A sort of knit & natter / sewing session in blogland. Today, I'm starting my own Craft Project session, if you'd like to join me and I'd love it if you did, please grab a cuppa, a comfortable chair and your own Craft Project bag. Please add your link below - to your craft project that you're working on so that others can visit with you too. The plan is to start a new party on the first Tuesday of each month.
Many years ago, when I was still a teen myself, I used to visit a lady called Queenie for a cup of tea and a craft session. On arrival she'd make me a cuppa and then she would always ask me - what are you making? What craft project are you working on?
Whether it was in a nice material bag or a carrier bag, I'd take out my project and begin working some more whilst we chatted. Sometimes it was crocheting granny squares, other times it was attempts at embroidery. My Mum bought me a few copies of a magazine called Anna Burba that had iron on transfers of flowers, butterflies and small birds. I tried hard at embroidering on pillowcases but alas it wasn't easy.
I can't remember what exactly we talked about. Sometimes we had biscuits but we always felt better after working and chatting. For me her company was priceless, she was calm and you always felt better for visiting with her. Queenie, who sadly passed away, painted on these stones and gave them to me.
So onto my Craft Project, a cardigan in this yarn - James C Brett Marble Chunky MC 43. The overall red shade has blue and green flecks in it, which I love. One of the ladies in the local knit & natter group acquired an old style pattern - we think somebody had a declutter of their patterns at home and took them along. Suddenly everybody fell in love with the cardigan, the chunky yarn and the speed it was knitting up. Of course mine is slow going, remember finishing projects is not my speciality.
To be fair though, I've been toying with a virus shawl with a variegated yarn cake and some blue pre-knitted yarn to make a waistcoat. I've stopped the waistcoat as it is far too thick a yarn considering it will likely be worn in the summer. Having won the yarn in a raffle, there was a pattern included in the bag for a sort of shawl. I'll probably make that instead and show you another time. Anyway, these have all been put to one side so I'm free to get on with this cardigan.
Below is the Craft Project badge that you may display on your blog if you wish - so others can join in with the Craft Project link up too.
I hope you will join me and I look forward to seeing your projects.
Ps this is the first time I've tried this - hoping it works but if not - I'll try and sort it asap.
Thanks
Cathy
Instructions: Select all code above, copy it and paste it inside your blog post HTML
This sounds like a lovely idea Cathy. I will look at what projects I have outstanding, there will be a few and attach one to the link. Will let you know if there are any problems with it.
ReplyDeleteMitzi x
Thank you Mitzi, I look forward to seeing what others are making. I love seeing all your baking on your blog, I really must get back to baking again, Cx
DeleteWhat lovely memories you have of your craft sessions with Queenie. I always think it spurs you on if you have someone to craft along with.
ReplyDeleteIt does Jo, definitely. I suppose for many that's the appeal of knit & natter type groups too. There's always somebody to offer encouragement or help, Cx
DeleteWhat a wonderful idea, Cathy. Sadly, I don't have a project on the go at the moment, although I am hoping to start knitting a jumper for Lily within the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteI love the shade of your yarn and it looks lovely and soft. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished cardigan. X
Thanks Jules, it'll be lovely to motivate each other to get things finished. Cx
DeleteHow lovely to have known someone like Queenie who encouraged you with your craft projects. It's a bit of a coincidence, but I saw one of my friends when out shopping this morning who goes to our local church and she said she was going to a knit and natter group at church this afternoon. The group meet on the first Tuesday of the month! I might join them sometime as I've been wanting to get involved with a local knit and natter group. Meanwhile, I'll add my crochet project to your link and share on my blog. I won't be able to cut and paste the code, but I'll add your Craft Project icon when I write up my post later today and link back to your blog post.
