by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Remeber how I said last week that it was a short post as I was super busy? Well, sit down, grab a cuppa, and let me regale you on my adventures.

Last Monday saw me in Wales, we had arranged last year to have an Easter holidays trip there with my good friends J and S, their first date and his eventual proposal to her took place in Cricceth and all of her childhood holidays were in Wales.

I was flattered that they invited myself and the whole family to spend a week with them, though I was also worried that they had bitten off more than they could chew with having my two little terrors in tow…

After watching my two use S as a climbing frame and then make a sand dragon with him, I knew this worry was unfounded. Only three days after the holiday and they’re already trying to organise the next with us so clearly it was a good holiday for them!

There was a beach trip every day, the weather actually held long enough for this every day to my amazement, with sand dragons and sand cats and rock pooling (Engel found several fish, crabs and shrimps) and of course, shell collecting. I managed to find the perfect one, shown in the photo above, as a button for my sea urchin inspired tea cosie.

The ball of wool that I mentioned that I had purchased on Monday was for this very project – I had spied a naked teapot when rummaging around the cottages cupboards and my terrors had spotted a dried sea urchin on the shelves. Some banter later and I was convinced to knit a sea urchin tea cosie as a thank you gift.

I winged the pattern in the end, but it was initially based off a free Ravelry hat pattern Sea Urchin by Robin Celli

Other activities in Wales was the rabbit farm (I fed alpacas, and managed not to steal them!) Lots of beach visits, some rambling, the slate museum, two different little mini railways and a visit to the Naked Spinner where I bought some very nice coloured fleece…

It was sad to see the holiday end, but it was immediately followed by a wool show near Mrs Ratman, and I only walked out with 6 balls of wool. I showed great restraint!!!

However…I may have just found out that I had won a prize draw that I entered…when that arrives, I’ll go over it then.

There was an Easter trail yesterday with another friend and her little one which knackered me out…but the kids had a ball. Or an egg?

One other thing happened this week, but that is something I will go over at a different time.

Till next week, take care!

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 28 (1 since last post)
Wool bought – 8 (Up by 6!)
Wool given to me – 13
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 3 (I got the spinning bug and whipped up two pretty skeins)

Total – 833 (Net difference: -4)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Just a short post this week as it’s been all go, go, go! (Will explain that next week)

So long story short, one of the guys I trained at my current job is moving department. This was announced Wednesday and he’s to start there on Monday. This was far too short a time to arrange a card or end of week cakes and nibbles, so instead…

Yip! The pattern used is Fox by Sarah Keen from her book ‘100 Little Knitted Projects’. I managed to whip him up in four hours, during which I also made dinner, done the dishes, worked on the kids homework and then went through the nighttime bed routine for the little terrors.

He is still baffled how this took less time than organising the other options, but as I keep pointing out, the fox is my time, and doing anything that involves organising our department takes five times longer than it realistically should!

Thats all for this week!

Take care and stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 27 (0 since last post)
Wool bought – 2 (Up by 1 but it’s for a project!)
Wool given to me – 13
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 3 (I got the spinning bug and whipped up two pretty skeins)

Total – 828 (Net difference: -9)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

Hey all! Apologies for no post last week but I didn’t have any FOs and I was pretty tired…

Covid has done a number on my energy levels.

On a more pleasant note, I received two flying over night visits from Rabbie! A nice little chance to catch up, hug my fur niece Missy, and coo over our collective craft hobbies.

She left me with quite a few ideas for the fabric stash, and in exchange, I handed over:

This is Biscuit the Dog PK7 by Debbie Minton, a Popcorn knitting kit, and I love and hate him.

Lets rewind. Back when I was visiting Rabbie for my cheeky trip up North to play Zombie Nerf, her husband handed me this knitting kit, stating that he had bought it 7 years ago and despite many, many promises, had never been touched.

I dont think I’ve seen my sister go so red and splutter before…

With a chuckle, I accepted the challenge. And it was a challenge. Not only was it twice the size I thought it was, the pattern itself is a sewing pattern with the knitted pieces mirroring those flat bits of fabric. But knitted fabric doesn’t behave like woven fabric, and trying to figure out where point Z is and how it’s supposed to match CC with CC whilst matching DD to a completely different piece is just…

Needless to say, never again.

But he has turned out super cute for the hard work, and my BIL left with a big grin and hugging his newest toy, so all in all, a good turn out.

Next time, I hope he asks for a simple knit…

Until next week, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 27 (4 since last post)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 13
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 3 (I got the spinning bug and whipped up two pretty skeins)

Total – 827 (Net difference: -10)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Its been an interesting week! Car had its MOT, parents night for the little terrors, gaming with some friends, meeting up with other friends for a mooch and to attend the local Pokémon Go event…

But lets backtrack a bit to explain this week’s knitting.

