I crocheted these cute mitts from Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, what do you think? I went for a pale blue shade because I had it in my stash – it makes for a nice Spring mitt that will look great with my 3/4-length sleeve coat, but I bet it’d look equally as good in hot pink!

The pattern is available in Inside Crochet 26, and I’ll make a download available when the rights return to me in six months.

(Psst! Do you remember the Half Square Quilt I made a few months back? It was made using gorgeous Monaluna fabric that I am totally in love with – and there’s a giveaway going on at the moment on favequilts.com! Check it out!)

I have published a new crochet pattern, hurrah!

The Winter has suddenly turned bitterly cold, and I found myself in need of something snuggly to wrap my hands in. I whipped these up in no time at all – it took me an hour, literally, to make one mitten!

The pattern’s available for download from ravelry now!

You won’t believe this, but it’s 100% true and there were witnesses!!

I was at a workshop yesterday (more on that in a sec!) and one of the women there started telling the teacher about this great mushroom pouch she wanted to make that she’d seen in a crochet mag with shell buttons on the cap! I asked if it was in Inside Crochet and she said yes, and I was all “omfg get out! I designed that!”. Made my day – best thing ever. Ahem.

The course was knitting intarsia at Loop in London, taught by Stephanie Dosen (incidentally, one of my favourite singers – I think I scraped through the day with only one embarrassing fangirl incident that I recall, and tbh the girl I sat next to had a scary amount of knowledge of her knitting patterns, so I think we probably evened each other out, in a scary-mary kind of way), and we knit her Sweet Robin Wristees. Stephanie was a great teacher – really patient and funny, too – and the other knitters were so lovely that I had a really great day. Sadly, Stephanie is moving back the US in a week, so that’ll be the one and only class she teaches at Loop, but I was really chuffed to have caught it.

In other news, I’m seriously considering partaking of some NaNoWriMoey goodness this year. It’s been 2 years since I finished my English Literature & Creative Writing diploma with the OU, and I think my fear of the written word has just about subsided.

Am I mad? Probably.

As you can see, my crepe bodice is coming along nicely. I’ve assembled it and have added piping to the neckline (which was not easy) and the sleeves – it’s just a bid of understitching and then the skirt to go.

I came across some fine purple corduroy that I’ve had since I was about 17, and I’ve cut out Ginger pattern pieces from it (without making a muslin first – risky business, that).

I also cut and sewed my Lady Grey muslin last weekend, but it was far too small across the bust. I was surprised, since I used the same size as for my Crepe, and the muslin for that fitted beautifully. I’m going to try a size bigger at the bust and this time I’m going to give this stuff a try – Kwik Trace Toile Paper, as it works out about the same price as tracing paper and cheap curtains, but (in theory) is half the steps and half the hassle.

On Sunday I’m excited to be going to Loop for Stephanie Dosen’s last workshop before she heads back to the US. I’m a long-time fan of Stephanie’s music, so I’m very excited to be meeting her at last. I shall be making a concerted effort not to embarrass myself…

Last week I went to Ally Pally, a big knitting and sewing show at Alexandra Palace, London. I was reasonably restrained, coming away with only a skein of Wollmeise in Tandoori Massala, some gorgeous autumn-hued plaid cotton for I-don’t-know-what (but at £4 a metre it’d have been rude not to!) and some vintage-inspired cotton to make a Colette Ginger with. The show itself was scarily busy – shuffling room only. We saw people with wheely suitcases, which I think they brought along in part to carry their buys (which I thought was a tad excessive), and in part to use to plough their way through the crowd.

The week before was the infinitely more pleasant Vintage & Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire. If you’ve never been, I’d recommend it – it’s small, but stallholders come from all over the country and the quality of vintage wares is excellent!

I bought this gorgeous fabric from Donna Flower, which I’m making a Colette Crepe with using Gertie’s sew-a-long from the beginning of the year. I bought 4 metres – everything Donna had – and it’s lucky I did, because I have exactly the right amount! I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s got gorgeous drape. The only slight downside is you just have to look at it and it creases!

It has little blackberries on it, look! I’m going to make the waist tie in blue, and pipe the neckline and sleeves, too. What do you think?

This!

My quilt has eaten every single spare moment I’ve had over the past 6 weeks, but I’m really pleased to say that it’s finished now!

I took a quick snap with it in place on my bed before I sent it off to Head Office to be professionally photo’d for Handmade Living issue 6 (October 2011).

What do you think?

]]> http://canny-cat.com/?feed=rss2&p=828 0 http://canny-cat.com/?p=824 http://canny-cat.com/?p=824#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:48:05 +0000 Catherine http://canny-cat.com/?p=824

A quick and fun little project sewn for Handmade Living magazine issue 4, which is out now!

(It seems like my only crafting is for work at the minute, doesn’t it? Still, I’m not entirely sure I mind!)

At the risk of sounding a bit like a broken record, the past month has been super busy!

At work, we got Issue 2 of Handmade Living out the door and on the shelves. I’m proud to say the cover sports a lunchbag that I designed – it’s made using Rob Ryan’s laminated cotton and lined with thermal batting, and the pattern is featured in the issue.

I also knit and submitted a jumper pattern to our sister magazine, KNIT – heartbreakingly, though, I absolutely hate it. Hate hate hate it. Knitting it was like pulling teeth, it didn’t turn out anything like I envisioned, my gauge was off so it’s an awful fit, and I even loathe the yarn. So I’m not entirely looking forward to seeing that in print in a few months, to be honest! Hopefully the ever-talented Editor, Zoe, can do some kick-ass styling on it and make it look passable, at least!

For a bit of a break, I’ve just cast on Watershed by Amy Swenson using Fyberspates Scrumptious Aran. It’s knitting up quite quickly (that’s Aran for you), and following a well-written pattern designed by someone else, after the past few months spent designing and problem-solving, just lovely.

And tonight I’m going to see Patrick Stewart in Merchant of Venice at the RSC – I can’t wait!

Hurrah! Today, the first issue of Handmade Living, the magazine I’ve been working on, went live.

This is one of the things I worked on for the magazine. It’s an “IKEA hack” using their ‘Malma’ mirror, and I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. 5 of us all customised a mirror and it’s cool how different they all turned out.

I’ve loads of other stuff in the pipeline that I’m working on for Issue 2!

I’m still having a great time working for KAL Media. I’ve been spending all my time beavering away on creative projects, though I can’t show you them til they’re published (watch this space).

Over the past fortnight I’ve exhibited at the Stitches show in Birmingham, and I was lucky enough to be able to go to Unravel in Farnham. The stalls at Unravel were great, but way way too busy — shuffling room only for most of the day, not pleasant (especially when there was nowhere to sit down at lunchtime). I hope they find a bigger venue for next year, or at least re-think the layout.

At least the Unravel Kitty seemed to enjoy the buzz!

(Oh, and the tape measures are from HobbyCraft, aren’t they cute? I got two because I’m always losing them…)