Little Boy Blue - 14.04.11 - Happy Dance!

Firstly I am going to apologise for this picture heavy post but I am ridiculously proud that I have made something for my son to wear!!  It was my intention to sew it up myself but due to the fact that I've never stitched anything up before and that I wouldn't get chance to spend time with my mum showing me how to do it over the next 7 weeks, I decided to ask my mum to stitch it up for me so that it would still fit Samuel when it was finished.  I went over to my mum and dad's today and there it was finished.  Here's some pics of Samuel in his new jumper and the jumper itself.  The one's with Samuel are action shots as he wouldn't keep still for me to take a photo!

Masquerade as of 28.04.11

So I've been working on Masquerade again this week and finally feel like I am making progress.  I did 863 stitches this week which means she is now 83.01% complete.  I can finally see the end in sight.

On the knitting front I've not made any further progress with Little Boy Blue this week but I have managed to do quite a bit on the blanket for my cousins baby.

                                

 I also had a little more success with my baking this week.  I made triple chocolate cookies and Devon simnel loaf.  Everyone who had some said they were both delicious.  Might try making the carrot cake again next week (following the recipe properly this time!!)

A New Start & Finish & Carrot Cake Catastrophe

I'll start with the thing that went wrong this week.  I decided to make the Carrot Cake from Issue 2 of Baked & Delicious Magazine.  The recipe said to cook the mixture in two tins and then sandwich together with the frosting.  Well I could only find one cake tin so decided to just make one cake and then cut it in half after baking.  I didn't take into account that it would take a lot longer to cook one big cake than two small ones!  So I cooked the mixture for the required length of time, got it out to test and it was still liquid.  So I cooked it for a further 45 minutes and the top was quite burnt.  This is what it looked like.

So I left it on the side to cool thinking it was cooked.  But when I turned it out of the cake tin the entire centre of the cake was still liquid, this is how much cake mixture I scooped out of the middle.

And this is what the bottom of the cake looked like after having the mixture scooped out.

 It wasn't cooked properly all around the inner edge, I ate a bit of the outside and after picking the burnt bits off the top it was very tasty.  However I ended up throwing it away because I just wasn't sure if it was cooked properly and didn't want to risk poisioning anyone!  I was even more cross with myself the next day when I discovered two tins the same size at the back of a cupboard!!  Anyway it didn't put me off and I made some more Chelsea Buns the next day, I didn't put the glaze on top this time and they were a lot drier than the first time but still nice, I'll definitely use the glaze next time though. 

I discovered Stitching the Night Away recently and they are having a give away for anyone that sends photos in of a completed Brushstroke Butterfly.  This is a free design which you can download from their website.  A colleague of mine is retiring early in May and I decided that this would make a lovely card for her.  It is stitched on 25 count hand dyed Lugana called Apricot Blush from Crafty Kitten.  I used a variegated Anchor thread (1315) rather than the recommended colours and did tent stitch 2 over 1.  Rather than doing the rows in straight lines I stitched on the diagonal so the stripes wouldn't be quite so obvious.  I'm pleased with how it turned out and will probably stitch this design again as I think it is a very effective design.  I started this on 16th April 2011 and finished on 21st April 2011.  I'll add another picture when it's been made up into a card.

Some progress has been made on the jumper "Little Boy Blue" for Samuel.  I have now stitched one shoulder together and picked up all the stitches for the neck band and knitted the neck band.  I now face the daunting task of stitching in the sleeves which I will hopefully be able to do sometime soon but not without the help of my mum!  I've also been knitting a blanket for my cousin who is currently pregnant and will hopefully post a picture next time.

Shy Baby as of 10.04.11 - PAGE 3 COMPLETED!!

So lots of things to update on this week.

I decided to work on Shy Baby this week even though it should have been the HAED Freebie SAL.  I love working on Shy Baby and even though she isn't in my current rotation I just knew she would help me get my stitching mojo back and I was right.  I managed to do 2,500 stitches on her and completed page 3.  You still can't make anything out but when I compare it with the actual picture I can see images starting to form.

