This is the cable Saxon Braid I'm doing for the back of the circular shrug. This is one and almost a half repeat, I'm thinking I will need at least 3 probably 4 repeats to make the back long enough.
I decided to revamp the look of this blog but I can't decide if I just didn't like the old one better. It may undergo some changes over the next few days.
I added a twitter feed too. I've had a twitter account FOREVER, before it became all popular. But I don't use it much except to read other people's updates. Maybe if I had a phone service that did fancy stuff like texting and posting pictures etc I would use it more. Anyway, I thought I would make one just craft themed to keep it separate.
In other news, I'm working on a circular shrug for myself. It's in acrylic because I figure with 3 kids I will probably end up washing it often, and it's in navy blue...mainly because I couldn't find purple like I wanted. I've done the ribbing and now I'm on to the decreasing and starting the main body, and here's where I'm stumped. I can't say I liked doing the mock rib on Abby's one, and I want to put something more interesting on the back. Only I can't decide what. I'm thinking maybe a saxon braid up the back?
I'm thinking about making my first shawl too. In the evenings there is one side of the couch that I usually end up sitting on that is right in the path of two AC vents and an overhead fan, and it is freezing, but if we turn them off the rest of the house gets hot. Any suggestions on shawl patterns? This is Florida so it doesn't need to be too heavy.
I added a twitter feed too. I've had a twitter account FOREVER, before it became all popular. But I don't use it much except to read other people's updates. Maybe if I had a phone service that did fancy stuff like texting and posting pictures etc I would use it more. Anyway, I thought I would make one just craft themed to keep it separate.
In other news, I'm working on a circular shrug for myself. It's in acrylic because I figure with 3 kids I will probably end up washing it often, and it's in navy blue...mainly because I couldn't find purple like I wanted. I've done the ribbing and now I'm on to the decreasing and starting the main body, and here's where I'm stumped. I can't say I liked doing the mock rib on Abby's one, and I want to put something more interesting on the back. Only I can't decide what. I'm thinking maybe a saxon braid up the back?
I'm thinking about making my first shawl too. In the evenings there is one side of the couch that I usually end up sitting on that is right in the path of two AC vents and an overhead fan, and it is freezing, but if we turn them off the rest of the house gets hot. Any suggestions on shawl patterns? This is Florida so it doesn't need to be too heavy.
A circular shrug for my daughter. Honestly it came out a lot smaller than I'd hoped, but at least I know what I'm doing for next time. She likes it anyway and it's fine for the weather here. I'd like to make myself one, but for the size I'd need I could see it being very boring and no doubt I'd get too bored half way through. I might put some sort of cable pattern on the back of mine to make it more interesting, maybe a saxon braid.
My first sock! It's for my mother in law (she has big feet). Pleased with this. Need to do the other one....
Falling Water scarf. My first attempt at lace, I think it will be pretty whenever I get around to finishing it (so, in time for me to retire probably). I don't find lace very easy, I'm too distracted by the children I think.
I woke up with an idea this morning, realising it was the World Cup football match between England and USA and I, as an expat Brit living in America had no England attire to wear for it. Not that I am all that interested in football to be honest with you, but I still like to show some solidarity. I have some union jack stuff, but nothing just England. So I needed something quick and easy that I could get done 
before the match, and here it is, an England wristband.
I used fingering weight knit picks palette, and doubled the strands because that's all I had in the right colours. I think you could use up to worsted without much problem, but you might have to play around with the size, the first one I made was far too small to get over my big hands so I gave it to my daughter.
Pull off small amounts of the yarn to use or you will get them in a tangle.
Materials:
Size US5 straight needles
White yarn
Red yarn
For XL size CO 40 stitches (decrease by increments of 4 for smaller sizes), using the long tail method (I did not do this and that cast on could do with a bit more give) in white yarn.
Row 1: K1 P1 across in white
Row 2: K1 P1 across to rib in white.
