Here's what I've been up to.......

Hi all,

thought I'd check in with a quick update and let you know what I've been up to.

It's a girl!

So, after finding out that my sister's imminent arrival is going to be a girl I've been on a mission to find beautiful girlie wool and some lovely vintage inspired patterns. 

Here's what I've been making so far.........

I'm using a pattern that I used for the cardigan I made my best friend's baby a few months ago. I managed to find this peach wool which I think really suits the project. 

Making gifts for my little nephew

My youngest nephew is going to be two in just under two weeks. He loves his cuddly toys and I love making home made gifts for him. Thanks to the array of wonderful patterns to be found online, I came across a pattern for a Herdwick sheep. 

Here are all the parts knitted.....

Cable knit body, four legs, two part head, two ears and a cable knit tail

.....You'll be able to find pictures of the finished Herdy (once he's been filled with some toddler friendly toy stuffing) over on my Facebook page.

Old rope for a new rug

Thanks to some inspiration from a fellow maker on Kollabora, I've got big plans for this old climbing rope. I don't like waste and I certainly don't like letting my climbing ropes end up in the bin. 

Stay tuned to see what I do to this little beauty :)

.........and last but not least - Shaker peg rails

Whilst I'm talking climbing rope I thought I'd tell you about my plans for creating a Shaker style peg rail for my other climbing ropes - my husband and I have many!

I love the shaker style pegs - simple and elegant. I'm planning to make one of my own, sourcing pegs the right size and weight to hold several heavy ropes. I'm also going to source a piece of wood for the rail that will add some character to the display. A friend of mine (who turns out to be a bit of an amateur carpenter) has offered me the use of his wood work tools. Along with my GCSE in Resistant materials (woodwork to me), I'm hoping to create something extra special for my much loved climbing gear. 

I'd love to hear what you're all up to this weekend and if you've got any crafty projects on the go. Feel free to leave your comments below.

Best wishes,

KnittyNora xx

Psst.......did you know that my psychedelic sweater was selected for a Kollabora collection. Find it here 

Looking on the bright side.

The last year has been a rather busy and testing time for me. Due to ill health, I am currently unable to go to work and have been making regular trips to see my GP and consultant at the hospital. Being a person who is normally running around in the mountains and climbing things, I've found this rather difficult. However, I'd like to think of myself as an optimistic person and therefore have pledged to use this time, whilst taking it easy at home, to consider those things that are most important to me and to look forward to the many new adventures this year has to offer.

Home improvements

After watching the Great Interior Design Challenge on BBC2 I have been inspired to start adding some personality to my home. I'm planning to start simple - cushions, throws, etc, but would love to do a bit of decorating and inject a bit of colour to the place (once I'm well enough). My home is jam packed with outdoor gear and I would love to make more of a feature of this rather than just trying to hide it away in cupboards. My husband and I are both musicians too. His guitars have finally made it onto the walls but now I want more :)

Babies, babies, babies........

This year my sister will have her second baby. Her next scan is due on Valentine's day. She's planning to find out the sex of the baby this time which means I will get the chance to go out and buy some girl or boy specific yarn. Last time round I opted for safe white and lemon. This little hat (above) was one of the first gifts I gave my new little nephew. He's now nearly two and has a lot of handmade gifts from his favourite auntie :)

My best friend will also be planning her baby's christening for this summer which means finding a lovely outfit for me.....I may even try and make one if I'm feeling really brave! And of course, I'll have to make the little one something special to mark the occasion.

Developing All you need is craft

Whilst I have this time on my hands, I'd like to develop the range of things I create. A few people have asked me whether I sell the things I make. The answer - no. I would love to but with a full-time job I've had little time to focus on creating my own little business. I would love to increase my audience and know that there are people out there wearing something I have made.

If any of you have any experience of making and selling/setting up a small business I would love to hear your thoughts. I'm sure my other readers would also enjoy some of your words of wisdom.

A treat for you

If you pop over to my Facebook page you'll find a great little offer, especially for my followers/likers, from Pepper Ink. They make a fabulous range of temporary tattoos, including some new, craft inspired ones. 

You can find the offer here: All you need is craft

Wishing you all a good week,

KnittyNora xx

A little hello from me

Hi all!

I've been a bit busy recently with returning to work and trying to adjust to new routines.
Fear not, I have managed to fit in a bit of crafting when I've been able to grab some me time.

