January and a giveaway!

I can't believe the first month of the year has gone already and that we are now halfway through month two.  Time really does seem to be flying by.  I've also had the keys for my new house two months and that's a frightening thought.

In terms of crafting, I'm still carrying on with those projects started last year, ie that sleeve that still isn't finished but I came to a point where I needed to see some completion so I've been working on some smaller and quicker projects just so I could see some end results.

I haven't really done any sewing as such, but I did rustle up these bears for my girlies from an early edition of Love Sewing magazine that I've used before.  Thankfully there were both happy with them.

Last year I brought some Drops craft cotton yarn to make dishcloths with and it's been sitting around waiting ever since.  It's great to work with, comes in some fab colours and is less than £1.00 a ball (I got mine from Wool Warehouse which I love to use).  I made the first one (the raspberry shade) from a pattern in 30 Minute Knits and the mustard one I made up using my book 250 Knitting Stitches.  I have to say, having never used the cotton to make a dishcloth before that I wondered how it would last but I've used them constantly, they haven't lost their colour or shape and they still look as good as they did when they came off of the needles.  I've got another two balls left to use so I'll be whipping up some more when I get the chance.

Speaking of my 30 minute knits book that I borrowed from the library - it's not 30 minutes, no siree bob it's not, in fact I'd love to rename this book because I've used it before and it didn't take me 30 minutes then to make either the wristwarmers or the bobble hat and I'm not a particularly slow knitter either!  Anyway, the 7year old liked the look of the little bear in the book so I said I would make him for her.  He took hours and then she wanted a scarf for him too!  He's cute though.

If, like me, you are feeling the need to make something small, the fabulous people over at Search Press have given me a copy of Tiny Toys to Knit by Sachiyo Ishii to giveaway.  All you have to do is leave a comment right here telling me which design you would make first, or over on my Instagram page (@thecraftyreader) to be in with a chance of winning.  If you enter here and on my IG page, that's two entries.  I'll close the competition at 6pm UK time on Sunday 21st February so good luck and off you go.

G x