A knightly make for Sir Digby

So far I have used this pattern for Sir Patch, Sir Reuben, Sir Casper, Sir Joshua and now Sir Digby. If you have a knight that needs a new tabard then this is oh so good. The pattern is from Emma Hardy's Cute and Easy Costumes for Kids. Actually, if you have a child that needs any costume then this is a brilliant book.


The tabard is mainly sewn by hand using satisfyingly speedy embroidery floss. I most certainly think it is worth using thick quality felt for this make... I made Sir Patch his costume over two years ago and it is still looking knightly. The pattern also includes pieces for a helmet and boots and recommends a grey jersey. I found a dark grey knit fabric in John Lewis a few years ago, with added sparkle... it was during the festive season! While ideal for the chain mail look it is horrible to sew with. Far too slinky. I must have envisioned dressing many knights as I still have plenty of this fabric sliding around in my fabric pile. And the poor knights I have been responsible for dressing have been left barefoot as I decided that wellies would happily complete the outfit.

Do hope you had a happy birthday, Sir Digby!

Feeling rather glum... missing Patch as term started today and far too quiet at home, and still feeling rotten with a cold and aches that have been around for weeks. Rotten. Just might go and catch up with The Village before the walk to school. Hope all had a fun first day back at school!

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Ems' birthday socks

I promise I was assured that dear Ems did indeed dream of owning a pair of handknit socks...for some reason to give a pair of socks as a present to an uninitiated in the joys of handknit socks seems rather risky. Well, to give the first pair of socks ever knitted by me seemed risky, there are some dreamy handknit ones knitted by others. And this is why I felt rather nervous


a present that looked oh so similar to two old dishcloths.

And as wrong as it seemed to try on these socks before giving them as a present I felt it was an important thing to do, and so I slipped in my - clean - toes. And oh my. Now I see why people knit socks. Here they are looking far more sock like


I used Jenny Lord's Basic Boy Socks pattern, from Purls of Wisdom, and followed the suggestions to adapt to make into a daintier sock. I quite enjoy knitting on many needles (well, four) and liked following the sections of the pattern. The wool is Wendy roam in Derwent, a 4 ply great for socks it says. I'm not sure you could actually do anything like walking in these socks but they are rather nice for lounging in. And so I do see why people knit socks because I too want a snug pair for lounging, maybe the girly cloud-nine socks from Purls of Wisdom. Though this pair took me an age to finish... it somehow felt that I had knitted my first pair of socks when I had finished the first. And sometime during the second I did rather loose the will. Sadly I am no Anna Makarovna (War and Peace) able to knit two socks at once...

Happy birthday dear Ems!

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A happy Easter...

Well, happy-ish! It all started rather well, as my sis and family came to visit and we don't see them nearly enough. Patch was so excited to have some fun with his cousins. And we did have a few days before nasty illness struck... sunny days playing in the forest, scooting in Aldeburgh, but it was oh so cold. Patch managed a fun Easter egg treasure hunt with Reuben and Casper... and then didn't move from the sofa for a few days. Poor thing. And gradually we all succumbed, so not the cheeriest of Easter times here!

Tricky to take a cheery bright photograph of the Easter makes this year as the weather has been so glum, so these are the best photographs of the thank you presents Patch took to school


Tucked in the jar was a sweet springtime bath bomb and a knitted flannel


I used the waffle knit dishcloth pattern found on Ravelry, and have only just realised it glamourously calls itself a dishcloth rather than a flannel or washcloth. Well, I think it also makes a sweet flannel! I used the smallest needle size recommended for the wool, Rowan handknit cotton, as I wanted a tight knit. The wool was found in my please-do-use-me-basket in a shade appropriately called ice water (it was snowing here again yesterday!)

Looking forward to us all feeling brighter next week. And maybe the weather too? Hope you had a merry Easter time!

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red riding hood

The oh so sweet oliver + s red riding hood from little things to sew. I do say it a few times, most likely when using an oliver + s pattern, but this was a dream to sew!


