WOYWW #180

Hey, it's WEDNESDAY. I joined this group What's on your Workdesk Wednesday well over a year ago when I lived in England. I didn't think I would still be doing it. I don't join in every Wednesday, but most of them. If you don't know what I am talking about (where have you been????) then have a look at this lady's blog. She started it, it's fun.

I only just realised it was (nearly) Wednesday, so rushed up to my desk and took a photo. Bit of a mess as I left it in a hurry a couple of days ago to get to the post box.

A different angle this week, taking in the view of my new drawers which makes my desk seem a little bigger and a bit more organised. See I am learning from all you proper crafters. We bought some shelves too. So on the drawers are my WIP's (Christmas trees, cut out bunting and cowl). There is a reason I haven't finished any of these yet and that is because I took in part in a challenge going on over at Jo's Blog. We are making angels and sending them flying all over the world. So for the last week I have been creating two angels. One has gone already (hence the dash to the post office) and the other is wrapped and ready to fly on my desk. I can't show these yet until they have been received.

Poor monkey is still disembodied and the only other thing new there is a Christmas Ideas book I got from the library. Not had much time to look a it but never mind.

I had a lot of comments last week about the loft space I use to craft in. It is a huge space, not fully finished. One comment said it looked like I had been put in quarantine (that was funny). Half of it is used for guests and has a bed, hanging rail, drawers plus an extra airbed. It is also used by the kids to set up their train track, castle, scalextric and car track. So I can't have it all, and it is a bit messy and disorganised because I want to wait until it is all drywalled (plaster boarded) before I start adding proper storage, after all it will all have to be moved out for the work to be done. (Finding someone to do the work is another story!!!).

Okay, I am off to look at everyone else's space now and get some inspiration for finishing all my unfinished stuff. See you later x

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Elves and Trees

I have been crocheting Christmas Trees (for Christmas Presents). I loved doing this. So quick, lots of little embellishing bits.

You can find the pattern for these here

And these little fellas are called Korknisse and are crocheted around a cork. You can also find the pattern for these here.

When I made these last year I actually knitted them as I wasn't confident enough to crochet them. Both are easy. The knitted ones you can make up as you go along. The only problem is, you have to drink plenty of wine to get the corks - shame!

 

Both of these patterns have come from the very talented Annabooshouse.blogspot.com. She is an amazing lady and she shares many of her patterns - a lot of them made up by herself. Very clever.

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Woyww#179 - Disembodied Monkey

Well here we are again. WEDNESDAY. WHAT'S ON YOUR WORKDESK, WEDNESDAY? As dreamt up by the lovely Julia @ Stamping Ground.

I took the photo of my desk this morning when the light was lovely. I knew I wouldn't be up there again so I can guarantee my desk is exactly the same right now.

Lime Monkey, this week behaving himself, lovely wool, two little sock monkeys waiting for their new home, a lovely cupcake card I got for my birthday and can't bear to part with yet. The cushion is still there, not touching it yet.

Sewing machine. I have done a few bits on it but nothing much worth showing yet. A new cowl (Christmas present). my ideas and pattern book. It started off as a Smash Book but then it turned into a place where I write ideas and I keep adding new patterns in there.

Lots of Christmas Bunting, cut out, ready to sew together. Green felt and cutout circles ready to add to the Christmas Trees I have been crocheting and embellishing. Will show once finished. A small box lid with bells, buttons and beads for embellishing said trees.

And last but not least, my baby amigurumi monkey. I got bored with him but as I knew I would have to show my desk, it actually spurred me on to finish his limbs (though his is minus a tail), all I need to do now is sew him all together.

I would like to point out that the pattern for the Cowl and the Christmas Trees is from the very talented, lovely Annaboo's House. As ever, a total inspiration.

As I was leaving my desk I looked back and thought "what would these lovely WOYWW'ers think if they could see where my desk sits and all the mess around it. So here goes. SORRY!

...and one last thing, just in case you were wondering what happened to the sock, here it is....

Nearly at that magic 8" mark where I start knitting a bit from one needle, turn it round, knit a bit from another............ Far too complicated to bother about just now.

See you on the desk hop.

