Tag: Felix

Gourd you believe it, this is the last of the boo-tiful spooky season knits to share (until next year) with you all. All’s bats are off on guessing the theme!

This all started, out of the boo, when my friend OwlLady gave me a handful of mochimochi teeny tiny ghosts. They were fa-boo-lous by themselves, but after recieving some spook-tacular kumihimo braid from Timbercat, I just new it would need a few additions…

First of all, I enrolled my gourd-geous assistant Felix to needlefelt me some pumpkins. She’s definitely the pumpkin of my eye when she’s stabbing fleece furiously with a sharp needle… This is actually fleece dyed with beetroot from a few summers ago, and some nettle dyed fleece from last year.

Then after that, I whipped up some bats that practically flew off the needles and added them to the garland. Pattern used is a free Ravelry one, Bat by Linda Dawkins, which I have used quite a few times.

But alas, Halloween has passed and I never had the time to add more. That’s how it ghost though. Until next year. But what to knit? Cats? Witches? Witches hats? Broomsticks? Cauldrons? So many ideas!!!

Until next time, stay safe!

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 53 (+1)
Wool bought – 24
Wool given to me – 17
Wool gifted to others – 8
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 860 (Net difference: -20)

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So I have knuckled down and tibia honest with you all, it’s paid off.

I received a commission for a skeleton cat, and tooth be told, I was really looking forward to this one. The final toy is knit loosely following the free pattern grisig the cat by Julia Weiss. Tweaking was done, details added and a lot of colour changing. I did have to go back to the jawing board a few times in this one, but he was done in good time.

In other crafting news, I have narrowed down the to do list so I can focus on things one at a time. There is spinning to be done to finish some wool to nalbind myself a basket. There is a bag strap on the tablet weaving loom, mostly to work on my tension before a fun pattern, which when finished, will be used with some fabric to make some bags. I have a Hedeby braid on the marudai for Felix’s viking kit (she’s mostly working on the braid herself but I am helping) and I have finished braid to sew to my kit. Theres also a pile of mending to be done…Oh, and miniatures to paint – Sea fox clan battletech mechs first, then a list of other things to work on after, including a 28mm scale Tudor house.

It looks worse typed out than it does in my head…

In non knitting news, life has been manic. Like break neck speed manic. Hoping for a quiet weekend to catch my breath and all the things that have been put to one side until ‘later’. The mending pile falls into this category…

Anyhow, I’ll leave you with one last photo and until next week, stay safe!

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 52 (+1)
Wool bought – 24
Wool given to me – 17
Wool gifted to others – 8
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 861 (Net difference: -18)

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Not bored of the puns yet!

This one is from last month really, but Felix had been invited to sleepover at her besties as part of her birthday celebrations. I had asked weeks before if there was anything in particular she might like as a gift, and Felix kept shrugging.

We settled on a D&D style starter game as Felix’s bestie has been enquiring about RPGs and has seen D&D in various films and media, so…well, who can resist the urge to spread the geekery?

Two nights before the sleepover, Felix informed me that her bestie was wanting arm warmers. But they had to look awesome. And be green. And be cotton or some such fibre as her bestie was having eczema issues…

I shopped the stash, and found some beautiful deep green silk yarn and, after a brief consultation with Felix, it was decided.

Its a modified version of the free pattern Dragon Scale Gauntlets by Annemarie Pearson – all I did was remove a portion of the stitches from the underside, and use a smaller needle to get them fitting little 10 year old wrists.

Oh, I did ask Felix why she waited until the last minute to tell me about these, her response was ‘but you said to tell you when I thought of something.’

I mean, I did. Hence, the flameous last words…

Alright, its been a reasonably quiet week this week, a few little things, some major stress that has now been resolved, and compared to the rest of this year, that’s a win.

The only thing really left to say this week is that I did a bit of wool shopping for mothers day, but I was good! I only bought one thing for the stash, an its actually needed for a gift I’m going to knit.

I mean, what’s one cone of nearly 3km of lace weight yarn?

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 8 (+1)
Wool bought – 11 (+1)
Wool given to me – 2
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 884 (Net difference: +4)

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Or ‘Autumn Adventures Continued’…

And it has been adventure. Spent the last Saturday to Saturday in Dunbar, about an hour and a bit East of Edinburgh. Right by the coast, so lots of beach trips and rock pooling! There were also many spooky shenanigans, pumpkin picking and carving, fancy dress contests being won…but a lot of our bigger plans got curtailed as one of our friends came down with a sickness virus.

So I spent Thursday night in A&E with him, but he got all the medicine and was making some recovery by the end of the week…

A good trip, but an exhausting one.

All that aside, my knitting!

Same wool as Felix’s jumper, this is knit loosely following Moonbow Slouchy Knit Cardigan by Jessica Reeves Potasz, a free pattern, with the addition of another free pattern 117-8 Elephant Ears by DROPS design as I wanted to add a shawl collar.

Its big, it’s warm and it’s squishy, which is exactly what I wanted, so very pleased! And every last bit of wool was used, meaning the 20 balls of it that entitled my stash, has officially left! Woo!

And with that, have a good Halloween and I will leave you with my wool count!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 93 (3 since last update!)
Wool bought – 48
Wool given to me – 32
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 832 (Net difference: -11!)

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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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I’m not the one who acquired new skills – Felix has!

I’m taking a moment to be a very proud mum, please do indulge me a little! Felix has long been able to do the knit stitch. Not necessarily well, but she understands the option and mechanics of it. We bumped it up recently to include Purl stitch and…she took to that like a duck to water.

