Cosy Felting-Teatime

Hi everyone, lots to show and tell the last day of March. I can't believe this. April Fool's day tomorrow and New England is forecasted for a Northeaster snow storm....I hope this is an April Fool's joke. I will let you know!

So where do I start. I was knitting my tea cosy and thought I should experiment with felting in my front loader washing machine before I felted the cosy with my expensive Noro yarn. So I stopped the cosy and knitted up a striped bag with Lion Brand yarn from Michaels store. It turned out nicely, but I had to run it through the wash two times. I was told that felting works best with a top loading washer. I have the front because we are trying to be more energy efficient, but I honestly wonder if it really is more EF. It takes forever to wash. Oops, I'm getting off tract. So here are the pictures of the felted bag, start to finish.

The knitted bag really shrinks a lot during the felting process, almost in half! I was happy with the results, so I went back to the cosy. Boy, it was large. I was really hoping it would felt well and shrink a lot. I felted it two times and dried it too. It was still pretty large, so I thought I would have to find a top loading washer. I ended up at a laundromat in a nearby town. I still had to wash it twice and dry it, it shrunk a little more. But guess what, I decided I needed a larger tea pot so it would fit. I think all along I was trying to make it fit a too small a pot!!! Silly, right!
So here are some pictures. Now I need your opinion, should I leave it as is or should I add the buttons and bows? I would love to hear what you all think.

So if I were to put the decorations on, it would look like the book cover.

So what do you think. I'm torn because I don't want to cover up the yarn, but then again it may look really nice?!?!?

So my tea cosy was a fun learning experience and a challenge. I learned how to do short row wrapping, felting and grafting seams. I got to go to the laundromat and buy a new tea pot, that I didn't even know I needed. I'm sure my tea will really taste special now! What kind of tea do you like best? Love to know. Thanks for visiting my nest. I hope to hear all your lovely thoughts and tea favorites.

xoRobin❤

Thank you I'm All Smiles

A couple of days ago, Sarah from home made gorgeous was sweet enough to award me the Liebster Award, which I am very pleased to accept - Thank you Sarah! She has such a lovely blog. I just love it. Please check it out, you won't be disappointed!

 This award is for new bloggers. I get the opportunity to also pass it on to new bloggers.

Since I am new at this I don't know a lot of new blogger, most seem pretty well established. I have visited this one and it is lovely. I know you will enjoy this blog.

egg bird designs


Thank you and thanks for visiting! I will be back with more and try to uphold this award!


xoRobin❤

Visitors and more

Hello, Hello, and welcome to the first day of Spring!!! Although 7+ inches of snow for Northern New England, US. Not happy about it, but what can one do?!? I'm not even going to insert a picture because I think we are all so tired of them, I know I AM. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE WARMER TOMORROW AND MELT AWAY. Oops Cap. key on............... Did everyone see the Full moon the closest to earth in 20 some years. It is so bright and you can still get a look at it. I did take a picture, which I will share. Not a great one but you will be able to get the idea.

Now for the best part. Had visitors this weekend, here's a peek

How 'bout another

Love the button shoes, too cute!

We played and ate and watched movies and read stories and most exciting we went to a Maple Sugar Farm and watched how they make Maple syrup. The little ones really enjoyed it. We sampled different grades of syrup and cheeses that they also make. The little girls had maple lollipops and we took a hike to see the sap trees. It was so much fun. Our oldest granddaughter(5) played explorer as we hiked and observed the trees, tubes and followed the markers. Follow my pictures for a tour and see what you may learn. I actually learned a lot!!! Great to learn new things....have to keep up with the younger generation.



First let's see playtime

Now here is a tour of the Sunday Maple Sugar Day

The first few pics are of the maple sugar shack. Then the round plaque is an old maple sugarer's
song, 3rd row-tub of sap, horses on farm, 4th row-hiking trail, see the tubes coming from the trees with sap in them, 5th row-signs, 6th row-information and a sweet explorer, 7th row- info and Max the greeter!
Such a great time and it was a Sunny day! Cold but Sunny!!




Still making Birdies!

                              New Black birdie                                  Birdie with attitude



Thanks so much for visiting. Loved sharing my weekend with all of you. Hope you all have a lovely week. I will be back soon with teacozy news!

Bye for now, Good Night Man in the Moon!

                                                             xoRobin❤

Side Tracted with Love

Hi there everyone! I have been so busy in a good way. Lots of celebrations and visitors. So tea cozy has been on hold but hope to be back on tract soon. Thank you all for your lovely encouraging comments with my new project. I can't way to see it either.

