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Category: Little one

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

Let’s get the sad news over with first.

My wool count. I screwed it up royally about two and a bit months back and only just realised. I typed out this post, went to do the wool count, looked at the numbers and thought ‘wait a minute…’

Yeah…a number of weeks ago I was given 80 balls of wool from Engel’s grandma, well, I forgot to add that to the overall count. I also, on two occasions afterwards, mucked up the number of balls used and the number of balls bought.

So what does this mean? It means the rather proud achievement of getting my wool stash below 600 (566 to be exact) was wrong. Very wrong. I have 639.

I was off by 73 balls of wool. I could actually cry. Especially as I got wool this week as a little pat on my back for doing so well…

Sigh…I’ve gone back and fixed the totals in my blog, and changed some of the content to accurately reflect the numbers…

The despair part of this post aside, I did manage a fair bit of knitting this week, even taking into account a small family holiday to see the Blackpool Illuminations! My small project turned into a larger for two reasons.

Reason 1: I wound up knitting two:

(Pattern is Little Miss Widow by Anna Hrachovec from her book ‘Super-Scary Mochimochi’. There’s so many awesome patterns in that book…)

Reason 2: The hairband was liked so much I wound up knitting a further three.

The reasoning for this was Felix wanted the spider one, so I agreed, and it actually stayed in, so I knit two in her school colours – bottle green and lemon yellow. The childminder she visits liked them so much she asked if she too could have one. So another spider was knit and a more sensible one also, in red, which Felix says is her favourite colour…

So my quick little project took much longer than I planned and my big project has barely been touched.

Oh well. I have another little project (actually, three) which I will start Monday alongside my big project.

Hopefully this time I won’t be side tracked!

Wool count

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 125 (0 this post, only used parts of balls of wool)
Wool bought – 49 (7 from my Blackpool trip, at least I was good and resisted all the 10 packs of wool…)
Wool given – 135
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 646 (Getting dangerously near that starting total again)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

It was Felix’s fourth birthday on Thursday, and subsequently we had a party for her, her friends and school friends.

At her request, we had an Octonauts themed party – pin the eyepatch on Kwazii, Octonaut skittles, paper plate whales, Octonaut colouring sheets…there was also decorating cupcakes but how does this relate to knitting?

Because of the best game ever!

Feed the Shark!

As well as the party bags that get handed out, I’m putting together a ‘Feed the Shark’ game where kids toss fish into a cardboard cutout sharks mouth. For completing this Octonaut Mission, they got to pick a fish and put it in their party bag.

I used the free pattern: Fishies by Jackie Ziegler, and had over sixty for the party! Took a photo of what was left afterwards, as well as the rather beat up shark – clearly he’s suffering from indigestion! (It was the selfies at the I end with the kids putting their heads through the mouth that did it really!) It was also the most popular game at the party, so mission success!

Wool count

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 117 (2 since last post!)
Wool bought – 42 (5 since last post – needed Gyrados blue, came in packs of five, honest!)
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 647

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Patterns 1 Comment

Just back from a week long family holiday in Wales, there were steam engines, beaches, swimming, fishing, arts and crafts, shows, feeding (and attempted catching) of ducks interspersed with eating and sleeping.  However a distinct lack of cats…

I could do with a holiday from my holiday!

But between all that, snatched in quiet moments, I managed to not just complete a project, but actually design one! So without further ado, my Pusheen the Cat Scarf pattern!

You can find the pattern in the free patterns section or click on the link above.

The reason behind this one is that my neice adores Pusheen and I wanted to make a little something for her Christmas. Also scarves are always a good choice in Scotland! Next up: A gyrados scarf for my nephew!

Busy busy!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 115 (6 since last post!)
Wool bought – 37 (4 since last post – Felix wanted me to get a souvenir from Wales!)
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 644

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 2 Comments

How very Halloween sounding is that blog post title?

Anyhow…

Last post I said I wanted to knit something that wasn’t food or caterpillar related, perhaps a ‘cute Halloween knit, Christmas presents, a little something for me, or a little something for Felix or Inkling…?’

Decided to first of all combine Halloween knit with an Inkling knit and a practical one too!

It’s a bat pacifier clip. Or dummy clip. I actually made two.

I crossed two free patterns together to make these, first of all Corrente com Lagarta (Pacifier Clip with a Caterpillar) by Mamã Martinho (for the idea mostly, but the chain too) and Bat Knitting Pattern by Linda Dawkins. I’ve used this pattern before for the wings of my flying eyeballs, which, are still hanging up two years on from that post…

The other thing I’ve finished this week is also kind of Halloween in a sense, and for Felix, and again another practical knit.

