In print again - Lets Get Crafting Crochet

Wow - I'm in print again, this time I'm featured in Lets Get Crafting Crochet - on the front cover too, how exciting!! Some time ago LGC editor asked me to design four cupcakes from the free yarn and hook that comes with this publication. These are the results. Hope you like them. I will be selling the pattern soon, once I have taken photos of the different stages and finished cakes.

CakesKnitsandCosies in Elle Magazine (Italy)

What an honour to have one of my crocheted cupcakes (on the cake stand) and two knitted love hearts (above the coat hanger) featured on two pages of their pretty, five page Elle Lifestyle editorial.

Meer-ry Christmas

Well Christmas is here and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very happy and successful 2010. Let's hope those creative juices keep flowing for us all......

I love these meerkats - by Niftyknits on Folksy. Nifty knits sell all sorts of meerkatty creations. They're amazing, fun and adorable. You'll find superman and batman, star trek and wonderwoman, not to mention the christmas nativity meetkats shown in my blog picture.

If I'd been able to keep up with my handmade christmas advent calender, these would have been Day 25. Unfortuately, life (well christmas!!) got in the way of blogging and I only reached Day 13 before shopping, nativities, dance shows, cleaning and christmas took over. Betterluck next time eh!

Hope everyone is enjoying their christmas festivities - better get on with tidying up as we have visitors this afternoon and I have food to make and a scarf to finish, eek!!!

Will blog soon xx

And the Winner is..........

Autonomous Artisans, with her comment left on Day 8 of my Handmade Christmas Advent Calender. I have notified her, and will sent the goodies out as soon as I receive address details. Thanks for all your comments, I enjoyed reading them.

What's happened to days 14 onwards you ask? Well, Like most of you, I've been taken over by work, school plays, dance shows, housework and let's not forget Christmas......

Once I've knitted up a couple of items that I promised I would make for people for Christmas gifts, I'll continue with the Handmade Advent.

A merry christmas to you all, hope things aren't too frantic!!

Day 13 Handmade Christmas Advent

Christmas tree bears by little cotton rabbits. I had to include something from Julie at Little Cotton Rabbits. I love her blog and admire both Julie and her work. Her little cotton rabbits are completely amazing, perhaps one day I'll get to her etsy shop here in time to buy one. Have a read of Julie's blog here. It's really inspiring and one of the best blogs I've read. Thanks Julie for sharing your patterns. I've made some people very happy with these itsy bitsy bunnies.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 13 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand (I've extended the giveaway until Sunday) .

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 14 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 12 Handmade Christmas Advent

Christmas Bunting by Nickynackynoo on Folksy

Brighten up your house with this lovely happy christmassy bunting from Nickynackynoo. This bunting features three of each of these Christmas images handmade in felt: Christmas puddings, holly and mistletoe. The puddings and holly leaves have red holly-berry buttons, and the mistletoe garlands are enlivened with translucent sparkly sequins. Fab!!

You can buy this pretty christmassy bunting from Nickynackynoos shop on Folksy here.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 13 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand (I've extended the giveaway until Sunday) .

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 13 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 11 Handmade Christmas Advent

Teal and Purple hair clip by Bethany Allen on Folksy


Going to a wedding? Perhaps the races? Don't like fancy fascinators? Then why not go for something like this? Using biot feathers in purple and teal, Bethany has created this small fascinator and finished it with twisted purple wire and beads. Gorgeous.........

See more of Bethany Allen in her Folksy shop here and read her fab blog here.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 13 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand (I've extended the giveaway until Sunday) .

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 12 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 10 Handmade Christmas Advent

Arm Warmers - purple and pink by Pirate Pixie Crew on Coriandr

These pretty little knitted arm warmers have a crochet frilly cuff one end and a short ribbed cuff the other in shades of purple and pink. Gorgeous!!. They can be worn either way around and look equally fabulous both ways.

Pirate Pixie Crew has load of gorgeous knitted stuff in her Coriandr shop - take a look here.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 13 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand (I've extended the giveaway until Sunday) .

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 11 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 9 Handmade Christmas Advent

Bob and Daisy The Sheep - Amigurumi Pattern by Reeneegurumi on Folksy.

