I got Pinned!

So yes, it has been a long, long time since I was here. In my defence, mini-Something arrived almost a year ago and it seems like she has only just stopped crying. Now that things are a wee bit calmer around here I once again have time to tool about aimlessly online in the afternoons and what do I find?

I got pinned! Right there onto Pinterest!

I am very excited.

This may be the push I need to start this whole thing going again.

I bet you can't wait.

Hello? Anybody There?

Oh my goodness it has been the longest time, hasn't it? Over a year. I hang my head in Blog Shame. In my (weak) defence I have been quite busy with a new job, a new horse and a new baby on the way! Little Something (LS) is due to make her appearance in a couple of months and I have been very busty crafting away to make a nursery even Apartment Therapy would be proud of. Maybe. So I'm hoping that over the next few weeks I'll be able to show you what I have done, and how I have done it. That's right blogosphere- tutorials! Yay!
First, let me remind you how the soon-to-be-nursery used to look....wasn't it hideous?

Next let me show you some quick snapshots now we are half-way through...

I know grey is not the most obvious choice for a nursery, but I think the softness of this shade works well. Check out the Moses basket and quilt - details next time!

Change table and the rocking horse I got for free - happy days!

After weeks of searching for a nice dresser at a reasonable price I gave up and created a shelving system, from the Dollar Store. Cheap? Me?

Knitted teddy from a pattern by Erika Knight

Lund Sweater Lust

A quick search on Ravelry shows that I am not the only one suffering from Lund Sweater Lust, I think anyone who is lucky enough to be watching The Killing will be experiencing  a strong urge for soft Nordic knits. For those who aren't watching, it's a great slow-burn and complex crime drama from Denmark which makes Wallander look like a sunny day at the beach. Yesterday I found myself saying 'I am so glad The Killing is going to last another six weeks' which just sounds wrong. The double bill on the BBC has become a weekly treat in our house, and  I am convinced the slightly creepy Vagn is the killer, but I have no idea what the politician has to do with anything. What is mainly getting in the way of  minor plot details for me is Sarah Lund's rather magnificent sweater:

When I should be concentrating on political deals, how the killer got the car keys, and exactly how dodgy the teacher is, I find myself drifting off into thoughts of yarn thickness, tension and  yokes. The sweater is available to buy from Gudrun & Gudrun, for an eye-watering CAD$376, so clearly the only way forward is to knit the thing. It doesn't look that tricky to do, I'm guessing a soft bulky yarn with  needles a size larger than recommended. I found this pattern by Drops which I think could be used as a base pattern, increasing the Nordic design repeat, excluding the dots and border and changing the neckline.

Unpicking

Is'nt unpicking just the most dispiriting thing? Yesterday I finally got around to making my bustle skirt, but apparently I made it for someone who is a) much taller and b) much wider than me.
Sigh. Out comes the stitch ripper.

Took me ages to get that zip right, too. 

 This lack of ability does not fill me with confidence for my next project. The pattern assures me its for novices but it does look a bit scary to me, who has difficulty putting in a zip correctly. I'm sure all this would be easier if I had a sewing room....

On the upside, the rugby starts tonight and there will be beers and cheese straws to enjoy while we watch Wales thrash England.  Which they will, obviously. Hopefully.

Mmmmm, cheese straws

Oh, and I'm not Patience Kershaw. Always something to be thankful for. Great song, though.

Spring has Sprung...kind of

Right now I am in the depths of a prairie winter. Three months down, three more to go. Its very cold, mostly dark and when it is daylight, mostly white.
Which is why I am so excited by these:

Daffodils!

 

 

 

 

 

 Back in September I cunningly thought ahead and decided to force a few of the bulbs I bought to plant out in the front yard. I love Daffodils, they remind me of home (Wales) and springtime walks in the hills. I noticed last year they don't seem to be as common out here in Canada so I decided it was up to me to grow some. After a few months cold treatment in the garage and basement I think these have bloomed beautifully, and they have cheered me up immensely.
Especially when outside looks like this:

Stupid winter.

 I think this afternoon I will take the dogs for a nice long walk in these green hills, followed by a pint by the fire in an old pub and a good dinner. Oh no, wait....I forgot what continent I lived on for a second. Sigh.

Wild daffodils in  North Yorkshire

Sewing Room Blues

When The Husband and I moved into this house last summer, I planned to turn the smallest bedroom into a sewing, knitting and reading space. A little sanctuary, where I could knit along to audio books in a comfy chair, put up my Egon Schiele print (which TH can't stand) and so I would be able to lay the dinner table without moving a sewing machine first.
Bliss.

This is the kind of thing I had in mind -

Amber's super-organized craft room, via Apartment Therapy

The Tofu Studio sewing room as seen on Apartment Therapy

Colourful, organized and practical. Rooms where you would want to spend time.

This is what I have:

I have no idea what this room is for.

 Right now it  is home to TH's orchid collection, the laundry basket and possibly the ugliest chair in the world:

Aaaaaarrrggghhh! Why would you do that?!

Clearly, urgent action is called for. Ideally I would

• Paint the walls. Green gloss is no-one's idea of a good time. I'm thinking bright white or pale turquoise.
• Install a white cube bookcase along one wall - good for storage and display of fabric, books and yarn.
• Set up a sturdy craft table. 
• Install a shelf under the window for the orchids.
• Hang a mood board and pictures.
• Cover the damn chair. 
• Post pictures and be smug.

None of that is unachievable, except I am working with a budget of a little less than $0. I even found myself looking in the basement just to see if a spare bookcase or table had materialized. They hadn't. 
Maybe if I close my eyes really, really tight and wish really, really hard the DIY Fairy will come and make it all better.

Labrador 1; Wardrobe 0

The Labrador loves fabric. Loves it. Loves to bite it, chew it, shake it, tear it. Like I said, she loves it. Understandably this makes me nervous. She has yet to get into my stash but has does manage daily recce trips into our bedroom for whatever she can get her little paws on.Yesterday she hit the jackpot.
A brand new, sleeveless cotton short with silk-lined ruffles. Man, she enjoyed that. Quickly followed by my sleep t-shirt and most audaciously, an attempt on a pair of jeans. I caught her dragging them down the hall way behind her with a definite air of joie de vivre.

I guess I could just start putting my clothes away....

The Face of Destruction

And oh my goodness have you noticed how it is almost the end of the month and I have yet to make my skirt? I am ashamed. I shall start forthwith. Honest. Once I've just finished my cup of tea, and my novel, and baked some cookies, hung out with friends....any day now I promise.