I'm back !

Hello ! 

I'm back or I think I'm back to this little space and I've missed it. 

I know I've said that in the past. . . but life gets in the middle, doesn't it ? 

Or 2020 gets in the middle . . . let's not talk about 2020, right ? 

Let's talk about our creative life and how grateful I am to have the hobbies I have. 

Since I wrote here last time I have evolved as a maker, a lot. . . 

I now have discover also the love for embroidery, and increase my passion for patchwork. 

but what I love the most is that I have so many crafts to fall into depending on my time availability,

depending on my mood and depending on where I am also. 

Like knitting is very portable, but sewing isnt, but then patchwork can be portable too, right ? 

Today I wanted to pop in to show you my latest creations which combine all of my passions at the moment, 

I love Christmas, is that a secret ? 

I know some people dont love it and to be honest I think what I love most is the run up to Christmas, 

more than the week where all is concentrated. 

I love October, November and December . . . I love the coziness of those months, I love it when is cold. 

Then, I know, I live in Madrid where we have gorgeous winters . . . I just love winter in Madrid. 

It is cold but we have blue skies and it is sunny for the most part. 

But I love rainy days too. .. there is something very romantic about rain that I love. 

I'm babbling . . .

Back to my creations. 

I was saying they combine all my passions. 

Xmas, embroidery, sewing, patchwork and knitting. . . 

The knitting part is because the bags are made to be project bags for knitting projects. 

But that is what I had in mind and what my moment of RELAX is. . . knitting. 

These are now up on my Etsy shop. 

Aren't they cute ? 

I think they are adorable ! 

I'm working on more but this all the Xmas fabric I had left at the moment. . . 

It was my dream to make my little Etsy shop and that dream stands now more than ever before. 

My main job is in the tourism industry . . . so that is now . . . well, let's leave at quite quiet. . . 

So back to my happy place. 

I have enjoyed so much making these bags, 

and 

I hope someone loves them too and makes someone as happy as I have felt while making them. 

By the way. . . while I was making them I was listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong . . . .oh ! 

and dreaming of a better world, or a better future for all. 

Well now, I better go pick up my son from soccer training. . . 

I do hope you are all well and safe 

and that you find solace in your crafting. . . 

What has been your favourite thing to make this year ? 

Take Care and Stay Safe, 

xEva 

 

I have started a YouTube Podcast . . .

Hello all ! and thanks for hanging in there during my long periods of absence.

After a long time wanting to do a video podcast I finally took the plunged and beat up that fear that

was keeping me from doing it.

Now you can see all things I'm currently making but it will be me showing them to you, in my channel (click above).

Please subscribe if you like it and like the video to show me some love, which is much needed in this new beginning.

After giving it a lot of thought I decided to do it in English since I wanted my international friends to also understand it, I'm sad my mother won't be able to understand it but she has me in real life to explain things to her and she has seen everything in the planning, making and the finished objects.

I have to plan a structure for the podcast yet and show notes will follow.

Please feel free to ask me anything you want to know about what you see in the podcast in the meanwhile. Remember you can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Easy. I'm CountryMaison everywhere. . . .

I look forward to your feedback on my first episode !!

Thank you all in advance,

xEva

Evolve. . . . knitting, hand dyeing, new projects...

Hello !

Anybody there ??

First thanks for the followers that have not clicked the 'unfollow' button :-) and the ones who have, well, I totally understand them.

I have been away from my little space here for so long. . . so much has been happening in my little creative and crafty mind. . . I have evolved into so many things. I still feel I 'm trying to find myself if that makes sense ?

I like trying everything I get my eyes on, I'm curious by nature and want to know how things work, how is it done, I like solving misteries. . .

I learned to knit socks because it was an utter mystery to me. . . often times once I resolve the mystery of it I go on to something else. . .

Crochet stayed in my life for a few years and in fact all my life on and off. . . and knitting seemed to be just out of reach. I learned to knit when I was a child, I must have been 10 or 11 ? I can't really remember but I remember it not being a nice experience. I knit a scarf in 2x2 ribbing. . . how did that happen ? I wonder when I rescued the scarf from a bag with old things. . . .

The thought that I could not get passed knit and purl stitches stayed with me and so the idea of doing just that bored me.

Anyway, I picked up my knitting needles again 3 years ago and knitting has stayed with me and crochet was abandoned there and then (not forever though) but 3 years on I just can't put knitting down. . .