Meet Bob and Daisy, the Happy Sheep! They do everything together from morning to night. Bob loves to rest his head on Daisy's cozy fleece and doze off in the afternoon...

I love Reeneegurumi, her designs are amazing and inspiring. Call by her Folksy shop here to see more of her wonderful creations.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand.

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 10 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 8 Handmade Christmas Advent

Hand Knit Chunky Green Neckwarmer by Tomato Tea on Coriandr

This super chunky and soft neck warmer was hand knitted with a 100% acrylic yarn in a beautiful and unusual stitch to give it an interesting texture. My favourite colour too!!

The nature of the stitch makes the yarn extra thick, so it will keep its wearer toasty warm and because it is acrylic and not wool it is super soft and not itchy. The neck warmer is embellished with two wooden buttons which slip in between the stitches so the wearer can button the neck warmer up as they like. See Tomato Tea's Coriandr shop here and read her fab blog here.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand.

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 9 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 7 Handmade Christmas Advent

Christmas tree pillow boxes - set of four by Gooseberrymoon on Folksy



A set of four gorgeous handmade pillow boxes featuring Christmas trees design on both sides. Printed in an olive, plum and teal colour scheme on 100% recycled manilla card. I have ordered a set of these and can't wait for them to arrive so that I can pop a little gift or money in them. Click here to see more of Gooseberrymoon's delightful designs.

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand.

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 8 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 6 - Deerheart by Catface & Pancakes on Folksy

I had to include something from Catface & Pancakes - her cute and quirky plushies are just great for stocking fillers. And, she's having a 'buy one get one half price' sale in her Folky shop. With prices starting a just £4 they're a bargain.

These Deerhearts have arrived just in time for Christmas! They delight in being hung from a festive tree and glittering in the soft fairylights. Deerhearts are made from beautiful soft brown wool, creamy felt, chocolate brown embroidery silk and a sparkly thread to create the glimmering red nose. They are finished off with a seasonal red collar with a jingley bell to summon the arrival of Christmas!

Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand.

Pop by tomorrow to see who's featured in Day 7 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Day 5 - Upcycled Foxy Twins by 'The Linen Cat'
This cute pair are in the Folksy Upcycle Christmas Competition which is raising money for the Sue Ryder Care Charity. Florian and Florence started life as a polyester fleece shirt, a floral cotton lawn shirt and a blue cord skirt along with some stuffing from an old cushion and some re-used ribbon. Bidding for this cute pair and all the other entries starts on the 7th. December and runs until the 13th. December.

See more of 'The Linen Cat' on her blog at http://thelinencat.wordpress.com/. I hope you are enjoying my handmade christmas advent calender. Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand. Then I will put all the comments into a hat and let my son/daughter pick out the winning comment, so the more comments you leave the greater the chance of winning.

Pop by tomorrow to see whose featured in Day 6 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Handmade Advent Calender and Giveaway

Day 4 - Flower Patch Felted Dome Organic Tote Bag by FeltloveCymru

Be noticed and help the environment with this quirky shopping tote bag. The bag shell is sourced from India and is unbleached certified Fairtrade Organic Cotton. The flowers are hand cut from felt made from 'ecospun' recycled post consumer plastic bottles and the multi-coloured dome embellishments are handmade using felted 100% pure wool. Gorgeous and beautifully made. You can purchase this fab from FeltloveCymru's etsy shop.

I hope you are enjoying my handmade christmas advent calender. Don't forget to leave a comment between Day 1 and Day 10 for the chance of winning a little bag of goodies made by my own fair hand. Then I will put all the comments into a hat and let my son/daughter pick out the winning comment, so the more comments you leave the greater the chance of winning.

Pop by tomorrow to see whose featured in Day 5 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Handmade Advent Calender and Giveaway - Day 3

For Advent I am putting together a 'Handmade Advent Calender'. Each day of December up to the 24th. I will feature a handmade crafter or supplier. The theme is handmade and also upcycled, local (UK based) or charity fund raising items.

I am also running a giveaway. Just leave a comment on any day between Day 1 and Day 10. Then I will put all the comments into a hat and let my son/daughter pick out the winning comment, so the more comments you leave the greater the chance of winning. The giveaway will be a little surprise package of goodies made by my own fair hand.

