Miaou

Journalling - a new adventure

2012-01-21T15:03:00.000Z

It's been a while since I blogged, but I have still been creative even though I've been quiet!
I'm generally more of a fabric fan, but just recently I had a yearning to doodle. I've fallen in love with pinterest recently and have been collecting pictures of art journals. I decided to start keeping one myself. I searched high and low in the local shops for a suitable book to use, but couldn't find anything! After waiting impatiently for a couple of weeks to see if any came in, I had the brainwave of making my own journal. I've always thought of this as a really hard, technical thing to do, but in fact it's really not that difficult.

So here is a sort-of tutorial (it's only a "sort-of" because I didn't take pictures of every stage, it just occurred to me afterwards that it might be good to share the process!).

OK so bear with me as I don't have pics of this bit. First thing I did was get hold of five A2 sized sheets of watercolour paper. Now I know not everyone has these lying around. I happen to have a very generous art-teacher friend who was clearing out her cupboards. Using a long ruler as a guide, I tore each sheet in half and half again, so I had four A4 sized sheets from each large one. I could have cut them, naturally, but I quite like the look of torn edges, plus I wanted a bit of a rough-and-ready look to my journal.

Once each sheet was torn into four, I folded the four sheets in half, so I ended up with five stacks of folded paper. Then, using a bradle (is that how you spell it? little metal spike with nice handle!) I poked three holes through the centre of each set of pages at regular intervals (having measured them first).

Picture coming soon, I promise! I then stitched the pages together. I kind of used this very helpful tutorial to work out how to stitch the pages together, but having only made three holes rather than four I realised I had made life a little difficult for myself! Still, I managed to attach all the pages to each other. You would think it is very fiddly, but honestly it's not. This pic show the sewn pages of my journal (I used waxed linen thread to sew it together, and it's black because that's all I had!)

See? It's not mega pretty along the edge but it won't show in the finished article, and it's fairly unobtrusive inside.

OK, next I made my cover. I used a lovely green moleskin-effect fabric that I had bought years ago, waiting for the right project to "speak" to me, and it shouted that it wanted to be a journal cover! I don't know how well it will stand up to wear and tear, and I suspect it will look fairly grubby by the time the journal is full, but I think that will all add to the authenticity.

So I started by cutting two pieces of stiff card the same size as my folded pages (so about A5). I measured the height of my sewn pages and made that the distance between my pieces of card. I glued the card down with some wood glue (just what I had to hand; copydex or fabric glue would do just as well). I then weighted down the card until it had dried as the glue had made it warp a little.

I then cut out my fabric, leaving about 2cm extra round the sides, and about 10cm at the right hand side. This was to make a flap to go round the journal, to keep it protected when not in use. I also cut two parallel slots in the "spine" of the fabric (you can see those in the photo above) at two points, for me to thread the ribbon through later. I then glued the extra fabric down onto the stiff card, trimming it at the corners and the spine so it folded down nicely.

Having made a flap for the front, I decided it would work better if the flap was rounded. So I used a dinner plate to draw a curve onto the fabric, and onto a second piece of fabric which I then attached with a simple running stitch to the over. Here it is:

The added bonus is that the flap makes a little pocket which is perfect for keeping wee pictures and inspirations in for later!

Now I added the ribbons which attach the book pages to the cover. I've not seen this done before so I made this bit up as I went along. Here's a close-up of the ribbon attached:

Basically I threaded the ribbon onto a tapestry needle and, starting from the outside, threaded it through the uppermost slot, then down through the threads on the pages, then out through the lower slot. I tied the ribbon in a bow and cut it to the correct length, then repeated for the other end. I won't lie: this bit IS fiddly. If you have a curved needle then it will make it much easier. But don't let that put you off; it's only a very small part of the process. Here's how it looked after both ribbons are attached:

I rather like it!

Next step was to finish off the cover. I took another length of the red gingham ribbon and sewed it, together with a lovely cherry-coloured button, onto the centre of the curved flap. The ribbon wraps around the book, then twists round the button to hold it firmly in place. In all I bought two metres of ribbon and that was plenty for the whole project. I am SO glad I went for red, it really pops against the green fabric!

Final step was to add some endpapers. These cover up the bits where the fabric is glued inside and hide the spine. They also help to strengthen the bond between the pages and the cover. I used a couple of sheets of scrapbooking paper, cut them to A4 size then folded them in half, then glued them in place, making sure the pages were squared up to the stiff card of the cover:

I then placed the whole thing under a pile of books until the glue had dried.

So there you go - I hope you like my journal! It was my first attempt at making a journal and I can see all the bits that didn't quite work the way they should have ... but I'm happy with the basic principles (which is why I'm brave enough to share them!)

Lastly of course I created my first journal page ... this is it almost completed. Since I took this picture I've added some more colour to the "leaves" and the trunk.

Thank you for reading; I hope this inspires you to have a go at making your own journal!

Tea, anyone?

2011-04-26T12:38:00.001+01:00

I do love a nice cuppa. And of course a drink is too wet without a biscuit. However I don't think anyone will be dunking these ones in their tea!

I made each of these from fleece fabric, using wadding and backing fabric and my lovely vintage singer sewing machine to create the lettering and decorations. I love my singer - it sews through anything!


Delicious looking custard cream

Yummy jammy dodger


Chocolate digestive - the front ...

... and the back!

A squidgy bourbon

And a cuddly pink wafer!

These were such fun to make! They are now winging their way to the recipient in a Very Large Box.

Of course, if you are going to have biscuits, as I said earlier, you need to have tea. In a tea pot. So as a bit of relaxation last week I made this tea cosy, from a lovely pattern in a book called Tea Cozies 2 (it's American, hence the "z"). I think I might have to make more cosies, they knit up satisfyingly quickly!


