Last year my granddaughter and I sewed a Freeform patchwork square using Liberty fabric scraps for their patchwork collective to celebrate 150 years of Liberty. I didn’t think we stood a chance as ours wasn’t a traditional patchwork pattern. Today I can’t quite believe it , but I opened my emails to see our square was selected to be in the display. I am so excited , proud, elated is probably the best word, still with a little disbelief. But very happy.
Crafting wise, 2025 has got off to a good start, with some done everyday. I always aim to do some everyday,but this year as I want to craft everyday and make more items, I have noticed that occasionally, I would have gone to bed without doing it. So I am making a proper effort to do it.
I started the new year with a few knitting WIPs , including Debbie Abraham’s mystery blanket 2024, my Wicked tank top, my Meadow Slipover , Debbie Abraham’s baby blanket 2023 and the Good morning blanket by Purl Soho. Progress has been made on all except the baby blanket and the meadow Slipover. Sewing has been a big plus and so far I have managed to complete a number of items.
Amongst the items I made were 2 of @Adamsews EPP Keeper Case from the Alice Caroline Christmas sewing festival. All fabrics and notions were from stash as I am still aiming for a no craft purchases year. I made padded matching needle case so that the needles won’t pierced the plastic pocket.
Also made a pouch which was supposed to be a 10 minute make, this was an epic fail as it took much longer. I have a much easier and quicker way to make the same item.
I love sewing so sometimes if I don’t have anything in particular I want or need to sew I will find a pattern I like and make a few of the same. These reusable coffee cup sleeves were one of those projects, a few have gone into the wild are in use already. Some are reversible, so a festive fabric one side and something else on the other.
If you scroll down you will see the Anjou Slipover I made that was too big, so I took it in and made a drawstring small pouch with it.
And after a couple of years I finished the embroidery kit I was gifted one Christmas
Looking forward to a year of working through my stashes. My wonderful granddaughter will be helping me to. Her sewing confidence is growing fantastically.
t’s a little earlier than usual, this post, while I am in the zone. My WIP list doesn’t seem to be getting much shorter but I am making progress on them.
Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket for this year still has 20 squares to be knit and I don’t think it will be finished this year, I am determined to complete it and send it off before the next one arrives.
The wicked tank top is still very much where it was after seeing the film for the second time. I do want to see it again and was contemplating the sing a long version, when I realised I don’t want to watch it with loads of people singing, yet. Although if my granddaughter wants to go I may be persuaded .
There is another vest/tank top I have on the go. For this one, the Open Trails Sweater Vest by Ashley Lillis , I will be utilising the yarn I bought for the Fletcher cowl. It is a beautiful Blue Sky Fibers yarn from Tribe Yarns , the cowl frustrated me when wearing it so much that I frogged it and am repurposing it. It is going to be so cosy.
I have managed to get a few bits sewn and hope to progress and complete this embroidery which was a gift a couple of Christmas ago. Not sure what I will use the finished item for.
In the sewn items it has mainly been the grandchildren using the machine, but I have managed to make some gift bags and reusable coffee sleeves. I want to make at least one of my PDF patterns a month next year. I also plan on destashing a lot of my craft books and am not buying any more knitting or sewing patterns next year. Well that’s the plan anyway.
I haven’t completed a lot in the last few months, at least that is how it feels. I am working hard to finish this years Mystery Blanket before the next one starts. I’m making good progress and I really enjoy the knitting of them, however I came to a realisation recently that one of the reasons I have started signing up to them again is FOMO ( fear of missing out] , as there are a few that I wish I’d signed up for in the years I didn’t .
Melpomene is still on the needles and I never managed to get past the cast on Stage for the Sisu KAL, the yarn and pattern are still all kitted up to be knit at a later date. I did manage to finish the MMosiac blanket, I haven’t blocked it as the recipient will wash it once they get it. The only thing I don’t like about it is how the garter stitch edging waves pre blocking.
I took part in a test knit for Anjou Slipover using more stash yarn. I knitted a size that is way too big but I shall use my sewing skills and take the side seams in. It is lovely and soft and warm. The yarn is Leader of The PAC from Hobbycraft, which I bought with a voucher from work last Christmas. Once I got my head around the very simple pattern it went really quickly.
Sewing has gone reasonably well, a quilted zipped pouch was made as well as some gift bags, pencil cases and book marks. I did fall of the wagon and out of the Last Sewist Standing event , as Liberty launched two Wicked themed fabrics and whilst I know there will always be more fabric, I still think about the Liberty Hello Kitty fabric I didn’t buy and still, regret not getting it. So I bought 1 metre in each of the designs. I’m going to use them to sew a project bag from the Alice Caroline Christmas sewing event. Hopefully will have a few more pictures of finished items next month.
I’m still knitting the two blankets mentioned previously , the mosaic one has the finishing line in site. As well as signing up to the Sisu berry KAL, I have signed up to the Ravelry Romi Hill group one skien , one month KAL, pattern I have chosen for this is from deep stash Melopemene using yarn from RiverKnits that I’d frogged from another project, so far it’s looking good.