Day 3 - Vintage Button Ring by Ruby Spirit Designs


This handmade ring was created using recycled vintage buttons. The ring base is of copper wire, which has been permanently coated to the colour of vintage brass. The wire is 100% lead and nickel free. I think it's a striking piece and a fabulous bargain at just £5. You can buy it in Ruby Spirit's Coriandr shop here.

Pop by tomorrow to see whose featured in Day 4 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Handmade Advent Calender and Giveaway - Day 2

Fabric Buttons 'Let it Snow' by Mollimoo



Mollimoo sells the cutest buttons in her folksy and etsy shops. Day 2 showcases this cute set of 4 fabric buttons, featuring Father Christmas, a snowman, a reindeer and a Christmas tree. All set on a green background. Gorgeous! Add that finishing yuletide touch to your knitted projects or handmade designs. Each button measures 22mm

Follow Mollimoo's blog at http://mollimoo.blogspot.com/

Pop by tomorrow to see whose featured in Day 3 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

Handmade Advent Calender and Giveaway - Day 1

For Advent I will be putting together a 'Handmade Advent Calender'. Each day of December up to the 24th. I will feature a handmade crafter or supplier. The theme is handmade and also upcycled, local (UK based) or charity fund raising items.

Many of these will be my favourite sellers on Etsy, MISI, Folksy or Coriandr. They may also be blog posts, free patterns or followers of my blog.

I am also running a giveaway. Just leave a comment on any day between Day 1 and Day 10. Then I will put all the comments into a hat and let my son/daughter pick out the winning comment, so the more comments you leave the greater the chance of winning. The giveaway will be a little surprise package of goodies made by my own fair hand.

DAY 1 - 'Envy' Pocket Mirror by Hidenseek.

I love this etsy seller and have featured her in a few of my etsy treasuries. She creates the most adorable artwork.

This pocket mirror is really cute - a great stocking filler gift for $5.99 plus $3.00 postage (approx £5.60).

You can also read her great blog at http://hiddeneloise.com/

Pop by tomorrow to see whose featured in Day 2 of my handmade Advent Calender - it may be you!!

I hope you enjoy my Advent Calender and don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a little selection of handmade goodies.

Knitting Worms

That's what I'm doing at the moment - knitting worm scarves for a local illustrator and author of a new children's book. How exciting. You can read more about the book here. The illustrations are amazing, full of little creatures that buzz around every page alongside the main characters. The story deals with bullying and friendship and is great for children of all ages.

Waldo the Worm lives happily in his magical, colourful world. However, there is just one thing wrong, two jealous snails called Kelly and Shelly who are a little bit mean to poor Waldo come along. But one day when disaster strikes, Waldo becomes a hero and save the day.

The author and illustrator saw my knitted cakes and asked me if I was interested in designing a Waldo scarf. So at the moment I'm frantically knitting a batch for a local craft fair in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, next Saturday 28th. November.

But, disaster struck when I couldn't get hold of the yarns I needed and had to find substitutes, which was really time consuming. I'm back on track I think, and hope to have them finished by Saturday with no doubt a few late nights thrown in.

My little boy loves Waldo and was fascinated by the illustrations and characters in the book, which are amazing. Waldo has his own website www.waldotheworm.co.uk where you can read more about the characters and the author and you can purchase the book and three different badge packs. They'd make a really great xmas pressie.......

Birthday Giveaway by Mollimoo

Mollimoo is having a giveaway for a pretty button heart wreath, made by her own fair hand. She is also throwing in a few pieces of fabric from her stash & some 'bits 'n' bobs' too.

All you have to do is leave a comment on her blog saying which is your favourite item in her etsy or folksy shop. Be warned - it's difficult to choose as they are all gorgeous and sweet.

The link to her blog is http://mollimoo.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-birthday-giveaway.html

xx

Upcycle Christmas Folksy Competition

I've become slightly obsessed with Folksy's latest competition. Upcycle Christmas is a competition for people to take second hand / charity stuff and make it into something ‘new’ and desirable to be sold at an online. All proceeds from the auction will go to Sue Ryder Care.

