Getting to grips!!!

Ah a little break from blogging whilst I spent time with my family at half term. I set myself a challenge... to learn to ripple...I have been wanting to make a ripple blanket now for over a year, if not longer, but I kept within my safety zone, but as my word for this year is 'DARE' I thought it was finally time to have ago.
There are so many lovely crochet books on the market and indeed some super tutorials in our blog land, I read them all, I thought I had understood, I had ago, sadly I had holes in the tops of the ripples and at times an uneven ripple of a wave. So I put down all the advise and just had a go with the written patten. After three hours, I did not move from my seat... I had mastered it. Hurrah!!! I went to bed a happy hooker.

So this half term I managed to get my orders in the post on Monday I thought it was time for a little Dotty Red break, sewing and knitting just for the fun of it. I packed up my new project and bundled the children in to the car and headed off to visit our friends in Bristol.
How lovely it was to have a free mind, some sing along music on and drive away for a few days, especially to spend some very special time with very special people.

Now as a lover of all things yarn related I couldn't visit Bristol without a visit to Get Knitted. I have wanted to visit here for a while, I was a loyal Internet shopper with them before they got their shop and happily remember the lolly pops they would pop in my parcel for the children. It helped the children come to appreciate Mommies knitting!
Between my friend and myself we have a whole load of lovely children, so a knitting shop was a brave thing to do. But how wrong my assumption was. With a basket over flowing with children's books, knitting for them to try and a table full of tempting treats for them to nibble on, these two Mummies had a great time pondering the rows of yearn and all things knitting related plus some beautiful sewing goodness. I actually only purchased some fabric, a couple of balls of wool for an order and a couple of hooks, as much as I pick up most of my hooks from the charity shops, a couple of new beautiful wood ones made me smile and was indeed a holiday treat.

I was a little saddened that the staff really did not seem that bothered to assist us and when I asked for help for a pattern (which would have increased my shopping basket contents) I was met with little enthusiasm. It makes me sad as I think yarn is a luxury and in todays economic environment most of us 'Moms' don't have the cash we may have once had, so a purchase (no matter how small) is a big thing. I did feel that I was actually interrupting her time knitting at the counter and had to look for the pattern myself and gave up. May be your like me, dreaming of owning your own shop and the things you would do to make it a special place, a little sanctuary for creative people in a world encouraged to live fast and rush through the day... May be the shop had just got too succesful and just did not need to try anymore. Oh but how I enjoyed my time there...
So it would only be fair towards the very well behaved children to treat them. Along with their boats (recycled margarine tubs and string) we headed off for the water...

Back home now and the holiday is over and normality is absorbing all my time. A busy week ahead of orders, coursework, college and work. The children have numerous evening commitments and my need to return to my friends house and relive the few days of relaxed chatter and play overwhelm me, It seems so long ago that this was once how I lived. Spending my days raising my children in the company of good friends. How life changes and moves on...

Have great week.

If you have emailed me direct please bare with me, I will reply this week.

Happy Valentines day to you...

Wishing you a very Happy Valentines day.
My table is set for a little hearts and flowers celebration supper...
Some little heart related goodies for the children and some yummy cakes, all to spoil ourselves. I think my little family need to know how much love is in this home of ours and how special we all are to each other. So a roast dinner is being prepared with our favourite treats plus a few extra gifts to make everyone smile. So what ever you are doing I wish you a little love and happiness on this Romantic day, a day to show you care...
In the sewing room the romantic feeling is reaching in there too. Another feather cushion...
Just working on a matching blue one... Oh busy making those lavender hearts...

Happy Valentines Day to you.

Spring is in the air...

Usually at this time of year I am looking forward to and planning a holiday with my boys at half term, I stay at a working farm, I have this done for the last ten years, to me this means lots of fresh air and walks, we pack up our wellies and waterproofs and in case of lots of rain I am usually in the process of enjoying putting together a craft basket for the children. The great thing about our little cottage is there is a little bit of luxury, a swimming pool, let me tell you there is nothing better than a dip in a warm pool after a cold winters walk (except for drying off in front of a fire with a mug of hot chocolate). Sadly this year I will be unable to go at half term with the children, aah that thing called money really is a pain!!!But what this break means to me is the start of spring, its usually when I see the first snow drops, the sky starts to to be a little brighter and often blue with white 'Simpson' style clouds. Yes, it marks the end of the winter, I know there are usually still a few winter weeks ahead, but it lightens my heart and takes the weight off my shoulders from those short grey cold wet days... it fills me with hope, the garden starts to come to life and it loses that look of looking like a field after a war, black and bare.
So with thoughts of spring and knowing we are missing out on this special break this year I have been thinking a lot about the changes in the season and how I can capture that feeling on our little break at home. So I guess its not really a surprise when I look at the work I am making at the moment, it definitely has a feel of spring about it.
My two biggest sellers here at Dotty Red are simple lavender hearts and cushions, previous to my Dotty Red shop I knitted as a hobby so I have lots of odd balls of yarn around, so I like to mix the two things up a little and use the yarn along with the flowers. For Christmas I made little crochet Christmas trees on cushions and for Valentines day its been hearts and now with spring on my mind I am making little daisy type flowers to decorate my cushions.

