by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

So, let’s begin at the beginning. Over a year ago, two crazy yarn friends convinced me to go to the wool experience and got me hooked on fleece. I bought a whole Jacobs fleece that day, and a bunch of samples. Then, a few weeks later, so just shy of a year ago, Engel bought me a spinning wheel. A few months later a hand carder followed suit because carding with brushes is hard and tiring and time consuming. Anyhow. I finally had the chance to take the spinning wheel apart, clean it, seal it and have Engel reassemble and service it during lockdown.

I also stained her as part of the sealing process, but as all the shops where closed I had to use what was on hand, which was ebony. She looks looks like something from a dark fairy tale and has subsequently been called Grimm. After the Brothers Grimm. Because I was told very firmly that all spinning wheels have names. It’s not just me that’s mad.

But I digress.

Jacob, who you will meet shortly, has been over a year in the making. The past few weeks I have spun the wool to make him:

(Look! My first three balls of handspun wool! All wound into pretty little cakes!)

And then I finally got to knit him.

Jacob isn’t just special because he’s knit from the very first wool I have spun, but also because he has a set of real Roe deer antlers that were still attached to a bit of skull that I have incorporated into the actual knitting. I will tell you now, knitting around antlers is a very tricky thing indeed! And pointy. He’s also very cute and practical with his coat hook.

So there you have it, my current knitting triumph. But wait! I have a second set of antlers, just in case anything went wrong with the first…and instill have some of my very first handspun left over…I think Jacob needs a friend, don’t you?

Oh, in non knitting news I went back to work this week. And it was boiling this week. I survived but I think I need a month to recover…it wasn’t the work exactly, it was being around people again, having to think and talk about things above that of a 6 year olds mind set…

Till next week!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 97 (5 this week)
Wool bought – 18
Wool given to me – 296
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 10 (4 have been used!)

Total – 927

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Apologies for not posting last week, with lockdown easing I decided to do a trip up North to see the family (socially distant, of course) and then Greater Manchester went into lockdown while I was there and…yeah…fun times.

It was amazing though getting to see my family again. The home sickness was beginning to be unbearable as it’s been 10 months since my last visit! It should have been in April but…well, 2020 happened.

Shenanigans aside, I didn’t manage much knitting, and certainly no spinning (which I hope to rectify soon) but I can share this little project I had finished just in time to suprise my sister with!

Chaffy’s!!!!

For those long time readers, you may remember the first time I did Chaffys, based on those found in Jamie Smart’s book ‘Find Chaffy’. Well, he did a sequel, ‘Find chaffy Now’. Rabbie let slip to Felix that it existed so we got a copy and I was conned into making two sets of those.

Correction. Felix informed me I had to ‘finish the Chaffy family’…for her and auntie Rabbie…

So I did. And now you can all gaze upon each and every one…

And that’s it for today! Have a good weekend and stay safe!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 92 (9 this week)
Wool bought – 18
Wool given to me – 296
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 10 (3 have been used!)

Total – 932

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

A commission from a friend whom paid me in wool, and then some more wool!

This is a 40k inspired dice bag for him, he’s a Chaos Marines player, and they worship Khorne, so one side has his symbol (above) and the other…

I do love knitting dice bags, and all if them use the free pattern Cthulhu Dice Bag! by A. A. Leavitt-Reynolds for numbers. Engel created the charts for this particular bag however.

In other knitting nephew’s, I have a few knitting projects done or near done but gave just taken on a rather big undertaking so will feed you those week by week whilst I’m busy with that project.

There’s been no spinning or dying this week – I have been ripping apart the conservatory in a bid to create more space, it’s been hard work!

This weekend we’ve managed a few social distance play dates, and j am loving being with other people – i’m an introvert, but lockdown has shown me that I do need others company on occasion!

Short post today as I am shattered from all this socialising, and I’ll see you all next week with my just completed project – but no more spoilers as it’s a surprise for someone!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 83 (14 this week)
Wool bought – 18 (Up 7 as had to buy wool for the big project I’ve started)
Wool given to me – 296
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 10 (3 have been used!)

Total – 941 (That’s down by a net total of 7 this week! Woo!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Are cute fluffy sheep…

Even more awesome – it’s double sided! So it’s hanging in the window and high myself and passer bus get to see all the cute details!

A few things have led to this adorable creation – I’ve wanted to make a wreath for a while, just not sure what, and the repeated motif of rainbows during lockdown (I love it personally, it does help brighten an otherwise dull and stressful time, and the kids love counting them) all the beautiful flowers and of course all the fluffy sheep fleece I have recently acquired…

Well, it’s all melted into this creation. It’s definitely very ‘Spring’ with my choice of lambs and spring flowers but I don’t think it matters having that hanging up the window during a British summertime!