I have made cowls, hats, a cardigan, 3 shawls, socks. . . not very much to be honest as I'm a slow knitter and I spend more time ripping back than actually knitting on something :-)

I have now started the so called 'cozy memories blanket' although for me is not about memories but about using scraps or 'minis' I have dyed myself. . . I have been experimenting with dying yarn (yet this is another mystery solving for me). . . . the colour creation has proved fascinating for me, so much fun (I need to write a post about this). And yesterday I could see this also reflected on my kids.

Yesterday we had one of those nowadays rare free afternoon . . . .and we all needed calm and a quiet time. We made 'homemade' painting using corn flour, water and food colouring. My kids loved mixing the colours and try to get as many different colours as possible. Once the colours were mixed they were done with it, the fun was over. Mixing the colours is supposed to be only the preparation so that they could paint with them afterwards, but no, no painting happened.

I leave you here a few pictures of my blanket and the newest shawl I have started, and also the plan is to start this week this cardigan for my daughter.

Above is the French Cancan Shawl I have made for my mum

These are my first hand dyeing experiments, using food colouring which I will talk more about in the future, as I have also now have started selling full hanks hand dyed by me in my Etsy Shop

This is green ball is one of my favourites, the colour is not as bright as it looks on my screen, it is bright but not as much

 This is how my hand dyed yarn blanket is looking . . . so far

This mini here is also one of my favourites. . . .not sure why but I got lots of these pink/lilac minis, my hands and mind just seemed to mix the colours into these most of the time. . . 

And this is the new shawl I've casted on. . . I started this 3 times so far. The yarn is lace (2 ply) and I'm not used to working with such fine yarn. I was knitting with 3.5mm needles but the project did not call me, I was being put off . 

I changed needles to these zings 2.75 mm and I'm loving it !!

the pattern is this one. 

And just yesterday I bought this pattern in Ravelry to make it for my daughter. . . .

That is it from me for now, hope to post sooner this time :-)

Thanks for reading !

xEva 

Project Bag - a quick hello !

Hello all !! 

It has been a long time but I miss my little blog but summer seems to be always really busy for me. . . shouldn't summers be long lazy days ?? - not for me. . . but I do dream about those days. 

I was telling my husband today that I miss reading Country Homes and Interios (I had a subscription to it for years. . . :-)) What do I miss from it ??

Looking at lovely houses, relaxed settings and lots of lovely things, recipes, and what not. 

And more than anything because it made me dream. . . dream that one day I will be able to relax a little bit in a house like those of magazines, in a garden like the ones I see in there. . . 

Maybe I am a fool but what I know is I am a DREAMER and I will never stop dreaming. 

Ok, enough babbling now. 

See that little bag in the above picture ?? Cute isn't it ?

It is actually a project bag I made myself. For my knitting. For my current sock WIP. 

I needed a bag to carry my kitting and I wanted to make it myself, out of my favourite fabrics (or at least some of my favourite fabrics. . .)

And I love the expose zip. I wanted to make a different project bag and I had not seen any with exposed zips. It adds a very romantic touch to it. . . I feel !

I have even toyed with the idea of making some for my Easy Shop. . . but the idea vanishes in my mind as it fills up with my busy work life and the crazy months ahead of me. 

And so we will see. . . do you think people would buy it ? - I'm always insecure about things like this. 

This bag started when I was playing with my fabric stash. . . 

And I'm making socks and shawls. . . shawls ??? me ?? A beginner knitter ?? 

Yes !! and I want to learn more and more, knitting is so addictive that I have neglected quite a bit my crochet. . . :-(

I bought these sock yarns in Barcelona back in June . . . lovely, aren't they ??

and I'm making socks for my daughter . . .  

and I'm doing the Fish Kiss Heels for the first time. . . the pattern is only $1 in Raverly. 

The sock pattern I'm using is the Everyday Socks by Erica Luder (a free pattern in Raverly)

 And that is all I have to show you for today. . . I hope to be back soon to show you my shawls and other lovely things. .  .

What have you all been up to lately ?

xEva 

Pom-pom little girls knitted cowl and other late makes. . .

Hello to all and thank you for being there during this long absence.

What have I been up to ? 

The months before Christmas it was busy at work and involved some travelling

and I just could not keep up with work, the house, blogging and my online shop and what all that involves. 

I have lately had that dilemma about juggling so many things in my life and sometimes some things take priority and others have to be put on hold. That is the way life works, isn't it ?

In terms of crafting we have been up to a lot around here. 

