Friday Link Love!

Happy Friday!
I know I'm a week late, but I promise it's worth the wait! Bumper links for you this month :-)

If you wonder where I post more, it's Instagram - but is what we see really as it seems?

When all seems lost - some good advice.

Paris banned cars for a day, and it was beautiful!

Speaking of beautiful - twinkle lights! If I could every room in my house would have them!

Something to make you smile - aren't these adorable?

Also, something to make you laugh - loved this post from Amber!

Knitting - we all know it's true!

Related: Franklin Habit tells the truth.

Apparently knitting is cool... but we all knew that already, right? 

November is time for cozy things - not sure I could commit to making anything like this though!

Finally - 50 Happy Little Things.


Have a great weekend!

WIP Wednesday (On a Thursday...)

Time seemed to get away from me yesterday, but a date late isn't that bad, right? Especially when I have lots to show you! :D

First up is progress on the squares - I've decided a 6x6 layout is best as it's a preemie blanket. I've only got 9 squares left to go... I'll be sad when they're done as they're so fun! (Pattern from Bella Coco)

I won't be at a loss for crochet squares for long though! The lovely Emily at The Loopy Stitch has asked me to test crochet her new cushion pattern and I couldn't be more excited! It's a lovely pattern with step-by-step photos to guide you along the way and the cushion is so pretty! I've chosen my yarns - what do you think?

Finally, some Christmas knitting! I can't believe it's time to start gift knitting again - where did this year go?
Not going to say much about this one... never know who reads the blog, after all! :P

I'm sensing a theme at the moment - all my projects are pink!!
Are there any colours you're gravitating towards at the moment?

WIP Wednesday: Colour Blocking

Despite the autumnal hues outside my window, I've not been able to shake off the pink and purple yarns in my project basket just yet!

I finished off the last of the preemie cardigans - love the purple almost as much of the pink! (I think I just like the ombre effect!)

This week's project is thanks to Bella Coco... I watched her tutorial and now I'm hooked! (Pun totally intended!)

I've been churning them out whilst watching TV in the evenings - perfect now the season is really in full swing! Nothing better than curling up with hot tea, a warm quilt and the latest WIP!

I feel a case of start-itis brewing though... Christmas will be here soon so there are presents to start, and walking to work in the morning is cold so I'm feeling the need for some fingerless mitts... Hmm... plenty of ideas brewing!

What's on your needles/hook at the moment?

WIP Wednesday: Sweet Obsession

I think I have a problem. A preemie sweater problem - I can't stop knitting them! I'm beginning to think Marianna's All-in-One Baby Top should come with a warning label...
After finishing the pink and lilac ones, I have now gone on to finish the pink ombre version...

...and because ombre is so fun, I maybe have started a purple one too!

I don't think I'll ever tire of this pattern! It may just become one of those patterns - you know the ones - that you go back to over and over and over again (a bit like my favourite hat). It's just so sweet!

Speaking of sweet things, I couldn't help but share a pic of the cupcakes I made this weekend:

Lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream - yum! Usually October is full of dark, warm, fall colours, but I can't seem to shake the pretty pastels and brights, even in baking! Ah well - even if outside is beginning to get gloomy, at least my knitting won't be.

Hope you're all having a great week :)

WIP Wednesday: Pastel and Ombre

I'm on a good run with the knitting these days! Thanks to many evenings watching Once Upon A Time (which leaves things on a cliffhanger so you have to watch just one more episode!) I've been quite prolific. The above is the third preemie cardigan in just as many weeks. Starting to get more adventurous with colours - the above is going to be ombre pink!

(Pardon the quality of the photos - they were snapped quickly right before they were donated...)

This pattern is so quick and simple to knit, and I've almost got it memorised - I'll probably churn out a few more to go towards Knit-A-Soc's Christmas donation to the neonatal ward.

After that comes (dare I say it?) Christmas knitting! Only a few knitted gifts on the cards this year... I won't say what just yet, but I can show you the yarn for them...

Both are children's knits, so I've chosen some Sirdar Snuggly - lovely and soft, but still machine washable. Of course, I never work on just one project at a time, so I'm likely to cast on one or two winter warmers as well!

Link Love: September 2015

Wow! Is it the end of September already? This month seems to have passed in a blur of busy-ness! However that hasn't stopped me from finding lots of linky goodness for you all! It's a bumper lot this month, so grab a hot drink, settle yourself in your favourite comfy chair, and enjoy!

First up are these cuties! So adorable!

Creative re-imaginings of old photos - so cool!

Did you hear about THAT Taylor Swift sweater? Knitting fuses with pop culture!

Speaking of pop culture - is the RBF really worth all the talk?

Perhaps a cure to the above issues - can we all have awesome lunches like these? Please?

Interesting list of English facts - totally bringing back the "elf-choke" at the next available opportunity!

Handwriting is more than it seems...

Related: I've found a new obsession - snail mail is back!

Alongside snail mail - is knitting a lost art?

