peasy with a twist

i decided to revisit the sweet peasy pattern after casting off the last one, i knitted the same size {5-6} but with a dk & a 3.5mm needle, much better this time round, although whilst knitting i tweaked the pattern to turn it into a jumper, this was easier than i thought it would be & worked out well, the colour of the yarn is a little bright, but it was recycled from my frogged brompton cardigan, so it felt good not to have brought any new yarn for the project, i'm still not 100% happy with it, not sure i like the 3/4 length sleeves, however it should work as a jumper for spring, & it does look quite sweet on her & she seemed happy to wear it {it stayed on all day} details found over here

52 weeks of happy

{ 15/52}

1. SNOW, so much snow, this has made me happy for a number of reasons, but it has certainly made the kids & dog happy, little Barns loves it! he's made me chuckle every time he asks to go out & run around like a loon in it

2. slippers, these make me happy every single day {if i'm home they are on} but i've been especially appreciative of them lately

3. some happy colourful knitting, a very quick belated birthday present made up for a small person, based on a basic mobius cowl, knit in garter stitch in left over yarn from another project - i've enjoyed knitting this

4. a new print for the littlest one, from the absolutely brilliant mr printables website

my sweet peasy

here is the latest finished knitting project, a sweet peasy for my little O, although she is rather too little for this knit, i'd followed the 5-6 years instructions, thinking it may only be a little big, but it's actually quite a lot big - still at least she'll grow into it so not all is lost, it might make a nice school cardigan {for next year!} the pictures where taken pre blocking, i just had to grab the opportunity to take some when we had a little light, she's getting the hang of this modelling lark & is happy to goof about infront of the camera when needed, i knit this up in some cotton rope i'd brought from kemps {at a super cheap price} the yarn is lovely & soft, i just hope it stays the same after a few washes, it was also not too bad to knit with, i used this pattern, whilst i didn't think it was the easiest pattern to read it was an easy knit once i'd got the hang of it, so not bad value for money as it has quite a wide size range, the buttons are vintage ones i found from having a rummage in my button tin, i think they work with the grey, my project details can be found here

big bow

i always have a number of knitting projects on the go at any one time {& always more in the planning} these are often projects that take a while & i can pick up & knit a little when i find the time, well we all need a little instant pick me up now & again, that buzz you get when finishing a project, so i picked a super quick & easy project i could finish in a day, & what a cute one it was too! i think she had fun showing this one off {i also had to get the new trainers in too - they won't stay that box fresh for long}

in case anyone else fancies a quick fix, the pattern is this one, the details for mine can be found here, it was such fun that i might just have to make myself one!

52 week of happy

{13/52}

i've found getting to the end of this week mostly more un-happy than happy, mainly because i've loved being surrounded by my family this christmas, the hubs took off the same holiday as the children, which has been just lovely for us all, as he normally works alot!, i also know i have to spend some time this weekend sorting out the school / work clothes, PE & school bags etc & will get that sinking feeling sunday night, we've had a quiet few days so when i take time to think about it i have many small {but important} things to be happy about, i did manage to capture a few pictures on the phone

1. fire lit, feet up & knitting - my happy place

2. my bandit girl print from the black apple, i'd been wanting one of emily's prints for such a long long time, when she had a little sale before christmas i couldn't resist, she took an age to arrive - so long so that i thought she'd lost her way, but she's now in the perfect frame & where i can look at her everyday

3. Hestons mince pies for waitrose, not like any mince pie i've ever had before but ever so good

4. a super quick knit for the littlest one & super cute on her too - pattern details found here

52 weeks of happy

{11/52}

1. making the most of todays peace, i found time in the middle of all the washing, wrapping, decorating, last minute knitting, to take a breather & put my feet up - it was lovely!

2. i finished of the last of the knitted gifts, phew! 

