Category: Little one

And by that I mean Ravelry, Deviantart and here!

Was reorganising Felix’s room (moving toys upstairs, moving others downstairs, moving some furniture about to better position everything…) And spotted two knitted things that, as previously mentioned, have never been posted.

Do without further ado:

Free online pattern ‘Toy hammock by Browneyedbabs’ and…

Felix’s name, as a cute knitted garland in all the colours of the rainbow! It’s several free patterns – the alphabet series by Frankie Brown on Ravelry.

You’ll have noticed a lot of rainbow colours here, believe it or not, I do like rainbows. (Engel at this point always mutters that he hates them) and for a little kids room it seemed a nice gender neutral choice of colours! Felix is a girl, we knew that when I was still pregnant with her, but I do believe in letting kids pick their own colours and interests, not get them forced on them. Hence lots of gender neutral toys and colours, up until she started to pick them for herself mind you!

Her favourite colour is green and toys are, currently, Octonauts and Thomas the tank engine – specifically Luke, the narrow gauge engine.

In other news it’s been pretty busy here – took Felix to see the Blackpool Illuminations (something I had never even heard of being from Scotland, but a staple childhood memory for all those living in the north west of England it seems!) And today we were at Gulliver’s World, this is the second time she’s been to a theme park (the first being Alton Towers but she was teeny tiny then and only just finding her feet, the majority of that trip was spend lost in the Alton Tower! I swear it’s a maze, you go up a set of stairs, turn round, go down the same stairs and end up in a completely different floor to where you started…)

So not much knitting has happened this week – though stage one of the xmas presents is complete, and stage two has begun!

I know there will be distractions, my resolve is waning rapidly…

Speaking of resolve, I…well…there was a kind of…sort of…maybe accidental purchase of…forty balls of wool…

They were in packs of ten! So it was really just four lapses of resolve!

Its my excuse, I’m sticking to it. Even if it does completely destroy my wool count for the year…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661 (sigh, it had been doing so well…)

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For lots of baby knits!

This is a little blanket for Felix’s childminder’s daughter’s baby. (Say that five times fast – I knit a blanket for her first born last year) and is based on the free pattern ‘Jericho Baby Blanket’ by Shana Schasteen. I also added a fluffy trim to make it even more snuggly! The photo is it folded up, just so you all know!

Another two adorable pair of bootees for the new mum whom I made a set for featured in this blog post. Same bootee pattern, just different detailing. The pom poms I winged, the butterflies though are a free Ravelry download ‘Springtime Wreath, Butterflies’ by Frankie Brown. So cute!

But I couldn’t just make two pairs of very (pink) bootees, that’s a bit boring!

So I made these monster feet! It’s a free pattern again – ‘Monster Baby Booties’ by Needyl and they are so very, very cute. But a baby needs a hat to match such cute shoes! Especially with winter approaching…

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It’s a monster hat!!!! And it matches (same fluffy wool, same contrast wool). Yet another free pattern – ‘baby monstaa’s very scary bonnet’ by Jones & Vandermeer.

OK, I’ll admit, no Christmas knitting has taken place at all this past week, but the main reason wasn’t because of all the very cute distractions, but because it was Felix’s third birthday on Wednesday! I took the day off work and we had a ball at the ice cream farm, and today we had a few friends and family attend a little gathering at Stockley farm (it’s dog friendly so Felix’s doggie ‘cousin’ Missy could join! She has her own blog btw, it’s worth a look for those looking for doggie adventures of their own)

Alright, it’s been a long day and I for one am tuckered out. So I’ll leave the blog post here and finish off with the wool count – five balls used this week! OK, almost all of that was in the blanket, but hey, five balls used is five balls used!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 105 ( 5 this week)
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 7

Total – 612

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My neice was given a doll (a 16″ American Doll whom she named Holly) but she didn’t have many clothes for this doll. So she gave me the puppy eyes and asked me to make a few little pieces for her, and well, I’m a soft touch when it comes to the puppy eyes…

Felix can attest to that.

So without further ado, a whole little party outfit:

All free Ravelry patterns:

Knotted Openwork Girls Shrug – with matching American Girl size by Kristen Renneke

American Girl Doll Empire Waist Lace Dress by Elaine Phillips

Doll Shoes for 18″ Dolls by Onelia

And for when the weather gets colder, which it will:

Again, all free Ravelry patterns:

American Girl Doll Retro Winter Outfit (Coat, Hat and Muff) by Elaine Phillips

Easiest and fastest baby UGG booties ever! by A la Sascha (Doll size)

Cute, aren’t they? Haven’t decided if they’ll be a Christmas present, birthday present or just spontaneous gift yet – guess i’ll see what’s closest when I see my neice next!

