Please Vote for me!!!

Hey Everybody!!!

Please vote for me and my most disastrous childhood hairstyle at https://apps.facebook.com/barryshaircutapp/Contest.psp?c=175858&u=39566&a=258026204299000&p=164081956979681&v=Entry&id=504813&rest=1

Would really love to win this 500 euro voucher for Barry's Hair Studio so I can continue to look AMAZING for my hubby!! Heehee!!

Thanks in Advance!!

P.S I have been knitting loads and even thought myself to crochet!! I will put up pictures soon!!

Happy knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Handmade Manchester United Birthday Card

Hello everyone!! It seems to be a very productive month for up dates! I'm back in the swing of things finally!! So here goes, another blog post on some of the crafty things I have been getting up to!

In February last it was my older brothers 30th Birthday. In May coming it is my dad's 60th birthday. In order to mark these two special occasions our family decided to club together and get them a trip over to Manchester to see Manchester united playing in Old Trafford stadium. Something we knew they would absolutely love! My younger brother organized everything for us so all we had to do was pitch in towards the cost. Of course me being me felt a bit odd at having to do nothing.

A few days before a surprise party organized for my brother's 30th, my younger brother text me asking if I could make up and print off a 'voucher' stating what their present was so we had something tangible to give them at the party. I of course jumped at the chance and got thinking of a crafty way to do this instead of just printing off an A4 sheet of words. A bit of googling later and I came across the following

 http://www.paperthrill.com/2010/03/handmade-manchester-united-birthday.html

I loved the look of this card so got to work designing my own based on this. And this is how it turned out



My dad's Card



My brother's card

I drew the Manchester United crest myself. Many people asked me why, as I could have just printed it. But I wanted it to be more personal than that. Strange I know..as you would think that going to the bother of making the card itself would make it personal enough. I bought the stick on footballs in hickeys of Galway and the 30, 60 and happy birthday stick ons  in the art and hobby shop. The photos are from my older brothers communion 23 years ago. Isn't it adorable that they were wearing matching ties? I apologise for the fuzzy photos, I took them with my phone!





The inside of the card

On the inside of the card I added a photo of old trafford stadium and drew three little bodies to which I attached heads and some stick ons of a football, scarf and trophy (art and hobby shop again).
On the top half of the card is the part telling them what their gift is and again I added more stick ons, as you can see I really dislike stick ons. You can read what I wrote below. I tried to be as inventive as I could given that I understand nothing about football and was terrified I would get some of the wording wrong...I know I know...It's not that difficult but it didn't stop me being paranoid!




The wording on the inside my dad's card

I was so proud with my cards. Needless to say, my brother and my dad also loved them and my younger brother was thrilled as he hadn't expected that at all. Job well done Helena

Hoping to update soon with my finished rib yoke topper (http://helena-ag-cniotail.blogspot.com/2012/02/longest-gap-between-posts.html). I am loving the look of it so far and can't wait to wear it!! Unfortunately I am at the sewing part and as I have mentioned before I ABSOLUTELY HATE SEWING!

Until again,

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Our DIY wedding

It's official!

I am posting today to fill you in on all the top secret craftiness that was happening in the run up to my wedding! Oh how I wanted to tell everyone but I had to keep it on the QT until my wedding day so as not to ruin the element of surprise for our guests! But before I begin I must tell you all about the most terrifying post wedding condition I have ever had the burden of living with:

Wedding Day Amnesia.

WeddingBee describes wedding day amnesia (WDA) in great detail for those also wishing to self diagnose this ailment.

"Symptoms of WDA manifest themselves in a very simple way - they simply prohibit you from remembering anything of major significance from your wedding day. A sufferer might remember the timeline of the particular event, but will not be able to recall the details. For example, he/she might remember that there was dancing, and that they danced, but not who they danced with or what songs were played. Or, the patient will remember being very touched by a particular toast, but have absolutely no idea what was said during said speech.

Some common causes of WDA include:

• The rush to complete last minute projects
• Family stress
• Lack of wedding planner
• Guest list approaching 200
• An overwhelming outpouring of love from friends and family
• Euphoria at finally being married to your best friend

It is believed that when one or more of these causes combine during a person’s wedding day, the patient is unable to properly absorb everything that is going on around him/her. The excitement of the day is so overwhelming, that it fails to register in one’s long term memory. This can be compared to cramming for a big exam the night before the test: you store all of that data in your short term memory, and forget everything right after the test is over.

