Catching up with sewing.

Well this week really flew past and I seemed to spend the whole time trying to catch up with sleep. Our trip to Ethiopia was extremely interesting and enjoyable but we packed a lot of activity into the days. We were moving from place to place and on several occasions we only spent 1 night at a particular hotel. The first night I stay anywhere I often don't sleep very well and as a result I ended up a little short of sleep over the holiday. Over the week I finally caught up on sleep and so this weekend I found the energy to get my sewing machine out.

In the run up to Christmas I wanted to make a couple of presents so yesterday I pulled out some fabric from my subscription box and a pattern for a Dresden plate pillow. The fabric is by Liberty and feels beautiful. I had to cut the template for the blades and then cut the fabric. It didn't take long and the whole pattern went together quite quickly. When I stopped yesterday evening I had the back of the pillow all pieced together and the front was ready for quilting. This morning I finished the front and sewed the front and back together. Once finished I pressed the cover. Now all I need to do is get a pillow pad and the present is complete. I love the finished project.

Although I was tired last weekend I took time out to make my Christmas cake. I usually make it a little earlier, normally at the end of October but I was busy with other things. Anyway I soaked the dried fruit and then got on with the cake. When I'm baking cakes I like to prep all the ingredients first and then it all goes together much more quickly.

The cake has brandy in it and for a couple of weeks I pour a couple of tablespoonfuls of Brandy over it. It keeps the cake very moist and it's very tasty. However I always make sure family and friends are aware that it has alcohol in it, especially if they're driving.

Earlier this week I pulled out the jumper I'm knitting for John. I spent some time reminding myself about the pattern and vowed to get on with the knitting the next day. When I went downstairs the next morning I found that Picasso and Scamp had been 'playing' with the knitting and had managed to pull it of the needles. Quite a lot had been pulled undone and the yarn was tied in knots. It took ages it get it all sorted out and then I had a slight 'moment'. I had been worried that it wasn't going to fit properly. John likes his thick jumpers to be slightly large and I'd thought that it was knitting up rather small. I measured everything very carefully and then made the decision to undo it all and re knit it in one size larger. I decided to start with the sleeves and I completed the first sleeve on Friday evening. I'm part way up the second sleeve now and hope to have it finished by Tuesday. I haven't taken a new photo so here is  one I took when I knitted this up before.

The yarn is beautiful It's made with the wool of three different breeds of sheep. It has a lovely soft feel and is quite delightful to knit with. I use bamboo needles to knit as they are lighter and don't hurt my hands. 

Tomorrow I'll tell you some more about my trip to Ethiopia. For now I'm linking this post with Kathy for her Slow Sunday Stitching Then I'll knit a couple more rows before heading to bed.

Lyndsey