I've already listed one item - a chunky neck cosy in autumn colours . I don't expect this to win any of the sections, but it's practical and will keep someone nice and warm this winter. Hopefully it will raise a few pounds. I bought the yarn in Oxfam -10 balls of Sirdar Bigga, and this cosy only took one ball. Fab bargain. I'd love it if you could support me and mark it as one of your favourites. More exciting things are in my head - hopefully I'll find the time to create some more competitive entries. I've started my second and it's going well. It involves second hand (but new) yarn bought in 'Mind', Hanley and beads from a necklace bought in Oxfam, Congleton. It's looking pretty so far......

My favourite item at the moment is the handpainted plate and napkin by Lilley's handcrafted lovelies. It's a great idea and very pretty too. I keep looking everyday to see how creative people are.

If you type 'sueryder' into Folksy's search bar and this should bring up the listed entries. What's your favourite?

Craft Magazines - what's your favourite?

I've just bought the latest Let's Knit mag and also Knit Today mag, and I wondered what everyone's favourite craft mag was? There's so many craft mags out there, you'd need a small fortune to buy them all!! Even though they are quite expensive, I buy a few each month, but I don't drink or smoke, so a girl's gotta have one vice!!

My top Five are:

Let's Knit

Sew Hip

Lets Get Crafting

Simply Knitting

Knit Today

I buy Let's Knit every month just because I love it. It's fab and funky and a great read. I often knit from the patterns too, which makes it worth buying. A few of my patterns and designs have been featured in LK, which I'm really proud of. I have all the editions of LK except the first. I've tried to buy it on ebay, but it usually goes for a ridiculous price - I'm not that desparate.

I bought Knit today too this month because it had a little free pattern book with it, with some cute designs.

I resisted Simply Knitting this month as there seemed to be a lot of jumpers and cardigans (not really my thing!). I also find Alan Dart a bit too fiddly, although his creations are absolutely fantastic. I've just used my Tesco clubcard vouchers to subscribe to Simply Knitting, so I'll be looking forward to it each month from December.

Another favourite of mine is Sew Hip Magazine. I have to say it's definitely my second fave after Let's Knit. The articles and fabric designs are really inspiring and there's always a cute little toy pattern to make. The magazine makes me want to sew, which is great, although I still haven't got round to starting a quilt yet. One day.....

I've also bought a couple of Let's Get Crafting Mags recently - one for crochet and one for knitting. They were really expensive compared to other mags, but I had a pattern published in the crochet mag, so I just had to buy it. I tried hard to resist the knitting edition, but failed miserably. Both were definitely worth buying. The free yarn was really soft and I've made some nice little cakes with it.

So what's your favourite? and have you made anything you're really proud of?

Happy Birthday MISI

MISI is one - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISI.

I can't believe it's been a year since I joined MISI. I was one the first sellers of knitted cake patterns, which was exciting, and it's been great to see the site develop and grow. I think the home page looks fab and really professional. I really need to work on my MISI shop and have some great ideas for new projects.

I've been a bit late joining the forums, mainly due to not having enough hours in the day to join in. But I've started to join in a little and want to say a big thanks to Amy from 'Art by MIMI' at http://www.artbymimi.misi.co.uk/ who posted a blog asking for other MISI sellers to follow her new blog at http://artbymimiwinfield.blogspot.com/ and in return she will follow theirs. As a result I have a few more followers, yipee. I really want to do some give aways soon, but haven't done so far because of the lack of followers. Fingers crossed I'll get a few more soon - when I get to about 20/25 followers I'll do a nice winter give away.

I love MIMI's shop - she lives in Cornwall (I'm envious!!), and living by the sea is clearly reflected in her work. I love this painting of a Cornish Tin Mine with it's lovely rich colours.

MIMI also makes some cute hand painted pillows - they'd make great xmas pressies.

Good luck to MIMI and all you MISI sellers - here's for another great year ahead.......

Happy 40th. Grettings Cake

I crocheted two pretty cupcakes - one is for sale in my etsy shop and I gave one as a gift for a work friend who was 40. I made a lovely tag which said "Happy Birthday 40". She absolutely loved it. It was passed around the office and there were lots of oohs and aarhs and requests for more. I'm not sure when I'll get round to making them as I've been quite busy lately both designing and knitting and crocheting gifts . I've designed a gorgeous little pair of baby bootees and matching hat which I'm just writing up the pattern for along with a few other designs that I can't wait to get posted.

