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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

To explain the title of this post, Stray (the amazing post apocalyptic cat game) has of course swept through our house and we’ve all become obsessed with the adorable ginger kitty.

Then, when I went to type this post, I realised that B12 didn’t ever give the cat a name. The only time anything like a name was used, was by Momo, who called the kitty ‘Little Outsider’.

Anyway, why am I telling you all this?

Because of this:

I intend to knit his little harness and a tiny B12 to go with it so that he’s ready for Walled City 99!

In non knitting news, it has been a very busy two weeks – last week was the first cthuhlu session with a new gaming group, followed by three more days of socialising and catching up with friends. Then work, which was very busy as we had people on holiday plus three new starters all needing training.

This weekend saw more socialising of the kiddy kind as Felix’s birthday is this week. There was pokemon card playing with one friend, a sleepover with another, and Chester Zoo with that friend and Felix!

I am all socialed out. However…today is also the first day of my new role! I changed departments (not company) and today was my first official day! So socialising and learning lots of new things!

And with that, it’s an early night for me!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 68
Wool bought – 48 (+25 there was a yarn sale at Abakhan and with me starting a new job!

Wool given to me – 32
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 846 (Net difference: +14, yeah…I fell off the wool wagon big style…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

The bunting has been taken down, the cake eaten and the tea drunk, but the chaos continues!

My sister Rabbie hosted a jubilee party yesterday, I did help with painting bunting and decorating and putting together sandwiches, but my main contribution was these cuties:

A set of little crowns! Made following the free pattern Innocent Big Knit Crown hat by Kay Massingham.

I hope you all had a great weekend, and as the chaos continues, I shall see you all next week!

But first, an official word from Outbreak:

Bow before me, minions, it is I, Her Royal Meowness, Queen Outbreak the first. Do not pander to the princess Poppy, thief of dreamies and scritches! Marvel in my cuteness!

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 37 (2 since last post)
Wool bought – 23
Wool given to me – 27
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 859 (Net difference: +15 I’m gonna aim for net zero my the end of the year I think. That’s my big goal!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Apologies for not posting last week, it was, well, a week. A week on top of a month on top of a year.

If it wasn’t for the fact I have my hopes pinned on a number of upcoming events, I would start declaring ‘roll on 2023!’

My health has been an ongoing issue, its my lungs, and now also my nose. I genuinely don’t know how my sister Rabbie put up with the near constant nose bleeds she used to get as a child… The problem has been identified, (I never want a camera shoved up my nose and down my throat ever, ever again!) and although minor, it does mean surgery at some point ahead.

Surgery where they have to knock me out. I don’t like being unconscious on an operating table, but I was laughed at when I enquired about just having a local maybe…?

But this isn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back. What finished me off was the frantic and panicked news from my mother in law that the had been burgled. The only thing taken was the car keys and the car itself, but it’s given us all a good fright and has caused a lot of upset and toppled a lot of plans.

The insurance has coughed up a temporary car after many, many phone calls, and after many more explaining why an elderly couple required children’s seats, managed to get that sorted to.

Bless, my mother in law was still upset though that out of everything that was lost in the car, the seat belt covers I had knit years and years ago we’re lost and couldn’t be replaced.

Cant be replaced? Ha!

She was very happy to receive these!

Now, the post I meant to post last week, was about the cute and demanding Princess Poppy. I’ve explained the story before about how this 14 year old cranky sweetheart arrived, and how a few hearts where broken in her wake, so I decided to make these:

Want to see them with the princess herself?

And with that, I shall bid you farewell. Its been a very fun but hectic weekend just gone, and there’s much more fun and chaos planned for the one coming up!

Until next post, stay safe!

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 35 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 34 (Engel took pity on me and bought me 11 balls of wool, four of which are particularly soft and squishy!)
Wool given to me – 16
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 861 (Net difference: +17 – maybe I should just give up on the wool count this year…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

I think I can safely say, with complete honesty, in both heart and mind, that I am burned out.

Or as Engels current favourite T-Shirt says, Error 404, out of Meow-tivation…

Which actually ties into the only thing I’ve managed to work on and finish:

The pattern used for the hat is a free pattern – Two by Two by Anne Gagnon – which makes for a lovely, stretchy hat that can fit both a little head as well as a big head. Apart from Engel. I had to add extra stitches.

And once more, I find myself writing a blog post where I lament knitting a hat for his giant XXL motorcycle helmet sized head and how I won’t knit another again…until forget and knit him one regardless.