Parents evening. Both of mine received plenty of nice comments, and nothing really negative other than trying to get them to slow down and double check their work before handing it in. It’s a big ask for a 4 year old and an 8 year old!

One thing that became clear though was that in Inklings class they had been learning about chickens, and had been incubating eggs which had hatched…

And he’s obsessed with the fluffy things. Taking one look, I could have pocketed all four of them there and then and made a run for it.

I successfully passed my willpower roll, and jokingly mentioned it to Inkling. He searched all of my pockets, twice, just in case, and was somewhat sad that I hadn’t stolen a chick.

There was only one option.

Its based on the free pattern Spring Chick by Barbara Prime, except I made mine fluffy. Outbreak immediately claimed it as hers. Once rescued from the cat, the chick was put in my pocket for the next morning…

Inkling was super happy with his chick, and insisted he could take it to school to show it to the other chicks. In all the excitement, I realised Felix was feeling a little left out.

There was only one option. Again.

So here is chick number two. And Outbreak again. Who tried to claim this one also.

I am doing my best to ignore the urge to knit a third chick just for the cat!

Until next post, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 23 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 13
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 829 (Net difference: -8)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

The very next knitting project…not quite the same ring as the actual song, but it’ll do.

Remember how just a few weeks (ok, start of January) I knit a lovely pair of cat mittens for Engel? Well, he decided they were too big.

Ok, they’re wool, I’ll felt them.

They barely shrunk in the washing machine.

Ok, must be treated wool, I’ll felt it by hand.

The black decided it was not colour resistant at the temperature needed to begin felting.

Hmm. New pair of mittens it was.

Please excuse the photograph, I had to pry these off Engel to get this quick snapshot!

And for those curious, the original cat mittens have found themselves a good home to a fellow cat loving friend with much,much larger hands than Engel. They fit their new owner like a glove. Pun intended.

In other knitting news, I received a knitting kit for a cuddly toy. More on that later, let’s just say though that there is an amusing story behind it. But it does mean my stash has grown by 7 balls of fluffy wool…I debated adding this to my total, but feel I should as I will want to count the used wool as it leaves my stash…

As such, my wool count looks like this now:

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 21 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 13 (7 in the knitting kit)
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 831 (Net difference: -6)

Theres still more than twice out than what’s gone in, which I am going to take as a victory!

Theres isn’t much else to say for this week, some grand plans went awry, but we made the most of the weekend, and even begun sowing the first wave of seeds! I’m hoping for a good year of vegetables!

Till next week, stay safe!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

I would love to promise that this is the last of the fox related things, but the urge to use this knitted fur technique to make more and more is incredibly powerful!

and without further ado, fox ears:

So very cute! Although the cats seem to think that they’re either a toy just for them, or a small furry animal just begging to be pounced on…

Here you can see Outbreak “helping” within three seconds of my placing the ears in the floor for a photograph. I suspect I will need to knit them something using the same knitted fur technique I have used for the ears…

Oh, normally at this point I would link a pattern but…there isn’t one. This is me just playing around…

In other wooly news, I finally spun and plyed the Shetland fleece I have been playing with for the last few weeks – it was a challenge for myself to spin as fine as possible, as consistently as possible. Having been 2 plyed it has come out at 150m of lace weight yarn. It’s a little thinner in places, but not thicker, so it’s definitely getting there!!

No idea what it will be. However, I have plans and ideas in the works that require me to spin yarn, so more shall be spun, but with intention.

…am I the only one that think that sounded unnecessarily aggressive? Spinning with intention?

Anyhoo, very busy week at work, no gaming but Inkling did get to go to a trampoline birthday party and as he is under five, I had to go with him and ‘supervise’. The sore muscles today were worth it. Felix didn’t miss out as she got to have an adventure with Engel on the motorbike.

After so much excitement, we finished the weekend with board games and cleaning up some Battletech miniatures that the terrors are looking forward to painting.

Until next week, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 20 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 6
Wool gifted to others –0
Wool handspun – 1

Total – 831 (Net difference: -12)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Its been a long time coming, but after travelling a ridiculous number of miles, the wool I spun:

Moonlit Missy (Top) Missy in the Meadow (Bottom)

In honour of the amazing Missy:

Who is the bestest girl? You are!

Has been turned into a finished garment!!!

The cardigan is based off an actual 1940s cardigan pattern, but due to the weight of the wool, the maths from the free Knitty pattern Tempest by Ann Weaver was used.

I spun this wool for my sister, Rabbie, in honour of her beautiful fur baby, Missy. The wool was dispatched 300 miles up north and, after a few attempts, was sent back down 300 miles to be finished into the cardigan in the above photo. Rabbie has always ended up with sore fingers after knitting, and with the courseness of the hand spun wool…

Yeah. It looked painful. But oddly enough the wool doesn’t bother any of the rest of her skin…just in case it’s had a good gentle wool wash, and a nice soak in fabric conditioner and is all nice and soft now!