The front, with tea towel, tshirt and knickers!

The back, with skirt, jumper and camisole

Hope you all had a lovely Easter. Enjoy the spring weather!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

2011-04-16T13:07:00.000+01:00

That was me last week. No internet! For almost a fortnight! Not quite sure how I survived. We are back up and running now (with a different provider, natch).

However I did survive, and now I will bring you up to date with the last couple of weeks' happenings. First, lots more owls and chicks have been made for the upcoming Easter rush. Here are the chicks nestling in their new home:

Don't think they will be there for long though! For sale at Eye Candy in Thurso. Also at Eye Candy are some more owls and some knitted eggs - they'll last a bit longer than the chocolate ones!

I have been very busy making bunting for the Puffin Croft Farm Shop too: Firstly a lovely set to hang up in their shop space (scuse the wonky spacing on my wall, it'll look much better in situ I'm sure!)

Here's a close-up of the puffins (they match the bags I made for them earlier):

And I also made some bunting to sell in her shop - here (am rather pleased with the packaging!):

All the items shown here are available to order - just email me on jill@miaoucrafts.com or message me on here!
More new items in the offing, will share soon!

Lots of news and deliciousness!

2011-03-28T18:37:00.000+01:00

So much has happened over the past week!

Firstly, I have started working with a lovely local gift shop called Eye Candy who sell some fabulous gifts. She has some cupcakes and owls that I have created, look!

They look like they are jostling each other for the front spot, don't they?!

I also made her some little Easter chicks - aww cute!

Soon to go into Eye Candy - exclusive bags and birthday bunting. Watch this space! It's lovely to work with a local business who "gets" handmade craft :o)

Another local business who I mentioned recently has just taken delivery of some more gorgeousness for their shop. Puffin Croft Farm Shop in John O'Groats now stocks these yummy lavender hearts:

And the commissions continue - here's a cupcake phone cover I made last week:

It even has cupcake lining fabric and a cupcake button - more cute!

As you can see, I have been busy, with lots of things in progress behind the scenes too!

I am very busy at the moment trying to improve my workspace. Currently I have all my things squished into a couple of cupboard shelves, with the overspill behind the sofa. However the overspill is threatening to take over and so Nick has cleared all his things out of the cupboard this afternoon so I can organise my own things in there a little more efficiently. I reckon that once I have sorted everything out I will save at least a couple of hours a week that I currently waste looking for things! Well, that's the theory anyway. If I am brave I might post some before and after pictures. Hmm.

New product!

2011-03-17T14:15:00.000Z

And I'm a little better too :)

Here's a project I have been working on for a wee while - bags for a wonderful place in John O'Groats called Puffin Croft Farm Shop . They do fantastic veg boxes which they deliver weekly, and they sell their own home-grown vegetables plus eggs and deli items. If you are in the area they are well worth a visit - the owners are really friendly and they have some lovely animals there too! The bags are for sale at the farm shop.

I started feeling a wee bit better yesterday afternoon, but am still not feeling great! You can tell by the amount of squares I have knitted.

Hopefully I will be back to full health soon!

Slow Progress

2011-03-13T20:39:00.000Z

Urgh - I have the lurgy. A nasty virus has been working its way round the family and settled on me last Wednesday. I am now on day 5 of being poorly and still getting worse, which is very unusual for me!

The thing I hate the most about being ill is that I can't work (either at my salaried job, or at my lovely craft work). I have neither the concentration skills to work on the challenging Harry Potter socks, nor the ability to sit at the sewing machine to make any of the mounting orders of phone cases, bags and toys without descending into a coughing fit. Fortunately everyone is very kind and patient, but I still wish I could just get on!

However as any crafty person will agree, it's impossible to sit around and do nothing. At first I pulled out my scraps blanket and added a few rows to that, then when it was long enough (it's been needing an extra few inches for a while now!), I swapped my crochet hook for knitting needles and started making mini squares. At first I had no particular design in mind for them, I was just pulling scraps of yarn out of a huge bag and knitting mindlessly, but Calum has requested that I use them for making a blanket for him. Hooray - another project! Like I need another project on the go, hahaha. Here's my first few squares:

In the background you can see Calum's newly revamped chair - up until a couple of months ago it was still painted pink and white from when his big sister (now aged 13) owned it!

Hopefully, normal service will be resumed shortly.

Winter again!

2011-03-11T18:13:00.000Z

For the last few mornings I have woken up to this view:

Good thing I have been knitting mitts and hats!
Calum got a new pair of mittens, knitted in pure wool. They have gone rather fluffy but he still loves them:

His favourite colour is yellow, so I knitted him a hat in the closest yarn I had to yellow!

Eilish's favourite colours are red and black (closet goth!) so I crocheted her a stylish hat in those colours:

It's not sparkly wool - she had just been out to feed the rabbits and it was snowing heavily!

In other news, the bunting has arrived across the pond, so now I will share a full picture of it:

Recipient is very happy; I am going to make more bunting in the future as it is fun to do.
No picture yet, but the first Harry Potter sock is almost finished; tonight I will be shaping the toes!

A busy week

2011-03-06T22:03:00.000Z

I have been trying to get on the computer for a while now but it seems to have taken forever to get near it to post this week! I've been busily working on a few projects, two of which are still under wraps, but can post up a couple of completed ones and a couple of teasers!

