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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 4 Comments

But hey, no harm, no fowl, right?

Without any feather ado, allow me to introduce Riley.

This was knit following Parrot by Susie Johns from her book “Knitted Pets: A Collection of Playful Pets to Knit From Scratch” – although I had to grey scale the red macaw into an African grey parrot…

Nest up, I will tell you the tail of Riley. I GM Call of Cthuhlu, and I run it as an open world, sandbox type thing where players can do as they please, and eventually plot and monsters and mayhem will find them, willing or not. One of my players decided to go to an animal shelter and get a familiar.

They picked an African grey parrot.

I gave them Riley. She has more sass and character in one wing than some of my players characters have in their whole being, and despite her very distracting chatter, she was loved and hated by all.

There was just one thing missing…

Riley needed a physical body, and a character sheet, and she got both. Last session was a hoot.

I like to think that even though I am a cruel and wicked GM, that I spoil my players occasionally…

In other news, vikings is going good – I’m officially a member of the group, and even got to pick my viking name. Looking forward to getting my kirtle (thank you Rabbie! Your awesome!) and getting the chance to do some shows. They’re very happy I can use a drop spindle as not many of them can, although I will be doing more nalbinding once I spin the wool for it, and hopefully be able to start showing you some finished items that aren’t essentially coasters.

Life is still…being a lot, but it’s getting better and getting there. Just waiting for some more things to nudge into place and get sorted and hopefully my plate will be significantly less overflowing.

Till next post, stay safe.

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 34 (+5)
Wool bought – 22 (+5 it was a long day and I saw some wool just singing in a charity shop, wanting a new home…)
Wool given to me – 15
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 881 (Net difference: +1)

Still so very close…

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 2 Comments

First of all I shall start with this weekends activities – The Winter Battle of BritNerf! Fridays battle as held in a skatepark, and I’ll be honest, it was chaos. I hit it too hard, too fast, and hadn’t eaten properly because of driving all the way up to Scotland, and about half way through went all wobbly. Once I had eaten and recharged I was good to go, and 15 seconds into humans Vs zombies, I got tackled and had I been on anything other than the smooth skate ramp, I’d have been fine, but instead went down, along with the ‘zombie’ and landed hard on my left wrist.

One of my fellow team members immediately called in first aid and I had an ice pack on it in under a minute and a very thorough apology from the Zombie. After twenty minutes I realised my wrist was definitely sprained and the drive to Rabbies was rather painful.

Worse still, I couldn’t knit. The horror!

Saturday saw the main event, a close quarters combat scenario, and in this set of games in tight narrow corridors with small areas to hide and hunker down and also to snipe the ‘enemy’ – myself and Engel where in our element! Despite my sore wrist making me unable to prime any blasters (thank goodness for flywheels!) I lasted the majority of the games, and instead only had to call it quite after being literally smoked out.

Asthma and smoke bombs in confined areas, not a great combo. I missed the last two games and due to even more smoke bombs, decided not to dart sweep and instead tidied the resting/set up area.

And despite taking it easy on the wrist, no knitting on Saturday either…

Overall, a great weekend, made better by good company and my sister’s fantastic sweet treats and her adorable dog, Missy. I wouldn’t go to the effort of the four hour drive for the skate park again, despite being fun, just not quite my cup of tea, but for another close quarter game? Definitely!

I’m just doing some research into gas masks that would be suitable for nerfing in, and which I can easily purchase filters for…

In knitting news, I shipped up my holiday knits, some very boring but incredibly good stash busting dish/washcloths!

A lovely free pattern, Diagonal Knit Dishcloth by Jana Trent.

In more interesting knitting news, Engel managed to somehow sell one hat to two people. He nearly sold it to three before it was realised. What hat was it?

My dead Blinky hat! The original was a commission that fell through (hence why I now ask for half payment up front) and was never actually photographed and recorded anywhere. This is the second, and as most have probably already guessed, made following the free Knitty pattern Fish Hat [Dead or Alive?] by Thelma Egberts.

