An experiment…

…well two actually. The first experiment was trying out a new yarn, New to me at any rate. I thought I’d give some microfibre a try. Called ‘Smooth DK’ and made by King Cole, it promised to be soft and I had seen some colours that suited a project I had in mind. So I bought some, and yes, it is soft and very nice to work with. Not quite what I expected, but I think that is more me than a fault with the product. I don’t know if I am the only one who has thought about this, but I wonder if others hae also concluded that DK nowadays is more akin to 4ply. Or to put it another way, 25 years ago, I am sure I remember double knitting being thicker than it is these days. Frequently I pick something up thinking it will be 4ply, only to find that it is Double Knitting. Perhaps it is me, suffering memory loss, but I have to say that given the quantity of knitting I did throughout the time my children were growing up, you’d think I’d have remembered. It would be interesting to find out if gauges have changed. Needle sizing changed, just to confuse everyone, or rather the needles stayed the same but were described differently, now in mm which is mercifully much easier to understand when reading patterns from across the pond.

 

I’ve started to use King Cole Yarns more often in recent months and like them. I love the feel of this one, and the nice stitch definition.

The other experimental part of this tale, is the pattern I was working on. I decided to try and do a woven design, just for the fun of it, and I was really pleased with the way it turned out, although I have to say that I think I should have done another ribbon or two each way to make the weave tighter, but you live and learn through such experiences. This was the result, a little fragranced pillow  (lavender scented) made with the King Cole Smoothie. It’s a bit of a fiddle, but I really like the result so will undoubtedly do it again in the future.

 

 

Splash of colour.

A few days ago I finished a project that was really enjoyable. I decided to make a cat blanket, using scraps of yarn left over from other projects. The result was amazing. A rainbow of colours. Are cats colourblind, I wonder?  If that is the case, it may be a blessing, otherwise they might be dazzled.

I made approximately 100 little 2.5 x 2.5 granny squares, with a well known pattern (I see it all over Ravelry and other crochet sites), and double crocheted them together. The yarn I used was one of my favourites, Patons Sorbet. I think I have mentioned it before. It’s a cotton blend, aran weight (worsted weight for those who are in the States and Canada), and its good for things like bags or something that needs to be fairly thickish  or rugged, like a bathmat. So should be good for a pet blanket 🙂

I enjoyed making this so much, that I am now making something similar, though not for a cat. It’s so easy to pick up, do a few squares and put down again and makes my 50,000 stitch target for NaKnitMo, a breeze, (at least I think it will). I’m so proud of the girls who are doing this challenge, (actually, I think there is a male in there someone as well), but the totals some are racking up every day are incredible. For the rest of us, it’s just a chance to pick up unfinished projects and get them finished, make presents ready for christmas, and generally have a lot of fun. It’s surprising how quickly the stitch totals increase and several people have upped their targets already. I don’t think I will be doing that yet. I am managing to keep up with this blog for the NaBloPoMo, but haven’t done much for NaNoWriMo. I have been planning my plot, but not writing the book! Ah well, tomorrows another day.

High on catnip!

My lucky cats! They think it’s christmas already. I have made some catnip toys, with a view to making some more for christmas presents and swaps. of course the protypes have to be trialed, and thats where my cats score. I made two mice toys first, just plain brown in colour, nothing fancy. One of my cats played with one of them all afternoon, despite being nine years old. The toy is holding up well, given the viscious kicking, clawing and biting it’s been subjected to. The yarn was Patons Sorbet, which is aran weight, although many class it as chunky.

These two mice are the same but I varied the strings, doing a straight cgain for one, and a bouncy coli for the other. I don’t think one works any better than the other, but the bouncy one is quite good if the mouse is hung somewhere and the cat bats at it. Probably more interesting for the cat.

Having achieved a modicum of success with mice, I then decided to have a go at fish. These were not so successful, in that I should have stuck to the stronger cotton. I swapped over to a double knitting cotton, but its not really as strong or firm, so future toys will all be made in the aran cotton.However, you can mess around to your hearts content with colour and design, so it will be fun to do some more at a later date. The fish were made yesterday so qualify for the count in NanKnitMo, a meagre 1500 stitches, but they all count!

quackers…

That is probably what I’ll be after a month of frenzied writing, knitting and crocheting.

My first day produced 1117 stitches for NaKnitMo, no words for NaNoWriMo, and a blog entry. Room for improvement methinks!

Yesterday I decided to make a prototype duck toy. After lots of frogging, this is what I produced.

