Taking on too much

When will I ever learn?

In the summer my girls did a 2-day art course with an artist friend of mine, and while waiting outside her house in the sun to collect them each day, I thought " How nice it would be to do an art course!" My dad was an artist and I did art at school to A-level, but have let it slide in all the years since. I felt that now I was getting back to doing some creative activities it would be good to brush up on my sadly neglected drawing and painting skills.

So, in September, I signed up for a beginners art course with Zangmo Alexander, a local artist and teacher, and paid upfront (or at least, DH did). After just 4 sessions and having been unable to go to 2 others, I've had to come to the realisation that this was a course too far, and it is just unrealistic given my committments to family, house , teaching and my own time. It has been an expensive lesson.

However, I have learned some good tips and techniques to improve my drawing, and I have a nice new set of drawing pencils to play with!

Look who's 9!

A couple of weeks out of date, but I. recently turned nine and I love the look on his face that sister E. captured in this picture. Oh the joy of blowing out birthday candles!

This is the first of the children's birthdays, all of which fall at this time of year when although bithday parties and teas in the garden are out, it is dark enough at tea-time to have the proper conditions for the ritual candle-blowing-out.

This year's "party" for I. consisted of going to the cinema with 2 friends to see the lovely film, "Up", and then having one friend to sleep over. Much more calm than in previous years, and because friend had gone home by Sunday tea-time it was just the family who were there to sing Happy Birthday and enjoy the chocolate brownie cake - a relaxed and cosy occasion.

Fairy Ring

Today on the way back from a bike ride with I ( which was not an unqualified success since he got very cold ears and very tired so we ended up pushing the bikes up the last stretch), I saw this round one of the birch trees in the garden. All the birches had fungi around them, but this one had a complete fairy ring. Is there something in birch roots which attracts them, or do we really have fairies at the bottom of the garden?

Also, a picture of Saturday's Halloween pumpkin. The ones I took while it was lit on Halloween didn't come out well enough...

Summer Garden Stripes

My first completed knitting design project - a baby blanket knitted in Rowan Handknit Cotton. I loved these delicious colourways, Gooseberry, Delphinium and Thunder together, and the names inspired my "summer garden" name, even though it was photographed today minutes after being finished, in my Autumn garden.

An easy and enjoyable project, though knitting all the stripes does take quite a while!

Pattern for Summer Garden stripes Baby Blanket

Supplies:

Rowan Handknit Cotton ( which is machine-washable)

Colour A - 334 (Delphinium) - 4x 50g balls

Colour B - 219 ( Gooseberry) - 3x50g balls

Colour C - 335 ( Thunder) - 1 x 50g ball

Needles:

Pair 4.5mm needles

4mm circular needle ( 80cm long)

Using colour B and 4.5mm needles, cast on 116 st.

Row 1 - k to end

Row 2 - k1, p to last stitch, k1.

These 2 rows form the stocking stitch pattern.

Continue in stocking stitch following this stripe pattern:

B - 6 rows (in total)

A - 4 rows

B - 6 rows

C - 2 rows

A - 6 rows

B - 4 rows

A - 6 rows

C - 2 rows

These 36 rows form one rpt of the stripe pattern.

Work a total of 5 rpts of the pattern , then proceed as follows:

B - 6 rows

A - 4 rows

B - 6 rows.

Cast off.

Weave in ends in same colour stripes using duplicate stitch.

Borders

Short side borders ( work both in the same way)

Using 4mm circular needle and colour A, pick up 113 sts along one short edge.

Row 1 - k1, m1, *k1,p1, rpt from * to last 3 sts, k1, m1, k1. (117 sts)

Row 2 - k1, m1, *p1, k1, rpt from * to last 3 sts, p1, m1, k1. (119 sts)

This forms the moss stitch pattern.

Rpt these 2 rows 4 more times (10 rows in total, 135 sts)

Cast off.

Long side borders (work both in the same way)

Using 4mm circular needles and colour A, pick up evenly 145 sts along one long edge.Work 10 rows in moss stitch increasing as for short edge borders.

Cast off.

Finishing

Sew together border edges using backstitch.

To block, machine wash at 30c then pin out on blocking board or large towels to the finished dimensions ( 86cm x 68cm). Leave to dry.

If you find any problems with this pattern, please leave a comment or e-mail me on silverfamily7@gmail.com.

Christmas is coming...if you're a crafter

No, I'm not so organised that I have already designed and made my Christmas cards. This is a picture of last year's design, of which I made about 65!
But I do need to , in fact have started thinking about this year's one. When I was in my local garden centre last week the staff were busy putting together the Christmas department. And I have now ordered my stamp for this year, a dove, from the same company as the tree - The English Stamp Co.
I promise, though, that apart from my cards I will do nothing else about Christmas until at least November. But making 65+ cards does have to be spread out a little...

WIPs and FOs. ( or works-in-progress and finished objects, if you prefer)

My partly-knitted sock - long way to go on this project! Opal pattern and sock yarn.




My first attempt at designing. Cabled cushion cover - wool is Rowan Kid Classic. This is attempt #3. Just as well I didn't decide to design a sweater...





Kaalund kit and wool - lovely to knit with and gorgeously soft.

This shrug was started in June 2008 and finished early Sept 2009. Oh and I just sewed the ends in this morning... Sirdar Just Soya pattern and yarn. I didn't like knitting with this as the yarn split so much and the pattern appeared to be wrong in the stitch count in the patterned section with the result that I went wrong on the back. Or maybe it was just me. Anyway when I realised the mistake I was so close to casting off that despite being the biggest perfectionist going, I couldn't bear to rip it all out and start again. Also, it helps me learn to deal with imperfection!

September - a fresh start

September...the Jewish New Year...back to school...a fresh start.
And a fresh start for this blog which has been languishing sadly neglected for too many months.
At present I'm in a knitting phase, having finished both the shrug I started way back last year, and started and finished the scarf from the kit I bought months ago.
My current challenges to myself, now I am back intoi knitting in a big way are to teach myself to knit socks and to design a knitted item myself.
So... a sock is duly in progress on the needles, but the 2.5mm needles are so sharp they have actually ended up making a hole in my finger (ouch!!) - well a break in the skin anyway. So I have temporarily transferred to challenge #2 - a knitted cushion cover
Photos of these and finished items to follow.

ps. Further to the posts about our new windows and doors, I'm pleased to report that everything is finished, bar the painting, including a lovely new deck. So, wonderful light inside the house and a great area to sit outside. In fact the previously dark and grim corner of the sitting room has now become my favourite place to sit and knit. Kniting on the deck is good too, except in blazing sunlight.