A Fabulous Tea Party and a retrospective of sorts ...

I'm elated. I'm crafting again. It feels SO good - I really had forgotten how much happiness having a creative outlet brings me.

But I really have been a bit busy - the kind of busy where you collapse into bed each night wondering where the day has gone. Repeat this endlessly - and occasionally cry about it ;-) So to recap this is what I have been up to:

• Packed and moved - twice - or was it three times? - I lost count - it feels like six.
• Lived (pregnant) in a 300 sq ft studio apartment above a garage with husband, small toddler and a dog while we renovated the house (noise and dust like you would not believe).
• Moved into not yet completed renovated house (heavily heavily pregnant).
• Attempted to unpack and arrange furniture before baby arrived while drilling, painting etc still went on around us.
• Had baby#2 (after 2 months of 'false' labor - Note: there is nothing 'false' about false labor).
• Continued renovation and continued to unpack while looking after two adorable and much loved small children.
  
• Eventually (very recently) managed to unpack Bernie and felt a renewed level of happiness - even though I was only mending husbands shorts and g-diaper covers.
• Begged, pleaded and cajoled baby to nap at the same time as small toddler so I could have a small amount of time to myself each day.
• Won the nap battle with baby - hurrah!!
• Took a deep breath.
  
• Decided to make this tea party set.

I wanted to make a fun coordinating tea party set that would help any little girl throw a most excellent and very proper tea party. The fabrics I used for this project were all left overs from previous projects (A Lucky Baby Bunny (Nov '09), How do you work? (Aug '08) and Swap Shots (July '08) - seriously? have I really had everything packed up and stored away for that long?)

The set consists of a picnic mat, an apron, a tea towel, a tea cosy, 6 napkins and 6 party hats.I embellished with pink ribbon and lace.
Party hats ready?
Hostess ready?
Tea brewed?
What a fine tea party! The cupcakes are from my Cupcake Tutorial made back in May 2008 - I must make more of those.

Anyone remember the knitted Bunny Picnic? ... I can't believe that was back in May 2008 ... time just rushes by.

Spring has Sprung

(Note: This post was supposed to be more elaborate but dragging a large knitted dinosaur around Central Park for a photo shoot with stroller, small child and small dog turned out to be more challenging than I had given the task credit for.)

It is spring, the birds are tweeting the sun is shining and love is in the air. Mr. Dinosaurus is looking for lurrve. To hunt down his ideal mate he has put on his best red bow tie ...... he has picked the finest brightest flower he could find (in order to charm an unsuspecting and demure lady dino) ...
... Mr. Dinosaurus is feeling very handsome indeed today ...... time to hail a cab and go to Central Park - some attractive young dino ladies might be out for an afternoon stroll ...
... perhaps some lady dinos will walk past while Mr. Dinosaurus relaxes by the boat pond. He is trying to seem like he is just enjoying the view - but really - he just wants to find a nice lady dino to chat to ...... can you spot Mr. Dinosaurus hanging out on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Maybe some lovely lady will stop to chat about some dino art?Poor Mr. Dinosaurus didn't find love on this sunny spring day. But soon he will meet his new loving family ... and perhaps his dino lady love too?

Cable Cardigan (with a hood no less)

My very lovely friend gave me this knitting book for my birthday.
Her mother-in-law has knitted so many gorgeous cardigan's for her little girl (which I'm always rather envious of) so I was very excited to get 'the' knitting book shipped all the way from my homeland (England.) For anyone that knows the short history of my knitting skills - clothing has not been something I have explored very much. I made a little rose cardigan for baby bunny before she was born and I recently gave up on a potentially gorgeous cable cardigan (for the more grown up size of person.) So this would be only the second piece of clothing I have ever managed to complete.

I asked baby bunny to model for me. The modeling shoot went something like this ....
... rather a lot of blurry photos because (drum roll please) ... on Saturday baby bunny decided she could walk. She has been walking from piece of furniture to furniture for a while now - but now she has really taken off. ALL she wants to do is walk - until she is so tired she sits down with a whimper. It is a whole different ball game with her on her feet. This morning I have already found one plastic cup, a toothbrush and a bar of soap in the toilet. She is so quick ... I didn't even know she had been in the bathroom!

The cardigan was very easy to knit - but like any good amateur knitter I decided I knew best and amended the pattern slightly. I joined the seams of the hood as I knitted instead of sewing them together later ... ... and I knitted the ribbed trim all in one piece - rather than in three ... ... of course I feel like my amendments were a success! Baby bunny certainly looked mighty cute modeling the cardigan. I think I'm going to have to start knitting her some jumpers for this winter.
And my favorite bit? the homemade label! I really hope baby Nicholas enjoys his new cardigan.

Blissful Knitted Squares

My step brother's baby is due today. So far there is no sign of the little one making a prompt exit! I knitted this very quick blanket for the little one (my own pattern - which I will try and write down soon.) I like the simple patchwork effect.I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK Yarn which is so soft and lovely to knit with.

When I first started knitting rabbits (which seems like the longest time ago ...) I was using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky. The yarn was just as lovely, soft and easy to knit with - it seemed utterly perfect for cuddly toys ... but proved too expensive for the multitude of bunnies that then followed.