First up is my first attempt at an iphone case. This was a wee bit of a challenge as I don't have an iphone, so I did a lot of careful measurement-taking and calculating to make sure it was just the right size and not too big or small! Fortunately it is a perfect fit, I am told. I was asked for a pale pink ipod with "a big fat strawberry on the front":

Then I added a couple of extra surprises in the form of a strawberry button:

And lined it in strawberry fabric:

One very pleased recipient!
Another commission I have been working on this week is the bunting. I hit a major problem in the middle of the week - my usually trusty 1980s Singer sewing machine refused to sew through the bias binding and the flannel layers to create the final effect. After changing the needle, thread, bobbin, and giving it a thorough clean and oil, I finally admitted defeat and broke out the big guns - namely, my 1941 Singer machine! I haven't got a picture of it but will post one next time as it is a beautiful specimen and cost me the princely sum of £30 (baaaargain!!!). True to expectation, my vintage Singer performed the job perfectly and my bunting is now winging its way across the channel to California and its new home. Until it arrives I shan't share a picture of the final result, but here is a little teaser:

Yummy colours!!
Also in the parcel was this, a thinking lemon (I love these, they are so deliciously random!)

And finally ...

<<<>>>

... the heel has turned!

My favourite sweater

2011-02-26T11:48:00.001Z

This is a commission that I completed towards the end of last year, and it remains my favourite. My brief was to create a sweater like this one:

See the black and red sweater? Or did you blink? Watch it again ... that's it!

So, armed with King Cole Haze in Poppy and Ebony, and a suitable sweater pattern for adapting, I set off:

We decided to make the stripes all the same width for ease, a long length body and slightly overlong sleeves. Here it is in progress:

And here's the final result in action (on a booga board, I think!). Twas just what she wanted, hooray!

I love commissions!

2011-02-24T20:14:00.002Z

Although I am still making my sock monkeys, the majority of my work this year so far has been via commissions (and most of them knitting ones!). I have a couple on the go at the moment and a couple in the pipeline. I love working on commissions, the back-and-forth with my customer to choose what they would like, the visualising of the project, the research to get the final look just right. But most of all I love the way that it brings variety to my work and often introduces me to new techniques and materials that I've not had the chance to try out before.

This is one of my current commissions, a pair of Gryffindor Pride socks:

Gryffindor Pride designed by Ann Kingstone

New techniques learned here - knitting cuffs with knitting in elastic (very odd stuff!), and my first attempt at intarsia in the round. It's not that hard actually, just looks impressive! Quite slow to knit though; this is about 10 days' progress. I'm hoping I pick up speed.

My other commission on the go today is some bunting for a fabulous friend Bronwen in the States who makes nappy cakes for baby showers. She sent me some divine flannel material, which I have augmented with a lovely yellow design I found which I feel complements her work fabulously!

Just look at that cute fabric with the babygrows!

So I sat in my kitchen this afternoon, with my i-pod tuned to Radio 3, and cut out some bunting:

As you can see, not ironed yet!

You can probably just make out in the picture my scribblings for the design. You can almost guarantee I will lose that bit of paper before I finish. On the right are my treasured pinking shears, which once belonged to my granny (and I think to her mother too). I lost them for about 14 months and truly mourned them as I thought they had gone for good. They are wonderful scissors. Any seamstress will know how valuable good scissors are (and how attached you get to them!).

More past projects tomorrow :o)

Another past project

2011-02-23T19:55:00.000Z

Here's another in the series "What I have been up to in the last year" !

This is a gift I put together for a friend who is having a tough time at the moment. Firstly, I made her a Dammit Doll to help ease the stress and emotions she may be feeling:

Dammit Doll

And just in case you are unsure of her role, here is the little card I sent with it (apologies for the poor picture, I seem to have been suffering from camera shake! NOT alcohol induced!)

Hence you can see why I gave her felt hair (which unfortunately bears more resemblance to an old-fashioned crash helmet, but we'll let that one go) as I thought wool hair may work loose over time!
Also, since she will be spending lots of time being wanged about (if she is doing her job properly), I thought I would save her modesty (if not her dignity):

Knickers!

I also made her a shawl in a nice bright red, to add a bit of colour to the hospital ward (they tend to be very beige, I've noticed) and to keep her shoulders warm if she got chilly:

It was a lovely quick knit, in King Cole Haze, which I was a little dubious about before I used it but I think it knits up well and is lovely and soft.

Then I made her a bag to keep all her bits and pieces in for when she goes to hospital appointments. This bag is made from curtain fabric samples, I think I used seven in all! It's double layered and has two pockets inside, for drinks and books etc. Unfortunately it came out a bit bigger than I intended, but hopefully it's still a useful size.

I added a couple of vintage buttons to each side to complete the look.

And here's the inside:

This friend has a young daughter, so I sent her a sock monkey too so that she didn't feel left out:

They were all well received and it was nice to feel I could do a little something, even though I live far away from my friend.

2011-02-22T19:26:00.000Z

Although I haven't been blogging for a long while, I have been very busy. Here's a toybox that I painted up for the boys at the end of last year:

I used the book "The Tiger Who Came to Tea" by Judith Kerr as my reference, as it was my favourite book as a child, and the boys love it too. The picture on the top of the box appears on the back of the book.

This is the side of the box, showing the Tiger drinking all the water from the taps so that Sophie can't have a bath that night (even as a child I knew this wasn't possible, but it didn't spoil the magic of the story!)

On the inside of the box I painted my favourite scene in the book. As the Tiger has eaten everything in the house, there is nothing for dinner, so Sophie puts on her coat and wellingtons over her nightdress and goes out to a cafe with mummy and daddy for sausages and chips and ice cream. As a child, I thought the idea of going out at night after bedtime (particularly in your nightie!) was just magical. As the lid is often open as the boys rummage around for bits of lego, this view is often on display.

Originally I had planned to paint scenes on the sides and back too, and I should really have painted the inside as well as it looks rather shoddy! But I'm afraid I had run out of patience by this point and was desparate to move onto something else! Being a bit of a perfectionist my eye is drawn to all the mistakes, but I am basically fairly pleased with the end result. I find painting furniture very enjoyable!

Another Free Pattern!

