Well hello and happy new year.....

It's been a while hasn't it?

I did think I'd start the new year with a new enthusiasm for crafting and a sparkly new and exciting blog. Well, that was in my mind....in reality we have had a crisis ridden few weeks here. First the laptop died, then aboy got sick, then he recovered and a mama got very sick (the kind of sick where she couldn't hold her baby for 3 days never mind a knitting needle!!). Then a dog got held to ransom by an overenthusiastic dog warden and cost 2 days of worry and an 85 quid ransom fee. Then another boy got sick then, the baby got sick, and still is. Oh and we had a radiator die and need replacing, then two windows replaced, so afreezing house for two days. No, it wasn't the best of starts to the year...........

So anyway, things are getting better and I'm going ahead with my crafty plans for the year :)

2013 is going to be the year of being organized. 

And the year of the sock!

Every month I'm hoping to finish one pair of socks, one gift knit, and work on one larger item. If I can fit anything else in then all good, but these are my main targets. 

I was going to say I wouldn't buy any yarn until I'd used all the stash too, but thats boring isn't it? And besides I've already bought 3 skeins of Manos Silk and a lovely hand dyed sparkle sock yarn from the lovely Sarah.

So a peek into my craft bag:

Do you remember that bag? It's been hidden away in the bedroom for ages but I found it when hiding the yule gifts and knew it had to come out. It's such a happy, smiley bag isn't it? So now it's my project bag, and just the right size too:)

A closer look at the contents:

This months socks, starting with an easy basic pair, and probably destined to be the gift knit too due to losing so much of the month to all the above....I know, cheating already, ahh well..... Yarn from stash though so there's a plus there.

The larger item: 

Well thats for a baby we're going to be meeting late April. Yes, I'm going to be a Grandma for the second time, Jen is expecting a baby girl. Woohoo, isn't that exciting? Another of our girls all grown up and starting a family of her own.So the knitting? A baby blanket knitted with the super soft, squishy Manos I mentioned earlier. Soo enjoying knitting this, and thinking of that new little baby all bundled up in it's softness..... The plan is to try and knit through one skein per month for three months and so have a blanket all finished up by time Jen is 36 weeks. I'm thinking this way I won't get bored, and I won't be caught out at the last minute. What do you reckon?

And if you peek closely you'll just see that skein of sparkly sock I mentioned earlier. I already know what that's going to be, but I'm not ready to share yet. Hopefully if it will be this months gift knit, but if I don't get round to it then I will be looking forward to next month.

So there we go, my crafty, yarny plans for 2013. I wonder how long I'll keep to them?

Oh and it goes without saying - more blog updates, less webtime, yadayadayada..... (lot's more watching all my House box sets though whilst knitting - the broadcast tv is gone again and hopefully not coming back and I do love House....).

Ooops baby awake and big girl wanting her laptop, gotta go. See you soon :)

-x-

The hare and the tortoise

This is the hare.......well actually it's a knitted bunny - the first little toy for our lovely little girl:

Actually she's not so small, she loves her mama milk, which explains why it took me 6 weeks to knit this one thing. So the tortoise? Well that's me and my crafting of course :) Remember when I blogged the one Helen knitted up for Heather's birthday? Well that one took her 2 days. TWO days for a relative knitting novice. I thought this would take me roughly the same when fitted round cuddles and feeds and general other stuff. I never thought I would take six WEEKS to knit a toy bunny!!

Little bunny knitted in soft and cuddly Sirdar baby crofter on 4mm needles, using just under 50g for the whole thing.

Want to see the whole shot?

Aaaawwwwww! I know you're thinking it :)

-x-

Oooh, that's Zingy.

I'm sure you've all seen the ad, and know someone who's fallen for this little guy. Owen definitely had, especially when a flyer came through the letterbox in the shape of the mascot. He really, really, really wanted his own Zingy to cuddle. So mama set to work - scrap yarn from the "oh my - why did  ever buy this colour? Oh yeah - knitted carrots!" bag, a pattern found free on Ravelry (not that it isn't easy enough to make up on the hoof), a few scraps of felt, and a spare hour whilst the littlies park themselves in front of a Tom and Jerry DVD.