I'm currently knitting a little cable hooded cardigan for my friend's newborn - in the same DK yarn but in navy blue. Quite shocking of me to actually use a color as I seem to have become a bit obsessed with working in these off-white/cream yarns ... and I could bang on about my minimalist obsession with people like Robert Ryman or Agnes Martin ... but then you might all truly go to sleep!

Baby Bunny's Birthday

Someone just turned one!
Happy Birthday my beautiful girl.

Stash Scraps

Remember this stash? Well it is now substantially reduced due to my desire to bring dinosaurs back into common existence ...
... and now I have very limited stash ... mostly blues ... I found this free pattern from Lion Brand which I have now begun to knit and adapt in earnest. The squares are really quick and easy. The pattern really satisfies my need to use up every last scrap of valuable yarn. My poor sewing machine has seen little to no action (apart from the odd little job such as securing a hem on her weeny tiny person sized jeans.) Baby bunny turns 1 soon - can you believe it? She recently took her first steps alone - although she prefers to walk while grasping your finger tightly and noisily insisting you go where ever she wants to go ...

Crochet your cares away

I've been struggling to motivate myself with my continuous cable border exploration. I find that that long stretch of time needed to really concentrate and make notes is just not available to me! Baby bunny (who is now nearly 11 months old - can you believe it?) is into everything - cupboards, toilets, bags, kitchen trashcan, drawers - anything and everything is of great interest and needs to be explored and explored now!

So I've put down my concentration-needy knitting and picked up my crochet hook. I found this idea on Ravelry and decided to take it on a bit further for the border of a blanket.
The petals are scattered at random on one corner. This method allows you to crochet the flowers as you go - so no messy strands or sewing flowers onto the blanket.

The trickiest bit of the border was working out how many crochet stitches were needed for the sides of the blanket.I used the same sized crochet hook as my knitting needles. For the starter row used 1 crochet stitch for every knitted stitch at the ends of the blanket ("sc into knitted st, skip next knitted st and ch1" repeat to end) ...
... and 7 crochet stitches for every 9 knitted stitches for the sides of the blanket: ("sc into knitted st, skip next knitted st and ch1, sc into next knitted st, skip next two knitted sts and ch1, sc into next knitted st, skip next two knitted st" repeat to end). The corners are made by sc 3 times into same stitch. I hope my scrappy diagram above explains it a little clearer. Once the starter row is complete just keep sc into every st - 3 sc at the corners - adding the flowers as and when you please. I crocheted 4 complete rounds of the blanket - adding flowers on rounds 2 and 4.

Continuous Cable Border

I'm really trying to write down my knitting patterns as I go but I find it really hard to be totally happy with them. I so want to be able to communicate clearly with someone how to make the pattern - but we all think/work so differently - I worry that my directions will frustrate or confuse.

Baby bunny has lots of new mobility skills (she has taken to rolling around everywhere and recently learnt to pull up.) I find my eyes have to be glued to her at all times so she doesn't find her way into the dogs toys (yum) or pulls anything off a table that land on her head (ouch). I have been finding that knitting is an easy thing for me to pick up and put down quickly. (Every peaceful moment is now a crafting moment.) Here she is inspecting my stitches.The border on this blanket is made using a a simple cable pattern. I joined the border to the blanket by knitting into stitches along the sides of the blanket and I joined the two ends of the border together using the three needle bind off technique.The same principle can be used with any pattern you care to use for a border. And the bonus is - no sewing is required! Do you like my fancy corners?

A Lucky Baby Bunny

Our dear friends had been trying for a baby and when they came to visit the baby bunny at only 10 days old - my friend held her and said 'perhaps you will be my good luck charm'. And her baby magic dust must have been powerful ... this weekend was their baby shower.

Baby Ella is due in December and I'm so thrilled for them and utterly thrilled that my baby bunny was their lucky charm. I inquired about a little pressie and a Rachael Rabbit play mat/picnic mat was requested.

I don't often say this (so it must be true) but my photos do not really do this justice. I haven't really done any sewing pieces since the baby bunny arrived. And this is almost flawless - I was quite pleased with it. I used House Collection fabric ...... I hand tied the quilt with tiny little crosses, it has a double layer of batting - so it is extra soft for Baby Ella's tummy time ...... I used beautiful velvet ric-rac given to me by Anne of Bunny Hill Designs, ...... the gift bag has felt letters ironed to it using that super sticky stuff.I think (hope) the mummy-to-be was pleased with it too.

Knitting Again

I had forgotten how calm and serene the world becomes when I knit.

I have been designing cable hats and I've been rather obsessed with making pretty patterns on the crown of the hats.
I just love knitting cables.I hope to post the patterns on my Ravelry page soon.

A little bunny update. She is now starting solids ... she loves peas, pears, prunes but she doesn't like peaches ... she grabs the spoon and swallows with great gusto ... it is awfully cute and terribly terribly messy ;-)

You Are Never to Young to Paint

Learning to paint ...What master pieces the baby bunny has made ...Once trimmed and signed they make the most adorable cards. We are SO proud of her first crafting project I'm not sure if we will ever be able to use the cards!!

AND I've found time to start knitting again ... I've forgotten just how much I love to knit.