2011-02-21T10:00:00.000Z

Continuing yesterday's theme, here's the pattern for a washcloth I designed that was hosted on the old site. This way everyone can have a go!

"Wash" washcloth

Wash Washcloth

Moss st: k1, p1 to end of row.
4mm needles, cast on 37sts. Moss st 4 rows.
Row 5: k1, p1, k33, p1, k1
Row 6: k1, p1, k1, p31, k1, p1, k1
Rows 7, 9, 11: as row 5
Rows 8, 10: as row 6
Row 12: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p6, k6, p6, k1, p1, k1
Row 13: k1, p1, k6, p8, k5, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 14: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p4, k2, p6, k2, p4, k1, p1, k1
Row 15: k1, p1, k5, p2, k6, p2, k4, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 16: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p4, k2, p12, k1, p1,k1
Row 17: k1, p1, k13, p2, k4, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 18: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p4, k2, p12, k1, p1, k1
Row 19: k1, p1, k12, p2, k5, p10, k4, p1, k1
Row 20: k1, p1, k1, p3, k10, p6, k6, p6, k1, p1, k1
Row 21: k1, p1, k6, p7, k6, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 22: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p12, k2, p4, k1, p1,k1
Row 23: k1, p1, k5, p2, k12, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 24: k1,p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p4, k2, p6, k2, p4, k1, p1, k1
Row 25: k1, p1, k5, p2, k6, p2, k4, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 26: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p5, k8, p5, k1, p1, k1
Row 27: k1, p1, k7, p6, k6, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1,k1
Rows 28, 30, 32, 34: k1, p1, k1, p31, k1, p1, k1
Rows 29, 31, 33, 35: k1, p1, k33, p1, k1
Row 36: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p5, k2, p5, k2, p4, k1, p1, k1
Row 37: k1, p1, k5, p2, k5, p2, k5, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 38: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p5, k2, p5, k2, p4, k1, p1, k1
Row 39: k1, p1, k5, p4, k1, p4, k5, p2, k6, p2, k4, p1, k1
Row 40: k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k2, p4, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p3, k1, p1, k1
Row 41: k1, p1, k4, p2, k2, p3, k2, p2, k5, p8, k5, p1, k1
Row 42: k1, p1, k1, p4, k2, p4, k2, p5, k2, p2, k3, p2, k2, p3, k1, p1, k1
Row 43: k1, p1, k4, p2, k3, p1, k3, p2, k5, p2, k4, p2, k5, p1, k1
Row 44: k1, p1, k1, p5, k2, p2, k2, p6, k2, p7, k2, p3, k1, p1, k1
Row 45: k1, p1, k4, p2, k7, p2, k6, p2, k2, p2, k1, p1, k6
Row 46: k1, p1, k1, p5, k2, p2, k2, p5, k2, p9, k2, p2, k1, p1, k1
Row 47: k1, p1, k3, p2, k9, p2, k6, p4, k7, p1, k1
Row 48: k1, p1, k1, p6, k4, p6, k2, p9, k2, p2, k1, p1, k1
Row 49: k1, p1, k3, p2, k9, p2, k6, p4, k7, p1, k1
Row 50: k1, p1, k1, p7, k2, p7, k2, p9, k2, p2, k1, p1, k1
Rows 51, 53, 55: k1, p1, k33, p1,k1
Rows 52, 54, 56: k1, p1, k1, p31, k1, p1, k1
Moss st four rows.

Close-up

I’ve checked and double-checked it, but if there are any mistakes then please do let me know! Feel free to make this washcloth for yourself or as a gift but please do not make it to sell. It is listed on Ravelry and I would love to see your finished results. Enjoy!

New Beginnings

2011-02-20T15:49:00.000Z

My little friend!

It's been such a long time since I blogged, but I've decided to dip my toe in the water again. Just as a little taster, I am republishing this pattern which appeared on my old blog (sadly now corrupted!). I started making these when I was in the depths of depression as a wee comfort when things were bad. I kept mine in my pocket and gave it a squeeze whenever I needed a hug to keep me going.

I have tested the pattern a few times now, but if you spot any errata please contact me and I can edit the pattern. Feel free to make them for yourselves and your friends - they are small enough to slip in an envelope and you can complete one in an evening (this one above took me about three hours altogether). You could also make them to raise money for charity - all that I ask is that you do not make them to sell for profit, and that if anyone asks you for the pattern, you point them in this direction! Thank you

Friend in My Pocket

Materials:

2.5mm dpns (at least 3)

4-ply or sock yarn in cream for the body

4-ply or sock yarn in any colour for the hat and dress

Small scrap of stuffing

Embroidery thread for features and hair

Legs:

Using the i-cord method, cast on 4 stitches and knit 11 rows. Break yarn, put sts on a spare needle, and rpt for second leg.

Body:

Put both legs on 1 needle. i-cord all 8 sts for two rows. Divide sts between two needles and, using third needle, k1, inc in next st, k to last two sts, inc in next st, k1 (10 sts)

K 7 rows in the round.

Arms:

Next row: k3, k2tog, and continue on these four sts, leaving the rest of the sts on the other needle. Using your third needle, i-cord 11 rows for arm. Break yarn, thread through stitches and fasten off neatly. Repeat with remaining sts for second arm.

Stuff the body with a little stuffing; do not over-stuff.

Head:

Pick up and k 2 sts from back, 2 sts from arm, 2 sts from front, 2 sts from other arm (8sts). Divide btwn two needles and k 1 row.

Next row: k1, kfb round (12 sts). K 6 rows.

Next row: K1, k2tog - 8 sts. Carefully stuff head whilst rem 8 sts are still on the needles.

Next row: k2tog across row - 4 sts. Fasten off.