I've made good progress on Little Boy Blue, I've now finished the back, front and both sleeves. The sleeve was supposed to be all stocking stitch apart from one row of pattern at the top of the sleeve but I decided to add in a couple more rows of pattern one of which was in the main design and the other I made up myself. I love how easy it is to make pattern and texture by just changing whether you knit or purl.  So all I have to do now is pick up stitches to do the neck and stitch it up.  I'm going to wait for my mum to come back from holiday though as she is an expert at this and I don't want to mess it up by tying to do something I don't know how I'm doing.  I'm really starting to love knitting and have a whole host of things I want to knit. I absolutely love some of the colours that you can get in sock yarn and would love to knit myself some socks. I wonder though why it is specifically called sock yarn - can you use it for other items or only socks? Any experienced knitters who can answer this I'd be very grateful.

One of my 210 in 2010 goals is to bake all 196 cupcakes from the recipe book 200 Cupcakes. I know it doesn't make sense that there are only 196 recipes but there is a main recipe on each page and then an alternative recipe except for four recipes which are for things like cinnamon butter to dip the cupcakes in. So there are only actually 196 cupcake recipes. Anyway after all that waffle I showed my sister the book and she requested that I make the Mini Simnel Cupcakes next so as I am a good big sister and always do what my little sister says (apart from when she tells me not to buy anymore stash!) I made them a couple of days ago. They have mixed fruit in them and you put a teaspoon of cake mixture in the case and then a little round of marzipan and then put some more cake mixture on top, you then bake them, leave them to cool, top with more marzipan and toast under the grill. To be honest I was a little disappointed with these. I absolutely love marzipan so expected to love these and they were nice but they weren't delicious and I'm not sure I would make them again.

So I'm going back to Masquerade and hopefully I will be able to make some visible progress.

Baking, Knitting, Voting and Stitching

Well over the past couple of weeks I've wanted to start doing some baking.  I used to make cakes when I lived at home with my parents but haven't baked anything for years.  It may have something to do with a new magazine that is being published in the UK called Baked and Delicious.  I saw the advert on the telly and it looked really good and my husband agreed so we bought the first copy.  I made the cupcakes and they were lovely so we decided to subscribe to the magazine.  I then decided that I needed a mixer because I only have a hand held one that has one speed and when you mix with it everything flies everywhere.  So I got myself a Breville Stand and Hand Mixer.  So I decided today to make Chelsea Buns (recipe recommended by Dawn from http://www.craftykitten.co.uk/) because they used to be my favourite cakes but I haven't had one in ages.  Here's how they came out.  I haven't had one yet so can't say what they taste like but they look good! (Edited: Me and hubby have just had one each and they taste even better than they look!)

Onto the knitting update.  I've now finished the back on Little Boy Blue and am part way up the front.  I've bought more wool to make another one for Samuel in a large size and one for my niece Jessica.  I went to the library today and borrowed five Debbie Bliss knitting books and there are some really gorgeous designs in them.  I think knitting is going to get as out of control as stitching at this rate.  But hopefully it won't take me years to finish something I start knitting, and you don't have to find room on your walls for people to see them :-)

So the poll is over on which design I should start stitching next after I finish something and the outcome is the Gerbera Daisy Pillow which is three quarters complete so hopefully won't take me too long to finish.  But I have to finish something first before I can start finishing it!

And finally a stitching update.  It is the HAED freebie SAL this week so I should be working on Blue Rose Fairy but I'm really not back in a stitching mood yet so I have gone back to my old favourite Shy Baby.  I always love stitching her so I figure if anything can get my mojo back she can.

