the first item i ever crocheted yay

Hello folks and crafty types. I have taken 7 months to make this teddy bear hat but i am proud that i have indeed finished it so am sharing it with you. Boris is now a suitable attired bear who is not afraid to wear violet.

I also want to share the fabulous cake i made for my daughter's 6 birthday the fairies were done by a fried i just painted them a bit.

muffin madness continues

Hello as you know i have set myself a challenge to cook all the recipes in my 50 muffins cookbook so here is an update as to how i'm getting along.

I have done the basic muffins which were very well received and the chocolate double cream ones were to die for.
I then progressed onto recipe 2: Sticky toffee now I used salted caramel spread as a cheaper option to dulce de leche but the taste was just as good.

After this we move on to recipe 3: Marzipan muffins. I used almond flavouring and yellow marzipan the first batch i used balls of marzipan and the second i cut it into smaller chunks and stirred it into the mix. The first method produces a neater muffin but the second type has a better taste, so i'm told by my willing testers. I also used a pecan as almonds were more expensive.

My favourite ones so far were number 4 : Carrot cake muffins.  left off the zest of the orange and used orange flavouring again to save money but not compromising on taste. I did make proper frosting as i feel you can't scrimp on flavour here.

So the next batch will be jam doughnut muffins i will update you all again soon.

A Crochet hook appeal

Hi all i am appealing for anyone who has some crochet hooks to please send them to me. 

I am doing a Christmas creative craft session with the Rainbow unit that I'm helping at in aid of the elderly this year. The object is to crochet rainbow yarn into ribbons to trail around a tree and to add decorations too. In efffect a rainbow tree so could you please e mail me with the heading crochet hooks to becstarz@hotmail.com and i will give you the address. I'm not quite brave/stupid enough to write it up on here but am happy to give it via e mail. I need them by end of October so if anyone can help it'd be much appreciated

Thanks folks

Muffin Madness

Right my friends mum bought me a muffin cookbook for Christmas so i have decided to cook my through from beginning to end. I will be adding photos and updating accordingly. This is the book and so far we have done recipe number one chocolate cream muffins and they taste pretty good. There the ones on the front cover.

alongside this i found a fabulous 60's sewing table and chair on gumtree in Lymmington Hampshire for an absolute bargain i am currently redecorating this and will post when it's done.

I'm also making a 90's style gypsy dress for my daughter's 6th birthday which is fast approaching and planning the party. Fairies and Cowboys cool huh. I actually don't know how i manage it all and a part time job I am also attempting to work out 3 times this week too oh my god where does the time go to. I would also like to add i plan on setting up a business by September and work part-time i will be making my gold sparkly bra soon.

Making a sleeping bag liner for a Gelert Pod

I have left my knitting in a dark corner as I made a horrible mistake I couldn't fix but it has now been rescued by the lovely Mrs Sims so knitting will ensue shortly.

I have also started my new job as a funeral assistant. I can't say where or who for due to Data Protection but all i can say is I love it. I have the best job in the world. It appeals to my levels of organisational control, i have to think on my feet and deal with the deceased which appeals to my naturally mothering tendencies. I love making sure they look there best and that my chapels are immaculate. Some clients even give me chocolates, what better feedback is that. The levels of trust are enormous as it has to be as perfect as a wedding. Anyway enough of that onto the pod liner info.


Take a double sheet (ours was from Wilkinson's £7.99). Fold in half and decide how far back you want the top turned back. Fold pin and machine in place. Then do the same for the sides but leave enough room for your friend to be able to climb in and out. Sew shut the bottom. Then using a fabric pencil draw in your curves and sew along the lines. Cut off the excess. Turn inside out and slide into Gelert Pod bag. Hey presto a fab liner which absorbs sweat gives an extra layer of protection and cuts down on the amount of times you have to wash your pod. Below it is modelled by my friend Matt.

Back in the stitch of things a psychological overview

While all around me my life descends into chaos there remains 1 constant by my side.


It is not a man for they act like they love us and sometimes are supportive but ultimately if they feel there needs aren't being met there off.


It is not my daughter as although she looks like me, thinks like me, and understands me. She is supremely demanding of every last second of my time and fills my home with squiggly drawings and Barbie dolls on every available surface. I do love her though please don't think that I don't.


It's not my career that has been assigned to the filing cabinet as I wasn't selfish enough to put company demands before my life and child so down the ladder I have slipped into total obscurity.


For a while i was fooled into thinking that it could have been cupcakes and Ben n Jerry's but that makes me sick or just increases my weight gain.


