The Adventures of Kiki

Wow, it's been another age since I last dropped in here. I have so many good intentions, and with Little P at nursery every afternoon for a while, I thought I'd have more time for things like this - but I seem to have less if anything! How does that work?
It's been another busy few weeks, settling the Little Lady into nursery routine, which she has finally got used to just as half term arrives! Also, adopting a 4 month old kitten from the RSPCA has eaten up a fair amount of my time. She is so lovely, such a nice temperament and great fun, but definitely scatty and crazy and keeps me on my toes. It's like having two children. I know there is a big cliche of cats and wool... but I guess I didn't entirely think that through when adopting Kiki! She goes crazy for it, absolutely nuts. she loves grabbing the balls in her mouth and making off with them. She looks as pleased as punch with herself too. It's made crochet difficult at best - I have scratches all over my hands from fending her off! I even designate a small ball of wool for her, but it's not as interesting as the one I'm currently using! And then there is batting the hook. Catching the dangling stitch markers. Emptying the stuffing all over the floor. Crochet is now a battle of wits with the cat, but it is also very funny I have to admit. My Instagram feed is mainly full of Kiki related catastrophes and woolly disasters at the moment.
Meet the Kiki, A.K.A. 'Squeaky' ...

There has been crafting... mainly crochet. First up, I finally managed to finish the 'As We Go Stripey Blanket' (pattern here)

As I have said before, it was a love-hate blanket. Love the pattern and colours, do not like the wavy edges. It is a well written pattern, and I'm glad I went for it, but it's not one with a 'flow' that you really get into and can carry on watching the telly whilst making, as you have to swap pattern every line almost, and do lots of counting and checking. Now it's finished, the wobbly edges bother me less as it is rarely laid out completely flat, but crumpled on the sofa, usually with a child or a kitten on it! It's had a lot of use already, in fact, the kitten is laid out on it right now.

I also made a few hats, as it is getting a bit cooler now, especially when I whizz Little P to nursery on the back of the bike. I had my eyes on a pattern for a while now - The All Grown Up Slouch Hat by Moogly and just needed to find yarn to go with it. I don't get on with wearing wool, I just itch, so wanted a cotton based yarn. I suddenly remembered a certain yarn I had squished in a John Lewis haberdashery once before - Rowan Softknit Cotton - an aran weight cotton blend which is super soft, non-itchy and in some yummy colours. After playing around with a colour palette, I settled upon these...

It's hard to get a picture that does it justice, as it looks very different when it's slouched on a head! I love love love the way the back-post double crochet makes 'ridges' around it, almost like rows of surface crochet...

I really love wearing it! Super snuggly! May have to make a snood to go with it. I would make everything out of this yarn if I could!
On the topic of hats, Little P brought two little friends home over a weekend from nursery. We had to do the usual - write in a little diary what we did with the cuddly toys and take pictures of the fun we had with them. First thing the Little Lady asked for was for me to make little hats for them... so obviously I did!

Two miniature MyBoshi's for two little nursery friends! When we returned them to nursery, I was commissioned by one of the staff to make a pink hat for a little girl who is undergoing chemotherapy and has lost all her hair. I was more than happy to do so, in fact I made 2. One earflap hat to keep her warm in winter, and a prettier one made from the super-soft leftover Rowan Softknit Cotton I used for my hat...

The top one is made from MyBoshi yarn and is a pattern I made up as I went along... I did take notes as I think Little P wants one too now! And the bottom one is made from Rowan Softknit Cotton and is from a pattern called Perenni and is available as a free Ravelry download. It's the second one I have made, and it's a lovely little hat. I really hope these fit the little girl they are going to, as it's not easy guessing sizes!
One of Little P's good friends turned 5 earlier this month, and I made her an 'E' shaped cushion, to match her sister's 'A' shaped one I made her earlier this year. I do like these chunky letters, but they are a bind to put together nicley! The instructions are so well written and diagrams help loads, which makes it a bit easier!

That's my Little Lady modelling it! They are fun things, and would love to make more, but I just can't do them too close, as they do test my patience a bit! If you fancy a go, patterns for all letters can be bought through Ravelry in the CAROcreated store.