More knitting: we should all be picking up our needles this winter!!

You know I love my lists! Inspiration to be found HERE and HERE.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

WIP Wednesday: Knits and Stitches

Thank you to everyone for the wonderful feedback on the RainbowRainbow shawlette! It's been so encouraging to know that it's been well received - I may even design more patterns! 

Well, it's cold season again, and I don't just mean the cooler temperatures! Unfortunately I've been battling a rather horrible cold - boo! However, all that resting time has meant that I've got some exciting new WIPs! Although I originally said I wanted to finish all my other works in progress first, there have been too much inspiration on Instagram and on blogs not to cast on a few new things.

One such project (inspired by the jumper knit by @onecraftymumma ) is this lovely all-in-one preemie jumper! I have been meaning to knit some preemie things for the Nottingham QMC for a while, and this pattern seemed perfect!

Also on the needles - some preemie hats!

Recently I've also diverged from my usual yarny path and taken up some hand-piecing... I've had a few patchwork projects on the go for several years now, and felt it was time for me to dig them out of hibernation! This bear paw block is the latest one to be worked on - I have been saving up pretty batik fabrics, but now it's time for some sewing!

Now, I know I probably have enough WIPs, as those in this post are not the only ones I have on the go. But I couldn't resist starting another...

This is the first block from a sampler that my mom designed, and my friend and I have both decided to make our own and we are calling them our friendship quilts!

So that's all that I'm working on at the moment! What's on your needles?

FO Friday: RainbowRainbow Shawlette (+ pattern release)

Introducing... the RainbowRainbow Shawlette!
This pattern has been in the works for a while, and now it's time for it's great release!

This triangular shawlette is knit in DK yarn with 5mm needles, and works up quickly to make a lovely, squishy, winter knit! It works to showcase a variagated yarn - so perfect for those hand-dyes! 

It's suitable for beginners looking for a first shawl, or for more experienced knitters looking for a simple, relaxing project!
It's a free pattern, and can be found HERE.

Enjoy!

Wishful Wednesday...

This is what my life looks like at the moment! Full of life's little lovelies - reading good books, good magazines, drinking cups of hot chocolate, and a bit of knitting...

Okay, a lot of knitting.

Which is why this isn't your usual WIP Wednesday post - I've been completing more than I've been starting! I still have this pair of socks on the needles and they haven't gotten any bigger because I've been working on other things, and I'm pretty sure knitting doesn't grow unless you work on it. (Unless someone has come up with magic knitting needles? If you know if someone has invented those yet, let me know in the comments!)

But that's all there is! I'm thinking I need to start some new projects... you know, just so I have something to blog about... and also because my head is brimming with projects that I want to make. A couple of hats, some fingerless gloves, some preemie knits, innocent smoothie hats, and I may dig out some of my quilt projects just for good measure.

Where to begin? Stay tuned :)

Friday Link Love: August 2015

Wow! Where did August go? Seems just yesterday that it was the beginning of summer, and now autumn is fast approaching. I'm not complaining, of course - we are heading into my favourite time of year, when it's the perfect weather to cozy up with warm quilts, hot chocolate, a good book, and lots of knitting!
You know what's also fun on a rainy afternoon? Friday links!

Is red candy really everyone's favourite?

Hear hear, Neil Gaiman! Reading is the key to the future...

Speaking of books, does anyone remember Wishbone? Such a great show!

Thanks to a very talented artist, we can now see Disney Princes as they'd look in real life!

But Disney may have it all wrong, according to this open letter... an interesting perspective!

12 things for those who sew.

Knitting celebrities - some are quite surprising!

Words of Wisdom from Tiny Buddha :-)

Hope you've had a lovely August! I wonder what September will bring?

It's Finished!

A basket of ends can only mean one thing...

Okay, so I know I would usually wait for a WIP Wednesday or FO Friday or some other fun alliterative title, but LOOK!!!
It's finished! It's finished! It's finished!

 I'm so pleased with how this has turned out! It took forever, but considering I made it up as I went along, I think the end product is quite nice, don't you?

It's another one for the hospice, as all the materials are from the Knit-A-Soc stash, with a few additions. From what I purchased, there is some of the grey left over, and a couple of pinks, so I can see a matching winter hat and glove set in my future... a nice reminder of the blanket!
This is definitely a pattern to remember for the future, as it was easy to grow attached to it as hexagon by hexagon was added...

...and the finished blanket came into being!

Ravelry project page HERE.
Join as you go technique from Attic24 HERE.

A Day at the Beach!

A couple of weeks ago, my whole family (aunts and uncles and all) descended upon St.Anne's, Blackpool, for my grandad's birthday celebration. Not having really spent that much time up in that part of England, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Cue mysterious and moody beach photo...

Well, I shouldn't have been that surprised because the Great British Seaside is pretty much the same everywhere you go - eating chips on the seafront, huddling up in jumpers because it's a little on the cool side and of course, despite this chilly weather, eating ice cream!

