princessdeia

January 24th 2012
Filed under 101 Things, General, Making Monday

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try and blog more, it is even part of my 101 things list to blog at least twice a week for six months. However, I sometimes find it hard to know exactly what to write.

I have been toying with the idea of adding some structure to this blog… I did this a little last year with Making Mondays which I did enjoy but it seems to have died down this year, I would love to resurrected it maybe in another form – like W.I.P. Wednesday or F.O. Friday. Having the structure will hopefully help me blog more.

In a belated Making Monday, here is yet another Poppy (she is the eighth one I have made). It became obvious to me that I would not be able to knit Laar in a month (seriously who can knit a cardigan in a month) for my FOAM, so I quickly cast on this project over the weekend to make sure I had one finished project this month.

November 24th 2011
Filed under 101 Things, General

When I started my 101 list, one of the first things we wanted to add was Start trying to have a baby. I never really mentioned wanting a family on this blog and to be honest when I thought about mentioning it, I figured it would be one of those posts with a photo of the baby scan or positive pregnancy test, after all that is the norm isn’t it? Well it turns out my first “trying to have a baby” post isn’t going to be normal!

Last November (I can hardly believe it was a year ago it seems so much longer) in Mexico, Jason and I started trying to begin our family, and if I am to be honest we were maybe a little naive. I know some people plot and plan these things testing their ovulation or temperature, but we figured we would just do the baby making dancing a few times and nine months later we would be three.

Fast forward to just after Christmas, I had lunch with the lovely Socktopod ladies and over lunch we discussed how quickly this year was going and I suddenly realised I was late! So after lunch I popped in a chemist and brought a test, later that night when Jason came home, we did the test and sure enough I was pregnant!

So over the weekend, we were wondering around thinking about the future and maybe slightly in shock. On the Monday evening about 5 p.m. I noticed a little bleeding – worried and scared I phoned the doctor and of course consulted google. The next morning after a series of phonecalls with my doctor I was refered to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU).

On the Tuesday, I had my first scan and a blood test. The blood test determined I was indeed pregnant but there was no sign of the embryo on the scan, and it was deemed “pregnancy of unknown location.” The next two weeks we had a series of blood tests and another scan all which concluded the pregnancy was ectopic in the the right tube. The doctors concluded the best cause of action was a cause of Methotrexate. Less than two weeks after that I was no longer pregnant.

We spend the next few months healing (for me it was both emotionally and psychically), the doctors advised three months but we opted to a little longer. Then last month once again, I found out I was pregnant, due to our past history I was referred once again to the EPAU straight away. Once again we started the series of blood tests and scans. Both on the Friday, a blood test on the Sunday followed by another scan of the Monday. After the second scan they saw the pregnancy was once again in my right tube.

The next 24 hours are a complete blur to me (even now Jason is still filling in the blanks for me), the doctors determined the pregnancy and tube needed to be surgically removed (a salpingectomy) and due to my history they wanted to operate that day. From what I have been told, at 11 a.m. I was having my scan, at 2 p.m. they were prepping my for surgery and at 6 p.m. I was back in the ward. By lunchtime the next day I was home in my own bed (well sofa-bed, our new bed still hasn’t been delivered)!

To be honest I am still in shock (hence why it has taken me over a week to write this blog post), Jason and I are back in the limbo stage waiting for healing to begin and taking each day as it comes and trying to look to the future.

September 5th 2011
Filed under 52 in 52, General, Making Monday, Sewing

I mentioned before my mum had some old cushions on her bed that needed new covers to match her newly decorated bedroom, well she decided 4 cushions were a little too excessive for her bed. So one of them was past on to my sister (she’s been using it to prop her up in bed after her operation), but the cover was boring and again didn’t match her room. So yet again I jumped on my sewing machine and whipped up a quick cover… But how to decorate it.

A few weeks ago on Pinterest I saw this button cushion, and loved the idea, sure it would be uncomfortable to lean on but it looks so pretty! Hunting through mine and my mum’s button collection I found a few white buttons (mainly tiny shirt buttons), but ended up buying a 50g bundle from eBay.

