Spring cleaning my craft room

Oh, I do love a good spring clean.

Making the most of some help from my husband, I've been reorganising of my little house. After some much needed storage was added to our livingroom, we began making our way through the clutter in our spare room (also known as my craft room). We moved into our house 5 years ago and, during this time, a lot has happened. What remains are boxes full of teaching resources, books we no longer read and a collection of random odds and ends that we have no use for. Cue a major declutter of shelves and cupboards, a trip to the tip and a rather generous donation to our local charity shops.

Whilst I had to leave the heavy lifting to P, I was able to dust and clean the shelves before putting back a much reduced and reorganised book collection. I'm finally able to put my boxes full of yarn on the shelves and love how clear and organised everything is.

We still have a few bits to organise and spare furniture to dismantle before putting in the loft, but it feels like we're on our way to having the room finished.....finally!

My ever growing collection of Mollie Makes magazine
(in numerical order... obviously ! 😃)

Just a couple of crochet books so far

A few of my knitting books.....yet to be put into some kind of order 😃

I'm currently trying to make up my mind about a very important purchase......a new sewing machine! I've narrowed it down to the Singer Confidence range (after seeing some good reviews and because I'm going to use my Tesco vouchers to purchase it). I was originally looking at the 7465 but since this is currently out of stock, I've been looking at the 7470. It comes with some great features but I'm still not sure which to get. Do I wait for the more basic version or go for the upgrade which should then last me a very long time as I develop my sewing repertoire....?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Have any of you ever used or owned either of the Singer Confidence models? Any tips?

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday and hoping that, wherever you may be, you get to enjoy a little sunshine.

Best wishes

KnittyNora xx

Adventures of the crafty kind.

Hello, it's me again! 

So, by now you'll probably be used to the fact that my posts have become rather...... well, sporadic. Due, in most part, to my complete lack of energy. This can be very frustrating at times. Most recently, I've been thinking about my blog and the content that I post. For a long time I have be wary of posting too much about my health issues because I'm not someone who likes to share for sharing's sake. I'm also not very good with sympathy... :/

Some months ago I met and made friends with the loveliest lady. She has become something of an inspiration to me and is always so encouraging of my crafty plans and projects. We regularly meet for a natter, a chai tea and to share pattern ideas and inspirations. I always leave feeling uplifted and full of confidence that the things I make are 'good enough' and well made. More about this in future posts...

For the past couple of months I have had to rest and take extra special care of myself. During this time I have been making and creating when I can. My crochet skills have continued to develop and I am really pleased with my new found skills. I have become something of a convert to crocheting. I still love a bit of knitting but have to admit that crocheting is a lot quicker and easier to transport around (very important when you're travelling to and from hospital appointments).

Below are some pictures of my most recent makes. As you will see, most are crochet projects and home furnishings.

Mossa stitch cushion cover against our new charcoal sofa

Mossa stitch in the great outdoors

My very own granny square cushion design
(This will sit alongside the Mossa cushion on the sofa)

An extra special gift for a very special lady

Here, at KnittyNora HQ, we are in the middle of some redecorating/re-imagining of our home. We have lived in our little house for 5 1/2 years now and the signs of wear and tear are becoming very obvious. Cue lots of online research for design ideas and the purchase of a few litres of paint. Thankfully, my husband has been on hand to help out and has been busy putting together shelving units (got to love IKEA!) and has made a start on the painting. It gets very frustrating that I'm unable to help with much of this work but for now I am focusing on the positives and keeping my hands busy with some crochet accessories to finish off the final look.

I shall sign off with a photo of my beautiful pooch, Buster (seen here showing off a crochet bandana I made for him). This gorgeous boy never fails to put a smile on my face 😘

Until next time, much love and best wishes,

KnittyNora xx

The return of KnittyNora

Well, hello there :)

Yes, yes, I know it's been a while but I promise that I have a good excuse...

As ever, my health has gotten in the way of my blogging. I've tried to post on my Facebook page when I can but I'm guilty of letting things slip a little. I won't try and promise that I won't do it again because I just don't know how I'm going to feel from day to day. What I can promise is that I will try my very best to post updates here whenever I can. Deal...? 

I've posted previously about my health issues but have always felt that I didn't want to bore you all with my moans and concerns or turn this into a blog about my silly body. Instead, I'd like this blog to be about my crafting adventures and, more recently, my adventures with my gorgeous puppy, Buster. 

Buster being gorgeous

I'm not embarrassed about talking about my health issues (I have Endometriosis and severe IBS) and am happy to share my experiences with people should that wish to hear about it. In short, I don't want to inundate you lovely people with information you might not want to know.  I can say, however, that my crafting and baking have been a huge help to me when I've been feeling at my worst. There are some days when I don't have the energy to do much at all but sometimes I just pick up some wool and some knitting needles and just start making and creating. Focusing my mind on something other than medicine and hospital appointments offers a much needed sense of relief and the sense of achievement when I finish a project (no matter how small or simple) is wonderful.

Just over 5 weeks ago I had to go into hospital for an operation. Coming home to my knitting and my lovely pup (and not forgetting my husband!) made my recovery a lot more bearable.

