Tag: Cthuhlu

I think it’s safe to say for all of us that it’s been a year. As was last year. And the year before.

The past two years I have gone ‘it can’t be worse’, ‘we’ll make up for the previous year’, ‘lets start fresh and make a go of it’. But we live in interesting times. War. Disease. Pandemics. Health scares and ongoing issues. Burn out. So much burn out.

Theres been lots of good too, and many amazing memories and experiences, but this year?

I’m entering this year with a whisper, not a roar. I am taking it slow, and careful. I’m making no grand plans or promises. My one aim is to get through it as quietly, and gently, as possible.

So, in a hushed tone, I wish you all a happy and uneventful 2023.

All that said, you’re here for the knitting, not the ramble, and I shall show you my last knitted item of 2022:

Cthuhlu in a Santa hat. He’s definitely more bah humbug about the whole affair, what with everyone worshipping other creatures beside him, but he is commemorating the start of a new Cthuhlu group, and many campaigns to come.

Fresh blood, got to love it.

There are a whole load of Christmas knits that I will share in the coming weeks, but that’ll be after I have given them to everyone!

And last but not least, my wool count. Most years I have a target of using 100 balls of wool in a year (I did manage that in 2022), and to have a net negative of no less than 50 of what I started with (negatives 19, I did badly in 2022, I blame my COVID comfort purchases). This year, I’m not putting any targets on it. So long as by year end I have at least one less than I started with, I don’t actually care.

Wool Count

Starting total – 880

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

Total – 880 (Net difference: nill)

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(The cute Hogwart inspired baby things will resume next week, promise!)

This weekend I did a mad dash up north for a sneaky craft weekend and to see Disney on Ice with my sister, Rabbie – she has a far more elegant description of the visit on her blog here.

In short, I went up to Edinburgh after work on Thursday, after pancakes and chilling, we continued to Aberdeen Friday. There was much crafting and mayhem with Disney on Ice on Saturday, and Sunday was the long, long trip home…

But what crafting did I do?

Resin pouring.

So much resin.

Unfortunately most of the bigger pieces didn’t set in time but I did manage to unmould and bring down these amazing cuties:

Pewter and copper marbled runes – didn’t quite go to plan but I love the results!
And gorgeous blood drops!

And yes, these are made specifically with my Cthuhlu campaigns in mind!

On that note, I shall leave you all be and get some rest myself – stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 94
Wool bought – 51 (+3 but bought specifically for a cardigan I will cast on shortly)
Wool given to me – 32
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 834 (Net difference: -9)

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A little while ago I sent my dad’s Mrs a pair of knitted slippers as she was getting a very grim sounding operation done to her foot. My dad rang to tell me that they had received it, that she loved them, but where was his gift?

After a bit of banter, it was decided that I would knit him a hat that was a nod to the formal dress of his old military unit, the Royal Scots Dragoon.

Which is…dark blue, almost black, with a yellow zig zag.

Outbreak was more than happy to display the contrasting colours against her fur for me! The pattern used is a free one called Joey by Susan Moskwa. It’s supposed to be knit in one solid colour, but…when do I not tinker with knitting patterns?

In other knitting news, my projects have multiplied even more so now I feel like I’m going even slower – but there is logic behind it all. Namely, hedging the odds in my favour against the inevitable yarn chicken I am going to have to play. Some things I can get away with…others not to much.

Besides from that, not a lot really. We had a much deserved quiet weekend, where we all spent a lot of time just chilling and enjoying each others company playing games. It was nice.

My Cthuhlu game on Friday though was hysterical, but it was, as always, a ‘you had to have been there’ kind of funny. I’m very much looking forward to the next session to see what craziness ensues!

And with that, I wish you all a good and safe week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 81 (5 since last update!)
Wool bought – 48
Wool given to me – 32 (3 as birthday gifts!)
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 844 (Net difference: +1, so close!)

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So…many…penguins…

No, really, there’s a lot of penguins. The last thread of the last penguin has literally been tucked in and this blog is getting updated. So, I mentioned previously that after getting caught out at Christmas just gone, I wasn’t going to try and knit 60 things in 12 days again. So I knit the 60 things as my first big at work and between projects knit…so it took three months, but there is 60 penguins.

