rest of the knitted swirly roses were made from one of my Christmas presents Really wild tea cosies.

I'm so pleased with it and so glad I finally got round to finishing it. It looks so fun and colourful and looks really pretty on my table so that I get to look at it all day long! 

It's all made with Stylecraft yarn that I had left over from other projects, so a really good project to do to use up old scraps that you have lying around.

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Rose has started doing a new thing today. She keeps pretending to have gotten herself stuck around the house in places like under chairs, next to the sofa, next to the table and then makes this fake whiny noise until one of us comes to her rescue! I purposefully don't go over to help her (obviously checking that she is Actually stuck!) and I even caught her peering round to see if I was looking! These cheeky nearly-one year olds! haha

Right, I'm off to decide what to get working on next!

I hope everyone's had a lovely Thursday.

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2011 Photo memories and a lot of chatter!

I know everyone's probably bored with seeing all of these 2011 photo mosaics by now but I wanted to put one together as it was an excuse to look back on the huge amount of photo's taken this year. I only started blogging in March so I've only included photo's from then onwards. I've used most of them here on my blog but there are a few extras that I added in... just because I liked them.

March

I crocheted a cushion cover for my mum's birthday, it was my second cushion cover and I was really happy with it.

We went on a little holiday to the Isle of Wight and stayed in a lovely little cottage, we were really lucky as there was a heat wave and we ended up relaxing on the beach!

Ray and I went on plenty of walks with Rose when she was tiny enough to be snuggled in the Wilkinet carrier.

April 

I completed Rose's ripple blanket, it still my favourite of her baby blankets and I got sooo many compliments on it. I still have loads of the Stylecraft left from making both her blankets, probably enough for another one!?

I began my Japanese flower scarf in King Cole yarn.

Rose and I enjoyed many days in the park enjoying the sunshine, the park behind the Cathedral here is so so lovely and peaceful.

I completely my granny bunting for our kitchen and it's still hanging up in there now. :-)

May

I began and completed Rose's knitted bolero, stupidly I knitted it really really tiny though so she only got to wear it for a day! (Lesson learned here...)

Rose came with us to her first wedding, it was one of Ray's colleagues that was getting married.

Plenty more walks were had in West Sussex And Dorset.

Fruit and vegetables that I was attempting to grow in my little garden actually Grew!

June

I crocheted a little purse for my Nan's birthday, she's now gone and sewn it onto the Outside of her handbag which looks shall we say... interesting!

My Nan and I drove half way to Cornwall to meet my Mum and spend the day with her. We had a picnic and it was lovely to let Mum spend some time with Rose.

I finished my Japanese flower scarf. I haven't actually worn it yet... it's just not that warm!

July

I finished Rose's baby shrug, I love it but it's still too big for her to wear. I think it'll fit her about half way through this year...

Ray and I visited some gorgeous gardens, before starting this blog I never really took in how stunning some plants can be. Now I really enjoy taking photo's of flowers as I can look back on their beauty anytime I want. Just another positive about blogging...

August

I crocheted a baby blanket for Rose using the granny square pattern from Attic24. I remembered exactly when I started it, it was about 4am in the morning and I was awake downstairs with a poorly Rose. I started crocheting granny squares to keep me sane!

I sewed an oven cloth for my best friends birthday, I also made a few other things to go along with it.

I borrowed my cousins SLR camera for a day and had so much fun taking photo's of the views from my Nan's garden and the flowers in it.

September

We went on holiday to Spain, Rose's first holiday abroad. This photo was taken on our one and Only trip to the beach... she got sand everywhere! (I was finding sand in her chubby creases for day's after!) Rose was terrified of the waves and didn't understand that your not supposed to eat sand, just a bit too young... The rest of the holiday was spent relaxing by the quiet pool by the villa.

I finished my first mini quilt for my auntie's birthday present, I wasn't sure about it as it was my first attempt but she said she loved it and has it hanging on her kitchen door.

October

I baked and decorated my first 'proper' birthday cake. It was for Ray's 27th birthday, it took me forever and I wasn't completely happy with the result but it's the love that went into making it that really matters! haha. Ray was chuffed with it anyway. :-)

I did a bit of a chair make-over, it's a little scratched on the top where Rose pulled it over but it still looks much better than it did before!

I completed a couple of knitting projects, Rose's cropped cardigan and my hand warmers. She's still too little to be able to wear the cardigan and I decided to save the hand warmers and gave them to my Mum for Christmas as I knew she really liked them.

November

We tested out the baby rucksack for the first time, Rose seemed comfortable enough and even fell asleep... her face did get a little squished though.