I'm currently enjoying my lunch break and preparing myself for the pile of work I have to get through before home time........

....... in the meantime, here's a little sneak peek at what I've been up to.................


I've mostly been making:

• Cosy slippers as gifts for family
• A funky pompom adorned hat for a close friend's birthday
• Messing around with gardening wire and i-cord to create a project inspired by something I saw in Mollie Makes.

I'll be back later to show off some pics :)

Hope you're all having a good day.

KnittyNora xx

The journey back to health

After a very long break, I am back at work. Wow! Now that's a shock to the system :)

As many of you will already know, I have been very poorly this year. After many hospital appointments and a few too many stays in hospital, I think I'm on the road to recovery. I've still got a few appointments with my specialist coming up but am hopeful that I can start getting my life back to 'normal'.

Since my last operation, in early October, I've been keeping myself sane by knitting gifts for friends and family. This time of year is a rather busy one for me with several birthdays and the lead up to Christmas. And not forgetting the birth (nearly three weeks ago now) of my best friend's first child - baby Jack.

This year's gifts have included cosy snoods, chunky knit slippers and some very practical hand warmers for a fellow crafter.

Here's a sneak peek at what I've been making......no complaints so far :)

Update - 2/1/2014

As you can probably tell, the above was written just before Christmas.....since then I've had the flu :(

Trying to get myself back to health and looking forward to learning some new crafty skills thanks to some beautiful gifts I received for Christmas. My mission this year is to master crotchet. I WILL have my own granny square blanket by the end of 2014.....fingers crossed :) 


Here's hoping that you all enjoyed the festive break.

Best wishes,

KnittyNora xx

Slowly but surely......

Hello lovely readers! It sure has been a while.....a very long while.

I'm pleased to say that I am now resting up at home after having an operation two and a half weeks ago. Over the past few days I've managed to pick up my knitting needles again and have made a start on some Christmas gifts. Think cosy, warm slippers and snoods.....yum!

Here are a couple of pics, especially for you:

My very happy feet and slipper socks

Using a multi colour wool created a lovely multi tonal design 

I've also made these in a couple of other colours, ready to be wrapped up for Christmas and given to their new owners :)

I'm also making some baby clothes for a special friend who is about to become a mummy for the first time. I love making baby items and especially love making things for people I love. 

Hope you're all keeping well. Pop back soon for a sneak peek at some of my other new makes.

KnittyNora xx

Birds of prey, visiting friends, a 40th birthday and a hospital visit.

It's been a busy week or so for me......a hospital visit to see my consultant, a lovely visit from some friends and my husband's 40th birthday.

As I'm sure you can imagine, this left me feeling more than a bit tired :) Here's a little sneak peek at what I got up to...........

A gentle stroll around Ennerdale water

A ride on L'al Ratty

Delicious and homemade (gluten free) birthday cake 

A visit to the Penrith birds of prey centre..........

Very beautiful Harris Hawk.....

..........and very well behaved too 

Otto the owl enjoying a tasty chicken bone

Beautiful close up of Otto the owl

And some new makes...........

Bow detail for my new jumper

My new chunky knit jumper

I love oversized jumpers......getting ready for the colder months already :)

Love,
KnittyNora xx

Well, hello there!

Over the last few weeks I've been trying to keep myself busy with lots of crafty projects. Since I'm not able to climb or go out walking I've had to find lots of other things to keep me busy..........

Project one: Cable knit cushion

Here is a little look at the cable knit cushion I've been working on....

Triple cable 

Up close

I've made this from a pattern I designed myself. This can be tricky but it also allows you to amend and tailor the pattern as you go along, which is great.

If anyone would like the pattern details once I've finished please get in touch......

I've made up quite a few of my own patterns and would love to know if people would like me to share them.

Project two: Make do and mend.....continued.

And so, another pair of cords get a make over.

Here they are before:

Plain old cords

and here they are after I went a bit crazy with them :)

My (almost finished) dungarees

What do you think? 

Project three: What to do with all this fabric?

A selection of my new fabrics

A nice little close up

And so.....what does a girl do with all this fabric (and a few more pieces stashed away!)?!

I'm thinking a couple of new skirts and possibly a dress....... what do you think?


I'm off to play with my sewing machine......pop back soon for a peek at my complete cushion and perhaps a peek at something new :)

Best wishes,
KnittyNora xx