Over the past few months we’ve had some major renovations done on our house and everything is still in storage until such times as the dust settles and the decorating is complete.  In the meantime we’ve had some exciting news that we’re expecting another addition to the fold and I just couldn’t help myself but root out some wool and my old knitting patterns.  Well, what else is a mother-to-be with a crafting urge to do!

Iona’s teddy very kindly modelled the finished article, in the absence of an actual baby to model it.  Even though this is a newborn size I can’t see it fitting the baby, it just seems far too big.  Still I don’t expect the baby will be long in growing into it.

Because our house is in such a building site…might post pictures soon…there is nowhere suitable to lay out the whole jumper for a picture.  Really, you don’t want to see the piles of wood and nails!  So, you’ll have to make do with a folded jumper and the promise that when the baby is around to model it, I’ll share it with you.  Should be January!

The neckline leaves a lot to be desired, knitting not being my strong point, however I’m really very pleased with this.

It’s been three months since our last update and our regular followers must be wondering if we’re ok, still alive or ever going to post again.  Well, what happened was (as per my last post) I bought some sock wool and vowed to not make anything else until those socks had been knitted, which I’m pleased to report they now have!

I didn’t realise so much time had passed so oops, and sorry to everyone who has been visiting hoping for an update.  More on the socks later…promise.  Hopefully, followed soon after with some more regular makes and updates…I’ve a real hankering to make some sock creatures again.

The elements have been conspiring against us this week and we’ve spent a couple of days at the tail end of the week without electricity so my pictures are taking on a candlelit look to them.

Saturday – the kids made me a Happy Happy cake

Sunday – Tenor Horn

Monday – Knitting a pair of socks

Tuesday – I’ve got a lovely bunch of … bananas!

Wednesday – my brand spanking new saxophone … I am in lurve

Thursday – Candle reflected in the window

Friday – Reading by candlelight

The bonus picture is of the blanket that the wind had blown from the washing line on top of the bird bath on Thursday morning.  I was so pleased with this picture but the candle reflecting in the windowsill gave a better option for that day.  We had now in the morning on Thursday and horrible rain and winds of 90 mph in the afternoon and evening.  They went on until late Friday night…and this is reading like a weather forecast so I’ll stop now.

I’ve been shopping today and bought some sock wool as well as a tatting shuttle.  I’ll obviously knit myself some socks with the sock wool, but I’ve no idea what to do with the tatting shuttle.  I just knew that I had to have one.

Five Green Acres has suggested that we all join her Rumpelstiltskin Challenge and use up all those stash items and finish those unfinished projects.  Today I made a dent in my wool stash.

This is my new wool basket made from a really long coil of finger knitting, that was made from a ball of chunky wool, which has been taking up space in our hallway for the past two years.  Be liberated little ball of wool and know that you are now a very useful basket.  No longer will you be threatened with being thrown out or given to charity.  No more will your purpose in this world be questioned…for now, you are a basket fit to hold all the other balls of wool whose purpose has yet to be discovered!

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m really enjoying finger knitting.

In the making.  I honestly never believed I’d have the stamina to finish this one.  All that wool takes an awful long time to sew together.

Up close, what to do with the rest of the wool stash…of which this is a mere fraction.  I’ve got bags and bags of the stuff.  Any suggestions given I get so fed up with traditional knitting patterns?

That’s right, Saturday.  I really do wish I could keep up and post on a Friday night but it’s just too much for me at the moment, so Saturday it will be.

Here’s a glimpse of what I’ve been looking at this week.

Saturday – Wanlockhead & Leadhills Narrow Gauge Railway

Sunday – Daffodil

Monday – Hot coals in the stove

Tuesday – Lens reflected in a hairband

Wednesday – Geranium

Thursday – Firewood

Friday – Cactus

I’m working on another scarf and still trying to find time to finish the topsy turvy doll.  I’ve also got a million ideas running through my head that need to be channelled before they’re lost.

What do you do with a couple of hours to spare and a large ball of chunky wool that honestly you’ve no idea what to make with it?  Make a finger knitted scarf of course.

I used the whole ball of wool and knitted it over two fingers twice (if that makes any sense), then tied it together at the ends.  The result is a rather pleasing hoop of knitting that I can wear as a traditional scarf or wrapped twice round, as in the picture.

A day late due to travel with work…sorry!

This week I had a notion that I would theme my photos.  I chose dilapidation.  As you can see these are not all related to dilapidation so…FAIL.  Nevertheless, I think my skills are improving a little as time moves on, notwithstanding work getting in the way…hence Gies Peace (pronounced geez peace for all you none Scots).