I also need to start making some bits for a couple of craft fairs that are coming up. Cakes seem to be really popular, so I'd better get a batch of those ready. I've seen a gorgeous cake stand that I would love to buy to display my knitted cakes. I'll check my finances later this month and see if I can buy it. I'm also working on some amigurumi toys. I'm trying to make sure they're different to what's already out there, which isn't easy. There's so many different designs out there for toys, it's hard to come up with something different.

Also, it's a long process from idea to finished pattern. I tend to start designing something, making notes as I go along. Then I re-work on the design to make sure I'm completely happy with every aspect. Then the pattern needs writing up, which takes me ages, as I include photos of the different stages. Then I have to test the pattern and I usually find a few mistakes. So the pattern needs to be re-checked and re-tested. It's a long and vicious circle. By which time I'm usually completely fed up with the pattern and I put it to one side. Not a good idea as I end up with loads of unfinished patterns.

My current task is to finish the patterns that I've started. I'll let you know how I get on..........

Gluten Free Maderia Cake

I've been using my breadmaker quite a lot recently - not necessarily for gluten free bread, as I've not yet come across a recipe with ingredients that I can use (I have a sulphite allergy too). So I often make this yummy madeira cake, using the following recipe.

Wet ingredients:
butter (melted) - 3/4 cup (150g)
vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
eggs (beaten) - 3 medium
lemon juice - 2 tsp
water - 1/4 cup (60ml)

Dry ingredients:
gluten free flour (I use doves plain gluten free flour) - 1 full cup plus 5/8 cup (250g approx)
gluten free baking powder - 2 tsp
caster sugar - 1/2 cup (110g)
chopped raisins (I use sulphite free dried apricots) - 1/4 cup (41g)

Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl, and dry ingredients together in a bowl. Combine both together and mix. Pour into breadmaker and choose cake setting. My breadmaker does a bit of mixing then bakes for 80 minutes. I presume oven baking will take about the same length of time, although I haven't tried it myself. The cake is nice and moist - you wouldn't think it was gluten free. I do not use vanilla essence and it tastes nice without it. I also use a fresh lemon, not concentrated lemon, as this has a high level of sulphites. The cake needs eating quickly as there are no preservatives, so I leave mine to cool completely, cut into slices and freeze half of it straight away - otherwise I end up eating the whole lot in a couple of days - not good for the diet or the figure!! It's great with or without butter.

Let me know if you give it a try.......

Folksy Swap

I received a nice surprise in the post on Saturday. A parcel popped through the letterbox and at first I was intrigued as I knew I hadn't been internet shopping recently. Then I remembered about the Folksy swap I had agreed with elgee fink and ash. She had contacted me and asked if I was interested in a swap - one of my patterns for a handcrafted item from her shop. How exciting. I agreed of course (who can resist a swap?). I sent her three of my patterns, and in return I received a beautiful cream and blue brooch and a pretty hanging heart, both sent in a lovely knitted pouch that will be really handy to hold things (I'm thinking sanitary items? - now they won't fall out of my bag at work!!). Lorraine has lots more gorgeous goodies in her Folksy shop all made from recycled and found objects (a girl after my own heart) - just click on this link to take a look - elgee fink and ash.

Ups and Downs

Or should I say downs and ups?

Why I am down - it's a long story, but a lady once asked me how I had knitted a cupcake tea cosy that I had listed on ebay for charity fund raising. I thought she was a fellow knitter, so I shared my pattern with her in an email. I explained that I was in the process of writing it up for publishing. How shocked was I to see then see my cupcake tea cosy in Let's Knit magazine (issue 2) along with a write up about the 'designer'!!! How cheeky. I wrote to the editor and explained that I was in fact the designer - she was very apologetic. The cupcake tea cosy is very popular on etsy and on the lady's own web shop.

Although I was extremely annoyed, I left it be, as I had lots of other designs to write up.

