Creative Mummy Bear

Completed Projects!

Hello there!

The good thing about having multiple projects on the go, is that you suddenly find yourself finishing a whole bunch of them. Ping! Ping! Ping! Lots of items ticked off and ready to wear or pass to the loved ones they were made for. Would you like to see the latest ones?

First is the Good Vintage Cardigan that's been on the go for, oh, probably three years! I'm so pleased with how it turned out, but not sure if I can face making another (Oh! Those ends!!) I used Drops Baby Merino and I'd certainly used this yarn again.

Next up we have the vintage cardigan made with Drops Lima - another delicious yarn I'm looking forward to using again.

I absolutely LOVE this cardigan and I am wearing it such a lot, now the weather is turning cooler. I will definitely make another, but I have so many vintage patterns itching to be made I will resist for a little while.

As you know by now, I love making things for my daughter. It brings me such joy to know that she is wrapped up in a little bit of handmade love as she goes about her day.

There was quite a bit of Drops Air left from making her the Gryffindor cardigan, and she asked if I could make her a hat, for the cold morning walks to work. And here it is! It's a Drops pattern, called Winter Smiles, designed for Drops Air.

We have pondered adding a pom pom, so I've made a giant one in the red yarn, and when I see my daughter in the next few days we can decide whether to sew it on or not.

Moving away from Drops yarn (Must we? It's my new favourite brand!) here is a summery cardigan in King Cole Cottonsoft. The yarn certainly is worthy of its name, as it is as soft as anything and very, very comfortable to wear in warmer weather. The pattern is Parasol Lace, from Simply Knitting magazine.

I particularly love the detailing on the back.

Phew! Are you exhausted yet??

It's a while since I've knitted any socks and I've gone to town and made three pairs! Firstly, two pairs in Yorkshire Spinners Aire DK, 75% wool and 25% nylon, sadly discontinued! I do wish they would bring it back. Three balls makes a pair each for my husband and I - a knee length pair for me and a boot length pair for him. I do contrast cuffs on mine, just so they are easier to tell apart in the laundry process!

This colourway is called Rum Paradise. (Husband specifically asks for jolly coloured socks!)

Last, but by no means least, hot off the needles, is a pair of cosy bed/lounging socks for my daughter. The pattern is Short and Sweet from Simply Knitting magazine, and I knitted them in Rowan Fine Art 4 ply. They are so soft and snuggly, nice and roomy, and perfect for relaxing.

So there we are! All my latest projects finished. Of course, I wouldn't be me if I hadn't replaced them with several more, but that's a post for another day...

Donna xx

The Little Things

Hello Friends,

I was reflecting the other day that alongside the really important, and Big Things in life - such as family, friends, a home, food on the table - the Little Things often bring us such a lot of pleasure.

It was our wedding anniversary recently, and we are still relative newlyweds, having both been widowed before and marrying each other a few short years ago. We decided we have everything we need, so we agreed a special token gift would be perfect. One of my favourite shops is Fortnum and Mason, and on a recent visit to London to visit my daughter, my lovely husband had sneaked off and got me a beautifully wrapped little package...

Inside were two gorgeous bars of Nesti Dante soap. I have a thing about beautiful soap and derive such pleasure in selecting and using the next tablet. These two are called Romantica (how apt!) and Lavanda. I wish we had such a thing as sniff-a-blog as they smell amazing!

Last week we found ourselves with a free day so we hopped in the car and took ourselves to Ilkley, in Yorkshire, and settled in Betty's for tea and a Vanilla Slice apiece. One of my absolute favourite places to go, as regular readers will have gathered by now! We chatted, and sipped tea, and had the most relaxing afternoon.

One of my other favourite things to do is truffle around nice charity shops in search of Treasure. I've been very fortunate recently and found this beautiful Bunnykins birthday plate for the princely sum of of just £2!

In the next shop I found two boxes of handkerchiefs for a £1 each!prefer handkerchiefs over tissues, (tissues make me sneeze!) and these are already washed, pressed and in use. Is there any lovelier smell than a cotton hankie, dried in the fresh air and ironed? Bliss.

I also love to poke around in antiques shops. It's nice to look at the beautiful silver and fine art, but what I really like is to rummage around in the baskets of odds and ends - the items on low shelves - and see what I can find. We drove out to a lovely antiques place on Saturday, called Holden Wood. It's in a converted church, so plenty of corners to explore. I admired so many beautiful things, but was happy to leave clutching my modest purchase - six vintage coathangers to pad and cover, for hanging up my vintage knits. £4 well spent!

Lastly, the simple pleasure of growing food. Here are my pride and joy - the chilli plants!

Oh, and let's not forget the pleasure of finishing a WIP! After my Blog Posts of Shame, I have several items to show you that are now FINISHED! So next time, expect Harry Potter, socks, and cardigans!

Donna xx

A photo reflection of the summer

Hello friends,

I lived in Canada for many years and at the end of the summer was 'back to church Sunday', when the choir would return to wearing robes instead of shorts and t-shirts, Sunday School reopened and generally life returned to a normal pattern of times and places to be. I was reminded of that today as I drove through my local market town and saw children on their first day of school. That reminded me of the changing season, and all through the rest of the drive home I was reflecting on the summer that is slowly drawing to its close.

It has been a very good summer indeed, with many reunions, a lovely holiday, and time spent with loved ones. Will you indulge me and come on a photo reflection with me? Here goes...

July took us to the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. I absolutely love this part of the country, with its beaches and hills, fields and sea...

The beautiful deep blue se

A view from the Welsh Coastal Path

Dipping my feet in the tranquil St Cybi's Well

Plas yn rhiw house and garden (National Trust). A little piece of heaven, overlooking the sea.

It was the hottest week of the year, but Daisy was happy under the parasol with a bowl of ice cold water

Every evening we sat in the garden of the cottage and watched the sun go down

I had a most wonderful reunion with my dearest school friend! We have been best friends since we met on our first day of school - aged five! We went for a good walk with husbands and dogs, and the rain poured down! It didn't stop us having loads of fun and we laughed almost all the time, so happy were we to be together again.

The husbands were striding ahead but my friend and I were too busy giggling!

I also walk most weeks with very good friends, and we explore footpaths and hills in our local area. One of the highlights of the week!

So lucky to have these views on our doorstep

My step-family came to visit for a few days and we had fun by the river, fishing for tiddlers, and flying a kite, and a picnic that lasted several hours! It was a lot of fun.