Big Pocket Skirt!

So this skirt was suppose to be the bottom half of my outfit along project. However I got to the sleeves part of my jumper and was like this is yuck, the jumper is gross, its like a bad jumper that you make when you first start knitting and can't help sucking a little bit. Only I can help sucking and should have known better. So I'm going to rip that back but I doubt Ill have time to craft a new jumper so I thought I might as well show you the skirt anyway.

It started out like as a Delphine skirt by tilly and the buttons , But I hacked the pattern so I could have a button front [Instead of a zip back] and so I could have these huge pockets!

The main skirt fabric is a suede that my mums friend gave me and the floral I used for the pockets belonged to my Nan, she gave it me with a couple of other pieces of cool fabric.

Its not an awful skirt, the pockets are a bit iffy but as I've never done anything with this sort of pocket let alone drafted in my own I think they could have turned out far worse!

There's actually not a huge amount of room in the pocket they are mainly for show! In fact I think I might slip stitch them closed so the skirt sits better.

The front buttons came from either my mums neighbours old stash or a big jar that my mum brought me from a charity shop. I actually kind of hated them but they work nicely for this skirt, I think they related just enough to the floral fabric but stand out in a cute way as well.

The waistband, hem and button band are all finished in a really thick bias tape, It worked quite nicely and everything sits in place.

I did a lot of top stitching on this skirt [the colour of the thread is just a shade darker than the buttons!]

So its not a grand success, I really liked that I tried to do something new and I think I gained a few new skills with regards to pattern drafting, Its just that the fits a bit off [I had to take this in 1cm on either side] and that the pockets don't quite sit properly [slip stitching them closed is definitely happening, who needs to use pockets anyway?]

But I do love the fabrics I used, especially seen as the pockets are made from the last scraps of the fabric my Nan gave me! And I really like the 70's vibe it has! Now I just need to work out what to wear it with?

Any suggestions?

Much Love

Frankie

x

Nanny Knit

I've heard a rumour that their are Nans out in the world that can't knit..... I know I was shocked too! Luckily for me not only does my own nan knit but Mr Knitwits nan knits as well, In fact I would go as far as to say she's a keen knitter, and that if there were ever a knitting Olympics she would be the team captain.

And luckily for me she's always up for a complicated bit of knitting! I've been lusting after oversized Aran cardigans for ages now! Something I could throw on over pretty dresses in winter so I stay toasty. 

And after a few week of hinting, somebody gave her some Aran wool and her fist thought was of me!!! We had a peruse of some patterns and i chose this one [after we'd weighed all the wool on my kitchen scales and tried to work out if we had enough]

Its got some pretty great details but I don't know what they are called, there's diamond things and and cable thingys and this weird netting kinda look.

Its really pretty!

And boy is it warm I mean seriously this thing makes me sweat! I've actually turned down the heating!!! its lovely and warm for trips in and out of the car and up and down the garden.

I'm not sure how long it took her the knit, I know she had to undo some parts and re-knit them. but I think its been about a month since we first started talking about it and looking at patterns. Either way I'm so glad she knit it for me! Its something I don't think id have ever made for myself! Let alone put the effort into making one for someone else!

Now I just have to worry about washing it! Imagine if I destroy it in my washer!!!!

Much Love

Frankie 

Other people accomplishments

Sometimes you have to out source the things you need. My mum needed a blouse and she can sew but she asked me to make it. I needed some new mittens , and yes I can knit , in fact I could probably make a pair myself. But instead i asked Mr Knitwits Nan to make me some! and luckily for me she'd actually just finished whipping up four pairs! YES! FOUR PAIRS!!!!!! 

Anyway she popped them over a little while ago and I was naughty and chose two pairs.

This pair are already a bit dirty I wore them in the garden yesterday and they got a little muddy.

Ill tell you what she makes a cracking pair of mittens! These are actually my 2nd and 3rd pair from her I had a pair for Christmas one year and I wore them so much I put holes in them.

Obviously being a nan she's already made them for little knitwit.

His are Liverpool red naturally! And he also has matching welly socks! 