ReplyDeleteThat's ok & thank you for taking part. I'm pleased that you found a local knit & natter group. They're good for so many reasons friendship, support or help with a project or even to gather a new recipe for dinnertime, lol. We always end up talking about food at some point. Cx
DeleteYour visits with Queenie, sound delightful. What a wonderful experience, for a teen, to have had. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes I loved it. Sometimes she had another lady stay with her called Lydia. I remember she had a burgundy coloured Morris Traveller with wooden trim. It's strange what stays in your mind Cx
DeleteOh Cathy, what a lovely idea! Finishing projects doesn't seem to be my speciality either, I think it's because I like the knitting and the crochet but not the sewing up (and especially not blocking!) but I finished four WIPs last week and I have another three in my bag. I'll try to finish them this month - one of them has been there for about four years! - so that I can join in next month. I've even put it in my diary. How luck you are to have had Queenie, and what a talented artist she was, those stones are beautifully painted. x
ReplyDeleteThank you Mrs Tiggywinkle that'd be great. Yes Queenie was very talented and a lovely lady, Cx
DeleteI had a sewing teacher who gave after school lessons and I loved going! Her name was Mrs O Conner. My mom did a lot of crafting and so did I. I love knitting the best after all these years but I can dabble in just about anything except spinning yarn.
ReplyDeleteArh thanks for sharing that Karen, I think looking back it's amazing the people who have influenced and encouraged us to excel at something and or to take up a hobby of somesort. I'm not sure that my teens have any hobbies really, though they say they relax on the xbox! I can't imagine anything worse. I have taught them both to knit & french knit, though teen 2 has probably forgotten by now. My poor husband, though he doesn't knit has interpreted many knitting patterns. He simply has the ability to read the instructions clearly and say - 'do exactly what the pattern says' - I on the other hand other think it. I don't warm to patchwork at all but I can appreciate its beauty, embroidery is a struggle too. Cx
DeleteI have my own fond memories of being taught to crochet and cross-stitch as a teenager. Will have to get some projects and a post together and link up very soon. :)
ReplyDeleteThankyou Tammy that'll be great. My Mum taught me to crochet and knit. She gave me a book for children's fun with wool and I referred to another book of hers for crochet stitches. For cross stitch, a work colleague inspired me to try it. I enjoyed cross stitch alot for many years. Cx
DeleteHi, Cathy. I've just found your blog through you following me. Thank you for adding yourself as a follower of my blog. I love this idea. I followed the instructions, but nothing seems to have happened. I didn't see the badge or anything. I'm currently working on a rectangle granny blanket. Best, Jane :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jane, from memory of following link parties in the past - the badge can be grabbed by copying the computer code above in the box. If you look under the box it tells you to add that to your html (click html) which can be found in your draft copy of a new post. After pasteing it into the html, click on compose and my picture should appear on your blog - so people can follow the link back to my blog. Hope that helps.
DeleteTo add your link - click add link.
Click question mark if you're not sure and a youtube video will guide you. Any problems just shout.
Thanks for reply and joining in Cx
Hi Jane. After reading somebody's blog concerning comments not getting through, I'm leaving a comment here for you. I've left a few comments on your last post and the craft project (on the sidebar). I wonder if others have seen your latest craft project post as it doesn't appear as a new post roll from you. Check my blog roll on the right to see the latest post from yourself - that's visible to others. I only found your post from your comment on a rich tapestry. I'm hoping that now I've added your post as a link in the linkup below - others will come and find you too.
DeleteYour crochet is lovely, love the colours and I look forward to seeing your progress. Thank you for joining in the linkup, it should be fun to encourage each other to finish our projects. All the best Cathy x
Thank you for your visit to my blog Cathy, its always nice to have new people leave a little note so you can visit them back. Vintage patterns are quite popular again, a few ladies at my knitting group are using them too.
ReplyDeleteDo you look at Shortbread and Ginger blog? Liz has some fabulous old patterns she shows often.
Thank you Julie for visiting. I've not seen them but will take a look soon. The collar for my cardigan won't be as large as this one. Cx
Delete