Handmade Monday No.13

This week's post is going to be short and sweet - mainly because I've been out today at a craft fair and it's getting late!

Firstly, many thanks again to Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts for hosting this again - do have a look at the other entries, there is always something lovely to look at :)

Today I've been at a local craft fair at Aston Marina which is a lovely place for a short walk and nice meal or coffee. They had a small craft marquee and I was lucky enough to be given a spot in one of their 'cedar huts' - so here's my little setup.

It's not a great photo - just a quick one that I grabbed while no-one was in the way! It was a lovely, sunny day and it was nice to hear peoples' comments and feedback.

Here is the cushion that I ordered from Made By Emma for my parents' Ruby Anniversary - I took the children down to Bedford to see them on Easter Saturday and we gave them the cushion (better late than never because I didn't order it until after their anniversary!!). They were thrilled with it!

I've also been busy crocheting - I made these little baby 'pumps', and then Emma (as in 'Made By Emma') promptly bought them for a friend before I could take a decent photo - so I grabbed them back and quickly snapped them on my phone. They are so sweet and made from a cotton/acrylic mix yarn, so nice and cool but also washable. I will get some listed on my website or Folksy shop when I get the chance!

Crochet baby pumps

I also had an order for these cute bootees from my Giftwrapped & Gorgeous store which was an unexpected surprise since it's been rather neglected lately!

Finally, I have made a start on the sock monster I mentioned last time - I took the children to a wool shop and they chose some wool each. I'm amazed they agreed to come along since I can spend literally hours in there! My son chose some lovely bright, colourful wool - and here's his monster so far....

I know it looks like a big, baggy sock at the moment but I will try and photo it as it progresses, so you can see it take shape. My son is very excited, and keeps asking me when it will be finished - as if I need an excuse to knit!

That's it for now - definitely past my bedtime! Hope you've all had a lovely Easter x

Handmade Monday 11 - more knitted bunnies!

It's Handmade Monday again - yay! Many thanks as always to Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts for hosting this. Do please visit her and the other crafters' links - there are some lovely things!

This week, it's been the usual mix of personalised gifts...



Personalised Photo Frames

 ... baby castings....

A teeny, weeny hand cast!

... and, of course, knitted bunnies!


Work in progress...



Bunny Nuggets - new colours!

The one on the right is about the same colour as my son! We all spent all day Saturday out in the sunshine at Clumber Park (near Chesterfield) where we met up with some relatives and had a great time - but didn't realise how strong the sun was :(

Next on my knitting list (apart from lots more Bunny Nuggets) is this Sock Monster!

Sock Monster by Danger Crafts

He's been designed by the same lady who designed the Bunnies, and when my son saw this he literally begged me to make him one - he even wants one instead of an easter egg (that really shows how much he wants it!!) The pattern for these, and lots more cute knitted toys is available to buy from Rebecca Danger's Etsy store.

This week I've also done my bit by ordering a custom item from Made by Emma. She is a lovely local lady, who is making a personalised cushion for me, for my parents' Ruby Anniversary - I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Last but not least, here's the knitted chicken that didn't make it into last week's blog:

I'm not 100% happy with the beak, but as a first attempt it's ok - I will probably tweak the pattern to suit me next time!
See you next week, if not before :)

Handmade (Manic) Monday - again!

Many thanks again to Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts for hosting Handmade Monday again - it's a lovely way to share handmade things, and have a look at what everyone else has been up to. I'm sorry that I've been absent for a while - I did have a quick look at some of the links, but didn't get through them all!

The last couple of weeks has been rather a battle - lots of baby impressions, as mentioned in my previous post and also a few last-minute Mothers' Day orders, coupled with my daughter being off school with a tummy bug! Not a very relaxing combination of events!

Here are a couple of the Mothers' Day photo frames I did:

Here are some New Baby frames I've done too - I know the design isn't exactly original. Polka dots are everywhere, but it's such a classic and a bit less 'fussy' than the daisy frame I do.

Finally, I did finish the little crochet baby pumps - so here they are.

I've also just finished a knitted chicken - so I'll photo her for next time, and there are more bunny nuggets on the way too - not long until Easter now....

Apart from all this, I also took part in 2 concerts - one in the lovely Lichfield Cathedral, and one in Stoke on Trent. I play the oboe in a local orchestra - the only musical thing I do nowadays. Having studied music at university a long time ago it's great to be able to keep my music going as a hobby.

This is what an oboe looks like (in case you were wondering!)

Maybe I'll see what musical-themed handmade items I can find for next time - any suggestions welcome!