My Portfolio
Quick Cinnamon Rolls
Due to Christmas and an early start to my maternity leave, I had a good 6 weeks of free time before my second child arrived in February. I used this time wisely – I baked, I knitted, and I binged on The West Wing.
Tutorial: Long Tail Cast on for Lefties
A flexible and easy method for casting on stitches, this tutorial covers: creating a slip knot, holding your hands correctly, and casting on a stitch/p>
Toddler T's
I have never sewn myself a t-shirt. What’s the point when you can get them for so cheap in most stores?
I have, however, now dabbled in sewing toddler t-shirts. I don’t know why this is different, exactly. It’s not like my toddler needs more t-shirts or that they are expensive. Perhaps it’s just a challenge worth taking on a small scale.
The West Wing Shawl
I loved the pattern on the Oslo shawl and the challenge that the colourwork seemed to pose. Only when I started did I realise that that beautiful patterned colours are exceedingly easy to create.
Something like a Sencha
I finally got round to trying Colette Patterns and made myself a Sencha blouse. Verdict? I can see why the patterns are popular – nicely presented, well written, interesting designs.
Parmesan Rice with Chicken and Buttered Almonds
This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe for Parmesan rice with chicken and buttered almonds was amazing. Comforting, interesting, delicious.
Our second baby blanket
For the birth of my second daughter, I intended to make a second baby blanket*. And what can I say except I absolutely love it? The wool is great, I love the colours, the pattern was easy but creates a beautiful pattern (and the ‘wrong’ side is just as cool as the right side, although different).
Mom's Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
This is one of those treats I remember from childhood. If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you can’t help but like these cakey, chewy treats.
Baby Cord Jacket for my Grown Up Baby
Kwik Sew 3113 is adorable and I couldn’t resist the challenge of making a ‘jean jacket’ for my pre-schooler. And I had just enough blue-green baby cord to make it work. This is the first Kwik Sew pattern I’ve ever used, but I’m smitten.
Untwisted Stitches: Left-handed, continental combined knitting
Left-handed knitting isn't that well covered in the tutorials and books available. And it's mostly a reversal of right-handed stitching, which isn't necessarily the most comfortable or easiest. After many years, I discovered the best leftie knitting for me was in the combined continental style
Moosewood Macedonian Salad
Over Christmas, we received a copy of The New Moosewood Cookbook (thanks Mom!) We aren’t vegetarian, but do like to try and eat healthy and figured we’d eat less meat if we knew how to make more tasty veggie meals.
Snowflake in Hell Sweater
My daughter, like so many children her age, loves Frozen. So I really thought that a sweater with snowflakes on it would be right up her street. I was pleased when she came home, saw the finished product and said “I love this”. This love, however, did not translate into a desire to wear.
Lemon Ginger Salmon
Before we had a baby, we used to watch Saturday Kitchen. This Ken Hom recipe is from that show a few years ago, and is a modern Chinese dish that is pretty quick and easy to make.
Who? Who? Whose Cute Owl Dress is This?
This adorable little jumper dress is for my daughter, based on a 1970’s Style 2263 pattern gifted me by a fellow mum.
Baby Earhart?
Behold the Aviatrix hat, knit for my newborn daughter. This was made with the same wool used to recreate the Hat that will last many years – that didn’t last so long after all. Lesson learned, and it was recreated in a machine washable wool, and this companion hat created from what was left over.
Alice in Wonderland Becomes a Librarian
When I was a teenager, I discovered a lovely green and blue plaid woolen dress in my mother’s closet. She’d made it when younger and said she was so sick of it by the time she finished making it (with all the pattern matching, etc to be done), that she didn’t wear it much.
Slinky Thurlow
Since having kids I’m increasingly in the position of having way more in my pattern and fabric stash than I can possibly get through. I’m trying not to buy new things, but it’s tricky when the Knitting and Stitching show comes round each year and it’s just minutes from my house.