3. teachers gifts have been gifted, school has broken up - hoorah, no packed lunches or school run for two weeks

3. we're tucked up safe at home, candles are lit, dinner is in the oven, i can take a deep breath & enjoy it all

christmas puds

i made a whole batch of knitted christmas puds to gift to the little folks school teachers, here they are before i added some silver thread so they could be hung on the tree, they are so so very cute, i really wanted to keep them all, i can't face making another one right now, especially as i'm busy finishing off the other last minute gifts i decided to make, these were made from a pattern i found on ravelry here, i was also lucky to have plenty of odds & ends in the right colours in my stash

52 weeks of happy

{9/52}

1. homemade mince pies - you can't beat them {although i do cheat a little & buy a jar of mincemeat} i could make a batch of these every couple of days as they never last long,

2. being poorly is the perfect excuse to stay at home keeping warm & snug, the littlest one was off school a couple of days {seeing her in her new xmas nightie makes me very happy}

3. i had a go at making some sweet sugar & cinnamon almonds, they worked a treat first time & didn't last long either! i plan to make another batch to gift as presents, this was the recipe i followed, i halved it this time but won't be next!

4. more knitting on the go {knitting always makes me happy} another quick knit - will share when it's finished

hoot hoot

i stopped my subscription to mollie makes a few months back, not because i didn't like the magazine, mostly because i was just amassing a huge collection & not getting round to ever making anything from them {i also wanted to give 'the simple things' a go & cost wise just couldn't justify having a subscription to the two} but when doing the weekly shop the christmas edition of mollie makes {21} found it's way into my trolley,  mostly due to the really cute pattern for the owl wrist warmers on the cover, i wasted no time in knitting up a pair of these, as i was knitting i was worried the pattern was running a little small {& i had gone up half a needle size} but once finished they fit just fine, these will make great christmas presents, i've already ordered some bargain yarn from kemps to knit up another pair!

these were knit up in some twilleys freedom purity chunky, shade :chalk, ravely details over here

the seagulls scarf

now he's all set for the match, {well was! this was finished in time for the end of november} everyone's happy  {i am mostly as i don't have to knit with that acrylic yarn anymore} the pattern was based on this one, i just changed how many i cast on & used the two colours {& smaller needles for a tight & neat knit!} the yarn was his choice {send a man into a wool shop & this is what he came out with} i can't even tell you what it was! but trust me it was a cheap 'value' acrylic, you can see my rather limited notes over here

the little one has been rather poorly with a tummy bug over the weekend, so we are home today getting better {pretty much there but it's nice to have another quiet home day} so i'm getting to do a fair bit of pottering which i always love

plodding on

still here - just busy still working! plodding on slowly with the scarf for my hubs, nearly there {good job to as it will be needed for the game this weekend} thankfully tomorrow is a 'free day' {full of catching up with the hoovering & washing i've neglected to do} so i hope to be back with some happy too

baktus

whilst snuggling up in front of the wood burner last night i finished off my new scarf {& i've been wearing it since} it is just so warm & snug - really much warmer than the other scarfs & shawls i've knitted, i think this is down to a combination of the soft chunky yarn & the garter stitch, which makes it's extra thick, it was a treat to knit, as i love the mindless ease of garter stitch, this was a super easy pattern - which can be found here {if you're interested} i knitted it up in the noro kochoran {which if you follow this blog you'll know had been knitted up three times previously!} i'm happy with this knit though, so it can stay

twenty four

not my normal knitting but knitting none the less, my man needs a scarf to wear to the footie, bless him

twenty one

weekends go by far to quickly in my book, i've not achieved half of what i had hoped {but there is always next weekend} i've been feeling a rather frustrated knitter these past weeks, being lucky enough to receive a few skeins of beautiful noro kochoran for my birthday, i'd been keen to get knitting with it, it is such a beautiful soft yarn to work with, i had a plan & set about knitting it up into a waistcoat, striped in with another yarn, i'd about 95% finished this, but i wasn't 100% happy with it as it was, so ripped it back to start again, 

i then set about crocheting a floppy beret with it, again striping it with another yarn, this was just laughable, the hubs walked by as i was trying it on & informed me i looked like rastamouse, which i had to admit was not too far from the truth! {it was even too bad to take a photo of the finished hat}