Embroider face: using two strands of brown thread, sew French knots for eyes, starting and finishing threads at the top of the head (which will be hidden by the hat). Use two strands of red and sew small neat backstitches for the mouth.

Dress:

Cast on 12 sts. Divide between two needles and k3 rows in the round.

Next row: K1 (Kfb, K2) to last two stitches, Kfb, K1.

K 2 rows.

Next row: K1 (Kfb, K2) to end - 21 sts.

K 6 rows. Cast off.

Hair (optional):

Wind a length of brown embroidery thread around two fingers five or six times; cut at one side. Hold the threads over the top of the head and sew to head with small stitches to create a “parting”. Using red thread, fasten to side of neck then sew round hair to create bunches. Repeat at other side. Fasten off at top of head as before.

Hat/Headscarf:

Cast on 20 sts. Knit in stocking stitch, decreasing 1 st at each end of each k row. If you are going to make a headscarf then slip the first st of each row purlwise to help prevent the st st from curling up. Continue to dec in this manner until there are 2 sts left on the needle; fasten off.

Hat: sew up the seam and place on head. Sew firmly in place.

Headscarf: sew the corners at the cast-on edge together and place on head. Catch the cast-off end to the nape of the neck. Sew headscarf firmly in place.


Some other little friends!

I hope you enjoy making these! The pattern is on Ravelry and if you would like to share your little friends on there then I would love to see them.

I am a bad, bad blogger

2010-04-27T20:23:00.000+01:00

It's been so long since I last wrote a post that you have probably forgotten who I am. Sorry! I am still here though, and have been exceedingly busy making sock monkeys.

When I was making them, they each seemed to have their own distinct personality. I know, I know, it's a bit cliched, but honestly it's true! Of course each monkey has its own name too. If you would like one they are £12 each - either leave me a comment or drop me an email (first come first served!)

This is Cora - she is a very bright and inquisitive monkey, though a little prone to nosiness. She is naturally very cheerful and will take a ticking off in good heart.

This is Frank, who is the original cheeky monkey. He has mischevious stripes running right through him.

Monty is quite the go-getter. He likes being a team leader and organising other toys in fun activities. He is very kind and a good listener.

Emmeline is a bit of a worrier. She is very soft and fluffy and cuddles always cheer her up. She likes to be in company as it makes her feel loved.

This is Charles. He is a big scruffbag at heart. If he wore a shirt then the tails would always be hanging out. However since he is a sock monkey he looks quite smart most of the time.

This is Christabel. She is an energetic monkey who loves to investigate. Be warned; when you return she might not be where you left her. She likes to get around.

Bertrand is a happy-go-lucky chap, quite happy to go along with the crowd. He is very well-behaved (although he does rather enjoy watching other people get up to mischief).

And finally, here is Stanley. Stanley is loyal and loving. He asks for no more than that you occasionally share your secrets with him, about which he will be very discreet.

At the moment this gang are happily keeping each other company in my workroom, but they are looking forward to finding new homes!

Now where did I put my mojo?

2010-02-26T18:16:00.001Z

I have done nothing for about two weeks! Still feeling under the weather, and just shattered in the evening, which is when I do most of my work. However here is something I have been working on at a recycling workshop:

This was an ordinary wooden table, picked up at a junk shop, which I sanded and painted ivory. I then used cement to adhere the pieces of pottery to the top. I had collected the pottery on beachcombing outings over the previous few months - I have a lot more, but just picked out the blue and black stuff, then interspersed them with white pieces. They have all had their edges softened by the sea and feel fabulous.

Before grouting, I painted on a layer of protective coating (not sure what it is called, but it stops the porosity of the seawashed pottery from soaking up any spills). Finally I used an ivory grout so that it looks like the pottery has just washed up on the beach.

I am quite pleased with the final result, but being a perfectionist I can see all the bits I am not happy with!

Happy birthday, Mr President ....

2010-02-10T08:20:00.003Z

Urgh, I have the lurgy. I am feeling distinctly under the weather, so not much crafting going on just now. But here's something I made for a laugh last week - Marilyn Monroe!I made the body by following this pattern, then crocheted the top part of the dress (I found this easier than knitting as I could measure it as I went along), then the skirt I knitted on 3mm needles, starting with 50 sts, then increasing to 100 stitches on the third row. A lot of boring knitting! I finished with four garter stitch rows, to which I then attached some fine wire, in order to make the skirt "blow" up. For the hair, I knit some acrylic DK on 5mm needles, then ironed it as hot as I could to "kill" the acrylic. Then I unwound it and carefully sewed it to her head to make her waved hair. I am quite pleased with the result, but not sure what to do with it now! It might form part of another giveaway in the future.

I also got a nice surprise in the mail this morning - a picture of some knitted cupcakes I made just before Christmas, but forgot to photograph before I sent them off! Thank you very much to My Precious Family Time for the photo.

Cupcakes are great fun to make; I have a cupcake commission coming up and I'm looking forward to it!

I'm now off to nurse my temperature. Gah. I hate being ill!

Relaxing ... and the Giveaway result

2010-01-29T21:26:00.004Z

It's been a while since I did any embroidery, but I was given a commission recently to make ten linen laundry bags with the word "Laundry" embroidered on them. Linen is sooooo lovely to work with, I really must do it more often! I find the whole process really relaxing. And each piece tucks away nicely in my project bag, so I can just whip it out and do a few more letters whenever I have ten minutes spare. I'm about halfway through the embroidery now, having sewn a prototype bag to begin with so I know what I'm doing! Once I am all done with the sewing up I will blog the final result.

I'm also loving the knitting I am getting to do for my new niece! Here's a cute little hat I ran up last night:
Difficult to get a sense of what it looks like, flat on a table, isn't it? So I looked around for a willing model:
I didn't find one.