So here he is - Zingy:

Owen loves him, Cain wants one too. Whoever thought that a little orange blob on an energy suppliers advert would be such a big hit?

Mind you if you would have seen the price these knitted mascots were selling for when they first hit EBay I' sure you would have knitted up a few yourself. They were originally selling for up to £10+!! For barely 10g of acrylic DK and a scrap of felt. And not even an hours work. That power company certainly missed out on a moneyspinner. Makes a change for one of those companies ;)

Editing - Just realised when adding the link that the pattern is no longer free as some unscrupulous people have been taking advantage of the designer by selling the pattern on EBay.

-x-

And on and on and on and on..........

Scarf knitting!

Seems a good idea in theory, maybe less so in reality, huh?

Finished knitting the hat for Owen, plain and simple, all in red, just like the one he showed me:

Matching gloves, quick and easy and all in red again:

Oh dear, another awful picture. And they aren't really that twisted honest, besides, what's the point in blocking something that's going to be a snug enclosed fit anyway?

And then it's the turn of the scarf. Still wanting all red, and just like a big boys, so double rib it is. 

Hmm, maybe if I'm really good Santa might bring me a decent camera?

44sts, k2, p2 repeat, 4mm needles..............not a lot else to say is there? 

Fun - no. 

Enjoyable - no comment. 

Mindless - too right. 

Ah well, perfect for knitting whilst watching Harvey. 

Oh what a party girl I am :)

And for when the scarf knitting gets too much....I can flit back to the other one, 90cms done, the same left to do. Gah, winter knits....

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the much quicker, and prettier, winter knit. Pattern being written and hopefully posted by the end of the week.

Enjoy creating everyone.

-x-

All wrapped up.

I have finally finished something else. At last! 

You want to see what I've finished?

Then here you go:

Forgive the bad picture!

Very snuggly, wouldn't you agree?

A lovely warm, squidgy, winter scarf to go with the lovely warm, squidgy, winter hat I knitted a few days ago:

Another bad picture!

At last, something to put away for gifting. Just hoping now that Jen will like it. Oh, and that I can find a similar shade of DK to knit a pair of gloves to go with......

Knitted up with the other three 100g skeins of Wendy Serenity super chunky, using 10mm needles so finished in a flash. I wasn't sure about whether to add the fringe but now it's on I like it, kind of finishes off the scarf properly I think?

So what about that other bit of knitting do I hear you ask? The dashing-along-without-a-care-until-the-very-last-row bit of knitting? Well I finished it! Yes, the Hitchhiker is all done, wrapped up and put away for gifting to another grown girl. So I'll share a peek shall I?

I need a bigger room to lay it out in!

What do you think? The photo is so bright but then the colours are just as they seem. Just right for the woman who loves colour and brightness and fun:

I really enjoyed knitting up this scarf and I'm already fairly sure there may be another one appearing pretty soon. A quick reminder of the technicalities - Hitchhiker pattern is found on Ravelry. The yarn is King Cole Riot DK. The pattern originally used 150g Wollmeisse sock yarn I think but the Riot is a thin DK, edging close to a 4ply so it turned out a nice size. I used around 165g altogether to get the full 42 teeth worked. The King Cole yarn was ok to work with if a little splitty and I'm glad it was a simple garter stitch pattern as it meant the snagging didn't slow me down too much, well, until I got to that last row already blogged about! I think this scarf would look wonderful knitted up in Noro, and would be a real luxury item. In fact the guy in our LYS did briefly think it was Noro until I told otherwise. Maybe I'll knit the next one in a smoother sock yarn? We'll see. But before i think about that I have more projects in mind, and another cast on already.

Oh in case you're wondering - the Pixie hat was the size of a newborn so that's gone to the Dolly wardrobe already!

