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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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Cats, Knitting, Updates 4 Comments

I don’t know if a lot of people feel the same way, but 2016 was cursed. My family was hit pretty hard, there’s been death, terminal illness and long term ill health. I won’t go into detail on those.

One I will speak of however is Salem, he died in Engels arms on the 21st of December.

(Picking a photo of him just now brought the tears back)

Despite the rest of the menagerie (2 more cats, 2 tarantulas, 1 snake, 3 fish, small child) the house feels a little empty. Explaining death to a 3 year old, whilst an important lesson, was not a delightful experience. I’d have rather gone over where babies come from with her again! (Yep, had that talk a few months ago as well)

So here’s to 2017 being a better year. Fingers crossed.

In knitting news, just one complete project to show:

It’s the last knitted thing for my neice to be, over in America. It’s based on the pattern Little Daisy Cardigan by Sublime Yarns – I made the garter at the bottom deeper and used two colours. Also knit numerous prices together rather than separately to be sewn together afterwards.

Got a more fun, but giant, project on the needles at the moment – more on that when it’s finished!

Lastly, as it’s a new year, I get to reset my wool count and start again – hopefully I’ll have a bit more restraint this year and not buy so much!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 6
Wool bought – 0
Wool given – 0

Total – 644

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Uncategorized 4 Comments

As mentioned since the end of October, I’ve been Christmas knitting. Some I’ve shown, like knitted shrugs and pokemon hats, the rest I’ve been keeping a secret. But seeing as Christmas is now past, I can show you all what I’ve been making!

This post is really image heavy, you’ve been warned!

So, first, the bags!

Its a free chart called Spirit Cat Knitting Charts by Melanie Nordberg

Its a free chart called Spirit Falcon Knitting Chart by Melanie Nordberg.

Its a free chart called Spirit Owl Charts by Melanie Nordberg.

Its a free chart called Spirit Deer Knitting Chart by Melanie Nordberg.

Its a free chart called Spirit Wolf Charts by Melanie Nordberg.

And now, little wash cloths! (Yes, I did make everyone a wash cloth and give them soap, all wrapped up in their designated houses bag above. There was, I hasten to add, other bought presents!)

Free pattern Batty Dishcloth by Dee Frey.

Free pattern Halloween Cat Dishcloth by Kelly Daniels

Free pattern Whooo Loves Ya, Baby? Cloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick

Free pattern Mint Swirl Cloth by Sarah Florent (I tweaked the colour changes to create the pokeball effect!)

Free pattern Dragonfly Dishcloth by April Moreland

Free pattern Soccer Ball FaceCloth – Dishcloth by Barbara Bradford

Free pattern Louie the Lobster Cloth by Tricotine

Free pattern A Cheep Cloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick

Free pattern Dinosaur Washcloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick

Free pattern Pineapple Dishcloth (Knit) by Lily / Sugar’n Cream (and yes, this one was for my mum!)

Hope you all had as fun a Christmas as we all did!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Uncategorized, Updates No Comments

I think I’ve knit the last Christmas gift, I hope I have anyway as I’ve moved on to other projects.

Present 1:

This is for my nephew and uses the free pattern A PokéHat by Mrs Luedeke. Quick and easy knit surprisingly! It fits me, so if my nephew doesn’t want it, I suspect my Pokemon loving sister will nab it…

Present 2:

For my mum, who nabbed off with a replica of the original Fairground Fish (free pattern Frida the Fish / Francis the Fish by Lion Brand Yarn)

I have the one photographed above, it was originally given to my grandfather in 2011 as a random gift as he often fondly told us the tale of ‘that cursed fairground fish, it lasted 25 years it did!’ The sole purpose of this was to make him smile. It worked. He passed away this year, and it’s the only thing that I took as a reminder of him before the funeral. The replica was more or less an identical match, a gift I never got around to giving, and when my mum tried to walk off with the original, I gave her the replica instead.

The reason for the silver version? My mum had fish. They all died this year – curse of 2016 we’re calling it – but before they went belly up, they laid eggs, and out hatched two fish. A gold one and a silver one.

So the silver one I just made is to join the gold one from before.

Pretty convoluted, I do apologise.

Not a Christmas present:

Same patterns as featured in my previous post back in April 2016. (Cardigan is ‘long or short sleeved coat with flower’ from sirdars ‘Beautiful baby knits’. The booties are from the same booklet, they’re from the ‘Sweetpea’ set for those who don’t want to read the previous post)

These are part of the growing bundle of gifts for my neice to be in America – I’ve got another on the needles at the moment, but will post about that when it gets done.

