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Category: Little one

by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Uncategorized 2 Comments

That describes my whole week.

It’s been a very intensive training course, Felix has decided to hit the terrible twos a few months early this week and with Engel out of action after nearly cutting his finger off with an axe…

Yeah, its just been nonstop just to keep on top of things. I have however managed some knitting!

First up, a project I actually finished over a week ago, some Marvel themed cushions!

It was a good friends birthday the other week, and she’s a huge Hawkeye fan – hence the purple arrow (his logo) and she’s also a fan of his ‘sniper bro’the Winter Soldier – hence the red star. (The star motif is from Star Pillow by Jennifer Stafford in her book DomiKNITrix, the arrow I just winged)

I actually had far too much fun making these, and have penciled designs for a whole range of other characters, but I doubt I’ll ever get time/reason to make them!

Though a Deadpool cushion would be awesome…

Anyhow! On to more knitting, and part of the reasons Felix has been difficult this week. Recently, she has become obsessed with ducks (we feed our local ones every weekend) and wanted to take one of her ‘duckies’ to bed. Her choice was a wooden one, fair enough, I thought it was solid but turned out it wasn’t. Thankfully it broke when I was handling it!

So, I cast on An Emergency Duck.

Free Pattern by Frankie Brown.

It goes with her everywhere, and usually it gets ‘fed’ not cooked! At least she knows where roast duck comes from…

On, and its ‘Mummy made duck’ not just ‘duck’. I give it week before she shortens it entirely…

Her other tantrum trigger? Clangers.

She demands a cuddle on the sofa whilst watching them, or else an episode in bed with her milk (usually on Engels phone) and if she doesn’t get her way…

It’s weird though, during the day, she’s rather watch the Octonauts, but before bed? It is relaxing mind…

Anyhow! It’s taken all week (as a certain little Felix keeps stealing the in progress body for bedtime cuddles, and tonight, wanted to dress Tiny herself so I couldn’t sew the armour…) But here’s my first ever Clanger!

(Psst, its a free pattern on the BBC website!) I’m actually rather proud, which is unusual for me, but seeing as Felix has told me she wants ‘Clangers all! Me! Mummy make all Clangers!’ I’d best get started on the next one…

Last but not least, the wool count: This week I found ten more balls of wool hiding in the conservatory (to be fair, it was hiding in some fabric) and I’ve managed to use four balls. I’ve caught up in height with the blanket, but seeing as its a third the width, I’ve not used the equivalent in wool yet. But its my zombie knitting, so it wont be too much longer!

Wool Count down:
Starting total (28Feb15) – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 20 balls (so far)
Wool used – 58
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 3

Total – 715

 

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting, Little one 2 Comments

Its been one of those weeks knit wise. Everything I’ve tried to knit just hasn’t worked.

I used needles to big on a cuddly toy and had to frog it. Reknitting on smaller ones (photo to come when finished)

And there was a tiny gauge issue.

Ok, a big one.

Alright, alright, an enormous one!

Engel wanted a light blanket (seeing as all mine tend to be garter stitch and wool held double for extra coziness, none where suitable for the task of a light summer blanket) so I had a look on Ravelry, spotted a mesh type pattern that would be suitable, grabbed my biggest circular needles (8mm) and cast on as many stitches as could fit the 20cm cable.

Previously I’d cast on 10, did a few rows and reckoned I’d need 350ish stitches…which was what I had roughly on the needles.

I knit an inch, and it was hard going the stitches were so tight together, but hey, it was looking good size wise.

I knit another inch. It was looking quite roomy.

I knit another inch. The stitches were really opening up now, and it was getting bigger.

I knit another inch, looked at the mass of wool (6 balls worth for 4 inches here) and decided to pull it off the needles and compare to an actual blanket.

Yeah…

It could go from the foot of the bed to the head, then back to the foot, then back to the head…

I did realise I only needed 106 stitches for a rather roomy double however.

So frogged the lot, took a good hour winding the wool back up and I’ve cast it back on. I’m only at two inches and barely any wool used…

In fact, because of the fiasco, not a single ball of wool this week has been finished.

Sigh.

