Wanna see my Wips?!

I'm hoping that by cataloguing my Works In Progress I might get motivated enough (shamed rather) to steam through them all...Yes. See that big pink cloud over there? That's a pig. 

So first up we have this knitted shawl. In my head it will look like a beautiful creation draped around my shoulders much like the shawls you can see here.  I plan to finish this before my sock making work shop at the weekend or it will never get finished as I think sock making is an obsession waiting to happen. Oh Lord please help me!!!  I'm on the frilly edge now and it is not going well. It is not behaving at all and I am having mini tanties over it. But I think it will all come good in the end, once I get it off the needles. It's so hard with knitting to visualise how something will look once cast off.

So that's my knitted shawl, now on to the Shawl of Dreams. Remember that? Well I'm not sure about it anymore. It isn't turning out how I hoped. I can't even grasp the memory of the shawl I am trying to copy...the memory is deteriorating. I look at it and I'm have reservations as to whether I like it enough to carry on with it. It's a pig to crochet. I have all the yarn for this project and I don't know what I would do with it if I didn't complete what I have started. I do kind of like it when I see it here and it is really soft and smoochy.

Next up is my Granny Square which was inspired by Bunny Mummy who was inspired by Le Monde de Sucrette, only the Granny Square I originally started turned into a cushion for Little and then I started a Granny Rectangle. There's not much to say about it other than I started it on a whim at Christmas and I pick it up now and again. I don't even know where it will be used. Probably the kitchen since we tend to live in that room and the Granny Blanket is currently on my bed helping me to sleep. I'm having a hard time sleeping lately. Night sweats and weird dreams.

On to the little Kid Silk Aura capelet. I started this with a surge of motivation back in November but flitted on to Mr C's Christmas scarf which I still haven't photographed properly. I should get a wriggle on with this as I have just acquired a dress it would be perfect with. I say acquired as I haven't paid for it yet. I mean I didn't nick it, but I didn't get it with my own money. I wrote Mr C an IOU.

Lets not forget the blanket I started when I originally set about learning to knit............I'm not sure I'll get this blanket done in its entirety, not the the full size with all the sample squares. Maybe a little lap blanket of all my favourite squares. I would rather crochet blankets and knit items to wear.

Talking items to wear, I have completed one wrist warmer but haven't stitched it up as I think I would like the cuff to be longer. I'm going to knit the second one and see how much yarn I have left. I was knitting these at The Savoy. The pattern is one of Suzie's of Knit Club fame, it's there that I am going to be learning sock making with my Mum. (Mamoo I will call you tomorrow, it's been so noisy here lately)

It's not all yarny stuff in my Wip list either. I started this hexy patch work when we were on holiday in Spain when I was pregnant with Mini. I knew I was pregnant and so I was making a pram blanket for the daughter who was inevitably on her way! Ha haaaa! It'll be a wicker shopping basket liner now. Way too girly for my sweet baby boy who turns one in just a few weeks.

I made a couple of dresses once, I wear them a fair bit so with that success behind me I embarked on this gorgeous retro pattern from the 1950's. Thought I'd give it a Joules vibe by choosing turquoise bias tape. It was going very well till I tried it on and realised my chunky 1980's waist meant that I had to make a large size and so the shoulders and bust were so huge on me I looked indecent. I have had some help from Bubble and Pookamook at Swine Club to alter the top but I haven't got around to it yet. I'm sure if I had the 1950's hourglass shape it would have fitted nicely.

And finally (not finally really, there are 162 other half started projects or projects I have bought the kit for, all hidden away about the house not least some embroidery as Emily sent me some vintage transfers which I have big plans for) I have been asked to test drive this sharp crochet hook. The idea is it eliminates the need to use a needle to get the foundation stitches set for a crocheted edge. I have plotted out the placement of the stitches with an erasable fabric pen and bought the yarn but I've not finished the next part. I must get on with it soon as I feel honoured to have been asked to give it a whirl. If you are intrigued go here to see what Alice has to say about it.

So this next pic isn't of a Wip but of  a blind. It's my Mum's bathroom blind. At least it is now. I was asked if I would like to review some bits for DunelmCath Kidston style dinner service) and being a frequent visitor to the Weston Super Mare store I said "Well why not!' I was sent a blind. It didn't fit any of my windows that needed a blind so my Mum swiped it off me. Good on her I say! So between the pair of us we have reviewed this blind and below is what we think.

