More Milos

Another one finished.

Because a kid can never have too many warm vests in winter.

I used an incredibly cheap yarn from Big W that had a very pretty colourway.

All up this was about $5 to make.

A craft the husband can be happy about.

And sometimes you just have to knit through the stash and make something practical.

My knitting journey began two years ago when I first discovered a crafty forum called Ravelry.

I had been reading craft blogs after the birth of my first daughter wishing I could create something as beautiful as what I was seeing.

Something for my daughter and future children to cherish.

With a lot of help from my mother in law and my friend the youtube, I got click clacking on those needles and here I am only two years later pumping these little vests out in just under a week.

I'm in love with knitting. And crochet a close second.

It is relaxing and exciting and I just feel so proud to see my little babies rugged up in their winter woolies.

So next year..

I will knit for myself.

(Photo courtesy of Sadie Dayton on Ravelry)

I will tackle those cables and I might even learn to knit a tension gauge while Im at it.

It will be challenging but so rewarding and I will kick the frump out of my wardrobe.

This is the sylvi pattern that I found on pinterest and immediately lusted after.

Isnt it gorgeous?

No longer is knitting about neon, acryclic, puffy sleeved somethings from the 80s.

Miss Jane.

Nothing beats that finished project high.
The showing off, the pride.

And Ive been feeling it a lot lately so hooray!

Im getting stuff done.

Introducing the 'Jane' cardigan.

Pattern by none other than tikki.

Who else of course?

Knit with the gorgeous Woolganics Organic Merino.

Modelled by my sleepy child.

The yarn is so soft and fluffy.

And I think this will be perfect for Spring when I just feel compelled to throw an extra layer over my kiddo when the sun dips behind a cloud.

Not much sewing going on at my house lately, can't seem to find my mojo for it in winter.

I like to sit in my recliner under a blanket when the kids are asleep

and knit, tweet and watch various ghastly tv programs.

*cough*theshire*cough*

Sewing requires getting cold at my desk next to the fridge.

I like my crafts cosy. 

Unfinished Business.

Sometimes we all just need a shove along to finish our projects.

I certainly do.

My knitting and sewing pile sometimes gets bigger than a basket of washing on Fridays and yet I continue to spy new and exciting patterns that I desperately want to start.

So Im going to share what Im up to in the hope someone will encourage me to finish.

And to STOP. CASTING. ON. NEW. THINGS.

Here is yet another milo.

Knit in extremely cheap and splitty yarn from Big W but thats okay because the colours are cute and rustic and this will be for around the house to keep little chests and tummies warm.

The great thing about these milo vests is that they get worn EVERY DAY.

Im not kidding.

So using a cheap yarn in this instance makes me happy because it will wash and wash and wash without me stressing over every little pilled fibre.

Win, win, win.

Im also pluggin away at the grand blankie of 2012.

And i call it this because its taking me sooo long to get through.

But it is looking gorgeous and I have to wrestle it off miss 3 in order to get some rows done.

It's long enough now to cover my feet but a bit too big to be portable for some travel crochet.

The pattern is from Lucy in the Attic and the yarn was purchased during Spotlight's Christmas Sale at about $2 a pop.

There are 21 colours so roughly a $40 blanket and only about 12 months of my time.

YIKES!

But it will be worth it to see Miss 3's face when it is finished and permanently on her bed.

Would love to know what projects you have on the go?

Linking up to the crafty pursuits of And Sew We Craft.

Not Pink.

Sometimes when I get deep in thought, I think about how I was destined to have two little daughters to call my own. My poor husband is surrounded by a household of pink things and barbie bits and pretty dresses and I know he loves it, but me?

Im in my absolute element.

My favourite colours have always been warm hues and pinks, right from a young age.

Im drawn to it like a bee to honey.

And Im probably one of those mums who dress my girls in a little too much of the colour... but I cant help it.

It's pretty.

Other times when Im deep in thought, I think about what it would be like to have a boy. And I love that thought, knowing that our little family is far from complete.

So I set myself a challenge and knit something non-girly that the girls could wear.

And voila!

Another milo to take joy in.

That tikki is an incredible knitwear designer and Ill say it again.

The milo is my favourite, bestest pattern to love.

So versatile and unisex.

And my biggest girl has worn this every.single.day.

Not kidding.

Until she spilt sauce on it.

Hello hoot, I see you!

And there you have it.

Something not pink.

Hello Winter.

Oh gosh my favourite season is here!