But in other news, my cthuhlu campaign has gone absolutely crazy, and its brilliant, but I’m only just keeping the whole thing reigned together. Felix is learning and growing scarily fast, we’re getting to her stringing words together into almost sentences. Lastly, Engel had an accident with his finger and an axe. Its still attached, but he’s chipped the bone, it needs the nail removed and then the flesh drained.

And he wonders why I’m so stressed!

Enough of such things, lets distract you readers with a few knitted goodies from the archives that aren’t on the blog yet!

Today: Roly Poly Kitties!

Its a free online pattern by Karen Null, and its adorable, quick, and great for scraps!

Till next week.

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

This May bank holiday I was at the Chestnut Centre – its an otter and owl sanctuary, and since the weather looked promising, I figured it would be a nice little family day out.

I think I should take a moment to explain. I hate water. Nearly drowned when I was 15, yadda, yadda, the stuff gives me the creeps. Especially big open expanses of it. When myself and Engel had Felix I wanted to make sure she didn’t have that same phobia, so to the pool she went when she was but a tiny thing.

Her response to water? Roll onto back, cuddle a rubber duckie/ball and kick with the back legs, grinning manically.

So we nick named her ‘Ottah’, as that’s what she made us think of.

Subsequently, I kept saying when she was old enough to not need a pram, we’d go to the otter sanctuary and she can see her namesakes in action.

She loved it. Otters go squeak. Owls go hoot. She can outrace her mum on the uphill and her dad on the downhill. Everything’s awesome.

Though she did have a tantrum at the gift shop on the way out – she ran right past all the mountains of cuddly toys, and dove into the books, demanding about six of them…she already owns five of the ones she wanted! So when we got home I read ‘The Otter that Loved to hold hands’ to her then promptly cast one on the needles.

One adorable Otter. Its one of the Patons wildlife collection. It goes to bed with her. And I had to do owls too.

The infamous Owl Puff pattern – its free on Ravelry. Oh, and because I’m sure someone must be wondering what knitted thing I photograph all the toys on:

The also infamous, ten stitch blanket. Also free on Ravelry.

Hope you all had a good bank holiday too!

Oh, wool update, three used this week! And of the two I bought last week, yep, Sods Law, only needed one in the end.

Wool Count down:
Starting total (28Feb15) – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 10 balls (so far)
Wool used – 36 (Yeah!)
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 3

Total – 725

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one No Comments

For the Age of Ultron movie to be released, I went and knit for me:

Phil Pawson!

Ok, its Phil Coulson from The Avengers and Agents of Shield.

But as a cat!

And here he is hanging with his boss, Nick Furry!

Second kitty from that T-shirt of Engels, and not only does he think they’re awesome, Felix is having a ball with them as well. They happen to be the perfect size and weight for her to launch across the room…

Nothing to report really since yesterday – the weather here has been lovely, so I took Felix to feed the ducks. Actually, I have a story to tell about that.

Felix: Duck! Duck!

Me: Yes, ducks! Lots of ducks!

Felix: Nom Nom!

Me: Yes, you’re feeding the ducks, the ducks are going nom nom.

Felix: No! Ducks Nom Nom. Ducks Yum Yum!

Shes definitely mine and Engels daughter.

Enough cute kiddy stories, wool count! Managed to use one ball today so…

Wool Count down:
Starting total (28Feb15) – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 10 balls (so far)
Wool used – 32 (Yeah!)
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 1

Total – 729

Check in tomorrow and see who gets made on the third day of waiting!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Patterns 2 Comments

In knitting terms, its Easter – always have to start these things early!

So, what have I been making for Easter?

Cute, aren’t they? Also, super simple. Its a free online pattern by Lebinslustiger.

Essentially you knit a square, do some crafty sewing, add a pom pom and voila! Adorable bunny! I’ve knitted a bunch of squares and taken them to work, asking if people want a knitted Easter bunny, with a little twist – they do the sewing themselves.

It worries me how many people simply go ‘I cant do that’ and honestly believe they cant. Ok, only one of the ‘bunnies’ made at work looks like mine above, but they do all look like rabbits!

Slightly misshapen, lumpy rabbits, but rabbits!

Have a few more (hilarious) lunches to go and see how many more people I can convince to try…

My other Easter like knit?