A New Start and my Third Finish for 2011

I really thought I had lost my stitching mojo as I'd not done any stitching for nearly a week.  I've been wanting to experiment with a different count and a different type of fabric for a while.  I decided that rather than start a big project on a new fabric and find out I didn't like it I would just do a small project.  So I have had a pattern for some Assisi Christmas cards for a while and decided to try one of them.  I started it last night and finished tonight.  It is stitched on 27 count hand dyed Linda from Crafty Kitten.  I did it 2 over 1 in tent stitch and I really enjoyed stitching it and am happy with the outcome.  The only thing I am not completely happy with is the back stitching but I don't think it looks too bad.

So here's the picture from the magazine of what it should look like.

And here's my attempt.

I've also finally managed to break the cycle of bad luck with Little Boy Blue and have made it over half way up the back.

And progress is being made on my first blanket for SANDS.  It currently measures 8 inches and needs to measure 22 inches so I've got quite a way to go yet.

I'm so happy as I feel like I am making progress now.  I have also conquered my fear of fabric that is not Aida and I'm hoping this means that I will be able to try different designs (like a Chatelaine!) but that might be a bit ambitious yet.  I think I'll try a few more smaller projects before attempting a BAP.

Masquerade SK as of 24.03.11

I am very disappointed with my lack of progress all round this week.  I've had Masquerade on rotation for two weeks and only managed to do 887 stitches.  I don't know if I've lost my stitching mojo or if I'm not enjoying Masquerade as much as I was or if it's just because I've been so damned tired the past few days.  I honestly haven't been out of bed later than 7.30pm for the last few nights.  Anyway I've now completed 78.44% of Masquerade and here is my update picture.

Also I've made no progress on the Little Boy Blue jumper.  I'd done about 30 rows and showed it to my mum and she asked if I had measured it or done a tension square, the answer was no.  So I measured what I had done and it was 10 inches wide and it should have been 10 3/4 inches.  So my mum suggested I try knitting it on a bigger size needle because this should make the difference in size.  So I have had to unpick it and start again, hopefully it will be third time lucky.  I'm really glad though that my mum told me know before I spent a lot more time knitting it and stitching it up.

On a positive note I have started knitting my first blanket for SANDS it is a very basic pattern where you start with one stitch and increase on the second stitch at the beginning of every row.  I currently have 50 stitches on the needle so some progress has been made here.  I find I am able to knit in the car while commuting to and from work.

Hopefully I'll get more stitching done over the next week and get some of the jumper done too.

Little Boy Blue

No cross stitching update this week I'm afraid.  I have been working on Masquerade and decided to keep on it for another week before I rotate and update. 

I have however started another project.  I am knitting a jumper for my little boy.  Samuel has become a lot more mobile over the past few weeks and I can no longer have all my stitching stuff out to just add a few stitches whenever I get a minute as of course he thinks mummy and daddy's toys (i.e. cross stitching, TV remotes, PS3 controllers etc) are much more exciting toys than his own.  So I thought at least with the knitting I can pull it out and put it away again a lot more easily then my stitching.

So this is the jumper I am knitting for him.

The pattern calls for Baby Cashmere Merino Silk 4 ply but as this was £4.70 for a 50g ball and I could get a 100g ball of ordinary 4 ply for £4.20 I decided my budget could only stretch to the ordinary 4 ply.  I decided to go for a beige colour as he has so many blue tops already and I wanted something different for a change.  I had done about 12 rows of the back and then discovered I had done half of the rows using one size of pattern and half of the rows using a bigger size so my pattern wasn't lined up at all so I've had to unpick it and will be starting it again.

I have done some knitting over the years and have made a cardigan for myself in the past but my mum has always had to sew it up into a finished article for me.  With this jumper I want to do it all myself and then maybe move onto making myself another cardigan at some point in the future.  I also hope to make some baby blankets for the charity SANDS they are very simple blankets and I hope to be able to do some knitting in the car to and from work every morning and evening as I feel this is a wasted part of my day.

Anyway I hope all my cross stitching friends don't mind me adding a bit of knitting to my blog.

My sister has recently started a blog about her cross stitching and knitting and I'd love it if you could visit her blog and follow her too - if you add a comment as well she would be very excited :-)