Knitting keeps me Sane!!!

I apologise for not being around much last week. 

The 'coughes and sneezes' season has started already as I picked up a cold and I feel that I haven't caught up with myself yet! However, I think I am on the mend now.

I also have been dealing with my neighbour's landlord as her shower has been leaking into  my flat into my kitchen cupboards causing damp and mold to grow as I can't use my kitchen cupboards.  It is not pleasant, and after many phone calls I have to get the work done myself and claim on my insurance.  Nothing seems to go straight forward anymore. 

Anyway, enough about boring stuff and annoyances, I have been knitting a lovely slip over top from a pattern by Debbie Bliss from her Fall/Winter 2008 Magazine.

as shown on the cover

I am using a chunky yarn, in a dark grey in a wool/acrylic mix. 

I would love to be able to knit with pure wool and use the top designer yarns

but my purse doesn't allow. 

So we will have to wait and see if it is a good substitute. I did do a tension swatch and adjusted needle size so all being well ........

Back

 It consists of moss stitch which is one of my favourite stitches since I mastered the art of it and the front has a lovely big cable to do.

I don't knit many items for myself so this will be a treat and I think it will suit me.

I also whipped up a little tea cosy when I was away last week which is here

and added some crochet edging and a crochet flower.

I love knitting these, as they are very quick projects to do and I used up some of the yarn leftover from the 'cute little knitted dress'.

Have a lovely week

bee x

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Tea Cosy & Pin Cushion Giveaway

A GREAT GIVEAWAY FOR A GREAT TUTORIAL

1st Prize Hand Knitted Tea Cosy

Have I put you all off entering my Great Giveaway posted on Friday?

I probably made it too demanding and boring.   

As yet I haven't had any entries so I have decide to change the entry criteria as follows and add a second prize too:-

2nd Prize A pumpkin pin cushion

I had a thought that it might be nice to create a 'Great Tutorials' section on my blog

with links to other blogs and their fab favourite tutorials. 

Have you got a favourite tutorial you have found on the Internet? 

Or have you got a tutorial you created yourself you would like to share? 

I think this is definitely more fun than the other entry requirements!!!

To enter:

send me a comment on this blog post, with a link to your favourite blog tutorial. 

It can be for any type of craft, from any blog, your own blog or others. 

I will pick the best two tutorials as the winners on Friday, 5th August, 2011,

and I will notify the winners shortly after this date.

This is open to all who wish to enter, those who comment regularly and those who don't! I would love to see your great tutorials and hear from you so get entering. 

NB: don't forget to include your contact details, either email address or blog address, in your entry, so I can contact the winners.

Good luck!

Bee x

p.s if you have planned to enter on the other post with the other criteria, I hope that this hasn't messed up your plans. 

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A Great Giveaway

Tea Cosy Giveaway

As promised last week in a previous post, I said I was going to do a blog giveaway to celebrate my birthday and share some 'Bee & Buzz' love!

So I've decided to giveaway one of my lovely tea cosies as the prize,

with all those summery afternoon teas

and garden parties in mind (dodging the rain of course)! 

It is hand knitted by myself in pure wool from the Rowan collection,

so go easy on the washing as it will shrink if washed with too hot water.

I would wash it on a wool cycle on 30 degrees C,

 or hand wash and leave to dry naturally, preferably flat to keep its shape.

It fits an average sized family tea pot so should fit most tea pots.

To enter

all you have to do to enter is one of the following:-

1.) share the 'Bee & Buzz' blog by linking it to your blog and letting me know where;

2.) or send a twitter message about this giveaway;

3.) Or mention it on your Facebook page;

4.) and then leave a comment on this blog post to let me know what you have done.

I will pick the winner at random on Friday, 5th August, 2011,

so you have two weeks to enter.  I will notify the winner shortly after then.

GOOD LUCK!

bee x

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Etsy Treasury - Tea Time Treat

I'm so excited, one of my lovely tea cosies has been listed in an

Etsy Treasury called Tea Time by Soroka. 

I am thrilled to be featured.

You can check out the collection following the link above. 

Soroka also makes stunning hand felted pieces and I love her felted flower brooches .

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59796512/wedding-felt-flower-a-brooch

The Return of the Wanderer ...............

Well I expect you thought I had disappeared for good .......

No, only taking some time out to rest up as I have been poorly again. 

I've been spending my time reflecting on how to fit crafting into my life and

knitting fits in nicely when one is recouperating. 

I always come back to my knitting, rain or shine, and it's always there,

like a comforting friend in times of need.

So I've been clickity clicking away on those Knitting needles

and been busy making some ...... 

