Tag: Knitting

No, really, it is!

After finishing the Christmas knitting (hooray! But sadly still having all the sewing and finishing) I decided to whip up some of the cute Rose Pins! It’s a free online pattern by Sarah Kim Tenbuecken and it takes barely any time to knit and assemble.

I doubt Felix will entertain them but they were still fun to make. Maybe her much girlier ‘best friend’ (Felix has bestowed this title on her, it’s so cute!) will like them…

Anyhow, so Christmas knitting is done, just assembly, and then it’s a few additional bits and bobs which I can post up here as and when made without spoiling it for anyone.

Had a bit of an accident at work, nothing major, but I am working from home for a little bit, and it’s amazing how much more I get done when I can knit whilst reading through various articles, papers or reports. Shame I can’t knit and type up manuals and my own reports though…

Oh, and for those who asked last post, I have unfortunately not been able to photograph Frankenstein’s shapely derriere (as mentioned last post) as A Felix has been dragging it around everywhere and I can’t wrestle it off her when she’s sleeping either…next post I shall try! And make him trousers too. Haven’t managed that either.

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 109 (3 since the last post!)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 658

 

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As an aside to all the Christmas knitting I’ve been doing, I took part in a Halloween MKAL – which turned out to be a cuddly Frankenstein.

My only issue? He doesn’t have trousers on, and, well, I knit it as given, so it’s seamed, not knit in the round, and he has a proper little behind too…

Ah well. That’s life!

Other than this, knit wise, not much to report as I’m still plodding on with Christmas knitting, and that’s going slow as I keep getting by everything!

It’s been a busy few weeks at home – Engel started a new job so the usual routine is gone and the new one has a lot of kinks to get worked out still. Felix’s friend turned three this weekend, so we’ve been doing lots of birthday stuff (there was even a make your own pizza party, which she took very, very seriously)

And my work has been manic. So manic I pretty much get home, see to Felix then once she’s in bed, veg out. Hence not so much knitting…

Alright, short post, time for the unchanged wool count…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (0 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661

 

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OK, I do have one photo:

I was sent a photo of the doll clothes I made a little while back, actually on the dolls! I was really happy they fit as I was having to blindly follow the patterns measurements as I didn’t have a doll to compare it against.

Pleased with how they look, though it does seem ones dressed for summer and the other winter! May have to make some more…

In other knitting news, I’ve just been pushing on with the Christmas knitting – there’s quite a bit this year so it’s taking a fair bit of my time. Time of which I lost as Felix brought the lurgy into the house, and I just can’t knit whilst feeling nauseous!

Everyone is back to full health again, but it did a number on us all.

Alright, just short post today as really tired! Hopefully I’ll have something more exciting to show next week!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (0 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661

I suspect Rabbie was right with her comment that the wool count won’t be getting below 600 this year…still have just over two months though!

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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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To show you this quick little leaving present for someone at my work:

It’s based on the hat worn by Jayne Cobb in an episode of the cult hit TV series Firefly. I’m pleased to say she was happy with it! No pattern given as it’s something I whipped up from my head…

In other not knitting news, I had my sewing lessons again and made more cushions! (Waiting for the rest of the class to get confident with the machines before I move in to more fun things) so here’s my latest upcycled T-shirt cushion!

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It’s probably one of my favourite T-shirts that Engel doesn’t wear anymore (it’s so baggy it’s like a tent, and that was before he lost weight!) So now, it’s an awesome cushion.

And since I had time…

Well, let me explain this one, from the beginning. The beginning by the way, is some point in 2011.

This is the result of a string of disasters.

I wanted to knit my other half the big bad wolf jumper, (from the book Domiknitrix by Jennifer Stafford) so bought some wool and cast on.

Halfway through, I ran out of wool and found it to have been discontinued. I managed to find something similar so…rip rip rip went my first attempt, and I cast on again using the new wool.

Sigh.