Anything else to comment? Not much except it’s getting scarily close to Christmas, and now I’ve finished the last of the Christmas knitting I think I may actually be getting excited about it…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 117 (4 since last post! Again!)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 650

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

As mentioned a few weeks ago my little Frankenstein has a very prominent…

Bum. Butt. Derriere. Posterior. Behind. Rump. Choose your word of choice. I managed to finally get him off Felix long enough to snap a photo of his little backside, as well as make him some trousers.

Excuse the bad lighting on this one, the first photo is much truer to his green self!

Barring solving Frankenstein’s nudity issues, I got a big chunk done of the second round of Christmas knitting. The stuff I forgot about but can post, so its not the end of the world. A good while ago I blogged about my nieces love of dolls and the little outfits I made for them. Well, Rabbie, awesome aunt and sister that she is, made my niece and her doll matching dresses for Christmas. I opted to make matching shrugs. Felix asked what I was making, I explained, and there was a full blown tantrum.

Auntie Rae makes her dresses. And pj’s. And cat ponchos. And mummy makes her clothes. After some discussion, it was agreed she would also get a matching dress and shrug, she’s three years old, there’s a time and place to explain she has to share her mummy and aunties crafty skills, Christmas day isn’t going to be it. So, low and behold:

Three matching shrugs. Same pattern as used for the dolls last time. The wool is super soft, and sparkly silver, and as lovely as it was making these, three is my limit! Here’s a close up of the stitch pattern:

So pretty!

Last project to show, is the finished Scotty dogs!

Pattern is McIntosh the Dog by Jean Greenhowe. Done on larger needles and thicker wool to give a larger toy.

Alright, wool count time:

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 113 (4 since last post!)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 654

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

Is completely and utterly, finally and at long last, completed!

All the sewing and tucking in of ends and finishing touches are done. They’ll get their own post after Christmas so as not to spoil any surprises.

I’ve also finished all my Christmas shopping today! Just in the nick of time as I was rapidly running out of days in November to do it all in! For those who don’t know me, after working in retail for far too many Christmases in a row, back in my student days, and listening to the same ten awful Christmas song covers for anywhere between 8 to 12 hours from the start of December right through to mid January…yeah, I hate it.

Though I may have picked up a few call of Cthuhlu based treats for myself in the black Friday sales…such as the CoC 7th ed investigators hand book, a nice new keeper screen with two new scenarios, a choose your own adventure Cthuhlu scenario and all the Christmas presents for Engel (Including one chosen for him from Felix) so all in all a good haul! Oh, and Felix was able to add to her dice collection, a bright yellow D20 and a shiny red D4. The people in the shop thought she was adorable as she spent a good 20 minutes picking these dice.

Different shop (comics) and she made a complete random snort and laugh out loud. She pointed at the comics and went ‘Spiderman! And Batman! And the Avengers!’

So I pointed to a Donald Duck one and asked ‘whose that?’

To which she responded ‘I don’t know.’

I pointed to Mickey Mouse ‘How about him?’

‘No. Don’t know.’

So I turned to Engel ‘How can she know Spiderman, Batman and the Avengers and not know Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse?’

His response ‘Well I’m doing my job right.’

Cue stranger cracking up…

Anyhow, that’s enough of that! So, now I’ve done my Christmas knitting I have been knitting…a Christmas hat for a doll?

It’s for my neices American Doll again, and based on the same pattern as the winter hat that I did a whole back, just fewer decreases. Oh, and it’s being modelled on Baymax, my giant, cuddly, Baymax! A get well present from my amazing sis, and a very much loved and appreciated one at that! He’s doing a great job as my personal healthcare assistant – rate your pain in a scale of one to ten? Who cares, happiness just hit ten!

He may be getting cuddles right now…

I’ve got a few knitting projects on the go – a pair of Scotty dogs as I’m expecting a new neice (the mums in America these days, so it’s Scottish themed baby gifts to remind her that we’re all rooting for her back here at home) and I just remembered I had another Christmas knit to do, well, two really, ones tiny, though to be fair, I should do a third…

Guess I haven’t quite finished after all! Well all those can be blogged as I go so more interesting for the readers at least!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 109 (0 since last week, but very close to using one!)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 658

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

No, really, it is!

After finishing the Christmas knitting (hooray! But sadly still having all the sewing and finishing) I decided to whip up some of the cute Rose Pins! It’s a free online pattern by Sarah Kim Tenbuecken and it takes barely any time to knit and assemble.