Hand Knitted Tea Cosies 

Pumpkin Pin Cushions

as can be seen in my Folksy & Etsy shops which I am updating at present,

it all takes time and effort but I am getting there!

 Pumpkin Pin Cushions

 Tea Cosies - Terrific Turquoise

Tea Cosy - Rosie

I hope you are all well and busy.

It is nice to be back!

oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Knitting Again

 A tea cosy in the making again!

I had an urge to pick up some knitting needles yesterday, after all my hard work in sprucing up my flat, over the last two weeks, both inside and out.

I have to be in the mood for knitting because I find I have to concentrate on it a little more than crochet but then I hooked for a while, until my arm starts playing up!

I am an impatient knitter, so I like to keep my projects on the small side, or do big knits with big needles that grow very quickly, so I am knitting one of my infamous tea cosies again!

I like the fact that knitting, and crochet, allow me to switch off.  
I enjoy the process of creating the stitches and making a fabric and watching it grow right before your eyes.

I would say that I am not a novice knitter, but I think I would benefit from some advanced teaching in shaping with pattern stitches as I always seem to get myself in a muddle with shaping these.  If anyone knows of classes, or books that could help me with this, any suggestions would be most appreciated.

knit one, purl one, make one!

put the kettle on, brew up and knit some more!

Bee x

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Free Moss Rib Tea Cosy Pattern

Tea Cosy

in Moss Rib Stitch

Following on from my 'Tea and Cosy Love' day, I attempted to knit a tea cosy in

moss rib stitch which I love and this is the result.

To create

Moss Rib Stitch

CO:   multipes of 4sts + 1 sts     to desired size

Row 1 : (right side)   K2, (P1, K3) till last 3 stitches, then P1, K2

Row 2:  P1,( K3,  P1) to the end

then repeat these two rows to create the repeat pattern

I didn't have a pattern to follow so I knitted two rectangles, starting with 12 rows of stocking stitch and then the moss rib repeat to the end.  I didn't have a pattern to give me shaping so I just stitched the top to form the shape.  I think I made it slightly too big in size so for for future attempts I will reduce the number of stitches.

However,  since knitting this, I found a FREE vintage pattern

at the Victoria and Albert Museum website,

called the 'Happy Thought Tea Cosy' which looks worth having

a go at and can be downloaded in a PDF file.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/13089-popup.html

For those of you who are not familiar with the

Victoria and Albert Museum website,

it is worth a look as it has a brilliant resource on knitting.

Bee x

p.s  don't forget to take a look at the

Tea Cosy Love Flickr group

where you can put pictures of your work relating to tea,

 tea cosies, mug cosies, blankets, cushions teapots and cups, cakes

and all things cosy from any craft.

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Tea Cosy Love

With a view to starting a pattern library for all the beautiful tea cosies out there, following on from Friday's

'Tea and Cosy Love Day',

I have created a group on Flickr called 'Tea Cosy Love',

so there is a place for us to group our patterns, photos and thoughts together,

all aimed at tea cosies, tea cups, tea pots,

doillies, cake stands, cakes and any tea related hand crafted items,

either knitted, crocheted, embroidered, printed, bought, appliqued etc.

Please feel free to drop by and join in the fun and post some pictures at

http://www.flickr.com/groups/teacosylove

So far I have only had time to set up the group page,

but will be adding photos of my own tea cosies I have made

over the next few days so bear with me.

I won't be about for the next couple of days. 

I'm off to my parents for a break

and will be back at the end of the week so catch up then.

Keep crafting and be happy!

Bee x

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Today is Tea and Cosy Day

1. Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage. ~Catherine Douzel, 2. Tea for Two, 3. Collection of 'cosy coaster' mug cosies, 4. Warm mug., 5. Be it ever so humble..., 6. A warm teapot is a happy teapot, 7. Union Jack Tea Cosy Cozy Cosie, 8. Tea Cozy, 9. Crocheted Tea Mug Cozy, 10. Tea Pincushion - Front, 11. teacozy01, 12. 23 Bela Bell 0269, 13. Untitled14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

I've declared today, a Tea and Cosy Day, as I feel a bit yucky

 and need a bit of tea, cosy love, and sympathy today. 

A Tea and Cosy Day, is totally different from a Duvet Day,

as you can 'guilt freely' snuggle up on the sofa

 and knit, crochet, read and drink tea all day long,

 until your hearts content, in this perfect cosy little world. 

However, for those of us who have to live in the real world,

I thought the above cosy pics would help you to feel warm, snug and feel loved

for your tea or cuppa moment today. 

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I love tea cosies and enjoy knitting them. 
I have been looking for some tea cosy patterns for knit or crochet,
 so if you know of any good ones drop me a email or comment,
we could get a tea cosy library going .....for Tea Cosy Love ......