So over the weekend, I sat down with over 100 buttons, the cover and started sewing! I quickly realized using an embroidery ring would make the whole think a lot easier and then I discovered I didn’t have enough buttons. Luckily the seller from eBay had more of the same buttons which I managed to order and hopefully I can finish the cushion cover this week.

August 29th 2011
Filed under 52 in 52, Making Monday

I brought some Freedom Organic Cotton and was planning on making another Bamboozelle baskets, but having looked at the yarn more closer at home, I decided it wasn’t at all suited to the pattern (it is loosely twisted 6 ply yarn), plus the pattern was pretty hard on the hands and I didn’t think that my hands needed that amount of tormenting again. So instead I opted for a simple crochet square basket, adapting a pattern that was meant for Peaches and Creme Cotton.

Unlike the Bamboozelle baskets this one didn’t need to have a cardboard base as it is sturdy, but I did want to line it so they “matched” the other baskets. Seeing as the pattern originally asked for PnC I also decided to make another mini basket with some remaining PnC, so now I have a nest of pretty baskets.

EDIT I’ve just looked at the photos I have taken for this post and they are awful so I will add some photos in the morning. I just wanted to make sure the post was ready for Making Monday.

August 26th 2011
Filed under 52 in 52, Finished Projects 2011, General

Here it is the finished Hexagon Sock Yarn Blanket, two years in the making, days worth of knitting and hours worth of seaming. It still is a little “small” for a blankets – about 42 X 42 inches wide – it really is more a lap blanket, perfect for covering your legs whilst watching TV, knitting or both.

When I look at this blanket each little hexagon reminds me of another project I have knitted, the Opal yarn from my first sock, the Chocolate Old Maiden Aunt Yarn from my Ishbel shawl or the Pink and Green from last year’s Knit Love Club (the sock I was too scared to knit). It is almost like a love letter to my past knitted projects. I will be honest I am not 100% happy with the blanket, the edges aren’t perfect, I think I will crochet a little border in grey. I’m going to leave it for a while – enjoy using the blanket rather than working on it anymore.

Whilst, I have been obsessing over my lap blanket, the rest of knitters out there are obsessing over the Beekeeper Quilt, which I do love I just can bring myself to commit to another long term project right now. I still have a little sock yarn leftover which I am willing to donate to any knitters out there who are knitting the Beekeeper Quilt.

I spend last night watching Mad Men season 4 and wrapping these mini skeins around an old notebook (25 times around is about 15 yards) putting together complimentary colours ready to send out. Some of the yarn include it Lorna Lace, Knit Witches, Knit Picks Palette, Cherry Tree Hill or Alchemy Juniper (I will include a complete list with the package).

So if you want one set of 5 mini skeins to add to your Beekeeper Quilt, all you have to do is comment below with your email address and the colours you would like. I don’t expect anything in return just remember to pay it forward!

EDIT: All the sets have now gone!

August 23rd 2011
Filed under 101 Things, 52 in 52, Finished Projects 2011, General

I have been trying to “make” something each week, On top of the random baking. I want an actual project I can show off. The truth is over the last few weeks all my free crafting time has been devoted my two blankets, for the sock yarn hexagons and squares for the runner. I have been working with squares that are 48 stitches over 70 rows in sock yarn so a couple of these of these is the equivalent to a sock! So I figure my blanket is equal to several weeks of making!

I have also been experimenting with my sewing machine, I will be honest I’m not very good at it, but I am trying. My first attempt was two cushion covers for my Mum’s bed. She has recently redecorated and had some old cushions on her bed with green and brown covers that didn’t really go with her new pink colour scheme.

Taking inspiration from some cushions she had seen in Monsoon and Next, I made these two cushions. Mum found an embroidery kit in John Lewis with a peony (although I am not convinced it is one), which matched her duvet cover so the first cushion was just a simple “frame” for that. The second was a collection of ribbons from V.V. Rouleaux, I hand stitched the ribbons, as I was not that confident about sewing straight lines with the machine.

Next up I have these bamboo baskets, I actually started the small basket back in February, following the bamboozelle pattern from knitty. I wasn’t keen in the bottom of the basket as it left several small holes in the knitting, so I planned on re-working it, but the bamboo is tough on the hands so the WIP was left in the forgotten pile. Just recently I thought about making a larger basket with the leftover yarn, and so decided to finish them off. I still am no completely happy with these and I think I am going to make a cardboard liner to make them stronger.