Row 3: K 19 in white, K2 in red, K19 in white
Row 4: P19 in white, P2 in red, P19 in white
Row 5: Repeat row 3
Row 6: Repeat row 4
Row 7: K across in red
Row 8: P across in red
Row 9-13: Repeat rows 3-6
Row 14-15: repeat rows 1-2
Bind off loosely
Stitch two ends together to form a tube
.
before the match, and here it is, an England wristband.I used fingering weight knit picks palette, and doubled the strands because that's all I had in the right colours. I think you could use up to worsted without much problem, but you might have to play around with the size, the first one I made was far too small to get over my big hands so I gave it to my daughter.
Pull off small amounts of the yarn to use or you will get them in a tangle.
Materials:
Size US5 straight needles
White yarn
Red yarn
For XL size CO 40 stitches (decrease by increments of 4 for smaller sizes), using the long tail method (I did not do this and that cast on could do with a bit more give) in white yarn.
Row 1: K1 P1 across in white
Row 2: K1 P1 across to rib in white.
Row 3: K 19 in white, K2 in red, K19 in white
Row 4: P19 in white, P2 in red, P19 in white
Row 5: Repeat row 3
Row 6: Repeat row 4
Row 7: K across in red
Row 8: P across in red
Row 9-13: Repeat rows 3-6
Row 14-15: repeat rows 1-2
Bind off loosely
Stitch two ends together to form a tube
.
Even worse than before about updating this! Not that anyone is reading anyway.
The winter was spent knitting a lot, mainly hats and gloves for everyone because it was COLD. We had a million snowstorms in Kentucky.
I also started making Abby some dresses and tops for the summer, with the mission being to make them as cheaply as possible. I snapped up a few patterns when they were on sale, and scoured the remnants bucket for fabrics. I now have a massive tub full of fabric. So far I have completed one dress, almost completed another, made a top and I did make one other dress but I was not happy how it came out, so it's now a rather nice nightdress for her.
These things will be especially useful now, as we spent the spring moving down to Tampa, Florida. So I guess the pair of gloves I spent a long time knitting this winter (and have almost finished) will not be a whole lot of use down here....ah well, maybe the union jack handwarmers will be.
The winter was spent knitting a lot, mainly hats and gloves for everyone because it was COLD. We had a million snowstorms in Kentucky.
I also started making Abby some dresses and tops for the summer, with the mission being to make them as cheaply as possible. I snapped up a few patterns when they were on sale, and scoured the remnants bucket for fabrics. I now have a massive tub full of fabric. So far I have completed one dress, almost completed another, made a top and I did make one other dress but I was not happy how it came out, so it's now a rather nice nightdress for her.
These things will be especially useful now, as we spent the spring moving down to Tampa, Florida. So I guess the pair of gloves I spent a long time knitting this winter (and have almost finished) will not be a whole lot of use down here....ah well, maybe the union jack handwarmers will be.
I am hopeless at updating this. I'm also hopeless at updating my personal blog at the moment too, so at least I'm not discriminating.
I actually have a lot of crafts on the go at the moment, just not many pictures to show. I've been knitting lots, have completed hats for Abby and Alex, and have another hat going for Andrew. It's not been cold enough for hats yet really (Alex has worn his a few times much to his dislike) so I still have some time to finish it. Abby and Alex's hats were really fun and taught me some new techniques which was good. It's shaped so it fits snug over the head and covers the ears and looks like a little pixie hat. I decided Andrew being in Kindergarten and a boy might not appreciate the pixie look, so I'm doing him a ribbed hat, but it's so boring I keep putting off finishing it.
I have knitted a couple of calimatories as well, the first one was for me and I followed the pattern, but it is ridiculously big, and I will have to rip it back. I made my mother in law one and adjusted the pattern and it came out much better. I still want one so I will have another go for me.
I started knitting a union jack out of some el cheapo worsted weight yarn and a free chart I found online. It has become a bit of a Frankenstein's monster, as it has so many colours and I didn't want to have lots of loopy yarn carried over in the back, so I first tried having lots of small balls on homemade bobbins, but ended up with a tangled mess. So now I'm doing it with a few yards of each colour into little ziplock bags which seems to be working better. My needles are also quite short which is making it a bit more difficult, but still workable I think. Not sure what I will do with it when it's done to be honest, maybe add blocks to it for a blanket or something. Really I just wanted to try using lots of colours and anything union jack related to an expat is like a moth to a flame.