Unfortunately, WDA doesn’t just affect brides. Grooms have been known to suffer from it, and it can affect anyone with close ties to the organization of the event... Although there is no immediate cure, there are things that you can do to reverse the damage caused by this awful ailment. Make sure to review pictures taken by your photographers and friends on a daily basis. Listen to the stories of loved ones who attended your wedding but were not afflicted. Watch your wedding video over and over again. Listen to the music playlist from your wedding. Slowly, the symptoms will fade."

I agree with most of it...except  "Slowly, the symptoms will fade."

This is codswallop! Over three months later and no amount of discussing the events of the day or looking at photos has helped me recover my memory. Neither has it helped my dear husband who was also affected by this awful predicament. Maybe our wedding DVD will help. I will keep you all updated!



Our DIY wedding items
What I do remember much to my delight..was the DIY mayhem in the run up! For those of you who have just come across my blog, you may need a recap on what I couldn't keep under wraps. There are some links below to help you on your way.

Young Sweetie Knitted Clown for our DIY candy reception
http://helena-ag-cniotail.blogspot.com/2011/06/young-sweetie-is-complete.html


A knitted Bertie Basset for DIY candy reception
http://helena-ag-cniotail.blogspot.com/2011/09/bertie-bassett-is-complete.html


A knitted bride and groom for the cake and our handmade wedding invites
http://helena-ag-cniotail.blogspot.com/2011/08/it-has-been-while-unfortunately-i-was.html

And that's not it!! Some may call me over ambitious but I knew with hard work and dedication I could pull off everything! As well as knitting a sweet laden clown, a bertie bassett, a bride and groom and making our own invites....

....I made christmas cracker favors and a seating plan! And I wasn't the only one going all DIY, I even had my husband, my father-in-law and my mother on the job as well!

It was certainly a busy few months! Take a look for yourselves!

Our hand crocheted ring cushion

Above is the ring cushion my mother crocheted for us. She was so great in keeping our white and cream theme. The crocheting itself was done in white cotton yarn while the lining was cream satin with cream satin ribbons to tie on the rings. She also attached some elastic to the back so that our little pageboy could slip his hands through and make it easier for him to carry without dropping. It was such a lovely personal touch and something we can pass down through the generations (provided they want it of course).




Cathedral aisle complete with hanging lanterns

Unfortunately we do not have a closeup of the lanterns so I am unable to show you the tremendous work of my husband and his dad. Although I am pretty sure if I have a rummage through my husbands smart phone gallery there is possibly a photo of a lantern hanger in there somewhere!

Our seating plan

The tree was missing half it's baubles by the time this photo was taken but it's still pretty awesome I think! I will start at the bottom and work my way up! The pot in which the tree stands is the work of my father in laws gifted hands. It is made from wood and he carved our monogram (which I had designed for the wedding invites( on two out of the fours sides. He also engraved our full names and wedding date around the bottom. He then spray painted it black and I got to work painting the engravings white. The actual tree part is a dead tree we found in a nearby woods and brought home. It is surprising big although it is difficult to determine that from this photo. It was probably near ten foot high (can you see the computer desk in the background? Might lend it some perspective). When it was dry I got to work sealing it with priming and spray painting it white to look like snow. Each of the baubles had a piece of card strung on which had the guests names and table name. We named our tables after the sweets we had at the sweet counter. We then topped the container with fake snow and voila!! I think this was one of the more exciting ventures as we were not sure how it would work out and were extremely pleased with the results! Each table then had the name of each sweet and a picture of it instead of table numbers. The hotel did up a room layout to help the guest find each table! The guests could take home the baubles as a favor to remember the day by.

And while on the topic of tables and favors.. I also had chosen family and friends (those allowed in on the top secret mission: DIY wedding) collecting toilet rolls (the bit of them that is left over after all the toilet paper is gone) to use in the production of handmade Christmas crackers. It has actually led to a serious affliction in those close to me, especially my husband...he now has the inability to throw out finished toilet rolls so instead leaves them lying around the bathroom. As his new wife I am forced not to pick up smelly socks but to pick up and dispose of finished toilet rolls. I smile to myself every time I see one sitting on the cistern. It is a little funny after all!