I also decided to knit her a tomato hat. As she is a little dot, I first of all knit it on 3mm needles, but when I looked at it, decided this was "a hat that would fit a tomato" rather than "a hat that looks like a tomato". So, I re-knit it on 4.5mm needles instead. And wow, look at the difference in size!! I am hoping one of them at least fits, but fear one will be too big, and one too small!

And of course every baby needs cute shoes. These were plain Mary Jane shoes, but I knitted the bar in green and added a couple of leaves so they match the hat. Awwww. I'm not broody. Honestly.

And now, the bit you've all been waiting for ...

(In fact, admit it, you've all scrolled past the pictures to find out if you've won, haven't you??? Huh?)

The winner of the Giveaway is Renee G! Congratulations!! I will send you an email for your address and pop your prize in the post to you. Thank you all very much for entering!

Pipe cleaners and pompoms - the universal cure-all

2010-01-22T13:32:00.004Z

Calum has been off nursery this week. It started with him losing his voice which totally freaked him out (and of course I didn't help when I said "oh, you've lost your voice!" because then he started frantically looking for it!) He then developed an ear infection and conjuncitivis, poor wee man!

Anyway, at an attempt to cheer him up as he was missing nursery, I got out some pompoms and pipe cleaners and bits and pieces from my box of tricks. Calum had a wonderful time making snakes and "prickle fish" as he called them. "This is so fun, mummy," he whispered, "I am so happy!" Awww!!!

And in other family news - I am an auntie again! This time to a gorgeous baby girl. I have knitted a wee car-seat blanket - just the right to tuck around her when she is out in the car. I decided to do very brightly knitted squares (photo above Calum - for some reason blogger decided to mess up my photo order!). However that left a LOT of ends to be sewn in - argh!

So I took the cheat's way out and backed it in fleece instead of sewing them in!

Should be lovely and cosy on cold days anyway :)

Don't forget folks - there is still another week to enter my giveaway - link it on your own blog if you have one to gain an extra entry!

White knuckle ride, knitting style!

2010-01-18T08:56:00.003Z

At the end of last year, a Norweigan friend of mine commissioned me to make her son a traditional Scandinavian sweater and trousers, for him to wear when playing outside during the winter in sub-zero temperatures. I've always wanted to knit such a garment so I gladly accepted. However it soon dawned on me that I was going to have to steek the the sweater. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it meant I would have to knit the intricate delicate pattern, then cut it up. Eeek!

However I'm always up for a challenge so I decided to tackle this, together with help from trusty google and youtube for extra tips (what a wonderful resource is the internet!).

For the outfit I used a Norweigan 100% wool washable yarn by Drops called Karisma Superwash, which I bought from Scandanavian Knitting Design. I have used this site a few times and am always impressed by their prices and prompt delivery.

So here is the body of the sweater, all knitted up to the shoulders, but before the steeks are cut. If you look at the edges of the sweater you can just make out the tacking lines I have made for where the steeks are to go.

Next think to do was to sew either side of my tacking lines in order to stop the sweater becoming a heap of threads when it's cut:

Then comes the scary bit:

SCREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now here's the final sweater - all looks well (phew!)

And the matching trousers:

All winging their way to Norway as I write - I hope they fit well and will keep my friend's little boy cosy and warm this winter.

Having now had a go at steeking, I'm not quite as scared of it now. I love the end result, and knitting in the round instead of back and forth does give a lot more flexibility in terms of the patterns you can knit, plus far less in the way of ends to sew in! I would love to make a steeked kauni blanket at some point. I'll just add it to the enormous list of "Things I will probably never get around to making".

Giveaway!

2010-01-15T15:57:00.003Z

Here we are at last, I have got my act together and organised a GIVEAWAY :)I decided to go with a theme of blue and made a few different things reflecting my various interests.
So I made a blue and white striped sock monkey, a crocheted washcloth, a blue bracelet with a cat on it, and a wee mobile of knitted hearts. I hope you like them all!
Here is a close-up of the bracelet:

Now then, giveaway rules: you can have up to three chances to win all these (oh, and I'll throw in the fabric that you see in the photo too!)
1. Leave a comment on this blog. You can tell me what you would call the monkey if you like! But that's optional.
2. Post a link to this giveaway on a post on your blog. I need more visitors! Once you have posted your link, come back and post another comment on here to let me know.
3. Put a permanent link on your blog to mine (eg if you have a blogroll, list of faves etc). Again, once you have done so, post another comment on here to tell me. So you may leave up to three comments on this post! If you already have a link on your blog to mine, then post a comment to tell me that.

Please make sure that all giveaway entry comments are put on THIS post, even if subsequent posts appear before the giveaway time is up. It just gets too confusing otherwise for my poor little brain ;)

Closing date for entry will be two weeks from now, ie Friday 29th January. Good luck everyone!

Projects on a theme of ... stripes!

2010-01-11T22:30:00.003Z

I seem to have made a lot of stripey things lately!Stripey sock monkeys (this is Max and Jake). I love making sock monkeys, I think I have made over fifty now! I love the way they all have different faces and looks, and I love giving them names (though I usually let my daughter Caitlin choose them!).

A foray into sock cats for a change. Not sure how successful that was. It's rather cute, but I'm too in love with my monkeys I think ;)

... and I was commissioned to knit a Dennis the Menace sweater as a Christmas present! Shame I only managed an awful blurry photo of it, taken on a rather dark afternoon. It went down extremely well with the little boy who received it, and was rather fun to knit as well!

What have I been up to ...

2010-01-07T20:09:00.002Z

Well since we are only nicely out of the Christmas season, I won't apologise for showing you my only seasonal make of 2009! This was my reusable advent calendar made from material scraps left over from other projects of the year. I hung them up with miniature wooden clothes pegs on some festive red ribbon, filled them up with roses chocolates, and the children took turns dipping into the stockings each morning - great fun!