I have been designing amigurumi again, in the form of a monster. My friend had a little boy earlier this month, and after a flurry of girl babies it was fun to make something boyish. I drew a few monsters in Little P's colouring book with wax crayons one morning and decided I would make one of them. I love making monsters, so much fun. I made up 'Spike' as I went along, (named Spike as that's what my friend would like to have called her little man if she had no boundaries!) and he turned out something like this...

I rather like him, although I think I would tweak his bottom a bit so he sits flatter and not so pear-shaped. That monster took ages due to the amount of time spent recovering balls of yarn from a certain kitten. Oh the joys!

I am conscious that this post is getting lengthy, and I'm getting tired, so I shall leave the second part for tomorrow. That is my adventures in yarn dyeing. Seems like ages ago, but only just got around to uploading photos and sorting them all out. So watch this space... yarn dyeing coming this way very soon!

Have Yourself a Handmade Little Christmas

Yep, it's all about Christmas crafting this year. Last year I felt I left it a bit late (the Christmas tree skirt was finished in time for the tree to come down!) so I have started in good time this year. It's not just crochet either - it's a multi-discipline crafting bonanza! I'm making my own cards - simple ones, but pretty ones I think. I also have 'stuff' for Little P to make her own too. That will involve heaps of glue and glitter and sequins and stickers - but she will have great fun (and so will I cleaning up after her!)
The last 3 weeks have been ridden with ailments - first me and the Little Lady were under the weather. Little P took quite some time to get over it, and is still not fully there, although she is becoming more her usual self now. The cheeky streak is back! It was hard getting out of the house at times as Little P wanted to stay in (most unlike her) but I needed a break too, so I suggested we drive to the City to the Hobbycraft store. We will just pick up a 'couple of bits' for Christmas crafting... needless to say I bought more than I anticipated, but it will definitely all get used and enjoyed. The trip did also cheer up Little P, who was very excited about making Christmas cards and picking the bits and bobs she wanted - within reason.
I have also been trying my hand at hand-sewn felt decorations. I have seen them in shops and refuse to buy them as the quality of the stitching doesn't often look great, and they aren't cheap either. It would be much more satisfying to make some - all you need is felt, stuffing, thread and buttons, and a little bit of practice at blanket stitching. So I acquired some Christmassy colours of felt and thread, and some pearl buttons and got to work.

Not bad for a first attempt hey? I found blanket stitching around the points a little tricky, but in my later creations, I've ironed it out a bit and they look a little smarter! So simple, yet so sweet, and a lot cheaper and more pleasing than shop-bought ones. I also really enjoyed hand stitching these, and it reminded me of sewing lessons at Middle School - the ones I used to hate and had no interest in, how I wish I'd listened and learned more now!

I have other 'big' ideas for Christmas crafting too... I saved the 5 'cone bobbins' that my Hoopayarn came on, and plan to turn them into nativity characters, safe ones that Little P can play with. Amongst my Hobbycraft purchases were some polystyrene balls for their heads, and a small polystyrene figure, which will become baby Jesus if all goes to plan. He has already had one accident - when reviewing my purchases, Little P managed to snap his head off! Nothing a bit of glue won't sort! 
My Mum asked if I would crochet some Christmas bunting to hang up in the lounge, so I have to figure out my plan for that too. I have made a small crochet star garland to hang on the fireplace. I needed a small, repetitive project whilst I sat and watched 'Inception' one evening, so picked some festive colours and made 12 little stars. I improvised the stars a bit after looking at various patterns, but they are pretty simple...

Round 1 - 15dc in magic ring, slip stitch to close.
Round 2 - the points, chain 6, sc in 3rd chain from hook, hdc in next, dc in next, tr in next. Skip 2 stitches from Round 1 and slip stitch into next. Do this 5 times to make 5 points.

Easy peasy little stars... I then strung them together by making a simple chain and slip stitching through the top of one of the points of the star. I think I had 30 chain stitches at each end, and 20 between stars. I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo and a 3.5mm hook.