Handmade Christmas cracker

These are remarkably easy to make. Cut out some wallpaper, stick a cracker snap (eBay) on the back of it along with some double sided tape, insert toilet roll and roll, tie up one end with ribbon, insert favors (in our case we added a joke and fact, a balloon and one of the following: love heart sweets, popper or noisemaker), and tie up the other end with ribbon! Voila! Cracker complete! Happy snapping! We were so unsure if they would snap or not and just had enough material to make the 200 required for all out guests so we could not test them. I remember my new husband turning to me during the reception meal and saying 'do you hear that? they're snapping'. If I wasn't already beaming I would have beamed some more.

Our sweet counter!
Young sweetie and Bertie Bassett did us proud!!

For our sweet counter we kept it retro and had lots of 80s and 90s sweets! Unfortunately neither hubby or I got any! It was all eaten by the time we made it back to the reception! We are still very raw about that! The good news for us though was that the hotel had still some of our reserves left, so we left the following day with a stash of drumsticks, refreshers and fizzy cola lollies to enjoy! I think we deserved it! Most of the sweet jars were collected by friends and family in the lead up to the wedding and what few we were lacking we bought in the euro shop the week before the wedding. The chalkboard was an idea I had to keep the theme reminiscent of our youth! And I think it gave it more of a sweet shop feel!

My hand knitted bride and groom

Two brides and two grooms..
can you see the resemblance?

Our hand knitted bride and groom really stole the show and sat centre stage in front of the top table with our cupcake wedding cake! I think more guests ventured up to have a look at them during the meal than us! My mother-in-law even ran off with them for a while to show people. They are the most ridiculously adorable little people I have ever seen if I do say so myself! They now sit proudly at home with young sweetie and bertie bassett. Forever to be cherished.

Well I think that is it...have I forgotten anything?...probably..but I'm sure I will remember someday..amybe after we have watched our wedding DVD


Until again,

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

My hen weekend - November 2011

It all started on Thursday 24th November 2011.

My cousin and my best friend, a bottle or two of wine and some girly giggles. After an attempt at sleep somewhat akin to that of a child on Christmas eve, I woke in time to see the two girls shoot off for a final bridesmaid dress fitting, allowing me time to ponder as to what they may have organized for my surprise hen weekend!

It wasn't long before they were back (and a few more joined them) and the celebrations started with the popping of champagne bottles.

At noon it was time to leave and to my astonishment, parked outside was a limo! We travelled in style from Galway to Meath that day, champagne flowing, my favourite cheesy music from my teenage years playing and a hen party survival kit complete with a mini blow up fiancé. The giggles continued.

Arriving in Meath at The Headfort Arms, we were greeted with wine and paninis, the latter of which was most certainly needed at this point as it was only 3pm and we had drank 4 bottles of champagne between 6 of us! Shamefaced!



My very own limo

Champagne for a princess, heehee!

Blow up Fiance! Ain't he handsome!


A stroll up town following food was next on the agenda while we waited for a few more to arrive. This was followed by cocktails and pizza in the hotel bar in our own reserved area. Switz woo! A live band, good food and not to mention all the hen party games and prizes. I scored 16/20 on the 'how well do you know your fiancé' quiz. Not bad given the trick questions! The giggles continued. The night turned a little sour when one of the party organizers (a bridesmaid) got miffed and went upstairs sulking because I would not go upstairs to play the games, but I was enjoying the live band and had suggested the games downstairs. It's my party and I'll cry if I want to =D but I didn't...she did. Go figure!

A late night had by most and up early again the next morning to head off to Causey Farm for a day of fun, no sore heads happily. We were joined by my 11 year old god-daughter. She is as crazy and animal and farm lover as me, strange for two girls raised in the city. But I guess when my dad (her granddad) is from that neck of the woods it is genetically bred in to you. A few calm activities such as bread baking, cow milking, and playing the bodhrán were quickly replaced by the chaos of an Irish jig, catching a chicken and herding sheep round an obstacle course (minus the sheepdog). Giggles continued. The day was wound down with some freshly baked scones and a nice cup of tea. Top marks to causey farm for such an unforgettable experience!

My God-daughter and I ready for the farm!

On the farm, milking a cow!

Then it was back to the hotel for a well deserved rest before meeting with some more of the girls who could not make the farm. The party continued with dinner and some dancing. The theme of the night was the hen and her chicks. I dressed in white while all the girls dressed in yellow! My aunt sent my dress from the states! And I was in love with it, a one shoulder empire line dress with a feather skirt! =D A real princess dress! I even managed to get another wear out of it when I went as a fairy my department Christmas party. Cost per wear my friends cost per wear!




My princess dress!



