Farewell Old Girl....

Hi everyone

We had a very sad event yesterday. Our eldest cat Biscuit (aged 18 years and 10 months) was taken to the vets and we decided it was 'time'. The poor girl had either liver or heart failure, causing her frail body to swell. Her suffering was apparent and it was the last kindness we could do for her.

I took her and stayed with her, it was very hard to do but had to be done. The family is very upset especially my Steve, she was his baby.

RIP little one, I hope you are as fiesty in heaven as you were with us. We love you. God Bless.

Bye for now tweakers
take care
love Cathy x

Picture postcards ...

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for not blogging for 'yonks' (a local term for a long time). I put myself under too much pressure trying to do everything, long hours at work and college assignments have inhibited my creative juices. Thank you for the beautiful birthday wishes I received on Ravelry (for the 7th January) they warmed my heart, a belated and sincere HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!!!

We are virtually snowbound - a slight exaggeration, we are not as bad as some parts of the country, walking and travel are hazardous. I choose to hibernate. I am not the steadiest person on my pins at the best of times, to put me on icy paths would be very very risky!!

How beautiful is this.










As my friend Susan will tell you, despite the hazards, I love to tread on 'virgin' snow, fresh snow untouched, I love to make childlike footprints - guilty pleasures or what!!
I now have a week off work - YEEHA!!!!!!

I want to play with yarn, and watch movies and just C H I L L O U T!! (Pardon the pun!!!)

I really like this:

Recession Ruffle
by Henrietta Dups from knitonthenet.com















A perfect stash buster, a quick and easy project.










I am going to sign off now. I feel the need to design, create and PLAY!!!!!

Bye for now, catch you soon.
Happy tweaking!! xx

Disappointment ...

Hi fellow tweakers,
just a little note today to say how sad I felt yesterday. We have been away to the Lake District for a few days and gorgeous it was too!!! Apart from one thing, as it is a different way of life in 'The Lakes' it is the country, and you do not see as many shops as you see in the towns. I of course, wanted to visit a wool shop, (as usual).



We went to a beautiful place and I saw a sign......
I was so 'excited' at the prospect of a new adventure!!!!










then I turned a corner and saw this ......
a poor empty shop, another victim of the times, it made me feel so sad!!! The proprietors probably felt, and still feel, as passionate about crafting as I do.

Lets hope that the economy picks up soon!!!



keep tweaking
catch u soon
love Cathy x

New Creations

.... from knitonthenet.issue9!!













I have had the pleasure of working with JustCallMeRuby, on this beautiful creation for knitonthenets latest issue. Meet Joplin!! A crocheted collar and cuffs on an old sweater, ribbon binding and a button, it really looks like new.


Meet Martha,

Martha was my Nan (Dad's Mum) we lost her when I was 21.
She was a lady, a real girly girl!! This kind of filet crochet would have sat well on her walnut dressing table, with her powder puff, her silver backed hairbrush, and her Chanel No5. To this day when I smell powder compacts I think of her.

When she was a young
woman she crocheted altar cloths for her local Methodist parish
church where she also played the organ.

I wonder what you would make of this little offering Nan, fond memories, always xx







..... and then theres Lillie!!

A Victorian classic, lace edging on towels they look so elegant, just like Lillie Langtree, eh Ruby!!








Bye for now tweakers,
love Cathy xx

... and there's more!!

Hi Everyone,

As mentioned in my last blog photos of the white version of Sheara!! The only difference is the knitting sample, on this one it is plain and on the
other its cabled.






Meet 'The Wise Lady', mistress of all she surveys, checking out one of our many bookcases.
She is a gift for a young lady at work who celebrates her 21st this month. Happy Birthday Laurel!!













Laurel asked for a 'seventies' owl. I decided to make a french punk girl!! She has random safety pins and buttons on her jacket, and a little on her beret!!

Ooh la la indeed!!











Blue Moon Jumper is finished!!
The pattern is an old Tivoli one I found in my stash. It's very warm and ultra comfy!!











The details do not show up very well as the yarn is varigated, I used Sirdar Denim dk.











The close up of the neck is a little better.








I have taken a photo of Tropicana, a jumper I finished a couple of months ago. Made in Snuggly Bubbly baby yarn with the odd dk stripe out of my stash. I used a standard dk plain pattern, (of which I cannot remember the exact one I used!!! ) Then I jazzed it up made the v neck deeper, its a modern take on an eighties dropped sleeve.
The v neck
is crocheted!
Just a strip of dc(sc) made slightly longer than the v neck so that it will overlap.

I really need to make more notes as I work; I rely too much on memory, which sometimes has the capacity of a sieve. I forget which pattern, which variation, which needle. A lesson learned as I really like this jumper and would have loved to do another, without necessarily starting again from scratch!!!





Well thats all for today fellow tweakers, keep at it.

Love Cathy xx

Back on the radar .....

Well hello there - I'm back,

I lost my camera a few months ago - hence no blogging!! I have a feeling it is in my home somewhere, so eventually it will turn up. I have since changed my phone and it has a pretty decent camera on it so the girl is back!!

I have done a lot of knitting and crochet in that time and have managed to capture some of the items.

This is 'Sheara the Sheep'..

This is my own design isn't she cute!!
I have also made a white sheep, photo to follow soon.











This is fiddly to make but very rewarding!!

I am quite proud of this one!!

My original 'Sheara' was knitted and crocheted, but this is all knitted!!






I have also made this ....
Lucy Ladybird, for a friend at work!!
This is all crocheted. Using kidsilk night and plain black yarn with a little beading on the top.

When I looked at photos of
ladybirds, it said that all
ladybirds have an odd
number of spots, so she
has.




When making amigurumi I like to give them a quirky look
hence the huge eyes!!










This is Blue Moon jumper still in progress, I am on the second sleeve as we speak ..

















This is a simple v neck, 3/4 sleeve. The back is all double moss st and the sleeves and front have a cable and a slight 'aran' feel to them.
I thought it necessary to start my winter woolies!!

Bye for now
Cathy x

Just for Mary ...

Hi fellow tweakers,

My dear Auntie Mary is sadly suffering from small cell lung cancer. When she recently had surgery she met a nurse, who had trouble knitting up a teddy bear. She offered to help and I completed it for her, check this out ..

Cute or what!!

It is made from Wendy Shimmer using Wendy pattern no. 5068.






I have also been getting ready for Easter in my house. For years I have promised myself a basket full of eggs, (and for once not the chocolate variety)!!

I have used polystyrene egg shapes and just crocheted around them using htr(hdc) oddments of yarn, and a few beads sewn on.

From top left:

• a boucle multi base colour black (dk weight)
  
• a fluffy fuchia oddment (dk weight)
• a Twilleys goldfingering in green
• a soft pastel stripy effort in dk
• a cerise pink with pale pink and white stripes embroidered in chain stitch (dk weight)
  
• a lively lemon dk with clear beads randomly sewn on (dk weight)
  
• a soft lime with green long beads randomly sewn on (dk weight)
  

and last but not least, a little number in Kidsilk Haze, with spikey stripes.















I am now off work for a whole nine days!!!!!! As I have been doing a college course I have homework to do. I also want to knit and crochet all the time.

Catch you all soon with more finished projects, (hopefully).
Love Cathy xx