Amongst all this festivity, I have made a couple of much needed beanie hats. The weather has most definitely turned for the worse, and I was searching around for a suitable slouchy hat pattern. Then right on cue my friend Curly Girl Coop alerted me to the wonderful world of MyBoshi. If you like beanies and colour, you'll love this stuff. It's a company who specialise in making customisable beanies and hats and other woolly goodness, using their own brand yarn, which is a mix of 70% acrylic and 30% merino. It's surprisingly soft, and not at all 'fluffy' or 'itchy' - two things I can't stand for a hat! It has an amazing range of colours and gives a lovely 'polished' and professional look to the hats. The only negative is that a lot of the information is in German and there are only a few 'do-it-yourself' patterns available, unlike the enormous range available to buy as ready made boshis.
The basic pattern is very simple however, and I think it could be easily adapted to create different effects. It just so happens that my local yarn store is selling this... Luckily my friend Curly Girl Coop had left me a few colours to choose from after she had raided the stand, so I bought a few to take home and try.

My first effort, the one on the left, worked up so quickly and easily. I had to add a couple of rounds to make it a bit longer so it covered my ears, but the pattern was very easy to follow. I was hooked. I had to make more. Little P picked her colours out (the brightest pink in the world and violet) so I whipped her one up too. It was a little tricky as she wouldn't let me measure her head, so it was a bit of guesstimation, but I got there in the end. The last one, bottom left, is a slouchy hat. I love the colours of this one, and can see me wearing it a lot. Also very quick to work up, I finished it in an evening - this included colour planning which takes up the most time!

I just love how the yarn looks... so polished...

My advice? If you need a winter hat and you can crochet - it's MyBoshi all the way!

I could quite happily buy loads more colours and make loads more hats! I just need more heads to wear them!

I also managed to type up a little pattern for my Father Christmas amigurumi, which can either be a toy or a hanging ornament. Find it here. I think he will look good next to Ronald the Fat Little Reindeer too...

 

Must be off, so until next time, happy Christmas crafting!



Normality

If there is such thing, we are back to it. It's been a nice Summer - some bits didn't work out as planned, but things got done, fun was had, and the weather for once played ball - we've had amazing long sunny spells since July (this is not usually the case here in the UK I can tell you!)

Now, September has set in and the weather has instantly become more autumnal. Schools are back and Christmas chocolates are already in the shops. Boo hoo! I love Summer - the sun, heat, nature - and not having to wear jumpers and coats, I hate those things! I really should move somewhere a bit warmer...

But, with all the change as we lose our Summer once again, a sense of relief also comes into play, as normality is restored. It's just me and the Little Lady pootling about our business through the week, doing jobs, shopping and plenty of things to keep her entertained! The Summer was lovely, but it's nice to be settled back into our familiar routine.

This means less crochet time however, but it's OK as that time is transferred to full-time Mummy, which is a job I love! I've managed to sneak in some most evenings through the week, which is just enough to keep me sane/happy. This week's project has been the FreshStitches Tiny-A-Long - a crochet-a-long where you can make any of her patterns, but the twist is they have to be tiny (or at least smaller than worsted weight yarn!) I consider FreshStitches animals to be large. If you make them out of the suggested worsted weight yarn, they can be a foot or more tall! Whilst I like the odd larger creation, storage is not practical! Previously I have made her patterns with DK weight yarn, meaning they came out smaller than intended, but for me they were still plenty big enough. For the tiny-a-long, I decided to go one smaller, into unchartered territory - 4ply yarn and a 2.5mm hook! Arghhh! I had none of this, so of course I had to shop. I wanted to use cotton, as usual, and remembered the DMC Natura Cotton my friend once used. It comes it loads of yummy bright colours, so I went and picked out a few I liked.
I still didn't know what I was actually making, so I browsed FreshStitches patterns and tried to figure out what would look good in the colours I had bought. I probably did this the wrong way round, as I usually know what I am making before I go colour hunting, but it actually worked out rather well!
So now I will introduce Jacques, le Hermit Crab!