I love the mix of textures and of course crochet work is very popular at the moment, so you will find me in the car at the few minutes before school run, in the line at the post office, at the kitchen table whilst I am waiting for the children to finish their supper... you will find me hook in hand and a little pile of cute flowers being made...
Remember the book I got the other weekend, well I felt so inspired I made a little house from the book, of course I changed the size and generally fiddled about with the pattern, I have even stuffed the roof with lavender to make it a practical thing of sweetness...

Once I had made one I went on to make a whole little village of them, which with my thumb recovering from the surgery was no easy task I can tell you. LAVENDER LANE...
I actually had a moment when I realised I couldn't sew, knit, crochet or even hold a pen to write... I suddenly realised how precious our hands are to us. Still a few pain killers later and ignoring the surgeons advise to rest...
I sewed away. Might pay for that later as its not really any better than before it was messed with!!!
Shhhhhhhh... I have a guilty secret, I bought some yarn. In my present financial position I have not bought myself any yarn for a long time, occasionally I have bought a few balls for Dotty Red but for pure self indulgent knitting or crocheting just for my own satisfaction, well its not happened. Then I saw a blanket I wanted to make, but to make it with the chosen yarn of the designer it was going to cost Eighty plus pounds. Mmmmmm eat or buy yarn, well I gave up on the dream, then a friend told me she had used cheap yarn, the sparky stuff. Its usually the stuff I get a bit snobby about... oh a yarn snob, yep that's me. A few months went by and I kept thinking about this blanket...so I priced up the sparky stuff and realised not only could I buy it and feed the children and myself that week but I could even buy it in one go, seriously under twenty pounds... can you imagine my delight when the post lady brought it to me this morning... I cant wait for tonight... boys in bed, jobs all done, I am going to sit myself down in front of the fire with a pot of tea and a cream cake and I am going to start my blanket... Its the simple things in life that really make us happy...

Mommy the skies turned pink....

So there I was all cosy and warm in my bed, the radio alarm had just turned itself on to stir me out of my sleep at the start of a new day, I slowly opened my eyes... when suddenly... my little one bounces on top of the bed, throws the covers right off and at the top of his voice shouts "Mommy get up, get up... the skies turned pink, look, look..." by this stage I was staggering across the room feeling the chill of the air against my skin, screwing my eyes up as my son pulled back the curtains...Indeed the sky was pink, a little orange too. Just beautiful, the sun comes up behind the hills at this time of year and against the silhouette of the hill and the bare branches of my garden, it is indeed a sight for tired eyes. It did manage to put a smile on my face as the two of us stood at the window and with his camera and mine we both took pictures...
So the weekend was a busy one, my 'to do' list didn't get completed and has gone over to the next weekends list. However I did take a little time out for some silly sewing, I have been playing with felt a lot in resent days and I have been reading a few craft books on felt, I was inspired by a set of mice finger puppets and after a few tries of playing with the pattern, I made my little stuffy mouse. I forgot to sew in his tail, a mistake which pleased me as I added a little heart button to add to the cuteness of it.
Once I had made one I started a little production line and an hour or so later of self indulgent sewing time I had a little row of the critters. Which then resulted in me HAVING to go out to the fabric shop to buy more felt...I adore felt, its such a great medium to work in plus its so cheap, so when money is an issue and you have to have that 'fabric fix' felt is a good option.
Can you imagine my delight when the post man knocked on the door with a parcel...the book I had been waiting for what seems like ages had arrived, so I curled up on the sofa and had even more self indulgent time with a coffee, cake and devoured this fabulous book. I love the simplicity of the patterns, the fact the patterns are the correct size and don't need to be enlarged, the colours of the fabric... my oh my what a wonderful book. Alas though, I was a good girl and once the coffee and cake was in my tummy, I put the book down and finally got on with some jobs, I cleaned, washed clothes, dried clothes, ironed clothes, I tidied up, I cleaned out the animals, cleared the garden, sorted my accounts out and food shopped...
and then baked...
Yes my Saturday evening (along with a bottle of wine for company) was spent in my kitchen. I had to bake some fairy cakes for a friend, once that was done I pulled out a cookery book I had been wanting to use for a while. I was put off by the Americanism of it, I had never cooked using cup measurements. Anyway I had a bash... Banana, ginger and chocolate cake...
Delicious....

Had a little minor surgery on my hand yesterday, a little worried that I can not even hold a pencil today let alone sew...this is a little bit of a problem as I have college work to hand in tomorrow and I am working on an order for lavender hearts for valentines day...tea and paracetamol I think! Have a good day.