Another one down

I'm getting into the swing of this! Another WIP has been completed. This one is another of my felted bags but in blues. Instead of making a buttonhole in the flap, I added a loop afterwards and attached the button that way.

I'm also about 10 seconds away from finishing my mobile phone case. i just need to attach the handle.


I've been in the finishing off sort of mood this week. Sometimes I just want to start new things but recently I have felt like tying up all my loose ends which is good because I would never get anything finished otherwise. I like the sense of completion but I don't think I could ever be the sort of person who works on one project at a time and doesn't start a new one until the last one is finished. Is anyone like that?

Having said all that, I couldn't resist starting one new project this week! I cast on a jumper for my son. I just wanted to see what it would be like before I decide to go ahead and knit it.

2 down, ??? to go!

My WIPs are getting silly now so I've decided it's time to finish some off. Already this morning I've finished 2. They literally took a minute each which makes it all the more silly that I haven't finished them before.

According to Ravelry I have 8 more WIPs and 5 projects that are hibernating. I should be able to finish a couple more off quite quickly hopefully. Others will take a bit more time. I finally found an extra ball of Debbie Bliss SoHo to finish my cable bag off that I started in February! If I get a few more projects finished I won't feel so guilty about starting new ones either!


Check out my gallery to see pics of my FOs.

Disappointing!

As I mentioned last time, I was a little disappointed that not everyone likes my patterns! I entered two of my knitted creations in a local flower show. It was just for a bit of fun but unfortunately I didn't even get 3rd prize - boo hoo :(

My bag (re-lined as the first lining was awful) was in a category for any article that was sewn, knitted or crocheted. The item that won was a small teddy bear in some sort of little pocket. I didn't look too closely so didn't quite see what it was. A Jean Greenhowe clown came 2nd and I can't remember what came 3rd. I think there were only 6 entries altogether. There were 2 other teddy bears (not knitted). I think one of them came 3rd and there was also a blue fluffy thing. It may have been a scarf or a bag. I couldn't see and you were not allowed to touch the items. So my poor old bag sat there amongst the other items looking very lonely!

I also decided to enter a knitted brooch at the last minute. I had knitted some of this ages ago and decided to add the bottom layer and turn it into a brooch for the competition. This was in a class for a brooch made from any medium. I think there were only 3 or 4 entries. The brooches that won looked very intricate and well made but I'm not sure what they were made out of. I think one of them was heart-shaped but that's all I can remember.

Anyway, it was quite exciting entering a competition for the first time and I think I will have another go next year. My next event is a local craft show. I am hoping to exhibit some felted items and see what sort of response I get. Hopefully a little better than the flower show!

Exciting!

I was really excited last Tuesday when I typed my tea cosy pattern up and posted it on my blog. I also added it as a free pattern on Ravelry.

I was even more excited when I checked my pattern, to see that people had added it to their queues! When I last checked, it was in no less than 36 queues! I am amazed and will be very interested to see if anyone actually knits it. Being in 36 queues just means 36 people have put it on a list of things they want to knit and if they are anything like me, that list never gets any shorter - just longer. Oh well, I am just so pleased that fellow knitters have liked it enough to even do that. Which is more than I can say of 2 of my other knitted designs - more about that next time!

Tea Cosy pattern freebie

Here is the pattern for the tea cosy I made my friend. She asked me to knit her a tea cosy which was green and didn't have a bobble on the top! After searching among patterns, I couldn't find anything suitable so decided to create my own. The knitted fabric is lovely and thick and the lid is detachable. Here it is:



Size: to fit large tea pot. My tea pot measures approx 52cm round widest part and approx 34 cm round base.

