The as I've forgotten to take any photographs of the Halloween make you'll have to make do with this post

I really thought I had taken a photograph of P's Halloween make. Oh well, hopefully the sun shall come out sometime this weekend and I really will take that photograph. So in the absence of anything spooky, here is the reliable birthday present make for P's friends. Again. Though at the request of friend's Mummy, as when I enquired as to possible presents this is what she suggested as he still loves last years version. Obviously this made me happy as I don't really know how these handmade presents are truly received by the child!

Happy birthday, Henry! 

Today is oh so gloomy and full of rain - just perfect as the postman has delivered a parcel of wool! I am trying some Drops merino - has anyone used it? Hoping for some lovely soft wool in the parcel so I can make a start on Christmas makes. My parents are visiting my sister in Holland next week and the plan is that they take Christmas presents with them, so I really must just sit and knit. And we are off to the cinema this afternoon - what a treaty day! Mum and Dad are collecting P from school, Mr R     is finishing off his work for the week,  so we are going to see Pride - along with the grannies of Woodbridge, because who else goes to the cinema on a Friday afternoon? Perfect rainy Friday activities.

I made a t-shirt...

I really think this may have been my first attempt sewing with knits. And it was so satisfying! I've been tempted with made by Rae's flashback skinny tee for an age as I love that style of tee on Patch. As he has got older it has become more difficult to find fun yet cute prints on tees, and regular visits to the delightful kitschy coo tempted me even more with all those amazing prints!

Just before the summer holidays I saw this knightly print - perfect for P who was having fun exploring castles and fairy tales at school. By the time I saw this print there was just one metre available but I didn't let that deter me - these knit fabrics come in generous widths so I convinced myself I could squeeze a tee for a seven year old out of one meter. Finally I purchased the pattern for the flashback skinny tee (a digital download from backstitch)  and some navy organic ribbing and set to.

This tee was made entirely on my sewing machine with a stretch stitch and a needle suitable for jersey fabric and I was a little unsure how my machine - and I - would cope. Oh my! I was amazed by the this-looks-like-it-came-from-a-shop finish on the seams and neck and arm cuffs. And so with this confidence I decided to add a contrast row of stitching around the neckband, just like some of P's shop bought tees. I shouldn't have. Where I thought this would make the neck sit nice and flat as the stitches caught the seam of the neckband on the inside, it actually stretched the shape and made it look a bit more, well, like I had made it. And then I attempted to stitch a hem rather than have a rolled unfinished hem. It is possible - just - to squeeze a tee for a seven year old out of one meter of fabric but only with a teeny hem. I think a wider hem may have encouraged the knit fabric to lie flat, but as it is it eagerly flips and rolls up. So really I should have just left the bottom edge unfinished. And yet I'm still happy with this and shall no doubt be making some more. And P? He loves it!

A pebble vest for Baby Leo... and some sweet trousers too

My dear friend became Mama to Baby Leo a little earlier than expected, which meant that news of his arrival coincided with wool week. I needed no further encouragement. I found some of Patch's baby clothes to parcel up and wanted to send a little handknit too. The pebble vest ( a free pattern by the Thrifty Knitter - on Ravelry here) is perfect for premature babies as it is a fairly small knit, though it can easily be made larger by changing the wool and size needle used.

I had some Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino in the oh-so-full wool basket, which went nicely with the little pile of baby clothes, and so I cosied up for a few hours

A sweet brown vest. I then found at that Leo was too big for P's little clothes and so tried to find some  trousers to go with the already knitted top. The local choice of clothes for an early baby was limited to blues or pinks, a distinct lack of neutrals or anything to go nicely with the sweet brown vest. And then I remembered  I make things! I had seen the dear baby pants by purl bee and was waiting for a suitable excuse. The comments suggested that the smallest size was indeed small so they seemed ideal. It was now a Saturday eve, and so with no hope of a local fabric shop being open on a Sunday, I studied what I already had. I was hoping to find a cheery turquoise gingham (I know I have some somewhere...) and had in fact dashed into the amazing local button shop just before closing on Saturday and purchased these buttons in anticipation. But no, I have no idea where that piece of gingham is. I did find some brown mice fabric and a so soft flannel baby blanket of P's 

A sweet, so quick pair of baby trousers. Just waiting for a baby's bottom. Can you imagine? Baby Leo now has his vest and trousers and the back view of these trousers with a baby bottom in them is so adorable. And here's the front, not quite so exciting... Leo does appear to have mice dancing on their heads from the front view but I'm sure no-one will notice...

