This week, I've been a bit consumed by the stamp-carving bug. I have the crazy idea that I'd love to stamp and paint wood (wood?! There aren't heaps of that lying around here in London!) and so have been working on some "natural" stamps that might go nicely with that kind of project: a mushroom, a flower wreath, a typewriter (?). Inspired by...
This week, the East End WI got involved in a bit of craftivism. We joined the #imapiece campaign which is an art installation dedicated to raising awareness of the injustice of world hunger in advance of the G8 campaign. Also, there were ukuleles. Unrelated. Each jigsaw piece is a piece of the solution. We each had a chance to take one and attach...
Do you remember the Jane Austen Knits Summer Pelisse? Well, I ran out of yarn. I knew I would, but I still waited until the very last stitch to admit that I had to buy another ball. Finally, it arrived by post, and I was able to finish off the last few rows on the sleeves. And then, I blocked it. My "blocking mat"...
The days don't have enough hours in them. One minute you're zipping around town and getting work done. The next, you're in the kitchen finishing up supper or baking something on-demand. Where do all the in-between bits go? It sometimes all gets a bit much. In a rare moment this past weekend, I sat down with a lovely friend of mine to do...
It's been a while since I last had a project to post about in my Wednesday WIP series! With so many new things on the go, there hasn't been a lot of works in progress. Must. Finish. Something. This past week I managed to find a little time to finally finish stitching on the binding to my Garden Party Quilt. It looks as...
This year, one of my New Years Resolutions was to learn more. At the top of my list was to revisit something I did when I was quite little - stamp carving. I remember carving stamps out of potatoes (does anyone else remember this?!) and lino blocks. I remember the fun of stamping all over table cloths, and making stamp prints all over wrapping...
There's nothing nicer than having a few minutes to yourself to do whatever you like. And, today, for those few moments, I liked a little bit of watercolour practice. I started with a little bit of ordinary practice. An apple. I am rather pleased with my blending and colour mixing. I daresay it even looks like an apple. Triumph. And then, something not so...
I'm really pleased with this Summer Pelisse pattern! I've finished the left and right fronts, and the back. I cast on for the sleeves last night, but I'm about to run out of yarn so I think a trip up to the yarn shop is in order! The perfect Saturday morning treat, methinks. I'd like to think that Jane would agree, too. So...
The Summer Pelisse is coming along nicely - I've knitted the right front, and I'm almost done with the back. Next up: cast off the back and knit the right front before moving onto sleeves. I'm still not in love with this colour. Last night, before bed, I was trying out heaps of different ribbon colours against the bodice to see which one...
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It only follows that this year should be all-things Jane Austen-y. Even knitting. And indeed, we may find ourselves asking (in this 200th year of All Things Austen) - what would Jane Austen knit? She would, no doubt, knit herself mittens and reticules. She would knit shawls...