I began knitting some more hand warmers from the yarn I had bought with a birthday voucher, I've now finished them and wear them everyday.

I hand quilted a hot water bottle cover to go in the Advent swap package I was sending off to Jo at Cupcake Jojo, I hope she liked it.

I showed you a couple of my other WIP's, Rose's quilt that I kind of plan to finish by her 1st birthday.. Eeekk! Also, another baby blanket... I'm not entirely sure if I like it that much anymore though and can't decide whether or not it's worth carrying on with.

December

I decorated my very first Christmas cake! (I had baked it a couple of months before hand...)

I was busy making and finishing off Christmas presents for people, including Mum's mug hug (I Had made a few other things for Mum as well), Nan's dresden plate cushion and Lettie's hexagon blanket.

I finished my cabled headband with the most gorgeous wool, Lettie bought me another skein of it for Christmas so I will have to knit something to match.

Well, that's it! Sorry if I completely bored you all with my knattering... but I hope you've enjoyed a round up of some of the photo's that have been here on my blog since March.

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PS- Before I go, I just have to tell you.

I am Incredibly excited at the moment... I am waiting for the anticipated arrival of my new camera!! Here it is if you'd like to take a peek.

It should be arriving anytime from tomorrow onwards... Every time I start thinking about the things and events I'll be able to take photo's of, I just want to jump up and down on the spot with a huge grin on my face. I know this probably sounds really over the top but to be honest I'm just really looking forward to taking some lovely shots of Rose, I was so disappointed with my last camera as it just wasn't quick enough and she was constantly blurry!

FO: Rose's fairisle cardigan.. the cheats way!

So far I'm actually doing quite well at finishing projects that I've at some point cast aside for other things. I want to get all of my half finished items finished and then I can fully enjoy starting new projects without that niggling guilty feeling that I should actually be working on something else.

I finished this cardigan just in time thank goodness, as it fits Rose perfectly right now... at the rate she's growing though, if I had been a few weeks later in finishing it, it may have been a little too snug!

The pattern is free on Ravelry and you can get it here. I altered the bottom of the cardigan slightly as I wanted it the cream coloured section to stand out a little more, it's got quite a lot of stretch to it so I think it'll last her just long enough. The pattern is really quite simple and is so so pretty.

The wool is a self-patterning yarn that knits a fairisle effect, I love the look of  fairisle but I just haven't learnt how to do it properly yet! (It's next on the list of things to master..) I wanted to knit something that wasn't just one block of colour though and as I had this in my stash, I thought I'd try it out. It's a baby yarn so it's really soft and suggly, it actually makes me want to pick her up for even More cuddles!

 I had a little help from Nan at Christmas with frogging and picking up some stitches because somewhere I had gone wrong but I just couldn't figure out what I had done... I think I just needed a fresh pair of eye's to look at it.

It was really lovely to knit once I had transferred it over to my new circular knitting needles. I was spoilt with gifts by my family at Christmas and I was treated to the starter pack of KnitPro needles plus a couple of extra different sized tips. They knit beautifully as the needle tips are slightly more pointed which make it easier to do some of the fiddly stitches and they are so smooth that the stitches slide on and off them perfectly.

I'm just going to do a little more on another project I'm attempting to finish and then it's off to bed for me!

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Our Christmas 2011

I have so many posts in draft form at the moment with all the photo's but not very much writing. I've not really felt much like sitting down to write my blog in the evenings since getting back from Dorset and then when I do feel like writing in the day, Rose has other ideas!

She's going through quite a clingy phase at the moment, if there are other people around she'll be straight over playing with them as I think she gets a little bored of me! But if it's just us in the house she just wants to constantly be sitting on or (more realistically) climbing all over me. This wouldnt be a problem usually but if I'm trying to get 5 minutes on the laptop and sit up to the desk, she has now taken to bashing the keys as hard as she can with her little podgy hands. She has one of those baby toy latops but apparently my boring black one is wayyy more fun!

Anyway, here are a few pics of us at Christmas. (I've stolen a few photo's from my cousin, thanks Jose!)

Lettie loved the hexagon blanket, thank goodness! I knew it was a nice blanket but after the Many hours working on it... I did start to doubt whether I liked all of the colours together but now I feel much more confident that it did look really nice. I've taken some photo's of it laid out on our bed to show it off a bit better but they are in another draft post so I will have to get organised and get that posted on here.

As far as I can tell Rose enjoyed her first Christmas, she really didn't realise that it was a special kind of day but she definitely enjoyed all of the attention and cuddles she got from everyone in the family whilst we were down. Maybe that's why she's being clingy at the moment... hhmm...

