Blossom

Well, what a lot of response that little doll received!

All the names were great - I'm going to ignore those who requested I burn her - and I've decided to call her Blossom. She doesn't REALLY look a whole lot like a "Blossom", but it's in memory of Blossom Dearie who passed away on the 7th of this month, and whom I'm very fond.

The ArmourAll gave her saran hair a deep conditioning treatment - much like it does for vinyl car interiors, but after a good rinse her hair was still looking a wee bit untamed.



So I gave her a perm on large perm rods, and as WpgGal mentioned in her comments, all you have to do is pour hot water on her hair (I just held her under the tap), then let dry for a day or so.



Once the perm rods came out she had some VERY tight curls...



which I combed out into long loose curls.



She's still in need of some clothes, but I'll get to that another time. I'm feeling a little uninspired these days. It's still very wintery around here and I'm in the mood to hibernate...

however, before I do I need to show off the February's handmade-of-the-month. This is the grande finale of this yearlong project of making a little something handmade for my sister Jane each month. Since this February (tomorrow, as a matter of fact) marks a big birthday for Jane I wanted to do something special.

****she doesn't like to mention the number but I'll say it's a half century and you can do the math yourself****

So I knit the Modern Quilt Wrap by Mags Kandis. Knit with the reccommended Rowan Kidsilk Haze in more or less the colours suggested, I think it's the perfect wrap for a modern old gal with a bit of an old-fashioned chill.



Happy handmade Jane, and Happy Birthday, too!

Let's have a listen to Blossom Dearie, shall we?

Buttons and Lids

Wow! My button-of-the-month arrived from Jane. This is the last in the year-long series and she's really outdone herself. It's a huge grouping of metal buttons from The Button Drawer, and I see from their website that they have a catalogue! Nigel may have to finally take all the credit cards away!

My favourite:



This one is called "Pelican in Piety", too funny:



Jane's been in a Celtic/heraldic sort of mood:








I love these buttons, they're heavy and have a beautiful definition to their designs, and the colours have depth and character. Aren't they fantastic? I'm wrapping my mind around a project to display them all.

And for Jane, I finished the handmade-of-the-month for November. I made the French Beret from Hats Gloves Scarves by Louisa Harding. I've made this pattern for myself, and Mum's made at least one for herself, so I think it was time Jane had one too.



Knit from Rowanspun 4ply in a bright purple colour called "Turkish", it's not the quick knit that it appears. Don't get me wrong, it's only ribbing and reverse stocking stitch, but at it's widest point it has a whopping 218 stitches. If you can persevere through that section, then once the decreases start it zips along. I popped it in the post last Sunday, so it should be there soon. Happy Handmade Jane!

And Jane isn't the only one with a new lid, I finally added the shingles to the dollhouse roof:





Sadly, it's been overcast for days and days and I can't seem to get a truly good snapshot of those fabulous black shingles. I might do another photo shoot another day.

If the sun ever decides to shine.

Is It April Already?

Where has the time gone?



Jane sent March's button-of-the-month sometime back, in March in fact, and a lovely button it is. Square and gold, reminds me a bit of an Aztec or Inca pyramid. Very fitting for the vernal equinox. I like the way the texture catches the light.



On the prairie the sun can be very strong and bright. On these early spring days the air may still be cold and the temperature well below freezing, but the sun will shine away, melting the layers of snow cover. A quick glance outside and all you can see are the dismal dregs of winter - old snow, bare trees and pale faces - but if you look a little longer you can see patches of grass here and there and tightly closed buds on the trees.

Soon enough it will all change.

I've been keeping busy working on my dolls' house kit.



I installed the wiring. I was quite intimidated by this, but it only took an hour when I finally got down to it.



I also started installing the windows,



and the roof.

There's still a fair bit left to do, like shingling the roof and sorting out the decor, and, hmm...maybe a garden, maybe a garden that changes with the seasons.

Scarves For Winter

It's been ages since I posted. I blame the mid-winter blahs and a feeling of being generally worn out. I even skipped out on one of the bi-monthly knitting meetings.

Even though no-one's seen me lately, I've still been busy on the needles.

I started and finished a quick knit scarf out of a hank from the stash, a Handmaiden Yarn, or maybe Fiddlesticks, I can't remember.



The yarn has a fair bit of silk in it, giving it a lovely drape and sheen. I just did a simple all over, yarn-over pattern. I'm very pleased with it.




I also made this kit, from Morehouse Farms. The pattern was fun, and I thought it might be an idea for potential Christmas presents for next year.



This pattern was only sold as a kit and, though I love the colour, I don't care for the yarn at all. It's 100% wool, but feels like acrylic. In fact to be specific, it feels like Phentex, eewww , ick.

I would definitely make this pattern again, but with a softer yarn, maybe a Sirdar worsted weight.

I also started working on one of the two dollhouse kits I got this past Christmas.

I've been working on the exterior paint.



I'm trying to make it look like limestone. For the time being the interior is pale cream.




Next up is the wiring. I've never done anything like this before, so I need to wrap my mind around the entire concept before I start. I'll show more of this project as I get around to tackling different parts.

And in the mail? Well, Jane sent January's button-of-the-month!




These buttons are adorable. Kittens in the snow, the whimsical, cartoonish quality reminds me of Jane. Er, no, wait, I mean it reminds me of the kind of art Jane likes.



Thank you Jane, I love them, don't they make winter look like fun?