I am very excited because we are nearing the end of a project to build me a new workshop. I will be moving out of my half shed (husband has the other half) into a beautiful shed fitted out just for me, including (drum roll) a glass kiln. Some of hyou will know that I have been fusing glass in a microwave kiln for some time but I discovered that there are plug in kilns – ie through a 13amp plug to the mains – which give a much more controlled approach to fusing glass. I will have enough space to fire glass up to 30cm square which is a bit biger than the 6cm I could do before.  I will be continuing to make stained glass products but will also be exploring the things i can do with my kiln. I am sure I will be posting some creations later.

 

Also, my new workshop enables me to host workshops for up to three guests which is very exciting too. I will be holding workshops for stained glass, mosaic stepping stones and simple fused glass. If you’d like to book a glass taster session please email me at cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com.

 

 

 

I droppped my mobile phone on the conservatory floor recently and the screen broke (again). Ho hum.  After some deliberation I decided to buy an upgrade – Samsung Galaxy 5 (only two down from the newest model). I had a good cover for my old phone – although it wasn’t enough to save it from a tiled floor so looked to buy something for my new phone. As it isn’t the latest model none of the shops have the same cover as my old one and I didn’t like the thickness that leather covers give to the phone. I then remembered one of my daughter’s tricks of using a sock as a phone cover. One purple sock later and I felt it wasn’t quite what I wanted so, I knitted a cover instead.

This has some elastic round the top to stop the phone just falling out. I can knit one for any phone and any colour, with elastic or a button on the top. It could even have a wrist strap if you wished. £6.00 including UK p&p.

cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com

More tales about sheds and workshops coming soon.

One of my daughters is expecting her first baby ( a boy) in a few weeks time. I have been busy knitting her a pram cover which I thought I’d share with you. She particularly likes spotty patterns and  we were able to find a suitable pattern for her. Then there is the dilemma, regular spots or random ones! Well, I went for random ones. It is very colourful and I hope the baby likes his spots.

It reminded me that I had knitted one previously that had been the wrong colour – too girly for a young mum with a baby boy. It is a basket weave pattern that I had to make because I was curious about how the pattern was knitted. It turned out to be easier than I thought and makes a very interesting pattern.

I am happy to knit other patterns of pram covers too if anyone wants one and they would be £25 each. Just get in touch in the usual way.

Jane

 

 

 

Several years ago I made necklaces and bracelets from beads. I have a fair collection of beads (that is, I have a lot!)  and am trying to sell some of them to lighten the load on my attic floor. However, a friend of mine made some bead spiders and so I had to have a go. My friend and I had a stall at a local craft fair and we had them on show there. The effect was quite interesting. People either like spiders or hate them so they raised some interest to the stall which always helps! I made this little fellow (it measures about 8cm across) and plan to have them on my stalls as I have a few coming up at craft fairs to create a bit of interest.

So, having an interest in beads again I found a pattern for a beaded dragonfly and made a selection. These only measure about 6cm long so I made them into brooches.

They are quite easy to make and there are many patterns available on the internet. However, you could always just buy one from me at £2.50 each!

 

 

 

 

I’ve just dispatched a lovely teal ad soft green sling cover, the colours go together really well

I’m planning on making extension pieces so that the covers kee pace with your baby’s growth.

I also knit baby cardigans so am going to knit a few designs and put them up for sale. That goes for baby hats too, with or without bobbles. More about this in the next month or so.

Jane

 

 

 

 

 

So, today is Pancake Day. Great, I love pancakes, dripping with orange juice and sprinkled with sugar,mmmmmmm. However, as I’m on a diet – trying to get to see the number 9 on the scales (!) I’m not making any. My husband asked for pancakes but he’s also on a diet and when I said how many calories there are in a batch he agreed that we’d have to go without this year. The problem is that it’s difficult to only eat one.We had a very good system when my children were at home – one person cooked the pancake and then sat down and eat it while someone else made one. It worked really well cos the pancakes were always hot and fresh and crisp. But, with just the two of us we still want a whole batch and that’s too many calories. So, we’ll just have to eat the fruit we’d have had on the pancake and forego the sugar or syrup.

And so to tomorrow! Still not seeing number 9 but it is early days. Reckon it’ll be July before I see it!

Ta ra

 

My knitting fingers have been very busy. Not only Baby sling covers but bobble hats as well. My husband plays tennis and often wears a bobble hat (it’s cold playing in winter). One of his co-players admired the hat and the rest is history!

So, for the price of a ball of double knitting and £5.00 (+p&p) I’ll knit hats too.

On the subject of prices I’ve changed the cost of the baby sling covers:

0.6 months -£15.50, 6+ months – £18.00, incl UK p&p. Please see my attached brochure for more details an colours.Baby sling cover leaflet

Some more variations: Plain

Patchwork:

Happy February

 

I never make New Year’s Resolutions because I never keep to them. However, I will try to write something in my blog and lose weight so that’s quite a resolution.

As I have mentioned before my daughter recently had a baby. Since then there have been a couple of occasions when I’ve had a request for specific knitting ideas….which had no patterns. One of the most successful ones is a baby sling cover. Let me explain! If you carry your baby in a sling and it’s winter, your coat won’t do up and it’s a bit chilly. So I have knitted a cover that goes over the baby and buttons to your coat on both sides, creating a snug little pouch. There’s a hood for the baby and muff for mum’s hands too.

I have also knitted one in yellow and grey and cream and grey. They take about 3 or 4 evenings to knit.

I’m selling the pattern for £2.50 or a complete sling cover for £13.00 incl UK postage and packing. Pleas contact me at cosycreativecrafts@hotmail.com.

Thanks for reading

 

 

I have been lapse in posting recently as I have been doing Grandma duties. My daughter is expecting a baby any day now and, as I live 100 miles away I have been down to see her. I am about to go away again to keep her company in the last few days of pregnancy and help her look after her 2 year old grandson. Being a grandma is brilliant, it’s a great privilege to be close to another family. You can also give the baby back to its mummy when it cries or needs feeding, excellent! However, grandparenthood doesn’t come without being a parent first (unless it’s a stepgrandchild) and the practice it gives is valuable.

I have created a little glasswork but I’ve been baking and washing and ironing etc so not much time. I’ll write again when the baby’s here and I have some time once more.

Ta ra

Jane

Hi

I’ve had a mixed day with lots of activity – hair cut, supermarket run, you know the sort. As well as creating things with glass I also edit the village magazine. I had to get that to the printers today so the morning was spent putting the articles together and filling in gaps with a quiz….. etc. So that all rather eat into my fun time with glass but I was determined to do some today. In the end I took my camera out to the workshop and fused a pendant and made a pencil pot, all with potential step by step photography. However, I haven’t had time to download the photos, never mind blogging something sensible so I thought I’d just write a bit of fun and get down to doing Fusing Basics another day.

I have had some success though as I’ve managed to attach a Pinterest button to my Blog so now if you see something you like you can pin in to Pinterest. That took a silly amount of time, all the while trying to eat cheese on toast (note to self – have tea first before getting sticky fingers on the computer keys).

So, enough silliness for one day, hope for more suitable stuff tomorrow when I’ve downloaded rather a lot of photos.

Ta ra

Jane