However, the same lady has now copied my distinctive butterfly cake pattern. I'm not sure what to do - should I contact her and question her about it? or just leave it be and get on with writing up my next batch of designs and just hope that her pattern isn't as popular as mine (it's twice as expensive too, which may put people off buying it). I'm still unsure, so haven't taken any action as yet.

On the Up side I have just found two sellers on Misi selling cakes knitted from two of my patterns that have been published in Let's Knit magazine and Lets Get Crafting Crochet. It pleases me that the end product looks great when knitted by others - something I often worry about when designing -(will people be able to follow my pattern and achieve the same results). The answer is clearly yes -

Plump Pudding has knitted some beautiful cupcakes from my Sprinkles pattern, published in Let's Knit (May 2008). I love the one in the pretty little box

Natty Needles Creations has crocheted some cute cupcakes from my crochet pattern that was featured in Let's Get Crafting Croc het (June 2009). These are fab and I love the colour combinations....

Needles Aside

I put down the needles and hooks for a week or so, as we had our family holiday to Menorca. Yarn and sun creams don't mix well, so I put the needles aside and concentrated on relaxing and enjoying my family. We had a fantastic holiday and the weather was sunny and hot. The hotel was brilliant (our fourth visit to the Barcelo Pueblo in Menorca). It was spotless as usual and the food was great. I didn't starve, despite my various food intolerances and allergies. On the contrary - I ate more than I do at home, yum.


I read two fab books - The Other Boleyn Girl, which is about Anne's sister Mary. Very interesting and captivating - I couldn't put it down and would recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels.

I then read 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop. A sad, but again captivating read. I would definitely recommend both books for a great holiday read.

We're back at home now, and the kids off school, so not much crafting or designing to be done. I'm knitting and crocheting some lovely preemie stuff - blankets, gowns and hats. I've been promising myself I would do some for a while, so I'm taking some time out to finish them off for preemies UK.

I finished another pattern too just before we went away. It's a cute pattern for baby bootees. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out and can't wait to give this pair to a friend's baby at the weekend. The pattern is for three styles of baby shoes and is available in my etsy, folksy and misi shops.

Knitting Naked

Would you?..........

Well these brave ladies from Bolton did just that for their 2010 Naked Knitting Calendar.

The ladies, also known as the Knitting Noras have been working on this calender from some time and the proceeds will go to Christies - mainly because two of their knitting noras were ill with cancer and received treatment there.

As well as raising money for charity, the calender will champion British wool, promoting British breeds and small local dyeing companies, to reduce knitting air miles. The knitting noras are definitely doing their bit for climate change. The portraits are being kept secret until the calender hits the shelves. Priced at a modest £10 (plus P&P), the calender will be available from the knitting noras website. Cleck here to order your copy.

Well done to all those involved. I'm sure you will all agree, this is a fantastic idea for a great and worthy cause.

Winning Streak

It seems as though we're on a winning streak in our house. This month my daughter is featured in Cheshire Life Magazine (page 43 if anyone has it). She is photographed in this beautiful red tutu hand made by Rossetti. Then my seven year old son received a certificate and letter in the post to say his poem had been accepted for printing in a children's book on poems. He was very nonchelant about it - whist I was very excited.

On to me - my crochet cupcakes pattern is being published in a new crochet mag which is out this month (although I haven't managed to get a copy yet). I think it's called lets get crafty crochet - if anyone sees it let me know where!! Then yesterday I received an email to say I had won £50 in vouchers for a competition that I entered on Earthwhile's website. They sell some really nice eco products, so I can't wait to spend the vouchers.

Now all I need is for something good to happen for my daughter who graduated last year with a first class degree in fine art. She has been trying to establish herself as an artist. She's doing well, but really needs a job just to earn some cash. She's had a few interviews recently so GOOD LUCK!! I hope things turn out well for her.

Hubby has also applied for a job, so hopefully the good luck streak will help him too...

So, I'm send you good luck vibes through this message - I hope something good happens for you too.

My first Etsy treasury of Cakes, Knits and Cosies

I've finally created my first etsy treasury. I've been waiting for ages for the list to get below 333 so that I can create one. The way the treasury works is that once the active treasury list falls below 333 you can create a treasury of your own.