There’s not really a pattern for this – I winged the rainbow but the sheep (A Sheep’s Mug Mat by Joan Kosmachuk) and the cherry blossom (Everlasting Blossom by Claire Garland) are both free patterns, and the snowdrops and bluebells are both from the book ‘100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet’ by Leslie Stanfield.

In non knitting news I have been doing more spinning – one of which is a crazy creation of picked up sheep fluff and moulted reindeer hair! (We all went to a kids farm and I definitely had lots of fun! The kids had a ball, but I was in my element! I also got another two bags of alpaca but let’s not dwell on that!)

I’ve also been trying a lot of natural dying with quite varying results. Theres been two rounds of beetroot dying and one round of used coffee grounds. I’ll get photos of these on Instagram when they’re fully dried and I can get the light just right so the colours captured are true.

The lockdown restrictions have continued to ease – faster than I would like mind you – but it has made life a lot easier for the wee ones. We can go places now, and explore, and see people! But being sensible of course!

That’s all for now – the weather is nice today and I have lots of jobs and chores to be doing!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 69 (3 this week)
Wool bought – 11
Wool given to me – 296
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 10 (4 more!)

Total – 948 (it’s gone up by 1! I need to knit faster than spin I think…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Following on from last week’s Octocat, I have made something even bigger and better using the same pattern as a base.

Meet Cathulhu!

His body is based on the pattern Octopuss by Bethany Hendrickson and his wings are from Tarragon the Gentle Dragon by Knit-a- Zoo. Both are free patterns.

Cathilhu is a mash up between H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu and our fluffy feline overlords, cats. I actually have the Cathulhu core rulebooks to run RPGs as cats battling eldritch terrors…it’s all good fun!

Here he is with a mug for scale so you can see just how big he is!

As you can see, I’m a fan of Cathulhu!

In non knitting news I went to Wales yesterday with a friend to another friends who had managed to procure 70kgs of fleece. A few hours of sorting, identifying and bagging, and I have 8 lovely fleeces to add to the collection. Four are Romleys, three are Texel/Cheviot crosses and one could be either or but I need to properly lay it out to figure out which.

It’s the first time I’ve really been out properly since lockdown began, and socialised (maintaining social distancing of course, my friend in Wales is in the danger list so requires shielding) and I am exhausted from it!

Was a great day though! I am going to have to really ramp up the washing and carding and spinning of all this fleece though before Engel realises just quite how much I have!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 66 (3 this week)
Wool bought – 11
Wool given to me – 296
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 6

Total – 947 (it’s going to take years to get this down to a reasonable level… Good thing I love this hobby so much!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

This is Octocat, the mascot for GitHub, a software version control provider.

I don’t know quite what that is either, but Engel wanted it, and playfully pointed out that it has been a year or so since I last knit something for him… (he isn’t counting the slippers he stole, seeing as he stole them, they weren’t made for him.) So I relented and…

Not a bad likeness, eh? He’s based on the free pattern Octopuss by Bethany Hendrickson. You can’t see it so well in this photo, but he has suckers on his tentacles!

Here he is chilling at Engels work – there’s no one in his office at the moment so I like to think it’s keeping him company at least!

In other knitting news, my spinning is coming along! Engel jokes every time I ply my singles together I level up – when I finished plying balls 5 & 6, I could literally hear the Final Fantasy VII level up mysic…

So as you can guess, I’ve added to the wool stash, and decreased the fluff stash. That balances out, right? Course it does. And I was super good and gave three balls of my stash away this week to a pair of my friends who want to try knitting as something to help with the lockdown monotomy. (Lockdown is lifting, yes, but my friends and myself are being very cautious and treating life as if in still full lockdown for the most part.)

So yeah, the wool count was looking good, even more so after using 6 balls of wool this week. And then Ratman (a Nerf friend of mine) who does IT for a hospice, told me they were chucking out all the wool in the little charity shop they have, and the little cafe too where they encouraged people previously to craft whilst waiting on loved ones. Now, Mrs Ratman knits, so I figured once she had her share there wouldn’t be that much left, so yeah, I’ll take it, can’t have good wool just thrown in the bin.

283 balls.

Yes, that’s not a typo, 283 balls from 10g to 500g have been added to my stash. And on top of that, 5 more from a different friend who wants me to make him a dice bag with them…and keep the leftovers as payment…

Want to see the damage in numbers?

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 63 (6 this week)
Wool bought – 11
Wool given to me – 296 (up 288)
Wool gifted to others – 3 (Up 3!)
Wool handspun – 6 (Up 4!)

Total – 950 (it’s gone up, a lot…not had this much in my stash for a few years…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

Literally!

This is based on the pattern Charlie’s Checkers by Sophia Minakais – the only changes in made was the choice of colours and adding details to make the pieces ladybirds and bumblebees!

And the bag. I decided I wanted to give helical knitting a try – and it worked. It gives the effects of single coloured stripes but your actually working all the colours at once across the round, and the stripes spiral up the bag.