Here are a few pictures of my most recent creations so that you can see what I've been up to whilst I've been away......

The 'shell' necklace

Knitted shell design necklace - just need to add the fastening

The pattern for this lovely necklace was a random find thanks to a fellow crafty lady that I follow online. She had posted a link to some patterns that created from small amounts of yarn (think - patterns to use up your leftovers from larger projects). I loved this necklace and started making one right away. I decided to choose the soft green colour as I thought it would look a little more grown up and would work nicely with lots of different outfits, whether it be for daytime or night time.

The Nordic cafetiere cosy

The Nordic design cafetiere cosy I made for my husband. He loves it.

 I've been promising to make something for my husband for some time now. I haven't made anything for him since the beanie hats I made for him a few years ago, when I'd first started knitting (not counting the abandoned cable knit jumper I started a few winters ago). He loves his coffee and is a big fan of Nordic and Fairisle designs. After finding some lovely Nordic pattern books in my local library, I was really happy when my husband picked out this design. He chose the red and the white (which I already had tucked away in my stash - very handy) and that was that. I'm really pleased with the results and so is he - a win all round.

Vintage inspired baby blanket in pastel shades

The vintage inspired baby blanket I've been making for a special friend

This is a quick picture taken just before I finished the blanket so that I could post about it's progress on my Facebook page. When I say 'finished' what I really mean is that I've done the knitting and now I just need to sit and weave in the ends.... for now though, I've been distracted with some new patterns. Thankfully it doesn't have to be finished for a couple of months. Plenty of time :)

Nordic inspired, knitted bunting

The pattern for this bunting came from another library find. The book, called 'fair isle and nordic knits', is full of lovely designs that are bursting with colour and perfect for practising your fair isle knitting skills. I loved this pattern as soon as I saw it and knew it would be perfect for me to work on after my operation since I could do a little bit at a time and could quickly knit up a flag when I felt up to it. I've now knit the number of flags I need and just need to decide how I'm going to join them - do I knit a cord or sew them onto a nice length of ribbon? 

Looking forward to decorating my spare room come craft room with these beauties :)

Knitted sampler 

A great project for perfecting your multi strand knitting skills

The pattern for this sampler came from the same book as the knitted bunting/flags. I love the idea of making small designs that I can hang around the house. Again, this pattern is perfect for when I'm in the mood for a short project that keeps my mind busy and is ready in no time. I've yet to decide where to hang this..... I'm thinking the hallway so that my visitors can admire it as they walk into my cosy little home.

And on the recipe front........

Besides the knitting, I've also been busy trying to create recipes for the new diet I've been put on by my IBS specialist. Basically, all my ideas of healthy, home cooked food have gone out of the window, My diet is now restricted to meat, fish, eggs, milk, butter, rice, carrots, potatoes and sugar. All I can add is salt, not even pepper! Gone are the spices and herbs and in are simple and plain dishes that many would find uninspiring. Me being me, I have to have a go at making and adapting recipes so that I can brighten up meal times. So far, I've adapted a macaroon recipe and found a fudge recipe that should satisfy my sweet cravings.

I've currently got a batch of said fudge cooling in it's tray........time for me to say goodbye and go and have a cheeky taste.


More recipes and stories of my knitting adventures to follow soon.......


KnittyNora xxxxx

It's been a while....

Hi all,

yes, it certainly has been a while since I last blogged, sorry. As I logged in for the first time, in a VERY long time I discovered a post I had started in October of last year (posted, incomplete, below). 

Being poorly really can get in the way of my making and blogging :( As far as my health is concerned, I am back and forth to the hospital as usual but now have a new gastro team in Manchester. Yes, a bit of a trek for me (minimum of 2 1/2 hour each way) but I am hopeful that they can help.

On the crafting front - I've continued to make and design things since I last spoke to you all. I managed to keep my promise to make all of the birthday gifts for my nieces and nephews last year and am continuing to make gifts for my youngest nieces and nephews this year.

Here's a pic of just a couple of things I've made: 

In other news...

Say hello to Buster 

Here is a picture of my lovely puppy, Buster, on the day we brought him home. He was just 9 weeks old when we got him from the rescue shelter. He has filled my life with so much happiness and fun over the past 6 months. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this little man. 

You'll notice that he has grown some what since we got him.................

Buster and I posing in the sun 

'It's very tiring being this cute' 

Be prepared for lots more news on Buster and his adventures :)

For now I shall head back to my knitting bag and continue with a baby blanket I'm currently making (see below). My husband is in bed at the moment after a night shift so I'm going to take Buster for a little walk soon and then make myself a well earned brew. 

Speak to you all very soon xx

Post from last October.........

Hello from me 

Hi everyone!

Yes, I know I've not been very chatty recently, but I have good reason..... as you will all be aware, I've been a poorly sick lady and, unfortunately, this has prevented me from keeping up to date with my blog. All of that aside, I wanted to stop by and say hello and let you know what I've been up to recently.....

Crafty projects.......

At the beginning of the year I made a promise to myself that I would make all of this year's presents for my nephews and nieces. I have six in total, with one niece (Nancy) being born just a few months ago. Their ages vary from newborn to 11 so I've had to plan gifts that suit their age range and, for a soon to be teenager, their lifestyle.