-x-

Guess what?

Yes, you guessed - another bag but this time a knitted one:

A dinky one this time, just about big enough for a mobile phone, a coin purse, keys, hankie, the bare essentials. Pretty handy for the car boot sale maybe? Oh dear, I remember when I used to buy bags to match every outfit and for every night out. Now I'm making them to wear to a car boot sale!

The yarn is Paton's Trentino in the Mexico colourway (shade no. 00080). It comes in a 200g weight but this little bag only took 40g in total so lot's left for future projects. The yarn is 90% acrylic/10% wool and is lovely and soft to work with. The tweedy effect is produced by 3 separated threads of variegated yarn being plied together so creating an everchanging colour blend. This makes it very pleasant to work with and to see the colours coming through and it is easy to forgive it being a mainly acrylic yarn. I think I would buy it again although it goes completely against the usual yarn snobbery!

The lining is made from fabric from a ring sling I made a couple of years ago and is one of my favourite fabrics, although I have no idea what else to make with it right now:

The strap is an 8 stitch i-cord which took forever, or so it felt although really the entire bag only took a couple of hours. Yet again Helen and Jen have both asked for it but I might just keep this one for myself and make more for the girls in different colours.

So thank you for visiting again only to find yet another bag. I promise I will find something different to share soon.......

-x-

A ta-dah moment if I may?

The very colourful thing is complete. And time is short so here we go, a reveal in one:

(The shoulders are even really, this is just a bad photo!)

This was a work and a half, I can tell you! The bodice was great, worked up really quickly in dc. The skirt.......well, what can I say? The original pattern called for much greater gathering than I did here. But then it was a pattern for a ruffled baby dress, and Heather is not really in the category of cutesie frilly baby. So I followed the pattern for a few rounds, realised it was far too ruffly for my liking and ripped back. Then I worked out how I could make it less ruffly, that took some thinking, crochet and knitting are far different in that I can tell you. And so I continued, group after group of little v-shaped clusters. 490 clusters in total, not that I was counting them down.......

But the end result - well what can I say? I love it. The big girls love it. Dad loves it. Well worth the time, and the effort, and the headache. 

So that's it, crochet and me are definitely an item now. Poor old needles, pushed out by a little tiny hook. But don't fret, there's knitting on them needles in a bag somewhere here.......

Technical details:

Hook size - 4mm

Yarn - Anchor Magicline 100% cotton DK thickness 7x50g. (in a sale at Abakhan 2 years ago!)

Pattern - here.

Inspiration - here.

Size - the largest size from the pattern 9-12m but using a larger hook and thicker yarn so fits a dainty 2 year old.

So what next? Knitting I think......... Or maybe another quick dishcloth.

-x-

So....the squares.....

How many so far?

Well still the 35 I showed a few days ago actually. I was going to make lots more, honest, but they looked so nice in that little layout that I thought that to add more colours would be to break up their loveliness. (OK,OK,I'll admit it - I had enough for a project so I stopped as usual!).

I edged every square in white DC, and that took some time I'll tell you. 

But not as long as joining them all together with a simple slip stitch:

Then I needed an edging. The family consensus was that the colours as they were looked very girlie so I needed some gender balance. Now I personally wouldn't mind what the colours were as long as they blended nicely but not everyone feels the same do they. So I found some blue and some fawn and worked in TC all the way around the edge of the work:

Then to finish off I thought a nice little picot edging, . Only by now each round was 500 stitches so this last round was a very long one. Roughly 1500 stitches! Yes I know, I know, lots of you make full size throws with hundreds and hundreds of stitches in each row, but  I've tried that once before and only got as far as the first row lol, so this was a major piece of hooking for me:

And so the project was finally finished. 

