Day Off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Saturday Art Day

I wanted to something a bit creative  today - but not too hard!  So I have made a few cards for the dog show coming up.  Those of you that have been with me a while will know that the big highlight of my summer is Sunday at the big agility show where I catch up with all my old mates - William has a ball showing off - Henry spends the day terrified - and Evsie works his socks off!!!

This year I am taking The Posh Dog Clothing Company for their feedback - and a few sales we hope.

I am toying with the idea of adding a bit more bling!!! - Just cos' I have to!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

New Wall Hanging

I have wanted one of these 'trophy heads' for ages - but they are soooo expensive.

Then I found this at my new wholesaler - dead cheap

2 coats of white emulsion

2 coats of gold paint - et voila

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Sketch of the Month - May

So first the layout - I wanted to add a pile of detail in just the middle

I wanted to use a full pattern background and this Graphic 45 is perfect.  I cut up the borders page to use as the stripes in the back layer and just kept adding.  

Kitten Tip - if you put a strip of double sided tape on BEFORE you cut the strip it saves so much fiddling about

I used some of the matching journaling cards (it's Come Away With Me from last year) and wrote on the labels.  This is a favorite picture of mine - it is me and William on top of the hills on Rydal Water - it was a glorious sunny day and I made it up to the top over the caves.  The views across the fells are just amazing.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day Off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Sunday catch up

You are going to have to forgive me for a bit chaps - life is getting a bit complicated!

I am sure many of you are well aware the problems that the town is having in general this year - and there is no end in sight any time soon.  I am working flat out to keep not only my head above water - but to keep my son's business going over the next few months.  He is just not coping at all!

We have one event room ready to hire for meetings / clubs / functions etc - and I am currently renovating the 2nd floor room of his building to rent out as an office / workshop / studio space on a monthly lease.  It's such a character building and would make a fantastic creative space for someone just starting  out that wants somewhere at a very reasonable rent, but still town centre.  

I have had to put all my own plans on hold for the next couple of months while I spend all my energies on this - and as for any art projects - my headspace is a mess and my personal creative juices are non-existent at the moment.  Thank goodness I got my corner walls at home finished - at least I am not in a mess at home.

Much as I love old buildings and decorating - it really is too much for me and I should not be doing it at all - but needs must and we have the next 3 months to pull it all back together.  It's so frustrating - he was coming along fine until the storms hit and wiped out half the town.  Now everyone is really struggling.  We have lost 6 shops this past couple of months - some newer ones - but some that had been in the town for a good few years.

So basically - please be kind and patient - and don't expect too much from me for the next couple of months.  I will try to share a couple of simple things every week and my cute kitten picture on Mondays.


Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

video of the month

I must have uploaded and deleted this at least 6 times - but I am finally happy with it.  Still finding this so much hard work!!!!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day Off

Monda is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Yeah - walls!

There is one thing about the town being so quiet - I have been going home and taking it out on my walls!!!

I am way ahead of what I thought I would manage - and I am so pleased with it.

The plates were a gift.  It was actually these that started off the project - I could not put them up on the wall until it was stripeed and re-painted.  I bought the wall paper a couple of years ago and had just not got the bottle to start it.

The dark purple and gold have always been accents in the room - but I have changed the wall colour from light pink to the lilac.  I was a bit worried if it would match the colours - but it all tones in very well.  I was going to continue along that same big wall - but I think I will work the other way - under the window and behind the sofa.  That way I won't see the mess so much!.

I will have to wait a bit before I do anymore - I have to help my son out with his top floor - he's struggling to get it all done.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Personal Impressions - Nature Faries

Personal Impressions

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Monthly Knitted Square - 4x4 cable Stitch

Your first cables explained in very simple language.

You will need;

Double knitting or chunky weight yarn – 20g

6mm knitting needles

·         If you are using the double knitting weight of yarn, then use 2 strands together throughout.

·         If you are using the chunky weight of yarn, then use 1 strand throughout.

·         Remember to count all the rows as you work up the square.

cable 4 back – slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle (a large safety pin or tooth pick works just as well) and take the needle with the stitches on it to the back of the work, knit the next 2 stitches on the left hand needle as normal, put the missed stitches back onto the left hand needle and knit them.  You have crossed the stitches over creating the cable twist.

Cast on 28 stitches.

Row 1: *knit 1, purl 1 – repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat row 1: 3 more times.

Row  5: knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, purl 4, knit 3, purl 1, knit 1,  purl 1.

Row  6: knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 3, cable 4 back, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2, cable 4 back, purl 2, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1.

Row  7: knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, purl 4, knit 3, purl 1, knit 1,  purl 1.

Row  8: knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 3, knit 4, purl 2, cable 4 back, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1.

These last 4 rows form the pattern.  Repeat 6 times in total.

Row 29: *knit 1, purl 1 – repeat from * to end of row.

Work row 29: 3 more times.

Cast off.

If you get stuck there is a you tube video to help you HERE

Take a step further – you can work smaller squares if you use 4mm knitting needles and Double Knitting weight yarns.

I use Robin double knitting 100% acrylic yarn for all my knitting work.  If you are using pure wool, or a wool mix you will need more as the yarn is heavier.

Disclaimer: This is my own original work.  Use it for your own use or for charity selling.  Use it to inspire you, and to lead you on to other projects.  But, please do not resell the pattern as your own workings.  It takes me years of learning, and months of work to produce a final pattern.

The Kitten and The Goat, 9, New Shambles, Kendal, LA9 4TS

www.princesskitten.co.uk

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day Off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Saturday Art Day

Messing about in my Bible with Rebekah R Jones today.  Things have been pretty head on so far this year and I don't think I have done any illustrated faith journaling for 6 months.

