Where the Heart Is

I cannot show the bears that are being prepared for the Christmas Treasures Show next month, ...but I can show you other projects I have on the go! 

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love flowers and the garden. A few weeks ago, I became intrigued by silk ribbonwork and made a few pansies from a kit.  I wanted more, so signed up for a three week online Joggles course called Scrumptious Hearts with Christen Brown.  The course covered how to dye silk ribbon and lace and how to make a few different flowers, finishing with using them to embellish little hearts.  I thoroughly recommend the course.  I loved it.  I didn't follow the instructions entirely, but I have always marched to my own drum.  My hearts have ended up as pincushions, as I added 4 layers of batting to make them thick enough.  (Not much room left for pins, though!)

I feel that I am just at the start of this journey, and look forward to more of this work, when bear making, housework and gardening commitments allow!

Only Two Months Until Christmas!

Sorry that I haven't posted lately.  I am very busy designing and making bears for the Christmas Treasures Onlinw Show in November.  The bears have to be kept under wraps until the show begins...

So I thought I'd show a few photos of other projects in progress...

This year I have discovered colour - or I probably should say, have rediscovered colour.  Back in the 1980s I knitted lots of Kaffe Fassett jumpers in lots of beautiful colours, but I then became very conservative with colour, tending to natural muted shades.

I have recently started hand-dyeing - trying my hand at dyeing mohair, cotton and silk using a variety of techniques.  If you haven't tried it, it is SO much fun and very addictive.  With just a few colours of dye, you can create a huge range of colours.

Below is a photo of my latest mohair dyeing attempts.

I have been hand dyeing silk and satin ribbons and lace for future projects (when I get time!).

It doesn't show up well in the photos, but many of the ribbons have been dyed to make them ombre ribbons.  I love to see graduated colour on ribbons and is so easy to do.

I fell in love with the yarn below and liked it so much, I knitted it up as scarves in three different colourways.

I also found time to make a tote and poochie bag.  The tote design is from Lisa Lam's book.  The poochie bag was from a free online pattern by Monica Solorio-Snow.

Wishing you all a lovely day!