It’s supposed to be a great way of using up scrap wool in hats and things, which I may try at some point.

Another thing I’ve been trying is my spinning wheel. I managed to fill two bobbins and ply them together to make two balls of my own handspun wool! I’ve also just finished filling a third bobbin to make even more!

My wool is bumpy, and goes thick to thin, but it’s my wool! And by the second bobbin I could see a marked improvement with my drafting. I have a project lines up to use it, but need to do a few more colours first – all shall be revealed in time!

In non Knitting news not a lot has happened apart from dying from the heat. I don’t like it above 20C, and to have several days of near and over 30C has just about killed me.

But it has rained! And it’s cooled down! And I am so very happy!

On that note, I shall leave you with just one last photo from my checker board photo shoot as it sums up my knitting attempts to a T.

(That’s Outbreaks paw btw)

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 57 (Just 1 this week)
Wool bought – 11 (Up by 4 – they were half price and colours I use a lot!)
Wool given – 8
Wool gifted – 0
Wool handspun – 2 (New category!!!!)

Total – 667 (this is going to go up a fair bit as I work through all my sheep fleece…)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

After the success of Rabbies Unbirthday I couldn’t resist making just one more Alice in Wonderland inspired knit…

It’s a pencil bird!!! The body is based on the free pattern Songbird by Sara Elizabeth Kellner, and the head is one of the Mochimochi pencils I knitted the other week.

I am somewhat smitten with him! Though he will be making his way up North to join his friend hammerbird.

And please note the home grown cauliflower! The garden is brimming with all sorts of vegetables just about nearly ready to eat…

In other knitting news I have a somewhat bigger project on the needles, more next week, and have had the opportunity to try helical knitting – again, more next week.

I have also finally managed to get spinning! The wheel Engel got me for my birthday needed a good clean, wax and oil. I finally had the time to do all that over the course of two weeks of lockdown and have finally, finally gotten to play with her! First attempt spinning is hard, as are all new skills, but very satisfactory. And the wool may be clumpy and uneven, but I have just the project in mind…when I finally spin enough to actually ply and then knit…

In non knitting news…not a lot. I’m still on furlough. The gardens coming along great. Engels dentistry nightmare is finally over after I had to dig around in there and pull out eleven chunks of shattered tooth…

So yeah, ticking along…

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 56 (3 this week!!!)
Wool bought – 7
Wool given – 8
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 662

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

To who?

To Rabbie!

This unbirthday cake, inspired by the one given to Alice in Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland, is based on the free pattern Wedding Cake by Helena Keighley

“Now, statistics prove, prove that you’ve one birthday

Imagine, just one birthday every year

Ah, but there are three hundred and sixty four unbirthdays!

Precisely why we’re gathered here to cheer”

So just why are we celebrating Rabbies unbirthday? Because she’s been going above and beyond this entire lockdown – helping family, friends, neighbours. Working a new crazy shift to help keep the countrys clean water flowing. Tutoring my niece in two subjects, phoning our mum every day, checking in on all of us regularly to make sure that we’re all ok, and also to tell us that it’s ok to not be ok.

She even went and donated blood the other day – as Engel said, she’s not so much burning the candle at both ends as putting a blow torch to it. So her husband decided that she was going to have a day off, be pampered and reminded that she is important too, that we all love her for being her.

Hence the unbirthday cake from me, and because I couldn’t resist…

A hammer bird! again inspired by Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland, and based on the free pattern Songbird by Sara Elizabeth Kellner.

Take care and stay safe – and if you need a treat, remember, it’s your unbirthday too!

Wool Count

Starting total – 704

Wool used – 53 (7 this week!!!)
Wool bought – 7
Wool given – 8
Wool gifted – 0

Total – 665

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

During lockdown I have been tutoring my niece with her English and it’s not been easy. One of the optional Covid-19 activities her school set was to write a short story of 500 words beginning with one of four sentences you were given.

So to make things a bit more fun, I made it into a family competition. With prizes! Sadly her parents didn’t even bother but the rest of the family did, so that was something. We each read our story out loud (over Skype) and my niece picked the winner.

So first, the participation prizes!

Petite Pencil by Anna Hrachovec from her book “Knitting Mochimochi”

I made sure to make plenty!

And the main prize? This beauty!

Arthur by Anna Hrachovec from her book “Huge and Huggable Mochimochi”

In other knitting news, I’m still working through the Christmas knits! And despite all this knitting, I haven’t finished any whole balls of wool!

In non knitting news, Engel has been having issues with a tooth that got pulled – twice – by two different emergency dentists and they’ve made a mess of it. Note to everyone DIY dentistry is not pleasant or recommended. But after pulling 10 shards of tooth of varying sizes out of the hole, cleaning it out and landing it, it is finally beginning to heal! Hooray!

Till next week!

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