It’s that time of year again when we have 2 birthdays within 48 hours in our house. I’m busy planning a fantastic party for my little one (not so little now that he’s going to be 7) and I’m hoping to relax for my birthday the day after.

But I have to celebrate in some way. So to mark being 21, again, I’m giving 21% off in my etsy shop if you use the coupon code BIRTHDAY – till Wednesday 13th July.

So come along and join the birthday fun.

I have lots of blog posts to write to catch up with our goings on over the last few months – but if you can’t wait that long then please visit my facebook page.

Strawberry hearts and vanilla stars

I’ve always been a great fan of bath bombs so I got really excited when the first issue of Making magazine landed on my doormat back in September. There was a whole feature on making your own bath bombs.

I soon treated myself to a kit to make my own. I found that it wasn’t as easy as it looked but I was hooked. So much so that my husband bought me an assessment so that I would be able to sell any bath bombs that I made.

Orange and Cinnamon mmmmmmm

This obsession – of course – led on to something else – lip balms!

Christmas Pudding bath bombs

For the past few years my eldest has rarely seen me without a knitting or crochet project. Early in 2009 my mum also decided to pick up her needles again – she had a plan to knit hats for the joy bags her women’s group put together (she also crocheted a beautiful blanket but that’s another story).  So the inevitable question came – ‘mummy, can I knit?’

I’m left handed and my son is right handed but as my mum taught me, and she’s right handed, I actually knit right handed so I didn’t think that it would be a problem. I soon found that the only way to teach him properley was to perch him on my knee and hold the needles with him. He started doing a few stitches of whatever I was knitting and then got bored and would move on. He did this with his grandma to when he saw her. He’s a bit of a livewire and never sits still so I really enjoyed these quiet moments when we would sit together – though he did usually seem to ask just as I was feeding the baby!

During the school holiday’s I was trying to design a scarf for a magazine competition and my son played a huge part of it – he liked changing from knit to purl and back again, wanted a scarf he didn’t have to tie and pom poms. We knitted the prototype together.

Then he felt ready to try on his own needles – the result is a bit holey but he’s grasped it really well and is so proud of himself. Father Christmas brought him lots of brightly coloured wool and a beginner’s knitters kit (unfortuantely aimed at girls and he has no interest in knitting the little handbag!). His dad did sigh and shake his head but had to admit that it is the only time (other than with the dreaded console games) that our son will sit calmly for 20 mins.

Apparently my son had been so excited that he told his friends at school and this week I went into his class to help the teacher to teach knitting. We’ve started with French knitting, which the children I started with picked up almost immediately. I know I cant’ teach the children in class on my knee so any tips would be greatly appreciated! We’re hoping to join in with the Knit 1 pass it on fun here.

As for the scarf that my son designed – well it didn’t get through to the competition but we’ve put it up onto the free pattern page for you to enjoy here

1. You must correctly identify 5 listings containing the image above to qualify.
2. The 10% discount is good for one transaction in ANY participating store.
3. A unique discount code together with a list of all participating stores will be provided once your entry is verified.
4. Only one entry per person/shop please.
5. The Treasure Hunt is open to ALL.

Our family has one such knit – it was made in 1978 for mine and my sister’s Christening day. I was 4 so I didn’t wear it but since then it has been worn by at least 6 members of our family (both on the paternal and maternal side) - 2 of which were my son’s.

It was made by my paternal grandmother, who still knits today but suffers from arthritis so can’t do anything so fancy. Before her arthritis got too bad she made my sister and I blankets to match the gown.

It’s a bit more cream than white and my youngest only just got into it at 5 months (he’s a big boy) but I love it and it is safely packed away for the next baby in the family (maybe the one in the pregnant belly showing beside me in the picture).

P.S. there’s still free shipping in my shop if you mention my 2 year anniversary at checkout – till the end of September.

Suddenly it is September and that means that my Etsy shop has been open for 2 years this month so in celebration I am offering free international shipping (refunded by paypal) if you wish me a happy etsyversary in the notes to seller at check out.

Happy September everyone – it’s not long until Christmas!

Happy Birthday

From now until 19th July just mention ‘birthday’ or ‘celebration’ in the notes to seller in my shop to receive 10% off your purchase.

Most of the items that I knitted or crocheted for his arrival are too big – even though he weighed 9lb 5oz at birth – but the blanket that I finished a few days before his arrival is perfect.

We’re still finding our feet – trying to get feeding and sleep in synch – and my body isn’t recovering as well this time so I’m likely to be out of commission for a while. Thankfully I have a 5yr old willing helper, well for 5 mins before his arms get tired …

First we took some wool dyed in rainbow colours (from the Rainbow Room):

 We had to pull off little strips ready to twist into yarn – red, yellow, pink, green, orange, purple and blue.

Then we spun the wool using a drop spindle – you spin the spindle like a spinning top and it twists the wool tightly into yarn that you can knit with.

Once all the wool was spun we wound it off the spindle onto the back of a chair to take all the kinks out – can you see the rainbow? 

♫ Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Orange and Purple and Blue, I can spin a rainbow…♫

 Then we had to soak it in cold water to set the twist

And hang it up to dry before twisting it into a hank ready to use.

 My son was so proud taking his wool into school today – and I’m sure he’s the only one taking in hand spun as his project!