 

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Saturday Sewing of socks

I got to spend another couple of hours up in my craft room today. How lucky am I?

I made a sock monkey for Small to give to his friend in England. I made him from a pair of Small's old school socks. He doesn't wear them anymore (they are clean) as they don't wear uniforms here.

He has an incredibly long tail (hence the knot in it). Small chose the eyes. Wish I had sewn him up in blue now as the uniform back in England was Blue, Yellow and Grey. Oh well. This is a picture of him with his little brother (also a present but from Smallest to his friend in England).

They are actually going to the same family.

That took most of my time, but I managed to cut some bunting out ready to sew. It is Christmas themed.

 

 

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Baking

Just to let you know that I have been baking. Not as much as I would have liked to do but at least I have done some.

So for Halloween we made some gingerbread biscuits (made with Maple Syrup instead of Golden Syrup - umm tasty).

Now I prefer to eat them just like this but the kids like to decorate......

...a bit of icing, a bit of chocolate, some M&M's, sprinkles.....

So this is how they ended up. Small actually took these to school today for his class party. Guess I'll have to make more for us then!

I also made a bread (does it count even though it was made in the bread machine?). I haven't made any for ages.

Now apart from baking, we have obviously been carving...

Mostly Small's own work.

Mostly Smallest's own work done at Beavers.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

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Woyww #178 - legless, finished and a limboing monkey!

Hello on this windy Wednesday. Hope none of you are anywhere near this horrible hurricane. It has certainly had an impact on our weather but thankfully nothing like as serious as in New York. So today we check out desks around the world via the WOYWW as hosted by Julia.

My desk was all nice and organised and tidy and I took a photo ..........

Cushion cover (so much trouble that I should have given up when it started to go wrong, but no, I persevere).

Sock, coming along nicely but slowly. New sock monkey (finished waiting for a new home). New balls of wool (just waiting for new project). Radio 1 on the IPad sitting on top of my Granny Blanket.

Sewing machine with one piece of bunting. A new baby monkey I am crocheting.

And I think that is it......

......and then I started doing a bit here and there and before I knew it, it was a right mess. So I thought I would show a during (and in fact after) as I have now left it just as seen above. Can't be doing with tidying up every time.

A pile of buttons as I was looking for just the right ones for the baby monkey's eyes. The cushion cover has been hidden under the IPad. The monkey now has a nose, eyes and one ear. I have no idea what the big monkey is doing, looks like he is limboing, maybe he is showing off in front of new sock monkey.

Right, I am grabbing a gingerbread and a cup of tea and popping round to look at everyone who's number ends the same as mine, plus a few I always visit in the middle, and definitely those who visit me, and if I can fit in any other desks I will certainly try.

 

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Saturdays Sewings

I can believe it, but my lovely family let me craft for two hours solid this morning. There was other things they wanted to do that didn't include me (football, Wii).

So I went upstairs, turned on the sewing machine, grabbed my crochet and looked at my ribbons. This is what I achieved.

 

A sock monkey made from a pair of Smallest's old English school socks and which he is going to send to his friend in England.

I kind of like him. He was machine sewn (my first one). Not very neat, but more secure than my hand sewing.

My British Heart. I s this on another blog somewhere. It didn't work exactly as I wanted it to, but I am still learning. ....and the bit I am not showing is where I had to undo a huge amount of crocheting (cushion cover) as part of it fell apart (and it doesn't seem to fit on the cushion I bought!!!!).

 

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WOYWW #177 - nearly cushion and a quarter sock

Wednesday crept up on me again this week. The day to show my desk. The day where all the woyww'ers also show off their desks, whatever the state. A place where I always find lots of inspiration and helpful tips.

And so, to my desk. I'm not showing my normal desk today because I've been working on my lap mainly this week, in front of the TV.

My sock. My lovely lovely sock. Just knit knit knit! Coming along nicely now. Need to keep going till it gets to 8" and then it gets difficult trying to do the heel but I'm not worrying about that just yet.

My cushion cover. Done on one side and only six to finish the other side. I love the way it looks despite the fact that I had to add another colour on each round square so I could have enough wool to stitch them together in the same colour. It's a bit PINK but its effective. I have been using my sewing machine a bit but nothing to show as yet. Still playing.