The girls dressed in yellow but missing the one behind the lens :(


Dinner was yum in our own private dining room. I had the steak of course. Ate so much I really thought I would have to change out of above mentioned dream dress as my waist had grown about 3 inches! More champagne flowed and then it was off to The Palace nightclub in Navan for a night of dancing! And oh my there was a lot of dancing. Giggles continued. Finally with aching feet we made our way back to the hotel to pass out from sheer exhaustion! The following day was greeted with a large fry up and a very sombre limo ride back to Galway despite the free flowing champagne.





The longest gap between posts

So...it's been a while! But a lot has happened, so much in fact that if I began to write I would never stop. Since my last post, I have done very very very very very very (you get the idea) little knitting. Instead I have been wrapped up in the world of wedding planning, hen celebrations, Christmas partys, wedding day jitters and jubilations, honeymoon romance and house hunting. I would like to say that things are quietening down but I am afraid that I would be lying. For those of you who are well acquainted with house hunting...it usually results in then packing up and moving house, which is the next task at hand for myself and my new husband! I guess the easiest way to do this is to write a series of update blogs of the past few months with pictures attached (as pictures are always fun to look at right?). I would really like to write a wedding day report for all of you who followed my wedding day knitting but as I am still waiting to receive our wedding photographs I might just leave it another bit longer so that I can give everyone the full effect of what an amazing day it was (despite some hiccups) =D

But just in case you were wondering...Although I have done very very very very (etc) little knitting, I have managed some. On my needles at the moment is a wonderful rusty red soon to be jumper from a pattern in the Vogue Knitting Fall 2011 magazine! I am really excited about it as it is the first thing I have attempted from Vogue Knitting. It was hard to choose a pattern however, for two reasons. Number 1 was that there were so many I liked and Number 2, the recommended wool appears to be unobtainable in Ireland, not to mention an exorbitant price so I had to pick a pattern which I could as closely match the recommended wool at a reasonable price!

Rib Yoke Topper image from Vogue Knitting Fall 2011
and the Tivoli Tweed Aran I am using to knit it.

Next update: What I got up to on my hen! NOTE TO HUSBAND, DO NOT READ MY NEXT UPDATE!! Just joking hunny! It was all very sophisticated and well behaved! But lots of girly fun, farm antics and nightclub dares!

Happy Knitting and Crafting,

Helena =D

Knitting magazines and knitting cafes!

I am in awe of the knitting hysteria that is taking over in recent times and which is gaining in popularity at the speed of a lightening! It is no longer the pastime of only our grandmothers while our nimble fingers lay idle. The younger generations are finally encompassing the pleasure that can be derived from such a simple task as well understanding the joy felt at creating such wonderful knitted goods! It is a spectacular feat to observe! For many years I was apprehensive in telling a soul about my much-loved hobby for fear I would be ridiculed and laughed at. It is not many a woman in her teens and early 20s which wishes to be mortified and degraded by her peers! But with the spirit and determination of a young Jane Eyre in her battle to prove herself to be good and just and never a liar...I persevered with my 'uncool' activity in silence until the day arose that Julia Roberts and her knitting celebrity pals made it once again...a trendy hobby!

And what a world awaits those that seek to partake in a little needle clicking! A world of fabulous wools in every colour and fibre; simple or intricate patterns - whatever your choice - which enable the knitter to churn out beautiful clothing, toys and much more; Social groups to indulge our obsessions; a network of crafters worldwide coming together in shared love of a single hobby.

Gone are the days when knitting meant frumpy old fashioned designs, with the internet and a wealth of knitting magazines available, even a beginner knitter can create a fashionable item for others to admire. I myself am a great fan of the style presented by Vogue Knitting. Although I have never had the pleasure of creating an item from this fashionable magazine. It is unfortunate for me that I have not yet been able to source a supplier in the west of Ireland. But it is a task I have not yet given up on.

While reading something of late (the name I can't recall) I was informed of a shop-cafe in Beaumont Dublin, aptly named Stitch, which is "Dublin’s new knitting and stitching shop...a place to sit, knit and relax with a good old-fashioned cup of tea and a chat." What an amazing concept! How I have dreamed in the past of establishing a place like this! A refuge for the knitter of the world! I also discovered on their website that they stock Vogue knitting! How happy was I! I have since contacted the creative duo via there website about ordering a copy of the autumn issue. I am very much looking forward to a response!

