(Only Just) In Time For The Snow

I've been busy making myself a new coat for the winter. It was supposed to have been made about 3 years ago, but I kept putting it off, sure I'd make a mess of it. Well, at the end of last winter I donated my old coat to a worthy cause which kind of forced my hand to produce something. I wanted a cross between a great coat ( think male outerware in Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Wuthering Heights) and a woman's 1940s style coat, but couldn't find a suitable pattern so had to adapt what I had and make bits up. Here she is:

Complete with paisley lining

and handmade ceramic buttons from dotterypottery on Folksy. They were a bit lighter in colour than they looked on the website, but they look just fab and look at how they arrived complete with a little thankyou card:

I love buying handmade!

I had to finish it for today as it was my Grandmother's funeral and I didn't want to go wearing my camping coat. Nanny always wore high heels and a hat whenever she went out, so I couldn't turn up to see her off in any shabby old thing. I think she'd have been pleased.

Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle

..The mantra on every thinking woman's lips. Having a large stash, as every creative should, if they can;  combined with persistently freezing weather and a distinct gap in my wardrobe, I decided to warm myself in more ways than one. I'm struggling to get back into the creative zone, so needed something that I could do in front of the fire sitting with the rest of the family (not painting or printmaking, my first loves). I decided to turn some of my stash into practical garments for THE BIG FREEZE. I made myself some fingerless mittens for wearing around the house, but they became a bit baggy and the arm bits kept falling down making me chilly. So, I made myself another pair and shaped them in at the wrist- lovely and snug!

Having knitted these on double pointed needles with 50g of wool bought in a sale, I then turned my attention to the other end of my body and have started knittng some socks with 60% wool yarn from Lidl - £2.99 for 200g- enough for 3 pairs of thick walking socks. Anyone who hasn't knitted 'in the round' with either circular needles or DPNs - don't feel inadequate, I'm a far from accomplished knitter and it really is quite easy (I'm not just saying that)

A really handy pattern with unique formula is found here

                             For anyone that followed an earlier post of a desire to make cushion covers out of charity shop bargain clothes :

   will be pleased to know I have thus far made a few, and a draught-      excluder along with further cushions is on my ever-expanding to do list

Although part of my plan was to reduce my stash, I can't resist a bargain (who can?), and I happened across a dreadful long cardi thing whose redeeming features were that it was

a) purple

                       b) 100% chunky wool

c) £3

So, I had to buy it & deconstruct it (unravel to you and me). I now have over 1100grams chunky pure wool, waiting for the right project to come along:

Yummy!