They are seat belt cosies as Felix has moved on to using a seat belt now! (She’s grown so fast!) Again, another free pattern – Seat belt snuggles by Chris Behme – and again, I made two, one for my car and one for her Yeah-Yeahs car. Here’s a close up of those adorable buttons!

As a slight aside, when asked what colour she wanted it, she responded with ‘any colour so long as it’s green’

How very Henry Ford!

I’ve got a few more projects on the go at the moment, all of them good stash busters, but more on those when they’re finished.

Wool count:

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 109 (11 since last post!)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 646 (Finally less than my starting total! Again…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Patterns 1 Comment

It’s the end of an era! Ok, not quite, but I have been working on the Hungry Caterpillar project since the end of June, that’s two and a half months!

For someone used to not really spending more than a week on something, that’s a very, very long time.

But without further ado:

That there, is all three sets laid out. Even I have to admit it’s pretty impressive when you see it like that. You will also notice that there are cocoons in that photo!

Like the salami, I couldn’t find a pattern in my books or online, so I made one. You can find it in the free patterns page or just click here!

And now onto something completely different.

But what? Nothing to do with the metamorphosis of a caterpillar, or any form of food item that’s for sure.

Hmm…

Cute Halloween knit, Christmas presents, a little something for me, or a little something for Felix or Inkling…?

Wool count:

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 98 (9 since last post!)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 657

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Uncategorized 1 Comment

So, let’s show off the only thing I have to show this week: Butterflies!

For these guys, I used the free pattern: Metamorphosis part II – the Butterfly by ChemKnits. You’ll notice that each of these, unlike the other Hungry Caterpillar set items, are all different. I had three different wools I could use for the wings, so decided to make one butterfly per different wool. (I couldn’t decide basically). Then did body colour to match. My favourite is the left one, though Engel likes the one on the right! Felix settled on the middle one as it was the first one to be made.

I’m currently working on the cocoon, though I’m having to make up my own pattern for this one, if it turns out well I’ll post it online. Hopefully it will at least meet the demands set by my three (four in just over three weeks!) year old gremlin…

That’s all for now, there’s a cold going through the house so I’m going to make lemon tea and curl up in a blanket nest and relish the few hours of quiet I have before bed…

Wool count:

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 89 (9 since last post!)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 666 (Mwahahah!!!!!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Cats, Gaming, Knitting, Little one 3 Comments

Hi all! Been enjoying my bank holiday weekend by doing more birthday stuff! Meeting up with some friends and gaming with other friends as well, even managed to sneak in a trip to my LYS and found a ball of wool that was whispering…just one! And once I get through my queue of knits I know exactly what it’s going to be!

Now if only I could say the same for the rest of the wool I have…

On that note, on to my finished knitting! Still ploughing on with the Hungry Caterpillar sets, and this week I have made:

Muffins! Ok, they’re really actually a modified version of the free pattern: Divine Cupcakes by Maiya Becker – I worked K2P2 rib on the cake bottom to make the cupcake wrapper (increasing an extra two sts in the base to do so) then doubled the number of knit rows called for in the frosting to make it taller.

Oddly enough, I really wanted to make these so was glad to finally get them on the needles! I worked the free pattern: knitted watermelon by Elaine Simper double stranded to give a more textured/mottled appearance particularly in the watermelon flesh.

Oops, appears Ziggy decided to photobomb me here! (Actually that reminds me of an amusing fact, one of the reasons we got Ziggy was Engel wanted a boy kitty. Took Ziggy to the vets to be vaccinated and the vet rather worriedly informed me, in a hushed voice so Felix wouldn’t overhear, that she was very sorry but he was a she. I couldn’t stop laughing for nearly 20 minutes…)

Anyhow.

And on Sunday he ate through a nice big leaf. Again, double stranded for more colour variation and I used the free cloth pattern: Leaf Cloth Trio by Theresa L. Jones, I used Leaf 3 as I like that it both curved and had veins.

When I was working on the leaves, Felix asked me yet again to knit the caterpillar egg from the beginning of the book, to which it responded that no, it would be so small it would be lost instantly. She then countered my argument by stating the egg could be sewn onto its own little leaf, then it won’t get lost.

I worry that she’s out smarting me and she’s not even four. Not that it’s difficult to do that, but still.

So without further ado:

A little egg on a little leaf. The leaf is made using yet another free pattern: Woodland Wreath, Leaves by Frankie Brown. The egg is simply a little bobble I knitted up and sewn on afterwards.

Alright, that’s enough typing for now, I have butterflies, cocoons and fish to get knitting.

