A new Obsession

The other day I was feeling in need of a challenge.  So I did what I told myself I would always do, and yet never, ever, found the time for.  I sat down and I started to crochet.  Oh my goodness, what a fabulous new obsession hobby.

I have Debbie Stoller's the Happy Hooker book, and while most of the patterns are not to my taste, I found the examples of the various stitches well done.  I decided to make a small handbag for the girls, using the In Bloom pattern.  I picked out some mystery acrylic (what better to experiment with?) and off I went.  I made mine longer than the pattern, so the girls could actually fit some toys in.  The lining was from my fabric stash.

someone needs their hair brushed

The last picture cracks me up.  Isla was busy easting Llamas and Rori was busy posing.  I just found the Llamas at Tesco today, and had to buy them, because they are essentially cheese crackers shaped like llamas.  Hilarious.  He is also wearing a jaunty scarf in the picture on the front.

I made a quick flower for the front of the bag, using the Flower Accent pattern.  Mine is wonky and has 7 petals instead of 8, but it works!  I sewed it on to a pin, and glued on the button in the centre (hot glue, I love you so).  In town today I bought a pack of 5 broach pins for £1.  Score!  I like that I can make more (and get better at it) and the girls can interchange them.  

I'm going to leave you with this picture.  Jess got her hair cut today (she was shedding like crazy and it was, in turn, driving ME crazy).  Then I thought she looked cold, so on went her jumper.  It is several years old now, and I made it when I first started knitting.  Free pattern, huge bulky yarn.  She doesn't seem to mind it.

Drop stitch

Hello!!  I've been having a nice and relaxing few days.  After I got over my cold last week my allergies hit full force, and I developed laryngitis.  A tour guide that can't speak--I was pretty useless at work and had to stay home for a few days.  I've been loving being home (not the no talking part, that bit is hard), and getting stuck into a bit of knitting.

I'm making progress on my Gemini but it is slow going since it is stockinette from here on out (ok, ok, until I get to the ribbing at the very end).  Can we say, "boring?"  Well, it is.  Perfect for t.v. watching though, so that's nice.

Last week I got the yarn buying bug in a big way, and worked really hard to fight it down.  Instead I cleaned out my yarn stash, and revisited some old favourites.  Then I went looking for projects I could knit with mainly just one ball.  That seems to be all my stash is, one ball left over from previous projects.  All except for some homespun, and one ball that I won last year.  It is gorgeous, and I wanted to find a pattern that would highlight the colours and show off the yarn.  I think I've done it too, I'm knitting a dropped stitch infinity scarf.

I'm doing it a bit thinner than in the pattern, on 5.5mm needles.  I used a provisional cast on so I can Kitchener it later on to make it circular.  Aren't those colours just gorgeous?  It is called Flower Ball, and is from Storied Yarns.

Lastly, I picked up an Amazon Kindle Daily Deal called Greyhound, by Steffan Piper.  It is about a 12 year old boy travelling across the country on a Greyhound bus to go and live with his grandparents.  His Mom is a lost cause (Mom's out there prepared to be horrified and offended by this woman).  It is so well done, I'm loving every minute of it.  The fact that it only cost $0.99 makes it that much better.

Take care and Happy Crafting!!

 

The magic of blocking

I'm really pleased to share that I finished my second Tanvi early this past week.  Isla was so in love with her cardigan that she wore if for several days straight, including over her pj's at night.  I cannot imagine a better thank you than that, so it was well worth making it.

Once again I dragged the girls outside for pictures in their pj's. 

Stats:

Pattern: Tanvi

Yarn: Sirdar Snugly 4ply (I like this yarn, I would definitely use it in baby projects as well)

Comments: I did make a few changes, such as a garter stitch border instead of a 1x1 rib.  I wish I had made the collar wider though.  It was only about 4 rows and it is sort of lost at the top.  Also, I wish the collar were smaller.  It is pretty wide, and with a lot of wear stretches out quite easily making it look even bigger.

As part of my WIP post on Wednesday I showed a tiny bit of a leaf dish cloth I was working on, and let me tell you--this is a fun, fast knit.  I sometimes forget how gratifying a quick project can be.  I ended up finishing it in just a couple of nights.  It turned out looking like this:

The last line of the patten reads something like this: wet cloth and shape into leaf, dry.  Ahhhh, blocking magic.  Here it is drying:

I love it!  I'll definitely be making more of these!

Happy Crafting everyone, thanks for stopping by!!

 

This Scorpio loves the Gemini

This past weekend I had three days off, and I was so looking forward to it.  Then, on Friday night I felt a cold hit.  Ugh.  I was sick on my long weekend!  Oh well, my head was at least clear enough (on two of the days) to finish off my ongoing project (roll on FO Friday, I'm ready for you!). 