so i picked another project & got knitting, it started off looking good, but then as i got further along i started having second thoughts, but i kept going to give it a chance, however as i feared it just wasn't right, a little too slouchy for me, so it's ripped back again, i'm at a loss where to go with it next, i love the yarn so i really can't blame that, i just need to find the right pattern, so i'm going to take a break from it & get on with some other things, but it's still there, lingering in the cupboard, playing on my mind, will keep you posted when i find the right pattern - unfortunately this just wasn't the right one

settling in

well we are all settling into our new routine, the littlest has surprised us all & is doing so very well, the oldest is struggling most, having moved into year three he's found that it's all about hard work from here on in - poor chap, barney & i have found comfort in each others company & he's especially loving his longer week day walks {when i'm not at work that is} i've been able to finish off little O's new cardi, which was such a pleasure to knit, despite having to rip it back to start over in a bigger size! it's knit up in some debbie bliss 'fez' {which i'd got off ebay at a great price} such lovely yarn to work with, it's a shame i think it's been discontinued & i love the colour so much, luckily she's rather fond of it too & was most obliging when i asked to take some photos of it on her, i used rather a muddle of clear vintage buttons as i didn't have enough of one type! thankfully i think they work rather well on the cardigan, the pattern details are over here

the next phase

goodbye summer, hello september & a move into a new phase for me, we had a lovely farwell to the summer holidays, a trip up to the paralympics, a picnic in the park, a spot of baking, then all change as my littlest started school this week, i felt a little lost at first but have found my feet, as she is slowly but surely finding hers! & the weathers being kind so i've even found some time to sit in the garden with a little knitting to occupy my mind, it's my first day back to school/work today - how many weeks till half term? too many:

the peaks

i feel i've just about recovered for our recent camping trip, the drive up to the peaks was not the best start, what should have been a four hour drive took us eight hours!!! not much fun, then unfortunately we had to pitch our tent in rain, which meant quite a bit of water got in, thank goodness our friends were already pitched up & were able to offer the kids a dry place to shelter & some sausage sarnies to tuck into, the weather did improve, although it was rather a mixed bag, with good company & some breathtaking countryside we still all had a great time,  the hubs was very pleased to have his cosy new cardi to keep out the chills, this was another project that took far longer than it should have done, but was worth all that hard work, as it fits & he's really happy with it

the pattern details can be found over on my ravelry page

buon compleanno a me

getting ready for a little trip {bet can you guess where?} i shall be leaving my knitting needles at home this time & taking books instead {as i got given lots this morning} hoping i'll find some time to sneak off for a little quiet time, i have however knitted some really sweet little hats this week, one for my new little nephew & one for my not so little O, a very quick & easy hat pattern, worked up in the most beautiful noro kochoran, which i was lucky enough to pick up from ebay at a great sale price, 

finished just in time for the weather to warm up, my ravelry notes can be found here & here

a 'little' knitting

i'd had a fathers day post all planned out - but sunday didn't quite go to plan {maybe i'll get around to posting about it this week} so thought i would post about the rather sweet little baby knit i finished up recently, my two little ones are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first cousin & i am loving the excuse to knit something quick & tiny

i've knit this pattern a few times before, it's great, quick & easy & you get a rather dapper little cardi at the end, i can't give too much info on this one apart from the pattern, as i'd used some yarn up-cycled from one of little O's lightly worn cardigans & have no idea what it was! oops

ravelry details over here:

a moochi moch

i have sneaked in a little time here & there to knit myself a little summer cardi, i'd started it over the easter holidays & am rather pleased to have finished it in time for the may bank holiday weekend, this was a bargain-tastic project, aside from the cost of the pattern, i eeked it out of 6 balls of twilleys' freedom gorgeous dk'   in catkin, which was only £1.29 a ball at kemps, i'm pretty keen to buy some more at that price & knit myself another one! i used the moch cardi pattern by the shetland trader, i did make a few tweeks, which you can see over on my ravelry page, i had intended to block it but put in on to take some photos {another grey day!} but then couldn't take it off all day - it's just too cosy!