From WIP to Finished!

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago, at Cooper's Creative group in Skipton, my friend @judipop1 showed us a journal she keeps of items she has finished making. What a great idea! I thought about this as I drove home and that evening dug out a little notebook and started my own list.

I sometimes chide myself for starting too many things but for me it's as much the pleasure of planning how I am going to make something and trying things out as the finished article itself. I was pleasantly surprised when I started listing what I had actually finished so far in 2019 and discovered it was seven items!

Some you have already seen, such as the 'Your Mileage May Vary' using the gorgeous hand dyed yarn by my talented friend, Tracy

I also made another one, for my school friend's Mum, this time in Sirdar 'Baby Bamboo'.

DH was pleased that his Christmas socks finally were finished (just in time for Valentine's Day!) and he has been wearing them often.  This was a Regia yarn and I just love the colours.  Fortunately DH likes bright coloured socks, so they are never boring to make.  (Daisy was very mystified by Daddy prancing around in his socks!)

Last winter I made myself a 'Coco' dress, by Tilly and the Buttons, and it has become one of my most worn items of the year.  I made it in sweatshirt fleece, using the modifications on her blog. This January I decided to make myself another one, this time in a lovely red sweatshirt fabric.  It's so cosy!  I wear it with black woolly tights and flat shoes and feel very warm indeed.

I was asked by a lovely lady to make a chemo hat that didn't look like a chemo hat, so I searched the internet and found this free pattern on The Firefly Hook.  I made the bottom one, the Dove, and it came out beautifully. It looks like a beret, and is pretty and functional all at the same time, and so very soft, as I used the same Sirdar Baby Bamboo I used for my friend's Mum's shawl.  

Several ladies at Cooper's are making Attic 24's gorgeous Sweet Pea CAL. I didn't start this one as I already have the 'Mystical Lanterns' blanket on the go, but had watched this from inception being created by Lucy's gifted hands. It all looked so pretty and exciting I decided to use the trellis pattern to make a single colour baby blanket.  I had some Patons 100% cotton in my room so used that.  I am delighted with it!  The pattern is a dream to work, as every row is the same, and it is great for relaxing in front of the television, or taking to a group.  Thanks, Lucy!

Oh, and there was, of course, the Cat Flap Cover :)  The cat flap is in the laundry room back door and previous resident cats have used it willingly.  However, Mango Cat considers it beneath her to use it, preferring to have her 'staff' (us) constantly opening the doors for her, so she can then sit for several minutes deciding if she actually wants to go out after all.  

The redundant cat flap is a bit draughty and as Daisy Dog sleeps in the laundry room at night I wanted to do something to stop the draught.  Using scraps from my son's quilt (can't add that to my list yet as it's still a work in progress) I quickly made a large quilted block, using insulated wadding, and then stitched the corners to make a shallow box shape.  I stitched Velcro to the edges and stuck Velcro to the edges of the cat flap.  It works like a dream and Daisy is now warm and toasty at night.

I felt so pleased with the things I have finished so far, (and it's only February), that I treated myself to another cast on  yesterday, to make the Altair shawl by The Crochet Project.  I am using Rowan Fine Lace, that has been lurking in my sewing room for years.  I love the The Crochet Project Patterns as they are so well written and easy to follow.  This will be a longer make than the usual shawls, as it is such fine yarn and small hook, but, as I said earlier, it's as much the pleasure of making something that I love, as the finished article.

Donna x