Just an update to say I have an instagram account called sewfjords and a new crafting podcast on youtube called stitching with Nina.
So I'll be updating on there!
SEWFJORDS - living a creative life
Sunday 15 November 2015
Sunday 12 April 2015
Jumper complete!
I finished this one back in February but thought I'd share the results here now anyway.
I've nearly finished another too...
N
I've nearly finished another too...
Friday 20 March 2015
.......
Yep I'm too busy to post aren't I?
But I'm really enjoying my studies and still finding a bit of time to knit each evening :)
I might occasionally post pictures of finished projects on here but I think my blogging days have come to a stop for now. My spare time is filled with relaxing, study, cooking, chores and choir. And SLEEP! I sleep well these days, especially on placement days after 7 hours of work.
Anyway it's all for the animals!
Glad I chose this course, even at this early stage I feel like I'm making a difference :)
N
But I'm really enjoying my studies and still finding a bit of time to knit each evening :)
I might occasionally post pictures of finished projects on here but I think my blogging days have come to a stop for now. My spare time is filled with relaxing, study, cooking, chores and choir. And SLEEP! I sleep well these days, especially on placement days after 7 hours of work.
Anyway it's all for the animals!
Glad I chose this course, even at this early stage I feel like I'm making a difference :)
N
Thursday 29 January 2015
Still knitting away...
11 days of knitting and look where I am now!
60% done now...
I've done a bit more since this photo was taken, I'm currently knitting fair isle on the bottom portion now. Not sure whether to finish with ribbing or garter stitch... I really wish I'd started the neck with ribbing! We'll figure out how to fix that one later... It's rolling over itself.
Looking forward to seeing what it'll look like with sleeves! EEK!
In other news, the days are crawling by so very slowly, it's enough to drive you mad. 18 days till we start polytech... I shouldn't really count down the days like this but I can't help it. Scrubs came today but I didn't hear the courier knocking on the door... That's the problem with working in the room furthest from the door. With music on. Still I have heard people knocking before with music on in that room and had no trouble. Whatever, I can pick them up tomorrow.
Not much going on for the next few weeks except the occasional visit from my folks and the opportunity for me to drive the car. My Grandma and uncle are also coming to visit, so that'll be nice :)
So much is going to change so soon, but for now I'm just trying to make the days pass as quickly as possible.
Any suggestions on things to do?
60% done now...
Looking forward to seeing what it'll look like with sleeves! EEK!
In other news, the days are crawling by so very slowly, it's enough to drive you mad. 18 days till we start polytech... I shouldn't really count down the days like this but I can't help it. Scrubs came today but I didn't hear the courier knocking on the door... That's the problem with working in the room furthest from the door. With music on. Still I have heard people knocking before with music on in that room and had no trouble. Whatever, I can pick them up tomorrow.
Not much going on for the next few weeks except the occasional visit from my folks and the opportunity for me to drive the car. My Grandma and uncle are also coming to visit, so that'll be nice :)
So much is going to change so soon, but for now I'm just trying to make the days pass as quickly as possible.
Any suggestions on things to do?
Thursday 22 January 2015
Finished... and progress...
Finished the vest! The buttons add that final touch I think.
And making progress on the jumper... tried it on and it fits pretty well. It does need the back short rows to fit over the shoulder blades.
Gapes a bit at the neck - could fix that simply by blocking or making some darts later on, we'll see.
Otherwise happy with it, what a relief! It's a bit scary altering a pattern sometimes.
And.... pretty plants...
Cyclamen which has come back to life after I repotted it.
More flowers this year maybe?
And a beautiful deep blue hydreanga my favourite dahlias :)
N
And making progress on the jumper... tried it on and it fits pretty well. It does need the back short rows to fit over the shoulder blades.
Gapes a bit at the neck - could fix that simply by blocking or making some darts later on, we'll see.
Otherwise happy with it, what a relief! It's a bit scary altering a pattern sometimes.
And.... pretty plants...
Cyclamen which has come back to life after I repotted it.
And a beautiful deep blue hydreanga my favourite dahlias :)
N
Monday 19 January 2015
Photo shoot
Finally got around to photographing these projects properly. Thanks Osky for being my photographer!
Geo Shrug by David Yuhas
So happy with this one! Super warm, I'll have to wait a while for the weather to cool off enough to wear it.
I only used 7 skeins for this cardigan so I'm trying to think of something to make from the 3 leftover skeins....
And...
Swirl Pullover by Melissa Leapman
Which I converted into a vest, I just use the cable pattern for the front piece and changed the shaping completely.
Woohoo for knitted garments! My mum has almost finished knitting a beautiful cabled vest for me too - I'm going to have a great winter wardrobe this year :)
I'm neglecting all my other projects now to work on the fair isle jumper... I need to find more patterns for clothing if I'm going to keep making such things. Knitty.com seems to have quite a few good patterns that have been well tested and have interesting constructions. Perhaps this will be the year of knitted garments? I'll need to keep spinning fleece/finding bargain deals in op-shops to keep up the supply of yarn that these projects demand.
Keep knitting!
