100 Crafty Days: Blankie Time

At Messy Church today we were making Friendship Blankets. People drew their design on squares of white fabric, and these squares were sewn together and backed with fleece. The blankets will be given to people who would love to be able to come to church but can't.

Crafting for others can be a sign of friendship and of love. It takes time to make things, and it shows the person that you want to spend your time making for them.

100 Crafty Days, quite a number of them!

I was supposed to write each day about my crafting and my thoughts on it. And, as you can see, I didn't even make it to the one week mark! This last week has been so very busy. The only time there wasn't something happening was Thursday evening.

It might be reasonable to expect that with a free evening I would be rather crafty, but no. All the other days I managed to knit a chunk of the cardigan, but on Thursday all that was accomplished were 12 stitches. Twelve whole stitches!

Yesterday was Day 10. And, for the first time, no knitting was done!

As I was walking home from work I saw some guys re-roofing a building. To one side were some hugely long pieces of wood, and to the other side, offcuts. A number of these offcuts are taller than me. I had been offered some strawberry plants and thought that the offcuts might make a good strawberry container. The guys very kindly said 'Yes' to my request for offcuts.

My crafting yesterday was cerebral. I spent time planning how the strawberry planter will be constructed, and then went to buy the supplies needed. The actual construction will be done almost by proxy. I will draw up plans, mark the wood, and where it should be screwed together. The Beloved will do the actual cutting and construction, and I will be his 'chippy's mate.

Oh, I've just realised we have some green wood stain. That would look nice on it!

100 Crafty Days: Day 6

Two very different activities today, gardening and baking.  Oh, a bit of knitting got knut.

After planting a new rhubarb plant my hands and nails were absolutely filthy!  To get those hand ready for baking I washed them, then the dishes,  and some handknitted socks, and then scrubbed them again!

A sponge cake was made, and tomorrow cream and strawberries will be added.

Oh, a bit of knitting got knut.

It was whilst the cake was being mixed I realised that I hadn't used a recipe.  I do seem to have been making a number of cakes recently.  This is one that was made earlier this month.

100 Crafty Days: Day 5

A very short post tonight.

I want a goat.  Sadly goats don't like to be alone, so I need a pair at the very least.

Today my yarny group visited a goat farm.  They had Boer goats and Angora.  Both were wonderful.  It has left me with a hankering after a goat.

And knitting on the cardigan happened.  Goat!

100 Crafty Days: 3 and 4

Two days filled with craft!  My own crafting has continued on the baby cardigan.

On Friday evening a group of crafters met up with Norwegian crafters over on the Island for a holiday.  There was coffee, cake and crafting.  It was a truly delightful evening sharing with them.

Today, Saturday has been very busy!  There was  a craft fayre in Sulby with loads of different items for sale, and some crafts being demonstrated.  I was talking with a Ken who works in willow, and he very kindly gave me some willow to make into some climbing structures for sweetpeas. The demonstrated crafts were wood craving, willow weaving, signs made by wood carving, stone painting, latched rug making, spinning, and metal striking. 

Nicola Dixon was there too, and I have decided to buy one of her prints.  Her work is beautiful.  I also loved the rug making using locks from a fleece.  

I have been inspired  to make a stone cactus decoration, and also the support structures for sweetpeas.  But this cardigan needs to be finished first.

100 Craft Days: Day 2

Being crafty doesn't always translate into being able to write about it! The work continues on the raglan baby cardigan.

My Mam is a very crafty person, as was my Grandma and Great-Grandma. When I was four I badgered them to teach me to knit, and they did. With three experts around, and also a Daddy and Grandpa who could knit, I learned quickly and there was always someone who could help.

As an adult looking back, I think of my grandparents and my Great-Grandma with great love and affection. Daily, they showed me the importance of work and spending time getting things right. They also instilled within me the idea that if you love someone you spend time on that relationship. 

First Day of Craftiness

To start things off, I am engaging in one of the crafts I am most at home with, knitting.

I grew up surrounded by knitters.  Everyone I knew could knit, Mam, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandma, aunts, everyone.  At the age of 4 I picked up needles and asked to be taught how to knit.  

This project is a top-down, v-neck, raglan cardigan for a baby.  The yarn was bought at Sweet Ginger and came from the £1 bin.  It  is 'Lilac Blossom' and is a beautifully soft Merino yarn from Millamia.

Notes:

The raglan section is worked by using yarn overs and the knitted increases I have used are Lifted Right Increase, and Lifted Left Increase.  Social Knit Girl has made an excellent demonstration of these increases. If you are not familiar with these increases do have a look, or feel free to substitute your preferred increases.

Using 3mm needle, cast on 38 sts.  Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch.

1.  K1, lri, yo, k1, yo, k2, yo, k1, yo, k26, yo, k1, yo, k2, yo, k1, yo, lli, k1

2.  Purl (and every even row)

3.  K1, lri, k2, yo, k1, yo, k4, yo, k1, yo, k28, yo, k1, yo, k4, yo, k1, yo, k2, lli, k1

5.  K1, lri, k4, yo, k1, yo, k6, yo, k1, yo, k30, yo, k1, yo, k6, yo, k1, yo, k4, lli, k1

7.  K1, lri, k4, yo, k1, yo, k6, yo, k1, yo, k30, yo, k1, yo, k6, yo, k1, yo, k4, lli, k1

Continue in this manner until the work measures X cm from the middle of the back.  

100 Crafty Days

A friend was blogging about her involvement in the 100 Days Project.  Initially I had thought it was to try 100 different things, and this rather appealed to me.  However, the idea is to repeat a simple creative task every day for 100 days and record each days effort.

At the moment I can't see myself being about to do this, so I've changed it up a bit into  "100 Crafty Days".  With this, you do something crafty each day for 100 days, and record it.  This will give me a chance to include knitting, crochet, baking, quilting and other random things.  The crafting can be a one-off item or can extend over days or even weeks.

Dry January

It was a wild success!  No fizzy drinks passed my lips in January, and this has had a knock-on effect.  My consumption of carbonate beverages has been reduced radically.