Knitting and other needle craft groups are popping up everywhere. I myself am a member of CafeCreate in Galway, which was recently featured in the Sunday World. I would love to set up my own group as I am not living in the city and have to travel to attend the group on a Saturday in Galway. Although I say this, I have not really endeavored to go very far with this. I feel I would probably miss the gang in CafeCreate far too much.

As some of you may have noticed, My writing seems very formal today. I am currently reading Jane Eyre at a furious speed so that I can view it in the cinema. I guess the way in which it is written is rubbing off on me! So with all the old fashioned reading and writing..I also decided to knit myself a vintage style jumper from last winters issue of simply knitting. I think I am growing quite fond of pretending to live in a world void of technology, in ignorance of the fact that I am currently typing my blog on a personal computer! woops! Time to switch you off and have some classic me time enjoying the simplicity of life in times gone by!

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Booties, Booties, Booties

More booties have been created! A little elfin pair, a pair of Mary Janes and aran style booties (yes I only show one in pictures...there is two but I have not taken a photo yet).

All are knitted in cream worsted weight wool and to fit a newborn. However the elfin booties and the aran style booties are a little larger than newborn in my opinion. A great purchase if you ask me as the child will get great wear out of them! =D

Lots of booties!

Elf Booties

Mary Jane Booties with cute purple button

The cyclops bootie! =D

My First Pair of Booties!!

After the successful completion  of Bertie on Saturday, it was full steam ahead with my knitting! I was on a roll and nobody could stop me!

Saturday night was spent watching movies with my other half and knitting my first pair of booties which I hope to sell! The pattern was a little difficult to me as it was written differently to previous patterns I worked with and although it stated that a circular needle could be used to knit in the round...it could not!!! The boot was far too tiny..so I used double pointed needles (DPNs) instead! I have to say I am very pleased with the outcome!! I have posted some pictures of these adorable little new born baby booties below!

Knitted with worsted weight cream wool, they have a seed/moss stitch sole, garter stitch edge, stocking stitch insole and a rib stitch cuff. My favorite is the seed stitch sole as I love this stitch. It is very pretty and almost resembles the sole of shop bought booties as it has a bobbled look.

These booties can be purchased by:

1. Contacting me directly on my blog or facebook page

 or

2. My Etsy Shop -  http://www.etsy.com/shop/HelenaAgCniotail

If anybody would like these booties made to order in a specific colour or size please feel free to contact me.

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Bertie Bassett is complete!!!!

Oh Bertie!!! You look so yummy yum!!

The Complete Bertie 

Yesterday was a very productive day! I headed along to Cafe Create (Galway's very own Stitch'n'Bitch group) and buckled down to some serious knitting and sewing. Mostly sewing unfortunately. I may have mentioned before that sewing is the absolute bane of my existence! A real cause of misery for me...and the only part of creating wonderful knitted items I despise. But alas, after 2 hours of hard slogging...I got there! And the overall result is a Bertie Bassett good enough to eat!

Happy Knitting and Crafting,

Helena =D

I want liquorice allsorts everytime I see him!!

And here he finally is...My Bertie Bassett! Every time I see him I just want to eat liquorice allsorts!! Heehee!

Bertie's almost finished!

 His arms are finished and I am currently sewing them up!! All that is left to do with our dear Bertie after is knit him a walking cane and sew on his felt eyes!! I am finally getting there!! I think I will be sad to finish him as he was so much fun to make and see him come together with all his individual sweets!!!

Bertie's arms and the felt for his eyes!

Hoping to post again soon with yet more photos!!

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Broken Camera

So... I do realise I promised photographs of Bertie Bassett...but unfortunately there is an issue with this happening. Our camera is completely and utterly banjaxed. Last New Years Eve..it was dropped and the touch screen cracked. We continued to use the camera as it still took photographs. We just could not adjust the settings. A few weeks back..the SD card needed formatting and now when we turn on the camera it requires us to insert a date and time and we can't do this due to the broken screen. So it appears we will have to purchase a new camera! Unfortunately an expenditure like this does not fit in to our budget at present! When I am home tonight I will snap some photographs with my android phone...and then attempt to locate the SD chip that arrived with the phone in order to transfer the photographs to my netbook! I am not very technical minded so this may take a while...and an especially long while if I am in a lazy mood. For example...last night I decided to knit one of Bertie's arms..I managed half it and then was too lazy to do anymore, settled myself down to watch the movie HOP and fell asleep half way through. Not only did I fall into a deep slumber..but so did my hubby to be. So clearly we were both immensely exhausted...which I am happy to use as my excuse for being too sluggish to knit! In fairness...we were not home after work until 8.20pm as we had to visit the priest in our local parish to fill out our pre-nuptial enquiry form! It is official now..he's going to marry me! Heehee!

