A Year of Projects Update - week 5

 OK, so midweek blogs did not happen - maybe next week.   I have been doing much crafting, but it doesn't 'feel' like I have.   Perhaps it is because I felt like a project was nearly finished and all I have really done is finished that.

Anyway, what did I finish?  There are technically 2 things.

I finished my ripple bralette/camisole.  I actually love it and think I could be brave enough to do a bralette version...

I knit this in some Yorkshire Dale's yarn (who are not dying anymore).   I still have at least half a skein left and I'm toying with making the bralette in the leftover skein.  We will see - I made the straps double the thickness on this version  so I think I would have enough.

The other thing I finished and packaged up is my mum's advent calendar. 

This is now ready to take to mum tomorrow when we pop down to see her and dad.  Then I don't have to worry about it in the post. 

So on that note I am spending the best part of the week in Somerset with mum and dad.  I'm taking both boys this time (even though Thomas would rather stay at home now).  Crafting wise, I am only going to take the Festive yoke KAL  and see if I can put a dent in that.

I will leave you with a couple of shots of the pond where we walk most days - it's just down the road from us, so only takes about 10 minutes to get there - we are very lucky.

Have a great week everyone. 

A Year of Projects Update - week 4

 We made it!!  It is now the summer holidays!

This year seems to have gone in a flash and dragged all at the same time!  But we are there now, and I am so looking forward to long days filled with walking, crafting  baking and listening to Audible.

This week has been quite good craft wise - we actually worked from home on Monday and Tuesday due to the heat.  I think I might have said last week we had 35/36 - 40 predicted and we are just not built for those temperatures - our houses and schools are not built for heat - no air con and few fans  so in school with 30 students in a room - it is like a greenhouse.  Anyway I worked from home and it was a bit better - fan aimed at my face all day!  It also meant I could fit in some crafting.  

I did a few bits of embroidery this week.

These are destined for cards to give to my mum in her advent calendar.   I have decided I want it finished by next week so that I can rake it down with us and then I don't have to rely on the post nearer the time - but it does mean I have to get moving.

I also worked a fair bit on my ripple bralette.

I know this does not look like a bralette, but this is my trail camisole version.  I do not know if I will like it as a bralette, I don't know if I will like the negative ease of the bralette and I have 2 skeins of this lovely yarn.  So a camisole version it is and if I like it - I will dig out another single skein from stash and knit it as a bralette.

On that note I got round to sewing something that I have has my eye on for a while.  I bought the Waves and Wild superstar bra pattern ages ago and this week finally sewed it up.  

This was a brilliant stash buster as I have loads of bits of stretchy fabric (this and pants are going to be my go to stash using project).  It only took me a few hours to finish it although at this stage I had got a bit carried away and finished it without my customery trying on as I go.  Had I done that, I would have realised the straps were far too short and I should have lengthened them.  I have now fixed it (not a pretty fix but you can have everything) and I love the finished article - I may try it for my yoga at home and see how it holds up - I see more of these in my future (it would also work well as a bikini top).

And.. on the Waves and Wild theme.  I also got a free pattern of theirs - the sandcastle bucket sun hat.  Again, I used lots of stash/leftover fabric and produced this..

As you can see, it is fully reversible (although the chickens are sometimes upside down - and forgive me for being in pyjamas!)  Again,  I love this, it used stash and only took a couple of hours.

And I think that is it for this week.  I will be able to get round to everyone in good time this week and I'm thinking there may even be some midweek blogs on the horizon!

Until then, I hope everyone has a good week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 3

 After a couple of big finishes in a few weeks,  I now feel like I have done very little!

This week I have solely worked on the ripple bralette.

The yarn is by Homespun wonders - who do not dye anymore.  I have 2 skeins of it that I havd been waiting for the right project.  At the moment it looks little like the ripple bralette because I have made it 2 sizes bigger (I'm too scared to do the negative ease this time) and I'm making it much longer (I want to use up both skeins).

If this works well and I like it as  camisole I am going to dig out another single skein to make it as a bralette - that is the plan.

Anyway,  it is coming along quite nicely and may have some more time tomorrow.  It's quite hot here and because we have a red warning the school is shut tomorrow.   I know lots of places have it hot for longer and indeed, hotter, but we are just not geared up for it.  Our houses and, more so, the schools, do not have air conditioning and most classrooms no fan, so it is like a greenhouse!

And that is all I have done.  We had the pizza oven out last night which was nice - we are having pizza night about once a week at the moment!  Will be trying to stay cool over the next 2 days and hopefully get a bit of progress in.  We break up for summer on Thursday and I for one, can't wait - see you all on the other side - have a good week!

A Year of Projects Update - week 2

 Well it's a good job I haven't posted  progress for 3 weeks as I haven't done a lot this last week!  

However,  prior to this week I had finished one project and nearly finished another - both fairly big projects.

So the finish object for two weeks ago was my hand sewn summer dress.

Here it is  in the wild  in the garden.  I really enjoyed making this, and now am looking for the next one!  It is entirely hand sewn and fully lined.

In my hands is also my next finished object.   All I had to do this week is the finishing  which included knitting the pockets in the round, steering them and sewing them on.  Steering was not a problem  (the top part of the pinafore is also steeked) - I  havd steeked before and I have every confidence in this yarn (John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Zwartbles).  In fact I haven't even reinforced it, I am that confident!

So there she is - Soorik from The Shetland Trader book 3.  It is unblocked, which I will do in the week, but I know I'm going to love it!

Now I should really put some time into my festive sweater KAL, but, as predicted   my head has already been turned by the ripple bralette by Jessie Maed designs and I've cast on already!  I will show you that one next week.

I haven't done much else this week as school is starting to wind down for the holidays, but there is still a lot to do. 

I hope everyone has a great week. 

A Year of Projects - the plan!

So, it that time again.

This is my favorite part of the year - I love planning!  It probably won't bear much resemblance to what I make by this time next year  but I am good with that!

I am going to keep my general theme of the past three years,  which is to prepare for Me Made May  - but I am going to extend it to a generally handmade wardrobe.  I did a bit of a make nine board earlier in the year, so my list is based on that.

Knitting

• Sweaters
• Soorik - Rav link started last YOP year
• Festive Sweater KAL - Rav link - started at Christmas 
• socks
• Mitts as part of the advent project and other items
• Continued progress through the Stephen West brioche course
• Progress on Battenburg - crochet but have put it here anyway as it is my only crochet project 

Sewing

• More pants!
• Summer dress
• Two more Esma's - Esma
• Basic tees
• Saguaro  - Saguaro
• Placemats 

Other crafts

I would like to do some embroidery this year and some more of the cross stitch that I started this year.   I would also like to do some more needle felting - in the first instance for mum's advent.  And throughout it all, I would love to makemy crafting as sustainable as I can alongside doing the same in other areas of my life. 

So there we have it - plans for this next year - I've tried to steer away from specific pattern names as I do have my head turned all the time!