I knit all the pieces, sewed them together and had him try it on. I’d sewed the arms too tight, so yank yank yank out came my sewing and back I sewed again.

Grr.

It fit. Perfectly. Just the right amount of drape so as not to be snug, but not so much as to be baggy.

It was worn every day for a week before I got it off him and into the washing machine…where it did something very weird. It got both wider and shorter.

Argh!

He put it on once it was a dry and it looked like a super baggy belly top…not his look at all!

OK, that did give me a chuckle.

After sitting in the naughty knitting corner for a year, I rather haphazardly turned it into a cushion. It was ok, but… I kind of sewed the cushion into the cover. So… not so easy to wash.

Grr!

So today I pulled it apart again and turned it into a much nicer, neater cushion!

And that is the rather long tale of why my big bad wolf jumper is now a cushion…

There you have it for today’s post.

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 100 ( 3 this week)
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 7

Total – 617

 

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As mentioned last post, working on Christmas knits so nothing to show right now! Well, I do have this recent creation:

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Not knitting, but still craft related. There’s a group in the village over that teach people all kinds of craft – knitting, crochet, sewing, card making, felting, all sorts! So I’ve been getting to grips with a sewing machine. I’ve always been able to thread one (mum uses a machine, but her eyes are not so good so that was a job she had me and Rabbie do) and I can do a straight line and that’s about it.

Now though, I turned one of Engels old super baggy but still too awesome to just throw away t-shirts into a cushion cover! This is the practice one, there’s more awesome ones to do.

Want to see knitting though? Here’s a pair of pen-tacle cuties from the archives:

Who says stationary has to be boring? The red one is a classic squid/octopus inspired creation, and the second…blame Engel. He was playing Day of the tentacle… Or something?

Lastly, the wool count. Yeah…well, you see…I worked out what I was going to knit for the Christmas presents, but came up three balls of wool short (yes, I came up short despite owning 600+ balls of wool!) So in Tuesday popped to the wool shop near work (Black Sheep – it’s amazing!) and managed to walk out with just the three I needed (even more amazing). Yesterday though, I got home to find Engel had picked me up three balls more wool and a bag of tablet as I was feeling a little blue.

Considering I hadn’t actually told him this, and had only just begun to feel blue, well, that’s probably the most amazing thing of all.

Or it’s the brood telepathy.

Does however mean that instead of being good and using two balls of wool, I added six, so net gain of four balls of wool. Oops…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 97
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 7

Total – 620

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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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Cthuhlu phtang!

This time last year I posted about how awesome my friends are. How they all donned on cat ears and played Cathuhlu all just for my birthday.

They out did themselves this year, and I have to say, my friends are more than awesome, they’re amazing!

I mean seriously, look at this cake!

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It’s the Necronomicon, as a cake!

It’s not the first amazing cake that particular friend of mine has made for my birthday, two years ago, it was this tentacular beauty!

Tentacle Cake 2~2

In case you haven’t all guessed, I’m obsessed with Cthuhlu. I’ve read all of H. P. Lovecrafts mythos stories, own numerous RPGs (Call of Cathuhlu, Delta Green, The Laundry, as well as numerous source books) I even created my own knitted Cthuhlu pattern!

It also happens to be my literally just now finished project:

Cthuhlu mittens!

This is based on the free Ravelry download Cthulhu Mittens by Lyle Stafford. I changed mine so that I can, let’s say, rather than pet Crumble with mittens:

I could…

Scritch her with my fingers instead!

I sense more mittens in my future as I had a lot of fun with these, but there are other projects to be done first…so many projects, so little time…

In other news, I went to the pop up knitting show in Port Sunlight (as it was pouring with rain, good ol’ British weather!) And accidentally bought myself a very nice little ball of wool that was positively singing to be a shawl. So that is what it shall be.

And that is what will be in my needles next!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 91
Wool bought – 10
Wool given – 4

Total – 620

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