Back to Blogging

It hasn't taken quite as long as last time to post again, just over a month, but in my defence I was on holiday for 2 weeks during that time. I was in Corralejo, Fuerteventura getting prickly heat instead of a tan, oh well maybe I'm just destined to be "pale and interesting" forever. I'm really annoyed though, people always used to tell me I'd grow out of it, but I'm 24 and I still get prickly heat.



I made a summer skirt before I want on holiday, before I posted last actually, but to be honest with you I couldn't be arsed to take a photograph. I got a chance to ware it while I was on holiday, though I had to careful because Fuerteventura is quite a breezy island and it's quite a full skirt, it nearly ended up around my ears a few times. I don't have a photo of me wearing the skirt in sunny Corralejo, but I do have one that I took the other night, which is better than nothing.




Right now I'm working on a crochet bag for myself. I'm not following a pattern as such, though I am using a Essential Crochet pattern as a guide. I've been finding it quite difficult to concentrate on things that I'm making for myself lately, I haven't picked up the bag for days. If I'm making something for anyone else I'm more disciplined and I'll get of my lazy arse and pick up my needles or hook and crack on with whatever I'm making, but at the moment I would rather go on the internet and play games or look at random photos.
I've go a few months though before I need the bag, so hopefully my crafty slump will have ended well before then.
There really isn't much point in showing you a photo of the bag so far 'cause it's just a white rectangle at the moment, so I'll show you a photo of the latest pair of socks. I started them while I was on holiday, but it wasn't until I'd nearly finished the ankle part of the sock that I noticed how narrow it looked and realized that I couldn't get the sock over my heel. So that has been temporarily abandoned.

2006, Bad Year For Bloging, Good Year For Crafts!

I know it's bit far into February be referring to the new year, but I've been really lazy when it comes to updating my blog over the last few months, so I'm going to try to bring you up the date.

First of all I have 6 new books, Knitting on the Road, Scarf Style, Essential Crochet, One Skein, Happy Hooker and Spin to Knit - Spin to Knit was a Christmas present from my sister.



Speaking of Christmas presents, my parents got me a Boye Needlemaster



Are they not the most beautiful coloured knitting needles you've ever seen? There is only one thing about my Needlemaster I don't like, the case the needles are in. With all the lovely coloured needles in the Needlemaster you would think that they would have continued the colourful theme, but I'm afraid not, what colour did they chose, shitty brown. I mean black would have been better then dysentery beige. I might see if I can cover it somehow or make a whole new case.



I'd been trying to think of a way of keeping my double pointed needles together, all I could think of was cigar holders, and the ones I saw on the internet were like £8 or something. One day my mum presented me with a toothbrush case. They are the perfect length for DPN's, there is also enough room for a pencil and the best bit is that they are only 50pence.



Now onto the knitting. I've made 5 pairs of socks in the last few months, but I only have a photo of 2 of them.
1st. These are what I made for my mum, with a pattern form Knitting on the Road.



2nd. Jaywalker socks for my sisters friend Faye.



Most of socks I made were for Christmas presents. My sister asked me if I'd make some for her friends Faye and Jonathan again, I also made a pair for my auntie and my nana.

And finally I've made 2 little crochet bears, photographed next to a CD to give an idea of the size.



I found the pattern onCrochetville. The bear in the original pattern was about 7 1/2 inchs high, but I used a smaller hook and crochet cotton for the white bear and random bits of pink & cream embroidery silks for the pink one.

Branching Out

I know I haven't posted for ages, but I've still been knitting, as well as sewing. So I'm going to try and bring you up to date.

First off here is a photo of my finished Nicole from Rowan mag no. 39.


nicole pattern rowan mag#39 

I had to rip the stitch pattern out on the back a few times, but once I got the hang of it, it came out really well. It took a while to find the buttons, but I'm glad I kept looking, I think it finishes it off well.