No the constant in my life is craft. Knitting and needlework mostly but chuck in the odd abstract canvas. It can be put down and picked up where you left off, unlike a book where you forget the plot lines. Or when you think I'll catch up on my favourite TV series you can knit while watching but you can't talk on the phone while watching as others voices cause you to lose concentration.
I find it ultimately thrilling when you sew all the pieces together and think yessss. I made that it's complete and finished.H ow many other situations in my day to day life do I get that buzz? Very rarely when the laundry bin is emptied, but then I see the ironing pile so the victory is but short lived :(


So if your stressed and everything is getting on top of you, there is no one to bounce off ideas, too much to contemplate this is my advice. Take the phone off the hook, shut the door, give yourself some good lighting and do a bit of knitting even if it's only for 5 mins. The rhythmical motion and the sense of completion will restore your sanity if only for a fleeting moment. But seize the moment enjoy it and repeat tomorrow

Sew Direction

Hello lovely post readers,
Sorry i haven't written for 3 weeks. Metaphorical slap on the wrist there for being so bad. 
I'd like to say it was because i was busy having fun but sadly it was food poisoning (my own stupid fault), then being sacked then dropping little one to dad's then flu. So after this shocking run of bad luck i should be set for a peaceful year.


I have not been progressing well with the knitting of late and have turned my hand to sewing. I have made a patchwork skirt for my daughter and a top for myself. Pics to come in the next blog. I promise.


I'm currently making a lovely blue print needle cord pinafore style dress for my daughter too. Again pictures will follow shortly. Once i have that done and dusted i shall progress back to the knitting as it's far less complicated.


Talk to you all soon.

Knitty friendship

Know as everyone knows knitters are a very happy go lucky bunch. There are stereotypes within knitting there is bound to be the outdoorsy type - i go on a hike pop into a farm shop and still but yarn, the ultimate perfectionist - she is very glamorous usually has knit pro needles and gorgeous yarns that all will covet, the social knitter - who has a million and one things going on but still has time for Monday nights at Sainsbury's, and finally the homemaker - has more than one child but adores her man and her brood and would do anything for them but not foregoing knitting club. So i have decided that when you put us all together we are at one and are knitty friends thus creating knitty friendship. 


I have not been going long but they listen to my woes i theirs and they have taken me into the fold and hopefully i will be joining a few of them at unravel this year which i am so excited about. I also thank Ravelry for without this wonderful site i would never have joined the fold of knitty friendship or even knew that such lovely like minded folks were out there.


Moving on from the excitement that is my Monday night knit club i have sadly broken 3 out of my 4 sort of resolutions. I am not exercising enough, i am not being creative enough, i lost no weight and i was late with my blog but i am still trying to make something every week and here is this weeks project which will be winging it's way to Devon to my friends daughter Phoebe. See below image

This like many of my current projects is knitted with big softie, i have a love affair with this yarn and have found out it's on sale for a very reasonable price at Remnant Kings. co.uk so if your after some head there now as it's so fun to knit with and gives you IKG Instant Knitty Gratification apparently time pressed women are craving this more and more so i guess i must be a sufferer. 
Anyway see you all next Monday and feel free to leave your views on big softie yarn.

Week 2 of my new committments

Ok so I have lost 5 lbs and got a job for a TV broadcasting company it is only for 2 weeks and it's miles away but at £110 a day I'm finally being paid enough to live on for at least 2 months hooray.  I'm also aiming to get onto a recruitment team at Vodafone but we'll just see how that goes as I don't like Vodafone and they have mis-sold me a policy that i will be complaining about but that's another story.
Crafting wise this week i have been catching up on knitting i should have done prior to Christmas. I have nearly finished two wrist warmers and a hat. Which i think in this currrent temperature of minus 5degrees the recipient will be pleased with.
Better go as so much to do today as im not about tomorrow. Also got knitting club tonight yay.

New Year New Creative Opportunities

This sexy number is a hat for my friend Keith

So it's the new year and yet again i have set myself some challenges which i started over Christmas. I am going to be creative and launch myself a company called becstarz-boutique.co.uk. I have bought the domain name and made some business cards now i am making stock. I am going to make embellished and creatively decorated canvas shopping bags along with a few other niffty little things so i'm going to use my blog to tell you all about what I'm making and what is/isn't working something lighthearted and fun not all doom and gloom like last year.

So here we go i had a knitted Christmas this year hence the hat above and the jumper below.

This is a cardi for my mum. ps she loves it.

We had knitted baby hats, scarves and a necklace but now it's onto creating and making which brings me to my new years resolutions. Which i'm going to share with you.

1. Get below 15 stone as i refuse to be a chunky 30 something crafter it's far too stereotypical.
2. Make something every week and update all you lovely people with it.
3. Remeber to update Ravelry (I forget constantly)
4. Appreciate all feedback even negative is good so please feel free to chuck those comments out there.
5. Not respond with anger take a minute then fire out a scathing retort

So hopefully I can keep these for a change, i will be updating every monday unless there's a natural disaster, holiday or a death in the family.