N
PS. Much better this new layout don't you think? Bit easier on the eyes... but I had fun adding black outlines to everything, sort of brings the page together better.
Geo Shrug by David Yuhas
So happy with this one! Super warm, I'll have to wait a while for the weather to cool off enough to wear it.
I only used 7 skeins for this cardigan so I'm trying to think of something to make from the 3 leftover skeins....
And...
Swirl Pullover by Melissa Leapman
Which I converted into a vest, I just use the cable pattern for the front piece and changed the shaping completely.
Woohoo for knitted garments! My mum has almost finished knitting a beautiful cabled vest for me too - I'm going to have a great winter wardrobe this year :)
I'm neglecting all my other projects now to work on the fair isle jumper... I need to find more patterns for clothing if I'm going to keep making such things. Knitty.com seems to have quite a few good patterns that have been well tested and have interesting constructions. Perhaps this will be the year of knitted garments? I'll need to keep spinning fleece/finding bargain deals in op-shops to keep up the supply of yarn that these projects demand.
Keep knitting!
N
PS. Much better this new layout don't you think? Bit easier on the eyes... but I had fun adding black outlines to everything, sort of brings the page together better.
Sunday 18 January 2015
Inspired
This is what I've been making in the last few days...
Patchwork vest nearly complete! I'm in love with this project, everything about it. The fact that all the fabrics remind me of other projects I've made, the clours, the combination of patterns and the fact that it's all reused scraps! Just needs some buttons and a bit of stitching on the inside to complete it. I also love how long it is, more of a dress than a waist coat. I based the shape of the pieces on a waistcoat that I bought for Oscar. I often wear it myself though because it fits so well, not too tight around the shoulders, I hate how tight clothes can mess up your back and shoulders and make them ache. This one is loose enough to wear a few jumper underneath so I can show it off properly.
Just started this today, you can see just how much I am enjoying it by how much I've done already! Going to be magnificent when it's done and possibly add more colour work to the body and sleeves as well. Pattern is this: Idunn. Good pattern although I making it completely different of course. A jumper instead of a steeked cardigan and a lower neckline. So glad I chose to knit this, I can't get enough of knitting garments - they're so satisfying to knit and wear. I've pretty much lost interest in knitting smaller things now I think,
Anyway, that's me at the moment :) Feeling good, feeling creative and wishing it would rain! Such a dry warm summer... What are you working on at the moment? I'm curious!
Patchwork vest nearly complete! I'm in love with this project, everything about it. The fact that all the fabrics remind me of other projects I've made, the clours, the combination of patterns and the fact that it's all reused scraps! Just needs some buttons and a bit of stitching on the inside to complete it. I also love how long it is, more of a dress than a waist coat. I based the shape of the pieces on a waistcoat that I bought for Oscar. I often wear it myself though because it fits so well, not too tight around the shoulders, I hate how tight clothes can mess up your back and shoulders and make them ache. This one is loose enough to wear a few jumper underneath so I can show it off properly.
Just started this today, you can see just how much I am enjoying it by how much I've done already! Going to be magnificent when it's done and possibly add more colour work to the body and sleeves as well. Pattern is this: Idunn. Good pattern although I making it completely different of course. A jumper instead of a steeked cardigan and a lower neckline. So glad I chose to knit this, I can't get enough of knitting garments - they're so satisfying to knit and wear. I've pretty much lost interest in knitting smaller things now I think,
Anyway, that's me at the moment :) Feeling good, feeling creative and wishing it would rain! Such a dry warm summer... What are you working on at the moment? I'm curious!
Thursday 15 January 2015
Getting ready...
I'm being as patient as I can about waiting for Polytech to start... luckily there are quite a few things to get organised in the meantime!
I got my textbooks:
Which seem really good although I'm wondering how different some things are here in NZ when it comes to regulations, supplies and legal matters. There are bound to be differences even in terminology. There's a lot to learn and I'm excited because I've learnt plenty of things over the last few years I've been out of school but I'm rather keen to start learning again about things I can't teach myself. I think it would be good for me!
What else? Well I've been sewing a few things one of which is this much needed bike bag. It isn't waterproof which is a bit of a problem, but it would mainly be for jumpers and a drink bottle so that's not so much of a problem.
It isn't very sturdy, but I'm working with the limited materials that I have. I only have two rather light boxes of fabrics left :( But it is my goal to finish up all my supplies, I might as well while I have the chance. The lining is denim, recycled from an old pair of jeans and the outer used to be a blanket. I quite like the fringe and it double flap keeps everything in nicely. I've tried it out while riding and basically it needs something in it to keep it sturdy otherwise it just catches the wind! Still much better than the thing I had on there before, if you put anything in it it would fall off.
It straps on with dog collars, I'm not joking! They are really strong and adjustable. Also they were cheap at the 2 dollar store ;) No-one will ever know... You can see here how the bag opens up and folds over. I'm thinking of adding a clasp to the front, it doesn't really stay closed that well.