Hoping to snap out of this lethargic behaviour soon and get my arse in gear!!

Happy knitting and crafting

Helena =D

P.S. Invitations are on a go slow as well! Really must stop being so ridiculously lazy!

Taking my time with Bertie!

I miss knitting! During the summer I fall slave to the idea that if I sit inside I am wasting the good weather. So now, I am very much looking forward to the long dark cold evenings of winter, because for some reason when the summer approaches...the evenings become longer and time spent at home becomes less and less...and so my knitting is left to gather dust in the corner. Already there is a nip in the air, and I can feel myself full of anticipation for the nights spent in front of a roaring fire curled up with my fiance and our little dog, blanket thrown over us and knitting in hand! Poor Bertie is stuffed half made in my knitting bag behind the couch! I vow to take him out soon and finish him off!

So as I have mentioned on countless occasions, I am getting married and that is the reason for knitting all the stuffed toys in the past number of months!! My next project is to knit lots of booties and sell them at Christmas craft fairs starting in November. As many of you know..weddings are expensive..I am hoping to sell some booties and make a little extra cash to help us on our way! I will post pictures of my booties as I make them on my blog and anybody that wishes to buy them before they hit the stalls please feel free to drop me a comment!!

Hoping to post pictures of Bertie soon! It is my fiance's stag weekend and he is heading off to Derry with the lads for the weekend giving me plenty of time to catch up on some baking, knitting pampering and hanging out with my girlies!! =D

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

It has been a while!!! Unfortunately I was not very well at all and had to take a little holiday in the hospital! After suffering with a swollen abdomen and lower right abdominal pain for over 24 hours I decided it was time to take a trip to my GP. He sent me to A&E where they were unsure what was the cause and I was admitted for observation and an ultrasound scan. Unsure whether it was an ovarian cyst or my appendix causing my discomfort the doctors decided to perform a laparoscopy. This showed up free fluid in my abdomen (possibly from a burst cyst) which was removed along with my appendix for good measure! Waking up groggy, appendixless and with a severely distended tummy, I began the recovery process..which fortunately allowed me plenty of time to catch up on some knitting! Unfortunately this only lasted a week..then it was back to work.

As you may have read in my previous posts I have been working on some projects for my upcoming wedding. Since my most recent post I have more or less completed the bride and groom!! see below for a picture!!

Cosying up by the fire!

 

 

 

My almost complete bride..she still needs flowers

 

 

The handsome groom!!

 I still have some work to do on the bride such as her bouquet and a bit more detail in her dress! These little things I will do closer the wedding!!

If you look at my previous posts you will notice that I changed a few details on both the bride and groom. As my hubby to be is starting to lose his hair and so keeps it very short - I gave the groom no hair and instead shaded in with a colouring pencil to give he effect of short stubby hair =D. And for the bride, I gave her no sleeves and lengthened her veil...not giving anything away at all am I?? =P


Prior to my stay in hospital, I had my bridesmaids over for a girly weekend to help make wedding invitations! After dancing the night away until 5am Saturday morning it was a bit of a slow start on the Saturday..but we got there..below is the finished result!

I decided to hand make our invitations so they are more personal to us! All the card stock was ordered from the US and I used a guillotine to cut them to the desired shape and size. I designed the invite on photoshop (many, many, many hours of photoshop - I now consider myself an expert). Double sided tape was then used to stick everything. I also hand drew a map for the directions (google maps version was just so dull heehee). This was then scanned into the computer and printed on the back side of the directions insert! I am so proud of the results! I have only made a few so far to date! It's been pretty crazy trying to settle back in to work and life in general after being in the hospital..not to mention that I still have the original abdominal pain I was admitted with! But I am sure I will get there eventually! And I know it will be so worth it!!

So I will leave you with what I am currently crafting, along with the invitations of course..I am a very good at multitasking =D. My current project and I think by far my fiance's favorite...a knitted Bertie Bassett!! I have him more or less completely finished but as I had no stuffing to fill him with he was placed aside for a few days..but it won't be long now and he will be joining the others in time for the big day!! Hoping to post pictures soon!!


Happy knitting and crafting,


Helena =D

The groom is getting ready to join his bride!

