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Tag: Mummy can make that!

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

And this is why I should never have Engel come up with blog post titles…

Two completed projects this week. Let me start the first with a bit of an explanation…

Engel likes computer games. Loves them really. Especially open world type RPGs. He puts a worrying number of hours into them, just wandering, doing little side quests, pointedly ignoring the actual plot…

Anyhow. One of his most favourite is Fallout (depending on his mood depends on whether it’s Fallout 3 or Fallout 4, but that’s semantics) and watching him play through the nth playthrough of one of those two, I spotted this:

And I commented that wouldn’t it be cute if Inkling had one of those…Engel looked at me, with a look that I know far too well…and so the hunt for a pattern began!

This was made using the free pattern: Mini Knitted Rocket Ship by Ilana R. Marks and although incredibly cute and awesome, needed a few tweaks to get them a bit more like in the game…

Lengthened the centre part of the rocket, added some extra windows and voila! Now I just need to turn them into an actual mobile…when I do, I shall photograph it and let you all know!

The second completed project is no less geeky than the first. Felix was playing with her cat puppet I made forever ago, and it was having a conversation with her cuddly toy Meowth (her favourite Pokémon for those curious). After watching this adorable exchange an idea took route in my mind and refused to shift until it was knitted…

A Meowth hand puppet! I used my own free cat hand puppet pattern and added a number of small additions and a few tweaks and voila! I may publish my notes so that more Meowths can be created to conquer the world! I am also debating knitting a few other Pokémon hand puppets and if I do I’ll probably put all the pattern notes together and post it under one pattern…not sure yet…need to think on it and see if inspiration strikes…

Anyhow! In non knitting news, tomorrow is my first day back at work after maternity leave! Every time I think that I just want to cry…

Updates will probably be a bit patchy for a while until I get back into the swing of things. It currently up for debate as to whether I will actually get more or less knitting time…

Till the next post!

Wool count:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 18 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 4
Wool given – 5
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 610 (Will we get below 600 this year? It turned out to be an unobtainable goal last year…)

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

Couldn’t resist that title after making all these:

Yep, that’s another six seatbelt covers! I used the same free pattern as last time: Seat belt snuggles by Chris Behme and the reasoning? Felix complained repeatedly that whenever anyone used the car, they didn’t have a seatbelt cover, and all the seatbelts needed one. After having a few full car loads of people (my car can convert to a seven seater, it’s surprisingly useful) I relented and used up a load of chunky wool scraps, as well as letting Felix loose on the button collection.

However, she also had one special request…

A ‘princess’ seatbelt cover for her best friend, as she needed a special one for her seat in her car! This makes me think of Disney’s Tangled (Rapunzel) for some reason…

Needless to say, I don’t want to knit any more of these any time soon!

So thankfully I have a different, more geeky project on the needles now, but more about that when it’s finished.

In other news, Missy came to visit her cousins! (She also brought her humans Rabbie and Loki) and much fun was had by all! It was a great laugh, lots of adventure and playing games! I will say now though, I was GMing ‘No thank you, Evil’ and as a fairly strict cthulhu GM, it nearly killed me. No death, insanity or destruction! No elder gods to twist mind and reality! No cults to meddle and cause mischief! But, I managed it. Just. Same can’t be said about the players who managed to turn a half hour adventure (if that) into nearly two hours!

Anyhow, enough of that. Been celebrating Chinese New Year this weekend and watched the dragon parade and dancing lions, took part in making paper lanterns and block printing. Felix had an absolute ball, and Inkling…well…he really, really wanted the pom poms on the lions heads…bless, the nice lion let him pet it for a good five minutes…

Alright, enough chatting, I have a load of housework to do, a chocolate cake to eat and some knitting to get cracking on!

Till next week!

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 16 (5 this week)
Wool bought – 4 (It was snowing, and happened to be the first shop I ducked into for shelter, and they were in the clearance bin, calling my name…)
Wool given – 5 (I mentioned to Engel I only had one ball of black DK wool, he brought home four more for me! And I didn’t even ask him to!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 612

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

Let’s start with Biggles.

What does a fictional fighter pilot from the first world war have tondo with knitting we ask? Well…

Our whole little family were at the big local duck pond and, whilst playing in the new play park, Engel spotted a kid (18 month old?) wearing a crocheted aviator hat complete with goggles and immediately demanded that I make one like it for Inkling…

Obviously, knitted rather than crochet!

So after much pattern hunting and googling and thinking and a bit of luck, this happened:

Its based on the free pattern Chemo Earflap Hat by Gabriella Henry, and incorporates another free pattern Knit Sleep Mask by Elizabeth Martin as well as a lot of i-cord…

When put on Inkling, Engels eyes literally lit up and he pointed and went ‘Biggles!’ he has been referring to him as Biggles since, and the aviator hat as ‘Biggles hat’…

All I’ll say on the matter is that Inkling looks adorable in the hat, even more so than Bun-Bun (the toy rabbit).