I don't think there's anything quite as good as knitwear for staying warm in winter!

Much Love 

Frankie

The evil bear of doooooooom!

A little while ago Mr knitwits nan gave me a bear kit that she hadn't got round to finishing. And when she offered it to me to use I jumped at the chance (mainly because it was highly probable that all the pieces were knitted and just needed sewing together , nans not a huge fan of sewing things together) 

I was very nearly right, I just had to knit 5 pieces , two paw pads, two leg pieces and a stupidly complicated looking body piece . 

Oh yeah I knit was of those! Surprisingly the instructions were pretty simple! 

Anyway here's are the decapitated pieces of bear. It was a brute to stitch together by the way.

Here's a wonky eyed bear face, with dainty nose (before I ruined it)

Here's what it's supposed to look like.....

All stuffed and well bloody huge! I was not expecting it to be this darn big! I had to make a couple of changes, for starters the arms are stitched together, it turns out that you can stitch them on upside down so they hang funny, and it also turns out that fluffy stitches in fluffy wool are dammed hard to unpick therefore a little bit of sticking magic made them look normal! 

I also changed the stitches around the hearts on the blanket and paws, the instructions called for big stitches but I didn't think they seemed very sturdy, so I opted for a simple running stitch! 

My nose also came out more pointy and triangly, and well not brilliant but not awful. 

The heart in the ear is a pretty cute feature though! 

And the feet are pretty cute!

But here's the honest truth! If I had brought/been brought this kit I would never have finished it! I'm not great at the whole finishing hard projects thing! So I am extremely thankful that nan lost her motivation and all I had to do was knit a few small pieces and stitch it up! 

That's what I call teamwork!

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Nannys been spoiling me!

After hearing that I was determined to learn to crochet this year Mr Knitwits Nan was nice enough to buy me a book about how to do it!

Now I could show you all of the beautiful blankets that are outlined in this book but to be honest wouldn't we all just rather revel in the beauty of this bad boy!

I mean seriously! its like the best blanket I have ever seen in my entire life! Its made up of flowers! OF DAISYS! I am going to learn how to crochet and I'm going to make this!

Thanks Nanny for spoiling me! YET AGIAN! Seriously the woman's a legend!

Much love

Frankie

xxxx

Its like train spotting only without the bit in the toilet...

It will never cease to amaze me how lenient men can be when it comes to the women in their families.
Let me give you an example:

Me and Mr Knitwit shopping in Hobbycraft/wool shop
Me - Oh that's a nice colour!
Mr Knitwit - uh
Me - I could make (insert knitted garment here)
Mr Knitwit - uh
Me - and it's half price, I think I might get it.....
Mr Knitwit - Don't you have enough wool? It's all over the house! That it no more wool until you've used some of what you've already got! You think I don't know about the five balls stashed in the bread bin?

(Incidentally we don't use our bread bin for bread, no idea why I just don't like them , so the bread bin has become a hidey hole)

Yes Mr Knitwit is very against me expanding my stash of wool/fabric until...... New Scene

Mr Knitwit Nans House
Nan - oh Frankie would you like this wool, im having a clear out and I wont use this one
Me - (whilst grinning from ear to ear) Oh yes please if your getting rid of it!
Mr Knitwit - oh isn't that a nice colour, you'll be able to make (Insert knitted item here)

Double standards! However I think I've found away around it! Im going to turn Mr Knitwits Nan into a wool mule (it's kinda like a drugs mule but a lot less risky if your going through customs!) If I want need new wool im going to get her to deliver the package! And that way Mr Knitwit wont complain. I'm so crafty.

But here's what she gave me this time! (There was no smuggling involved with this wool!)

Its one of those lovely textured wools, with a strands and then a bit and then a strand and then a bit. In white!

I usually tend to stay away from this type of wool because I can get my hair off with it a bit but this is lovely to work with!

I'm knitting it up on size 1 needles (unsure of whether they are American or English size) and I think its going to become a nice draped shawl/scarf thing. Can you tell I'm wining it? Anyway its my favourite type of knitting. Knitting for the sake of knitting!

How much do you smuggle into your house?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx