Category: project review

Catching up

Wow, it’s been a long time! I’m not really sure why I ended up having such a long break from my blog but I suppose life just got in the way for a while and the longer the break went on, the harder it seemed to write that first post again. It’s been about 7 months since I last posted and i feel I should catch you up a little on what’s been happening in that time. Nothing major that should have stopped me from posting really but as i look back at the photos I’ve packed quite a lot in to this year, so it’s no wonder if not found the time to post!

If I was to tell you about everything that I’d done in the last 7 months I’d be here all night, so here is the condensed version with pictures.

There has been a lot of gardening. Our garden produced so much for us this Summer, I really am thankful! We had a huge amount of courgettes and green beans. We tried to use them as we went along but there were so many, our freezer is now full of zucchini soup and green beans. We also had plentiful tomatoes, raspberries and so many beautiful sunflowers.

There has been lots of running, including 3 half marathons and of course the all important bling!

There have been plentiful family times including a wonderful caravan holiday in the Summer where we were able to catch up with family and dear friends who we hadn’t seen for a while. Special memories were made and shall be cherished for a long time to come!

Alongside all the other goings on there has, of course been a lot of crafting. Never quite as much as I’d like but when I look back on the last 7 months I do wonder where on earth I’ve fit it all in. Over the Summer months I did a lot of embroidery for gifts as a number of friends sadly moved away. I forgot to take photos of all the finished embroidery but here’s a snapshot of what was made:

I have also done a fair bit of crochet but I haven’t got a lot to show for it as yet as it’s been for a couple of long term projects that still aren’t quite finished. I did however finish 3 children’s poncho’s recently (1 for little miss and 2 ready for Christmas gifts) and earlier in the year I made a baby blanket

I have a few ongoing wipes and lots of projects just waiting to be started.

current wips:

1. A bright squares rainbow 🌈 blanket for Little Miss:

I’m onto joining the rows and hopefully will have it finished in time for her birthday in a couple of weeks.

2. I have a stash of purple grey and white squares just waiting to be joined and made into a blanket. I plan to start joining them as soon as I’ve finished the blanket for Little Miss.

3. As if I needed another big project I felt the need a couple of weeks ago to start making large granny squares out of left over yarn and so a ‘happy scrappy’ blanket is now underway too.

Waiting in the wings to be started I have a bag full of  chunky yarn which I just couldn’t resist a few weeks ago. Im pretty sure that’s going to become a blanket in the near future too but hopefully this one won’t take to long to do as it’s super chunky yarn with a 20mm hook!

At the same time I found the chunky wool, I also found a beautiful bright variegated yarn which I also failed to resist (just when streamlining had been going so well!). I quite fancy making some sort of funky shrug with that but we’ll see.

Just in case all those projects weren’t enough I’ve also got 3 more zenbroidery pictures ready to start and the Autumn Box from craftpod which  hasn’t yet been touched, plus a hundred more ideas floating around in my brain, waiting to come to the forefront. If only there were more hours in the day…

Hopefully I’ll have some more finished projects to show you soon…watch this space!

Karen x x

 

 

May project review

Seeing as it was almost half way through May when I actually posted my project goals for the month, it probably comes as no surprise that I didn’t complete everything I had planned to. However, I am happy with what I have achieved.

I did finish the winter berry embroidery and am very pleased with how it has turned out:

I started the spring craft pod box embroidery projects

I started out by tracing over the design on to the fabric with washable pen, changing a few little bits on the way. I just love the fact that with my new washable pens (fully tested on a spare piece of fabric!) I can make tweaks on the design and know that it will just wash off…genius! I have to say I am absolutely loving becoming reacquainted with embroidery and reminding myself of some of the stitches that I used to know quite well. I really cannot wait to get started on the zenbroidery mandala and I keep gazing at it longingly but I am absolutely determined to finish these 2 embroidery projects first.

The itty bitty squares are still sat in my craft room patiently waiting to have their ends sewn in.

My mystery project has grown a little and really shouldn’t take too long to complete but it was a little too bulky to take away with me last week on my trip back to England, so it shall still remain a mystery for a little while longer.

Any ideas what it might be?

Whilst back in England last week I did attend the sew your own jumper workshop with the lovely Sophie of Huxter kids where I made little Miss a jumper. I really think it deserves its own post though so watch this space for that later in the week.

Happy crafting

Karen x

 

April project round up

Ok, ok, so I know we’re into May already but it has been a very busy week and all I’ve wanted to do in the evenings has been crochet or sleep, so in my usual monthly project review fashion I’m a few days late!

I’m actually sitting here with a very big smile on my face because for once I very very nearly completed my project goals for the month.

It gives me tremendous pleasure to say that the bright stripes blanket is now finished after approximately 6 months. Here’s a sneaky peak but it will have its own post very shortly, once I’ve photographed it in all its glory.

I have now made well over 200 itty bitty squares for a blanket for Little Miss and am getting ready to start the joining process…eek, exciting.

The Winter berry embroidered hoop is halfway through but I’m not too worried that I didn’t finish it as planned as it hasn’t really been the weather to stitch a wintry scene so my heart hasn’t really been in it, at the moment I want to be surrounded by bright colours that reflect the beautiful weather we’ve been having and all the gorgeous shade of colour that can be seen outside at the moment.

I’ve also done a couple of other makes that weren’t on the list. I went a bit Mandala mad see post. Since then I’ve made another one from the beads that were left over and I think this is my favourite:

I also made this Scrabble tile picture for my husbands 5oth, I couldn’t let him get away without having something handmade for such a milestone  birthday.

As the weather has been so glorious here on and off throughout April, I’ve done lots of outdoor things too (post to follow). All in all it’s been a productive month with lots of fun family time and I’m happy with that.

 

Karen x x

 

March project review

To recap, in March I decided not to set myself many goals so that I didn’t set myself up for disappointment once again. So, March’s project goals were:

  1. Crochet the border on the bright stripes blanket after sewing in all the ends…
  2. Make as many itty bitty squares as I possibly can by the end of the month (and add to each of the colourways as the mood takes me. I’ve even counted how many I have so far so I can see how many I manage to get done.)

Well, as usual I haven’t quite completed my goals but I’m not at all disappointed this time. I’ve sewn in the ends on the blanket and have done 3 out of the 6 rounds on the border (pics to follow in a separate post once FINALLY completed!)

My itty bitty squares stash  in one of the colour ways I was working on grew a fair bit and another grew a teensy bit…

And, I’ve managed to do a fair few other crafty makes.:

Tuddy Pat and Wowly were created and became rubber stamps.

I got crafty with my Easter Makes

I started the berry twigs embroidery from my winter craftpod box (photos to follow once complete)

And I got bitten by the ‘iron bead’ bug. After making the Easter decorations and helping Little Miss with her princess bead kit, I found a fabulous mandala kit which I have almost finished (pics to follow, those beauties deserve their own post!)

So, all in all, March has been a fairly crafty month and my creative juices have been flowing at every available opportunity. I may not have totally achieved my goals this month but I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, I just love it when ‘must make’ projects crop up out of the blue, even if it does mean that the longer term projects take a back seat for a little while.

Karen x