Tuesday 31 March 2015

It's Lambing Season ....


The lambs have grown in numbers! 


I have now made six in total - and have six odd socks now!!

 
What do you think?  I personally love them and think they're dead cute and sooo fluffy!
 

And here's the first two in situ at The Emporium ...


And not to be outdone I finished the four dolls too.


The one above and one below are the ones that the lady who commissioned me didn't want.  I made four because I wanted to give her a choice. So there were two bigger ones and two smaller.


 
And having asked me to make both dolls both blonde as the baby girls were, she'd discovered in the week that passed that the little girl (who was being christened and whom the bigger doll was for) had grown darker hair - so we changed her doll's hair too!



Hopefully it's now dark enough!

She also wanted their names on ribbons around their waists, so Nat from A Sweet Gift (Canned Candy) printed them off for me - another service they provide as well as yummy sweets. 
 
 
 
And just to add a little extra I made named necklaces with alphabet beads. 
 

I hope she likes them and that the girls do too!
 
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Extra plug for my good friend Nat and her hubby who run A Sweet Gift
(also known as Canned Candy). 
They are now based at Molly's Den, Bridport. 
They will deliver locally around Yeovil .... so please check out their facebook page.
 

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I am really excited and feel like a big kid ... we're off on a trip tomorrow. 
 
The boys don't know that we're going or where we're going.  
 
We are all going up to visit Harry Potter World!!!  http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/ 
 
Can't wait!!!
 
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Tuesday 24 March 2015

Fluffy Sock Flock

I saw the cutest sheep on a site the other day and knew that I would just have to make them!

 
They are in the same concept as Sock Monkeys in that they're made out of socks - but these use those fluffy socks!  Literally one normal sock and one fluffy sock - so two fluffy sheep out of two pairs of socks!

So I raided Primark for their fluffy socks and bought some new plain white, and also plain black.  I've had the socks for a couple of weeks and to be honest haven't felt like making them.

However I have had a kind-of commission for a couple of dolls for a customer in The Emporium.  So I thought whilst I had the sewing machine out for the dolls I would make use of it and make my sheep as well. 

So firstly I had all this laid out ....







 
I've sewn round them and turned them the right way - I just want to pain their faces on now.  Oh and instead of just making two - I've gone for four!  Thought I'd have a little production line going!
 
Anyway, then the fun started with the fluffy Sock Flock ...
 
I've just made two to start with.  I thought I'd try the really fluffy sock - the pink one; and also the bobbly not so fluffy sock - the blue one to see what they came out like.
 



They both have different shaped faces which was entirely accidental but I do think it adds personality to them.  Just got to name them now .... hmmmm ... Larissa Lamb?  Larry Lamb?  What do you reckon?

Oh and here they are with their final touches - a nice ribbon and bell each.



And here's the original post http://www.craftpassion.com/2015/02/sew-sock-sheep.html.  Go and check it out and also all the other fab projects on there!
 
 
 
Now onto something entirely different - a little cardigan I've finished for my brother and his girlfriend.  They are expecting their first baby at the beginning of April. It is very exciting as we never thought we'd see the day when he became a dad - and here we are eagerly awaiting his baby!
 
This pattern is called "Beyond-Puerperium" 
 
(a hat to match!)
 
It is a beautiful pattern.  I've already made the Puerperium version which is newborn size.  I thought I'd make the next size up as I loved the pattern so much.  It is knitted from the neck down and has no sewing other than a tiny stitch under the arms and for the buttons.  Fantastic!  And it knits up ever so quickly.  I never knew I would knit so fast! 
 
Now the quandary is which buttons to choose ....
 





Which ones do you think look best?
 
 
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Wednesday 18 March 2015

February's Fibromyalgia Fog

February was not a particularly good month for me.

I have fibromyalgia and to the most part I have it under control.  I still get very tired and I know I have limits.  Usually I know how far I can push myself and if there is a possibility that I will suffer for what I'm doing.

Not a fantastic way to lead a life - but the way it has to be done.  I still live with pain almost every day - but now it's got to a sort of (if you can say it) bearable pain.

However February was not bearable at all.  For some reason the fibromyalgia took over with a vengeance.  The worst of the pains were my hands and wrists as this meant everything - and I mean everything - was so painful to do.  It also meant I had to rest up from crafting as the pain just made me want to cry.  This was the hardest part to take as if crafting goes then an enormous part of what makes me goes too. 

I admit I started looking very much on the black side of things and scared myself silly that this would be it from now on - and I'd lose that very vital part of ME.  It was really hard to deal with and to move beyond that mind set.

However I have managed it with love and care and slowly building myself up again - and with being medicated to the hilt with painkillers.  Thankfully now I'm just taking my regular drugs (that sounds bad, doesn't it?!!) and - touch wood - all seems under control again.

So - that explains my absence on here too.  I do have a few things to show you that I have made before and after the fibro episode - and will endeavour to post them on here very soon.

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