Yes, it's winter.

I genuinely don't know anyone else who hearts winter as their fav season quite like me.

But surely I am not the only one.

I love the snow, I love wearing boots, scarves and hoodies, I love uggs, I love climbing into a freshly made bed with flannelette sheets, I love warm and toasty kids in their winter pyjamas, I love knitting in cold weather, I love having dinner at 5pm when it gets very dark, I love that my hair is no longer frizzy, there is no sweat, I love hot chocolates and cups of hot tea, I love babies in fluffy onesies, I love having an excuse to say inside and at home, And therefore developing a relationship with certain tv programmes.

What's not to love?

And to celebrate I stayed up late last night, listening to the rain and crocheting like mad enjoying the peace and quiet from underneath my toasty blanket and my hot cuppa.

I love a project that burns through the stash and is fast and relatively simple.

Something that gives that finished project high quickly is a winner in my books and

already Im planning a few more of these ready to take on our family snow trip in a few weeks.

And speaking of family snow trips, I just might have braved the Aldi snow sale yesterday with all of about 400 other people.

It was madness, but oh so good and cheap.

Happy Winter!

A Spring Garden Dress.

This is what happens when indecision creeps its way into my crafty world.

A dress is born that is both knitted and sewn.

Ok it wasnt really indecision, just a big knitting mistake that accidentally turned into something gorgeous. Don't you just love when that happens?

So here is my hot tip for any would-be knitters out there.

CHECK that each ball is of the same dyelot.

That's it.

But I did.not.know.this.

That means those fiddly numbers on the label must all match up.

^^^ See? Matching. ^^^

But of course Im sure you already knew this insider info and Im just showing off my noviceness.

But we all have to learn somehow.

Having taught myself to knit from youtube and books, I somehow managed to miss this step and ended up with an expensive colour line right through the middle of what was supposed to be a Spring Garden Tee.

When balls of yarn have different dyelots, they appear to be the same colour but could very well be slightly different in shade or tone. Which means, like me, you will end up with a notciable line right through your handiwork. D'oh!

So I was on a mission to find the perfect fabric to compliment my expensive cotton yarn and turn my little tee into a dress. And voila!

All I did was measure my little model's waist and times that by one and a half to get my waist measurement and then measured her for length.

No pattern required for the skirt and I love those kind of projects.

The accidentally awesome ones.

Sharing the crafty love by linking up with And Sew We Craft.

The Ava Tie Dress.

I love a solid pattern that gets used over and over, time and time again.  

Where the actual pattern becomes so tattered from love and the cost of said pattern compounds per use.
Husband loves that too.

 Let me share with you the Ava Tie Dress by Izzy and Ivy Designs.

First spotted, all lovingly sewn up, over at Narioka many moons ago.

It has a simple construction.

So simple in fact, that when it arrived and I tore open the packaging, I couldnt find the pattern pieces.

Hmmph, ripped off.

Novice Nelly soon realised that to construct this garment, it required the measuring out of a rectangle of fabric which then became the 'tube' of the dress.
Too easy.

It is then shirred at the top end and how good is shirring!

After many attempts I finally got the hang of it and want to shir everything.
Once I wound the elastic thread onto my bobbin for the 10th time, we were good to go.
Tension is everything my friends.
And I do so love a pattern that teaches a new skill and adds to my repertoire as a learning sewist.

Shirring is great because it creates a stretchy, fitted garment without the fuss of carbon paper.

Most excellent.

I prefer the look of this dress with the tie at the back but that's just me.

And here we are in denim this time with little cherries, picked up from Spotlight at 40% off.

Another lovely feature of this pattern is that the designers have included a little sew in label that you can choose to add to your finished garment.

I just love labels on handmade sewing. It takes the finished product to the next level I think and I would really like to get my hands on some personalised ones.

Check out the dodgy lines there on that tie.

I would just like to add that this bottom here dress was one of the first projects I had ever made for my darling little baby daughter back when she was a wee thing.

I didnt know much about sewing. I was borrowing a machine.

And I just wanted to create something with my own hands to express that maternal love.

That was 3 years ago, and I just. cant. stop. crafting. now.

Every day Im creating something, if only for 5 minutes between nappy changes and swimming lessons.

What a journey motherhood has turned out to be.

Im linking up with And Sew We Craft to share the love of all things crafty. Stop by and say hi! It's always good to connect with like minded peeps and enjoy oohing and ahhing over crafty goodness.

My very favourite 'me' thing to do.