I doubt Felix will entertain them but they were still fun to make. Maybe her much girlier ‘best friend’ (Felix has bestowed this title on her, it’s so cute!) will like them…

Anyhow, so Christmas knitting is done, just assembly, and then it’s a few additional bits and bobs which I can post up here as and when made without spoiling it for anyone.

Had a bit of an accident at work, nothing major, but I am working from home for a little bit, and it’s amazing how much more I get done when I can knit whilst reading through various articles, papers or reports. Shame I can’t knit and type up manuals and my own reports though…

Oh, and for those who asked last post, I have unfortunately not been able to photograph Frankenstein’s shapely derriere (as mentioned last post) as A Felix has been dragging it around everywhere and I can’t wrestle it off her when she’s sleeping either…next post I shall try! And make him trousers too. Haven’t managed that either.

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 109 (3 since the last post!)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 658

 

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

As an aside to all the Christmas knitting I’ve been doing, I took part in a Halloween MKAL – which turned out to be a cuddly Frankenstein.

My only issue? He doesn’t have trousers on, and, well, I knit it as given, so it’s seamed, not knit in the round, and he has a proper little behind too…

Ah well. That’s life!

Other than this, knit wise, not much to report as I’m still plodding on with Christmas knitting, and that’s going slow as I keep getting by everything!

It’s been a busy few weeks at home – Engel started a new job so the usual routine is gone and the new one has a lot of kinks to get worked out still. Felix’s friend turned three this weekend, so we’ve been doing lots of birthday stuff (there was even a make your own pizza party, which she took very, very seriously)

And my work has been manic. So manic I pretty much get home, see to Felix then once she’s in bed, veg out. Hence not so much knitting…

Alright, short post, time for the unchanged wool count…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (0 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661

 

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

OK, I do have one photo:

I was sent a photo of the doll clothes I made a little while back, actually on the dolls! I was really happy they fit as I was having to blindly follow the patterns measurements as I didn’t have a doll to compare it against.

Pleased with how they look, though it does seem ones dressed for summer and the other winter! May have to make some more…

In other knitting news, I’ve just been pushing on with the Christmas knitting – there’s quite a bit this year so it’s taking a fair bit of my time. Time of which I lost as Felix brought the lurgy into the house, and I just can’t knit whilst feeling nauseous!

Everyone is back to full health again, but it did a number on us all.

Alright, just short post today as really tired! Hopefully I’ll have something more exciting to show next week!

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (0 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661

I suspect Rabbie was right with her comment that the wool count won’t be getting below 600 this year…still have just over two months though!

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

And by that I mean Ravelry, Deviantart and here!

Was reorganising Felix’s room (moving toys upstairs, moving others downstairs, moving some furniture about to better position everything…) And spotted two knitted things that, as previously mentioned, have never been posted.

Do without further ado:

Free online pattern ‘Toy hammock by Browneyedbabs’ and…

Felix’s name, as a cute knitted garland in all the colours of the rainbow! It’s several free patterns – the alphabet series by Frankie Brown on Ravelry.

You’ll have noticed a lot of rainbow colours here, believe it or not, I do like rainbows. (Engel at this point always mutters that he hates them) and for a little kids room it seemed a nice gender neutral choice of colours! Felix is a girl, we knew that when I was still pregnant with her, but I do believe in letting kids pick their own colours and interests, not get them forced on them. Hence lots of gender neutral toys and colours, up until she started to pick them for herself mind you!

Her favourite colour is green and toys are, currently, Octonauts and Thomas the tank engine – specifically Luke, the narrow gauge engine.

In other news it’s been pretty busy here – took Felix to see the Blackpool Illuminations (something I had never even heard of being from Scotland, but a staple childhood memory for all those living in the north west of England it seems!) And today we were at Gulliver’s World, this is the second time she’s been to a theme park (the first being Alton Towers but she was teeny tiny then and only just finding her feet, the majority of that trip was spend lost in the Alton Tower! I swear it’s a maze, you go up a set of stairs, turn round, go down the same stairs and end up in a completely different floor to where you started…)

So not much knitting has happened this week – though stage one of the xmas presents is complete, and stage two has begun!

I know there will be distractions, my resolve is waning rapidly…

Speaking of resolve, I…well…there was a kind of…sort of…maybe accidental purchase of…forty balls of wool…

They were in packs of ten! So it was really just four lapses of resolve!

Its my excuse, I’m sticking to it. Even if it does completely destroy my wool count for the year…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 106 (1 this week)
Wool bought – 53
Wool given – 7

Total – 661 (sigh, it had been doing so well…)

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