First Blog

I've had such a crafty obsession recently that I thought it was also time I joined the blogging world. I have read so many blog with great links and ideas - not that I am sure that I will be up to the standard of most that I have read.

As an excuse to avoid cleaning the house, I've had a charity shop trawl over the past couple of days. On Wednesday, after waving goodbye to my 9yr old boy who was away on his first residential school trip, I headed off to Wooton under Edge. I'd decided that I wanted to try out felting jumpers to make them into things - first find your jumper!

Luckily in the first shop I went to, there was a hand knit jumper. Mostly brown, with darker brown and cream fairisle work. It was a bit pricy (around £4 I think), but I went for it anyway. It felt as if it was made from wool. A couple of shops later I found a lacy skirt for me, and a beautiful vintage silk dress. It's floor length and almost looks like a nightdress. I don't know what era it's from. There are hand sewn metal poppers hidden on the button band, with silk covered buttons on the front. It's the most beautiful fabric. I don't know what to do with it yet - but I couldn't leave it to go for dressing up! It cost £3.50, so bargain!! Pictures show full length and close up of the pattern.

Yesterday, I went into Stroud, and got 8 knitting magazines for £2, and then hit paydirt in the RSPCA shop. Wool!! A cone of pink wool - I guess it's lace weight, a smaller cone of a deeper burgundy shade, and 3 balls of fluffy cream - maybe thin dk? Anyway, very pleased. I'm thinking shawl. The yarns are pictured at the top of the post.

So this morning, when I couldn't sleep (for some reason my body decided that 3am was wake up time) and eventually gave up and came downstairs, I started cutting up the jumper that I had felted in the washing machine (worked like a dream). I'm making it into a tote, using the guidelines from http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/other_crafts/recycled_sweater_totes.php

It's looking good so far - but a bit too wide, Will decide later what to do. In the meantine, I am using some of the fluffy cream wool to stitch a decorative blanket stitch onto it.

So I think I'd better finish now - hadn't actually meant to start a blog right now (more cleaning avoidance...) so I'll go and learn a little more about it!