That’s enough nattering for now, I need to rub some life back into my legs following this weekends mad activity! Mine aren’t too bad, more stuff than sore, Engels though…

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 105 (0 this week)
Wool bought – 63 (I fell off the wool wagon hard this weekend, there was a few absolute bargains of wool I really like that’s being discontinued so I stocked up…33 balls…In fairness, my guilt from doing this meant I bought Engel a Hades (a very, very big Nerf blaster!))
Wool given – 163
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 665 (If I buy one more ball, it’ll be the number of the beast! Or would that be knit of the beast?)

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

A friend did us a huge favour when our oven died, by helping us get a new one that very night! There was some fun and shenanigans, and I learnt that he had a huge love of dragons, so much so he had a drawing of his own own complete with fantastic colour scheme!

So as a thank you, I decided to knit him up a dice bag with his very own dragon on it!

I took the dragon chart from Targaryen Knit Hat by Holly G Hats, (a free pattern) and combined it with another fantastic free pattern, Cthulhu Dice Bag! By A. A. Leavitt-Reynolds. Doing all the different colours to make it match the drawing was both a challenge and quite fun – it’s been some time since I’ve experimented with colourwork!

Aside from that, it’s been a busy week. My dad came to visit last weekend from Ireland, we all did the circus and saw the Blackpool illuminations, and then it’s been work, work, work.

This weekend saw next the part of cthulhu scenario where despite internal group sabotage, no one died. I need to up my game, or stop giving them special one off reroll tokens to increase their chances of survival…

Felix got to take part in the Rememberance Parade with her little Beaver Pack. Group? Collective? No idea. They didn’t let girls in the Scouts when I was a kid!

Engel informs me that it’s a Lodge.

Wikipedia informs me it’s a Colony.

I prefer Pack so let’s run with that.

As well as that there’s been play dates and knitting and the usual mayhem, as well as the added mayhem of a Nerf event next week, so Engel and his friend destroyed the living room modding Nerf guns…

Ah well, it’s worth it cause next weekend is going to be a blast! (Pun intended)

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 105 (2 used)
Wool bought – 30
Wool given – 163
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 635

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 1 Comment

At long last, the final dog has been knit! I present to you all…

I made him following the pattern Border Collie by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne from the book Best in Show: Knit your own Dog.

I really enjoyed this particular knit, not sure if it’s because it wasn’t a husky or if the pattern was simpler nicer and easier to read, but I did enjoy it.

However, I am far more looking forward to knitting something that isn’t a dog!

But what?

So many choices…

In other news, I snuck off on Thursday to have a playdate of my own with Rabbie and ‘the girls’ (which included her husband, but that’s totally fine, he knows how to talk the talk!) and had a great time running about like a lunatic at Alton Towers. I went on the new ride, Wicker Man, and for being built out of wood, it’s so very, very metal!

There’s been work, kids party’s, and after three sessions, we managed to finish off our “one shot” of Pathfinder, featuring none other than Reyth Strunmah and Calinan. He now has a very impressive battle axe. And a tiny Haggis.

Till next week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 82 (1 used)
Wool bought – 19
Wool given – 157 (2 as birthday presents!)
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 641

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 1 Comment

 Have you ever had one of those conversations with a group of friends, where everyone is being a bit silly and having a laugh, and some idea, or concept is created from the collective, that’s just so funny, bizarre or stupid that you have the urge to somehow make it real? To make it happen?

Meet Reyth Strunmah, riding Calinan.

The crazy collective idea that had to be brought to life amongst myself and my gaming friends, was of a Scottish Kobold, complete with woad, who tosses cabers from his Sporran of Holding whilst riding a corgi. (There was a side conversation about Cowboy Bebop and how Ein is my favourite character)

Let’s take a better look at that corgi, shall we?

This guy is made using the pattern Corgi by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne from their book ‘Best in Show: Knit your own Dog’.  I later winged a saddle and a set of reigns to fit him.