My latest creation has been this cowl. 

I made it with the yarn leftover from another cowl I had made for my daughter here.

The cowl, I made it for a friend's daughter, and she loved it. 

I improvised the pattern and this is something I had been wanting to make for a long time: 

a girl's cowl that had a pom-pom closure. 

I think the result is very sweet. 

Then, if you follow me in IG, you would have already seen these pictures. 

I make lots of crafts with my kids, daily if we can. 

I try to make them as crafty and creative as possible as this is something I love and it is part of my life. I cannot think of my life without the creative part. And I believe creativity opens the mind to many other things in life. 

and so here below we made some hamma beads coasters. . . 

The blue one is a CK crosshatch pattern and the white one was our own creation. . .

the kids can spend ours doing that. 

Here below are some pretty things I also posted in IG. 

I lately have something for Liberty Fabrics. . . I just love them ! 

Below is my new knitting/crochet corner in our living room. And a cushion I have also recently made. 

 Below is another IG picture. .. :-) 

This was one of my quite afternoons. . . .it's funny when you see a picture like this you dream of a quiet afternoon, enjoying your tea and some knitting/crochet and also a few moments enjoying a good recipe book ! Far from reality....I took this picture and had literally 10 mins of quiet before picking the children up from school. 

My 'me' times are that . . . .literally 10 mins in the afternoon if I'm lucky and then I might get a couple of hours at night.  

But those evenings are often lacked of energy and I just need to put my brain on a side, put on my favourite TV series and crochet or knit for a little while. 

I'm not a night owl and have always been a morning person and so it is in the morning when my energy is at its highest ! 

And those granny squares you see below it's my current WIP. I cannot show you too much as it will be a surprise present for a 1 yr old baby. She will be 1 in May and so I don't want to spoil the surprise for her lovely mum, that happens to be my cousin. 

And below a funny snapshot ! 

My kids always find different fun uses for my crochet blankets. . . one day they can be a tent, another a picnic blanket, a princess or queen's cape, a boat. . . the imagination of a child has not limits !! 

 Well thanks again for being there and for reading my blog. 

I hope to get back again to the routine of writing often as I really miss this little world. 

I have found wonderful people in it and I love the 'positive' vibe and good energy it is surrounded with... 

Love, 

Eva 

Makes in crochet & Circular Knitting

Hello all ! 

My, my ! it has been a long time . . . 

Thank you all for waiting for me. 

It is about time I show you some of the things I have been up to these 2 months. 

First, I managed to finish my daughter's

Creative Blog Hop

I have been quite relax about my blog lately and one of the reasons is time lacking and another 

is also probably I am still with that urge to knit and crochet more than using my computer for anything apart from work. 

What has got me to my computer and blog today ?? 

A Blog Hop invitation by lovely Elizabeth from Elizyart Blog. 

I think Elizabeth and I both started our blog around the same time and we have been in regular contact since them. . .and we both live in Madrid (Spain) !! She has created some lovely things and made gorgeous crochet shawls !! If you have not visited her blog please do so now and enjoy some lovely crochet !!

Now, I have to answer 4 questions, here we go !!: 

Question #1: What are you working on at the moment?

I'm always working on several things: this pictures below are solid grannies. 

Summer Knitting - preparing for the winter . . .

I'm just back from a week holidays and if you are in IG you will know that 

I have been knitting a lot. 

I think I am becoming addicted to it !! 

I have made another pair of mittens, this time for a gift. . . .same as these ones and this but in aubergine colour. 
I don't have a picture yet of them. . . 

I have also managed to teach myself to fair isle knitting. . . and now I cannot stop....the ideas keep flooding my head with things I want to make.



To learn...

Mint Knitted Mittens - Mother & Daughter

HELLO !! 

Easter is now gone and so is our little summer . . . We had a little summer in Madrid, and temperatures went up to 30 degrees !! Now we are back in a lovely and fresh spring with a temperature of around 15 degrees. . . I like the seasons when they are meant to be... and here in Madrid summer can get very hot and so I never look forward to a very early summer. . . 

Despite the weather I could not resist and made another pair of the same knitted mittens I had made for my daughter a few weeks ago, shown here. 

HOLA !!

la Semana Santa ya se acabo y también ese veranito que hemos tenido. . . en Madrid hemos tenido un pequeño verano y las temperaturas subieron hasta 30 grados !! Ahora estamos de nuevo con una agradable y fresca primavera y unos 15 grados. . . a mi me gustan las estaciones, en su momento . . . en Madrid el verano suele ser un infierno así que nunca me gusta tener el verano demasiado pronto . . .

