Friday Round-Up: hapalong, multiple crafts, cats

Time for a Friday update, and I’ll be honest, I’m scraping the barrel a little this week, although I have been playing with a lot of different crafts. We leave for Australia in just over a week (!!) and I am not ready. I need to pack (aka buy) suitable clothes, choose which projects are going across with me, sort out the cat and the myriad other things involved in going away for a month. The stress and anxiety has been slightly overwhelming, and I have spent a lot of time in bed.

Nevertheless, I will find five good things to talk about this week.

Cross Stitch

I’ve been getting really into my cross stitch again, particularly after unearthing this guy again and thinking about how to frame him. I haven’t quite got there yet. I wanted to re-stitch him, but I can’t find the chart as I made this project well over ten years ago, and you can’t buy the PDF online. Frustrating!

The first design I ever cross-stitched, a Newton's Law design.
The first design I ever cross-stitched, a Newton’s Law design.

I’ll be doing an introductory post to cross stitch later on, mainly for the benefit of my lovely friend Lucia, with whom I will be stitching the below project. As if Lucia and I aren’t working together enough, we’re also still on our Harry Potter kick – find out the latest here, including some really interesting thoughts on religion from my partner in crime.

Cat in the Sun

I found this hilarious video on Buzzfeed of life before and after a cat is acquired. (In our case, a cat acquires you…) It really rings true – particularly the last snippet about ‘my cat is the cutest cat in the world’. I think John and I say to each other at least once a day “hey, we have a cat”, “I’m cuddling our cat”, “I touched our cat’s nose”. I don’t know if I will ever get over the fact that I have a cat!

Tonks and I have been enjoying the sun this week – here she is keeping my pile of darning “warm”. She’s been having a lot of fun hiding my craft supplies, with a bobbin of green embroidery floss going missing and delaying delivery of a project.

Tonks enjoying the bright sun.
Tonks enjoying the bright sun.

I love summer in the UK, and am a bit sad that I will be out of the country for the whole of July. The sun doesn’t go down till 10pm, it doesn’t get fully dark till 11pm or so (bearing in mind it is the longest day of the year this coming Sunday) and the temperature is not too bad for what we affectionately call “the mud puddle”. I’m trying to make the most of it!

John finally found the missing floss hidden in the blanket at the end of our bed...
John finally found the missing floss hidden in the blanket at the end of our bed…

Wedding Ring Cushions

I’ve been putting together ring cushions for the wedding we will be attending in Australia. This has been my first chance to contribute to a wedding using my craft (usually my ability to play music is the skill that is called upon) and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve spent hours and hours looking up patterns, designs, in shops looking at fabric, ribbon, trims…

Plotting ring cushions!
Plotting ring cushions!

Speaking of Tonks playing with my craft supplies, I bought gorgeous lace ribbon for the ring cushions for a bargain price a couple of weeks ago. Tonks was so obsessed with the ribbon that I had to hide it from her so she wouldn’t completely destroy it. When it came to making the ring cushions, I looked for the beautiful ribbon…and I have no idea where I hid it. Argh!

The first cushions I made, which I didn't like very much...
The first cushions I made, which I didn’t like very much…

I didn’t mind going haberdashery hunting for a third time, and when I find the ribbon I will no doubt find a use for it. Silly cat!

The final design, still not completely finished but nearly there.
The final design, still not completely finished but nearly there.

Weaving

I’ve been doing a Deborah Jarcow weaving class on Craftsy: Simply Stunning Scarves. I am really enjoying it. There’s a lot more information on this here – but for now, admire this beauty!

Finally! Some in-progress weaving.
Finally! Some in-progress weaving.

#hapalong

My knitting has slowed down massively – but I am still plodding away on Kelpie by Jared Flood for the Knit British #hapalong. This is nearly up – the end date is the 12th of July (the day after my birthday) and I’m not sure I’m going to finish on time. It is currently my travel knitting (the only time I get any knitting done these days…) and if all else fails, I’ve got 36 hours on a plane coming up…

#hapalong in the pub.
#hapalong in the pub.

So, that’s it for this week! I’m going to Brighton with Yarn in the City tomorrow, and running 10km on Sunday. I’m pretty excited about it all! You’ll hear all about it next week…

Much love,

Corrie xx

Bonus: If you’ve forgotten about this soundtrack, I suggest you go check it out. It’s been keeping me entertained this week!

The Aristocats OST is amazing!
The Aristocats OST is amazing!
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10 Responses to Friday Round-Up: hapalong, multiple crafts, cats

  1. Five very good things all round! I hope that you can get sorted for your trip to Australia and that you will have a wonderful time!!!! Just remember, whatever you leave undone will still be here waiting for you when you get back! I understand your desire to get everything sorted though before you leave, I am like that, even if I go away for one night so I do wish you well. The ring cushions are lovely! I hope the wedding goes well. Thank you so much for joining in. I hope that you have a great weekend – and holiday! xx

  2. Teresa says:

    Five great things, the ring cushions are looking good. Enjoy your trip out here to Australia, you will love it, despite our darker evenings on this side of the world.

  3. Tammy says:

    I leave in a few weeks for 5 weeks in the States and haven’t yet finished planning out my itinerary and booking everything; nor have I thought about packing (I know I want to go as light as possible); and the thought of the plane ride is definitely overwhelming, but I have crochet and word searches to keep me busy and hopefully some good in-flight movies since it is the only time I watch any. I’ve always had cats my entire life. My oldest son got our current cat from a friend of his when he was in 3rd grade and now he just finished his second year of college. I live in a dry country so those cold beers are looking mighty fine. I look forward to a whole bunch of those when we travel. :) Sounds like you have a nice weekend planned. Enjoy! Tammy

  4. J9 x says:

    Five gorgeous things!!! I have a fondness for weaving as my late father was a weaver in Lancashire once he left the army. He made some beautiful fabrics – a couple of which I now own and treasure. I hope you have a wonderful time in Australia. I adore your choice of materials for the ring cushions. Am glad to have found you and will be following along now! J9 x

  5. Bronwyn says:

    You’re a busy lady! Cross-stitch, weaving and pillow making! The wedding in Australia will be amazing. I’ve never been, but any time you can travel the world is a good thing!!

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