Birthday wrap up

 It occurs to me that I have been a bit slack about updating how things are going with my projects.  But I am pleased to say that P's 5th birthday went really well, and we all had a great time.

The felt playmat was played with, and the Ponies were very well appreciated.
 

Kindy friends were played with.

Hugs were shared between friends

And an 'Alicia' cake was made and enjoyed.

Work

Hi ho, hi ho its off to work I go.

So even though I thought I was okay with going back to work, I am feeling pretty sad about leaving C.  I know that in the grand scheme of things its not that big a deal, but I am still feeling pretty guilty about the whole things.  Even so, I have to play the hand that I've been dealt.  And really, its a pretty good hand.  I love my job, and the extra money is allowing us to follow some of our dreams as well (more on this in another post).  Plus its only a few days a week, and the girls will be with someone they know well.  Do I sound like I'm trying desperately to justify this decision?

And besides, I wouldn't have bought these really cool pants if I wasn't going back to work.  These are quite possibly the best pants I have ever bought.  I think you may be able to guess where I got them from.

No project

I don't have a project this week, because next week I go back to work, eeek.  People keep asking me if I am excited about going back, and truthfully, I'm neither excited or disappointed.  Work just is.  Its inevitable.  This season of my life as a stay at home Mum has ended, and that's simply the way it is.  I think it really helps that I am going back to the same job I did before I had C, and at about the same time as when J was a baby.  So working seems quite normal given the ages of my kids.  Although give it a couple of weeks, and I'm sure I will feel differently one way or the other.

So its all hands on deck trying to get organised before I go back - meals cooked, snacks baked, house tidied.  So I guess that is my project this week, preparation.  I may even put up some recipes.

On my needles

My dress for C is progressing well, although it doesn't look that much like the pictures.  I think the problem is my decreasing - obviously my idiosyncratic knitting doesn't agree with the pattern.  One side of the leaves has holes where I have decreased, but the increase side does not.  I'm hoping blocking will iron out some of
the issues.

Also slightly problematic is where I joined in my second colour.  I joined it in where the pattern instructs you to start knitting the skirt.  This is actually a couple of rows too low, I should have joined it in where the pattern tells you to do the underarm section, so that the top colour ends with the seed stitch band.  Its not hugely noticeable though.  I'm really getting through the pattern so I think I will be definitely finished by July (I'm only half kidding about the slowness of my knitting.)

Birthday preparation

Remember when I said the word for this year was Transform? Well one of those transformative moments is fast approaching.  P turns 5 this week, and is off to school.  Its definitely a bittersweet birthday - that point at which your child ceases to be a preschooler, and starts on that long journey through the schooling system.  In so many ways, parenting is one little grief after another as our children move further and further away from us.

But I'm not all doom and gloom.  I am really excited for P - she is very keen to go to school, and it is wonderful to see my baby developing into a wonderful little person.

So my project this week is to get the house tidy and organised for people who are arriving, and organise her party!

Last of the birthday presents

My last present for P is another headband.  I'm really pleased by how this turned out.  Its essentially a tube - I cast on 6 stitches and joined in the round using magic loop, 3 on each needle.  Then I knitted it to the length I needed and joined the ends together.

I found a really nice tutorial for a knitted flower from Creating Laura, and attached it to the headband.  As you can see, I actually made the flower upside down, because it just didn't look as nice right way around.  The great thing about this pattern is that it uses so little yarn, and since I am constantly looking for some way to use up all the little scraps in my stash, this was perfect.  Its a really sweet and easy headband and I love how it came out.

Sorry for terrible photo quality - I was taking them at night so P didn't see anything.

Joining in with FO Friday and Creative Friday today

Knitting

My project this week is knitting, and it couldn't come at a better time.  I have regained my knitting mojo big time.  Not only did I knit the eyelet headband for P, but I also knitted another lovely headband with a flower as well (more on that next post).

So to keep up the knitting love I decided to start knitting something for C for her birthday.  I really liked the Eli baby dress, but I didn't have either 4.5mm needles, or 10ply wool.  But I knew I had seen the leaf pattern before, and with a bit more searching I found the Autumn leaves cardigan (which is where I had first seen the leaf pattern a couple of years ago).  This pattern has an option for both 8ply wool, and 5.5mm needles for the 12 - 18 month size.  A quick compare of the two patterns shows that the leaf pattern is drawn from the same place so I am knitting the Eli baby dress using the needle and yarn recommendations of the Autumn leaf pattern.  I'm sure it will turn out fine (at worst it will be a bit big, but that's not too much of an issue).

So I am totally rejuvenated with my knitting.  Long may it continue.

Its finished

 I finished the playmat for P's birthday.  And I am so excited to have it done.  I used this tutorial from Rhythm of the Home.

The tutorial is really easy to follow, but there are a few things that were a bit more difficult than I expected.  I started with just three jerseys, but this definitely looks better with more colours in it, so I added a few more into it.  The more different tones of the colours for this the better I suspect.

When I stuck the interfacing to the back of the pieces of felt, there were some gaps, where the pieces of felt didn't abut quite right.  When I zigzagged it all together, I just smooched the pieces of felt together a little bit, and it all fitted together really nicely.  As you can see I didn't have any invisible thread so I just used some co-ordinating thread instead, and it was fine.

 I wanted to needle felt the front, but I couldn't find any needles anywhere, so I did a bit of embroidery with some scraps of wool instead.  I really like the way it came out, although it looks a bit more 'made' than the original tutorial.

It all went fine until I tried to put the paper backed fusible webbing onto it.  When I went to buy the wonder under (the stuff recommended in the tutorial), the shop only had a different kind 'steam a seam'.  It was a disaster trying to get it to attach to the felt, and it kept tearing (I'm pretty sure I put it on the wrong way).  And then the backing wasn't exactly the right size - why is it always at the end that these things happen?

But it hasn't really affected the finished front, so I do think that P will really enjoy using it.  I'm definitely keen to make another one so it was definitely a worthwhile project.

Joining up with Stash busting, and Creative Friday today.

Birthday presents - completed!

 I made some hair accessories for P for her birthday last week.  A couple of scrunchies with some floral material.  The one on the left is a matching scrunchie for Kiki, her doll.  There wasn't anything really hard about them - just some elastic encased in a tube of material.

 I also knitted a headband using some beautiful cotton that I picked up from the Hospice Shop over a year ago.  Its knitted flat, with a buttonhole lace pattern.  I blocked it while it was still on the needles, and then grafted the two ends together.  Its the first time I've blocked cotton, and it was really stiff, so hopefully it will hold its shape reasonably well - I am a little worried that it will curl over when its on her head.

Modeled by Cindy.  I even have plans to knit another headband for P if I get time.