It’s been a busy week – Wythenshaw Garden Festival yesterday, and I have to say I was impressed at just how much Felix could get involved with. We now have a 3ft scarecrow she (helped) made in the front garden, button bracelets, banana badges and lots of colouring, and she got to do painting, eat crickets and mealworms (taste like pork scratchings and…creamy?) She planted pumpkin seeds and made her own fruit salad!

Her highlight: getting to hold the tiniest owl I have ever seen. Which was comical as the man demonstrating was holding a greater horned owls which weighs about as much as she does…

And today has been arts and crafts and swimming – knackered now!

All in all, a good weekend.

And this week I managed to use up three balls of wool!

*Does a little dance*

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 95
Wool bought – 10
Wool given – 4

Total – 616

 

P.S.

I’ve made a start on the Christmas knits for this year so there won’t be many new projects posted over the next few weeks (I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises), but I’ll try and post a few things from the archives to keep things interesting!

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I think that’s an apt name for this:

It’s based on the Free Ravelry Downloadable Pattern Vortex Shawl by Kristina McCurley and made with the yummy wool I blogged about last post.

The name comes from the current computer game Engel is playing ‘No Man’s Sky’ where you got from planet to planet, discovering, cataloguing and mining for resources as far as I can tell…to a relaxing soundtrack…great for switching off in the evening, and what I’ve been watching as I worked in my shawl…

Not the most attractive photo if it, but the best colour match to real life, and it gives you an idea of the shape too. The merino/yak was lovely to knit with, and loved by certain four legged critters…

Salem wasn’t caught in the act of stealing it, three seconds after I put it on the floor to photograph…of course not…

I also wore it yesterday at a wedding banquet, where I shamefully had to call it quits after the fifth of eight courses…seeing as it started with an entire roast suckling pig between eight of us, I don’t think I did too bad. Oh, and for those curious, the heads in the fridge, I couldn’t let such a yummy treat go to waste!

Not much else to say really, life’s been ticking along, I had some family visit, been spending a fair bit if time with Felix, working on her crafty skills – pom pom caterpillars today! And pom pom monsters. She wanted to make a pom pom Cthuhlu, but decided the tentacles would be too difficult to make from pom poms alone…

So cute!

Wool count:

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 92
Wool bought – 10
Wool given – 4

Total – 619

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Apologies for the crazy blog post, I couldn’t resist. I’m in a funny mood today, probably because I got stuck behind Thomas the Tank Engine on the motorway on my way home today.

Yes, it was an actual steam engine, done up like Thomas, on a flat bed.

If I had a passenger, I’d have made them take a photo, but alas, I didn’t.

Anyhow! Parka Meower two:

Same details as the original Parka Meower, this one is for Maki, and also a photo of the two cats wearing them below.

They’re brothers – Maki and Ramen, and actually belong to Engel, but Felix has ‘acquired’ them.

Next up: Attack of the turtles!

Seems knitting turtles is rather addictive. And to answer my question from the original blog post about the turtles, I got 6 out of a full ball of wool. Well, 6 and 3/4s.

That’s the last of those for a while. I’ve currently got two projects on the needles – one for travelling and one for home, but only when Felix is in bed as it has ten balls of wool on the go at any one time.

I also think I should ban the cats from being near me as well whilst knitting it…more info on that next post, when it’ll hopefully be done.

Not much else to report really, other than Felix has been particularly adorable this past week, having made a house, at the childminders, for her pet tarantula (the other kids made them for fairies)

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This is actually mine, Sakura, a Chilean Rose, Felicitys tarantula, Incy Wincy (she named it) is a Salmon Pink Bird Eating Tarantula, and although not fully grown, was too big for the house…

I sent lots of photos to the childminder who, it turns out, is terrified of spiders. Oops. Oh well, at least she knows Felicity really did make a house for her tarantula and it got used!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 86 (just 1 since last post)
Wool bought – 9
Wool given – 4

Total – 624

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Perhaps a side profile?

