My first blanket ta-da!!

Hello

Finally got around to taking some photos of the cot blanket I made for E, started back in October last year (4 long months but oh-so-worth-it). I've always loved hand knitted and crocheted things and greatly admired the skills of the people who created them but never thought I could do it. Then a couple of years ago I came across Lucy's lovely colourful blog and ooh-ed and ahh-ed over all the things she made. From her blog I discovered many others, all displaying gorgeous creations and I got a big attack of the wanties. I wanted to do that! So with the help of my Grandma and a few You tube tutorials I learned to crochet. Yay me!

My first project was perhaps a tad ambitious for a beginner, maybe I should have started with a little cushion cover or something but I really really wanted to see E's cot adorned with a soft, snuggly blanket, made by Mummy with love.  I tootled down to our little village wool shop and spent a happy 45 minutes dithering over colours, types and brands of yarn whilst the nice lady patiently answered all my questions as I rearranged her shelves. Above are the balls of yarn I choose ( I decided against using the pale blue in the end), a mix of Sublime Cashmerino DK and Extra Fine merino DK. And so I got to work.

Until finally... (After frogging the border twice and having a few hissy fits)

Sorry for the photo-heavy, not-so-modest post but I can't believe I actually made something! I feel quite chuffed with my little self. I think I put too many stitches in when I started on the border which means the edges dont lie flat but ruffle up but I quite like the effect and think it looks pretty with the simple shell-stitch edging.

E loves it and looks so snug and warm under it. No photos of this though because when she's asleep you cannot so much as breathe for fear she will wake up. And when she wakes up she is immediately WIDE awake, whether it's 2am or 6am!

K xxx

Cupcakes

Hello!


I loaned my camera to my sister for a few days last week so aside from feeling like I had lost a limb I don't have many pictures to share with you and still haven't got around to doing a 'ta-da' post for E's cot blanket. Lazy, lazy.


Yesterday however I was reunited with my camera just in time for a Cupcake Workshop I had booked a place on. It was a deal through Groupon, £16 instead of £55 so I thought why not? I got there an hour early because I was convince I'd get hopelessly lost (even with the help of Felicity, my sat-nav lady!) but it was relatively easy. So with an hour to kill I found a cafe and had a lovely sandwich and some soup all on my own with no one whinging for drinks, no wiping mouths etc. Bliss. Then I had a mooch around a couple of the 'Cherry Tree' shops - you've got me calling them that now Gem!

A H&M blouse for me, lovely for spring (she says, its snowing here today!), a Monsoon bolero style cardi for E when she's a bit bigger, a cake decorating book and another of E's favourite 'touchy-feely' books. Grand total of £8 ish. Oops, 12.50pm, better get a move on to the workshop.

After a talk and demonstration of different decorating designs and icing techniques we were let loose with 4 cupcakes of our own and tables of frosting, sugarpaste, glitter, edible paints, cutters and plungers. The photos aren't great, the workshop was held in a church hall and the lighting wasn't the best for piccys.

Getting messy! Tea and cake was handed round and there was lots of chatter and laughter. A few women had brought their young daughters with them, I thought it would be for adults only, the little girls were so engrossed in their cupcakes bless them. Next time I'll definitely take L along, she would love it. Want to see what I made? Oh go on then!

The bee was lots of fun to make and my piping technique is not as bad as I feared! Good job I took this photo as they were all snaffled within 20 minutes of me arriving home. Piggies.

Oh and I've finished L's cushion, she loves it. I'll tag that on to the end of the blanket ta-da post which IS coming soon, I promise. Just working on T's 'engine' cushion and then I'm starting a baby blanket for our new niece due in June. Crochet is very addictive!

Take care

K xx

Silent Saturday

Or at least it is in the Polka Dotty household, M has gone to watch football and my parents have taken the littlies out for the afternoon. I'm curled up on the sofa, with a cup of tea and my hooky to hand catching up on 'Call the Midwife'. Lovely.

E's blanket is finished!!! I need to take some photos so I can do a proper ta-da post though. I'm still waiting for one more shade of Stylecraft Special DK to arrive so I can start T's blanket and i've started on a cushion for L's bed. Colours above are Stylecraft special DK in pale rose and raspberry and the plum colour was given to me so i'm not sure what it is other than it a double knit.

Does anyone else find they can't sit empty-handed anymore? I feel a bit lost without E's blanket to keep my hands busy so I'm glad to start another project. Yesterday I made this during E's naps;

A new pin cushion using some Cath Kidston fabrics and I added a crochet trim. I did get this sweet little fellow in my stocking at Christmas but I cannot bear to stick pins in him! I love these pretty flower-headed pins.