I would really like to have finished off the edges with my pinking shears but they have gone missing :o( - if anyone knows where they are then please let me know!!

The giveaway prize is in its infancy but coming along nicely - more info on this in a few days' time :o)

Happy New Year - Da Cat is BACK!!

2010-01-06T23:13:00.003Z

Well hello again, what a long time it has been since I blogged! New year, new start I think. I will try and keep up this time!
Although I have had a blogging break, I have not been on a craft break - in fact, it's because I have been so ridiculously busy that I haven't had time to write. So I'm sorry for abandoning you all, and I promise I will make it up to you by wafting around that magical word ... GIVEAWAY ... coming soon to a blog near you!

Anyhoo, re the pictures - this was an ordinary pine kitchen chair, which I stripped, sanded, painted with two coats of pale blue, then dry-brush with some off-white, then painted on the cat picture with acrylics, finishing off with a couple of coats of varnish on the top. Am very pleased that I resisted the urge to overwork the fur and am quite happy with the result! (It evens says "Miaou" on the back of the chair!)
I hope you all had a great Christmas and a good start to 2010 - look forward to catching up with what you are all up to in the near future.

The Monkeys are taking over ...

2009-09-24T11:28:00.004+01:00

It's amazing. You start off with one or two ...
Then before you know it ...
They start breeding ...

Rather cute though, aren't they?

Now that's what I call Teamwork

2009-09-16T13:14:00.003+01:00

Caitlin and I have entered a competition, where you had to draw pictures with other members of your family, on the theme of "Our Creative Family". We had SUCH fun designing it and adding various elements to the picture, plus we also spent several (peaceful) hours together just shootin' the breeze ... It was sent off this morning so wish us luck! (to view the whole picture, go here)

Meet Cuthbert and Cynthia!

2009-09-15T09:50:00.001+01:00

They are very good friends and do like to have a cuddle, but I suspect they just know they look good together! These are part of a commission of five, so they will have more brothers and sisters soon.

Crochet for snuggling

2009-09-13T08:22:00.003+01:00

I'm a bit ambivalent about crochet. I love the effect, the fact that you can do 3D stuff so easily, only having one live stitch at a time (no dropping stitches), and it's so easy to pick up and put down - but I simply can't crochet without looking at what I'm doing! And being an inveterate multitasker that's very frustrating - unlike knitting, I can't crochet and read at the same time!However, I put all my frustrations aside to make this big snuggly blanket from my leftover scraps. It's very easy to do and I can almost do it without looking (I just sneak occasional glances out of the corner of my eye as I'm watching TV) and (best of all in my opinion!) it keeps my lap warm on cool evenings!

I'm about two-thirds of the way through the main blanket, after which I shall add a border to it. It's a nice cheerful project for the wet and dismal weather we are having.

Branching out

2009-09-10T09:35:00.005+01:00

I would be the first to admit that there are few things I haven't tried in the field of crafting - however, there are two things I have never got into: jewellery, and card making.

Well that is changing! I can't imagine ever getting the "bug" with regard to these two crafty activities but I'm having a go! Here's my first attempt at a bracelet(apologies for the off-centre photos, not sure what's going on there, they look fine in preview!):

Two rows of buttons, round ones underneath, and mercerised embroidery thread to hold it together. Which looked nice when I first did it but is now looking a little raggy and is quite hard to do up!

Full of enthusiasm, I decided to have another go:

This time I used jewellery wire and a clasp. Spot the beginners errors! I don't particularly like the clasp but it's all I could find. And I have now learnt that the colour of the wire does matter - erk at putting silver and copper together! However I love the colours and I am pleased with the little seed beads which add a nice touch . (and once it's on no-one except me notices the colour clashes!

Sunshiney loveliness

2009-09-05T11:35:00.002+01:00

Today started off so well. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, so after making leek and potato soup for lunch we headed off for a walk on the beach, where we had great fun splashing around and skimming stones in the surf. Then the clouds started heading our way so we made our way home, and the rain started. It is now pouring down with no sign of any let-up! Ah well, at least we got out (and back) before the weather changed.

Anyway, to remind us of the nice weather earlier on, here are a couple of pics of some things I made earlier in the week (and photographed when the sun was out!):
A beach bag in lovely sunny colours (this is going in the post as a gift next week);

... and a pair of VERY bright and cheerful socks - they will definitely help to see me through the dark winter months to come!

As promised, the recycled rug tutorial!

2009-09-02T14:17:00.005+01:00

Here's a run-down of how to make your own recycled rug! First of all, collect together all your old cast-offs. I used this one as a sample as it had a glaring stain in the middle; however, when I took the photo the stain miraculously disappeared!! Just so you don't think I'm mad I've added an arrow to show where the stain is. (Actually that in itself is probably a bit mad. Ah well.)
1. Ok so the first thing to do is to remove the seams. Lay the fabric out flat in a single layer; don't worry about squaring up the edges.