Click on the pictures for full size images.

The bonus picture is of the beans thriving in the polytunnel…slowly but surely.  We’ve also got some garlic coming through now too.  Can you believe it?  We’re almost 1500 feet up with rubbish soil and freezing horrible weather and we’ve got vegetables growing in January.  Can’t wait for us to start with the spring/summer planting.  We’re just waiting for a propagator and we can get the tomatoes started.

Our youngest, who is 4, received a knit it yourself elephant kit for her Christmas.  This weekend we set about making it.  It’s not yet finished, can you guess why?

Her interest was held for all of five rows, which is pretty good for a four year old who really had no idea what the point was and just wanted the elephant.  My hands got sore after knitting up the back and front…told you I need a machine.  The result of all this is that this poor little elephant will be formless for another week, but I’ve visions of a much larger one made up on my knitting machine to keep it company.

It’s got me thinking though, what age is an appropriate age to teach kids to knit?  It’s a skill I know I learned from my gran but I don’t remember what age I was.  I have a notion that it should be easy enough to pick up, yet Iona couldn’t get to grips with all the steps, of which there are really only four…in, over, through and off.

I came across these instructions on You Tube for finger knitting…much easier.  I feel that once the elephant is finished I’m going to try and guide her towards finger knitting instead.

I was browsing through the photos on Alisa Burke’s site earlier (on this post) and her picture of the 3 shells reminded me of reading many months ago about a process to create a natural colour palette that can be used in any art or craft.  I grabbed a picture of the new shoots in the polytunnel to demonstrate this idea.

Open the picture in your photo editing package of choice…ours happens to be GIMP; we’re massive fans of Open Source, particularly Ubuntu which makes it so easy to install whatever type of package you need and were considering given some faceless conglomerate a few hundred pounds for the privilege of owning.  Check it out…although I digress.

Open the photo and use the colour grab tool to sample the different parts of the picture.  Create some layers and drop the sampled colour onto each layer.  From this point you can build a natural palette on which to base your sewing, knitting, painting, interior design…anything!

The first colour came from the leaf that you might be able to spot to the left of the photo.  I tried so hard to sample the brown of the soil, but it turns out it’s not brown, it’s blue-grey.  The greens are from the shoots.

Because these colours occur naturally together they are pleasing to the eye…nature will never let us down in that respect.

The idea is further demonstrated on the Colour Lovers website, where they grab colours from various images to show trends.

Another week gone by and I’m exhausted.

I’m quite proud of myself this week for managing to keep up photo taking while being back at work, although they have a distinctly night-time feel about them now.  I must get over the embarrassment of taking photos while other people are around.

Jan 8 2011

Been playing with my knitting machine most of the day.  It’s my very first time using it in spite of winning it at auction what must be more than two years ago.

I love the uniform texture of the fabric it produces.  This is cotton crochet yarn.  I think I’m going to make it into a dishcloth.

Jan 9 2011

The kids and I discovered the joy of my folks’ Powerball (gyroscope) today.  Great fun, but it really hurts when it gets going.

Captured some shots of the ball in action.  This is Iona working very hard to keep it lit.

Jan 10 2011

Today I was given the all clear to start driving again so I go back to work tomorrow.  I’ve come to love this oil heater that has kept me warm for the past couple of months.

Today’s photo was a toss up between this and a hot water bottle because this alone isn’t enough to keep the room warm enough.  I needed the hot water bottle, dressing gown, scarf and occasionally a hat too!

Jan 11 2011

This is the final track to our house tonight after I’d driven along it at speed so that I maintained momentum.  You can’t be a wuss when you live here.  The watery patches are solid ice.

Can’t wait for the summer!

Jan 12 2011

This is Bridget, or more affectionately known as Widgie Woo.  She’s only got three legs but she can still run around and stand on her back leg as if she has four.  We rescued her from the SSPCA in March last year to keep Willow company.

She’s very pissed off in this picture because I moved her bed to get a better shot!

Jan 13 2011

We got a carver chair from a very nice lady in Biggar (via Freecycle).  It needs to be re-upholstered but in the meantime look at this worn leather…delish!

Jan 14 2011

To complement Widgie Woo, here’s Willow.  She really doesn’t photograph well, being all black.  Looking sad is a permanent state for her but I think she’s probably happy enough.

And my bonus picture for this week is a hot water bottle.  Not only do I love the pattern but it’s really needed tonight after a long and arduous week at work.