I have also signed up to the 10,000 yard challenge, encouraging you to knit from stash , if you buy more you have to start again. As this included WIPs I should do okay. This years mystery blanket from Debbie Brahmas is back on tracking, or should I say getting there. In an effort to help I bagged a few squares up with the yarn, pattern , beads etc and it seems to be working. One tip I have for hooked in beads is to use a water bottle lid to put a few in at a time. I find this really useful and portable.
Sewing wise I am still in #lastsewiststanding heavyweight section. I haven’t sewn a huge amount but have managed to finish my first Lena Shift Dress. Will definitely be making another one but will make a smaller size for the next and shoulders. It has pockets ,
Well the year started reasonably well with my crafting. I finished the Kyra sweater which I love, although I am thinking of using some of the left over yarn to make the roll neck a bit longer.
I was catching up on my mystery baby blanket 2023 by Debbie Abrahams I will definitely be knitting another one of these. You will be able to buy this kit once the mystery blanket has been completed from Debbie.
I cast on Artus and this was going swimmingly, then, I kept going wrong on the slip stitch and had to undo section multiple times, finally finished that section then started the Mosaic section and had to rip back the first row 3 times, so this is hibernating in a bag.
I also discover my part knitted mystery blanket from 2017 which will have to wait until I’ve finished this years one. I started a lovely cable sweater it’s supposed to a be a little over sized, at the moment the rib looks way to wide. I know rib can come in the more you knit so will give it a few more rows to see otherwise this will be ripped back as well. To be honest – I seem to be using this phrase a lot this week- nothing is really inspiring me or making me want to knit at the moment. I do have a couple of sewing projects lined up, small ones and have just received the yarn for this year’s mystery blanket which has a wonderful palette so am hoping this will be in the inspiration and bring back my sewing mojo.
One of the groups that I am member of on Ravelry , Cheap as Chips has set a friendly challenge/task/idea for its members to make 24 projects or do 24 things in 2024. This can include WIPs as well as new projects. I have decided I am most definitely in. This ties in with my using my stashes including my patterns, both yarn and fabric. Progress is going well with both Artus and Kyra. Really like all the yarns I am using. Haven’t started the hat book yet.
It’s been fairly productive year, since September I’ve made Archie a stocking for Christmas, Albie a blanket for his teddy, a padded pouch for my kindle , the infamous Geogradient shawl which was knitted in a gorgeous and warm Norwegian wool by Rauma and a rolled neck dickie. I do love a dickie and this latest one is so warm in the areas I need , when working, this was knitted in the discontinued Rowan Romance, I’d do wish I’d bought more when it was in the sale all those years ago. I also made some Christmas cards . I am thankful I am able to craft , have a stash to shop from , have all these skills and am truly thankful my husband is here for another Christmas.
It’s been that time of year when time seems to get away from you , I am still crafting everyday but some days it is literally only one row of knitting. For some reason I cannot seem to finish my Anthology shawl, which at this rate will finished in December. I have been knitting a lot of brown and grey rather bizarrely as the are colours I don’t tend to wear those colours, however I had it all in stash and wanted to knit them up. I managed to finish two projects, in March I finished my Mabel, I added the beads for a bit of fun, now it’s finished I have fluctuating feelings about them. This was a lovely garment to knit and I will be knitting another one. As I work from home on the phones for 10 hour shifts it is perfect for keeping me and my shoulders warm, it doesn’t seem to matter what the weather is I get a chill across my shoulders if they are not covered.
In April I finished the Waltzer cape which I really enjoyed knitting, as I ran out of a contrast for the final part I used green beads which I wish I’d left blank. The knitted fabric was perfect, yarn used was Istex Lettlopi with a strand of Fyberspates Faery Lace from deep stash. I really enjoyed knitting this and love the texture of the knitted fabric. It is a very clear pattern from Carol Meldrum.
Around November and December you start to see posts about what peoples goals are going to be in 2021. Originally I was thinking of doing 21 a craft projects a month, I gave my self a quick reality check and whilst it is doable if sewing or card making is involved, it will make me stressed and what is the point of that. 21 projects for the year seems to easy as regularly make more than that and a goal is supposed to stretch you. With this in mind I decided on 60 projects for 2021 #60projects2021 this equates to only five projects a month on average and if I make some cards and bibs this will be achieved. I am looking forward to this as I am intending using lots of my stash and up cycling some items. This time I will try and remember to take before and after photos and details the steps more.
Some of the ideas I have are to repurpose two cardigans, make some cross stitch Christmas decorations, a Christmas stocking for a new baby, dresses for my darling Evalyn and matching dresses for her toy bunny, shirts for Harry, some garter stitch baby blankets( always have one of these on the go) and clothing for me. I have stacks of fabric and need to use it.
If you would like to join me use the hashtag #60projects2021 and #stashbusting2021 if using stash projects. I will be adding a page to list the items as I make them
Happy New Year, always look forward and look for the silver lining in every situation
Jen Sews and Knits 