A pesar del cálido tiempo que hemos tenido no me he podido resistir a hacer otros mitones a punto, iguales a los que hice para mi hija, los podéis ver aquí. 

Often, when I make something quick like this project and I enjoy making it, I make several as if I needed to make a few to engrave the pattern in my brain. . . I think I might not be the only one doing this :-)) 

Me suele pasar, que cuando hago algo por primera vez y disfruto haciendolo, lo hago varias veces como si necesitara grabar el patrón en mi cerebro . . . y creo que no soy la única que hace esto :-))

For these I have used again Woolly DMC Merino Yarn in a 072 Aqua Green colour. 

I really love this color and I will be making more things with it for sure. . . 

Para este par he usado de nuevo Woolly DMC lana merino en Aguamarina 072. 

Me encanta este color y seguro que lo usare para mas proyectos. . . 

for these I have put a wooden button, as I did not have any others that would match the colour. . .

en esta ocasión he puesto un botón de madera ya que no tenia ningún otro que le fuera con el color. . .  

I'm really happy with them , they are very, very easy, very, very quick to make, use very little yarn (you can even make them with some yarn stash). 

The link to the pattern, you can find it in this other post I had published a few weeks ago. 

Enjoy knitting !!

xEva

Estoy muy contenta con ellos, son muy, muy fáciles de hacer, se usa muy poquita lana 
(es un proyecto perfecto para usar esos restos de lana que tenéis en casa)
Podéis encontrar el enlace al patrón en la entrada donde publique los que hice para mi hija. 

Disfrutar tejiendo !!

Bs,
Eva 

P.D: En caso de que os hayáis perdido mi anterior entrada pinchad aquí, ya que por fin publique la versión española de los mitones a punto cable (en ganchillo)

My first Knitted Mittens - Diagonal Eyelet // Mis primeros mitones a 2 agujas - Calado Diagonal

HELLO !!

I know it is Spring and here, in Madrid it is really lovely and springy time already.

We are having a lovely few days in terms of weather....but I see to have got the 'mittens' bug, you dont know what is is ?? 

Well, have you ever started making something of a kind and could not stop ?? 

This is what happens to me with mittens. 

HOLA !!

Ya...ya se que es primavera y todo eso y que hace buen tiempo y que aquí en Madrid estamos teniendo unos días verdaderamente primaverales, pero yo debo haber cogido el virus de los 'mitones' que que es ??

Bueno, sabeis cuando empezáis a hacer algo de una cosa determinada 

y no podéis parar ?

Eso es lo que me ha pasado a mi con los mitones que no puedo para de hacer de todo tipo. 

I finished my daughter's tiny mittens yesterday evening. I had only started them on Saturday, they are really quick to make, and easy.

They are knitted and perfect for a beginner knitter like me!

Anoche termine unos para mi hija. 
Los empece el sábado son muy fáciles y rápidos de hacer. 

Están tejidos a 2 agujas. 

Son perfectos para una aprendiz de punto como soy yo

The button is also hand painted, but not by me.

It was made by a lovely lady in Northern France, she is a local artist and happens to be 

the mother of my lovely sister in law.

She gave me a set of about 6 like this and another 6 bigger and in a different colour scheme, aren't they lovely ?

They are wooden buttons and painted by hand. 

El botón también esta pintado a mano, pero no por mi. 

Lo ha hecho una señora del norte de Francia, es una artista local que 

resulta ser la madre de mi cuñada. 

Me regalo un set de 6 de este tipo y otro set de unos un poco mas grandes en otro color, no son preciosos ?

Son de madera y pintados a mano. 

You can find the pattern for the mittens here.

I found other lovely mittens pattern in that blog, unfortunately the blog is no longer active but I thank the lady for the free patterns she has in it and for leaving the blog opened for us to use.

Podeis encontrar el patron de los mitones aqui. (solo en Ingles)

Encontre estos preciosos mitones en ese blog, pero es una pena que ahora 

este inactivo, aunque agradezco a la chica que lo llevaba que haya dejado el blog

abierto para que podamos usar sus patrones.  

the mittens weigh a mere 17 grms (both together). My daughter is 6 years old and she was a lovely hands and mittens model this morning at breakfast !! 

I used Woolly DMC yarn in Very Soft Pink (041) and knitting needles size 4mm

Have a lovely day !! 