Then, last night at about 10.50pm, I suddenly remembered that the list was due to get to 333 at about 11.30pm. I quickly took a look on etsy and it was a good job I did. I must have miscalculated my timings as the list was already down to 333. So I waited patiently and it happened - when the next treasury expired and the list was at 332, the magic box appeared for a title. I couldn't believe my luck - I was 'in' and off I went, creating my own treasury. How exciting. There are so many gorgeous listings on etsy that I really was spoilt for choice.

I kept my treasury close to home - choosing my CakesKnitsandCosies name as a prompt. I chose my favourite Cakes, Knits and Cosies (although I included some crocheted listings as well!!).

I am really pleased with my treasury - it looks pretty.... It's expired now , so thanks to eveyone who left a comments.

Free Knitting Pattern - SCATS and COWLS

As well as knitting and designing cakes I've also been frantically knitting bits and bobs for a stall at the Chorlton 'Green' Festival (Manchester) which was held last Saturday. My daughter had a stall for her arts and crafts and I had promised to share the stall with her and provide some knitted stuff. The problem was - I forgot - so I had to think of some really quick knits. I thought it would be the perfect place to sell my SCATS - what's that I hear you ask?? A SCAT is a knitted tube that you can wear around your neck like a scarf or on your head like a hat. Perfect for those with dreadlocks, as the dreads come out of the top of the tube. They look great.

I used Sirdar Bigga, which is megga chunky and knits up really quickly - just the ticket. Luck was on my side when I went into Oxfam and there was a bag of 10 balls of Bigga in a lovely greeny-brown, for just £5. What a bargain.....

I managed to make quite a few in the limited colours I had. They sold like hot cakes. Here's how I made them......

(Please note these patterns are my design and are published under copyright to me (CakesKnitsandCosies). Please do not reproduce the pattern or any part of the pattern without my permission. The pattern is for personal use only - many thanks)

Materials - 1 x 100g balls Sirdar Bigga/15mm circular needles/cable needle/button

Plain neck cosy (sm/med/large) - Cast on 28/32/36 sts. Knitting in the round, knit approx 16 rounds. Cast off. This cozy will fit a small-medium head/neck.

Cabled SCAT (sm/med/large) - Cast on 28/32/36 sts. Knitting in the round, knit 4 rounds. Round 5 - [place first two sts onto cable needle, put the cable needle to the back of the work, knit next 2 sts, knit 2 sts from cable needle, Knit 3/4/5]. Repeat 4 times. Round 6-8 - knit. Round 9 - as Round 5. Round 10-12- knit. Round 13 - as Round 5. Round 14-16 knit. Cast off.

Buttoned Neck Cosy (sm/med-large) - Cast on 30/36 sts. Knit in rows (not in the round). Row 1 - Purl 4, Knit 22/28, Purl 4. Row 2 - Knit 4, Purl 22/28, Knit 4. Repeat Rows 1 and 2 [7] more times. Cast off. Sew a large button onto one end. It should slip through the knitting without the need for a button hole.

TIP for starting to knit in the round - before you start to knit in the round I find it best to swap the first and last cast on stitches (the stitches at the tip of each needle). Pass the first stitch at the tip of the left needle to the right needle knitwise. Then pass the first stitch at the tip of the right needle over the stitch that you have passed across. Leave it on the left needle and knit into the front of it. Continue knitting in the round.

TIP for casting off - when you get to the end of your cast off round you will have one stitch left on the needle. Cut yarn and thread through it under first cast off stitch from back of work to front, then pass the yarn through the last stitch and pull tight to finish off.

Cakes, Cakes and more Cakes

It's been ages since my last blog - oops. Times really flies when you're knitting. I've been busy knitting cakes for baby ballet. My daughter's dance teacher asked me to knit 12 cakes for her baby ballet class. They 'pretend' with them - buy them, carry them, place them nicely on a plate and pretend to eat them. It helps them with presentation and posture. They absolutely loved them and had loads of fun. I knitted them from my latest knitting pattern for butterfly cakes, fairy cakes and currant buns.

I also crocheted some cakes from my new crochet pattern and knitted a few doughnuts too. A nice selection for baby ballet.

