I have a new obsession…

It’s Tunisian crochet lace! I was getting a bit tired of the same old single and double stitches, and remembered that Kim Guzman had some good Tunisian links on her website. A few searches later and a quick rustle about in the stash resulted in this:

It’s her Butterfly Wings Afghan pattern. Scrummy! Can’t wait ’til it’s finished!

A bit of clearing out…

Just listed this on Etsy – 8 balls of Felted Tweed by Rowan in Ginger (154), all the same dye lot. It’s gorgeous! Anyone interested??

Facing the Fear

Monday was a good day. Despite being tired (hey – I think that’ll last until the babby is at least 35…) I decided that I had enough of a head of steam to work on some overdue projects. So, I tackled the project that I blogged about earlier - and finished it! Here it is:

They turned out rather well, if not as perfect as I wanted. But the key thing is – she loved them! Phew…

But that’s not all! On the weekend I managed to finish two other projects as well! So, now that my hook is smoking, I feel I can bask in the glow of work done well…  at least until I have another 4 WIPs to work on…

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Fiber Arts Friday Blog Carnival!

Wordless Wednesday

Can you send lovely thoughts to my kitty? She has a thyroid condition and an unidentified lump, and needs some TLC.

Two + Two = Depressing

Since I couldn’t decide what project to work on today, I decided to take stock of what I have on hand and what’s left to be done. The results are:

• number of projects less than 25% complete = depressing
• number of odd balls of yarn = alarming
• number of ideas of what to do with Colinette Enigma = zero. Which is bad, because I have quite a lot of it.
• number of odd places I have found crochet hooks = weird.
• desire to finish any of the projects I have started = waning. See here. But also just because I can’t be asked.
• The fact that I seem to have a yarn barrel  in a room with little spare space and a small child and all their paraphernalia in it = yikes!   (It did in fact, used to be a toy barrel. But it was too big for the room. So I filled it with yarn instead and keep it in a corner of the same room. Because that, obviously, is better. I say it again, yikes.)

So, I remain in the same room, even more paralysed with indecision about what to do today.

Maybe I’ll just call Mom. That’ll be good for an hour…

Wordless Wednesday

Why spend money on expensive toys when mum’s cardi will do??

Rant.

There is a yarn in my stash that I have A Relationship with. And not in a good way.

Things started so well with us. I had an epiphany moment of a design and An Occasion on which to wear it. The yarn fairly leapt off the shelf at me in the shop. I went home and worked feverishly to finish the vision. I put it on the night before the Occasion…

…to find that it made me look like a toad.

[insert four letter words here]

(There were several.)

Thus it languished crumpled in the bottom of my wardrobe for several months until the humiliation was replaced by enough rage to frog the entire project. I’ve been using the yarn up in little projects, but now, now I have found a project that will get rid of the spectre of toadishness forever.

THIS project has not had such a happy beginning. I have frogged and restarted it no less than three times. And now, …

… wait for it …

I. Don’t. Have. Enough. Yarn.

GGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I feel an Incredible Hulk moment coming on…

The Fear of Finishing

So, I have this project. It’s sitting patiently in its bag, waiting to be finished. In fact, all I have to do is seam it up, add some buttons, and stuff it. It is, in fact, a pillow from the PillowTalk Collection available from StitchDiva. The problem is, I’m afraid of what it will turn out like.

I’m sure lots of other people have the same problem as I do – what I envision in my head is a perfect project where the yarns match, the stitches are even, and the blocking is crisp. It may even be rendered in hazy, soft-focus lighting which enhances the beauty and perfection of the finished item.

What I often get is lumpy, lopsided and slightly garish. But I do try.

And this project is special. It’s a present for someone, and the occasion has already passed. Which means that I’m trying to get it done as soon as because I told them it was coming to force myself to get it done before the year was out. And this person is not a crafty type who would just appreciate the effort put in; they would want something that’s actually nice. (I’m starting to think I should have bought them something at Debenhams…)

What’s also getting me about this project is that thus far, things have gone very well. The yarns work. The stitches are even. I even got buttons that kinda go. BUT – after putting the first one together, I’m less than thrilled with the result. Maybe it’s the cushion insert. Maybe it’s the edging. Maybe it’s the buttons.

Maybe, like usual, I’m a little bit crap at this.

So, do I disregard the not insubstantial amount of money I spent on the yarn (because it was a special occasion) … (and because it was from Colinette) and get her something else with great apologies, or do I grit my teeth, finish the damn thing and give it to her anyway?

*sigh*

I’m excited!!

I think I FINALLY found a cardi pattern that a) I like, b) won’t drive me crazy to make, c) will actually look good on me, and d) fits my current style of stay-at-home-mum-breastfeeding-still-like-to-look-good-occasionally clothes.

Isn't it bee-ooo-tiful??

I do love Jennifer Hansen’s designs at Stitch Diva. Too bad I won’t have enough time to make it before the wedding thingy* we’re going to next weekend. Bummer…

(*technically, they’re married. But they got married somewhere else and so are having a thingy here. And no, I can’t think of a better word at this time on a Saturday night. Sheesh.)

Oh, and BTW? @stitchdiva – the model is WAY too young AND too thin!!  ;-)

Wordless Wednesday

Just came across this concept  on a few blogs like 7 Clown Circus and Muthering Heights amongst others. Here it goes:

What else would you eat at a Teddy Bear Picnic??