The scrap yarn baby blanket:

What started with a way of using up scraps of yarn too small to do much with, became a many hours long work of cosiness:

(The little cushion was made for me one christmas by Craig for his Y7 something or other class)

Oh yes, it needs a little more blocking I think, but I was so impatient to show you all. I am rather loving the world of hooking now, shame on me for hiding from it for so long. And all I need then is a baby to go with it, or a friend with a baby. Or just someone who wants a small blanket....... I really need to think things through before starting on them, so many finished items with no-one to use them!

No technical details for this project lol. Just scraps of yarn hooked into 35 squares of different colours, all finished of with a pretty border. I couldn't tell you how much yarn was used in each shade as I didn't bother to check but I know that it hasn't made the slightest difference to the scrap yarn bag! For some reason it seems to be getting fatter the more I delve into it?

So now I'm in the lull. The space between finishing one project and starting another. I really don't like this bit at all, having to think about what to start next, looking through the stash for the next yarn to enjoy, choosing the method of crafting, browsing through patterns for inspiration......I think sometimes I prefer when I have a request for a make, at least the decision is made for me then ;-)

Oh well a weekend of work now whilst I think about what to start on next. See you all soon.

-x-

Dilemma........

Should I deal with this:

Or continue with this:

Guess ;-)

-x-

If a blanket seems too big of a job.........

First up, do you remember this post?

It was such a long time ago wasn't it? So I never did finish crocheting all the squares to create the planned gift. Instead I reached about twelve and then gave up. For a long time! But when I was routing through my knitting cupboard I found the squares again and decided to use them for something else. I hooked up a few more squares so I had 24 in all and then joined them together with DC and some pastel green yarn:

And then I made a very long strap, and some cute little crochet flowers:

Before lining the whole thing:

And ending up with a pretty little crochet shoulder bag:

(Not a very good last photo actually but my battery is about to die so I can't upload another just yet!)

You know I still feel so inordinately pleased with myself each time I create something with the hooks, it took me such a long time to try crochet and every new piece of work feels such an achievement. Knitting just doesn't hold that same finished thrill. I love knitting, but I know it, if you know what I mean? Even if the pattern seems challenging at first I know I will get it and end up with a good finished article. And there's no fear of adapting patterns, or creating my own. Knitting is my comfort zone. But crochet is different. I'm still learning, not far progressing past the basic stitches, but I'm just so excited when the piece is done and is admired by my ever patient and thoughtful husband. I'm pretty sure he isn't that interested in yarn, or hooks, or bags, or the rest of it but he knows me, and he knows how to make me feel.

So back to the bag.

Technical details:

Yarn: Playtime microfibre DK shade PP6. approximately 150g.

Sirdar in pastel green (will edit when I remember the name!) approximately 30g.

Hook size 4.5mm.

4 buttons.

lining fabric approximately 40cms x 70cms.

Pattern: Simply knitting magazine issue 55 June 2009. 

All materials from stash, both proper stash and the scraps bag, even the fabric, which used to be the bathroom roman blind!

The pattern suggests buying bag handles but I am still working from stash and had none suitable so had to crochet some instead. The pattern also stated adding buttons to the centre of each motif but as the yarn I used is so colourful I didn't think adding so many buttons would enhance it any further. The handles were held on with the buttons and stitched right through the lining for strength. The flowers and buttons just helped the bag look tidier and stopped the handles looking like an afterthought.

If you read my other blog you will know I'm cutting down on internet usage hence the long time since the last post. I will be back later though to show you what else I have been making whilst I have been away. 

Going to have a nosey round all your inspirational blogs now and pick up some new ideas for the stashbusting.

 

Oh one more thing - still no yarn bought this year! See, the willpower of a ........... whatever has good willpower lol.

Happy crafting everyone.

-x-

On a roll!

Two posts in one day, who'd of thunk it?

I should have saved this one for tomorrow really because there will be no crafting tomorrow as I'm in work all day and Heather likes lots of mummy cuddles in the evening if we've been apart all day. But I was far too excited at finally getting a long thought of project started and finished all in one day that I'm here and sharing with you. Remember the last post I mentioned I really wanted to knit up the Aviatrix hat for Heather? Well I cast on this afternoon whilst the children were playing together and it worked up so quickly and easily that it is already cast off and finished!