My latest crochet pattern was a bit of a whirlwind really. I was contact by the Editor of a new crochet magazine. She asked me if I was interested in designing a crochet cupcake pattern - how exciting. The deadline was really tight so I only had a couple of weeks to come up with something good. The Editor sent me the yarns that will be free with the first edition, and this is what I came up with. I was really pleased with the result. I have sent the pattern and the cakes through to the mag and the response was really positive, so fingers crossed, they will be featured in the first edition.

These patterns are listed in my Etsy, MISI and Folksy online shops, if you would like to make some for yourself....

Knitted Cakes

I love to knit and crochet cakes - they really make me smile. I don't know what it is that's so appealing to me, but it's great to create the perfect cake - with no sugar, no calories and no dreaded wheat or gluten. With my wheat and gluten allergy I suppose it's a case of - 'If I can't eat them, I'll knit them instead'.

People at work think I'm crazy with my knitting, I often knit them little 'treats', and actually they've been quite impressed, despite their cynicism. 'Why would anyone want a knitted cake' they laugh - but when they see one, they generally accept that they are quite appealing....

I am just on the point of finishing another knitted cake pattern. In fact I've revamped a previous pattern that sold well, but I felt it needed upgrading a little, due to the fact that I designed it a couple of years ago, when there were very few knitted cake patterns around. There are now so many other cake patterns on the market that my patterns need a bit of a make-over to give them the wow factor. Any day now the pattern will be ready - so keep looking for a sneak preview.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to show you a few of my favourite things on MISI - my top 5 cake related yummies......

Number one is this pretty Cupcake card from Dots and Spots - This would definitely make me smile...





Number two is this nostalgic print from SaintKitten - who also has some gorgeous vintage button brooches too. This cute little deer and french fancies take me back to my childhood. My favourites were the chocolate ones.

Number three was a difficult one to choose, because the Karen at the pink fairy cake has so many gorgeous things in her MISI shop. I decided on her felt cake, just because I love felt food and it looks so pretty.

Now I've got a dilemma as I just logged onto MISI and there's a new seller selling more felt cakes. These are so sweet that I must include them too. Daisy Daydreams has more handcrafted goodies for sale - so take a look in her MISI shop

Last but definitely not least is this yummy felt bunting from Nickynackynoo. What a great way to feel in the tea party mood all the time.

That all for now - I hope you've enjoyed my delicious delights from MISI.

Scrub-a-dub-dub

I've finally finished writing up my new crochet pattern - it's take ages but I'm really happy with it. I used Microsoft Publisher this time which is much easier that word, and I created a pdf so that it is in a fixed format and can be sent by email. As usual, this pattern is for sale in my etsy shop and in my folksy shop.

The pattern is for four different scrubbie patterns, four matching wash cloths and a strap to keep the scrubbies tidy. I've been happily testing the pattern for a while and now have loads of scrubbies in little stacks everywhere.

The great thing about cotton scrubbies is that you don't have to buy stuff that you simply throw away - cotton wool balls are a great example and they're often not even made of cotton anyway!! They can be washed over and over - there's always room in the washing machine for a little scrubbie. I've been using them in the kitchen for ages - I have three or four that I cycle round, so I always have one handy when another one's in the wash. They should last for years too - so they're great for the environment.

The housework has taken a bit of a hit whilst I've been writing up and testing this pattern - so now it's time to catch up with washing and ironing, cleaning and vacuuming.

I have an idea for another crochet pattern already developing in my head, so I'll soon be back to the drawing board.

I'd love to hear your comments - I'll be giving away some freebies soon - so keep watching this space........

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake

I've just finished crocheting this lovely cheesecake. I love creating these - each one ends up different. This would make a great pin cushion or a fab fun gift. It's for sale in my etsy shop and in my folksy shop too. I've recently joined folksy. I think it's a great site. I'm not sure how widely known it is, but there's definitely some gorgeous handiwork on there. Great for UK crafters.

I crocheted the cheesecake as I needed a break from writing up a crochet pattern - I've been working on it for ages - writing it, checking it, changing it, testing it, changing it......... I've been going round in circles with it (pardon the pun!!). BUT, I'm almost there with the pattern, I just need to check it one more time then transpose the English terminology to US, so that the pattern is available in both. I'll be posting a sneak preview soon, so keep looking.....