To school

Something small in my heart lurches at the thought of my small boy walking through the doors of the main school today to join class one!

 He's my only one and this is the very beginning of sitting behind a desk, the beginning of academic learning and so many other exciting new things that he is ready for. He has been such a dreamer, such a nature boy and his four years in kindergarten held him within that world. I keep remembering arriving at that little wooden gate to pick him up and so many times hearing 'Mommy!' and seeing him run towards me in his rainy, muddy waterproofs with holes worn in the knees.
But time and life move on with or without us right? So I'm taking that deep breath, I know how Life calls us up to let go of what has been, and embrace what is.

Early this month, feeling that tinge of sadness, I poured my love into sewing the few small things he needed to have for school.

I am still just getting the hang of using a sewing machine and when handed to me, the pattern for the crayon roll seemed baffling at a glance and I decided I'd need the help of a willing school Mama! As it turned out, I woke up one morning and just decided it needed to get done and I would begin it that day. I figured it out, it was actually not complicated at all, just took time and I gave the time to it. It ain't perfect, but it's Mama made and smallie chose the materials from a small stack of leftover stuff from school.

As a handwork teacher, I love that the children will learn to tie and untie bows when they use these. One more little skill mastered : )

Making it got us both excited about this new chapter in his life, helped me feel like I'm ready for the next adventure too : ) As I stitched away I pictured him reaching for his crayons when it was time to draw and colour in school and the stories the children will work from. Making something always helps, right?

Here is his hat. I made this some time ago but it only fits him now. It was the very first thing I made when a beginner knitter at our Woollygatherings. The pattern was for a plain slouch hat but I had to have some fun with it ; )

This was before I discovered circular needles, love them now. All made in DROPS yarn, the green is a wool alpaca mix and so lovely to work with.

I was kind of amazed by mattress stitch, once I got the hang of it.

Happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

Thank you for reading x M

One red polka dot dress

I'm in the mood for all things Retro these days...and small crochet projects that don't go on for ever!
I had fun making this cotton hanger, inspired by a pattern I found on Dottie angel's blog, lovely though I found the pattern confusing.
Now I want to make a colourful little collection of these for the few special things in my closet : )

And being that this is our last week of the summer holidays, let's talk dresses : ) I'd only ever made one before, a totally organic felted construction, you can see it here. But this one is my first humble foray into dressmaking.

I took a local class with the lovely Susanna Anker. And knowing I had a (big) mental block about learning how to use a sewing machine, I thought I'd better stick to a really simple pattern for a totally plain dress. And  use affordable, basic cotton fabric. The options available locally are very limited anyway!

 On account of being a little pear-shaped, the sizing was tricky. And despite the undeniable fact that said dress looked dire when I first tried it on (think shapeless grandmother's housecoat...at best) nothing could discourage me for I had sewed a dress!! And I had somehow, though crudely, managed the machine and with the tutor's help, followed the pattern.

And though I am not so clever about those things, I am able to make something not-so-great look much better. I love details and I love to transform things.

 Nothing that a little crocheted something here, and a length of ribbon there can't fix I thought. I also wanted to add a ruffle. So I got to work at home. 

I pulled in the waist with a new seam and added a couple of scraps of trim I had stashed.

I am going to wear this dress wherever, and whenever!

There is something truly special about wearing a homemade dress, some feeling of timelessness I guess.
 Just about special enough to throw all imperfections into the background, right? ; )

 Thanks to Ryan for these last few photos : )
Delighted to be joining Ginny and the lovely gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.
Really appreciate all your kind feedback on last week's post and
thanks to you for reading today xM

Blooming flower cushion

Ah the good feeling of finishing something, right to the end. And something that brightens our nest : )

I learned a lot about colour making this, always so much more to learn about colour, it amazes me...even after so many years of painting. With yarn it's different again.

 This was a project made from the scraps basket. I started out very casually, just nonchalantly putting one colour beside another that it seemed to work with, and kept going that way till I looked at it at a day later and realised I just didn't like the overall feel of the colour combination. So I did a lot of ripping back til I understood how the colours needed to flow. Some of the yarns are wool, some cotton.

 It's my variation on Lucy's pattern over at the lovely Attic 24. I wrote about it in a  previous post here.

I took this with me in my work bag when I travelled to England a few months ago to observe for a week at a Steiner school there. It was a wonderful trip, I'll be writing about it here soon. 

As I sat in each classroom each day watching and listening, I made a few rows...also one day there on the beach. When I sat in my room each night trying to absorb all I'd taken in, I made a few more. When I got home and looked with a fresh eye, I ripped back some and added some more, been a bit of a journey this one!

 I mentioned previously that I had to fashion a round cushion from a square pad. If I get to crocheting more circular cushions, I would source the right cushion forms online, there's no doubt that it makes for a better finish. 

I'm already dreaming up the next cushion, an easy, cosy project to have on the go over the Winter months.

I'm happily joining with Ginny and the gang over at Small Things today for this week's Yarn Along.

Hey, remember my knitted gnome from last week's yarn along post? Well I made him that leather bag I thought he needed, it was so fun to figure out how really do-able this is.

