Ooh you stud(ded jumper)

A while ago I had a bit of a case of jumper envy while watching Ellie Mecham's channel. It's a pale mint green/turquoise jumper with stud on the arms. I tried to get a screen shot but couldn't seem to time it right so ended up with a few un-flattering pictures. Out of respect for Ellie I'm not going to show them - so I'll just direct you to her 14 week pregnancy update to see the original.

I had the thought at the back of my head for a few weeks but couldn't find a jumper of a similar colour so had pretty much shelved the idea until one evening SBB and I were in Newport to collect a healthy and nutritious meal (*cough*McDonalds*cough*) and I saw a suitable jumper in the window of Oxfam. By that time Oxfam was closed so I went back the next day. It was no longer in the window but it was still there and in my size! Obviously meant to be...

I bought some iron-on studs from eBay and on a Saturday while SBB was watching football I set to work.
My materials:

• Jumper
• 100 iron-on studs
• Iron
• Greaseproof paper
• Folded cardboard

 

I used the greaseproof paper between the studs and the iron - just in case any glue leaked out - and the folded cardboard I put inside the arm to prevent the material sticking together. I have a thing about finding patterns in things - knots in wood, freckles etc - so I wanted the studs to be as random as possible. It took a little while to get the timing right for the glue to stick but I got there eventually. I'd split up the studs so that it was 50 per arm - 25 for each side - but ended up with a few left over.

SBB eventually wandered in and looked over my shoulder.

"Don't say it," I warned, seeing the look on his face. "Whatever you're going to say about my jumper... just don't."

"I wasn't going to say anything," he said blithely. "If you want to look like rhinestone cowboy that's your business."

Thanks, honey.

When it was finished I asked him to take a couple of photos of me wearing it and discovered that he really sucks at taking blog photos. He took a few - initially of himself because he'd managed to switch it to the front camera (bless!) - but they all came out blurry. Every. Single. One. (sigh)

But here it is, the finished article. Not bad for £3!

Taking a detour

SBB wants to buy a new car. I'm completely fine with it and don't really have a preference. He wanted to go driving at the weekend to find out if anywhere on the Island has the one he wants (some kind of BMW - I don't really know which one. A car's a car as far as I'm concerned!)
We were in Newport when he decided he wanted to go looking and wanted to head out to Rookley to the place where he'd bought his first car. From where we were he just had to head down through Carisbrooke high street and turn right.
He did not.
Instead he headed out towards Shorwell - hoping there'd be a left turn towards Chillerton.
There was not.
We ended up heading out almost to Brighstone and then a large circular route through Blackgang. It was a random detour, but at least there was some lovely scenery.

Loss and grief...

I've been putting off writing this. Part of me didn't want to write it at all, but to continue blogging without saying anything would have felt like I was pushing it aside as though it didn't matter.

Two weeks ago Pancho died.

She was our beautiful fur-baby girl. We miss her. That's all I can say right now.

1 week old (taken from breeder's website)