Main fabric is a red cord, just as I wanted, though with an unfortunate habit of turning anything else in a wash load a non too delicate shade of pink. This meant that my initial lining fabric purchase of a cheery large bright blue gingham wouldn't work. Obviously I only discovered this when I really should have already made and lovingly parcelled the cape up for a little lady's birthday. So with no time for searching the delightful internet fabric shops I had to shop local and oh my it was difficult to find a fabric to coordinate yet with a dark enough background to take the pink if this cape should ever need to be washed. This lining isn't a matchy match but somehow I think it works and though not a dark background I feel it could take a pink tint and still look sweet. No idea what the fabric is other than a cotton found in the depths of the local shop...

Anyway I cut the large size (5-10 years) as the birthday lady is 6. It is rather large. And other than saying it really is a dream to sew the next time I make one I may be tempted to position the arm slits a little higher. Or maybe increase the size of the slits? Suppose they may be very well placed for an older child...

I had a slightly sniffy moment when asking Patch to try it on... for the first time EVER he looked at something and hesitated because it was girly. This from the boy whose favourite colour is pink and adores flowers. Sob.



Parcelled up with this



Do hope you had a happy birthday, Lucy!

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A jolly red nose day

And Patch did look rather jolly going to school this morn


Luckily Patch was keen to dress up as a clown - it is currently his chosen profession when a grown up - as we could re-use most of the clown outfit made a few years ago when P was in Nursery. A quick sew of buttons onto a bigger tee, though surprisingly the clown trousers do still fit. I used the basic trouser pattern from Emma Hardy's cute and easy costumes for kids.

Hmmm... those buttons looked more evenly spread last night. Probably I should have paid more attention to the buttons and less on watching Made in Dagenham...

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A broken rib stitch scarf

Made for Mr R's birthday in January and still being worn today as it is oh so snug. And we have snow. I cast on for the width of scarf Mr R requested and then happily spent many hours knitting. Broken rib is so simple and so perfect for knitting while watching the television.


Mr R chose his wool... Debbie Bliss Paloma in Camel. A beautifully soft alpaca and merino blend, knit on 10mm needles so satisfyingly quick. It did take a few balls though to get the length of scarf required, so not a cheap scarf. Happily this scarf keeps on growing (sounds nicer than stretching-think it must be the weight) and is taking on Dr Who-like dimensions...

More birthday makes soon!


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Birthday knitted wristwarmers

Hmmm, any dear friend who has had a birthday so far this year has had a pair of these knitted for them... maybe I should stop if spring is truly here. It has been a dreamy sunny day today but I would happily have still worn some of these going to school this morn, so maybe time for a few more pairs yet.


This is the wristwarmers with contrast rib pattern (with no contrast!) from Anna Wilkinson's Learn to Knit Love to Knit. I really do like the contrast rib shown in the book, particularly the contrast cast on row, but went for the solid look for these presents. I also made the wristwarmers a few rows longer than stated for extra snugness.

The red are knitted in one ball of Debbie Bliss cashmerino dk, and the green in one ball of Rowan pure wool dk in parsley.


I was looking for a mustard like yellow to knit the latest pair, and on a dreary day in the local woolshop this colour did look a little mustard like. In reality it is more of a gold colour though looks orange in the photo. Oh dear, another dreary day. This time I used Sublime cashmere merino silk dk, and needed two balls with most of the second ball now in the please-remember-to-use-me wool basket. Which really must be moved as we have discovered Miss Ethel likes a ball of cashmerino as much as I do. Oh and google informs me that the colour of this wool is actually marmalade. I still say it is more yellow...

And Miss Ethel! We have adopted a kit... again.


A sweet kit who likes nothing more than snoozing. Which could be why she is rather tubs. Diet and exercise regime have started. Actually, there is something Ethel likes as much as a snooze... my wool basket. As Mr R discovered one day when he found her blissfully tangled up in an entire ball of cashmerino. No acrylic blends for Ethel.

Off to make rhubarb custard biscuits!

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