in the garden ::

so it has not exactly been sunny here the last couple of weeks, in fact it has been positively miserable.  It has been rainy forever, well it certainly feels that way.  As a result my garden is very much behind compared to this time last year.

But there is still stuff happening, plants are still growing, fruits are appearing, and even, ever, ever so slowly beginning to ripen.

blueberries, we have lots lots more than last year (the bushes first year) and they are looking much bigger this year too, though I'm guessing they are still a way from ripening.

   

 cornflower, the first to open, last year I had flowers in April!

 

 

courgette, I'm fairly sure that by this time last year, we were already putting courgette in everything, this is the first and doesn't seem to be growing at all.

I'm trying not get down about it all and hoping that we'll have a lovely hot, long summer yet.  

On a more positive note we did have our first handful of raspberries a couple of days ago and a handful every day since.

Granny Heart Bunting ::

Just a note to say that my granny heart bunting, that was published in 'inside crochet' issue 24, is now available for free download on my ravelry page.

You can find it :: here

finding inspiration :: BIG knitting/crochet ::

I cannot get enough of giant knitting and crochet at the moment.  I love the way the stitches look so clean and tidy when the are so massive!

Here are a few of my favourites that have been making their way on to my pinterest boards recently ::

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: plaza.fi via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: nummynims.wordpress.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: lillysartcreationandcrafts.blogspot.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

Source: ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com via VickiBrown on Pinterest

WIP wednesday :: Dahlia Cardi ::

Oh my I love this pattern, I came across it after I purchased the online edition of Interweave Knits Fall 2011, for the Pembroke Wrap pattern, as soon as I saw it I wanted to make it, but wasn't really sure my knitting skills were up to the challenge.  But I needn't have worried as it turns out they were (well so far anyway).

 

 With all the miserable rain we've had the last....hmmm....well it feels like forever, but lets say, week, I've had plenty of oportunity to stay indoors and knit.  I literally spent the whole weekend on the sofa doing just that and as a result finished the lace panel on the back in super speedy time (especially for someone so new to lace knitting) and as far as I can see without any mistakes!

 

I'm now on to the mass of stocking stitch which makes up the rest of the piece, I have a feeling this bit is going to take a long time, but I'm so eager to wear the finished piece I'm hoping this project won't get abandoned.

my ravelry notes :: here

the pattern is available from interweave knits fall 2011 :: here 

the yarn is :: here

For more WIP wednesday's check out Tami Amis' blog.

FO friday :: pembroke wrap ::

Oh my I'm a little behind, I've missed a couple of weeks, but I'm back now.  I have actually had a few FO's to share too, just not the computer time to do so.

Anyway here is a new one, literally just finished this morning and still blocking as I type, it is my first ever shawl and my first completed lace knit item too.

OK so there are quite a few mistakes in the pattern, but I don't think you'll notice when I'm wearing it, it's also quite a lot smaller than it should be.  I'm putting this down in part to the yarn, in part to the needles, and well, of course, I didn't swatch so really I deserve no sympathy.  I'm blocking it pretty hard and hoping for the best, as long as it fits around my neck I'm happy!

I had, had a couple of unsuccessfully creative days, everything was going wrong and nothing was turing out as I had hoped, as I result I really needed something satisfyingly quick to knit but a little challenging.  This pattern couldn't be more perfect for this, I cast it on last night, and as you can see it did not take long to complete!  And there was a lot of unknitting involved too!

 

 I had the yarn held up in an unfinished baby blanket that I frogged for this purpose and I really didn't use very much either, less than 4 50g balls.  It's rowan's cashsoft chunky, which I purchased from a closing down yarn shop a few years ago.  It's lovely, and I still have quite a lot left, if it didn't seem ridiculous to own 2 shawls in exactly the same colour and yarn and pattern I would knit up another!  Maybe I'll need to make one as a gift.

The pattern comes from interweave knits fall 2011 and is by Andrea Rangel, ravelry page :: here

The yarn is :: rowan cashcotton chunky (which I believe has been discontinued)

My ravelry notes :: here

For more FO Fridays check out Tami Amis' blog.

