Hello, old friend, it’s been TOO long…..

Hello there, thanks for popping by….

Ah, Hardanger Embroidery, how I have missed you! Of course, like most things, I hadn’t realised just how much until I picked my needle up again….

I have been in Crafting heaven over the last few days but it’s also been hard work, that’s for sure. I enjoy a challenge and I have decided to do one thing in Crafting that scares me, every day.

Just ONE thing otherwise, I was thinking, I will stagnate and allow myself to sink into the comfortable position of only working on things I know how to do well…. so, what then scares me in Crafting? Using my rotary cutter….eek! I’m not that great, it makes me uncomfortable…because, I’m not such a ‘hot shot’ at it. I have to THINK, and allow myself to make those mistakes that ineviatably happen when you’re learning…. So on Tuesday, I had a whole morning cutting out. It wasn’t bad! In fact, if I don’t say so myself, I improved massively.Yesterday, I took a trip into the City to gather last minute bits n’bobs so that I have everything together and could go ahead and make the sewing book….. I need to be brave! because sewing things together makes me nervous too- I like things to look good straight away…. I wonder if I’m the only person who looks at a picture in a book, and thinks… I want to make that, but it has to look just as good as it does in the picture, even though the person who made that project has probably been sewing for 20 years+ and I’ve been learning for a few months!? 😊

But, I digress….back to the Hardanger! The other thing that scares me is design! I am not a Designer in any way, and have always shied away from  making up my own patterns because I always want to be sewing rather than drawing and if I’m honest, I’m also impatient and find the focus needed for designing takes longer than I am willing to give. Until this week…

Time to move out of my comfort zone!  Oh, Dear Reader, I have had SO much fun! I hasn’t been the trial I was expecting it to be! I have found a way of working that suits me… ( for now 😊) what I do, is just work directly onto the fabric, so I effectively, cut out the middle man… which of course is the graph paper or computer programe. So I get the best of both worlds, I am ‘making it up as I go’ but I get to sew too!Here’s what I got up to on Thursday… A whole day of work….but gosh, I was happy by the end!And lastly, as my Crafting goes EVERWHERE with me….a little Tea Break in the middle of the day yesterday….Waterstones Cafe!how lucky am I, to have the life I do!        I’m always grateful!

I hope you’ve had a good week, and managed to do a little Crafting of your own….

Until next time….

Debbie

Snowmelt Shawl

Hello there, thanks for popping by…..

It’s funny isn’t it, I’ve been merrily knitting and sewing away as time has allowed this year, knitting socks and  sewing bags and not really thinking at all about Shawls….

Those of you who follow me on Social Media will know that last year was most definitely the year of the Shawls! 😊 I did so many!  And I loved doing every single one….I bet you thought that I would knit them forever! With each one, my confidence grew…..But then, just as suddenly, towards the end of the year I finished the grey and had no desire to cast on for another….socks became my thing!To be fair, they still are, to a degree… BUT I joined a new group on Facebook called Everyday Knitter, and their monthly discussion for April is Shawls….oh my! Such beautiful pictures flooded my newsfeed day after day! I couldn’t resist the call of the Shawl for long….. 😊

Happily for me, this all coincided with a planned trip to Spring into Wool on Saturday….what an amazing Festival it was! Stupidly, I forgot to take my camera so I have no pictures to show you…I’m afraid you’re going to have to take my word for it!

Leeds isn’t that far from me, and after a very pleasant, sunny drive out we arrived in plenty of time. It’s in it’s first year, so for us, this meant few queues….which was a godsend as I can’t bear crowds of people! It was truly a lovely day out, and I didn’t come back empty handed! I’d already set my heart on the Snowmelt Shawl pattern from Helen at Curious handmade. The grey Amulet Shawl I made last year was one of her patterns and they are so well presented and easy to follow…. 😊

After trailing round for half the morning, my friends and I went for a restorative cup of tea and lunch….I already had in my mind the colour combinations I wanted to use and also the yarn I wanted to buy And because it was much quieter in the afternoon, I mananaged to have some lovely conversations with the Vendors too, which is always my favourite bit!

SO, here’s my final selection for the Snowmelt Shawl….Aren’t they devine? I am in yarn Heaven! Yesterday afternoon, I cast on…..it’s such a relaxing knit. The Yarn is SO soft and I’ve made quite a lot of progress in a short space of time wouldn’t you say? 😊

I can’t wait for the first colour change coming up in the next few rows! You can be sure I’ll be working on this for the rest of the day…..whatever you’re working on today, I hope you can make time for some Crafting….

Until next time,

Debbie.

Hello Spring!

Hello there, thanks for popping by….

Well hello! What a whirlwind the start of this year has been….things are just starting to slow down a bit which means I can begin to draw breath and pop my head above the parapet at last! 😊

I absolutely love this time of year….aside from the fact that we celebrate two Birthdays in March in our family, I love the promise of Springtime…everything is waking up! I feel like I’m waking up too….this last month I’ve tried my hand at a few new things….would you like to see? I had a bit of a ‘Bag’ thing going on….I had SO much fun making them and I’m rather pleased with finished results, if I don’t say so myself…. 😊

Then I went back to knitting socks….the first red pair, I have pulled out….I should know better than to try and work a complicated lace pattern when being able to concentrate fully, isn’t on the agenda! 😊I started the ones below, yesterday, using the same wool… There has been some disappointment for me this morning.

I’m dealing with it, the only way I know how….When life gives you lemons. Make lemonade….. 😊

Until the next time…..happy crafting!

Debbie