KTHDSN

Headband with flower

Cabled hat

I have been doing loads of knitting lately, but because I have so many projects on the needles it’s been a while since I finished anything. Two things have now been cast off and finished up, so I thought I’d share/show them off.

The hat was knit from the snowtracks cap pattern in king craig aran tweed merino and cashmere and can be found on ravelery. I enjoyed the cable pattern, and while the yarn was a bit weird to knit with, I like the finished hat a lot.

The headband was knit from the knit ear warmer with crochet flower pattern in texere monaco cotton and can also be found on ravelry. The headband stretches a lot when I wear it, I wish I had made it smaller. Perhaps throwing it in the washing machine will tighten it up a bit.

Still on the needles but hopefully finishing soon I’ve got a beret hat, my first pair of socks and a sweater that I started back in September.

Dishcloth

This morning I picked up my needles to whip up something quick and easy while I was waiting for lunch time to roll around.

I went for the Andalutheean dishcloth. It was a very quick knit, and the simple stitch pattern was very easy to remember whilst knitting, but looks a bit fancier than plain stocking stitch.

I have been talking about making my own household items for a long time, and finally have my first dish cloth. Yey!

View this project on ravelry.

Strawberry Moonbeam

I have been knitting, crocheting and sewing for years, and in the past I have ventured into selling my creations with some success. Since we moved back to the UK two years ago I have intended to start up again, but for one reason or another it has been put on the back burner. Last spring I decided I really wanted to give it another go, but the store engine I tried to use kept having problems so I lost heart once again. My wonderful other half, Ric, came to my rescue, and slowly (oh so slowly) started to build me a custom store.

Today, the store went live! I am so excited to finally be able to announce this!

I have listed what’s left of the stock that I made when we lived in Canada plus the few things I have made since we got back to the UK. I will be continuing to make and list new stuff after the holidays when life is less hectic, but for now there is plenty to choose from if you fancy doing a bit of last minute christmas shopping!

Everything in the store is hand made by me personally. I use environmentally friendly materials where I can source them, and knit, crochet and sew at home in my spare time. I design my own patterns or just make things up as I go along, so there are some unique and possibly slightly quirky items on offer.

I am not a fan of mass production, corporate control and boring shopping experiences. I want to live in a world where people are able to exercise their creativity, shop for items that have been made with love and care, and appreciate the craftsmanship that went into the things they own. I hope that my little store can bring a bit of these ideals into the world and maybe inspire others to give it a try as well.

Please take a look and if you like what you see, make a purchase or help spread the word.

Visit strawberrymoonbeam.com.

Pages

I recently developed a small obsession with grimoires and old books, and decided to have a go at making my own. I have collected the relevant supplies and made a start on preparing the pages.

I wanted to give my book an olde worlde feel, so I am tearing the edges of all the pages and staining them with tea. The stack of pages in the picture are the ones I have torn so far, and the top sheet has been tea stained to see how it turned out. I was happy with the result. The colour is just what I was hoping for and the paper dried with a crispy, brittle feel to it, which I think helps it seem older.

So far, I have torn the edges of 36 sheets of A3 paper and stained one of them. I plan on making a 500 page book, so that leaves 214 sheets to tear and 249 to stain. It’s slow and time consuming, but hopefully it will be worth it when I have a beautiful, hand made tome to satisfy my obsession.

I have become slightly obsessed with grimoires lately, and I am collecting materials and reading tutorials so that I can have a go at making my own. These are some of my favourites that I have found online.

Grand Tome from brahmsbookworks.com

Watcher book of shadows from witchesmoon.net