Hello and Welcome!

Hello there!

Ah this feels soooooo good! Blogging old-style!

A long time ago I used to have a little nonsense, crafty blog which I loved but it kind of ended up being a long shopping list/ to do list of things I wanted to try or do as well as a random hodge-podge of things.

And so, I shut it down and was sad. It had become a place where I could share my crafty makes and was kind of a diary of what I had made. I could see the progress I had made with projects and how my style and skills had evolved over time. And now, I’m back! I’ve missed you WordPress!

So, who am I? I am Sarah. I live in the UK, in the north, not far from both the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors (those are 2 National Parks in case you don’t know).

I want to share here what I have been up to, what I have been making and any future crafty plans.

What crafts do I like doing at the moment?

I have been crocheting for over a decade now, I learned at university and tend to make homewares with crochet (and most other crafts actually, as opposed to clothing). I like to make cowls and blankets, decorations, that sort of thing.

neon crochet granny square blanket

I do not have the patience to make fiddly small amigurumi type figurines so you will never/ rarely see me make those kinds of things and I prefer the look of knitting for jumpers and sweaters rather than crochet, so probably not much crochet to wear.

And that brings me to knitting. I have been knitting for about 5 years now, I watched a Youtube video, had a go and then I was hooked. That was 2016, I think. I had tried at university to learn but couldn’t get into the hang of it, and had learned briefly as a child. But never anything ‘proper’ until I just decided to have a go, and the rest is history.

I have knitted all sorts since then:- blankets, scarves, hats, toys, bunting, tea cosy (just one Christmas pudding one last year!), Christmas stockings, hanging tree decorations, socks, freebie kits from magazines – all sorts. I am currently working on two sweaters – a Christmas one and a simple orange one with a bit of cabling which will be my two first ever jumpers!

Knitted orange jumper

Christmas knitted jumper

I have also started sewing once more. I have a sewing machine (which I have had since I was 16) and messed around a bit over the years, nothing major. And then last year, 2020, I thought I would have a go at actually sewing pieces of clothing. The things I have sewn are mostly Christmas items such as gift bags, zipper bags, decorations like stockings etc. But I have had a go at at a dress, a top and pj bottoms. I still have to get my head around measuring and re-sizing patterns so they actually fit me and the question of whether I would actually wear anything I make outside is another ball game, but I have started and can honestly say, thanks to last year, that sewing is officially a new hobby!

pin cushion

Christmas Bunting (background crochet shawl)

Another recent-ish hobby is the concocting of various hand salves and body lotions/ bath salts etc. No idea what I am doing here, I just like to have a go!

In the past I have also dabbled in cross-stitch, candle making, soap making, needle-felting, loom-knitting. Last year I went on two courses to make a mosaic tile and a leather handbag. I have also tried glass fusing and pottery.

Although my ultimate favourite types of crafts are fibre arts crafts like knitting, crochet, dyeing that kind of thing.

And of course, I love to bake cakes and bread too!

seeded wholemeal and white plaited bread

So, pretty much anything goes!

I used up all my stash of wool and yarn last year, which was quite the achievement. In the future I would be looking at buying craft supplies with intention. Both only buying what I need for a specific project (as opposed to just buying yarn for the hell of it) and buying more eco-friendly yarns from local suppliers and using natural fibres/ dyes.

What else?

I like colours but tend to go either really garish and bold, such as neons paired with black, or natural, autumnal colours like burnt oranges, dark purples and grey. I love grey. Not keen on pastels though.

I also love to read, in the past year I have really got into Isaac Asimov and his Foundation series, reading it all out of order and context, but still loving it. War and Peace has been on my shelf for YEARS but I have never got around to reading it…this is the year!!

Yeeeaaahhhh. So, that’s what I like to do craft -wise.

I think I am going to leave it here, have a great evening!

See you soon x

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