   Now, I think he is recognisable as a duck, but he has many faults, poor soul. The crochet isn’t tight enough and reveals his stuffing.  His beak, though the idea worked well, is too big and the shape needs refining. His head is too big, his feet need less stuffing, and are not joined in the right place, or at least so that they are pointing the right way. Poor Duck! But, I’ll work on his brother today and see if I can improve the design. I didn’t like the cotton I was using for his beak, so that needs changing as well.

However, I might make a start on something else first, we’ll see. Depends how the whim takes me!

 

 

 

Big day November 1st

November 1st means NaNoWriMo for me. A month to write a 50,000 word novello. This inevitably cuts down on craft time. Last year I failed dismally, only accomplishing 23,000 words or thereabouts. This year…well this year, given that I am also attempting 50,000 stitches in the NaKnitMo challenge in Ravelry, and also a blog post a day for NaBloPoMo, who knows? It might mean failure again, or, looking on the bright side, it might be a challenge I can meet. Mind, I’m moderating one of the Scarf Travels groups on Ravelry and co-administrating the NaKnitMo group there too. So I am going to be extra busy. 

I gave due consideration to this heavy commitment, and decided that homemade Christmas cards were probably not a viable proposition this year. I had planned to do them when I returned from my holidays, but never quite got around to the task, so it is unlikely that they will get done this year. It might be good to use up some of the commercial ones which are taking up much needed space in one of the bedroom cupboards.

The main reason I failed the NanoWriMo challenge lasy year was because I couldn’t settle to writing, when I knew I could be knitting or creating a beautiful crochet objet d’art. Those fibres just kept calling, and I have a horrible suspicion that the same might just happen this year. Its not the counting of stitches which is the hook, it’s just the knitting and crochet. I have to have my daily fix, and once I start, I cannot stop. I have said that about writing in the past, so there is a glimmer of hope for my inner muse.

At least I know what I will be writing about. I have ressurrected my childrens’ novel from two, possibly three years ago now, and having read it again, feel the time is right to progress the story a little, and explore possibilities. So that is what I will be working on.

Meanwhile, in order to keep the blog posts daily, I will be writing about my stitch counting projects. I’m trying to keep projects fairly small so there will be at least one every day or every two days) and on the days when there is nothing new, I have a stock of things I haven’t presented yet, simply because I have been lazy and not blogged for months on end. This blog posting challenge is an effort to get me posting regularly again, and perhaps to help with the writing of the novel if my mojo deserts me temporarily.

So, I’ll leave this blog entry with a photo of my work from the last two days. Christmas ornament arigurumi, made for two partners in a Swap-bot swap. I hope they like them. 

Bits and pieces

I’ve been busy with the Dishcloths New Techniques swaps on Swap-bot. The one for May has been about ‘pick up and knit’ patterns. I decided to do one using a log cabin design and one using domino squares. I love making dishcloths and plan to start doing some Christmas designs soon. Next month the new technique is entrelac and garterlac. I had a little go at it but wasn’t very good, so I think I’m going to need quite a bit of practice!!

Meanwhile, here are this months cloths…

 

And, for a change from one type of cotton, I decided to try Adriafil Fruttamix (100% cotton). I loved the colours so thought I’d try it out by making some sachets ready to fill with lavender or pot pouri. These will be sent to a friend for selling at the next church fayre. I loved the Fruttamix. It was easy to work with and the stitches are well defined and even. It doesn’t split easily which is a bonus. And the colours are bright and fresh. I now want to try some more Adriafil as I am impressed. So, watch this space 🙂

Crochet scarf, section 4

I received the next scarf in the traveling scarf journeys. This one belongs to a lovely lady in California. As usual I had several attempts to find a yarn or yarns that would blend in nicely, or at least not clash. I think I frogged my section three times and eventually decided to do something plain and embellish it, rather than use a multi-coloured yarn or mix colours in a pattern. So, I chose black chunky shetland wool as the base, and used merino wool for the flowers and leaves. The scarf’s owner wants it to be mostly greens and blues so that’s what I used for the embellishment. I hope my friend likes the result. Here are the pictures of the scarf, before I added my bit, my contribution and the scarf as it is now, ready to travel on it’s way back to America.

Crochet starter 3!