Friendly little chap isn't he?! I added the smile as I thought he needed it - and Little P likes to pretend to feed these things, and we need a mouth for that!
Even with the 4ply yarn and 2.5mm hook, he still turned out about 9 inches long, imagine if you made him full size?! I striped the shell too, to make him a bit more interesting and bright, and I'm pleased with how that turned out, even if it was a bit of a faff changing colour every row!
My main gripe with the construction of Jacques, was the 5 rows in the middle of his 'body'. They comprised of single crochets, slip stitches and half-double crochets. I understand that this is a necessary technique in order to get his body shape, but working with such small yarn, it slowed the process right down!
In fact, the whole thing took a lot longer than I expected as the yarn was infuriating! It may look and feel lovely, but it was very, very splitty, and working with a small hook, you really noticed it. I was dead chuffed it I managed to complete a stitch without stray loops appeared from where the yarn had split. I won't be using this for amigurumi again in a hurry... or ever!

I was not looking forward to assembling him (I often find sewing on bits can be tricky!) but this was actually plain sailing compared to the rest of him! I don't blame the pattern at all, that's great - it's that yarn! And I won't write the yarn off entirely either - it's just not made for amigurumi! I think he was worth the blood, sweat and tears though, and I've rather fallen in love with him since his completion last night. Little P found him this morning and had to get her other toy crab so they could say 'hello' to each other. Ah sweet child!

I also had another one of those exciting yarn deliveries on Friday. All the way from the States. You guessed it - more Lily Sugar 'n Cream! I've had a few people ask where I get it from, so here is the link to the Bernat shop. It's relatively cheap, comes in great colours and variations (even smells?!) and works up lovely too. I love it. Not for everything - I'm not sure I'd ever use it for toys or blankets, but for decorative stuff it's top notch. Obviously, being as it's from over the pond, shipping is relatively large ($16 to the UK). But I figure, if you order enough (meaning loads) it balances out quite well! Also, I have only been charged shipping once out of 3 orders - I'm not sure how that works? But I was charged this last order, which ruined my idea that if I ordered enough they scrapped the shipping! However, it still works out a good price per skein (mine was about £2.20 per 71g, and works out about the same price per gram as Rico Creative Cotton), and I'm quite happy to pay for the luxury of this stuff!

I ordered a couple of super-size balls this time, and will do so in the future if they have the colours I want available. I also tried a super-sized striped ball of 'Creamsicle', yummy isn't it?

Which leads me nicely on to the other thing I've been getting on with this week - the Little Sunshine Hat pattern is written up, and ready to download as a PDF file (via Google Drive)!

Now the Summer is over, I've finally pulled my finger out and got it written up, good timing eh? Better late than never! I used the Lily Sugar 'n Cream yarn to make these hats, as it has enough strength to it to hold it's shape, but is soft and floppy enough to make a nice hat too. Go take a look! I hope to be writing up another pattern sometime soon, when time allows, but until next time...

