A baby hat

The project I had been knitting whilst camping (a very cute tank top) had been going well until the last few rows of the front.  I had almost finished the flipping thing when on Saturday night I was a bit tired and knit too much so I had to start unravelling it.  I hate taking knitting back.  And I dropped a stitch and just thought this is rubbish (I had already made one other small mistake and discovered a fault in the wool right in the middle of the front) anyway I pulled it all back. 

 

Sunday morning I wished I hadn't been so hasty but never mind I might start it again one day.  So I cast on a small easy knit on Sunday night, a cute stripey baby hat.  It was really easy and despite me using a pretty cheap yarn it knit really well.  It is from this book

 

And this is the pattern

 

And ta-dah mine actually looks like it should

 

Sorry for the rubbish photos but its too dark.  I will definitely do another but probably do it a bit longer.  I tried to take a photo of little L wearing the hat but she has decided all hats need to be removed as quickly as possible.  Hopefully she will have passed through this phase by the time it's getting colder.

 

Have a good weekend, bye for now x 

 

 

Decorating again!

After decorating little L's room I said to myself no more until next year.  But we were back from our holidays and I didn't really have a "project" as such and I just happened to pick up a paint chart from our magazine rack ... fast forward 24 hours and I started on the living room.  The ceiling in there was OK (I think the people painted the ceiling before we bought the house) so phew no ceiling to do.  The doors are stained and I had already restained the window ledges a few months ago.  So just the walls, skirting boards and radiators. 

 

 

The room was dark green half way up the walls and then lighter at the top and on the fireplace wall.  So firstly I had to strip the border off and get rid of the green.  I did 3 coats using some leftover paint and it looked OK.  Then onto the skirting boards which didn't need (ahem??) much sanding who looks at skirting boards anyway!? So undercoat then on with some gloss. 

 

Then onto the walls.  Luckily the B and Q had a special offer on Dulux paint so I splashed out and bought that (Almost Oyster pale beige).  I tend to always buy the own brand paints, not the cheapest but the middle range stuff.  And I must admit I am glad I paid a bit more for Dulux because it covered really well in two coats and went really far, I still have half a tin left.

 

 

 

 

Then a couple of coats of enamel paint on the radiators and I was done.  It only took me a week and that was with my other half working really long hours and I got a cold.  I did nearly keel over on Wednesday with a high temperature when I was trying to paint the last wall whilst little L had her afternoon nap. 

 

I am really pleased, a cheap makeover but effective and looks much lighter.  Eventually we really would like a wood burning stove and then a new carpet and we will probably re-wire the room but for now it feels a bit more like our living room.

 

No more decorating this year (probably).  Now some knitting and a glass of wine x

A busy week!

Last week was very busy.  I got no knitting done at all.  Why well we had a lovely day out to another agricultural show.  This time Trawden show held in a little village over near Nelson on the top of a fell.  So it was very windy but good fun.  Lots of animals, horses, sheep, cows, dogs, pigs, flowers etc

I love shire horses. We had some in the fields behind our house when I was younger and I wished they were mine!

Some crafty inspiration

Some cooking after watching The Hairy Dieters - Vegetable pasties made with pizza dough, yummy, much easier (my pastry always falls apart) and hopefully a few less calories

And the main reason for not doing anything fun - Decorating arghhh! I decided I wanted to get the front room done before the dark nights creep in and I don't want green walls anymore!

Hopefully I will be finished in the next couple of days

Bye for now x

A camping trip

We are back home after a brilliant camping trip up to Hawkshead in the Lake District.  Very unusually for us we had great weather which is a real bonus when camping. 

There was three families and lots of other children for little L to play with and we had a great time.  We haven't been camping for two years (2010 we had an epic two week camping trip touring Scotland!) last year baby was too small but this year we thought we'd give it a go.  And it went surprisingly well, she did want to crawl around a lot which was difficult but as there were a few of us there was plenty of people to pass the baby to. 

We camped at a lovely site in the centre of Hawkshead so we didn't use the cars very much.  And the site wasn't too crowded either. 

A walk (one of many!) not sunny but very warm

Some yummy hedgerow picks

We played in the park - This for little L

This for mummy!

A bit of knitting of course

A trip on the ferry to Bowness

Another walk in the scorching heat but at least I wasn't carrying the extra couple of stones!

What a view

Back home now to endless washing, slugs and a very grumpy girl who is suffering with the dreaded teeth again.  Ah its good to be home!

Back soon with knitting progress hopefully

Bye for now x

I can knit!

Well after a brief spell as a child knitting squares I didn't knit until about 3 months ago.  I have crocheted for a few years and always loved the variety and ease of patterns but since having little L I had wanted to be able to make her a cardigan.  Crocheted cardigans and jumpers etc just don't look that good in my opinion too grannyish.  So a few months ago I had a go and knit some mittens and managed it.  It was all pretty tense and P was instructed not to speak I'm concentrating as I knitted away at night.  But they turned out fine, way too small, but it proved I could do it, all be it very slowly. 