Only a short post today I'm afraid, I want to make the most of the peace and quiet! So here I shall sit, sipping my tea, working a foundation chain (grr) and admiring my lovely tulips purchased at the market on Thursday. Who knows, I may even succumb to a morsel of cake!

Oh before I go can I just direct you to some fab giveaways that are going on in blogland at the moment, I follow all these lovely ladies' blogs and the giveaways are very generous and full of gorgeousness!

Ashley at Country Rose

Nicki at Homebird

Emily at Unravelled

Good luck and take care all

K xx

It's all about me

For the moment at least, E is having a nap, T is playing with Playdoh and L is in her room practicing her dance routines (thud, thud, thud!). I've settled myself down with tea and a bun and the latest issue of the gorgeous Mollie Makes and I'm going to put my feet up and ignore that pile of ironing for now.

We've had a busy week; swimming, a visit to the cinema to watch The Muppets (T's first time at the cinema, he was really good bless him, I was worried about him staying still and quiet for so long as he is such a whirlwind but he only started fidgetting about 20 minutes before the end),a trip into town to the market and lunch in a lovely little cafe plus the usual 'at home' activities of baking, painting, playdoh. Plus quite a bit of bickering, fighting, some time on the naughty step and one whingy, teething babba. Phew!

Tomorrow we're meeting a friend and her children at the local soft play centre (ouch my ears!) then as a special treat as M is away tomorrow night I'm going to put the babies to bed and L and I are having a takeaway and ice cream in front of a film. Girls night!

Oooh the man is coming to make a start on the chimney and new velux window on Monday so I spent a few hours last night when the littlies were in bed sorting through stuff in the Attic of Dread and actually made some progress (we can see floor!)! I've just been to the recycling centre and charity shop to offload some things and will continue my mission tonight, with the help of a large G&T. Well it is Friday!

Take care

K xx

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hearts

Handmade cards

Homemade shortbread biscuits

Half an hour of peace and quiet. Lovely.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all xxxx

Shuffling In (sheepishly)

Hello

Gosh it has been almost 2 months since my last blog post, time has certainly flown, I'd no idea it had been so many weeks until I looked at my blogger homepage and now feel a little sheepish in returning. Life has been full on recently and fraught at times, leaving me with little spare time and energy so blogging, amongst other things has taken a backseat. Things are starting to ease up now though so here I am (if there is still anyone out there!). In short we've had illness, hospital visits/stays, decorating upheaval, poorly car, a flare up (fibromyalgia), plus Christmas and New Year and normal, hectic family life. Phew!

Anyway, here are a few photos from recent weeks to share with you all...

 Onto the border of E's cot blanket now which is taking a while as I've frogged it all once because it wasn't 'just right'. Sorry for the poor lighting in the 2nd pic it really doesn't show the colours well.

A couple of quick mini projects too, jar jackets inspired by Lucy at Attic 24, many thanks for her easy-to- follow patterns and photo instructions. The 'cornishware' style houses my crochet hooks and the stripy one is L's for her pencils. I think the daisy on hers looks more like a fried egg but hey ho!

 A delivery of lovely new Stylecraft yarn ready for my next project. Lovely neat upper shelf of my stash and appallingly messy lower shelf. Hmmm. Oh and I struck gold in a charity shop a couple of weeks back - 4 balls of Debbie Bliss cashmerino for £2!! No idea what i'll do with them yet but they're lovely, 2 lemon and 2 pale duck egg.

I've joined a new craft group that has been set up in a cafe in town, we meet on the first Thursday of the month to knit/crochet/sew over coffee and cake. All the ladies are lovely and I'm looking forward to the next meeting. Also I enrolled on a 4 week 'Introduction to Sewing' course that was being run by a local tea shop/design studio and that finished last week, then in 2 weeks I begin a 4 week 'Pattern Cutting' course and have a one day workshop in Soft Furnishings coming up in March too. Busy, busy! My new year's resolution was to make more time for myself doing things I love. Along with these courses/group, I now make sure I pick up my hook for at least half an hour each day, bake just for the sake of it and treat myself as and when I can. I love being able to stay at home with the little ones but needed something for me to be Kate for a few hours instead of Mummy/Wifey.

The snow we had at the weekend was eagerly anticipated by all (big kids as well as little ones!) and throughly enjoyed, especially by E with her first time out in the snow - until she fell over and got her hands cold, then she howled!!

According to the weather we're in for another snowfall so I'm off to the shops and market to stock up the cupboards and fridge. All ready to cosy up indoors with the fairy lights glowing, pots of hot tea, crochet, lovely magazines, and stew and dumpling for tea. Bliss.

K xxx

Winter Wonderland

Was it the 10yr old or the 3yr old who woke me up this morning to tell me it had snowed? Nope. It was an excitable 32yr old. Honestly!

K xx