All Singing, All Dancing

So, I am currently recovering from a late night. I don't have many of these nowadays and I'm quite thankful actually as it seems I can't handle them! I know I sound old, but it's just how it is! It was, however, a very good night, worthy of feeling a little bit tired this morning.
I was invited by my Auntie to her 'hen night' as she is getting married next weekend. We were off to see 'Evita' the musical and then out for a meal. I have never been to a musical before, and to be honest, didn't think I would ever go - I am just not into singing and dancing like that. I always find the singing in movies unnecessary, I really don't see the need for breaking into song and dance every five minutes. I know I sound miserable, but it's just not my thing at all. I love my music, but not musicals and all that frivolity! Anyway, I didn't hesitate in accepting the offer to go along to see Evita, as it was my Auntie's hen night, and I was really chuffed to be asked to go. Plus, I kind of saw it as a challenge to prove me wrong about theatre!
And I was proved wrong, to an extent. The opening 10 minutes, I did think, 'oh no, I'm not going to like this'. I saw my Mum look at me as if to say the same thing, but as it went on, I really did get into the story of Evita. I have never really known much about Eva Peron or any of the work she did, but I found it fascinating. It was the story that done it for me, rather than the singing and dancing (even if it was Marti Pellow!) I had to have a quick scout on Wikipedia at the interval to check I was understanding the story properly!
So, all in all, I have come to the realisation, I may not think so much of the singing and dancing, but a musical can still very much be enjoyed if there is a good storyline. There I said it, I enjoyed Evita, and I never thought I'd say that about a musical! I must be more open minded to these things!
So after a late night and a few glasses of wine, I'm a little weary this morning. In fact, it's not morning, it's actually afternoon... I had a very rare lay in!
My little blog also passed it's first birthday earlier this month. Looking back at it I realise I haven't posted nearly as many times as I would have hoped to, but I guess that's what happens with a baby/toddler around all the time! I'm not so ambitious now, more realistic with posts - maybe fortnightly, but really whenever I have the chance to sit down and get it all together. I love keeping a little diary of my crafting and such things, and it is lovely to look back over the months and see what I have made in a logical timeline. It is however, not my priority. When I get some 'spare time' my priority is to do what I love - crochet. And watch the cricket. They go quite well together actually. I'm currently sitting here watching The Ashes, and enjoying England rattling the Aussies. It's quite a relaxing sport, and seems to sit really nicely with crochet for me.
I hope to pick up my hook in a bit, I've got a couple of projects on the go at the moment, the Yarndale bunting being one. Lucy of Attic24 has sorted out a postal address now, and set a deadline for the end of August, so I'm getting my act together and churning out a few more triangles for the cause. I'm not going to make loads, but I think 10 will be my goal. I have a couple which I think I will definatley be able to spot as my own when I go in September - I can't wait!
I've had a couple of projects fly off the hook the last couple of weeks. First up is a cute little giraffe toy for a baby boy born a couple of weeks ago. I wanted it to be 'floppy' and cuddly for the new arrival, so searched for a pattern and found this wonderful free pattern by Emma Dent. It's written for quite a few colours, but I just used 2 plus cream. I used Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo, as it's really soft and nice to work with and perfect for baby toys. It also comes in lovely colours, and recently they launched a few new colours, so I couldn't wait to use them. I sneaked the new 'Deckster Blue' into the giraffe. I love it, such a lovely blue, I can see me using a lot of it in the future. The other new colour I love is Suzi Sizzle - a deep orangey-red colour which is just gorgeous. So without further ado, here is my little giraffe - I was very proud of him I must say!

 

 

 

The last couple of weeks has also seen the conclusion of the FreshStitches' Mystery CAL. I was once again duped by the clues, and had absolutely no idea what I was making. After Clue 1 I had this...



 

 



And after Clue 2 I had all this...

 

 

Clue 3 just left one piece to crochet, and the crucial assembly instructions. A lot of the guesses seemed to point to kangaroo with baby joey. I was not convinced by this, as I couldn't really see kangaroo in the pieces I had, but after I saw some people who had pinned their pieces together to back up their guess, I was a bit swayed. It could be a kangaroo I guess.

And it was. All was revealed in the final clue, and Amber was indeed a kangaroo, with her little joey to fit in her pouch! Very cute!

 

She is lovely - quite large (and I used DK weight yarn instead of worsted so it was smaller than the pattern suggested). Assembly was tricky in places, getting those legs to attach nice and straight so Amber could stand without support, but I am very pleased with the final result, and Little P loves her!

I still have the mandala bug too. And love using Lily Sugar n' Cream yarn. So I combined the two again to make the gorgeous mandala pattern by A Creative Being featured in Simply Crochet magazine issue 7. I love, love, love it...

 

 

and a couple of close-ups...

 



I wouldn't be British if I didn't mention the weather. It has been glorious here the last couple of weeks (except this weekend!) and the Little Lady and I have been revelling in the sunshine. Plenty of outdoors time and trips out to the zoo and beach, and of course the swings. There has also been paddling pool action, a lot later this year, but it has finally made an appearance! Little Lady loves splashing about and anything to do with water, so there has been plenty of fun with that in the garden. The weather also spurred me to make her a new sunhat. I made a couple last year using this pattern, but fancied making a new one. I ordered some more Lily Sugar n' Cream from the States (I ordered here, great prices and fairly quick delivery considering it is from the US) including some yummy variegated ones - (from L-R) Summer Splash, Playtime and Key Lime Pie.

 

I love it when the Postman brings this...



