Rowan Tree Cottage

Happy Valentine’s Day! I made my husband a hat and finished sewing it up just now. Everything has been a go slow this week with illness. I have managed to work on using up my odd balls of acrylic DK yarn. This hat took a little less than 100g of dk acrylic. Using 3 1/4mm needles I cast on 116 stitches. Stocking stitch for 8cm. (Rolled up brim.) Change to 4mm needles and stocking stitch until work measures 27cm. Cast off 16 stitches, knit 26, cast off 32, knit 26, and cast off the final 16 stitches. I now had 2 groups of 26 stitches. Dealing with one at a time exactly the same as one another: purl a row. Stocking stitch 45 rows, decreasing one stitch at either end of the row in 5th and every following 8th rows. You will end up with 14 stitches. Work 8 rows decreasing at each end of every knit row. You now have 6 stitches. Work 3 rows and cast off. Fold the ears in half and sew the seam. sew across the top of the head. The final seam is the back of the head. Don...

Sorry I’m like a bus. Nothing from me for months, then 3 blog posts in a glut! This is a 5 mins make all from scraps. It’s a bag to keep washed cotton cleaning cloths in, under the kitchen sink. It kind of sums up my current thoughts on how I want this cottage to operate. I’ve been replacing tatty carrier bags with cotton ones I have made, over the last few months. We all know about how bad the plastic waste situation is around the world, and I’m guessing that like me most people feel overwhelmed. I mentioned in a reply to a comment in my last blog post, the idea of LAST MAKES. This is where we actually use the fabric we have been stroking and saving for a perfect project. If you knew for instance that you could make a last bag (for example) and make it the perfect bag for you, then what is holding you back from creating it today? Why not make something you know will last a decade and that you or a recipient will love it? A LASTING MAKE! With Valentines coming up, why not make a ...

I have neatened up my dressing table making cube shaped bags. Left to right: potions bag, make up bag, hair decorations bag, and essential oils bag.  The hair bag had a trio of pockets for my wooden hair clips.  and a pocket for scrunchies from Peru.  Here are the pieced pockets during construction. Even the smallest triangles were used.  The make up bag has a couple of tall thin pockets for eyeliners. They are the sort of thing I usually have to dig around for. No more! Pockets during construction. Here is a better pic of the angel lap quilt. Angel face cloth with a crochet trim. The facecloth part was a free craftsy pattern. Know anyone who would appreciate an angel in their lives right now? This Swiss chalet tea cosy came from a vintage pattern. It was part of a present for my elderly uncle with some tea for Christmas.  After Christmas he called thanking me for the hat. It was a little big but he drove with it on ...