She was spoilt with lovely presents from everyone, we need to get going on those Thank you cards!

She got an a whole big sack of presents from her Nana, she was a very lucky girl although it was much more fun for me opening up all of the presents.. Rose helped with a couple and then kind of lost interest!

Thanks Mum x

All in all it was quite an eventful Christmas, my Great-great grandad got a little too merry in the pub whilst going for his annual drink with the other men in the family, he was the happiest I've ever seen him! But then Ray went next door to find that he had taken a tumble after waking from his nap, he ended up with a big black eye and had hurt his head so couldn't make it to our Christmas dinner. It felt very strange not to have him there with us, luckily we always have a Boxing day meal so he was able to make it to that. It was almost like another Christmas day, except Mum had had to travel back to Cornwall for work which was a shame.

I got some Amazing gifts which I'm completely chuffed with but I'll have to take some photo's of them and tell you about them another day as I don't want make this post too long and boring! 

This is one of the little gifts I made for Mum that I couldn't show you before, do you like it?

Right, off to my bed now. Hopefully I'll have a chance to come on here again tomorrow as I have lots to show you.

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It's nearly that time of year again!

The cake is done!

I may have a million other things to do on my list, but at least the cake can be ticked off!

It's the first Christmas cake I've ever made and I'm pretty chuffed with it. :-) The icing looks a lot smoother than on Ray's birthday cake which I'm really happy about, although it's Definitely not perfect!

I came across a picture of a cake with holly leaves on in the Cath Kidston magazine and decided to use that for inspiration. I Love the cake bunting and bought it from Jooles at Sew Sweet Violet a while ago, I'm so glad to be finally able to use it.

I had Sarah from Shabby chic Sarah around for lunch on Monday, it was a really lovely day and so great to see her again. The weather was really awful so we stayed indoors chatting with cups of tea, whilst she helped me thread in about a thousand ends on the hexagon blanket for my auntie's Christmas present. Thank you Sarah!

I've actually finished the blanket now but if I hadn't had help with those ends I think I'd be stressing out right now trying to get it all done!!

We agreed to make one another a Christmas gift each and Sarah made me this pretty apron out of vintage fabrics, isn't it it gorgeous!? Perfect for those baking day's..!

She also made a gift for Rose which was a really lovely thought, isn't 'Ellie' (as I seemed to have named her) the sweetest elephant you ever saw?! I Love the dungarees and Rose has been fascinated with her since she got her on Monday... her nose is getting a good old chewing anyway!

Thank you so so much xXx

I probably won't get a chance to blog again before we go to Dorset on Friday, so if I don't get a chance to say it nearer the time... 'Merry Christmas everybody!'

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(PS- I have been receiving some really lovely gifts in my Advent swap from Jo, I especially enjoyed all of the chocolate goodies today! I'm afraid I've just been far too disorganised to take photo's of the gifts to put up here, I'm ever so grateful for the gifts though. Thanks Jo xxx)

We're braving the Christmas tree!

Well... the decorations are up and it looks like Christmas in our house!

I was desperate to get the tree decorated and I thought that if I just put it up, Rose would have more time to get used to it being there and she might just leave it alone...

I tied the tree from the back onto our staircase banister which has made the tree quite sturdy, but actually she doesn't really seem that interested in it. She pulled on the baubles a couple of times yesterday but today she hasn't shown a blind bit of interest. Thank goodness for that!

 

This was my advent gift from Cupcake Jo for day one, a Gorgeous crocheted cupcake.

Isn't it scrummy!? :-) The tiny beads just make it perfect.

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Getting that festive feeling!!

I'm beginning to feel really festive now... as I walk around town everyone is busy getting their Christmas shopping done which makes me think that I need to get myself organised and write a list of what I'm doing for each person. I bought some wrapping paper which is about as far as I've got with the whole thing!

I want to get all of the decorations up but Ray is putting off decorating the big tree for a while as he thinks Rose will pull it down. To be honest... he's probably right. She did pull the clothes airer onto herself a couple of hours ago... 

We're trying to come up with somewhere to put it that we can limit the access she has to it... anyone have any ideas as to how to keep a baby away from the tree?!

Even though I can't have the proper Christmas tree up yet, I've started decorating a few other areas of the house. How gorgeous are these colourful baubles from Paperchase!?

 I love them! :-)

I had a lovely surprise when I got back from playgroup with Rose this afternoon, my friend had sent me some belated-birthday gifts. She knows just How much I love Cath Kidston! It means so much that she bought me such lovely things because I know how short of money she is.

