9th Table Runner

Pinks and Purple Strips into a herringbone pattern

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8th Table Runner

A clean up of the study unearthed these left over shapes, that I cut out a few years ago for many colour graded quilts.  So I sewed them up together and had enough to make a table runner.

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Gift Card Holder

I made a small gift voucher card holder from some scraps of fabric. The pattern comes from The Crafty Cupboard

It was fun to make

Carded, spun, chain plied

Carded 2 different red merino fibres together, spun into a single, left to rest for a week, and then chain plied.  Pretty!  Must learn how to make my skeins look prettier though!

7th Table Runner

A blue nine patch...this box of 2" strips seems to be breeding when I am not looking, it still looks full!

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Handspun plied

Merino fibre from the Spinners Guild.  the light purple is Lilac, and the darker purple is a mixed blend.  200grams in total, but had a lot of the blended fibre left over, so I chain plied the left over to make the smaller skein.  (I am loving chain plying....there is no left over singles!)

6th Table Runner

I really do have a lot of purple strips.  I sewed them all together last week, and realised there were enough pieces for 2 table runners.

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Here are # 5 and 6 together, so you can see that I wasn't cheating.

Handspun x 2, plied

black merino from the spinners guild (it didn't photograph well) spun into a single

gorgeous fibre from "A Tree Hugger's Wife".  My mum bought this for me from her trip to Alaska.

After letting the single "rest" for a week, I chain plied it.  This is the first time I have done a lot full bobbin of chain ply..and it was great fun!

The black will be made into a hat, the Alaska yarn, I am not so sure yet....for the moment, I will just look at it and rub it against my cheeks.....it's so gorgeous!

5th table runner

More 2" strips, this time in purple...there is a lot of purple in this little box

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4th Table Runner

Another green toned table runner from the 2inch strip box.  this one is long! (still looks like the box hasn't decreased at all...are these strips breeding without me knowing??

Detail of the centre

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Updating Pinboards

When we first moved to Berlin, I made the boys a pinboard each to collect pins of all the different places we visited while we were in Europe.  After 6 years, the pinboards had been totally full.  I added an extra panel to the boys pinboards to keep adding pins to. They went through the quilting fabric and chose the colours they wanted.

Cameron's pinboard

Alexander's pinboard

I have been meaning to make myself a board as well, for my breast cancer, quilting and knitting pins.  I finally got around to it, and stuck all my pins on it.  I really like it!

Felted Baskets

Inspired by a gorgeos grey felted bowl by Domestic Aesthetic , I thought I could try the same type of thing with a large piece of felted knitting that i had made years ago.  This piece of fabric I had felted to make a needle roll for my knitting needles, but once it was felted it was way too thick, so it has been sitting in the "no idea" box for quite some time.  So, I finally cut up the fabric to make these 2 felted bowls.  I love them, and they are a great size for me to keep the current knitting project together beside my chair! I searched through my odd button collection for suitable buttons, and sewed them on using DMC cottons.

3rd table runner

The challenge....how many table runners can I make from this box of 2inch strips....

A simple strippy table runner in green tones.  A good start, but it doesn't even look like I have taken any strips from the box...this is going to be an interesting challenge!

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2nd Table Runner

A simple 4 patch quilted table runner using a few fat quarters from the stash.

backing, a good way to use that novelty fabric that really cannot be cut up for patchwork.

1 Table Runner complete

Part of my New Year's Resolutions, (yes there is more than 1), is to make a table runner each week.  Why a table runner?  Well, we are living in a small house at the moment, and I do not have the space to create larger quilts.  So, I think at least with table runners I am creating, I can play with different patterns, and use up the stash.  Here is the first one, a simple 4 patch on point.

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To keep up to date with my New Years Resolutions, I have stared another blog

 (yes, I know I am having trouble keeping up with the 2 that I already have,

but that's part of my New Year Resolution as well!)

You can find my New Year Resolution Goals on

Nicole Makes A List

Bandana

Not very exciting  I know, but I am using up the stash this year, and it has been a warm start to the year, and I need a haircut.  In the meantime, I just made this bandana to get the hair off my face.  This is a great way to use up some of that special fabric I can't bear to part with, but will look good on my head.  I have also worn this bandana while out running, and it was great at keeping the hair from my face, so I may make a few more.  Fergus approves!

some quilting...shocking I know!

I had hoped to knit something for the kid's teachers for a Christmas present, but as the school fair took up most of my September - Dec, there was little time to be knitting 2 gifts as well, so I decided to make a few tablerunners, as I can do this a lot quicker than knitting. This is a patttern I have used quite a few times.  After a lot of searching, here is the original pattern Now I just look at previous pictures of the ones I have made, and work from them.

May the Force Be With You Young Jedi

Love this baby cardigan, made for my neice who is due to have a baby in April 2012. I saw it in Ravelry ages ago, but didn't have anyone to knit it for. So, I jumped on the chance when I found out my neice was pregnant.
It's a jedi cardigan, so it has to be in grey (or brown), I don't think it matters if the baby is a boy or a girl to wear grey! I was never a big fan of pink for girls, blue for boys. The writing on the inside was used after I saw Fabienne's sweater and thought it was the best thing ever!!

Pattern from Ravelry: Baby Yoda Sweater, by Cari Luna
Needles: 4mm
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply

Bits and Pieces

Just playing around using up some of my handspun fibre that I have been spinning over the past few weeks.
A simple knit purl beanie

An ipod cover

An ipad cover

Not very exciting I know, but just testing some ideas, and seeing how my handspun knits up.

Spinning

I am really enjoying spinning on my Barry, Majacraft Little Gem wheel.   I am really please with the thickness (or some would say the thinness) and the consistency of my yarn.

Our spinning and weaving group meet once a month, and I really enjoy attending and meeting like minded people.  The local council had a "hertitage week", and invited us to set up a display and "learn how to" in the council offices one day.  So a few of us took our wheels and fibre and set up a display of our work.  We had a few interested ladies wanting to have a turn.  It wasn't a big turn out, but the bonus was that I got to spin more of this yellow fibre and finish the 100grams later that week. 

You can see my Tarra Ishbel shawl (browns), and my Boneyard shawl (green) in this photo below.

Winding Path Jumper

Winding Path, by Wenlan Chia. Published in Reversible Knitting: 50 Brand-New, Groundbreaking Stitch Patterns
Wool: Rowan Big Wool. 15mm needles.

mmm…undecided about this one.. I don’t think it suits my body shape. I like it with the dark green stripes closer to the neck than the other way…but not convinced. This may get frogged into something else. I will wait till next Winter and see how I go wearing it.  The sleeves are a little bit long, but this maybe a blessing in the Winter months. 

Tarra's Ishbel

My first spun wool that I spun during the Beginners Spinners Class with Donna.  I was so pleased with it.  It sat for awhile, as I was not sure what to do with it, and I just liked fondling it, it was so awesome, and I can tell you I was so impressed with my skill! lol. Fergus enjoyed it as well!

But then I Kim gifted me a gorgeous pattern I had been eying off for quite sometime, and knew this was exactly what I wanted to knit with my first handspun wool. Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague.
Knit on 4mm needles.

I just love it!

Mystery Knit Along

My first ever KAL with a pattern given in 5 installments from Tiziana Sammuri.
I am so thrilled with this shawl.  Technically my first fully lace pattern I have ever attempted.
The nupps drove me crazy, but the end product was so worth it!
Wool: Evilla Artyarn
Needles: 4.5mm
Pity the weather is starting to warm up.  This one may have to sit in the wardrobe until next Winter!