An autumnal roller skate dress

As soon as I saw this fabric it seemed just the right thing for an autumn version of oliver + s' roller skate dress... Well, actually, as soon as my friend saw it and wondered if she might sew something for herself, I knew it was just the thing. I do hope I didn't put her off with my excitement about sewing a dress for a two year old with it. The fabric is a daisy print on a gorgeous mustard by Cosmo and was purchased at fabric rehab

And I know last time I said that I would be making a wider bow for any future versions, but here I used some navy velvet ribbon which looks fine on this size 2 dress, though I  would still make it wider for the larger sizes.

The lining is a navy check - because I felt there wasn't enough print already. I like its busy-ness - I only hope Polly does too. Though at two I'm sure she has little opinion, so let us hope mummy Jo approves. The navy gingham poplin was also from fabric rehab.

Finished with a button from Great Gran's tin... Happy birthday, Polly!

String bags... for me!

I do love string bags and after making a few this summer as Patch's school thank yous I decided to carry on and make myself one too. Well, two, as I couldn't possibly decide which pattern I liked more.  These have been so well used as can clearly be seen in this photograph

It has grown. Or stretched.  And I think continues to do so with every use. It is another everything & anything crochet string bag from dottie angel's and ted & agnes' granny chic and again I changed the handles so they are wider and longer. And then I made them even longer than the first version and really I shouldn't. I used three balls of Rico design creative cotton aran in light green and it obviously has a lot more stretch to it than the rather sturdy rowan cotton I used first time.

One of its first outings was to the brompton world championships at Goodwood this summer - Mr R and dear Ems took part, and Patch had a lot of fun riding around the circuit too. Which meant that I could sit and wave enthusiastically and then happily read Mollie Makes. I haven't made many of the free kits that come with Mollie Makes but that day, sitting in the sun and glancing over to my already growing string bag, I decided that the cherry brooch would look rather fine dangling from it. I have since starched it in a hope that it will stay flat-ish

And the second string bag is the free pattern on the classic elite yarn site again - the Provence summer string bag. 

Another summery colour from Rico designs essentials cotton dk - this time banana. Yum. 

It has been a while since a granny square from Simply Crochet's granny a week has appeared here - they are making a pretty pile as I continue to crochet them. Granny Iris is causing problems. I did think her unsightly shape could be tamed with a severe blocking but no. Granny Iris is refusing to co-operate. As it is still wool week I may excuse myself from the rest of the afternoon and have another go. So hopefully you shall see a Granny here next week. Quite why I can't just skip this Granny and continue to show you some of the others I'm not sure... Happy weekend!

This is my favourite and best, Mummy... The Lego tee

Patch loves this t... I made it in April for a birthday Legoland treat and it has been worn so much since, and is still looking fine.  I drew the head shape onto the yellow fabric, painted the features on and then with the help of bondaweb stuck the head shape onto the t. I then simply edge stitched around the head, so over the months there has been a little fraying of the edges but not much at all. And really this t has been worn a lot!

It is a lovely autumnal day here today... a rainy and windy day, perfect for being inside snug with the heating on and some woolly make. Well it is wool week! And my dear friend has just become Mama to sweet baby Leo so I must knit... I'm off to curl up with Ethel and some wool

Another pocketed easy drawstring skirt

The pockets get mentioned first because they are what make these little, simple skirts into sweet little skirts

I used Melly Sews easy skirt tutorial with a few changes as last time ( see my first version here). Hmm, yes rather similar as the first skirt as I had more of this pink cord waiting to be used. I absolutely love this contrast fabric on the pockets - spring scrapbook from Cloud 9's shape of spring collection in petal pink - purchased on a fun pop to fabric rehab with a friend. I've ordered from fabric rehab many a time but hadn't made it to their shop. What a mistake as it's so close! Never let me moan about lack of exciting fabric shops near-ish by.

I picture this certainly as an autumnal and winter skirt, worn with grey wool cable tights, knitted jumper and a pair of snug boots. I think there are patterns I would rather use for a lighter weight skirt but I do like this one for cord.

Lovingly parcelled up with a Charlie and Lola book for a soon to be four year old. Happy birthday, Isabel!