Now let’s have a better look at my Kobold.

This guy…well…the Kobold body is based on the pattern Bag of Troodons by Tina Barrett, from her book ‘Knitted Dinosaurs’. Then I kinda tweaked him a bit here and there, added some horns and did a whole lot of embroidery…

The kilt? That was fun. I looked at an amazingly clever free pattern – Princess Franklin Plaid Collar by Franklin Habit. Using five colours, garter stitch and a whole lot of patience, you can make something that’s fairly passible for tartan. But I wanted only a tiny piece, and as I was basing it on Black Watch tartan, just needed three colours, so I took the idea and the method and with a bit of tweaking, got myself a teeny tiny Kobold kilt.

The Sporran of Holding? That was just winged. The fluffy effect is loop stitch that I have cut and then combed the loose threads.

And there we have it: Reyth Strunmah and Calinan!

…

Yes, I am insane. No, I don’t have that much spare time, but I also don’t have a TV. Yes, my friends are also insane, they are gamers, it’s goes hand in hand.

Well, I shall leave you all at that with the wool count, and a photo I call ‘Freedom’.

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 68 (4 used)
Wool bought – 19
Wool given – 155
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 653

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting, Motorbike, Updates 2 Comments

As the title says, socks!

Socks!

Socks!!

Yeah…I went a little sock mad…I blame Rabbie. She came down for the rather soggy doggy day and the night before her visit mentioned wellies, so Felix wanted her cat welly socks.

Then Engel rubbed it in that he had cat welly socks.

So cat welly socks for me jumped the knitting queue! All of the above socks resulted from this rather rash decision I’m afraid to admit! All of them are based on the pattern I used for Engel’s cat socks – Quick Kilt Hose by Jessica Correa but I tweaked the needle sizes and stitch numbers to get a better fit.

The first pair came out a smidge small, but a perfect fit for the MIL, so I removed the cuff and off those went to her. Second pair came out purr-fect and I finally got my cat welly socks!

But I had a bit of wool left, and Rabbie has the same size of feet as me, though they’re slowly being crippled by arthritis, and she really deserved a bit of TLC and a thank you for pulling out all the stops to make the soggy doggy weekend work…

So the striped pair practically fell off the needles for her! Not that she needs real wool socks in this sudden heat…

Oh well, winter is never far off in this country!

In non knitting news, the website gallery page is finally updated so you can see my 10+ years of finished projects that were actually photographed and recorded. Engel has his new bike, and she’s a beauty, so that’s one disaster nicely squared off, and we’ve had a busy weekend with the local village festival yesterday and nerfing today. I ache, badly, but it’s my own fault for throwing myself down grassy hills and into sandy bunkers to try and pick off the other team and not get hit…

Till next week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 576

Wool used – 56 (No change…)
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 155
Wool gifted – 31

Total – 660 (No change…)

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

I’ve been playing Fallout76 lately (I know, I know, it will never compare to the glory of Fallout 3, but it’s been a nice, bumbling play, and with the daily quests it provides a nice goal to complete each night when I don’t have time to push on with serious plot)

Anyhow, for those not in the know, it’s a computer game based in a post apocalyptic future where you have to wander and kill and collect to survive. It’s also filled with silly little things to lighten up a rather dark and unpleasant setting.

One such thing is Mr Fuzzy. A rather creepy looking mascot to a now abandoned and rotting theme park. The little toys (and so many varieties) are everywhere!

And of course, after scrapping so many for material and leather in game, Engel decided he wanted one to keep…

I think it’s creepy.

It’s supposed to be creepy.

Definitely one of the ugliest creepiest things I’ve made. Maybe about equal only to the naked molerat…another Fallout knit…

For those curious, I heavily modified the free pattern Basic Body by Sara Lee and until I did the face, it was actually looking really cute!

No change from last week’s wool count so won’t include it this week.

