Summer hols 30 day challenge - Day 15

On Friday I spent time on Pinterest and Ravelry (lots of time, oh poor me!!) deciding on projects to make for family Christmas gifts. Obviously, I can't really say much more as I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, but I found some gorgeous ideas. I did tear myself away from the computer long enough to start one project, a knitted item using wool donated by my Mum who no longer wanted it. 

Tiddlypots!

I made these lovely little knitted pots over the weekend and popped them in my shop to see if they would sell. I'm sure I can find many uses for them if they don't!

I found the pattern in Craftseller magazine, which I love. It is a Gina Alton design from Pots To Knit And Crochet. 

I'm now off to raid my stash (along with the biscuit tin!) and see what variations I can make.

Peace, love and chocolate biscuits :-D x

For me and mine.

 As you can see, my Etsy shop is bereft of items except for a lone knitted apple cosy - which I will probably use for work if it doesn't sell! 

I have decided that it is high time I spend some time creating lovely things for myself, my home and my loved ones. Also Christmas will soon be looming and I need to think presents if I'm to have enough time to make some seasonal gifts.

So here is a round-up of the latest :-)

This is the laundry bag that I made for my daughter, Bethany, to take to uni with her. Hopefully it will encourage her to be a tad tidier than she is now - and even do some washing occasionally! 

I used the pattern in Emma Hardy's Sewing In No Time which was a doddle to follow.

I'm pleased with how well the main fabric and the lining work together and the barrel shape makes it more roomy.

These crochet pots, a Kirstie McLeod design from Simpy Knitting magazine, are perfect for tidying up the bedroom.

  

I wasn't sure if I had enough of each colour for stripes so I took inspiration from Jacquie at Bunny Mummy from her crochet bowl tutorial. Using the cotton doubled gives a much sturdier finish too. I use this bowl for all those bits and bobs - hair bands, Q-tips, cotton wool, lego, dog poop bags (empty!!) - you know the sort of thing!

Things look better already.

I also finally bought pads for my round cushions and finished them off (after finding them again!)

                                      

Have you any Christmas projects on the go yet? Or is it  way too early to think about it?!

Peace, love and marshmallows!

Louise x

Works in progress.

I thought I would share with you some of my WIP's. I like this term as it suggests that the item in question is ongoing and may also be finished one day!

I had been wanting to learn how to crochet for some time and, after many fumbled attempts, I was inspired by this circular cushion cover worked in trebles. I love the seaside colours, making me feel that summer is on its way. I used DK wool and a 4.00mm hook for the cover which measures approx. 38cm in diameter.

I have also knitted a circular cushion cover in similar colours but I've 'put it somewhere safe' and can't remember where!! Anyhoo, they both are awaiting their inserts so I will post again when they are complete.

Staying with the crochet theme, this is one corner of the granny square blanket I have started for my daughter, Bethany. She is off to uni in Edinburgh in September and is looking for bright and cheery items for her room. This is a fab way of using up my wool stash, as with the cushion above I am using DK wool with a 4.00mm hook.

The opposite corner.

A couple of individual granny squares and the joining stitches.

I'm glad I've got until September to finish this!!

Both the cushion and the blanket patterns were inspired by and adapted from the Rowan Purelife Home book, although I can't afford their beautiful tweedy colours at the mo.

Thought I'd finish off with some pics of the shawl collared waistcoat that I'm knitting for myself in lovely Sirdar Crofter DK which knits up in a beautiful soft Fairisle effect.

So there we are, only a few of my WIP's for you! These are my woolly ones, I'll show you my fabric ones another day. It's a wonder I ever get anything finished at all!!

How about you-what are you working on at the moment?

The Amble Gansey

In an earlier post I showed some photos of the gansey my mum, Pat, knitted for me and mentioned our search for an Amble pattern as we now both live there. After much research and squinting over old, fuzzy photos of old, fuzzy fishermen, this was the pattern we devised between us. This gansey was knitted for Malcolm and will be perfect for dog walking in the depths of winter.

The pattern includes depictions of rope, open and closed nets and ladders. It also includes, as a type of border, a hens claw design which seems to be unique to the Amble gansey, Amble folk being keen keepers of hens, often on their allotments.

Mum's gansey knitting revival.

Here are a couple of pics of the fisherman's gansey knitted for me by my talented Mum, Pat, from 5ply gansey wool. Mum, born in Scotland and now living in Amble, has knitted many ganseys for local Amble fishermen in the past, including my cousin who now lives and works in Brixham. This is the first one she has knitted for a while, however, as she is 75, and she enjoyed it so much that she has already started one for Malcolm. 
The deep rose wool used in my gansey is from her stash and she is unsure of its origin (sound familiar?). The pattern is a fairly basic herringbone style but many of her past ganseys had more complex patterned yokes which involved her combining traditional patterns to each fisherman's direction. 
Looking back over her original notes has rekindled both of our interests in gansey making. Mum has quite a few books on the subject, some of which mentioned a traditional Amble pattern and we began piecing together how this would look. Many thanks to Jan at Frangipani (www.guernseywool.co.uk) for her help in sourcing a book confirming our endeavours (watch for pics of Malcolm's gansey, coming soon!) and also for selling us the most beautiful gansey wool!
Obviously I'm not heading out onto the cold North Sea in my gorgeous pink gansey but it at least gives me a reason to look forward to winter!

www.etsy.com/shop/LouiseHunterHandmade