Flower Baskets

Handcrafted flower buttons which I'm going to use in my new hobby of crazy quilting. I've placed them on a card with a flower basket pic in the background and am about to sew them on as these eleven are a gift for someone and I thought that they'd look better like this than just sewn on a plain piece of card.


Miniature flower basket shawl knitted for the competition part of a Ravelry swap.


Fits this little bear perfectly!


ETA - Couldn't resist adding this one.


This is a motif cut from Venise lace, then hand-dyed and embellished with beads. A gift from my new friend, Nicki. Isn't it lovely!

Quick Update

Life continues to be uber busy but I feel I really ought to try to update the blog now and again even if it's just a quicky!

So, the Estonian Lace Christening Shawl is almost complete. In the end, I decided rather than keeping it the same as the prototype except for a much larger centre, I'd try to keep the 'frame within a frame' look of the original which would have been lost with the larger centre. I think I've achieved this without it becoming too much of a mish mash by adding another (different) motif border and a repeat of the inner border. The centre is larger than the original but not so large that it looks mainly centre. I have so many stitches on now that it's all bunched up (even though it's on a 120cm long needle) so, for what it's worth, here's how it looks at the moment.

To have a break from the knitting, I've also taken up a new hobby in my crafting time. This was brought about by a swap I took part in recently where my partner liked anything celestial. I cross stitched a sun and moon from this book and I also did myself a unicorn from the same book. Here they are:






And somehow I found time to make some interesting purchases but they'll wait for another time. For now, I'll just show the latest addition to my button collection. These were described as antique bakelite buttons but I think they're more likely to be vintage.


I really like the oriental look of them.

Meme

Life's been super busy which is why I've had another long gap without a post. Thanks to all for your complimentary remarks on the Estonian Lace Christening Shawl. There will be some pics of the real thing soon as it's almost finished. I've been writing the pattern and charting it as I go, so the pattern should also be ready at the same time.

Now for the meme. Modelwidow kindly tagged me for the Peeps I Want To Know More About meme which I've been meaning to do for the past few days and now I've finally got around to it.

The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Here are my responses.

1) What was I doing ten years ago?
I was working as a homoeopath in various clinics as well as doing allergy testing and Reiki and a part time foundation course in chemistry at the School of Optimum Nutrition.

2) What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:
1.Continue knitting my shawl design.
2.Read my new novel by Doris Lessing
3.Ring up a friend who has been feeling a bit low lately
4.Relax with a pack of Nobby's Nuts.
5.Go to a friend's this evening to pick up some knitting books (she's having a clear out and what better home for knitting books! ;-))

3) Snacks I enjoy:
My all time favourite snack at the moment is a packet of sweet chili flavour Nobby's Nuts. I'm actually addicted to the things and, what's more, every person up to now that I've introduced to them has become addicted too. So, beware!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Give up my job and add a studio to my home where I would work and play every day doing all stuff creative. The studio would contain my spinning wheel (and I would actually find time to learn how to use the thing), a loom for weaving, my sewing machine on a proper table as well as a special table for cutting fabric, and my many and varied craft supplies including, of course, my yarn stash. I would share this space with others and we could all be creative together.

5) Places I have lived:
Co Durham where I was born and raised and various parts of the country including London and the home counties.

6) Jobs I have had:
Secretary/personal assistant, homoeopath, waitress, cook, working for the College of Homoepathy as a part time tutor as well as being involved in the moderating process by doing the first markings of dissertations, computer archivist.

7) Peeps I want to know more about:
It's been some time since I checked blogs so I'm not sure who's done/hasn't done this meme. If you're reading this and haven't done it, I invite you to participate and, as I'm very nosy, if you do, please leave a comment so that I can come and have a look! :-)