I added my generic fluffy ears on top and he finally has a masculine hat, with cat ears, that actually fits him just right…

And on that note, I bid you farewell until next week, when I will hopefully have my Meow-tivation back again…

Stay safe!

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 34 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 23
Wool given to me – 16
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 851 (Net difference: +7 – still working on this!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Something co pletely different: A new hobby!

Yes, Lockdown, we are all shocked by this news!

Ok, its not a new hobby, but it is a new craft – a no sew braided rag rug! Both my terrors have had a growth streak and there’s a lot of clothes that are too good to throw, too faded to donate and too small to actually wear…

I was pondering what to do with these old clothes – there are so many options out there – when I saw a rag rug in the Slate Museum in Wales. And the thought stayed.

We’ve also been saying for quite some time that the living room needed a rug, to help take the chill off it in winter when we’re sat on the floor building Lego or some such.

And so, like a perfect storm, it all came together to make the very rug Lockdown is basking on in the photo above.

No knitting news, just chugging along on a few projects – much knitting, little progress!

In other news…not a lot. We have actually managed a quiet, uneventful week. No plagues, no injuries, no drama….though work has been incredibly hectic!

So on that note, I shall leave you and get on with enjoying a quiet evening…of cthulhu…let the madness begin!

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 33 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 23
Wool given to me – 16
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 852 (Net difference: +8 – still need to work on this!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Its been an interesting week! Car had its MOT, parents night for the little terrors, gaming with some friends, meeting up with other friends for a mooch and to attend the local Pokémon Go event…

But lets backtrack a bit to explain this week’s knitting.

Parents evening. Both of mine received plenty of nice comments, and nothing really negative other than trying to get them to slow down and double check their work before handing it in. It’s a big ask for a 4 year old and an 8 year old!

One thing that became clear though was that in Inklings class they had been learning about chickens, and had been incubating eggs which had hatched…

And he’s obsessed with the fluffy things. Taking one look, I could have pocketed all four of them there and then and made a run for it.

I successfully passed my willpower roll, and jokingly mentioned it to Inkling. He searched all of my pockets, twice, just in case, and was somewhat sad that I hadn’t stolen a chick.

There was only one option.

Its based on the free pattern Spring Chick by Barbara Prime, except I made mine fluffy. Outbreak immediately claimed it as hers. Once rescued from the cat, the chick was put in my pocket for the next morning…

Inkling was super happy with his chick, and insisted he could take it to school to show it to the other chicks. In all the excitement, I realised Felix was feeling a little left out.

There was only one option. Again.

So here is chick number two. And Outbreak again. Who tried to claim this one also.

I am doing my best to ignore the urge to knit a third chick just for the cat!

Until next post, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 23 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 13
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 829 (Net difference: -8)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

The very next knitting project…not quite the same ring as the actual song, but it’ll do.

Remember how just a few weeks (ok, start of January) I knit a lovely pair of cat mittens for Engel? Well, he decided they were too big.

Ok, they’re wool, I’ll felt them.

They barely shrunk in the washing machine.

Ok, must be treated wool, I’ll felt it by hand.

The black decided it was not colour resistant at the temperature needed to begin felting.

Hmm. New pair of mittens it was.

Please excuse the photograph, I had to pry these off Engel to get this quick snapshot!

And for those curious, the original cat mittens have found themselves a good home to a fellow cat loving friend with much,much larger hands than Engel. They fit their new owner like a glove. Pun intended.

In other knitting news, I received a knitting kit for a cuddly toy. More on that later, let’s just say though that there is an amusing story behind it. But it does mean my stash has grown by 7 balls of fluffy wool…I debated adding this to my total, but feel I should as I will want to count the used wool as it leaves my stash…

As such, my wool count looks like this now:

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 21 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 13 (7 in the knitting kit)
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 831 (Net difference: -6)

Theres still more than twice out than what’s gone in, which I am going to take as a victory!

Theres isn’t much else to say for this week, some grand plans went awry, but we made the most of the weekend, and even begun sowing the first wave of seeds! I’m hoping for a good year of vegetables!

Till next week, stay safe!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

I would love to promise that this is the last of the fox related things, but the urge to use this knitted fur technique to make more and more is incredibly powerful!

and without further ado, fox ears:

So very cute! Although the cats seem to think that they’re either a toy just for them, or a small furry animal just begging to be pounced on…

Here you can see Outbreak “helping” within three seconds of my placing the ears in the floor for a photograph. I suspect I will need to knit them something using the same knitted fur technique I have used for the ears…

Oh, normally at this point I would link a pattern but…there isn’t one. This is me just playing around…

In other wooly news, I finally spun and plyed the Shetland fleece I have been playing with for the last few weeks – it was a challenge for myself to spin as fine as possible, as consistently as possible. Having been 2 plyed it has come out at 150m of lace weight yarn. It’s a little thinner in places, but not thicker, so it’s definitely getting there!!