Mum sent Rose her own Advent calendar, she can't possibly eat all that chocolate so I Maayy have to help her out a little... what a shame! haha

My advent swap goodies arrived from Cupcake jojo, I'm so glad I entered into this swap. There were a few times though when I felt a little stressed by the pressure of having a deadline to finish all of my gifts! But now that I've seen all of the presents from Jo, I'm so excited knowing that I have a present to open up every day until Christmas..! :-)

Jo even included a present for Rose to open at Christmas! So, so kind of her because she didn't need to do and it is such a lovely thought. Thank you Jo xxx

Okay, I'm off to carry on with my current crochet project. I WILL get at least one present finished!

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A couple of projects, new purchases and some major broodiness!

When my auntie came to visit for the day a few weeks ago she taught me how to do foundation patchwork and I absolutely love it.

I do want to learn all the other types of patchwork properly but foundation patchwork is really quick to do because you don't need to neatly cut out the pieces of fabric, so it provides you with some quick satisfaction!

I've mid-way through knitting a pair of hand warmers from a skein of yarn I got when I was back in Bridport after my birthday.

I wanted to knit quite a simple pattern because the yarn is so beautiful and the straight stocking stitch really shows off all of the lovely colours. I haven't worn my pale pink cable had warmers as I decided to give them away as a gift, so I'm looking forward to having these to keep my hands warm with all this chilly weather!

I bought some pure wool in cream and pink, I really want to learn how to knit in Fair Isle and I have this idea of knitting something for Rose with cream as the background colour and the pink for the pattern... another thing to add to the list of things to do!

Another purchase with some birthday money... this wool is So incredibly soft and I plan to knit some kind of cable hat for myself. Annoyingly the pattern I love calls for slightly more yardage than what I have, so I'll have to find another pattern that I love just as much.

One of my friends from a toddler group that Rose and I go to has had her baby. He's called Fabian and is Tiny! (Rose was never a 'tiny' baby!) He is such a content and calm baby, that he got me incredibly broody!

Rose was so intrigued by him and was so gentle when touching him, that it got me thinking how lovely it will be for Rose to have a brother or sister to play with one day.

Right, I've got the munchies so I'm off to go get myself a chocolate brownie. Yes... I've been baking again! This whole 'healthy-eating before Christmas' thing isn't really going to plan..!

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Christmas market

We had a lovely day out today, Ray was in Scotland for the whole of last weekend so it was nice to do something altogether today.

There was a big Christmas market on just down the road from us which we thought would be nice to go to...and so did a lot of other people obviously, as we were queuing out on the main road for suchhh a long time!

When we finally got in it was lovely though, very busy but the whole place just had such a lovely festive feel to it. I'm now feeling very excited about Christmas... well, birthday first but I just love the whole build up to it.

Even the cold weather makes everything feel so much more festive.. I'm made all the more aware though that time is ticking by and I have a lot of family presents to get made!

We had a big milestone with Rose today, up until now she has been facing me in the pushchair as she seems to love smiling and babbling away to me. But on our way back from town this morning she was getting a bit cranky, so I took her out of the pushchair and turned the seat around. For the whole walk home she was good as gold... I think she's just got fed up of having to look at my boring old face everyday! I know this probably sounds so silly to a lot of people but it just feels sooo strange to have her facing away from me now, like she doesn't need my protection in the same way anymore. Soon she'll be leaving home!! haha

After walking around all of the stalls, we had a walk up the hill which was really lovely. Away from all the hustle and bustle. Everything looks so autumnal now, it won't be long until we're really into the cold winter...

Ray is growing a moustache for Movember, I'm not a big fan I have to say. It's at that really in between stage at the moment and looks a bit silly, very 70's! Goodness knows what his patients think when they walk in to see him!!

Even though there were loads of stalls at the market I didn't actually end up buying anything, well the stalls that I liked were the ones with all the handmade girly gifts but I just found myself thinking 'Well I could make that myself for a fraction of the price'! which got me thinking about maybe selling some thing's online. Being a stay-at-home Mum it would be so lovely to have some of my 'Own' money, even if it's a teensy tiny bit!

I know I'd have to have a good think about what I'd like to sell but I do have some time in the day when Rose is napping when I could be making things... I just don't have a clue where to start though!

Does anyone have any tips about where to start!? Where is the best place to sell? and also, where can you get things for nice packaging, like stickers, labels and things like that? Sorry to be a pain... but Any advice would be really appreciated!

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