Wool count:

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 80 (7 since last post)
Wool bought – 34
Wool given – 131
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 675

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Heh, I’ve been reading way too many nursery rhymes…

Let me explain the reason for this particular blog post. I don’t know when it started exactly, but somewhere between me finishing primary school and Felix starting (ok, she’s at nursery school, but close enough! She wears a wee uniform and everything!) it’s become a thing to give teachers presents on the last day of school.

Rather than the shops recommended chocolates or tat, I opted to knit them little something’s instead because…well, it’s what I do!

So, the owl first:

Pattern used is Oisin owl by Pauline Gallagher. When Felix first started she kept insisting one of her teachers was ‘Mrs Owl’. For months we heard about Mrs Owl and, come parents evening, we discovered that Mrs Owl was actually Mrs Powell.

Couldn’t resist making her an owl though.

And the caterpillar?

I’m on a roll with these guys…once again, the pattern used is the free pattern Caterpillar by Kimberly Chapman, with the same modifications mentioned in my previous post.

You’ll also note this caterpillar is wearing a scarf. This is because it’s for Mrs Scarf. And no, that is her actual name, though we did initially think Felix must have misheard that one too! A bit more effort was put into this one as she’s recently announced she’s pregnant, and well, it’ll be cute for her little one to be.

Right, back to knitting food for –

Oh wait, other things to be knit!

A FOURTH meret hat (free pattern Meret (Mystery Beret) by Woolly Wormhead) as my mum decided to steal the one meant for my aunt, so I whipped up another one for my aunt. Plain black this time, but it’s an angora/silk/wool blend so oh so snuggly…

Anyhow, as my mum stole the other hat, she cheekily asked for matching armwarmers (she does work in a playground which is a wind tunnel, in Scotland, so I can’t begrudge her too much as the stolen hat was way warmer than the others…)

Free pattern Camp Out Fingerless Mitts by tante ehm, I’ve made them before for mum and as she likes and wears though, went for the same pattern again. Was playing yarn chicken, hence the stripes!

Right, now back to knitting all that food!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 63 (3 since last post)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 49
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 610

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

I bought Felix ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ as a ‘congratulations on being a big sister’ present when Inkling was born, after she had watched the short film adaption on Netflix. I was surprised that we didn’t already have a  a copy as I’m a lover of books and have been actively trying to pass that love on.

Once bought and given, I thought it’d be nice for her to have a knitted set to go with the book, but she’ll be earning each bit for being good as opposed to it being more presents.

And on that train of thought, picked up another two books as gifts and plan to make knitted sets for those as well…cause why not?

Because I’m insane more like…

First of all, the Hungry Caterpillar!

This guy is based on the free pattern Caterpillar by Kimberly Chapman. I knitted bobbles for the feet into the body rather than later adding i-cord legs.

I even managed to get the apples done too this week!

I used the free pattern Apple Knitting Pattern by Linda Dawkins for these!

And on other knitting news (lots to show this week!) I discovered my tribble problem wasn’t under control after all…

A pink mutant varient was discovered lurking under the kitchen sink, all five have been captured, sterilised and sent off for further study… (MIL was rather taken with the captured blue ones I had, so felt it best to let her have these pink ones) Free pattern – Tribble by Abigail – 1870pearl.

Wool count!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 60 (1 since last post – lots of knitting but not many whole balls used.)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 49
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 613

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

Let’s start with a story. Every time we go into Manchester, Engel likes to check out the gaming shop (so do I for Call of Cthulhu RPG expansions) and if Felix is good, she gets a dice for her dice bag.

For some time, Felix has called this shop “The Tentacle Shop” as it has a plushie tentacle. A month or so ago we went and, horror of all horrors, the tentacle was gone. Even though it wasn’t for sale, it had been sold (some people are very pushy) and Felix was devastated.

Felix informed us (and the shop) that there would be tentacles – she was going to make some and so was mummy. I shrugged it off (my to knit list is ridiculous right now). She did indeed make a tentacle herself out of paper mâché and pompoms and was very pleased and I figured that was that.

Then, the day before Free RPG day, she asked me where the knitted one was as she wanted to take it to the tentacle shop and give them it as it can’t be the tentacle shop without one.

Cue mad panic cast on, and with an hour to spare:

Its based on the free pattern Gripping by Hunter Hammersen, I added little bobbles for the suckers.

The tentacle was given to the tentacle shop, Felix got her dice, we got free RPGs, everyone was happy.

Then Felix asked where her tentacles where.

Sigh.

But I have had fun with them…

Maybe a bit too much!

Wool count!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 59 (3 since last post – lots of partial balls used)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 49
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 614

 

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