(There is actually 61, but Engel pinched one to give to his boss who is obsessed with penguins apparently…)

In other knitting news, my big handspun project is blocked and I love it, and I do have generic in the garden photos of it but…I can do better. Photo wise. Hopefully next week for the big reveal!

In non knitting news, a friend is running a 40K RPG and despite the fact I am not a good player, I am playing it. It’s different. But I have a cyber mastiff called Fluffy. I have also started a big Cthulhu campaign and, if it wasn’t for my letting them spend luck to fudge their own rolls…well, total party kill ten minutes in and a player got eaten by the big bad monster…they are all now suitably paranoid!

I also decided to rip my living room apart, go through everything with a fine tooth comb, rearrange it, and put it all back together. I ache. Moving all my RPG books near killed me…

I hope everyone else managed at least a few smiles this week, and until next, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 897

Wool used – 25 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given to me – 0
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 7

Total – 878

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Now, I will admit that I love magic. The kind that leaves you pondering just how they managed to do that, was it an illusion? A slip of the hand? Mind control? My brother in law does a lot of magic, and I personally think he’s amazing at it. Both the terrors are convinced that he’s a wizard, and he wears that title with pride.

So when he asked me to knit a teeny tiny bear, no taller than 6cm, in burgundy, well, how could I refuse?

And here he is, safely up in Scotland nestled amongst a variety of magic tricks! I knit him following the pattern Teddy Bear by Sarah Keen from her book 100 Little Knitted Projects.

I cannot wait to see him in a magic show! Will he disappear? Reappear? Transform?!

In other knitting news, I finished the huge hand spun project I’ve been working on. It’s been blocked and is ready for a photoshoot, the only problem is that when I came up with the concept, I had a certain type of location in mind to photograph it…but with lockdown/ covid/ the plague…well, I can’t get there. Even something remotely similar…

Guess we’ll have to wait and see how that pans out…

In regards to the rest of life, I finished off the current Cthulhu campaign and if it wasn’t for the fact I let players spend their luck to fudge their dice rolls…well…they all died. Repeatedly. In various fashions. But with barely any to spare they did manage to limp home victorious!

Its been a hard week this week with all our routines being out of sorts, and not having Crumble to give me my evening cuddles and bedtime snuggles… But we’re getting there, wherever there is.

Just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and take life one day at a time I think!

So until next week, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 897

Wool used – 24 (3 this week)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given to me – 0
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 7

Total – 879

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Buzz buzz buzz!!!!

These are based on the free pattern Teeny Tiny Bumblebee by The Ginger Hooker – larger needles used and I changed the wings.

For those curious, Felix chose bees as the next insect for her mini beast birthday party, having already picked butterflies. I’ve ended knitting over 60 bees as Felix kept giving them away, Inkling decided they were the must have for his bed and my MIL took a shine to them…

Not sure if I’ll make any more insects for the party (she has asked for ladybirds, worms, stick insects and woodlice amongst others) as I have a few other projects lined up first, but we’ll see if I can sneak another one in!

Short post this week, it’s been so hot I’ve not had the energy to do much knitting and certainly not spinning, though almost all the raw fleeces washed!

I have picked up a little table loom which Felix and Engel have had quite a bit of fun with, and subsequently used up some of my odds and ends bits of wool!

Oh, and I’ve joined a new gaming group, well, more a friend is putting together a time and place for people who want to play boardgames, wargames or RPGs to get together and do just that. I have a number of victims – I mean volunteers – who want to play cthulhu with me! I feel an evil laugh coming on…mwahahahaha!!!!!!

Till next week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 63 (4 used)
Wool bought – 19 (3 more, I needed a pick me up!)
Wool given – 155
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 659

Fleece bought/own – 13 lots, varying quantities…
Fleece washed and bagged – all the above! Now in 10 bags.

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So, after knitting the Cthulhu mittens for 3D printed Nerf parts, I was inspired to knit myself a “sensible” hat!

Its sensible in that this is possibly the only hat I have made for me without cat ears…and with it being fair isle, it’s so warm and cosy! A must for the recent cold snap we’ve had. The pattern is free and can be found on Ravelry, Lovecraft’s Bane – Cthulhu Hat by Lisa Wilt

Engel decided to share a photo of it with the Nerf 3D printing guy and…

Not one, but two more Cthulhu Hats were requested! One is in the colours of the Cthulhu mittens just made, and the other in khaki green and dark grey for a more muted version.

