feeling woolly

I hope you all had a nice Christmas, I certainly did.

But I also like this quiet time after. 

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas behind me, I just like to relax and think about possible new projects for the coming year.

But there is one very, very old project which I have returned to this week.

I stared knitting a wool jacket 6 years (!!!) ago. 

I always knew it was going to be a long term project, although I never thought it would take me this long.

It is a jacket from the book "Poetry in Stitches" by Norwegian designer Solveig Hisdal. 

It is knitted using Norwegian technique - knitted the whole body in one piece on a circular needle and then cutting into it for openings. 

I bought the wool (dyed specially for the projects in this book) directly from the factory in Norway .

This week I finished the main body at last, and started knitting the sleeves. 

I really hope that 2018 will be the year I will wear the jacket at last!

I have been wanting to play with some wool applique for some time, and today at last I got around to starting a small picture.

I am using some wool felt, rather then wool fabric, simply because it is cheaper and easier to get hold of. 

Also, instead of using a wool background, I am using this black fabric, just because I like fabric and I want to see how it will work together. I stabilised the fabric with Iron On Vilene, which should support the felt better. 

I hope you'll also get some time to yourselves this week for some little crafting at least.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2017

slow month, but a new challenge is here

Being spoilt by warm April, we are now shivering in cold winds and heavy rain showers and only dreaming about stitching outside. 

When the sun comes out, it is wonderfully warm, but only short lived. 

It looks much better looking from inside out.

My stitching has slowed down also. 

Oh, I have plans and intentions, but just can't get going.

All that rain has made our little garden look very green, 

but now we need to add some colour to bring it alive.

When I finished my Afghan Knit-a-Long, one of my lovely followers said that she too always looks forward to finishing a project, but then she miss it.

And that is just what has happened to me this time; not having knitted for some time, I forgot the enjoyment of handling good wool. The Afghan was a large project and I surprised myself how quickly (for me anyway) I finished it. I still have another knitting piece on a go, but I have arrived to a rather boring part, which is not so much fun, so the going is slow.

But a new challenge has arrived in a form of a parcel from France, from Renaissance Dyeing,

"the home of naturally plant dyed yarn and threads".

I bought embroidery threads from them before, so I knew how lovely they are.

This time I decided on a rather large new project, and a true challenge -

 crocheted "Bohemian Rhapsody Wrap" .

The design is using all 75 naturally, hand dyed shades of very fine, beautifully soft lace lambswool,

and crochet hook 3 mm.

I used to crochet quite a bit, but that was years ago. Now well out of practice, this is a real challenge for me, so don't hold your breath, it will take some time!

The design is by Mary Lena Lynx and you can read more about it on her blog .

How is your month going?

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2015