After that I got a lovely book by Debbie Bliss Ultimate book of baby knits and choose the easiest project a garter stitch stripey blanket.  This I am still doing but so far so good.

But I started getting a bit bored with it (I will finish it I promise) and I bought a couple of balls of lovely coral pink wool to make a cardigan.  I choose the classic cardigan as this seemed straightforward.

It has taken me about 5 weeks to knit which is a long time but not bad considering I've never knit anything so complicated before (for me anyway!) and I have only been able to knit at night really.  Also as it turned out it is a bit big.  I was following the 9-12 mth size and adding extra rows to make the arms and body long enough but it turns out the body is too wide but never mind.  It will fit little L in maybe a year hopefully (coral will be sooo last season by then!).  Also I knit on a bigger needle and used a heavier wool than the pattern recommended.  So really I didn't follow the pattern all that much no wonder the sizing is wrong!?!

Early days

Ready to join together

Joining the whole lot and doing raglan sleeves.  This was hard work as the rows were so long but the raglan itself was easy to do.

Finshed - Cute polka dot buttons from ebay and I added a crochet flower too.

I will definitely knit another but probably smaller needles and different wool.

I have cast on something else for a baby which won't take as long hopefully. 

Anyway hope you are having a good weekend.  We are going camping tomorrow so I must go and pack.

Bye for now x

If you don't ask you don't get!

So Friday morning me and little L walked into the village to post an Ebay parcel (I'm going to be an ebay millionaire one day err not).  Anyway we walked past a house just up the road and me with my eagle eyes (extreme nosiness) spotted oooh they have had the paths relaid and look a lovely stack of 3 x 2 concrete paving flags ooohh I want those.  But I couldn't see anyone around. 

So we went and did our errands and then on the way back two builders were there so I just asked "What are you doing with the old flags?" them "Why do you want them" me (who wouldn't??) "Yes please, I only live around the corner".  So they said they would ask the lady and see.  So I waited in the afternoon and yes they knocked and lucky me they gave me them all.  And so kind they brought them all round to our house in their van (4 trips worth). 

Look 19 3 x 2 flags and edging stones

And they even gave me the rest of their sand!

So this little lot saved us a lot of time, hassle and money cos we couldn't just order flags from a builders merchant  no we would have to get second hand and we don't have a trailer.  Very kind and they even gave me some pointers about relaying the flags.

So eventually when we have some time we can rectify all this

I have gotten many bargains from walking past houses and thinking are they chucking that out?  Once I got a shed.

Hope you are having a good weekend

Bye for now x

Upcycled Chair

I think this is an upcycled chair as it was destined for a skip outside somebodies house, my sister J was walking by and spotted the chair (there were two actually) knocked at house "Please can I have these chairs if you don't want them?" and so they came home with her.  She gave me one of them.  When it arrived at my house I could see why it had been destined for the tip as the cover was all ripped, the foam thin, the base all saggy, the joints a bit wobbly and it had obviously been stood in water for some time as the bottom of one of the legs was rotting a bit but hey other than that it was pristine!

Hhhhm lovely???

So first I sanded it all down which took a while cos I couldn't use the electric sander and it had layers of muck and varnish (The dog wouldn't budge and check out the jumperoo, don't worry we don't make little L use her jumperoo in the garage). 

Then I glued some of the joints.  I didn't want to pull the whole thing apart (then it would definitely have ended up in the tip) so I eased the loose pieces out a bit and squeezed wood glue in.  Not the most thorough way but this chair will have a strict weight limit on it.

Glued

Glued some more

 Then I rewaxed it, I could have carried on sanding it down forever as the wood it quite water stained, marked etc in places but I was done with sanding.  I just used clear Briwax and put a couple of coats on.

Next I got a big square of 2 inch foam and marked it out and cut it with scissors.  Not the best finish (bit jagged) but it costs to have foam cut to size and I couldn't be bothered with the faff.  Once it is covered it will be fine.

Then to cover it.  I really struggled picking some fabric for it as it was a Sunday morning passing stop off at the fabric shop and I went in on my own.  Little L, her Dad and the dog were left in the roasting hot car, so I was under pressure.  I nearly came out emptied handed but then found these lovely screen printed heavy weight linens.  This one is from John Lewis so a bargain for just £2.50 for 3/4 of a meter.  

I used a stapler and some drawings pins and just pulled the fabric tight and stapled it. 

The underneath is not that neat but not bad considering.

The corners were really difficult too but they look OK.

Overall I'm really pleased.  For less than £10 I have redone a chair, it looks quite good and is perfect for an occasional use chair in our dining room. 

Next must finish the knitting!!

Bye for now