I am also making a quilt. A massive one, to fit our bed. I've made two quilts before, one I started in 2002 and still have not finished. It's a single bed sized quilt, and was very ambitious considering I'd never even used a sewing machine before. It taught me a lot though and perhaps I will get it finished someday so one of the kids can use it. The other one was just a little simple winnie the pooh baby one in eye watering colours. All three kids have used it now, so I have got my charity shop money's worth out of the material :)
The one I am making will be blue and white and I am doing a snail trail pattern. I liked the pattern because it reminded me of MC Escher, my favourite artist. I haven't done that much yet, just a couple of blocks. Silly me thought once the kids started school I would have more time, but that has not been the case!
I have plans to make Christmas cards too, so need to do that this month. I know what I want to do and it shouldn't take too much I hope.
That's it I think. I will post pictures when I have some!
I actually have a lot of crafts on the go at the moment, just not many pictures to show. I've been knitting lots, have completed hats for Abby and Alex, and have another hat going for Andrew. It's not been cold enough for hats yet really (Alex has worn his a few times much to his dislike) so I still have some time to finish it. Abby and Alex's hats were really fun and taught me some new techniques which was good. It's shaped so it fits snug over the head and covers the ears and looks like a little pixie hat. I decided Andrew being in Kindergarten and a boy might not appreciate the pixie look, so I'm doing him a ribbed hat, but it's so boring I keep putting off finishing it.
I have knitted a couple of calimatories as well, the first one was for me and I followed the pattern, but it is ridiculously big, and I will have to rip it back. I made my mother in law one and adjusted the pattern and it came out much better. I still want one so I will have another go for me.
I started knitting a union jack out of some el cheapo worsted weight yarn and a free chart I found online. It has become a bit of a Frankenstein's monster, as it has so many colours and I didn't want to have lots of loopy yarn carried over in the back, so I first tried having lots of small balls on homemade bobbins, but ended up with a tangled mess. So now I'm doing it with a few yards of each colour into little ziplock bags which seems to be working better. My needles are also quite short which is making it a bit more difficult, but still workable I think. Not sure what I will do with it when it's done to be honest, maybe add blocks to it for a blanket or something. Really I just wanted to try using lots of colours and anything union jack related to an expat is like a moth to a flame.
I am also making a quilt. A massive one, to fit our bed. I've made two quilts before, one I started in 2002 and still have not finished. It's a single bed sized quilt, and was very ambitious considering I'd never even used a sewing machine before. It taught me a lot though and perhaps I will get it finished someday so one of the kids can use it. The other one was just a little simple winnie the pooh baby one in eye watering colours. All three kids have used it now, so I have got my charity shop money's worth out of the material :)
The one I am making will be blue and white and I am doing a snail trail pattern. I liked the pattern because it reminded me of MC Escher, my favourite artist. I haven't done that much yet, just a couple of blocks. Silly me thought once the kids started school I would have more time, but that has not been the case!
I have plans to make Christmas cards too, so need to do that this month. I know what I want to do and it shouldn't take too much I hope.
That's it I think. I will post pictures when I have some!
I saw these on another site and decided to have a go myself for a particular group I'm a part of. They're made out of bottle caps (like from soft drink bottles), felt and stuffing and stitched/decorated with embroidery thread.
The crown I'm very happy with, took me a couple of prototypes but I'm happy with the result. One of the cool things about these is they are small enough to fit in a square of a craft organiser box! The ladybird/bug needs a bit more work I think.
I'm going to work on a few others.
The crown I'm very happy with, took me a couple of prototypes but I'm happy with the result. One of the cool things about these is they are small enough to fit in a square of a craft organiser box! The ladybird/bug needs a bit more work I think.
I'm going to work on a few others.
I finished the longies for Alex, yay! Not too bad for a first attempt, learned a ton of techniques so all good. I am going to make another (hopefully improved) pair definitely. I also want to knit some purple handwarmers for myself sometime.