What do you think?

I first came across the pattern here, and the model looked so pretty in it I knew I would have to make one for Heather. 

Technical details:

Yarn - James C. Brett 100% merino DK shade PM1

Amount - 43g

Size - 18 months

Needles - 3.25 and 4mm straights.

Pattern - Aviatrix, available on Ravelry, or this blog. (Thank you to Justine for sharing her hard work).

Now all I need is for Heather to wake up so I can get her to model it for me.

(Oh and the yarn was from the stash proper so I still have one 50g ball and around 25g of another ball left to make something to go with the hat.  I think I originally bought 4 balls of this wool as it was so lovely and soft and knitted some of it up into these pants (don't look at the date!) before storing away to await a fitting project.)

So nearly seven weeks into the year and still not a single scrap of yarn bought. Actually better not let dear husband read this, he will feel justified in his comments that I have far too much!

-x-

And so I gave in.

I wasn't going to rely on the old fallback - scarves and throws. Honest I wasn't. And then I came across this old brochure that provided my crochet breakthrough. Before this I just couldn't get my head round it at all. It's very old, and I've no idea how it came to be in my knitting bag one day, but I'm so pleased it did:

And so a flick through the pages and I came across a very simple pattern for a blanket made from the easiest squares ever. And very addictive in the hooking too. First one: 

Then lots more in this odd brown shade which has lingered in my bag for months or even years:

And once the brown had been turned int ten lovely squares I began on the scraps of lemon:

Then pink:

I just couldn't stop:

And so I am heading towards that thing I said I wouldn't do - turning my whole stash into one lovely cosy, crochet throw.

But if boredom doesn't set in (which it certainly hasn't yet 22 squares in) then I will hopefully have a lovely crochet work of art to keep us cosy in the caravan on the cold spring evenings.

So anyone else managing to resist the lure of the yarn shop so far this year?

-x-

Rainbow spotting.

Black can be such a dull colour for a little one:

But mixed with rainbow colours:

Neon bright and beautiful:

It makes for a cardi to brighten the rainiest of days:

Yes, finally finished the rainbow bright. This was a pain of a top to work on. I wanted to use up all the jewel like colours in my scrap bag and thought a top for Heather would be a good idea. But how to work the stripes? I didn't want to stripe across and also didn't want to twist lots of colours together so I had the bright (sorry!) idea of working the top sideways in garter stitch rows. So I guessed at the underarm to hip length and began knitting, 2 rows in each colour. I reached the point where I had to cast on for the armhole to shoulder length to come in and couldn't quite get the length I needed. Three times I ripped back before I was happy! And then I was away. I worked the one side and then reversed the stripe combination for the other side. And then I realised I wasn't going to have enough bright yarn to do an allover stripey knit. The solution, after a couple of days deliberating........black! Because I wasn't working the stripes I decided to work this side in plain stocking stitch working from the bottom up to the neck. Much easier to work out the necessary measurements but very boring simple to get on with. I finished off with a black garter stitch edging to the armholes ( I wanted sleeves but was very low on the black by this time), neck and bottom edge. More picking up of stitches for all the edging but much easier than on the last knit, 140sts around the bottom but all in one straight row, no curves to work around this time thankfully.

I did write the pattern for this as I was going along but I really don't think it would be worth sharing as it would need an exact tension due to being worked in two directions. Besides I'm fairly certain I won't be trying it again so I don't think anyone else would ;-)

Technical details:

87g of black DK from the scrap bag

Roughly 15g each of cerise, blue, pink, purple, yellow and aqua DK again from the scrap bag.

Worked on 4mm straight needles.

This took about 11 hours in total over the past week.

The idea came during that hazy period before finally succumbing to sleep.