The groom has stepped up to the plate!! He's chose his undergarments and jacket and is deciding on top hats as I type!

Don't they make a lovely couple?!!!

The groom without his jacket

The groom wearing his jacket alongside his bride

I am really enjoying knitting these little characters! They are nice and simple and getting me very excited about my own wedding!! They are just the icing on the cake..literally! =D

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

The bride is getting ready for her big day!!

 The bride is getting ready quite rapidly for her big day!! She now has her undergarments and dress ready and next on the list is her veil before heading for a hair trial. Shes not yet sure what colour hair she wants!!

What's under the dress!

The Bride and her dress

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Young Sweetie is Complete!!

I finished Young Sweetie on schedule!! Below are some pictures!! I am so delighted with how she turned out that I can't stop looking at her and picking her up!! I think Fred may be a little jealous!! =D

The chocolate apple and ice cream cone before I sewed them on

Do you think she looks like her pattern companion?

Young Sweetie in all her glory!!

Next on the list of things to knit are a bride and groom!! Another Jean Greenhowe pattern! I am a huge fan of hers!! Patterns are easy to follow and always a joy to knit!!

Jean Greenhowe's Bride and Groom

 This pattern is from the Little Gift Dolls pattern book! I have already started the bride! I have her legs, body and head knitted and stuffed and her face sewn on! I am now knitting her arms! These dolls are much smaller than young sweetie so therefore don't take as long! I hope to finishthe bride within a few weeks and hope to be finished both bride and groom by August...although I refuse to state when in August as you might hold me to it! =D

Happy Knitting and Crafting

Helena =D

Young sweetie pics update!!

I have been very busy indeed for the last few days...I made it my mission to spend at least one hour every night working on young sweetie! You can see the results in the photos below! Again I forgot to take some photos of my progress along the way!!

Young sweetie from the back

The above photo is taken from behind to show y'all the detail from this angle. I love her cross over straps and pink liquorice buttons. She also has liquorice buttons on the front of her pinafore. I knitted and attached these first and then did the back ones...the back ones came out better after all the practice with the first two!

Young sweetie is gathering her sweets

This photo is of young sweetie to the front. She has her liquorice sweet buttons on her pinafore, her chocolate flake and candy sticks in her pockets and my favorite bit of all...the lollipops on her hat!! I love these..I think the really add character!!! I have attached a photo below of the lollipops before I sewed then to her hat.

Lollipops!

The lollipop sticks, chocolate flake and candy sticks were made by inserting straws inside the knitted piece. I don't have photos...as guess what..you guessed it...I FORGOT TO TAKE SOME! I am knitting the chocolate apple at the moment. The stick for the chocolate apple is also made up by inserting a straw..I will make sure to take photos of this!! =D

Hope you like my young sweetie update!! Please let me know by leaving a comment!!

Happy Knitting and Crafting


Helena =D

Over a month later and finally a young sweetie update!

OMIGOD! Haven'tpostedinamonth.Iamsosorry!

That is me muttering with embarrassment at my blog update tardiness!

Let me see..what have I been doing for the last month...yes..it has been exactly a month since my last update!! It is criminal in fact!

As I have mentioned before..the weekend is really the only time I have to myself to knit, visit friends and really get to spend time with my fiance...the latter two which I seem to be doing a lot more of lately...It must be a summer thing....an inability to sit indoors when one could be outside enjoying the summer sun!! Summer sun?!! That may be a slight exaggeration here in Ireland....more like..the marginally warmer temperatures which would still be classed as winter in most countries around the world but here in Ireland calls for BBQS and the wearing of inappropriate summer clothes despite the fact it is only 12 degrees Celsius! But alas..we do it anyway and so...knitting becomes more a winter hobby...something to do on the dark evenings in front of a warm fire!! I intend to break this habit and make knitting a summer hobby also!!! After all, I need to..young sweetie has a very important job to do and must be finished on time...summer is no excuse!

So in between weekends of visiting friends..some which we flew to Madrid to visit (a valid excuse for not knitting), a very bad toothache and a visit to the dentist which left me bed bound for a weekend and a trip to Antrim in Northern Ireland..I finally managed to knit and attach Young Sweeties arms and here she is!!! All she needs now are her sweets!!

