the neighbourly birthday gift

long time no blog, how did that happen, i have not been up to much, we did get an offer on our house, which after a little negotiation we accepted (hooray) so now will come the hard work of actually moving, not that we have anywhere to move to yet! (we are considering renting, as the people buying from us want things to move quite fast) so i'm feeling a little daunted but ever so excited, 

it feels like i have been making very little recently, i have done the heels on the socks, so am now just working on the cuffs when the mood takes me, 

i'm still working on the noro shawl, but as each row gets longer, progress has slowed a little

i did knit up a lovely little neighbourly for a sweet little girls 1st birthday present, which i can now share, as i know it made it to her in time for her birthday (happy birthday little M)

 

i used freedom sincere dk yarn, which is a lovely organic cotton, in what i'm hoping will be a very wearable colour for a one year old!

i love this pattern, it's nice and easy, but quick enough to keep your interest, i definitely plan on making little O another one in some chunky yarn for next autumn, 

noro

what can i say, the sun must have gone to my head! i gave in, i have been admiring the noro yarns from afar for a long time, loving their beautiful rich colours, but having no idea what i would ever make with them (other than socks - for which i really don't need any more of for the time being!) that is until i found a shawl pattern on ravelry, i just couldn't get this one out my head, so set on a quest to pick up some noro kureyon sock yarn to knit it up in, 

it was a hard choice to pick the colourway, but i settled on shade #188, & i'm in love, 

all my other knitting (& sewing projects) are lying neglected, as i can't work on anything else right now, it has been the perfect project this week, as i've had to keep the house pretty much ready for viewers constantly (well that is how it's felt), thank goodness the weather has been so great, so that the small people can eat their tea out in the garden, thus keeping the floor clean!

& i'm trying so hard not too get excited* about someone coming back for a 2nd viewing!, then the reality sets in - 'but then we are going to have to find somewhere to move to!' & things start to get a little scary (but quite exciting too)

*i'm going to have to try a little harder i think - but do keep your fingers crossed!

sunny sunday, then back to work

after the car boot on sunday morning (where both children came home with as much plastic tat as they could buy for £1 & i picked up some great cotton aran yarn for 50p a ball!) we headed down to the park in the afternoon to make the most of the lovely spring weather (armed with apple & prune muffins & my sock knitting)

i didn't get too much done on the socks, but we all had a lovely afternoon, i have got a little making done lately & quilted the baby quilt i'm working on & have machined the front of the binding on, but still need to hand sew the back on,

i'm really happy with how this is turning out, as it was another 'make it up as i go along' quilt, i just quilted in straight lines across,

& with a sweet floral backing fabric (i'm just hoping the scan was right & my friends are in fact having a girl!)

on other news, i had my first official morning at work today, after a rather long maternity break i couldn't go back to my previous job, but have now got a job at our village pre-school (hooray -  this means term time only folks!) so three mornings a week little O will be at grandmas (till September that is, when she will then be able to start at the pre-school herself) & we'll get to spend school holidays together with big G! so whilst i think it will be a shock to the system being back at work on a regular basis, it really couldn't have worked out better, i know i'm really very lucky i can have the best of both.(& can continue to fund my yarn & fabric habit) 

wittering beach

in an attempt to make up for the holiday which wasn't really a holiday for me (& little O) we packed up the car early & set off for west wittering beach to make the most of the sunshine, i love getting there early to make the most of the beach before it gets too busy, 

the little ones made the most of the beach too, little O was able to try out (another) new skirt i'd made her (sewn up rather quickly during her nap on friday)

it's a little on the long side, but i'm hoping that way it will last a few more summers, as it's got a simple elastic waist,

& i enjoyed a little knitting,  whilst they were enjoying the sand

(it was the first outing of the year for the pond play mat too & tomorrow will hopefully bring the first car boot sale of the year too!)

getting a little sick of sick

what a week, we took a family trip over to Italy, but about half an hour before leaving for the airport last week the sick bug struck little O, we went on our merry way, convinced at first it would only be a 24 hour bug, but that little bug had other ideas & my poor little O was sick every day of our holiday, it only stopped the day we flew home! so whilst i should have lots of lovely photos & tales of what we have been up to, i have very little to report, as little O has been a little limpet for the last 6 days & i barely left the house, 

luckily my in laws came with us (& we were staying at my folks place) so with two sets of grandparents around to help, at least i didn't have to worry about anything other than taking care of her & at least they got to go out & enjoy the lake a little, 

this also meant i have spent 6 days with absolutely no crafting, thinking life would start to get back to normal now we are home, i was rather disheartened to find myself looking after big G, who went down with the bug this morning! not much fun i tell you, 

so i will just have to share some pics of yarn i recently acquired from kemps, 

some of this Rowan bamboo tape, for which i have a little project in mind (also providing the first of my stash destined to become a Christmas present, see how organised i am, hehe)

next up some more sock yarn (i just can't enough)

oops & some more sock yarn, i've started on this one already & am almost halfway through a pair for myself, 

i'm just hoping i will be able to get on with them soon, as i'm really suffering from knitting withdrawal!

easter weekend

we had a lovely Easter weekend round our way, i made the tastiest chocolate tart (really so very tasty)

we 'day-tripped' to Arundel, where the sun shone & the little ones stretched their legs, 

(i also took a break from the weekend diet of chocolate to enjoy a cream tea, )

not much sewing getting done, as i've been waiting on some fabric to back the baby quilt i have in progress, but a little knitting is under way, i've been stalking  kemps website, as they've had so much regia sock yarn coming up at such great prices! i've got a pair of socks on the go for me (& some more yarn on the way) i will share pictures once the camera is recharged, i've also picked up my brompton cardigan after such a long time, one sleeve down, one to go!

the easter bunny

well i just couldn't resist making up a little easter bunny, i really should have made another one, as i'm sure the two little one's will argue over who gets this one, but i'm kind of hoping that the chocolate this little bunny brings with her will distract them enough!

pattern details are here, i even made a few carrots for the bunny using this sweet little tutorial, i have a few more cut out & sewn, waiting to be stuffed & finished off, as i thought they'd be rather cute for the children to have for their play kitchen! as little O shares her cot with three bunnies already (she's rather fond of them) & they often get invited along for a tea party,

i also treated myself to an easter present, some lovely fabric from the quilt room

this gorgeous reproduction 30's fabric colour wheel, which is 20, 10'' squares of absolute sweetness! & far better for me than chocolate!

i plan on using this to make a simple nine patch quilt, with some white fabric, just to make those lovely prints really stand out, 

*wishing you all a happy & relaxing Easter - just don't eat too much chocolate!*