For some reason I've been making a lot of bags lately, previously not being that much of a bag person.


abyssus nauta(hello sailor) bag 


ribbon bag 

The basic bag pattern came from Stitch n' Bitch Handbook, then I just added the ribbons.

My mum used to make clothes for my sister and I when we were little, so when I decided to give something a bit more complicated a whirl I asked for her help. I'd been looking around that shop for a summer dress but I didn't see one that I liked, so I came the the conclusion that is what I should make. I found a pattern and fabric at a shop in Leeds and, with the help of my mum, I got to work.


summer dress 
It's a Simplicity design from the New Lookrange.

It actually worked out a lot better than I expected. The body side seams and the skirt side seams don't quite match up, but I don't think it's too bad for my first item of clothing. I had to cut about 5in of the bottom so that I didn't look like I was standing in a hole, but on the hole I'm really pleased with the result.

It was my birthday at the end of May, and for my birthday my parents got me Kit in a Tin. It's made with Rowan Holiday and Summer Tweed, I don't know if you've seen rowan holiday, but it's quite a weird yarn to knit with.

knit tin bag 

I decided to condence my photos with Mosaic Maker so that the post isn't really long, but if you want see a bigger photo of the things I finished you can look in my Flickr Gallery.

Sorry

It's been so long since I've blogged that I'm having trouble remembering what I've done since I last wrote.

I had 2 knitting projects on the go last time I posted. I've finished the After Bertha Socks that I was making for my sister, I used Opal Uni 4ply leftover from the socks that I made her last year, so again she mismatched socks.



Pattern After Bertha from Socks, Socks, Socks.
Yarn Opal Uni 4ply.

And I've very nearly finished Nichole. Not before I ripped out the patter detail a few times though. There are lost of yarn forwards and lifting stitches over other stitches in the pattern, not to mention that you are decreasing at 1 st at each edge at the same time, I got so sick of counting stitches to make sure that I hadn't lost any when I shouldn't have!


nicole front 

Since I took that photo I've sewn the sides together. I just need to sew the straps to the back and find 4 buttons for the front, so far I haven't seen any that I like, but there are one or two more shops I can try.

I'll post again soon with my current projects, knitting and sewing - I'm diversifying :D

Do you remember...

this?


first fingerless glove 

Well the second glove hasn't been in the bottom of my knitting bag waiting to be finished, it's been in my coat pocket along with the other one where they're used every time I go out.


finished pair of fingerless gloves 

I finished them before Christmas, but I put them straight into my coat pockets and kept forgetting to get them out to take a photo of them.
If you would like to make these fabulous fingerless glove you can find the pattern on Kimberlys Blog

Since coming back from holiday I've been feeling crafty again. I've finished my After Bertha socks made with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn.


finished After Bertha socks 

I've made a row counter bracelet. I first saw row counter bracelets on a Australian web site called The Wool Shack and thought they were a bit expensive, then a few months agoKimberly put a photo of one that she had made herself on her blog. So I was inspired to have a go at making one.


my row counter bracelet 

As for things that I'm making at the moment I have 2 projects. Project 1, more socks for my sister. She liked my After Bertha socks and asked if I would make her some, I still had some Opal socks yarn left from the other socks that I made her so that's what I'm using.


project 1 

Project 2 is Nicole from Rowan Magazine #39


project 2 

There isn't much I can say about it at the moment. I think the fun will really start when it comes to shaping the neck!


nicole vest top so far  

Holiday Snaps

I got back from my holiday in Gran Canaria last Monday, I had a really nice time, Gran Canaria is beautiful and I will definitely go back again.
I thought I'd share some of my holiday with you.


view from the bungalow where I stayed. 


I saw a few different types of lizard, but this was the only photo I took. 


mountains seen from maspalomas. 


view over maspalomas 


I can't remember where this church is, but although it looks really old it was only actually finished about 20 years ago.  


this was taken on a day trip through the mountains  


also taken on day trip through the mountains