I really wanted to use Playtime for the hat, as Little P loves Pink and bright, fun colours. I couldn't find a pattern I really liked, and didn't really want to buy one, as they really are very simple to make. The main thing is not gauge, but getting the head measurements right. And if you make it too big, just take an increase round out, and if it's too small, just add one in. I played around a bit (Little P wouldn't let me measure her head!) but I roughly knew the size using the hats I made last year as a guide.
I wanted a fairly simple hat, nice and airy so it doesn't get too hot, with a slightly ruffled brim. After trying a few variations, I came up with this...

Modelled by Little P...

She must have loved it as she went to bed with it on, and wouldn't let me take it off her!
I have made a note of the stitches, and hope to type it up as a pattern sometime soon.

Well, this post has taken an age. I didn't realise I had so much to say! Maybe smaller, more frequent posts may be the answer?! Now it's time for lunch and a little bit more cricket-watching hooky before the Little One returns!

Back on Track!

Well it's been a while since I've had the chance to write on here, what with technical issues and a poorly little P, but I finally have the chance to sit down and type at my new workstation - iPad and wireless keyboard - thanks brother for sorting me out!
The little lady had a horrible cold which seemed to last forever, so she just wanted her Mummy all the time. It was lovely to get cuddles as I don't usually get too many, but it did mean crochet time was reduced! Only the little P could get away with that! I do have a few creations to show for myself over the last 3 or 4 weeks however, as I have made the most of what crochet time I did have.
The change in temperature has sparked a new line of crocheting for me... hats and gloves and scarves! I refuse to buy little P woolly items, as I can easily make them myself, but they kept getting relegated down my 'to make' list. Eventually it got to the point when I felt terrible that the little monkey had no woolly hat and gloves in the cold weather we have had... so I halted other productions and got to work on protecting my daughter from the cold!
I scoured the internet for quite some time to find the 'right' hat for the little P. I wanted a beanie, but a pretty one, not just a boring round and round hat. I also wanted to use King Cole Bamboo Cotton as it's nice and soft on her little head, so I needed a pattern for DK weight yarn. Eventually I came across one on Ravelry as a free download. It is called 'Perenni' and it's by Deanne Ramsay. It was a very easy pattern to follow, although it took me 3 attempts to get the size right for the little P! I'm chuffed with how it turned out, and she looks super sweet in it! I also tried to make some mittens for her too... I wanted ones with thumbs, but a lot of the patterns for her tiny hands don't have thumbs, so I had to improvise a tad. They turned out not too bad for complete guess-work, and they fit OK, but will she wear them? NO! Maybe when it gets a bit colder.... here's hoping!

and the detail of the pretty stitching...

I then decided to make myself a snood/cowl type thing as I saw pattern I liked on Annaboo's House. She recommends super-chunky yarn with a 15mm hook so I ordered some Sirdar Indie in Apache. I have fallen in love with this yarn, it's super soft, maybe a little bit itchy, but the colours are amazing that you forget all about that! I got straight to it the day the yarn arrived, and finished it that same evening. Super-quick and easy to follow pattern with great results! A cosy snood for cold weather! No more silly scarf ends poking out of my coat!

As I loved the yarn so much, I had a look at some of the other colours and decided I needed a bit more. I thought I could make little P another hat... this time a chunky earflap hat with a bobble on top. So I visited a local shop where I knew they stocked it, and bought a couple more colours.... Madison and Crazy Horse. I used the lovely Madison for the Little P's hat and I plan to use the Crazy Horse to make another cowl type-thing for myself. 

The Crazy Horse...

and the beginnings of a hat in Madison...

I have also been back on the amigurumi. I had an order for 2 rabbits, which I've been slowly assembling over the last month, but they are finally finished and will be off to their new home soon! 
And I finally finished the hair on the amigurumi doll, now named Polly Dolly. It's plaited and tied up with bows and finishes her off nicely. Little P seems to like her, she gets dragged around by the hair a fair amount, which I'm sure is a sign of affection!

Meet Polly Dolly...

and a couple of sweet bunnies...

