WIPS Linky is back!!

Yay! It's back!! The monthly Works-in-progress post with linky is back!!

For new readers and those older ones who may have forgotten, the WIPSLinky was a monthly post where I showed you what various crafty projects I was working on and I invited you to show me yours via the little linky widget at the bottom of the post (here are a couple of earlier WIPSLinky posts to give you an idea - you may recognise a certain Butterick pattern that was featured on The Great British Sewing Bee this year! Way ahead of my time, me!!)

So what am I up to right now?

#WIPsLinky No 2 - Sharing our Work-in-Progress

First of all I would like to say THANK YOU to those of you who joined the linky last month, and those who tweeted and shared. I realise these things take time to grow - it's a work-in-progress in it's own right! Your support is much appreciated.


Now Summer is nearing it's end (boo!) my crafting mind is turning to the Forest Flower Designs Christmas range. The first batch of festive fabric (from the fab Fabric Rehab) arrived a couple of weeks back and the first 'Merry Christmas' embroidered hearts stuffed with gorgeous Christmas spice scented aroma beads have gone into production and should be heading into my Folksy store soon.



This doesn't leave much time for other projects but I am pleased to report that I have nearly used up all the green 'Galaxy' yarn and have a small pile of granny squares ready to create something with. I now have four balls of white chunky yarn to use too (courtesy, once again of my lovely MIL's wool stash!) but I am still not sure what this finished project is going to be... Any ideas readers?

granny squares galore!

 The cable throw is also coming along quite nicely. I completed three panels - including the first of four Celtic Knot panels - whilst on holiday.
However I have already nearly finished the first ball of yarn and the blanket still has a long way to go so I now I am starting to worry that I won't have enough to finish it!






 So - are there any NEW projects for September?

Well I had a lovely surprise this Bank Holiday Weekend when my subscription copy of Mollie Makes arrived a full week before it is available in the shops. I always find Mollie Makes so inspirational, and this month's issue is no exception. In fact I think I actually DO want to make everything in it! I may even put the granny squares to one side for a while to have a go at the fab crocheted High-tops... and I'm not just talking about one pair - these will make perfect Xmas pressies!

What projects do you have planned for the next few weeks? Are you starting to think about winter woollies or Christmas pressie makes yet?
If you blog and would like to join in, please add your post to the linky widget below.  Alternatively share your #WIPsLinky pictures with me on Twitter or Facebook or you can email them to me at forestflower@hotmail.com.  I will add them to the #WIPsLinky Pinterest board and maybe feature some on next month's post too!

Happy Crafting! 

Works-in-Progress Linky - I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours...

Welcome to the very first works in progress linky post - aka WIPsLinky!

I am really excited to get this idea up and running - I really hope that now you are here and reading you'll want to join in too.  If this is your first visit to my blog here is the post I wrote last week as an introduction to the WIPsLinky idea. Go have a read if you like. I'll still be here when you get back...

Hello again!

So I am going to show you a couple of projects I am working on right now - both of them seem a little incongruous given the warm weather we have been having of late but, as most crafters (particularly those who knit or crochet) know there is no point in waiting until it's cold to create things to keep you warm...

crochet in the park...

First up - I have had some Hayfield Bonus Galaxy yarn floating around for some years. I think I bought it with the intention of making something cute and snuggly for Roo when he was tiny but didn't get around to it. It's been discontinued so I am unlikely to be able to get any more and I only have 2 balls each of blue and green. So I am using a 5mm crochet hook and making a pile of basic closed granny squares - I have absolutely no idea how many my yarn will make or what I'll do with them when they are done ( Lap blanket? Cushions?) but it feels kind of good to finally be using something that has been stashed away for best part of 5 years!  When I have used up all the yarn I will make the decision.

I love that granny square projects are so portable, all you need is your hook and some yarn. Even if you are bit rusty, like me, you only need to make a couple with a pattern in front of you before you can whip them up without the pattern wherever you are!




Next up is one of those projects I have been waiting to start for a long time. The pattern came from my mum's collection of 'The Knitter' magazines. We love 'The Knitter' because it is aimed at more experienced knitters than most mainstream knitting mags and has some wonderfully challenging projects.

This one is a cabled blanket made up in panels of different sizes with lovely, intricate cable patterns on each panel. I adore cable knits - there is something inherently snuggly about a chunky cable knit don't you think? I love them so much I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to them!



Anyway, the biggest hold up has always been getting the yarn - this throw uses a lot of yarn - as is the way with all these patterns the specified yarn, although beautiful (50% wool/50% lama!) is WAAAAYYYY out of my budget! Luckily for me my mother-in-law had some rather nice wool mix arran yarn from Stylecraft in a beautiful charcoal grey colour - enough to knit this whole blanket in the same colour instead of a rainbow patchwork (although that would be nice too!).

I have started on the first panel - a long, thin strip of cabling that basically an 8 row repeat. It's not too complicated and doesn't require much concentration so it's good to do while watching tv. I have a feeling the large Celtic knot panels might require a bit more focus though!

We're off on holiday tomorrow so I will be taking this one with me, just in case the weather does it's worst. After all what is a holiday but an excuse to knit for hours on end without feeling remotely guilty?

So there you have my current Works-in-Progress - now show me yours!

Link up your #WIPsLinky blog post below. If you want you can add a link to this post at the end of your post (I am working on a 'grab my button' code. Honest!)

Please use the #WIPsLinky hash tag on Twitter/Google+/Facebook if you want to shout about this linky to your friends too! I will also be setting up a WIPsLinky pinboard on Pinterest.

I am looking forward to seeing what you are up to!

ps: the Linky will be posted on the last Tuesday of each month, the current one will stay open until the day before new one comes up so you have plenty of time to link up and join in!

A new linky - share your WIPs!

I blog a lot of tutorials in my role as a Jane Means Ribbon Blogger and an Abakhan Creative Budget Blogger, as well as new Forest Flower designs when I add them to my Folksy shop but I don't often take the time to show off the little (and not so little) projects I work on - usually in the evenings whilst watching TV or listening to music - little things for the home, for Roo, presents for friends and family and those new techniques or ideas I spot on Pinterest or between the covers of Mollie Makes...

Some of these projects are on-going (which means I have been working on them forever!) Others are what I call 'Sunday afternoon makes' - little things I rustle up while the boys are watching the motorcycle racing. There is usually at least one gift being made, if not for an upcoming birthday than to go in the Christmas box. Occasionally I even make something for myself!!

a current WIP - should be completed by next week's linky...

I thought it would be a nice idea to start up a works-in-progress (aka WIPs) linky where we can all share the projects we are working on, the projects we would LIKE to start, the ones we need encouragement to finish...

I am planning to post the WIPs linky on the last Tuesday of each month - so the first one will be next Tuesday 30th July - and the linky will stay the whole of following month so as many of you as possible can join in. I will be working on a little bit of coding so you can add a badge to your post to encourage your readers to head over to the linky and join in and maybe discover some new blogs in the process.

I hope that lots of my crafty blogging friends will take join in once a month. Linkys are a great way to discover new blogs so I hope that all of you who do link up take the time to check out the other blogs on the linky too!

#WIPsLinky will be announced on Twitter/Facebook/Google+ so please follow/like/add if you want to see the reminder or subscribe to the blog by email and it will be sent directly to your inbox.

I look forward to seeing all of your works-in-progress next week!