What do y'all think he would carry in there..?
Do tell!
And thank you for reading x

Yarn Along

Deep sigh. I am writing on this, the first morning of the summer holidays : )

My students have all finished their handwork projects, beloved teachers have been hugged, flowers and cards have been given and received. Yesterday my small boy received his golden key and walked out the door of the kindergarten for the very last time. Bittersweet.

 Lots to take in.. and let go of. But mostly, lots to feel ever so grateful for.

And so I am happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along, and for a change I'm not dashing ; )

Having made all those handwork samples for school (phew!) I'm finally making something for us, for the home. A round cushion to brighten our couch, inspired by Lucy's pattern over at Attic 24. Only round cushion pads are not available in these parts, so I had to fashion one from a square. Which turned into quite a fluffy affair, being that I'd bought a feather-filled cushion and am a fledging in the use of a sewing machine. Suffice it to say to that I'm still coming across the odd feather floating around!

I just need to crochet both sides together now and I'll post next week. This was a project I promised myself I wouldn't buy ANY yarn for, but just work out of my scraps basket. Soooo, the colours have turned out a bit pretty, just a little bit too sweet somehow. I would go for more edgy colour combinations normally. But I think I can live with it and it will certainly bring some cheer into our living space.

Smallie finally got to bring home his 'Peter'. The rising class one children worked so lovingly on these felt puppets. One of their teachers proudly told me that the children used three different types of stitches in this project. Impressive and inspiring to me always, the teachers and the children.


 Hey, I just now realised that this month marks one year of my blog!
 I think that calls for a giveaway on next week's Yarn Along post, so stay tuned : )
Here is my very  first Yarn Along post a year ago. A beginner knitter very much aware of all I did not yet know, and working on the jumper you see my son wearing in the photo above. He has asked to wear it pretty much every day since I gave it to him. Makes my heart swell. 


Thank you for stopping by, as always x M

Yarn Along

Happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along, having taken a little breather from my computer ; ) badly needed every now and then, no?

This was the first knitting project I did with class 1 when they'd just learned to knit.

Inspired by Linda's pattern over at the lovely Natural Suburbia.

The children were very proud indeed of their sewing books and could hardly wait to take them home to share : )

I finished reading The Horse Whisperer...such an engaging story.

Though I had a hard time with the ending, I found myself having grown very attached to the characters and their fate : )

I look forward to checking out all your knits and your reads. And for the Yarn Alongers who wanted to see the painted bellycast I've been busy finishing, you'll see it in my previous post. Thanks for all the lovely comments on that and for stopping by today x M

Easter babes

I can feel the anticipation grow in my small boy, as we pack up the car and head to our Easter family gathering : )

We're looking forward to decorating eggs with all the cousins and as we gather the supplies, we got to thinking of the woolly eggs we made last year.

You can see the full post about them here, with lots of other Spring makings too.

Wishing you and your families a happy, fun Eastertime x M

Yarn Along

Writing this on Valentines day, allow me to get carried away..?

I'm happily joining Ginny and the gang over at Small Things for this week's Yarn Along.

I've been crocheting cords for these heart necklaces, trying them out before making them with the children at school, a simple project to introduce them to the notion of stuffing and sewing, we put lavender inside with the fleece, they love the smell : )

 I've also been looking at heart and flower patterns trying to find simple ones, to use for decorating hats and other accessories...more on this later.

I was looking in the library some weeks ago for a novel to get stuck into, knowing I had a couple of trips coming up. I loved Anne Tyler's 'Breathing Lessons', so thought I'd try another by her. This one is The Amateur Marriage. Always refreshing to read a candid portrait of a long-term relationship. Loving the recurring  image at the beginning of this book, of the striking young woman in the red coat in the otherwise grey world of the Polish quarter of Baltimore...

Thank you for stopping by, I look forward to checking out your reads and your stitching : ) M

Child of Christmas 

You know that feeling when you get a real kick out of something you've just made, because it's a little departure from what you typically create, a bit of a stretch..? And it's your own design from start to finish...

I haven't felt that in a while, but it happened with these : )

I love to combine fibres that are at different stages of processing, so I really enjoy integrating stitching and felting in my pieces. Spun and unspun side by side. This yarn is actually cotton. I've been combining crochet with needle felting in my work for some time now, and I still love to switch between the needle and the hook.

These babes were part of my Christmas collection this year, I wrote in the previous post about making work for this years Advent Fair. I had a snow-white moment while working on these, stabbed my finger and red blood threatened the white wool ; ) I know this is what turns many crafters off the process of needle felting but I just take a deep breath and needle on : ) I couldn't keep my mind from wandering to this though, and how the image imprinted itself on my mind as a child:


Once upon a time in mid winter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a beautiful queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony wood. As she sewed, she looked up at the snow and pricked her finger with her needle. Three drops of blood fell into the snow.
 The red on the white looked so beautiful...


I always have to haul myself back to the present moment ; ) such a daydreamer.


And back in my present, I was
asked to make a fox for the kindergarten to accompany the story happening there at the moment. I'd never attempted a four-legged creature in felt before and this one had to be really robust, hardy enough for play. It took a lot of felting but I got there in the end.

There are lots of these elusive red foxes around these nights, we've been lucky enough to spot a couple, much to smallie's delight. Having made this I will look with a much keener eye next time!


.. I'll be back here later this week to share photos of the rest of the gang, gnomes and other characters recently made. 


Thank you for reading : ) M