The younger ones were pretty easy to plan for - soft toys, clothes, bunting, etc. My eldest nephew, George, will be 12 at the end of the month. I want to make him something that he'll not only like but be proud to wear in front of his friends. This year's must have accessory for the teenage boy appears to be the slouchy hat. I found a great pattern online (cocoknits) and have just made a start on it. 

Here's a sneaky peek......

A blog milestone and a new knitting project.

A bit of a milestone....

As I logged into my blogger page I realised that I'm almost at 5000 blog views.....yes, 5000! I'm so pleased that people are reading my little blog and I hope you're enjoying it. I often wonder who reads my blog? I'd love to hear from you and get some feedback. What do you like most about my blog? Is there anything else you would encourage me to add?

Come on, don't be shy :)

What I've been up to....

Over the last few weeks I've continued to wait for my next hospital appointment to come through and have been trying to find ways of distracting myself from ill health and treatment (or lack thereof). I'm really lucky to have some fab people around me who are constantly introducing me to new things and trying to keep my spirits up. I've been introduced to some interesting alternative therapies and have even tried a few of them out. One of my most favourite ways to relax though is by listening to music and, if I have the energy, with a bit of knitting.

My latest knitting project is one especially for me. I love to knit for others but thought I would treat myself to something new for the summer. I was lucky enough to be sent some complimentary knitting goodies from the awesome people over at Kollabora. With the grey cotton yarn and 5mm circular needles I had everything I needed to make this gorgeous vest - perfect for warm, sunny days or even layered over a t-shirt/long sleeved top when it gets a bit chilly.


Here's a sneak peek of where I'm up to...........

Not the best picture but gives you an idea of where I'm at so far :)

This evening, I shall mostly be spending some quality time with my knitting whilst my husband enjoys an evening out with his work colleagues.

I'm off to pop the kettle on, put my feet up and watch exactly what I want on the TV.......bliss!

Happy weekend everyone,

KnittyNora xx

Making, baking and taking it easy

As I sit writing this post the rain is pouring outside. This is a day for hibernating at home with some crafty bits and bobs and tasty treats to accompany many cups of tea.

Baking some tasty treats

As many of you know, I've been a rather poorly chick over the past year and a bit. Whilst I wait for my next lots of tests at the hospital I'm keeping myself sane with my love of craft and, when I can, baking. Today, given that I had a large pot of natural yoghurt to use, I decided to make some gluten free scones - here's the recipe. I do love a good scone. Finding gluten free ones is impossible and I much prefer homemade than shop bought :)

I've also got a bowl of pears to use up soon. I'm sure my husband will be voting for a crumble when I come to use those :)

Making

I managed to find myself some new little crafty bits and bobs online during the week, including some iron on webbing and some double sided tape. May sound random but I have some ideas in my little head that require both. You'll have to wait and see what I use them for......... :)

I can reveal, however, one of my new projects - reusing old plastic bags to create new and usable items. I hate waste so why should plastic bags be any different? After finding inspiration in one of my knitting books I've decided to go crazy and just knit until I decide what I want to make. The original pattern is for a bag but I'm wondering whether I can make something a little more adventurous.

Here's what I've got so far .....................

..........and time to relax

After all the excitement of baking and blogging, I'm ready for a little rest. Time to settle down and catch up on some of the programmes I've missed recently. I discovered Inspector De Luca (BBC4) at the weekend and have to say I'm quite intrigued and MUST watch more to really decide whether I like it or not ;)

Happy crafting, people :)

KnittyNora xx

Hello Spring!

I'm very glad to say that the sun has actually been shining in my garden......yes, it occasionally makes an appearance up North :)  This has given me the perfect excuse to get out into the sunshine and to be inspired by the colours and scenic changes that happen as Spring arrives.

Not strictly 'my garden' but a view I am very lucky to enjoy :)

I really do love seeing the first Spring lambs and all the energy and life they have. It never fails to put a smile on my face. I'm very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country.

What have I been up to?

On the making front, I've been continuing with some baby makes for my sister's little one (due at the end of June). I know my sister loves vintage style clothing and is specifically researching 'old fashioned' baby names - Millicent, Ada, .....the list goes on :) I'm sure she'd be grateful if any of you fancied posting some names suggestions below. I've sent her a few. The chosen name will only be revealed on the day the baby is born.

Here's a little picture of the vintage inspired cardigan I'm making for the little one.

Almost finished!

Making mission

I made a plan this year to make all the gifts I give to my nieces and nephews and thought - why not extend this to everyone I give gifts to? With that in mind, I've been busy researching patterns and gift ideas for friends and family. It's a very special friend's birthday soon and I'm hoping I can make something equally as special for her....... she'll also be able to read this .......no pressure! :)


I'd love to hear what you lovely people have been up and to and if you have any projects in mind. It's so much easier to think about making and creating when the weather brightens up.

Until next blog, take care :)

Best wishes,

KnittyNora xx



*All pictures included on this blog are property of Allyouneediscraft and KnittyNora. Please seek permission if you wish to use any of them.