A Stitch In Time

Magic In The Night Garden

The current highlight of my day is Cbeebie's newest creation 'In The Night Garden'. Eliza, Annie  and I (most of all), absolutely love it.

The whole concept is so magical from the details such as the music, the sets and the narration, to the characters and their names.  For example, there are the 'tombliboos', 'Makka Pakka' ( who sleeps with a rock rather then a teddy bear), the 'ninky nonk' (which is a tiny train which the full-size characters miraculously fit into) and the 'pinky ponk' (an airship). My favourites, although it's a close run thing, are the teeny, tiny 'pontipines'.

It's reminiscent of the children's programmes I remember from when I was little, which is probably why I love it so much.  Cbeebies have come up with so many gems lately, like Doodle-do, Tommy Zoom, RazzleDazzle. I suppose they all remind me a little of the first children's shows, but they're so much more successful than the re-makes of old shows, like the new Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben, which somehow seem to lack the imagination and inventiveness that made the originals so special. I used to love Mr. Ben, Bagpuss and my absolute number one programme was The Clangers. They all had a touch of magic about them and I remember them really fondly and with huge ladlefuls of nostalgia.

What programmes can you remember liking when you were little? Tell me, I'd love to know!

A big thank you to Desiree who sent me this fabulous link  to instructions on how to knit a Clanger! I'm starting mine today!

Mini Splurges

I've been doing a little on-line shopping lately, nothing terribly expensive or flashy, but deeply satisfying nonetheless! I thought I'd share a few lovelies:



These are from paper and string's ebay shop. They cost next to nothing but are so bright and cheerful and oh, so cute! I thought I might make some decorations for the Easter tree or maybe an Easter garland with this set.
I also bought these felt beauties from the same shop:

I can feel a child-orientated gift developing from them.

I love the packaging; when a seller puts so much effort into perfect packaging I feel they care more about the quality of their product and their customer's happiness!



These also came beautifully packaged, in pink gingham tissue paper sealed with lovely vintage stickers:



From needlebook's on-line etsy store. The cards are so beautifully drawn and painted.

Another reason to love the postman is this little bundle of kindness which Ann sent me a little while back:



I feel well and truly spoilt!

Frustration!

During my absence I made this:

You may recognise some of the fabrics from the beautiful stash that my friend Julia gave to me, and this was indeed a thank you present. I thought she could do with a knitting bag for easy transportation to and from the car, although I don't know if I should be encouraging this knitting at the lights trend!



I actually intended it to be more of a basket so it has a circular bottom, but the sides weren't rigid enough (should I have interfaced it? I quilted the lining but this wasn't sturdy enough to hold the sides up). I thought maybe I should make it shorter  and put some chunky piping around the base.



While I'm here and still feeling a little riled by it, a word about the mosaic tool. It is fabulous, I love the effect and it's free so I'm really in no position to criticise. But the mosaic above took me quite a few hours. My problem is this: Once you've made your mosaic (and you don't get a preview until it's complete) it's impossible to move the images around or substitute new ones in any kind of predictable way. I'd like to be able to play with the image once it's done, but I ended up having to start over from scratch just to arrange the images how I wanted them and with no duplicates. Maybe I'm just being too lazy and should just plan ahead; have I been spoiled by the ease of typepad?! Or maybe you can juggle them around and I'm missing something? If you are in the know please help!!!

   

A Great Day Out

Still going back in time; last Sunday, we went to Thetford Forest, which is just so beautiful. Obviously there's the natural beauty of the woods on a bitingly cold, blustery but sunny Spring day:



But there's also the most fantastic children's play equipment dotted throughout:




Of course the girls enjoyed it, but I don't know if anyone had as much fun as their father:





Happy Monday!

Well, Hello There!

  

After a lack-of-camera enforced absence, I'm back! And I've got a lot to share.
I'm going to do this in a few bite-sized posts over the next few days, I don't want to bore you all and I'd like to think I've kept something to draw you back again! 

Anyway, starting from the beginning: Last Saturday, David's Mum and I went to London to the Country Living Spring Fair. I brought back some wee goodies:



Some crocheted daffodils to add to our Easter tree decorations. I can't find where I got them from, sorry, but if you know, or indeed make them yourself, please tell me and I'll pass it on.

The most beautiful ceramic buttons from Kate Hackett Ceramics.

David's Mum bought me the Cath Kidston set of bamboo knitting needles (so lovely to knit with) from Laughing Hen's stall.

My favourite stall, apart from my friend Marilyn's, of course (which was lovely and very successful!), was Jennifer Collier's. Check out her web-site, her intriguing vintage-tinged work is so beautifully made. I also spotted this fabric and am thinking it would make a fabulous wedding dress... And Rita Kearton's prints, who funnily enough, is a local lady. It's funny how far you travel sometimes to find a treasure on your doorstep.