No idea what it will be. However, I have plans and ideas in the works that require me to spin yarn, so more shall be spun, but with intention.

…am I the only one that think that sounded unnecessarily aggressive? Spinning with intention?

Anyhoo, very busy week at work, no gaming but Inkling did get to go to a trampoline birthday party and as he is under five, I had to go with him and ‘supervise’. The sore muscles today were worth it. Felix didn’t miss out as she got to have an adventure with Engel on the motorbike.

After so much excitement, we finished the weekend with board games and cleaning up some Battletech miniatures that the terrors are looking forward to painting.

Until next week, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 20 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 6
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 831 (Net difference: -12)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

It’s going to be a fairly quick post today as last week was…well, it was a week…not for me, personally, but I hadn’t realised how many of my friends trust me enough to relieve all their emotions onto…

So without further ado…

I finally knit Engel his mittens! He chose Missy C by JennyPenny from her book ‘Winter Knits from Scandinavia’ and not gonna lie, these are amazing! The whole book has gorgeous patterns and, sneak preview, I’ve got another of those patterns on the needles right now for me!

Of course, however, I couldn’t resist a few tweaks, and turned the mittens into convertible city mitts!

In other knitting news, the polar bear garrison has begun, photos as and when I have no other FO’s to share,but with a target of 80,it’s going to be my ‘out the house’ project for quite some time…

That’s all for this week, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 1
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 0
Wool gifted to others –
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 843 (Net difference: 0)

The sharp-eyed amongst you will have noticed I have bought a ball of wool despite saying two had to go out for every one in. Well…it was an emergency. I found myself having to wait for a few hours in a cafe with no knitting! And so, poor Engel was dragged around until a wool shop was located and I could buy some wool and needles…oops!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

Remember how two weeks ago I said:

Thats all for this week, hopefully I will either block one of my knits to show for next week, or finish a different project which has taught me the importance of paying attention and reading ahead in a pattern. Again. Twice. I mean, Inkling can totally do with 8 mittens, right?!

Well, I did block my jumper as you saw last week, and this week it’s time to come clean about the mittens.

Oh the mittens.

In short, Felix has been asking for a pair of city mitts’ like mine, but cats. She spotted the pattern Flippy Kitten Mittens by Marna Gilligan in the ‘Cats knits’ book I was recently gifted…except they were adult sized.

Inkling saw these and also demanded them.

So I had them ‘shop’ for wool in my yarn stash and pick the colours they wanted. I measured their hands and, after some debate, settled on doing Inklings first as he didn’t want the flip part that turned the wrist warmers into mittens.

Easy, right?

I cast on for the pattern, dropped needle size, tweaked the stitch count, worked some math and measured all the way and…voila! First pair done!

Except the pattern is written so you have two different coloured cats on each mitten, and each hand has a different coloured cat on top, so they’re not identical. Inkling pointed out he had requested ginger cats on the tops of both mittens.

Ok, easy enough, I just flip the colours of what I did before. Except I didn’t.

Inkling was even less amused.

And so, I knit two more pairs, painstakingly triple checking I had flipped the colours to give:

Four pairs of mittens so he has matching ginger or grey or mix matched pairs. And if he loses one, doesn’t matter, there’s seven more to go!

Life has a habit of, just when you think you can easily alter something and knock it out because you think you have enough skillpoints in your knitting skill…and you roll a critical fail instead and end up with eight mittens…

Oh, and for those curious, here Felix’s:

She wanted them to be different coloured cats, and she wanted the flip top too. See below for a view of the tops of the mittens when folded over.

In other news, it’s busy on the project front, more on that when each one is ready, and work wise it’s pretty manic, so I’ve been doing overtime. Managed another session of Cthulhtu on Friday and it’s getting tense, cannot wait till the next session to see how they’re going to get out of their current mess! And aside from a playdate with Felix’s friend today, that’s about it. Oh, and snow.

Storm Arwen has mostly avoided us, but today we’ve had a steady torrent of snow. It’s finally stopped now, but with freezing temperatures predicted tonight, I suspect a cold and frosty morning will be in order!

No wool count as no changes this week!

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