So that means I have two new WIP's.  The first was meant to be simple, so I wouldn't have to think much, and is a leafy washcloth. I'm knitting it in some Peaches & Cream I have leftover from my last trip to the US.

I didn't get very far until my head was clear enough for something more complicated, something I had been waiting for!

Thus the Gemini was born.  I'm using Calico yarn I have from frogging a tank top, and I'm hoping it is enough.  I've finished the lace work at the top, and now I'm just doing the increases for the sleeves.  So much fun, I can't wait to see how it grows!!  Sorry for the terrible pictures.  I really need to move up to a larger circular, so it all looks scrunched. 

Happy Crafting everyone!!

The fan and feather is done!

This is going to be quick, as I'm headed out the door right after I finish typing.  Just yesterday I finished my fan and feather lap blanket.  Hurray!  It took me about a month and a half, and I didn't get bored.  That says a lot about a pattern that is just a four row repeat!

Stats

Pattern: Fan and Feather

Yarn: Mystery stash yarn.  Acrylic, but I'm ok with that.

For: My Grandparents.  I think it is the perfect size to use while sitting at the computer.  Might just have to make another one for myself.

I snapped some pictures this morning, then decided I needed a super cute, way-to-early-rising model:

I'm off work for three days starting tomorrow, so it is my goal to finish Isla's Tanvi cardigan and start two new projects.  I'm going to quickly order a new circular needle (or two) before I go!  Happy Crafting!!

Reflection

First of all, apologies for not being around more the last few weeks.  I was wrapping up my online teaching, working at the distillery, and keeping this house clean(ish), while running the girls around and keeping them fed.  I have been knitting, just not as much as I wish I was.  I'm trying to get myself organized, and to that end I'm posting my WIP early.  I doubt very much it will change between now and Wednesday, so here goes!

I'm almost done with Isla's cardigan, I think there are only another 3 diamond repeats left.  She is getting rather impatient, but she'll just have to wait a bit longer.  Here are some pictures of her trying it on:

 

Now I'm going to take a moment to mention something that struck me as interesting the other day.  I've mentioned a time or two (or ten) before that my house is cold.  Well, the other day I was adding another blanket onto my side of the bed (yup, I've got about 3 more blankets on my side than he has on his) and this is the one I put on:

I've had this blanket since early 2000.  I bought it in a charity shop for 50 cents.  And yes, I still remember it vividly, down to the friend I was with and how much I paid.  At the time I was living in Fresno, and had a car with leather seats.  The car was a sort of red/orange colour, and I bought the blanket for the back seat, so passengers wouldn't burn their legs on the leather.  At the time I think I knew it was handmade, but I was more happy about the colour and the price than anything else.  Now, years later, I'm a knitter, and I recognise just how much work went into the blanket, and I appreciate it so much more.  I wish I could let the woman (or man) that made it know just how much use it has gotten since the day I stumbled upon it in the charity shop.  That you crafting stranger!!

To finish off this rather rambling post, here is a pic of one of my new neighbours.  I think he's just lovely.

Branching Out

This week I've been continuing on with the same WIP's from last week, with a new addition!

I've made more progress on Isla's Tanvi cardigan.  I've just done the bind off for the sleeves, and started the first of the diamonds.  I know it is hard to see in the picture, but trust me, there are little sleeves there!

I've also made more progress on my fan and feather blanket.  I'm just finishing up a cream coloured repeat, and then two more repeats until the end.  It might even make a FO Friday soon, just not this week.  I'm only doing two more repeats because then I'll be out of the blue and green (mostly), so here's hoping it is long enough.  It has been fun, but seeing as how I've been relatively monogamous between this and the girls cardigans, I'm ready for a new project.  Hopefully another stash busting one!

In other fabric, non-knitting news, I've started the first quilt for each of my daughters.  Last week I asked for some easy quilt ideas and I want to say a huge thank you for all the ideas.  I got really rather excited by a lot of the ideas, and if I have any steam left after I finish these two quilts, I would love to make one for myself with fabric from my stash.  Actually, I'm thinking of making a patchwork duvet cover, but we'll see how it goes.  

I know the bottom one is hard to see, I tried to darken the picture but it is just too light!

For the first quilt I am doing a zig zag pattern, and the second will be a strip quilt.  I let the girls pick out what they wanted me to make.  I think I'll have to go ahead and order a bit more flannel fabric, as the baby blankets will only get me so far. I've got little squares left over from the cutting, which I think I'll try to use somehow, if I can do it without it looking silly.  It has been fun so far!

That's it for me this week, happy crafting!