WIP wednesday :: nimbus ::

I am actually still working on the puerperium cardigan but rather than sure the same wip with you two weeks running, I thought I'd start working my way through the huge pile of months/years old wips I have stashed away.

This is the nimbus cardigan by the berroco design team, I found on ravelry whilst looking for something to cast on quickly before a knit and natter morning, as a result of this I didn't think to alter it in to an 'in the round' project instead of a pieced one. Since I learnt to knit on circular needles I do not like knitting like this not one bit! Why would you want to sew all those seams together when it's not necessary. I am fairly sure this is why this project (originally intended as a christmas gift for my Mum) has been abandoned. I finished the knitting part ages ago, much before christmas, I even purchased a lovely button from cariad clay to add a fabulous finishing touch, but the sewing up has remained ignored.

My Mum has even seen the pieces now and declared she very much likes it, so really there is no excuse for this poor cardigan's complete abandonment. My Mum will be visiting this weekend, therefore I vow to finish it and share it on a FO friday post very very soon!

The pattern is called Nimbus and is a free download by the berroco design team available :: here

The yarn is :: wendy mode chunky

My ravelry notes can be found :: here

You can see lots of other WIP wednesday posts :: here

lego cake ::

so as you are probably aware, the toddler turned three on saturday. To celebrate this milestone, there was a very lego/duplo filled day, which included a fairly time consuming, stress inducing first attempt at a decorated cake. By decorated in this instance I mean anything that isn't simply smeared with butter icing and sprinkled with a few hundreds and thousands.

I have experience of these kind of elaborate children's birthday cakes, but only really in the receiving and eating of. My mum was a great birthday cake supplier (highlights of mine include a grand princess pony castle, cinderella complete with pumpkin carriage and sugar mice and winnie the pooh and honey pot) and my sister has continued this tradition with her own 3 children (highlights created by her include iggle piggle with blanket, peppa pig and a giant cupcake). I often receive running commentary and photographic evidence of my sister's successes late in to the night before a big event, but as with most things it wasn't until I attempted it myself did I realise quite how much work was involved in creating such masterpieces.

Don't get me wrong, I knew it wouldn't be easy and really I had hoped it would be something I wouldn't need to do for a few years yet, but Milo had different ideas (damn pinterest and Milo's overshoulder watching of it!), but I've watched Cake Boss, I hunted out a few youtube instructional videos, spent a fortune in hobbycraft, took a deep breath and begun.

For anyone interested in creating one yourself (though I promise you I'm not sure it's worth all the stress, panic, heartache, sweat and tears) here is a little overview of what I did.

I couldn't find a rectangular tin (well not one that wasn't horrifically expensive anyway) so I purchased a square tin, made a huge batch of Pam Corbin's victoria sponge mix and made two square cakes. Once they had cooled I cut one in half, sandwiched on to the other with butter icing, I then covered the whole thing with butter icing. Johnny was initially responsible for the bricks on top of the cake and decided to use rice krispie squares instead of cake for these, which I too covered in butter icing. As it happened Johnny, on out celebrating a friends birthday, the night before 'project birthday cake' broke his thumb falling off a stationary bike, therefore he spent the whole evening watching over my shoulder with unhelpful insights, unable to do any of the actual cake making/decorating.

For the fondant icing, I bought one green packet and one white packet, I then coloured three lots of the white with red, blue and yellow. If I was to do this again, I would certainly purchase all the colours, it was so time consuming mixing the colours and I couldn't get them quite as bright as I had hoped. I covered the cake with the green and the rice krispie bricks with the other colours, using a small round cutter to make the little nubs on top, attaching with a little apricot jam.

I got the idea for the lego heads from here, using marshmallows, dipped in yellow candy melts. I used a special food colouring pen for the faces, but I wouldn't do this again as the pen did not like going on the candy melts, I imagine black food colouring and a paintbrush would have been a better idea.

A friend leant us a lego mould which we used for the little chocolate blocks, so that was nice and easy!

So there we go, this was actually the very first birthday cake I made for Milo, as his first was shop bought and his second made by Johnny, not too bad for a first attempt, Milo loved it and we shall be eating cake for at least a week!