Pretty Polly...

I've had this parrot's head on my unfinished heap for over a year - finally turned it into the intended scarf.  It has a clip inside the beak to attach it to the tail when worn. 

Also completed this wide crochet cowl/scarf/wrap using up the yarn cake I had left from the previous shawl.  It's very versatile because I've sewn buttons on it!

Both items can be bought from my Etsy shop now.

Bit Of This, Bit Of That...

 Well, the Beast From The East (who thinks of these daft names?) has disappeared in a puddle of melt water, thank goodness.  I started knitting these during the big freeze but didn't manage to finish them until the weather had warmed up.  But if it happens again, I'm ready!  This is a pattern from the lovely book Woodland Knits and a golden opportunity to use the fabulous furry yarn that has been languishing in my stash for far too long.

 Also knitted a cowl using recycled denim yarn and adapting a pattern from the Japanese Knitting Pattern Bible - this is one of the less ambitious patterns, but very pretty nonetheless.  I look forward to trying out some of the more complicated ones in the future.  This is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Started this little watercolour yesterday - my painting time seems to be seriously depleted this week - hoping to remedy that today.

Greys...

 A couple of weeks ago I got some beautiful yarn at a car boot sale, but only one ball of it - Stonewashed by Scheepjeswol.  I started knitting this lovely lace cowl, realised it wasn't going to be enough so ended ordering a couple more balls.  Not that I minded as I love this soft cotton yarn with a dark grey fuzz to it, it feels as soft as wool without the itchiness.

 This is now finished and ready to go into my Etsy shop.

Started a double greyhound portrait yesterday and made some good progress - hopefully I'll be able to whizz through this one.  Drawn in Derwent Drawing pencils on watercolour paper for a change.

The Week Gone By...

It's been a busy week - Sunday I got out the Dremel and drilled some holes in all the scallop shells I have been accumulating.  Stacie and I like to eat scallops!  I wanted a length of shell bunting in my new work room, so after drilling them, I just strung them up on some hairy twine.  By the way, drilling scallops absolutely stinks!

We've had a fair bit of this throughout the week.  This was Tuesday, when it settled but only stayed until lunchtime.

Some of us were happier about it than others!

The new work room has been put to good use.  Not only is it fantastic to have everything I need to hand, it's also the warmest room in the house!  I just love that I can leave things out, mid-project, and come back to work on them the next day without losing my train of thought.  It's been a week of sewing ridiculously small things for a new animation. 

Being able to work on the paid jobs throughout the day leaves me free to knit my own stuff in the evenings if I want to.  I knitted this super soft cowl in two days - it's gorgeous and for sale in my Etsy shop now.

We've also had a lot of noise from the builders next door - it's been nearly a year with no let up.  If you see in the papers a story about some woman beating the operator of an angle grinder round the head with a baseball bat, it might well be me...

No Stopping...

I completed this dog portrait yesterday - spurred on by the fact that I received another comission which is a bit of a rush job.  This turned into a bit of a mixed media painting rather than just pure pencil, but when doing these portraits, none of them are the same and I have to follow what the image demands.  I'm very pleased with how this has turned out and am hoping the receipient will be too. This has been executed using Derwent Drawing pencils, watercolour, and acrylic white, on pastel paper.

My next commission is of a toucan - about as far removed from a pet portrait as you can get, lots of colour to be used although I am only allowed to use the 8 pencils Derwent are sending me.  This could go either way, be enormous fun or a complete nightmare!

Another rush job was a tiny knitted feather duster....luckily it was quite easy to manage.  I had an hour or so to spare after that to get on with this, my lovely woad cowl.  It's an interesting pattern, free with this month's The Knitter magazine, looks very lumpy in the early stages so I am hoping when I have progressed a bit further it will all come together.  The yarn is beautiful, and must be rich with lanolin as my fingers are so soft after knitting with it!

Looking Like A Dog's Dinner.....

The name of the animator who has been keeping me busy knitting the weird and wonderful for the past  year or so is Sarah Simi, and she has another string to her bow.  We share an interest in our dogs and Sarah takes it one step further by being passionate about dogs' nutrition and has started a very interesting blog on the subject.  It is called 'Dinners in the Dog' and is well worth a visit - I think Clovis would like to get his paws on the tasty bones and treats on view there too!  If you are a dog lover and would like to feed your dog the natural way, go on over and take a look.

This week I have been knitting this chunky cowl from a Louisa Harding pattern - I made it a while ago in a delicate yarn which was pretty, but for the cold winter blasts this chunky yarn stands up much better.

It can be worn like a polo neck.....

.....or pulled up for maximum warmth!

Perhaps heading this post as I did and then putting a picture of myself with it wasn't very bright...didn't think it through........

Not All Doom & Gloom.......

Despite all the goings on at Chez Bletsis this week, there have been some pretty good things happening too.  For one thing, I have a big vase of blooming daffodils scenting the house while outside the temperature is -9... minus NINE!  I know this is small potatoes to anyone in Canada and Northern Europe, but for Hampshire in the UK, that's a bit chilly.

Last weekend, my son had an illustration in the Financial Times - considering he's only been freelance for a couple of months, this is quite a feather in his cap.  See it here.  A proud moment for all of us!

Throughout my worry over my partner, I knitted this cute lacy cowl.  It's a Louisa Harding pattern and I used some King Cole yarn which is an acrylic/wool mix with little sequins every few inches.  I don't think this one is of a quality to sell, but I will be making more in a heavier yarn later on - this one will do for keeping out the cold round my own neck.  By the way, knitting is a great soother in times of stress!

I've been looking at this coat on the La Redoute website for months.  It started off at £99....then before Christmas it was reduced to £69, still a bit excessive for my wallet.  I'm a great believer in waiting for what you want and nine times out of ten it works - bought it this week in their sale for £29.  Now that's a price I can't complain about!  Showed it to my partner who chuckled a bit and told me that when he was in the Foreign Legion (yes, indeed he was, all very Beau Geste...) he had a coat just like it... 

And to cap it all, the art & craft work is coming in at a steady pace - brilliant!  Although I feel that any spare cash will be going on the heating bill this month.....