So it's onwards and emptywards with the scrap bag. I can fasten the zip now without having to push down on it, so it's gradually going down. This is it tipped over the floor earlier whilst I rummaged for a scrap of black to finish the seams on the cardi:

 

Thinking cap back on whilst I decide what next can magically appear from the bits that no-one in their right mind would want.

And tomorrow I might even have a rummage through the yarn stash proper and maybe plan a few gift knits. Or failing that at least share a glimpse of what marvels are hiding in there.......

-x-

Buttons.

Lovely buttons. 

There is a serious shortage of buttons in my craft drawers. I looked on the internet but couldn't decide. So off we went to Abakhan and I bought 2 jars of buttons for just under a fiver each. Packed with buttons. Several hundreds of them.

But that's not the reason for this post. It's more about what else I bought. Or rather didn't buy. I bought a length of elastic. And a couple of wooden buttons. And that's it! Nothing else at all. Not one single scrap of wool. I have to admit it was hard work not to go for a peek at the yarn section. But I knew that if I peeked I would have to touch. And that if I touched I would start to imagine what it could become. And then I would end up popping it in my basket. So I stayed away. And left the shop with only my buttons and elastic. How good was I?

And so with renewed determination I tipped up the scrap bag last night. I looked for a while. And moved bits around. And then an idea came. I selected a few scraps and the needles and set to work. I ripped back a few times before I was happy with the progress. But I see my idea taking shape. So I'll share a little peek:

Very subdued don't you think?

After the pale pretty lemoniness of the last make I thought a bit more colour would be good. A lot more colour in fact. Oh yes, it's coming along just like the little vision in my mind. Now I wonder if I will have enough yarn? Because this one can't be added to as I go along. The randomness is intentional, you see.

And a quick link over here. Sharon is joining in the scrapbusting mission and has created a beautiful dress. And a lovely technique for making use of hard to use yarn too. Anyone else ready to share some scrapbusting inspiration?

Well back off to my rainbow bright knit. And hopefully I'll reveal more soon.

PS - see the gift makes list? Still empty!!

Happy crafting everyone.

-x-

And there's more.....

More scrap yarnbusting!

As I already mentioned there's been a switch in methods, this time the crochet hook has come out of hiding. Lots of stripes of DC meant a faster growing piece than knitting usually allows:

I'm not a big fan of pastels but I think the fuchsia really lifts these colours and makes them far less boring:

 

I didn't have a pattern or even a plan when I started on this, I just let the colours carry me on and decided as I went along. I was thinking of a fully striped top so I worked the two pieces for front and back consecutively to make sure I wasn't going to run out of yarn. I soon realised that sleeves were not an option and settled for a good old tank top. (You can tell I'm a child of the 70's - I never hear the phrase "tank top" any more!). Rather than just make a standard vest shape I thought it might be a bit more interesting to add fasten-up shoulders instead.

The buttons aren't the final ones, I just stitched them on to assess for size. I really need to replenish my button stock as I have nothing that fits this top.

And finally a little photo of the girlie herself modelling her new top:

Technical details:

Approximately 30g each of lemon, mint, baby blue and fuchsia DK from the scrap yarn bag.

Worked on 4mm crochet hook.

I wouldn't dream of suggesting the  pattern as I know I'm not great at crochet. I'm sure you could improve on it and of course all hints and tips are appreciated so as I can bear them in mind for future projects. Oh and a question - I'm thinking that the side I'm showing is the wrong side of the work? Only because the stripes on the reverse are much more defined and so I thought more likely to be the side that should usually be on show? Having said that I liked this view much better and used it as the right side, just because I kind of like how the stripes have that little spikey effect. Only wondering for future reference really as i'm making up this crochet stuff as I go along!

So that's what I've been up to whilst the laptop has been in the shop getting repaired. Off to have a scramble through the scrap bag and think about the next project later. Oh and I might even cast on for one of the two christmas gifts I have promised myself I will make each month of this year. Or I might even combine the two and create a gift from the scrap bag - how thrifty would that make me ;-)

Happy crafting everyone.

-x-