Knitting projects

My project this summer was based on a little summer jumper I made for Mel twenty seven years ago. I knit her a little white jumper with a red and yellow stripe, she was so cute wearing it under her Levi's dungarees. I wanted to make Isla something similar. I purchased some wool at Lidl, and could not find a pattern.


My mum always says that "necessity is the mother of invention" so taking her advice, I made my own pattern, guessing the size, and finding the challenge easier than I had expected. In a couple of hours I had finished this stripe jumper, choosing a button for the back closing and sewing it up just in time for our visit to Belgium.

Isla looked so cute wearing it, I could see where I will have to tweak some of the pattern, but overall I am quite pleased with my efforts.

I made a Denis the Menace hat for my little friend James a few weeks ago, and I also completed a Debbie Bliss baby kimono that was on the needles for almost three years. There is great satisfaction in completing a project.

I still have two other projects on the needles. The Aran blanket (two years on the needles and getting longer each month), a sublime oatmeal (organic merino wool) cardi for myself, I will have to complete them before the Knitting and Stitching show (Dublin) 10th-14th November so I can shop for new projects. I will be volunteering at the Knit 1 Pass it on stand again this year.

What do you have on your needles at the moment?

Big hugs,

Margie

Autumn wedding

Mr. Margie and I attended Seun and Daniel's wedding yesterday at the Victory centre in Dublin. The sun was shining (a rare occurance this year), the newly wed couple looked absolutely beautiful. I wore my "Coast" dress, with a "Micheal H" fascinator, and a "Primark/Penneys" coat. I was pleased to meet so many of Mr. Margie's work colleagues, all of whom made me feel so welcome.

Earlier this week I met Jonnet Middleton at her "Future menders" exhibit during the Fringe Festival in Dublin. I spent a pleasant half hour darning with her while she was interviewed by International journalists. I also met Sheila from the Crafts Council of Ireland, a felt maker and mender. It was a real pleasure to listen to Jonnet's philosophy, she has not bought anything for the last three years and believes in mending and making do. She is inspired by her 94 year old grandmother. She took 500 knitted pandas to china earlier this year as a guest of the Chinese government and presented them to an orphanage, click here to see a video of her panda project.

What are your thoughts on mending?



Big hugs,

Margie.

Apple Harvest

Apple harvesting is so satisfying, filling the baskets with different varieties of home grown apples.
The apples in the basket on the left are a variety called Discovery, they are an early soft apple, with a slightly acidic taste, they should be treated like a soft fruit. The ones in the basket on the right are the James Grieve variety, these ones store better and in fact taste better a few weeks after harvest.

Big hugs,

Margie

Karen, you are my Inspiration

While on holiday in Mallorca (Majorca) I did some crochet at the beach, because I was inspired by Karen at Karenskrafts , she did some crochet on the beach earlier this year.

I love her blogs and every visit yields some new inspiration as her creativity is incredible, the colours, fabrics, wool, food, all intersting and exciting.The finished pieces are truly works of art.

I do not know what the crochet I started will evolve in to as yet, but with Karen's blogs to keep me inspired, I know it will be a fun journey.

Karen awarded "Margie's Crafts" with a versatile blogger award in July from her 4 Lil' Girls blog, and I really appreciated the award, but did not get to post about it until now.


Thank you Karen.

Karen is currently hosting a fab giveaway.
Big hugs,

Margie

First meetings, reunion and a celebration

Isla meets her cousin Liv who has kindly brought her a gift and even helps to unwrap it.


Nana and Mel share a happy moment while Isla, Lein and I join in.


Lein and I spent some fun time together (Thanks to Guido for the photos).

We spent a wonderful few days in Antwerp.

Big hugs,

Margie

Hope

Mr Margie and I have been celebrating with family in Belgium, he and I have been together for twenty five years now, and his parents celebrated 50 years of marriage at the end of August.


We also spent a week in Majorca, relaxing, soaking up the sunshine in preparation for the Autumn and Winter.


Some of you who know us personally will know that this has been a particularly difficult year for us, Mr Margie's business closed, we faced financial uncertainty, and debt. I took Leiny to Dublin airport and had a melt down in the bathroom, angry with our political leaders when I saw how many young well educated people were emigrating. We planned a new start, I stopped listening to the doom and gloom on the radio and in the media, in order to function in a positive way at work. A few weeks later our big plan to emigrate, failed despite committments and assurances, at the last possible moment.


Our ability to adapt and an openess and willingness to change and to think outside of the box, (along with family and friends support and love) helped us through the difficult times. However, it was all put into perspective when two family members passed away suddenly in February. Some family members were taking flights to the USA for a funeral while others were flying back home to Ireland for another. I stood in the graveyard looking at the faces of people I had not seen for years, some family, some neighbours, and thought that family, community and our interdependance as humans is more important than everything else. I surrounded myself with like minded crafters used Chez Margie saturdays and tuesdays and the blogs to keep afloat. I cherished every comment left on my posts.


Now we face into the autumn (fall) with more uncertainty, but with the knowledge that we have hope (I think this tree sums up our year, I saw it growing strong on the top of a 15 ft building in Majorca, and immediately I was drawn to it, a wonderful symbol of hope).
I have already had my first day back studying and while I will continue to craft and blog, however, Chez Margie will not be open for business until after all assignments have been handed in (I am taking this on while still working full time). In 2005 I completed my MSc in Equality Studies and am now working on a H Dip which will open the door to some teaching practice, with a view to a PhD in a couple of years.


Thank you all very much for visiting my blog.

Big hugs,

Margie