What was different about this visit though, was a fantastic display of kites! We just happened to be just in time for the St.Anne's Kite Festival, and we were in for a treat, there were so many wonderful things to see.
From these mammoth balloon kites...

...to strange but fantastic creatures...

...to fish...

...to these adorable little cows (not pictured - crabs, pigs and frogs, oh my!).

 

There was even Wallace hanging onto an airplane!

It was amazing to see - with all the lines being almost invisible, from a distance it was just a sky full of fantastical floating shapes. Lots of memories made!

Friday Link Love: July 2015

I can't believe a month has passed already! With August the evenings will start to cool down, and there will be more excuses for knitting - yay!
Anyway, shall we get on with what I know you're really here for? I have lots of lovely links for you this month...

Something to make you giggle - honest food magazine covers! (Thanks Julie for sharing this one!)

These examples of modern texting are hilarious!

Extreme crochet: would you ever attempt anything like this?

A guide to wool - what is it and where does it come from?

I love Franklin Habit - his view on "click bait" made me smile!

Also, some wise words on letting your creative fears go.

Finally, some words on the Labyrinth of Life.

I hope you've all had a wonderful July, and I can't wait to see what August brings!

WIP Wednesday: Catching Up!

People, I'm on a mission! This summer is the summer of WIPs.
I've had a growing mountain of projects, and they have been all been vying for my attention. It's been difficult to choose what to work on! So, I'm working through them one by one, and hopefully by the autumn I'll have a lovely little pile of FOs to show for it.

I've been working on a shawl...

...which may or may not get turned into a pattern! I have a few patterns in the works at the moment, just waiting for the right time to publish them. Hopefully one or two will be out soon! :)

See these? Yep - that blanket is still in progress! These are the last circles... they need just one more round each and then they can get attached to the blanket... then some half-hexies, and a border, and the end is in sight!!

Now... I know I said I was only working on WIPs... and that I maybe wasn't going to start any more projects... but I caved. There, I said it. The sock yarn got to me. It was just so pretty and I couldn't deny it any longer...

See? It models so well!

Yarn is from Scrumptious Purl in the colourway "It's My Party". I love this yarn - it's knitting up beautifully, and the colours are divine! 
I promise I won't start anymore projects... maybe. Just depends on how well my willpower against the Stash is!! :P

Oh, and you'll remember that for Christmas I made my sister a dragon... I finally took a photo! Everyone - meet Saphira!

Not sure I'll be making any more amigurimi toys anytime soon, but I'm glad that this one is well loved :-)

I went to Canada! (Part 4)

I bet you're thinking: "What? More photos?" - I promise these are the last ones! It has been hard to narrow down all the photos, especially as my boyfriend took close to 500! There was so much to see and take in on this trip - so thankful that we got the chance to visit family and have a wonderful two weeks! :-)
These last photos are just a few snapshots of random things we saw and did :-)

Close to the start of our visit we went to see Tour La Nuit, an evening ride around the Plateau Mont Royal consisting of 15,000 cyclists. We stood at the start line and watched as all of them began the race, and seeing them ride into the sunset was really something to behold!

There were people all dressed up in costumes, and the lights on some of the bikes were incredible...

It wasn't the only wheeled race we saw - my boyfriend was super happy when we realised the F1 would be in town, and so I tagged along, and we had a great day watching the races!
(I'll admit I didn't understand a single thing I was watching, but the atmosphere was great, and there was good poutine!)

Speaking of poutine, we ate lots of it whilst in Montreal - so many different varieties that we were actually able to rank them! The best place was in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue - I was a very happy Bekah!

But it wasn't all sightseeing... there was plenty of relaxing too!

All in all, a really wonderful trip to Canada!

Hope you've enjoyed the photos, and enjoyed following my Canadian Adventure!

I went to Canada! (Part 3)

I loved visiting Quebec City for many reasons, although one in particular was the sweet details to discover as we meandered around the city.

Such as the Fleur-De-Lis on the fence around the fountain at Parliament... (Very fitting for the province!)

Historic beauty...

I loved that there were half numbers on the houses - Canada's answer to Platform 9 3/4?

Flowerboxes, reminding me of European windows... Old Quebec City really reminded me of the streets of Italy...

Last, but not least, we found these adorable sheep flowerboxes in front of a yarn store! I didn't get any as I'd already purchased plenty from Espace Tricot (Gorgeous yarn store - if you get a chance, go!), but it was still lovely to see local yarns!

Aren't they sweet? I especially love the pink flower that one of them is wearing! :-)

Graduation!!

Just wanted to pop in and share a photo from Tuesday with you, as it was a big day for me... I officially graduated from University!

It was a lovely day, spent with family, my wonderful boyfriend, and my coursemates. Couldn't ask for a better way to end the past 3 years of learning and growing :-)

More photos from the day HERE.
(I didn't get many photos of my own, because as you will see in Mom's post, I was having WAY too much fun swooshing and twirling!!)