It has been very quiet in the town this week and I am pretty much well up with my chores.  Getting through all those 'going to get around to ' jobs.  So Time Out today.  Rebekah has such a lovely voice and she is a great leader - so I am letting her take charge.

Acrylic paint background - inks and stencils over

Copied from a sketch she provided to guide us

Acrylic paints background - doodled over.

May just sneek in another one - still haven't finished last years!

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Knitted Blanket

I have finally finished my knitted sampler blanket.  I have been working on this on and off for 2 years.

It was supposed to have been a double bed cover - but I changed my mind and have made it up to fit onto the big, long sofa I have in the living room.  I am keeping it well away from there \t the moment - until I get the walls decent - I don't want it to get messed up before I even get it on the sofa.

I had put off adding the borders because I knew it would be a logistic nightmare - Henry seemed to enjoy it though!

The patterns have come from this wonderful partworks collection.

I don't often stick with a partworks - gimmie the freebies and I am off! - but this one has been a really useful resource.  I have adapted the idea for my monthly knitted squares patterns - changed the dimensions - written my own borders - done my own math - to make an adaptable system for you to make anything from a cushion cover to a lap cozy - right up to a double bed spread.  At some point I will tell you how to add a knitted border to keep a big blanket in shape.

My patterns are much simpler then the fancy cabling I have done on some of the squares - but I will include a few of the more simple cables and twists as we go along.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Personal Impressions - scrapbook layout

This photo my hubby took is amazing.

Check it out HERE

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Vintage - no better - antique sewing machine

I have finally dated the sewing machine I was given.  I knew it was pre 1920 - and was hoping for late 1800's - and it is!!

yeah - 1894 - so chuffed!

It is pretty battered and has obviously been used well.  I am in the process or cleaning and re-oiling it.  I have found a wonderful lady on Youtube who collects and uses old machines to make patchwork quilts and she has a really good guide on how to take everything to bits and clean it.

I have done all the front needle and tension areas - thank goodness there is a shuttle in it - no idea where I would get one if it had been missing.

Can't wait until I can actually sew something with it1

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Monthly Kit - knitted purse

This month's kit is a super knitted purse.  I found these purse frames ages ago and have wanted to use them in a project ever since.  

Knitted in a gentle neutral colour with a big added motif - the inside is lined with a bright zingy cotton fabric.  The numbers of this kit are limited as I only have a few of these clasps.

full kit HERE

Just the instructions HERE

will be on Kindle as soon as the goat has finished making me a .jpeg for the book cover 

   Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Day off

Monday is kitten's day off

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

Saturday Art Day

Working on a 'sunshine and showers' layout - keep having to stop and wait for the paint to dry.

Roll on summer is all I can say

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com

My new look craft room ( pictures!)

I am dead chuffed with my new summer house makeover.  Inspired by Clare Curd who built a craft room shed at the bottom of the garden last year - and it looks so cool - and mine looked such a mess.  

I struggled with the old depression last summer - all the rain and the shop leaking were not the best ways to rest and relax!  So I did not get down to the end of the garden - and the 'I will just pop it in the summer house for a bit' fairies began to creep in.

Down the bottom of the garden (where the fairies live) - - - is my summer house

We built it from a flat pack about 8 years ago (wow) - and the storms of last year made a mess of the veranda - one end is sort of still there - the other end has gone - and the uprights that I used to hang baskets on have all gone.  The doors need to come out and be reset - but we need warmer weather so we can take them off and reseat them.  There are no pots or flowers - it's all flopped out for the moment - needs thinking about for next year!

This still very much a work in progress - and there is still loads to do - so - be kind

Inside - I have turfed out all the unwanted crap and gone for a really simple, clean look.  This is my knitting space - right in front of the window so I get the natural light - and I can look out over the garden to the old goat's outside art house and up to the fells.  

Soft white on the walls with a contrast black on the window (and door soon) - with the odd flash of zingy lime left over from the last decorating (this is the 3rd makeover of the house - I have had it a long time).  The corner storage is something that the goat built from kitchen units years ago.  It is serious storage space- but needs clearing out!  There is a spare knitting machine set up that will either go to it's new home - or be stored - so the clutter will reduce soon.  The yarn winders are all set up - ready to be used - sooooo useful. There is electric - so I can have heat - I am using a quick instant heater - but the black box there is a really pretty 'fire' that I need to sort out!

The fabric that I am using as a pretty, floral curtain covering one end wall was a gift - the vague idea is that I can add knitted panels at the side and middle to create a textured wall that will be snug and cosy.  I do a lot of  sketching - planning - sewing - and general 'chilling' in this space so I want it to be more lounge than office.  The seating is my darling old mum's - so she is still with me here.  The big hampers came from woolworths - yes - really - and store pillows - blankets.

 Also from my darling old mums - the cabinet.  There is an extra shelf for it somewhere when I can find it - this will be my main 'cone' yarn storage.  The big, dark lump on top is actually an old hand cranked sewing machine that I am going to strip and rewax the wood.  A gift from an ex-mother-in-law who has been (and still is) so supportive of me and mine over the past 20 years+.  I want to Zing it for a more 'now' look - but still keep it as a working machine (if I can find the how to do for a machine that predates everything I know - shuttles anyone!!!!)

I am toying with the idea of painting the roof white and the cross beams black - but I haven't decided yet, there is no rush once I get everything straight I can decide then.  The hanging candelabrum was something that I bought THE VERY FIRST TIME I came to visit the lakes and took home and altered.  It has has several makeovers over the years - and I just love it.

 This is my knitting station - so still so much to do - so much to learn

Really looking forward to this summer - new stuff to do

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com