I am off to look at other desks now. See you soon.

 

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Works In Progress

I don't seem to have finished anything for ages, so I thought I would just show what I am trying to finish (completely apart from what is on my craft desk - as that is littered with lots of little ongoing projects).

I am hoping that this will make me work harder on these things and that by Wednesday (woyww) I will have moved on considerably.

My cushion cover (now that I have had to add another colour) is coming along nicely. You can't see from the photo, but I have sewn both sides, which means I only have fourteen more to sew.

My sock is coming along a great now that I have finished the rib. Just knitting means I don't have to concentrate too much and can knit this whilst watching TV.

 

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WOYWW #176 - sock, square, sew

Hello. It's Wednesday again. That means it's time for What's on your Workdesk? Wednesday. That also means it's time for me to show you my desk, whatever state it is in, and also for the rest of the World to show you their desks.

So, today, my desk.

I am, as you can probably see, the proud owner of a new sewing machine. My first. I don't really sew, but I want to.

I'm so excited about some of the stitches it does. I want to do quilting and free motion sewing (one day) and this one does that! Wahoooooooooooo.

So I started to sew a new sock monkey. Normally I hand sew but after a while it falls apart (much loving), and then I realised machine sewing is not only stronger but quicker.

There is a pile of 'ends' which I painstakingly cut from my Round Squares. Now I have enough for a cushion cover, back and front. However, in true 'me' style, I have not got enough wool to sew them all together. aaaggghhhhh, so I'm thinking I might have to add another row in another colour (obviously one that I can also use to sew them together). What a numpty!

I also have the start of my Christmas Bunting. I have only done one - Grandma and I went Thrifty shopping and picked up a bag of scraps for just $1 - bargain. All Christmas bits too. Who doesn't love bunting at Christmas?

Also on my desk is my resident monkey (pattern from Annaboos House) that I crocheted, glass of coke to keep me going and some new patriotic ribbon. I was going to make union jacks but I bought the wrong width white ribbon.

Anyway, that's me done for today. I will try much harder to visit everyone (especially if you end in the same number as me), I was missing last week (visitors) and the week before I posted but still had visitors so couldn't visit as many as would have liked.

See you soon.

 

 

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Birthday

I had a lovely birthday with many lovely presents. The main one being a sewing machine. I have never really been a sewist (saw this word on something else - is it a real word? Or should it be sewer, as in where the rats live!).

The machine is still in its box but I am very excited to get started.

On the craft side, I have crocheted two Snoods, one for me and one for a present.

I used a huge crochet hook (15mm) and a lovely chunky wool

I used a pattern from Annaboos House. It was very easy once I got started and very quick. Myopi can make one easily in a couple of hours (with no Small people around).

Hope to show sewing machine in action soon.

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Woyww #174 - woolly stuff

It's Wednesday. It's time for What's on your Workdesk, Wednesday, as hosted by Julia over at http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com.

So, this week we have visitors. Huffle's Mum and Dad from England. My craft space is one half of the loft and their space is the order side of the loft. I am not sure how much time I will spend up there but this is how it looks at the moment.....

 

A pile of crochet round squares. Enough for a front and a few more for the back. (Also purchased a new cushion for this project). I haven't done too many since last week. My sock that I started again after I went back to my knitting group and a lovely thick woolly scarf/cowl. This has been knitted once (well probably more than that) and then I undid it because I only wanted to use one ball of wool and I felt it was not long enough and maybe too wide. I am using a basket weave pattern that I made up. (I'm sure I haven't invented it but I mean I'm not following a pattern).

So that's me for this week. Short and sweet (ooh just like me).

P.S. I had a really good tidy up this week. Wool is in boxes, sewing things put away, magazines nicely stacked. All I need now are some lovely shelves and they can all be displayed where I can see them. Still, you can't rush perfection.

 

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Herb Stones

This week I stamped some stones that we picked up at the beach in summer. They are now in place in my herb bath. Sounds exotic but it's just an old tin bath that we plant are small herbs into before they get planted out in their own pots or in the veggie garden.

 

Shame the basil is a bit past it.

 

 

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