In other knitting news, I was dropping Felix off at the childminders and spotted that the cot from the dolls house was broken on the side, seeing as I was planning on digging out the glue gun anyway to fix my rabbits paw (it’s a real rabbit foot, but it’s on a pin, not an actual living animal) I offered to fix it and bring it back.

The thing is…I just couldn’t return it with no bedding…

No pattern for this, just rectangles knitted from scraps…the childminders was happy to see it returned with bedding, but I suspect she thinks I’m even more mad than before…

Let’s see…we also celebrated Burns Night this week with our Australian friends and their little one (much fun was had by all, even if I did confused them all with kilts and Scottish poetry) and there was haggis, neeps and tatties and I decided to make a cranachan too – though seeing as Engel has trained Felix to shout ‘release the Cranachan!’ this may not have been such a wise idea…

In return, our Australian friends invited us over for Australia Day where there was lamingtons and pavlova (there was a heated debate over if pavlova was an Aussie or Kiwi invention) and a certain knitted Drop Bear photo bombed all the photos!

It’s been a good, but exhausting week!

Till next post, take care!

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 7 (2 this week)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 1
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 616

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 4 Comments

Coming in at 30cm and 2 meters long…

My new table runner! Knitted following the free pattern ‘Art-Deco Tablerunner’ by Dawn Martin, more or less.

Look at the cable work! And the cute triangular shaped ends! Ok, it’s all black so not the easiest of colours to see all the detail, but it’s there, and I’m proud of it!

My last table runner died a death about…two years ago? It was light green, and met black coffee, which stained it yet my attempts to dye it resulted in nothing…so I picked out this pattern all the way back then and have only just got around to casting it on.

That gives you an idea of how long my ‘to knit’ list is…

Anyhow, the reason it’s ‘more or less’ the pattern is that the centre diamond part confused me. Granted, having a little one waking me up four times a night and a not so little one having me up at 6am leads me to being easily confused…but I gave up on the pattern and winged it.

Came out fine, so that’s all that counts really!

In other knitting news I’m plodding on with big knitting project 2 still, but I’m about 3/4 done, so the end is in sight! Hopefully you’ll all see it next post!

Short blog today as pretty tired running around the park and duck pond with Felix and her best friend who we were looking after today. Inkling was marvelled by the ducks, but didn’t like the swans. That said, when they’re hissing and rearing because of a careless dog owner letting their dog run right into them…well, it’s a pretty scary sight!

Wool count:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 4 (3 this week!)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 1 (Engel bought me a Small Clanger kit, its meant for Inkling as Felix has a Tiny Clanger, but it’s still mine right now! Another item on my to do list!)
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 619

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

May this year bring health and happiness to us all!

Despite the fact that Inkling was born, this has not been a very great year, not as bad as 2016, but still not a great year. Fingers crossed things turn round for 2018!

But your not here to read my woes, your here for the knitting! And I do not disappoint!

Several months ago I started the great Very Hungry Caterpillar Set (X 3) and declared it finished at the start of September. One set went to Felix, the second to the school my mother works at (as a teaching aid for the autistic children she works with) and the third…hasn’t been homed. But that’s a different story.

Anyway, Felix immediately asked why there was no fat caterpillar, I put it down to her just wanting everything and she already had a caterpillar, she didn’t need the fat one.

Then I asked my mum for feedback from the school. About fifty kids had played with it, and loved it.

Every. Single. Kid. Wanted. A. Fat. Caterpillar.

All. Of. Them.

So, not to disappoint, I’ve reluctantly gone ahead to make the fat caterpillar.

It’s a monster.

No, you can’t really appreciate the fatness of this caterpillar. Let’s compare it to the original caterpillar.

He could eat 4 of the small caterpillars for breakfast – and he would still be hungry!

Joking aside, I’ve winged this pattern out of thin air, and still need to make another two for the other sets, but I couldn’t resist sharing it with you all, especially as no doubt a lot of us probably felt like the small caterpillar at the start of the festive season and a lot more like the fat one by the end of it!

Lastly, start of a new year, so the wool count gets refreshed! I did manage to use three balls of wool since last post and Felix bought me a ball for my Christmas, so with that in mind, the wool count looks like this:

Starting total – 622

Wool used – 0
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 0
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 622

Have a good year everyone!

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

First of all, Happy Easter for all those who celebrate it – for me it’s an excuse for lots of yummy chocolate!