Pattern is ‘Parka Barker’ from Woolly Woofers by Debbie Bliss – a book I picked up for Rabbie…sorry Rabs! I’m just testing it, honest!

Let me explajn. Like small children everywhere, Felix likes to take her toys wherever she goes. I generally let her (just one though! And something small!) but there are times I say no. Like no, we’re not taking all two hundred of your cuddly toys. No, we’re not taking a soft toy into the swimming pool. No, we can’t take your fishing net to soft play.

No, we can’t carry (insert name of soft toy) outside, it’s raining.

So Felix asked ‘could they play in the rain and not get wet if they had a coat? Can you make them a coat?’ – who was I to refuse? (But just the one coat!) Engel suggested using a dog coat pattern, so smaller needles and fewer stitches later, a cute cat coat!

Blame Felix for the color choices – at least the blue matches Ramen (the cats) eyes!

Second one on needles now for Maki – Ramen’s little toy cat brother…I know, I said just one, but they’re adorably cute…

Speaking of adorable, Felix has decided what she wants to be when she grows up.

A vampire.

I suspect a costume will be getting put together soon…

Wool count

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 85 (just 1 since last post)
Wool bought – 9
Wool given – 4

Total – 625

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Now that has be the oddest title yet for one of my blog posts.

But there is indeed a mole rat and an eye patch!

Let’s start on the ugly one. No, really, it’s ugly! I knitted one of these:

(Image from the Fallout 4 artbook) it’s a mole rat. More specifically, the mutated, diseased mole rats found in the computer games Fallout 3 and 4. These are awesome open world games full if all kinds of horrors, set in a post nuclear 1950s-esque world.

Engel loves the game. He’s pumped a crazy number of hours into both of them to, and he demanded I make him one.

And I did.

And it’s ugly.

I butchered the pattern ‘Mole’ from ‘Knitted Woodland Creature’s’ by Susie Johns for this one. I also kept extensive notes (for me) on what I did to if I ever make another – it’s on my Ravelry project page.

Engel is delighted with it, so job done. Though he wants it to wear a little belt with mines on it…it’s a Fallout 4 thing.

So, something ugly, now something cute.

Free Ravelry download pattern ‘Scurvy Eye Patch‘ by Cistabel Seneque.

Time for a story.

Before Felix was born, Engel obtained a toy cat that, after some joking around, was called Captain Morgan of the seven sofas!

Cue a few years down the line and Felix acquired Morgan. We told her of his mighty adventures as a pirate Captain and she demanded he had an eye patch.

So we dug one out.

Next day she lost it. Was very upset and wanted him to have another.

So I made one. Coincidentally, his pirate costume arrived. If asked, I’ll say that Felix wanted it, and it wasn’t Engel at all that insisted Morgan just had to have one…

Wink wink. Nudge nudge.

Other knitting news: I have two projects on the go this week, both to be done by Saturday. I have a habit of tight deadlines these days it seems…and despite all my knitting, no whole balls of wool used either this week. So the wool count still stands at:

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 73 (5 since last post)
Wool bought – 9
Wool given – 4

Total – 637

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Hi all,

I’m offering a free pattern as an apology for a lack of update last week – not that much happened (well, above the normal level of madness!) But just failed to actually post anything.

I do however have a few offerings this week to make up for it!

First of all, the pattern for the fox bag holder / purse I posted last time is now available in the ‘free pattern’s section – or you can skip straight to it here.

Yeah! Been a while since I published a pattern!

What else?

This!

It’s a shawl based on the pattern ‘Peruvian Cat Lace Scarf’ by Donna Druchunas from the book ‘Kitty Knits: Projects for cats and their people’ – I love this book, and have made a number of the patterns now.

So, the story behind this one:

Decided to make a shawl rather than a scarf as I felt that the recipient would use it more. (She’s mad about cats, so using this lace pattern for the shawl was ideal)

Managed to make the full sized shawl (3ft from point to top) in five days, having cast on Monday evening and finished it with 15 minutes to spare before setting off for the birthday dinner it was being handed at…

I was also juggling full time work, being a mum, and trying to keep the house tidy enough to live in! But not bad if I say so myself!

Tempted to make one for me (in black) and Felix (my two year old) is demanding one in blue. Or purple. Or blue and purple…

But that’s just one week of knitting, what about the other? Well, I have a toy in progress that’s taking quite a bit of time, but more on that when it’s done, and j finished my fluffy wool projects.