This cutie. Another free pattern, this one by LionBrand.

Felix got an Ikea barnyard with animals. Its adorable, but it didn’t have a sheep! I couldn’t have that, so this little guy is now with the rest of her set. Hmm. What other animals should she have?

This week I used just the one ball, I’ve been distracted sewing bunnies. I was also kindly given three balls! I love getting wool as a gift, especially when its random, ‘saw this and thought of you’ gifts. Full wool count summary below!

Wool Count down:
Starting total (28Feb15) – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 10 balls (so far)
Wool used – 24 (Yeah!)
Wool given – 3
Total – 736

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Patterns No Comments

Anyone remember this? Was my header for the very first incarnation of the foxymitts website, when it was on blogspot nearly nine years ago!

Was beginning the painfully slow process of updating my Ravelry account, and procrastinated by browsing through the old project photos and found this one. Realised I’d never posted the pattern online before either!

So thats been rectified – you can find it in the free patterns section!

Onto other news, how did I use so much wool last week? By knitting these:

Pom Pom cuddle blanket

Its a Free Ravelry Download by Lindsay Oliver. Its super sweet and super quick! Which is good, as I made two. Then two half versions (so triangles) as impromptu gifts. Well received ones mind!

Just a short post today, Felix is trying to shove an Octonaut into my ear as I type!

Oh, wool count, 737 is now 734!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Patterns 2 Comments

Tunip!

Or perhaps, my life has been taken over by the Octonauts?

As you may have guessed from that line alone, Felix has taken to watching (and demanding) the Octonauts whenever we put on the TV for her – though she does this by pointing and declaring ‘Oct-Octs!’ Though she did manage ‘Octagon!’ the other day…

Anyhow! I digress. Watching her play with her little plastic Octonaut toys (blame Engel, he’s obsessed as she is) and I realized that she needed a cuddly version of them. Some pattern hunting later and I turned up no knitting patterns, so I made my own!

Well, started with Tunip, may make more if this proves popular with her. Either the rest of the Vegimals or the Octonaut crew…

Go ahead and have a look, make some yourselves and put them on Ravelry and let me watch the vegimal army grow!

I think I may need some sleep now…

Lastly, apologies for the camera phone photo, I still haven’t found that camera yet. Sigh.

Oh, and wool update! Since Feb 28 I have used 5 balls of wool. I also found 10 hiding away. So grand total is…752!

I feel cheated – all that hard knitting and its gone up by five!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Cats, Knitting, Little one No Comments

Hours in the day.

Days in the week.

Weeks in a year…

I’ve been busy. Really busy. Visiting the family up north for a whole month, going further up north for a holiday for two weeks, trying to get going back to work organised, childcare for Felix, little pile of projects, unpacking my house some more, building furniture and ripping out bits of the house (Engel with a crowbar and brute force) destroying the things I’m allergic to in the garden (Engel with a shovel, hedge trimmer and brute force) and much much more that I wont go into detail about.

Instead, completed projects!

Wa na na na na na na na Bat Shawl! Free pattern by Emilee Mooney

Not a great photo but the best I could do sadly to highlight the pattern. Free pattern can be found here.

I wanted to make something for me as I couldn’t remember the last time I had done so, and I wanted a nice little black shawl for the few occasions I wear dresses. But it had to be a little fun, a little quirky. Solution? Make one!

Spiderman-blanket, free pattern by AnneM

As you can see, I did a spiderweb as opposed to a spiderman colour theme, and lovingly modelled with Sabrina. Free pattern can be found here. Cutting a long story short, Engel was driving me mad getting his lego all over the floor ad under the sofa, so I decided enough was enough and made him a solution.

Its essentially a large circular bit of knitted fabric with a drawstring all the way round the edge (finished with cute spiders I add) so when he’s done playing with lego, I can just pull the drawstrings and voila! A sack of lego! The fabric also helps stop the pieces skittering across the laminate flooring.

Engel denies this though and claims that it was actually Felix and her toys that made me do it. But we all know the truth, don’t we?

And last but not least!