Well as mentioned in my post below, the crochet scarf I started and sent on, doesn’t appear to have reached it’s destination, so I have started again. Not being well the last few days, I had to make do with something from my stash. It is wool, but not merino, so I hope folk will be able to work with it. I am hoping to get it out in the post today. Of course, the minute I publish this post, my lost starter will suddenly turn up. I wish it would…the thought of another thirty earrings!!

Ah well! here’s what I will be sending off this time. It’s very plain, just to get the scarf going…to anchor it, so-to-speak 🙂

Hello…it’s me!

Yes, really! It is! Lol.

I know, it’s been a very long time, and although I would like to say I am going to blog every day from now on, I just know that that would be the kiss of death. I think I said it last time I had a break, and look what happened next. Let’s just say I’ll try and write at least once or twice a week.

It’s not as if I don’t have plenty of crafty things to talk about. I have been drawing and painting, knitting and crocheting, making ATCs … although I haven’t made many cards. Much of my craft equipment and supplies is impossible to get at, so I am operating on a skeleton selection of goodies, although I have been adding to the yarn stash steadily. I won’t run out of yarn for a while yet (probably never, given that the minute I finish a ball, I take it as justification to buy another, or two!)

My latest creation is a bag. I haven’t made any bags since last summer, I think. I was knitting my five inch section of a travelling scarf, (more of this later 😉 ) and liked the combination of Peaches and Creme, (daisy ombre) and Stylecraft Eskimo (lemon) so much that I thought I’d make something else in it. Thus the bag was born. Sturdy, and with an inside divider, it’s in fresh sunny colours. Or another description would be, fried egg colours! I’m afraid that’s how I refer to it myself. Anyway, it’s basically knitted in garter stitch, but I did the joining together in double crochet, and I made the strap by crochet. The bag is fastened with a antique silver coloured bead.

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

 

It’s time to be thinking about the One World One Heart Giveaway again. I say thinking, because it does not kick off until the middle of January, but if you are thinking of taking part again, as I am, now is the time to do the preparation. In my case that means think about, prepare and make some gifts to give away on here.

So what is One World One Heart?  The event was started in 2007 by Lisa (oceandreamer) and this is her description of it (original here)…

“I created this event in 2007. The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. 2007 had roughly 85-90 participants and many connections were made because of it……friendships that are still going strong.
We had a strong showing the first year for sure, and then in 2008 we had just about tripled that number.
This is more than wanting to win something…….that is only the means…….in the end it’s about finding kindred spirits. Someone who may be fairly new to blogging, not sure how to navigate, find others and have others find them….Some are long time bloggers and in some cases well known in the art community. Whatever the case it brings all of them together. This is an INTERNATIONAL event that has and had participants from the US, Canada, France, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Malaysia, Brazil, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, England,Wales, Slovenia and more. It transcends geographical location, socio economics, political affiliation, religious beliefs……it’s a coming together like the giant community we are on this planet. If only it took a simple giveaway to create PEACE everywhere, in the mean time here we give from our hearts. We are not solving the worlds problems nor are we curing anything nor are we changing the world. We are merely generating a closer community between humans through blogging. What more could I ask for, my little idea has surpassed my wildest dreams of what it could become.
I don’t like rules but sometimes there needs to be at least guidelines to keeping things cohesive and fair for everyone.
You don’t need to be an artist to participate each year, this is open to everyone. What it’s not meant for is self promotion. Meaning that the mission of this event is to meet new people and them meet you, rather than be a commercial for each persons specific endeavors. Many people have links to their websites, Etsy sites etc. already on their blog therefore the “visitor” can click on those to find out more about what a person does. The aim is for the event post itself to be about welcoming and showing what each visitor has a chance to win by stopping by…..AND giving the visitor a chance to read and learn more about each person along the way.
It is almost like being in a huge convention room where you meet and mingle – only the “hello my name is” badge is each persons blog.”

Those of us who took part last year had enormous fun. We met new people who we would never have met ordinarily (on the net, of course), and we were able to read their blogs. Because most of the folk were crafters or artists , but not all of them, those aspiring artists (like me on this blog) were able to pick up tips, learn about new crafts and hone our skills with advice from our new friends. It has been impossible to keep up with the 200 odd blogs that I visited last year, but I have managed to keep up with a few. I’m really looking forward to ‘meeting up’ with everyone again and being introduced to lots of new folk.

If you would like to take part, please follow this link and read Lisa’s instructions. As she says, they look exhaustive, but they aren’t…its all just commonsense. If you sign up, give me a shout, as I think I might add my odd participants list here too…I’ll think about it.

To see my blog entries for last years event, look here.