Month: September 2014

Schnuggle-uppagus schnood!

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I remember one of my best friends, Faye, telling me about how her sister has been known to talk in her sleep, which can be embarrassing if you ever share a bed with friends or siblings, especially as you get older.  Thanks to Claire for coining the expression schnuggle-uppagus in dreamland, it’s the best way I can think of to describe this scarf.  I just want to crawl in as soon as the weather turns cold!

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I made this for myself really as it’s the kind of thing I want to wear in the cold, but a few friends and family now have them too.  They have been quite popular, it’s always extra special when you know gifts are very happily received.  I didn’t really want to model this myself, but it was too big for my baby boy and there was no one else around!  I managed to get one ‘normal’ (isn) face’ shot before I could no longer take myself seriously.

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I used a super chunky yarn and a pretty stitch which gives it a nice close weave, sometimes I find crochet can be a little too holey!

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It is a combination of a crocheted shell with a faux fur inner lining which really gives it a luxurious, wintry feel.

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It is completely reversible as well and I kind of like it both ways, you can choose which way to wear it depending on your mood or the air temperature.

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These will be available in two colours, scarlet and navy in my Etsy shop throughout the Autumn and Winter season.

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Fox and Badger join the party

 

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Hooray, the set is complete! I’ve had a lot of fun making these little lovelies!  It was a fun challenge to set myself as there were tricky parts and I just really enjoyed designing them from scratch.

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I like the way they fit nicely into this time of year.  We’ve been so lucky, it’s still really warm here, but the evenings and early morning are definitely turning more autumnal.These creatures make me think of England in Autumn, woodland walks and blankets.

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Roo even has a blackberry stain on his top just to add some English hedgerow bounty to the picture.

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Little Cornish Jumper

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This is actually the second one of these that I have made.  The first one is testament to the fact that you really should make necklines very generous on baby jumpers to avoid:

1) not getting said jumper over baby’s head

2) annoying baby A LOT!  Oops!

In a nutshell, for younger babies buttons are good, likewise for not pulling stuff over the head.

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It reminds me of jumpers I used to wear when I was growing up in Cornwall which is why I’ve called it a ‘Cornish’ jumper, although technically it was made in Devon.  Hopefully this won’t cause as much controversy as the great jam and cream debate.  Of course, it is jam first.  

I love the nautical feel, it would be nice with some little anchor buttons at the neck, or even with a stripe.

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I used this basic pattern without the bumpy bits and adapted it slightly with contrasting ribbing at the neck, hem and cuffs.

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I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran wool, which is lovely for babies and quite chunky too.  It took three balls to make this jumper.

 

 

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I also began at one of the V stitches in order to leave the neck open, joining under the arms instead.  You could of course leave it open all the way down and adapt into a wrap cardigan.

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My Feltidermy Friend

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Here is the first of my attempts at taxidermy without the actual dermy! Animal heads are great, but personally I think I prefer them made from felt and small enough to be sociable in a 30s terrace. I’ve been working on these little fellas for a while now and I think I’m finally happy with the outcome.

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I was inspired by the many antlers and paper mache animal heads I saw on a trip to New York a couple of years ago.  On my return I made some prototypes but I wasn’t happy with my initial attempts until I eventually settled on working with felt which made me much happier.  It’s lovely to sew with and makes nice defined shapes.

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I think it could be sweet to have on the wall in a child’s bedroom as the face is friendly and could make for a good discussion point as they grow.

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This guy is particularly friendly, look at that little nose!

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He is currently available to buy in my Zoe Did It ETSY shop and will soon be joined by this little guy:

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We’re going on a bear hunt . . .

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So I’ve been playing around with iDraw since I was lucky enough to be gifted an iPad for my birthday from Matt. I’ve been working on some designs for possible screen prints or maybe cards?

This drawing was inspired by the book ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury which I’ve been reading to my son. We both love the story and the illustrations, but I always end up feeling a bit sorry for the poor old bear who gets disturbed, is lured out of his cave but then has to traipse home alone and possibly hungry. Did the bear really want to eat them or was he just hoping for some company? I mean it looked pretty lonely in that cave.