So first of all it was my Honey's birthday. I had planned just a little surprise with two daughters who could come in the middle of the week and surprise him at dinner. He was delighted! Won't tell which birthday, but it was notable! We decorated, had a lovely dinner and desserts and candles, and gifts and cards!!

Fresh flowers and gifts, my favorite too!

Oops, think I gave it away, don't tell honey!

Love these girls......our two youngest!


Next celebration was our Anniversary! No pictures but we had a lovely time and had a fabulous dinner and weekend together! What could be better : )

SO instead of knitting the daughter in the gray and I decide to make some birdie crafts. We had so much fun and honestly I think they came out beautifully. Here's a step by step:

First the cutout pattern

Felt and fabric cutouts

All together now

Here's the lovely book for inspiration compiled by Susanne Woods. It has many many (26)projects to sew, stitch, quilt and love.



So I'm sure you are more then ready to see our creations.

Aren't they so cute......here are a few more and then some more

Just finished this one......I think I will have to name them. What do you think? Name suggestions welcome! I think I will be making more, they are addictively sweet! I think I just made up a word?!?

Well, my friends, I did start the cozy and here is the beginning. I just love the yarn, it is so variegated in gorgeous shades of green and pink.

Thank you so much for your visit and leaving your lovely comments. I read them all over and over and visit you too. Can't get enough of all of you, so thank you. Have a wonderful day and week in all you do and Smile Big : )    ; )  


xoRobin❤ and Jack's pitter patter

Tea Time

Hi lovely ladies! I have a new project to start tomorrow. Just thought I would post before bedtime. I have been loving my tea lately, especially since I have my lovely Cath Kidston mug, posted on my last blog. Sooooo why not make a special tea cosy for my pot of tea, to have with my new mug.  I found this wonderful book by Vogue Knitting entitled FELTING on the go! So I will actually be knitting the cosy and then felting it. Want to see the design and book below.

Here's another view

And here is the tea pot  and Noro yarn for the Cosy!! I know it's pretty fancy yarn for a tea cosy but I think it will look fabulous in these colors and it felts really well.

Can't wait to start it tomorrow. I am so excited, I hope I will be able to sleep.





Oh, while I was in the baby cap making business. I decided to make one more to have on hand for any upcoming baby gift I may need. In a no gender soft yellow.

Had to show it off on my teddy!


That's all for now. Thank you so much for popping in to visit my nest with a lot of buttons on my next project!! Love hearing from you and cherish all you thoughts and comments.

My best to all of you and sleep well or good morning  xo Robin❤

Rainy Day but Sunny News

Happy Sunday to all you ladies! It's rainy here in the New England Area. Don't like the rain BUT the snow is disappearing so it is all good. Jack keeps going in and out because I think he senses the warmer weather but comes in all wet. I dry him and dry him but you guess it wet dog smell. Nothing like it!! Soooo he's in his crate now drying more. It's not punishment, he loves his crate and goes in there all the time just to veg.

I had a lovely mail delivery the other day from Helen Philipps. I was one of the winner's of her delightful give-away. Here is the link to Helen's wonderful blog, helenphilipps.blogspot.com, she is so talented, I love her style. Here are a few pictures of my special gift. Thank you Helen!

 It was so neatly wrapped! No picture because I opened it way to fast to think of picture taking!!

 Front side on my bedroom door knob

Back side by the famous Helen Philipps!

 I'm a Lucky Lady!

I have always been an admirer of Cath Kidston from the UK, but we don't have it here in the US. Once I ordered a few things and most of them came broken, due to the fact that I bought mugs and a few other things. What survived was this lovely pouch which I use to carry my camera in.

Isn't it so cute and I love the pattern and colors.

AND

Just the other day I found this in a gift store. I am thrilled❤
 It is a pretty mug from CK with strawberries on it. My tea tastes so much better and more special! Amazing❤

My baby cocoons and caps are off in the mail. I think she will get them on Monday and hopefully before the babies. I was so nervous about not getting it done. Here they are packed up before mailing them.

So thrilled with the results and hope to get a picture at some point with real baby boys in them. Of course, I will share it with all of you.

Well, have to go.......time to make dessert for friends who invited us over for dinner tonight. I'm going to make flourless chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and vanilla ice cream. Yummy and no calories. I wish!!

Take care and thanks for popping in and visiting. I love visiting all of you too! It's such Fun!

xoRobin❤