Also, my kind brother went on a trip to Barcelona for a few days, and brought me back a present, a cactus pin cushion! It's really nice, too nice to stick pins in maybe! They were for sale on a stand on Las Ramblas, all handmade and loads of different designs and colours. 

There are also a few exciting things coming up for me... Fresh Stitches Mystery Crochet-Along starts in just 2 days, so looking forward to receiving the first bit of the pattern for that! And some more exciting things in the New Year if all goes to plan (all crochet related obviously!) which I won't talk about just yet but am very much looking forward to them!
Now I must go, bed is calling, and me and little P have to be out early to a Music class! Until next time...

Would a Suitcase be Excessive?

Excited! Yes, this Thursday I am trekking down to the big smoke that is London to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show! I cannot wait! I'm even excited about the train journey, as that is quality crochet time with friends! Seriously debating taking a suitcase to fill with yarn and other crochet/craft related products! I had a look at the list of exhibitors, plenty of yarn supplies and Decopatch are there too. Better make that two suitcases!
So in the meantime, I have been trying to think of a project to take with me on the train.... it needs to be not too big, unlike the blanket. Not too many colours, as I don't want to have balls of yarn rolling around the train carriage. And it can't be too heavy on counting and keeping track, as if we are chatting (which I hope we will be!) I don't want to keep losing where I am up to. So I'm thinking a cuchion cover? I'll chain it to the right size, then it's just back and forth right? Or maybe another amigurumi fruit, a bit of counting involved but if I make sure I have a stitch marker.....
Which leads me nicely on to another exciting venture this week,,,
The lovely ladies who make up Two Birds Craft, have sent me one of their lovely stitch-marker charm bracelets (which they are hand-making to sell in their Etsy shop) to test out and review. I already had a project in mind for when they arrived through my letterbox, a lovely amigurumi dolly for my little P. I mainly use stitch markers when making amigurumi, so this would be a perfect project. They arrived on Wednesday morning, in a lovely little package. You can see some more pictures on my Instagram, but thought I'd post a sneak peek up on here too. I'm getting on well with them so far, lovely to use and very pretty too, but full review will follow soon..... take a look at Two Bird's Craft blog and Etsy shop, they make wonderful things!

The bracelet...

A stitch marker in action...

I don't think there is a contest between these and bog standard split ring stitch markers!

So before I got stuck into amigurumi again, I made my first winter warming goodies! The first items of clothing/accessories I have made for myself. First up, the stripy scarf. Really love the stitch used, makes it a very pretty stripe. See my previous post for details of yarn and pattern. I'm pleased with how it turned out, I made it a lot longer than the pattern says however, as I like a long scarf! Also made it wider as it turned out quite thin, but I do love it and look forward to wearing it all winter.

After the scarf was complete, I thought I needed a hat too. I love hats. I buy them, but I never wear them, so I thought I'd make one, so I can not wear that too! I have seen many slouchy hats on Pinterest and the like, and really liked them, so thought I'd settle on one of them. I then needed chunky yarn, which I needed to buy. Well, I had some, but it wasn't the right yarn for the job, so I went shopping. That's when my yarn snobbery kicked in again. Debbie Bliss Paloma in Mallard. Very nice. Part alpaca, part wool. Not usually my thing, I like cotton and silk but this felt nice and well, hatty. I used Gleeful Thing's Gumdrop Slouchy Hat pattern and it worked out perfect with no tweaks needed. So I haven't actually worn it yet, only around the house, but my head gets too hot. It really is for the depths of winter!

I will get a picture of it being modelled one day, but it fits well and is comfy, maybe a little itchy, but when you are cold, itchy doesn't matter too much! So let's see if I actually wear it.....

Of course I am continually granny striping away on the rainbow blanket too... said birthday is less than a week away so needless to say it will not be finished it time, but it was never going to be! I'm nearly finished on the blues, so on with purples and pinks after. Also I shall be continuing with the dolly I'm making my little P. I'm using a pattern by Stitch and using Rico Creative Cotton Aran, which is fast becoming one of my fave yarns ever. So far, I have one leg complete, so I have a bit of a way to go!

I shall share my adventures at the Knitting and Stitching show next weekend hopefully! Exciting week!