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There’s…43 sets of cat ears and matching tails there. It’s a rather messy photo, but also the best way to show the sheer quantity of them.

Worryingly, I still have a load of fluffy wool – nothing to make a set of ears and tail with, but at least it’s manageable! In time, I’ll turn the rest into fluffy mice or fish as cat toys, but right now? I’m satisfied with the dent I’ve put in my wool stash.

I just need to work out what to do with 43 sets of cat ears and tails. Should probably attend a craft fair, or maybe a mandatory wearing of cat ears birthday party for Felix in September…

Any suggestions?

Starting total – 697 balls

Wool used – 73 (5 since last post)
Wool bought – 9
Wool given – 4

Total – 637

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I should be unpacking but…well, I’ll get to that.

I’ve officially finished one job, and start another tomorrow – I’m actually going back to my previous job, a number of reasons, but mainly the one I just left was getting very, very manic to the point it was affecting my time with Felix.

Engel comes second to Felix, but he knows that already, and to him I come second to Felix too. It’s something we’re open and honest about.

But I digress, so, job change. Had my mum visit last weekend (Felix loves her Granny, and insists she lives at the Pineapple House, though has a second, normal house when more people are around)

And this weekend we were at Centre Parks, Sherwood Forest. Felix did find Robin Hood, in the form of the classic Disney cartoon I had brought along. This skewed my plan of having her go for a wander in the woods looking for him, but hey-o, points for observation to her.

Knit wise, still plodding on with cat tails and wars, but rapidly losing steam and the will to knit fluffy fur with that project. Other projects though:

The Paulina Dress I was working on last post. Finished and adorable! The pattern is a free Ravelry download by Taiga Hilliard Designs.

And something i’ve made twice before, Meret (Mystery Beret) by Woolly Wormhead, another free Ravelry download. It’s for my mum, whom I knitted the original two of in her wool from New Lanark. This one (modelled by Ramen) is a sparkly cotton version for those warm windy days!

Alright, i’d best get back to unpacking, though procrastination is so much more fun!

Starting total – 697 balls

Wool used – 68 (16 this week!)
Wool bought – 9

Total – 638

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Twenty four balls of wool used, twenty four balls of wool knit, we take a ball, we knit it all, twenty four balls of wool used up!

Only six hundred and sixty ball of wool to go!

Insanity aside, it’s been busy since my last post. I’m now in the process of changing jobs, my love for Rockband being awakened, knitting, work itself, a massive spring clean and lastly I spent a week’s break in Wales with Engel and Felix.

A brief summary is thus:

Three railways – one diesel (Welsh highland heritage), two steam (Ffestiniog and Talyllyn) – all narrowguage, three beaches, two harbours, one failed attempt at crabbing (Felix dropped her crab line into the sea), several successful rock pooling attempts (caught four fish, a dozen crabs and a live clam), a swimming pool, rabbit farm and sea zoo, plus a brief look at where they make seasalt.

It’s been busy.

But good.

I doubt anyone is really interested (except Rabbie) on a blow by blow account of my trip, so my summary I hope will suffice.

Onto the knitting!

Another little knitted extra for person at my work who is pregnant with a little girl.

Something Felix, my little one, adored when she was tiny was a little Scamp snuggly (I think alike people call them lovelys?) A little fabric square with an animal head.

Hopefully this one will be loved too!

Worked top down from the head and then onto the blanket from the centre out, finishing with a picot bind off. Seeing as my cat Crumble refused to move as I was finishing it, I took a photo of it on her.

And a firm favourite – pattern is Cat-ears Hat by Donna Druchunas, from ‘Kitty Knits: Projects for cats and their people’ – a very used and loved Christmas present from Rabbie, many, many moons ago!

“But that hasn’t used up twenty four balls of wool” I hear you say, why no, it hasn’t. The two projects above used up four. The other twenty is from cat ears and tails as I blitz my way through my fluffy/fuzzy wool collection.

Engel has been helping me on this crusade by knitting the cat tails with as small knitting machine we got Felix.

She’s made a few too.

It really is that easy to use.

I’ll take a photo of them all when I finish, there’s still fluffy/fuzzy wool left (I suspect it’s breeding, and related to Tribbles)

Well, that’s all for today, still sorting out the post holiday stuff that needs doing…

Starting total – 697 balls
Wool used – 46 (24 balls used up this week!)
Wool bought – 9

Total – 660

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