2. Using a guide, cut the material into strips. I made my guide from another t-shirt and wrote on it so I wouldn't lose it! My guide is 2 inches (5cm) wide, and being made of material it clings to the fabric nicely meaning I don't need to pin it on.
3. Voila - lots of strips of fabric! Carry on with the rest of your t-shirts until you have a nice satisfying pile to run your fingers through. I started off with a carrier bag full and though I cut them all up I still have quite a few left; however I got a good mix of colours that way.
4. For your starting strips, cut a triangular shape out of each piece. Make sure each strip is a different length (I will explain why in a moment).
5. Put a stitch through the end to hold them together.
6. Using a weight to hold the ends down, begin to plait your strips. You might find it easier to get a willing slave to hold it for you. However I had no slaves when I took this photo so I nicked my daughter's paperweight. Make sure you plait your strips quite tightly together, but not so tightly that they start to buckle.
7. When you have plaited to the end of your first strip, pick up the next strip and plait it in. Wrap the new strip round the end of the old one, with about an inch overlap (a little more if you are nervous). This is where having different length strips comes in; that way, you don't have lots of joins in the same place!
8. Continue adding in new strips as you run out, until you get bored/have none left/want to start sewing it together. You can add more strips later if you like, or you can make one long plait then do all the sewing in one go.
9. To begin the sewing, attach the thread to the back of the plait then, with the front uppermost, coil the end around itself with the ends tucked underneath.
10. Flip the coil over and secure it with some small stitches.
11. Continue to coil the plait around itself and sew together on the back. At this point it is easiest to continue with the rug back uppermost. It's vital to keep the rug flat whilst working so that it will lie flat when finished (if you make it on your knee then it will be full of lumps and bumps!), so it's best to do the sewing up on a table.
12. Here's a close-up of the back of another piece so you can see the stitching. This is going to be a plaited bowl, so rather than working on a table, I'm coiling this one round a mixing bowl to make the shape.
13. Here's the right side of the bowl (I'm experimenting with mixing similar shades here!
14. And there you have it. When you are satisfied that your rug is the right size for you, then add a backing fabric to cover up the stitching (can't show you a photo of that bit because I haven't done it yet!). Use a good quality hessian for the backing and it should help your rug last well.
15. And finally ... admire your handiwork!!

Just call me the recycling queen (or how to reuse all those old t-shirts)

2009-08-23T16:17:00.002+01:00

When you have four children you quickly generate a lot of clothing. Some of it I pass on to other people or the charity shop but, since most of it comes to us secondhand in the first place, by the time my lot have finished with them, most of the stuff is only fit for the bin.

Now if there is one thing I can't stand, it's putting things in the bin. It feels a little immoral throwing out clothing, even if it is stained beyond all recognition and full of holes! So, I came up with a way of reusing all those t-shirts and pyjamas in a braided rug:

The girls have this rug in their bedroom now, and as well as adding a splash of colour they say it is very comfortable to sit on. I have put in lots of their favourite tops that they wore to death, woollen tights that had holes in, a couple of old breastfeeding tops of mine, and some old school t-shirts (those are the yellow bits in the close-up!), and the little one's outgrown pyjamas.

A real nostalgia trip and, best of all, very few bits for the bin!

I'm wondering about putting together a tutorial for making your own - do let me know if you are interested!

Just for a change ...

2009-08-20T19:56:00.005+01:00

... I painted a picture :)My eldest daughter loves Charlie and Lola (don't we all?) so I painted this in acrylics and outlined it in pen. (Unfortunately I rushed it a bit to get it finished before the littlest one woke up and smudged it ... gah)

Caitlin is most thrilled with it though.

Cupcakes for a Fun Day

2009-08-14T21:18:00.005+01:00

No crafty stuff today (lots of WIPs!), but today eldest daughter and I made some smartie cookies and smiley buns, ready for tomorrow's Fun Day on our estate. Despite the superb weather we have had this summer, it looks like the rain has fairly well set in, so I think it will be a wet day. Fingers crossed for sunshine!

Summer happiness!

2009-08-13T19:46:00.005+01:00

When I was in one of the local gift shops last week, on impulse I asked the guy who owned it if he ever took things from local craftspeople. Anyway, one quick conversation later and he is very keen to see some of the bags that I make - yippee! So I decided I ought to make up a new batch. Here's the first - you lot get a sneak preview!

I went for a nice summery look, a departure from my previous "blue jeans" ones. I have improved on my design a little and now incorporate a magnet fastening and an inside pocket (it's not as wonky as it looks, honest!)

I need to do another couple of bags to take in I think, but am sticking with the recycled jeans thing for now as it's become a bit of a signature style. I'm pleased with the way this turned out.

A little bit of kitsch

2009-08-12T08:47:00.003+01:00

I love bright colours, but generally tend to steer away from anything too kitsch (WHAT??? I hear you say?) - no really, I do! However I couldn't resist making this heart-shaped cushion.

To soften the effect, I used a red and a bright pink knitted together, so that it gave a mottled effect. I quite like the way it has come out. Perfect for a rather dark corner in the hall.

Dyeing success!

2009-08-11T07:35:00.002+01:00

I've always fancied having a go at dyeing but never got around to it - but finally decided to take the plunge and have a go with some food colouring:
I used red, yellow, green and blue, painting it onto the yarn which I had previously soaked in vinegar, then I "cooked" it in the microwave.
I was really pleased with the final result!
However when I came to knit it up I found that where the colouring had "pooled" at the bottom of the bowl I had created a kind of dark brown, which appeared as blobs in the final result when knitted up:
Ah well! Beginner's error I guess. It was great fun and I will definitely try again, though I might pick just one colour next time!!

Mr Tickle in stitches

2009-08-10T09:32:00.003+01:00

I love designing and creating intarsia but it's been a while since I did any now! However Calum had been asking for a Mr Tickle jumper for ages and I had an idea in my head, so I finally came up with this!

Getting the arms to line up was a bit of a fiddle, and as you can see by the time I had frogged and reknitted this one three times I gave up:

However this one was a little more succesful!
Calum is thrilled with it, I had to sneak it away when he was sleeping to wash it!

Hello and Welcome!!!

2009-08-09T09:45:00.004+01:00

After struggling along with my old blog at miaoucrafts for some time, I have finally decided to make the switch over to blogger in the hope that I can revive my enthusiasm for blogging and hopefully create a little more interest! I know that some people have had problems viewing my old blog, unfortunately these issues were related to the server and beyond my control. So thanks for visiting, I will add some pictures and update you on what I've been up to (provided this technnophobe can work out how to do it!) - watch this space :o)