To incourage me to craft more, I am going to try and contribute to The Yarn Yard’s Making Monday Challenge starting next week. Who is up for joining me?

May 27th 2011
Filed under 101 Things, 52 in 52

I was reading a blog (strangely I can’t find the article anymore) about things to do before June to get ready for the summer. Number One on the list was revisiting your resolutions from January! Well I didn’t really make any resolutions more a plan of things I wanted to do in 2011, and of course I failed in February (mainly due to being ill), however I have decided to start again! This week should be week 21, I should have sent 21 letters, made 21 things, read 21 books and watched a few movies! Instead I have made about 8 things, written very few letters and read about 4 books. So I’m renumbering this to week one.

Having read this article about my friends sister in Chicago, I had to send her a congratuations letter, (if you are in the Chicago area please go and see her second play). I have also been productive and final finished my 2luvcrew socks and read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

EDITED: to include photo.

March 7th 2011
Filed under 101 Things

… don’t worry it’s got nothing to do with rodents!

Jason and I have a shared love of detective shows, good old-fashioned whodunits. CSI, Law and Order, Criminal Minds we watch them all. But our absolute favourite thing to do on was Sunday lunchtime is watch a repeat of Miss Marple on Watch with a cup of tea and some cream cakes (I normally knit too). We’ve seen the Joan Hickson version so often that we know who did it, just by the title, so decided to give it a rest, and now we have moved on to Poirot.

Every year for our anniversary we take it in turn to plan a special treat, as I planned the wedding, Jason planned our first wedding anniversary (a trip to Rome) and so I have to plan all the even years. To celebrate our four years of marriage, I thought a play in the West End and meal. Of course, when thinking of a West End play for Agatha Christie fans the first thing that comes to mind in Mousetrap.

Surprisingly, neither of us had seen it, in fact we knew every little about the play – apart from it being the longest running West End show. But in true Christie style, we were guessing right up until the summation in the drawing room (always my favourite part). Don’t worry I won’t spoil anything here. All I will say, if like us you have been thinking about going to see the play – just do it

January 30th 2011
Filed under 101 Things, General

1. Vanilla Cupcakes. As I was running out of time during Week One to finish a knitted item, I opted to bake some cupcakes! Boring vanilla, but I figured it was essential to perfect this recipe before moving on to something more complicated.
2. Wollmeise Stripe Socks. A really simple easy knit, these sock clubs where finished in a few days. Even if I didn’t follow the Sock Club pattern, I still love these socks.
3. Elijah. It took me two evening to finish this little sweetie. Ysolda’s pattern is amazing well written and easy to follow. I would say the pattern is aimed for an intermediate knitter as it does involve a few complicated techiniques (short rows and picking up stitches), but should be in everyone’s Ravelry queue.
4. Crowley Socks. The final installment from the 2010 Knit Love Club! Again another really quick sock to knit (taking me a week to knit each sock). This pattern looks a lot more complicated that it is, with traveling stitches and cables, but mainly it is simple 2×2 rib

January 13th 2011
Filed under 101 Things, Finished Projects 2011

So one week on, I am doing pretty good with the plan, but awfully with the blogging. I send out several Thank You cards from Christmas, a little late I know, but we mainly received money this year so I wanted to wait until we had spend it to thank everyone.

I also have been knitting and baking! I am planning of cooking a cupcake a month – maybe try and theme them along with the month, e.g. Strawberry in June, Pumpkin in November. January is just plain Vanilla as I wanted to perfect my frosting before I experimented.

On the knitting front, this week I finished these plain socks, made using the Knit Love Club Wollmeise  (from October). I could not get the pattern right on these sock, it involved elongated stitches, that I seemed to knit too tight! I even tried knitting the larger size, but that was too big. As I am determined to knit with all the yarn from the Sock Club, and I loved the stripes, so I opted for plain socks (knit over 63 stitches to get the spirooling*)

* Spriooling – a yarnie term Alice has been using to describe the Spiral Pooling varigated yarn does – not to be confused with self striping yarn.