This is how it attaches to the bike, two clips at the top (bit of a problem with the bike lock and the front reflector) and a tie at the bottom to keep it secure. The best thing about this bag is how easy it is to take off and bring with you. I think I'll do a bit of tweaking of the design and see if I can't get it to work a bit better.
Went to a friends place recently and they made sangria with plum slices in it, delicious! They gave us plenty of plums to take home so we decided to make jam :)
Plum and Rhubarb jam. It took several hours to thicken and pass a setting test but I didn't have to stir it all the time, just occasionally. I even got to knit while I kept an eye on it. The finished jam is brilliant, not too sweet. Really good on oatcakes with butter. Or on toast like I had for brekkie.
We also made a rhubarb custard cake (recipe here) for the friend's BBQ. It disappeared so quickly! Must be alright then. I always seem to take photos before things cook and then forget to take them when they're done....
The recipe says to roast the rhubarb first but I find it's fine if you just cook the cake with raw rhubarb in it. It might take a bit longer but it makes for a better cake, it would be too dry otherwise. One of favourite cakes, I highly recommend it.
What else? Oh yes! I finished a jumper :D
Just after I cast off, I couldn't wait to finally try it on. It's a bit hard when you have 320 sts on one rather short circular needle. I wove in the ends yesterday and plan to block it when the weather improves a bit so it will dry better. You can read more of my notes here on Ravelry.
I've also been doing a bit of stash busting and have been cutting out many patchwork squares. In theory these shapes could be cut in half and turned into triangles for more interesting designs. I just want to turn my box of scraps into something useful. Not sure what I'll make this into... but they're there if I want to use them.
Other projects lately; home brewing and new Irish stout, bottling cider, crocheting socks, bike riding, writing out recipes into a new cookbook, a silk tie dye top, reading and a bit of gardening.
Currently on the needles/hooks
I'll leave you with some pictures of the most amazing summer sunset in Timaru. I forgot to post these pictures up earlier.
May the next four weeks fly by!
I got my textbooks:
Which seem really good although I'm wondering how different some things are here in NZ when it comes to regulations, supplies and legal matters. There are bound to be differences even in terminology. There's a lot to learn and I'm excited because I've learnt plenty of things over the last few years I've been out of school but I'm rather keen to start learning again about things I can't teach myself. I think it would be good for me!
What else? Well I've been sewing a few things one of which is this much needed bike bag. It isn't waterproof which is a bit of a problem, but it would mainly be for jumpers and a drink bottle so that's not so much of a problem.
It isn't very sturdy, but I'm working with the limited materials that I have. I only have two rather light boxes of fabrics left :( But it is my goal to finish up all my supplies, I might as well while I have the chance. The lining is denim, recycled from an old pair of jeans and the outer used to be a blanket. I quite like the fringe and it double flap keeps everything in nicely. I've tried it out while riding and basically it needs something in it to keep it sturdy otherwise it just catches the wind! Still much better than the thing I had on there before, if you put anything in it it would fall off.
It straps on with dog collars, I'm not joking! They are really strong and adjustable. Also they were cheap at the 2 dollar store ;) No-one will ever know... You can see here how the bag opens up and folds over. I'm thinking of adding a clasp to the front, it doesn't really stay closed that well.
This is how it attaches to the bike, two clips at the top (bit of a problem with the bike lock and the front reflector) and a tie at the bottom to keep it secure. The best thing about this bag is how easy it is to take off and bring with you. I think I'll do a bit of tweaking of the design and see if I can't get it to work a bit better.
Went to a friends place recently and they made sangria with plum slices in it, delicious! They gave us plenty of plums to take home so we decided to make jam :)
Plum and Rhubarb jam. It took several hours to thicken and pass a setting test but I didn't have to stir it all the time, just occasionally. I even got to knit while I kept an eye on it. The finished jam is brilliant, not too sweet. Really good on oatcakes with butter. Or on toast like I had for brekkie.
We also made a rhubarb custard cake (recipe here) for the friend's BBQ. It disappeared so quickly! Must be alright then. I always seem to take photos before things cook and then forget to take them when they're done....
The recipe says to roast the rhubarb first but I find it's fine if you just cook the cake with raw rhubarb in it. It might take a bit longer but it makes for a better cake, it would be too dry otherwise. One of favourite cakes, I highly recommend it.
What else? Oh yes! I finished a jumper :D
Just after I cast off, I couldn't wait to finally try it on. It's a bit hard when you have 320 sts on one rather short circular needle. I wove in the ends yesterday and plan to block it when the weather improves a bit so it will dry better. You can read more of my notes here on Ravelry.
Other projects lately; home brewing and new Irish stout, bottling cider, crocheting socks, bike riding, writing out recipes into a new cookbook, a silk tie dye top, reading and a bit of gardening.
Currently on the needles/hooks
- Purple cashmere slouch hat
- Crochet socks (I'm having gauge issues because my yarn is slightly thicker than the patterns)
- Striping legwarmers
- Long ribbed socks
I'll leave you with some pictures of the most amazing summer sunset in Timaru. I forgot to post these pictures up earlier.
May the next four weeks fly by!
 |
| Almost looks like a shot of Jupiter don't you think? |
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