It just needs to journey back up north 300 miles again…

The reason behind going for a 1940s inspired cardigan is that there are plans afoot for some semi serious but mostly casual 1940s/50s jubilee party…but more on that nearer the time!

In non knitting news, it’s been a busy week, besides the usual things we had some friends round for board games, ate dim sum and got very, very competitive at Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. I believe plans afoot for a girls gaming night but I will leave that to one of my friends to organise!

I also managed to give blood again this week, so feeling proud of myself for getting my iron levels up high enough to do so!!!

Till next week, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 18 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 6
Wool gifted to others –
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 844 (Net difference: -11)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

I don’t think anyone is too surprised that my next project after the foxymitts was going to be a foxyhat!

Apologies for the awful photo, the lighting has been awful as it’s been nothing but rain all week!

The hat itself is based on the free pattern The Hubby Hat by Anna Johanna and the ears are an experiment of mine. They’re very cute, so I may needs to knit another set to put onto a headband! And maybe a tail…

It’s amazing what loop stitch, scissors and a comb can achieve!

Other than that, it’s been a quiet week. Still recovering from Covid, my fun zombie apocalypse adventure last weekend, and work and life in general…

Until next week, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 17 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 6
Wool gifted to others –
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 845 (Net difference: -10)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

Hi All,

I have very much recovered from the plague, and the majority of the household has too, I am however suffering from being an absolute nutter, but that’s all self inflicted.

Lets start with the knitting. After finishing Engels recent cat mittens, I had a case of the green eyed monster.

Or should I say green eyed fox?

Pattern is Foxy mittens by JennyPenny from her book ‘Winter Knits from Scandinavia’, and a huge thanks to Ratman99 and Rabbie for helping take this photo even as it was snowing!

These are knit on 2mm needles and had to be done only when I could concentrate. I managed to fail to flip the image whilst watching Avengers: End game…and realised after 15 rows…sigh…

But they are worth it! However, they need a matching hat…

Speaking of future knitting projects, unfortunately Rabbie was unable to knit the wool I spun for her the other year – knitting has never quite agreed with her hands, and the dual textures of mildly treated and heavily treated wool was too much for them. So I am more than happily taking on her project it’s a 1940s I spired cardigan, and compared to recent projects, is a nice, mindless, breeze of a knit for me!

It also means my wool count has increased by six balls of wool. Four now as I have knitted up two.

In non knitting news, Ratman99 and myself did a mad dash trip up north to Scotland, crashed at Rabbies, participated in Terminal Infection (nerf and zombies in a shopping centre!!!) and finished it off with celebrating Missys, my most favourite niece, and the most well behaved dog, adoptaversery! I cannot believe she has been part of the family for 8 years….

Unsurprisingly, I am absolutely beat now. Terminal Infection was amazing, the zombies were in character at all times and just amazing, and with the nice shiny floors of a shopping center, I could drop down and knee slide past the opposite team to flip over or acquire targets! And of course, the Nerfys Law Nerf team gear was out and worn with pride!

We looked silly, and expected lots of comments saying such, and there was plenty, but there were far more compliments on the actual work and thought that went into it all. I won’t lie, I felt incredibly happy and flattered about it all by the end! Even if I did get two proper zombie scares during the night, and a countless number of little frights!

Today, I ache. And after a long day of work, I am ready for curling up on the sofa with my kitties and my knitting!

Till next week, stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 15 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 6
Wool gifted to others –
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 847 (Net difference: -8)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

The sharp eyed amongst you would have noticed that there was no post last week, and in general, I was pretty quiet on all my social media…the reason for that?

Paint a red cross on the door, the plague has struck! First Inkling, then myself, then Felix and now Engel. Inkling and myself are now negative, with Felix and Engel just beginning their Covid experience…

The kids pretty much shrugged it off after 24 hours, Engel seems to very much have flu like symptoms and is just really, really tired.

I was tired, still am, with very little concentration, and my chest hurt really bad. I’m asthmatic, so I knew it was going to be an issue, but it didn’t warrant a hospital trip and that’s all that matters!

Due to having zero concentration, as well as a very snuggly four year old latched onto me at all times (Inklings only real long lasting symptom, very clingy) I opted for a nice, easy,quick knitting pattern:

These are some Nola’s Slippers (free pattern) by Nola Miller, and were knitted for Rabbie and her husband – they liked their crazy Christmas ones from the other year, but wanted them more practical and less crazy. But funky colours where allowed, and so I did some serious stash busting – 9 balls of odds and ends and random skeins I had no idea what to use for, all used up!

Fingers crossed they go down well, or at the very least, fit well!

That’s all for this week as I am going to have some tea, a little bit of chocolate, and an early night.

Take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 843

Wool used – 13 (9 this week)
Wool bought – 1
Wool given to me – 0
Wool gifted to others –
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 843 (Net difference: -12)

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