Los mitones pesan 17 gramos (juntos). Mi peque tiene 6 añitos y la verdad es que ha sido una modelo estupenda esta mañana en el desayuno !!!

He usado Woolly DMC en Rosa Muy Suave (041) y agujas de punto del 4. 

Que tengais un precioso dia !!!

Happy Knitting . . .Happy Colours

Hello !! 

Hola !! 

Well, I've been away for a little while, work, life and family have kept me away from my blog. 

Also I have to admit since I am in Instagram I can tell more about my daily makes there, as it is very quick. 

You have the impression you have told the world . . . but nooo. . .

I have to tell my blogger friends, ha, ha !

He estado un poco alejada de mi blog por un tiempo. . . la vida, familia y el trabajo me han mantenido alejada. 

También debo admitir que desde que estoy en Instagram donde es tan fácil poner las cosas que hago en mi vida diaria, pues lo del blog me cuesta mas. Instagram es tan rápido !! 

Te da la impresión de que se lo he contado al mundo, pero noooo

. . .tambien tengo que contárselo a mis amigas blogueras !! ja,ja

 As you already know I have been experimenting with knitting and improving my basic knitting skills, and I have done this beauty !! 

It is a headband or earwarmer for my daughter, and then a crocheted flower. 

The yarn is Woolly DMC in color Soft Pink 042. I have knitted it with 2 strands of yarn on needles size 5mm. . . nice ah ?

(both yarn and knitting needles available at my Etsy shop :-))

Como ya sabéis he estado experimentando con el punto a dos agujas e intentando mejorar los conocimientos básicos que ya tenia, y hecho esta preciosidad !! 

Es una diadema o calentador de orejas a punto y una flor a ganchillo. 

La lana es Woolly DMC en color Rosa Suave 042. Lo he tejido con 2 hebras de lana y agujas del 5 . . . queda bonito, no ?

(tanto las agujas como la lana esta disponible en mi tienda Etsy :-))

This picture below I took it when I was experimenting. I learned to increase/decrease with a YouTube video (lots of them) but then wrote up a simple pattern myself. I wanted to give some texture to the headband and so I made those ribbed borders. The very soft pink one in the picture was the first one I made to learn increase/decrease. 

La foto de abajo fue hecha cuando estaba experimentando. Aprendí a aumentar / disminuir con un video de YouTube (hay muchísimos) pero después cree un patrón simple. Quería que la diadema tuviera algo de textura así que hice los bordes algo abultados. La diadema en el rosa pálido fue la primera que hice aprendí a aumentar y disminuir. 

And this below is the beauty that is available in my shop since last weekend. . . 

NATURA Just Cotton, which is 100% cotton yarn in bautiful colors. 

I am starting off with 26 colours. . . .

Y esta de abajo es la belleza que esta disponible en mi tienda desde el pasado fin de semana . . . 

NATURA Just Cotton, que es una lana 100% algodón en preciosos colores. 

He empezado con 26 colores . . .

♥ My new hobby . . .and my new knitting needles ♥ ♥Mi nueva afición...y mis nuevas agujas de punto ♥

Hello !! 

I've been . . . busy again. . . how many projects are you doing at the same time ?? 

I'm doing 3 . . . well 4 . . . .

I'm knitting and overly exciting about my new knitting needles ! 

They do brighten up my yarn time. . . they do . . .big time.

I showed them yesterday in Instagram 

but the picture was taken with bad light, this is better . . .

Hola ¡
He estado ....ocupada de nuevo. . .cuantos proyectos estáis haciendo al mismo tiempo ??
Yo 3. . .no 4 . . .
Estoy haciendo punto y me encantan mis nuevas agujas !
Iluminan y ponen color a mis momentos de hacer punto. 
Las enseñe ayer en Instagram
pero la foto era mala, con mala luz, esta es mejor. . . 

much better. 

mucho mejor. 

I just love them. I'm not sure if something will come out of this.

 I'm just teaching myself to knit different patterns. 

All I new until a few days ago was the knit stitch and purl stitch

You can buy them at my Etsy shop, if you were wondering :-)

Me encantan. No estoy segura que saldrá de este proyecto. 
Solo pretendo aprender nuevos puntos. 
Hasta hace unos dias solo sabia el punto del derecho y del reves.
Podeis comprar las agujas en mi tienda Etsy. 

I ordered yesterday more sizes.
Ayer hice otro pedido con mas tamaños.