Winter Pants

Wish I could find some time to blog, but I've been busy using every spare moment to sew. We've had a kids winter pants crisis here. 

Ordinary folk would just go shopping to buy longer pants for the boy, and warmer layers for the baby, but I just find everything poor quality, or too expensive, or not quite right. So I've been sewing. Not that it's all perfect quality and exactly the right size or length or colour, but it's something I find much more satisfying and engaging and enjoyable than picking up another sweat-shop produced garment from Chadvegas.

1. Exhibit A, 2. Exhibit B, 3. Exhibit C, 4. Exhibit D, 5. Exhibit E, 6. Exhibit G

Exhibits A, B and C: one-piece baby pants using a pattern from this book, sewn in baby corduroy with a cotton knit lining added to make them winter weight.

Exhibits D, E and G: for the boy child denims, cords and trackies working with some modified very simple pattenrs from this book.

And it doesn't end there. Still to come some more complex Ottobre pants and cute Cloth Kits pants for the boy child, more one-piece pants for the girl child (in yellows) and hopefully some copy cat leggings for me (when I summon the courage to attempt to sew wool mesh...).

A playmat photo session

It went something like this:
There I was, happily snapping a pic or three of the mat laid out on the kitchen floor while there was some daylight around, when who should come along but a curious young boy seeking some attention, and perhaps something new to play with. Cue blurred action shots and some negotiations, before I was issued with a clear directive about who's turn it was to play with it, and it was whisked away to contribute to The Great Sofa Cushion Cubby House Construction Program.

ps There's a better overall view of the top here.
pps Mum's verdict on my quilting efforts was along the lines of: My those are rather large stitches, but they will do the job of keeping it all together. Well, that's all I was really after.

My creative space...

Today I finished off some hand quilting.
My first ever hand quilting on a quilt.
Big stitches, done quickly and unevenly. But done.
My mother, the true quilter in the family, will be probably be appalled when I show it to her tomorrow, but I'm confident A will be forgiving.
Too late for a photo shoot of the finished playmat tonight.
Tune in later.

More creative spaces at their new home here.

Mother's Day

Wishing a happy day to all the mothers out there. I hope you have a lovely day, filled with love and kindness from those you mother.

C and I made some flowers for his grandmas (and great grandma) a la Made by Joel.


I received a new cook book. Fat laden but inspirational.

I'm doing a a bit of this, aided and abetted by a long napping baby and a toddler playing quietly with his Daddy and his Lego. One sleeve down (aka jumbo sized swatch), one to go. Plus the front and the back. And the hood. In the end I decided to go with a modified version of Fletcher by Kim Hargreaves. I'm omitting some of the feature purls, knitting the body in the round, and adding some contrasting black trims and pocket lining. The All Seasons Cotton is lovely to knit with. And on 5mm needles I feel like Speedy Gonzales...

My Indecisive Creative Space...

Right now I just want to sit and knit.
I wish I could sit and knit all day.
Of course I can't.
Life doesn't permit such luxuries, so I squeeze in what knitting I can.
Unfinished projects are gradually being wrapped up (that's easy enough, although there have been more yarn quantity issues...) and I've started swatching to cast on for some new projects- a cardigan for me with some Madelinetosh Pashmina, and a sweater or cardigan for C with some Rowan All Seasons Cotton.
This is where the indecisiveness starts.
I was planning to knit myself the Fall Away Cardigan, but I'm having gauge issues. I need a larger needle size to get close to gauge, but I prefer the drape and firmer texture of a tighter gauge. Which means hours cruising Ravelry contemplating other pattern options, or just going with it (after all the pattern is written for the Pashmina).
And I'm going around in circles with what I'm going to knit for C. I was thinking a zipper cardigan, but he vetoed that, although he is open to the idea of buttons, or a sweater with a hood. There are various contenders, including a Tomten (although I'd have to do some calculations) or this one modified to have buttons.
It's tempting to keep cruising Ravelry looking at options, but I fear it's just going to fuel my indecisiveness.
Best I just get on with knitting...

More creative spaces at Kootoyoo