I don’t know if it’s because she’s left handed and knitting right handed like how I knit, but the purl stitch just seemed easier. We did rudimentary increasing and decreasing as well, and more importantly colour changes, to make the super cute rainbow square rabbit pictured above.

Ok, I’ll stop now. The finished knit I had planned to show you is still sitting, unsewn. Not due to procrastination, but because I need the teapot it’s meant for before I sew it to ensure a perfect fit! I could guess, but then it runs the risk of not fitting, of being lop sided…nope. We’ll have to wait.

In non knitting news, Inklings room had a long overdue overhaul. The weekend was spent ripping out his old bed and building a cabinbed – essentially a bunk bed with a desk underneath – where his computer, cannibalised from the parts of others lying around, sits, waiting for his e-learning that is due to start at the beginning of the next school year.

So, without further ado, I shall say cheerio and get back to tidying up and reorganising Inklings room!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 56 (1 since last update!)
Wool bought – 23
Wool given to me – 29
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 841 (Net difference: -2 I am below my starting total!!!)

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So I imagine for those who read last week’s post that the first thing you want to know is:

What did the Reliability Raptor get called? Well, drumroll!

Flapjack.

Yep. Flapjack.

An independent audience (friends and kids) picked the top three names – Dendrite, Roar-y and Flapjack – and Flapjack won. There was lemon cake as a celebration and…

This little tiny cutie decided to follow her mum and come to work too and be the main prize. For those curious, I modified Bag of Troodons from ‘knitted dinosaurs’ by Tina Barrett to match the velociraptor in colour and fluffy wool.

Immediately the competitive atmosphere was in full swing debating a name for what I was calling ‘Flapjack Jr’, much to my initial surprise.

But you know…

I think Flapjack and Cupcake make a very cute pair.

In non knitting news, the blog is a day late due to Engels work commitments (drinking beer with his work counterpart from the German branch) but a good laugh was had by all.

My mum was supposed to visit this weekend gone but, alas, finally caught covid despite avoiding it this entire time. So we had a very spur of the moment type weekend which had me giving Felix and her best friend knitting lessons during a heritage diesel train engines day!

They are both doing amazing! And I blame them both entirely for once more falling off the band wagon and purchasing some wool they both felt was ‘amazing’, and some they thought was ‘awesome’ and a few that where ‘squee! It’s so fluffy!’

Thats why there are nine more balls of wool in my stash. Though I have used three this week. But still.

Eventually I’ll have the same number of balls of wool that I started with this year! Maybe. Hopefully.

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 54 (3 since last post!)
Wool bought – 32 (9 new balls…)
Wool given to me – 27
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 850 (Net difference: +7 Sigh…)

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This is, entirely, my sister Rabbies fault.

I mean, sure, as a knitter and spinner I would be lying to say I have a slight obsession of all animals that produce suitable fleece for my hobbies.

But Rabbie…

First of all, during the first lockdown, she and her husband kindly skyped us to help keep the kids sane. And one of the recurring ‘characters’ to these calls was a very naughty, very colourful, Drama Llama.

There was even a video of him having quite the adventure at a bears tea party!

Then, some time ago, after lockdown, we had a family holiday in Wales. Unbeknownst to the kids, their favourite aunt and uncle where joining us halfway through. We greeted them in the dead of night (8pm) and then bid them goodnight fully expecting the cries of pure happiness from the kids to wake us up in the morning…

I was in for a shock when I woke up – they had decked the place out with llama bunting and pop up cardboard llamas. We had llama cups, plates, napkins even llama goody bags!

Or where they alpacas? Cue a holiday of us going ‘Alpacalylse or Llamageddon’…

When we got back, I got the conservatory roof replaced to a proper one, not glass, and it was decided this new craft space should have a theme…

I have made llama curtains, we bought alpaca cushions, all the things from the Llamaggedon or Alpacalypse party decorate every thing I could creatively think of…

And of course, we needed a wooly touch, to help brighten the shelves…

Its taken a long time, a project between projects, a llama here, a pom pom there, an alpaca every now and again… and of course, the kumihimo braid – credit goes to Felix who chose the pattern,colours and did about three feet before getting bored!

Oh, and the llamas? Alpacas? Pattern is Tiny Alpaca! by Anna Hrachovec – available on her website.

Without further ado, I will see you next week, until then, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 48 (1 since last post!)
Wool bought – 23
Wool given to me – 27
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 848 (Net difference: +4 I’m getting close!)

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A very short post today as I am very, very tired after finally getting to work and doing a full day.

Last week was spent shaking off Covid and the kids returning to school. Except…after day two of school I noticed Felix had some red spots…and in the morning…yep. covered.

Our new feature for this blog: What plague has hit the house this week?

Answer: chicken pox. Both of mine had them around 2 years old, so I was surprised to see them on her. I imagine her immune system is low and the chicken pox took its chance, but regardless, it’s been pretty rough for her.

My loving response to it?

A very cute pair of The World’s Simplest Mittens by tincanknits in cotton to stop her scratching her spots at night. And to help take the sting out, I added a few cats from Covered in Cats Cowl by Marna Gilligan from her book Cat knits.

Felix will hopefully be back at school tomorrow, the last of the pox has scabbed up this morning and the oldest spots have begun to heal.

And thats it really. Oh, I did get a small break of freedom and may have accidentally purchased 9 balls of wool but…I don’t really care right now, I feel I deserve a treat. Even if it’s the right wool and colour for a super cute jumper for Inkling…

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 29 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 17 (Up 9)
Wool given to me – 16
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 3

Total – 849 (Net difference: +6)

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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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