Sleepy Weekend

It must be the onset of autumn - I swear I'm starting to hibernate. I feel as if I've just spent the weekend curled up in all of my quilts inside my house with brief forays for sustenance but really it's been quite productive.



One thing is certain; winter is definitely on the way and I'm starting to look for a windy day, not a warm day to dry the clothes. I'm also happily lapsing into my favourite autumn colour schemes:

Copper and the palest green ornamental cabbage

And brilliant yellow sunflowers for a splash of colour - if a little weather worn.



On a whim, and because I had a spare orange that needed eating, I made a batch of orange fairy cakes - complete with autumnal icing.



At least, I thought I was looking outside for the colours - blue sky, bright green grass, singed yellow leaves - and then I looked down and realised that my subconscious is matching icing colours to my apron.

yes, it appears that I made Cath Kidston co-ordinating cakes - they tasted pretty good though.

I've spent much of the weekend quilting up my mint choc chip quilt but it isn't quite finished so it's staying hidden for the moment. I've been playing around with a few ideas and finishing off a birthday present so I have those to share instead.




These are currently buttons - it's an idea I saw in a cross stitch magazine; sewing tiny pictures and then fitting them to those blank plastic buttons that people use to make matching fabric buttons. The magazine suggested sewing them onto a tote bag which would work well but I'm thinking of taking the button shanks off and either attaching mini magnets to have them on the fridge, or drawing pins for the pin board. The cupcake is for me, and the space rocket is for H so I think they ought to go on the fridge if I can find the right size magnets.

The birthday present is for a little boy who will be 2 on Wednesday. His cousin's birthday present was a little elephant so for a bit of variety we have a little blue bear.


The pattern is another Ysolda Teague knitted toy pattern, also part of a Christmas present from my sister-in-law who has excellent taste when presented with a yarn shop; this is the Otto pattern.


I made the smaller polar bear, from Rowan Wool Cotton on 3mm needles and I used about one and a third 50g balls. The colour is 941, Clear, and it reminds me of the colour of ice on a frosty morning - very appropriate for a polar bear.

The pattern is easy to knit, and very similar to the Elijah pattern, although the legs are different, being fully part of the body, rather than picked up and knit from the body, which makes it easier for our little blue bear to stand.


The little jacket he is wearing is identical to the jackets that I made for Bella and Arthur and blogged about here, this time with a little colourwork in some leftover wool cotton.

I usually name these little friends while I create them, even knowing that their names will probably change along the way; Beatrix became Bella when she went to live with Peggy (which suits them both) and I love that they get two names. This little bear however, has stayed strangely silent; he has a presence that requires formality and Latin (it's the Roman nose), and so for now he is Ursus Maritimus.

He is as we speak, travelling on board the good ship Special Delivery, to arrive in time for the day itself to somewhat warmer climes, but within a salty sniff of the ocean. Hopefully Carey will like him - I wait to hear what his new name is with interest.