Till next week!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 1 Comment

May the stars align and great Cthulhu rise! Oh, wait, no, that’s only what I want to happen in game…

Playing Arkham Horror with friends and eating far too much to bring in the new year, but putting up a quick post in a quiet moment as I don’t know when I’ll see the next one!

As mentioned in my last post, I’ve been visiting the family and staying with Rabbie, there’s been dog walks, Nerf Battles, Christmas, Butterfly World, and the drive back and all the cleaning and tidying to do as well! It’s been constant.

Worth it mind! As such, not managed much knitting (I have one finished project which Missy got, but due to an ear infection hasn’t had a chance to wear it)

Oh, wait, I do have one tiny finished knit! This year’s Christmas decoration (I make one every year)

Its a Nerf dart, to commemorate the Nerf craze that has hit our house, and subsequently my family, pretty hard!

That aside, it’s been a very busy year and I have a few resolutions to try and make next year better. The wool count will continue (this week I’ve used two balls but gained four at Christmas) and I’m going to try and slowly declutter the house. I’m also going to try and take a moment every day to think about something positive, and hopefully this will improve my currently rather pessimistic outlook on life!

I’m aiming to be a realist, optimistic is a bit too high an aim, for now.

May you all have a good new year and an excellent start to 2019!

Cheers!

(And now time to start playing ‘Auld Lang Syne!’)

Wool Count

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 89 (2 down!)
Wool bought – 27
Wool given – 16 (4 up!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 576 (net gain 2!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Gaming, Knitting 1 Comment

Look who I’ve now found in my cat mint!

Its Miss Mittens, sister of Miss Moppet and Tom Kitten, Daughter of Tabitha Twitchit!

I really need to move that cat mint…

As with Miss Moppet, I’ve done a variation of the Tom Kitten pattern by Alan Dart with a few tweaks and additions. I’ll be knitting her and her sister little pinafores like the ones they wear in the Tale of Tom Kitten, but they’ll have to wait as I have a few bits to squeeze in and do first! They’re probably also the last Beatrix Potter related knits I’ll be doing for a bit, I have a lot of projects I want to work on and could do with a change of pace!

But don’t worry, I still intend to make them all!

Just a short post this week as I am shattered – it’s been a long week at work, the terrors have been particularly terrifying, I was at the Assemblage 23 gig on Friday (it was down the tiniest, darkest, dingiest alley ever!) which was awesome – particularly the second support act, ‘Rainland’ (formally Analog Angel) – Glasweigian EBM for the win! Makes a homesick Scot happy to hear! And I’ve been running Achtung Cthulhu! this weekend too.

I may have overestimated just how much I could fit into a weekend! A good 10 hour sleep and I’ll be as right as rain again I’m sure! It’s just getting 10 hours of sleep that’s difficult…

Wool count:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 58 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 8
Wool given – 6 (1 as a birthday present!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 578 

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

Belated Easter post, apologies! I was visiting the family up North and we had an absolute ball (Rabbie documented it over at her blog) but when we got back it was straight in to work and gaming prep and time ran away from me!

I do have two completed knits to show you though from then:

I did indeed make Mr McGregor’s sack, as suggested last post, and it was quite fun putting all the bunnies and the lettuce inside it!

And I also whipped up a Baby Bunny Hat (free pattern by Rebecca Lennox) so that Inkling could join in with the festivities. He is definitely bunny mad and squeals when he sees them!

There’s been no new completed knits really since then!

As I said above, I’ve been preparing another game, this time it’s Achtung Cthulhu! In case you haven’t guessed by now, I really enjoy running games in the Cthulhu universe, and Achtung Cthulhu! is set during WW2 and I’ll say now that it doesn’t disappoint.

Though there have been half a dozen instances of people wanting weapons that don’t actually exist just yet…and we’ve only played about three hours!

Till next week where I should hopefully have more to show you!

Wool count:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 33 (2 since last post)
Wool bought – 4
Wool given – 5
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 595

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