So, onto the post. I was given the Super-Scary Mochimochi book for mother’s day (it’s awesome) as I’ve been making quite a few Anna Hrachovecs patterns lately. Like a little child I looked through it going I’ll make myself this one then this one and, oh, I need at least three of those…

Then the following conversation took place:

Engel: It’s been a while since you made me something
Me: It’s only been a few months.
Engel: Feels longer…
Me: Look, I’ll check Ravelry and get you an exact date. (Cue frantic typing) Ah. I made you armwarmers last.
Engel: Much appreciated armwarmers.
Me: In December 2015.
Engel: (somehow holding up the Super-Scary Mochimochi book that had been on my lap mere  a seconds before, on the sarcophacat page) Can i haz?
Me: Let’s go pick out some wool…

Here’s the finished result (Felix helped wrapped him, all the while telling me I was going to make her a smaller one, in blue)

And here it is naked! Couldn’t resist a photo of the actual knitted item. Unlike the pattern I was made to knit him legs – both Engel and Felix insisted the extra limbs were necessary because ‘How else will he walk?’

It’s a mummified cat!

Which, by the way, should not be casually mentioned when knitting at work to fellow colleagues who now think I’m insane rather than just a little mad.

But come on, who doesn’t want a cute mummified cat? It’s proven a useful teaching aid about the process of mummification and canopic jars to Felix!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 32 (Just one this week – I’ve been very busy with work and getting Felix’s new room sorted out so the baby can have her old one)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 49 (Felix felt I needed a treat, so she and daddy got me three balls of wool, aww!)
Wool gifted – 16

Total – 651 (Just one more to use up to get back to the starting total!!!!!)

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

Went swimming one day, over the hills and far away, mama duck said ‘quack quack come back’ but they were all eaten by a crocodile…Wait a second…

Look! There’s that pesky crocodile again!

I gave in and knit Felix those ducks she wanted to keep her crocodile ‘company’ in the pond. The crocodile number has increased as well, there’s two helping control livestock…

For those curious, I tweaked the free Tiny Chickens by Anna Hrachovec to make these guys. Easy to do, just lots of colour changes!

Speaking of colour changes…

Yeah…I know I said I was 99% sure I would never make another, what with the 156 colour changes but…I did. This is my second Elmer the Elephant now, and again, it’s made using the ‘Eddie the Elephant’ pattern by Ann Franklin from the May 2015 edition of ‘Love Knitting for Baby’s. Engel came up with a method for working out the colour changes so they are more uniform but still rather random, does it look any better or more like Elmer?

Felix had a friend’s birthday coming up (it was on Saturday) and I know the gran is particularly fond of my knitted toys so…Yeah. One cuddly toy and Elmer the Elephant treasury and sorted!

Though this time, I really am sure I won’t be making more.

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 31 (2 more since last post)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 49 (Felix felt I needed a treat, so she and daddy got me three balls of wool, aww!)
Wool gifted – 16

Total – 652 (Curses! I’ll never get back to my starting total at this rate!!!!!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 2 Comments

So after all those chickens (there was more knitted, I didn’t actually know how many there are now, but Felix has claimed a number for her little farm) I felt it was time to knit Inklings (baby to be) first knitted toy.

After I got Felix to agree to let me.

What did she want? A crocodile for her farm.

Well, i’m not one to discourage creativity, and with all the animals she has there really should be a way to help control population numbers…A crocodile was knitted.

I regret nothing with this photo, it’s the circle of life! Anyhow, pattern used is ‘Baby Gators’ by Anna Hrachovec from her book ‘Knitted Mochimochi’.

Crocodile done, I could cast on for Inklings first toy.

What was that sweetie? You want six crocodiles like in the picture in the book?

…

Yeah…There isn’t six, yet, but they make a nice work and out and about project so eventually there will be no doubt. At home though, I did actually cast on for Inklings first hand knitted toy, and even finished it too in just four evenings!

One and a half of those four evenings was hand sewing all those blue spots btw.

Anyhow! Here is a blue ringed octopus (they do exist in real life) and I must admit I am really quite smitten with him! The basic octopus pattern is ‘Octopus’ by Hansi Singh from her book ‘Amigurimi Knits’. I am resisting the urge to knit a whole bunch of these guys, considering the outcome there was surprisingly little work!

Well, back to knitting crocodiles for the time being whilst I decide on my next project.

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 24 (2 since last post)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 46
Wool gifted – 16

Total – 656 (So close to getting back to that starting total!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 2 Comments

Ok, marathoning Disney movies may not have been the best idea for my sanity, but seeing as none contained princesses in need of rescue, I do have a few shreds of it left.

For those curious, the title is a Jungle book reference – more specifically Kaa’s song. Why you may ask?

This six foot beast! The pattern is based on Snake by Kath Dalmeny from her book ‘World of knitted toys’. The reason? Felix of course.

Felix has a little gap down the side of her bed that she loses toys down – she requested a ‘soft snake for the gap’ in greens.

I couldn’t resist such a cute request…

Though now she wants one in every colour I own. I’ve told her to limit it to three. She’s compromised on five. I shouldn’t be losing arguments with a three year old…

That’s all for this post, just a short one as it’s been the first week back at work and I have the work lurgy.

Wool count:

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 7 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 0

Total – 643

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