On receiving the blind I made these observations:

Positive:

• Nice material, very substantial which gives the impression that it will wear well and hopefully not fray when in use.
• It looks like it would be easy to cut down to size if one had the correct blind cutting gizmo.
• It's a decent size so would fit the majority of houses windows.
• The instructions look comprehensive so fitting shouldn't be too difficult.
• The fittings appear to be sturdy enough for the weight of the blind.
• The packaging was good, not too much rubbish to have to dispose of which is important now most councils have a limit on how much rubbish they will collect per household on the kerbside.

Negative:

• The packaging was a total beast to get into. Four heavy duty staples through hard plastic made it rather hard to get to the blind!
• The chrome eyelet has a sharp burr on it which is both unsightly and could scratch someone.
• The leather dangley bit would be nicer if it was real leather but I don't think it added anything to the overall design. That is my personal taste though and maybe the next person will adore the leather dangle.

And here is what my Mum had to say in an email along with the photographs you see here:

Hello Lovely girlie,

I have put up the blind.  It was quite easy and straight forward.

As you know the fittings and instructions were all in the same bag.  I laid them out as you can see in the photo to check that everything was there.  Didn't need too much in the way of tools, but the requirements are laid out in the instructions what you need.

The blind was easy to cut to size, but you need to be careful of the sharp edges that you make with the hack saw when cutting down the top tube prior to putting the end fittings in. Overall it is quite a nice blind.  My only criticism is that when the blind was made it was not cut straight with the grain of the material and that hampered the cutting down process as it threw you off line.  Also the eyelet being centrally placed meant the I had to cut both sides, and not just one side if it was plain, but that is a consideration that the purchaser would need to take when buying.  After I had cut the blind the hem both sides wanted to come undone and the sides frayed a bit.  The eyelet had a sharp lug on it where the top ring and the underneath ring didn't match up, which could be something that they should look at as it could have hurt someone.

Once the blind is cut and re-rolled and put into the brackets the mechanism runs smooth and easy.  The overall effect is very nice.

If I were to give it marks out of ten it would come in as an eight.

I hope that you can make sense of this to give Dunelm feed back from.

Love you,

Mamoo

xxx

So there we go. I actually think over all that this blind, which was less than twenty quid was super value for money. I'd like to thank Laura very much for approaching me to test run this blind and I hope I did a good and fair job of it.


This week has been a funny one. Mr C set off for France to go Skiing on Saturday. Usually we all go but our friends that we go with had to leave making plans till the very last moment as their Mum is having chemo for bowel cancer and it all needed to fit around her. On Thursday Mr C came home and said he'd been talking to Jim about it and that the plan was to go on Saturday.  To cut a long story short it made sense for me and the kids to stay behind which I am totally fine with. My last few skiing experiences have been awful and I'm scared to get back on the slopes now. There's a really long story attached to this about someone taking my ski's and me losing all my confidence as a result. So here I am home alone with the kids and I miss my chap. Don't get me wrong in someways it is easier but I don't like it. It feels very different to last week when we had my God daughter to stay. The house was full to the brim and now it feels a bit rattly, even thought there are still four of us here.

Lady Buttercup's stay here was lovely. I was apprehensive prior to her arrival as I'd offered to have her to give Kmmms a break. Those of you who read her blog will know why I was a bit nervous. Lady Buttercup had some trouble with going to bed. My Kmmms needed some respite so I offered. I kind of knew Lady B would be good as gold here but I wasn't certain. Anyway she was a joy and I really loved having her her. I ABSOLUTELY loved my time with her. I will treasure the memories forever and although she is only 4 I hope she remembers it too (but not the bit where I crashed into a barrier when trying to do a 3 point turn when collecting her Mum from the train station. God love my husband for not going bonkers at me when I told him!) The boys are missing her too, they enjoyed the new dimension she brought to their games. Big said a few times "Were is Brooke? Get her back Mummy, she lives with us now. She is our Brooke" which made me melt. That lovely little boy is so loving and welcoming.

Of all the photographs I took, this is my ultimate favourite.
She was decorating cup cakes for her family the morning she was going home.

xxx

ps. How many links in this post? I've gone link-tastic!!