Blocking

I started blocking my blanket squares today.



Even though I've been knitting since I was little and as a teenager I made lots of jumpers and cardigans, (I know, so uncool, if only crafting was as fashionable in the 80's!), I've never blocked anything before. If you are a blocking expert, please look away! I've kind of worked out how to do it through other people's blogs, like Alicia's. But I'm not entirely confident that I'm doing it properly.



My  big lesson for this month is don't wait until you have a pile of squares as big as that above before you start blocking. I only have enough pins to do six at a time!



I'm amazed at what a difference blocking makes though, it really is the difference between a professional and botched finish! Not that I've gone for out-and-out professionalism. I've broken so many golden rules: Using vastly differing weights of yarn, mixing crochet and knit, letting my Mum finish squares for me when our tensions are wildly different, so they have a kind of tapered, triangular effect... Seeing them all laid out on my bed has spurred me on though as it's easier to envisage the finished project and has re-ignited my passion!

Work in Progress, Buttons and Red Noses

 

I bought a bumper bag of yellow, orange and red buttons from Ebay. There are a few beauties in there but I mainly wanted to bulk up my stock of sunshine colours which was paling in comparison to my sea of blues and greens. I find it so hard to actually use buttons but the more I have the easier it gets. It's not so difficult if your stash doesn't deplete drastically when you use just one or two!

On a totally irrelevant note and using my blog for a purpose completely removed from it's original intent: Vote for Tara! I have become totally sucked into Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, not for any worthy, selfless, making-the-world-a-better-place reasons, or because Annie watches it and I got drawn in (it worked the other way round). But because it's fabulous entertainment. Watch it and vote for T.P.T., it'll be a travesty of taste if she doesn't win first place!

 

Loveliness!

I've been blessed with some super-generous gifts in the last week or two and really want to mention them here to say a big thank you.

A little while ago I mentioned to Ruth at Kitty Thimble how much I admired her Swiss Chalet vintage apron. And (I still can't believe it):  She sent it to me, simply but intriguingly wrapped:



Which didn't prepare me for the retro loveliness of the surprise inside:

 

I spent several hours jumping up and down saying "I can't believe it! Oh My God!", much to Eliza's bemusement!

And as if that wasn't enough of a blessing to last me for the year, I also received a huge bundle of fabrics from my friend Julia (who, incidentally, is so passionate about her rediscovered joy of knitting, she takes her latest project everywhere with her and has even been known to whip her knitting out while in stationary traffic!).

Luckily for me she's yet to appreciate the joy of sewing. Thankfully though, she recognises a good fabric stash when she sees it and rescued these from her ex-mother-in-law's rubbish pile, with me in mind.

Her e-m-i-l is a retired textiles tutor, hence the magnificent stash.

She also saved me some linen, velvet, a great selection of wool fabrics and copious amounts of lace, rick rack and other trimmings, which will all be making some kind of appearance in the thank you project being planned.

Occasionally, just like everyone else, I have grim days or even weeks, but this kind of unbridled generosity and kindness puts everything into a warm rosy  perspective. So thank you, thank you, ladies.

And did you see this touching, act of kindness on Hilary's blog last week. Are crafters the most generous, thoughtful people in the world? On the above evidence and the overwhelmingly lovely comments which you've posted on this blog lately, I like to think so!!!

Remember This?

One of the first pieces of work I blogged about, way back in October is finally complete and hanging on my wall: Hooray!



It took me so much longer than I ever could have imagined (I can vaguely remember thinking it would be a quick project!), even right up until the last evening's work, when I estimated I had half an hours work left to do on four tiny corners. Three hours later I was still at it!



And as it was a piece I was making for myself, it (quite rightly) took a back seat to presents over Christmas and any orders I've had (I haven't been working on it every moment since October, I'm not quite as slow as that!).



I really enjoyed making this piece. I liked the slow pace which  meant I could really indulge myself  and spend hours pouring over it, taking the time to make creative decisions as I went along. And I love the fabric (even after all this time!); the colours are so vivid and the design so funkily folksy (It's an Alexander Henry piece).



To be truly honest, I'm a little disappointed to have finished it. But, as ever, I have lots of new things waiting to be started. I'm also still working on the patchwork blanket that I mentioned in the same October post. I will update on that soon; it's grown a lot!

While I'm here, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who's commented on this blog recently and to everyone who's posted comments on the valentine's aprons over at flickr. Although when I started this blog I originally intended it for mine and maybe my family and friend's reference, gradually more and more people have been reading from all over the world and leaving really sweet, kind notes for me. And I love it: I can't tell you how happy and warm it makes me feel to receive a comment. I so, so appreciate all the unconditional, seemingly limitless support and finding  like-minded, super-creative, virtual friends. So I say a  big, big, genuinely heart-felt thank you!

New Shoes