Busy times!

Having decided to paint a butterfly a day in January life appears to have got in the way so instead of 21 butterflies I currently have 14! Never mind, I'm enjoying the process even if I'm not being as productive as I'd hoped.

I've finished the crocheted top but have yet to choose a button for it. I'm undecided about its wearability - it seems ok over a crisp white shirt and I've worn it open and loose over a black tunic dress but I am concerned that it's pushing me over into mad crocheted lady territory! Must remember not to wear it with the crocheted skirt I've started! (Incidentally, friends at work have looked at the skirt pattern and stifled laughter has been the overwhelming response - well, I do like a challenge and am determined to make it and wear it with pride!!)

My dress form has a new black body - I made it out of a fabric called "scuba"! This was a necessary step to keep in all the padding I had to add to make the form the same shape as me! A rather depressing piece of sewing but when making your own clothes there's no hiding from your vital statistics!

I've made progress with the pink scarf - I've finished the first half and started the second. I have learnt one important thing from this project - I absolutely hate knitting nupps and will avoid a project in the future if they have them! Luckily I've now completed all the nupps on this piece, but I've had to put it to one side to concentrate on making flowers (for corsages and hair clips) and hearts (for bunting) for the pop up shop in February. 

The red hearts will be making an appearance in Marmalade Yarns soon - a clue as to what Maxine is planning for the next window display!

So, whilst I haven't quite done as much as I'd hoped to by this stage in January, I shall continue to try and do something creative every day and enjoy the moment!

WIP - the Hall of Shame!

With Christmas done and dusted it felt right to do some reorganising. I knew I had a couple of projects to complete once the festive makes were finished but I didn't think I had a really meaty project to enjoy in the New Year. Inevitably, this led me to bring home some more yarn from Marmalade Yarns so that I wouldn't get to that horrible state of having nothing to do! I needn't have worried - once I went through my various bags and baskets I realised I had more than enough projects, either started or planned for, to keep me going for most of 2015! I decided to post some of them here to shame me into completing them before I acquire any more yarn! So, in no particular order, this is what I will be doing in January (and February, March, April etc)...

Lace scarf - about a quarter done so far.

Capelet/cowl thing - designing it as I'm doing it and currently stalling on what to do next.

String basket - hardly started but abandoned because it hurt my fingers and wrists. Need to remember to do a couple of rows every now and then.

Simple Granny blanket needed for a birthday in February.

Crocheted skirt - 1 motif done!

Beautiful yarn earmarked for some fingerless mitts (the Skein Queen) and a cabled cowl (the wonderfully soft Purl Soho yarn).

A cap sleeved cardigan - two thirds done.

I've also got several skeins set aside for socks and fairisle mittens!

On the painting front I have given myself the challenge of painting a butterfly a day for the month of January. I'm actually a bit ahead of myself on this as I've already started tomorrow's and Tuesday's! Once each sheet of 6 is finished I need to varnish them and then cut them out with a scalpel before mounting them individually in the little 3D frames.

This is preparation for a pop up shop I'm taking part in, in February, so I also need to get cracking with crocheted bunting, corsages and hair grips. I think I need a lie down!