Itsy Bitsy Spider, pattern by Lara Breese

Too cute, are’t they? Pattern is free but only available as a ravelry download here. The one in the middle is one of two knitted fr the spiderweb blankets drawstrings. The other two are knitted from scrap wool I had kicking about after I noticed how much Felix really loved playing with them. And I wanted to knit more of them.

Still do. There may be an army of these guys…

Anyhow! Hopefully the next post wont be as long a wait as this one was!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one No Comments

Seriously, I blinked and its February…

Been a busy few weeks – Rabbie Burns day, Australia Day, Chinese New year, and that’s only the official days! There’s been learning baby massage (I was sceptical at first, but I’m converted now) finally addressing my silly little rather irritating fear of water by going swimming (I ache all over, panicked twice, floundered a few times and got water up my nose, but I didn’t die!) and soon I’ll be taking little Felix to a baby swim group so she wont get my phobia, hopefully.

Or I may get Engel to go instead and watch from the side lines with a thermos flask of hot chocolate and some cake…lets see how brave I can be in that regard.

I realised that its been over 10 years since I nearly drowned, and I haven’t swam since then – oh, I’ve put my feet (and even my whole body) in the water to show I was brave and willing, but swim? Ha! Though I did go diving with sharks 7 years ago, but I think |I only coped with that because a) there were sharks! and b) there was a trained instructor with me at all times and c) I can breathe through those masks, oh and d) no way was I going to let Rabbie have all the fun without me!

Did I mention the sharks? So cute! Especially Tinkerbell, the 10ft Great White…

But enough about me! Lets get to the knitting. This update theres mostly been an awful lot of boring sock knitting (about 8 pairs of men socks for Engel – the feet on those are never ending!) a toy hammock which I need to get an action photo of (see next post I think for that) and this:

Drop bear using the Mother Koala pattern by Kath Dalmeny from World of Knitted Toys

Drop bear using the Mother Koala pattern by Kath Dalmeny from World of Knitted Toys

Its cute, isn’t it? I made this for my boss whom I joined in the celebrations of Australia Day with.

Its a drop bear, which are commonly said to be unusually large, vicious, carnivorous marsupials related to koalas that inhabit treetops and attack their prey by dropping onto their heads from above.

Various methods suggested to deter drop bear attacks include placing forks in the hair, having Vegemite or toothpaste spread behind the ears or in the armpits, urinating on yourself, and only speaking English in an Australian accent.

To the right of the cuddly critter is some home made lamingtons that she made, as was as sugar free anzac biscuits for Engel. Both are very delicious traditional Australian desserts, and tasty ones too…

I’ll try and not leave it so long until the next update – hopefully the month of February wont up and vanish on me like January did…

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Cats, Knitting, Little one, Updates 1 Comment

…coming to you from under a blanket…

First things first, photos of all the holiday knitting I’ve been keeping secret.

Haughty Hen Trio from Knit & Purl Pets by Claire Garland

This is for my niece, a miniature version of her very own pet chicken!

Holy Hand Grenade, free pattern by Wylde Strandes

And this is for a good Monty Python loving friend of the family! Pattern is a ravelry download that can be found here.

For those not in the know, its featured in the movie ‘The Holy Grail’.

And lastly, advent stockings!

Little Christmas stocking for beginners, free pattern by Fluff and Fuzz

Never. Ever. Again. Ever. That’s five sets of twenty four stockings, that’s a hundred and twenty stockings! I was dreaming of knitting these things! For anyone out there mad enough to attempt their own, the pattern can be found here. From the top, red, white and purple for my niece. Green, white and blue for my nephew. Dark red and sparkly white for my mum. Black and grey for Engel. Red, green and white for me.

Sadly, the hardest part wasn’t the knitting or sewing, but assembling it together. Here is a photo of me trying to do so:

Crumble supervising to ensure all is done properly

Wool everywhere, stockings everywhere, cat trying to ‘help’…the moment I gave her a sacrificial extra stocking, she lost interest and decided to go play with her catnip mouse instead…

Anyhow, a good festive season has been had so far by myself, Engel and Felix. Engel has actually been festive and put christmas music on yesterday, in the 6/7 years I’ve known him, this is a first! He blames Felix on being the christmas spirit…

How about you guys?

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