Needles: 1 pair 5.5mm (straight)

Yarn: 1 strand of each of the following:

Sirdar Click chunky
Patons Studio Mohair (dk)

Other materials: 4 beads or buttons
Row counter

Abbreviations:

inc = increase (by knitting into front and back of stitch)

k = knit

p = purl

rep = repeat

sts = stitches

tbl = through back of loop

tog = together

Sides (make 2)

Using 1 strand of each of the yarns together, cast on 24sts

Rows 1 & 2: Knit
Row 3: k3, inc 1, k4, inc 1, k6, inc 1, k4, inc 1, k3 (28 sts)
Row 4: k3, p to last 3 sts, k3
Row 5: k3, inc 1, k5, inc 1, k8, inc 1, k5, inc 1, k3 (32 sts)
Row 6: As row 4
Row 7: k3, inc 1, k6, inc 1, k10, inc 1, k6, inc 1, k3 (36 sts)
Row 8: As row 4
Row 9: k3, inc 1, k7, inc 1, k12, inc 1, k7, inc 1, k3 (40 sts)
Row 10: As row 4
Row 11: knit
Row 12: As row 4
Rows 13 & 14: rep last 2 rows
Rows 15 & 16: knit
Rows 17 & 18: Rep rows 11 & 12
Row 19: k3, k2tog tbl, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3 (38 sts)
Row 20: knit
Row 21: As row 19 (36 sts)
Row 22: As row 4
Row 23: As row 19 (34 sts)
Row 24: knit
Row 25: knit
Row 26: As row 4
Next 4 rows: knit
Cast off

Lid (make 1)
Using 1 strand of each of the yarns together, cast on 15 sts
Knit 2 rows
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: k2, p to last 2 sts, k2
Repeat last 2 rows three times more
Next row: k6, cast off 3 sts, k6
Next row: k2, p4, cast on 3 sts, p4, k2
Rep rows 3 & 4 four times more
Knit 2 rows
Cast off
Make a loop on each of the 4 corners of the lid to fit over bead/button

To make up:
Using 2 sides of tea cosy and with wrong sides facing, sew row ends together for approx 3cm from cast on and cast off edges. Sew in ends. Turn right side out and place on tea pot with cast on edge at top. Place knitted lid on tea pot and mark positions to sew beads (or buttons). The knitted lid should be slightly stretched when loops are placed over the beads. Attach beads securely. Fit loops over the beads to secure lid in place.

Any queries, comments, errata, please email me. Address on right.

One year on...

I cannot believe I have had this blog for a year! I cannot believe I missed my blogiversary! Definition in Urban Dictionary here. It was on 19th August and I had no idea I started my blog so long ago. I had a vague memory that I started this blog towards the end of last Summer but it really doesn't feel like a year.

I always imagined I would have a big celebration with giveaways, competitions, freebies etc. but I don't think I have blogged enough for all that hype! I still feel quite pleased with myself for keeping going though, so I think I will type up a couple of patterns as freebies. It is always nice to discover a free pattern through someone's blog and I would feel amazed if even just one person used one of my patterns. I'll start with a tea cosy I designed for a friend's birthday last week. I would also like to type up the pattern for a bag I made in July but I'm not sure if I wrote it down anywhere.

Anyway, a belated happy blogiversary to myself and anyone else out there!

Back so soon!

I'm making the most of an evening to myself even though I really should get to bed early. I usually find that blogging seems like a waste of an evening's knitting but tonight I am at a bit of a loose end with the knitting. I have started way too many things and can't seem to finish any of them off. Spending time on the computer is a way of ensuring I don't go and start another project off on a complete whim.

I have started a new blog which I am calling my gallery. It's just a bit of a trial and at the moment seems to be just repeating information I have put on Ravelry. I think the logical, ordered side of me feels the need to display my knitted projects in some sort of sensible way. It is counteracting the chaotic side of my knitting which is a million items on the needles, a million more ideas in my head and a knitting basket that is getting stupidly out of control! It is good to see that I have completed 20 projects this year though. I have a bit of backtracking to do but I'll try and keep it up to date (I will try).

For some unknown reason I am having a knitted toy craving this month. I used to knit toys all the time - in fact I only knitted toys. It is only very recently that I got into knitting other stuff at all. Anyway, I have been digging my Jean Greenhowe books out again and browsing through them. I was bought Little Dumpling Dolls (the village men) for Christmas but haven't knitted any of them yet. I have just learnt on Ravelry that this pattern is out of print and pretty difficult to come by so I really fancy knitting one of these cute little men. I also treated myself to Part 1 (the village ladies) yesterday. I want to knit them all but I'm not sure who to start with. I'm also not entirely sure what I would do with them once they were finished.

Well, that's it for today (and maybe for the rest of the month, who knows?!). Let's hope that's it for rain this month too but I doubt it very much.