Want to see them all together?

So much Cthulhu!

On the downside, as I was casting off the rib portion on the final hat, I snapped one of my favourite dpns…such things happen, especially when working on 3mm needles, but I was not impressed!

Ah well, invoking the elder god’s do call for sacrifices to be made…

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 18 (2 this week!)
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 4
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 575 (Woohoo! Finally getting the stash numbers back down!)

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Yeah…I’m not 100% sure how it happened, but I ended up trading a pair of these:

For a lot of custom 3D printed Nerf parts. I suspect it’s Engels way to get round the £10 a month budget I set him…

The mittens were handed over today whilst we were meeting people for a small Nerf event, (just a bunch of loons running around a field shooting each other with Nerf blasters that’s also family friendly, so Felix and Inkling could join in) and Engel received a box of parts.

Definitely think Engel got the better end of this deal, but hey, I got to knit awesome mittens again! (These are based on the free pattern Cthulhu Mittens by Lyle Stafford, however, this pattern is for basic mittens, hence mods to make them convertible!)

In other news, we went to Chester zoo to check out the Big Cats Lego exhibit (and of course the animals) and it was awesome!!!!

But subsequently, exhausted!

Till next week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 11 (Two this week! Yes!)
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 4
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 582 (Still up 6 balls of wool…)

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May the stars align and great Cthulhu rise! Oh, wait, no, that’s only what I want to happen in game…

Playing Arkham Horror with friends and eating far too much to bring in the new year, but putting up a quick post in a quiet moment as I don’t know when I’ll see the next one!

As mentioned in my last post, I’ve been visiting the family and staying with Rabbie, there’s been dog walks, Nerf Battles, Christmas, Butterfly World, and the drive back and all the cleaning and tidying to do as well! It’s been constant.

Worth it mind! As such, not managed much knitting (I have one finished project which Missy got, but due to an ear infection hasn’t had a chance to wear it)

Oh, wait, I do have one tiny finished knit! This year’s Christmas decoration (I make one every year)

Its a Nerf dart, to commemorate the Nerf craze that has hit our house, and subsequently my family, pretty hard!

That aside, it’s been a very busy year and I have a few resolutions to try and make next year better. The wool count will continue (this week I’ve used two balls but gained four at Christmas) and I’m going to try and slowly declutter the house. I’m also going to try and take a moment every day to think about something positive, and hopefully this will improve my currently rather pessimistic outlook on life!

I’m aiming to be a realist, optimistic is a bit too high an aim, for now.

May you all have a good new year and an excellent start to 2019!

Cheers!

(And now time to start playing ‘Auld Lang Syne!’)

Wool Count

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 89 (2 down!)
Wool bought – 27
Wool given – 16 (4 up!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 576 (net gain 2!)

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Look who I’ve now found in my cat mint!

Its Miss Mittens, sister of Miss Moppet and Tom Kitten, Daughter of Tabitha Twitchit!

I really need to move that cat mint…

As with Miss Moppet, I’ve done a variation of the Tom Kitten pattern by Alan Dart with a few tweaks and additions. I’ll be knitting her and her sister little pinafores like the ones they wear in the Tale of Tom Kitten, but they’ll have to wait as I have a few bits to squeeze in and do first! They’re probably also the last Beatrix Potter related knits I’ll be doing for a bit, I have a lot of projects I want to work on and could do with a change of pace!

But don’t worry, I still intend to make them all!

Just a short post this week as I am shattered – it’s been a long week at work, the terrors have been particularly terrifying, I was at the Assemblage 23 gig on Friday (it was down the tiniest, darkest, dingiest alley ever!) which was awesome – particularly the second support act, ‘Rainland’ (formally Analog Angel) – Glasweigian EBM for the win! Makes a homesick Scot happy to hear! And I’ve been running Achtung Cthulhu! this weekend too.

I may have overestimated just how much I could fit into a weekend! A good 10 hour sleep and I’ll be as right as rain again I’m sure! It’s just getting 10 hours of sleep that’s difficult…

Wool count:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 58 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 8
Wool given – 6 (1 as a birthday present!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 578 

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