An almost complete Young Sweetie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And she already has some of them!! In her pockets are two sticks of rock and a flake..unfortunately..I have no pictures to add as I forgot to take some!! Sometimes I get so absorbed with knitting that I forget to obtain the camera and snap some photos ..I just want to get each piece finished so I can have that rush of satisfaction!! =D

I promise to have pictures for my next bog post..and I promise not to leave it quite so long...I have set an end date for which young sweetie must be finished!! And that is Thursday 23rd June!!! A fairly random date but it might put some speed on me!!

Until again..Happy knitting and crafting


Helena =D

An Easter bonnet, edible Easter nests and a tour of the Irish landscape

I revealed in my previous post that I have been dreadfully lazy and incapable of lifting my knitting needles and adjoining wool out of their flower print knitting bag residence. However I must retract this statement as I have not been terribly idle at all! I have in fact over the last number of weeks been exceptionally active! With the fantastic help of my 10 soon to be 11 year old niece, we created an Easter bonnet and prepared amazing edible bird nests. Both of which we brought camping with us to Westport in County Mayo for the Easter weekend.  Along with all these ventures I have once again strived to improve my fitness level by hiking and cycling in the west of Ireland! The views are breathtaking and I don’t feel like I am exercising at all. My gluteus maximus muscles say otherwise much to my satisfaction! Below I will take you through how we made the Easter bonnet and bird nests as well as show you some of the spectacular views we encountered on our trip away and activity packed weekends since. As one can observe from this post, this Sunday is a day of rest as I feel it is fully deserved every once in a while. Even if it feels outrageous to still be sitting in ones pyjamas at 3pm in the afternoon.  Shhh...Tell no one...

Easter Nests

Ingredients and materials for the bird nests

 Above I have a photograph of all the ingredients required to make the bird nests. Below is a list of the ingredients and how I prepared the bird nests.

1 pack of Cadbury Mini Eggs

120 g All Bran

225g cooking chocolate

Saucepan of boiling water

Glass bowl

Large plastic bowl

Old egg containers

Mixing spoon

In a bowl I placed the All Bran. Over a saucepan of boiling water I melted the cooking chocolate in the glass bowl. I added the cooking chocolate to the bowl of All Bran and using a wooden spoon mixed the two together. I then spooned the mixture into the egg cartons and topped each nest with two mini eggs. And there you have it, edible Easter bird nests! 

Completed bird nests

We added little chicks for an extra Easter touch

Easter Bonnet

Continuing with our Easter creativity, I have stated the materials we needed to assemble the bonnet along with the photographs below which demonstrate the Easter Bonnet assembly from start to finish! It was a big hit with my niece and she subsequently modelled it for the remainder of the day!

Materials used:

A straw hat

Tacky glue

Ribbon

Feathers

Paper flowers

Fluffy chicks (please refrain from using actual live chickens)

The materials used to assemble the Easter bonnet

Sticking on the feathers with tacky glue

The finished bonnet from the side modelled by my niece

The  Easter Bonnet from the front

And especially for those of you who appreciate the spectacular scenery which exists all around us I have attached some photographs of the beauty of the west of Ireland.

Killary Harbour

near Leenane Co.Galway/Co.Mayo

The beginning of a 10km walk alongside Killary Harbour 

Foher, a village deserted during the famine

Rosroe Quay with Connaught's highest
 mountain Mweelrea in the background.
A grassy boreen leads from here to Foher and it was along this boreen
 that food was brought to the people of Foher during the Famine.

A view of little Killary Harbour from a mountain valley
 which divides the two harbours.

A view of Killary harbour from the same valley
from which little Killary can been  viewed.

Westport/Murrisk, Co.Mayo

Standing at the peak of Croagh Patrick,
 Ireland's holiest mountain.

The valley we descended between Croagh Patrick
and Ben Goram Mountain.

Climbing down the valley next to a stream

Crossing the stream as it became larger

A view of the valley from the other side

The Easter Bunny at  Westport House

Birthday Celebrations

I think that is all for my post today. It is my fiancé's birthday and I have made a delicious Victoria sponge birthday cake with fresh cream and strawberries. Which we are about to devour in large chunks I have no doubt. I have made this cake before and it was a massive success with all that ate it. It is a recipe from The Big Book of Baking.

My favourite baking book

This is the most dog eared recipe book in my home! I got it on offer in Eason's bookshop in Galway for €8.99 and it is most certainly worth every penny and then some! I will leave you with a photograph of the cake. I swear I would give all my readers a large slice if I could but I am unable!

The Victoria Sponge Birthday cake

Happy Knitting and Crafting,


Helena =D