Tag: christmas

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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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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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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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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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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As mentioned last post, working on Christmas knits so nothing to show right now! Well, I do have this recent creation:

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Not knitting, but still craft related. There’s a group in the village over that teach people all kinds of craft – knitting, crochet, sewing, card making, felting, all sorts! So I’ve been getting to grips with a sewing machine. I’ve always been able to thread one (mum uses a machine, but her eyes are not so good so that was a job she had me and Rabbie do) and I can do a straight line and that’s about it.

Now though, I turned one of Engels old super baggy but still too awesome to just throw away t-shirts into a cushion cover! This is the practice one, there’s more awesome ones to do.

Want to see knitting though? Here’s a pair of pen-tacle cuties from the archives:

Who says stationary has to be boring? The red one is a classic squid/octopus inspired creation, and the second…blame Engel. He was playing Day of the tentacle… Or something?

Lastly, the wool count. Yeah…well, you see…I worked out what I was going to knit for the Christmas presents, but came up three balls of wool short (yes, I came up short despite owning 600+ balls of wool!) So in Tuesday popped to the wool shop near work (Black Sheep – it’s amazing!) and managed to walk out with just the three I needed (even more amazing). Yesterday though, I got home to find Engel had picked me up three balls more wool and a bag of tablet as I was feeling a little blue.

Considering I hadn’t actually told him this, and had only just begun to feel blue, well, that’s probably the most amazing thing of all.

Or it’s the brood telepathy.

Does however mean that instead of being good and using two balls of wool, I added six, so net gain of four balls of wool. Oops…

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 97
Wool bought – 13
Wool given – 7

Total – 620

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My neice was given a doll (a 16″ American Doll whom she named Holly) but she didn’t have many clothes for this doll. So she gave me the puppy eyes and asked me to make a few little pieces for her, and well, I’m a soft touch when it comes to the puppy eyes…

Felix can attest to that.

So without further ado, a whole little party outfit:

All free Ravelry patterns:

Knotted Openwork Girls Shrug – with matching American Girl size by Kristen Renneke

American Girl Doll Empire Waist Lace Dress by Elaine Phillips

Doll Shoes for 18″ Dolls by Onelia

And for when the weather gets colder, which it will:

Again, all free Ravelry patterns:

American Girl Doll Retro Winter Outfit (Coat, Hat and Muff) by Elaine Phillips

Easiest and fastest baby UGG booties ever! by A la Sascha (Doll size)

Cute, aren’t they? Haven’t decided if they’ll be a Christmas present, birthday present or just spontaneous gift yet – guess i’ll see what’s closest when I see my neice next!

It’s been a busy week – Wythenshaw Garden Festival yesterday, and I have to say I was impressed at just how much Felix could get involved with. We now have a 3ft scarecrow she (helped) made in the front garden, button bracelets, banana badges and lots of colouring, and she got to do painting, eat crickets and mealworms (taste like pork scratchings and…creamy?) She planted pumpkin seeds and made her own fruit salad!

Her highlight: getting to hold the tiniest owl I have ever seen. Which was comical as the man demonstrating was holding a greater horned owls which weighs about as much as she does…

And today has been arts and crafts and swimming – knackered now!

All in all, a good weekend.

And this week I managed to use up three balls of wool!

*Does a little dance*

Starting total – 697

Wool used – 95
Wool bought – 10
Wool given – 4

Total – 616

 

P.S.

I’ve made a start on the Christmas knits for this year so there won’t be many new projects posted over the next few weeks (I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises), but I’ll try and post a few things from the archives to keep things interesting!

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Baby Yoda hat! A request from work, based loosely on the free pattern ‘Baby Yoda Knit Hat’ by Shinah Chang

A pineapple hat – another request – free pattern by Chile Con Yarne – as well as a plain black one using the same pattern (but no leaves) as a leaving gift for my boss at work. Sadly forgot to take a photo before gifting, oh well…

And last hat, again a request from work, free Ravelry pattern ‘Alpaca Earflaps‘ by OzYarn.

Lots of hats lately!

On a different note, the last photo, some may spy some Shadowrun books – I’m preparing the traditional news year eve game, though this year we’re mixing it up with a new system and world – so we’re going from Call of Cthulhu where you will die, or go insane, to Shadowrun, where the players are probably going to die, or drive me insane. Not that they don’t do that anyway.

My brain is still trying to work out exactly how they managed to skip an entire book (I’m talking 50 odd pages of adventure here) from the Horror on the Orient Express Campaign, and then the final book covering the end scenarios was just tossed to the side… (I won’t go into details, gaming is very much a ‘you had to be there’ type thing in my opinion.)

It’ll be interesting trying out a new system though, we’ll be playing 3rd edition Shadowrun as that’s what Engel and myself own a lot of. Well, I own a rule book. He owns four rule books, one start up guide and about thirty odd companion/expansion books and a 6 page character sheet…and I think there’s a few adventures in there too, but I probably won’t use those – no point really as my gaming group have the habit of, when presented with three options, taking the twelfth.

Anyhow!

Wool count. Five used this week – woot!

Wool Count down:
Starting total – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 20 balls (so far)
Wool used – 120
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 45

Total – 697

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Something I always wanted as a kid was a Christmas Stocking. A proper big one. A special one, that was just for me.

This year, I made three. One for Felix:

One for Engel:

And mine!

They’re all based on the Pet Love Stocking by Sarah Hood (Free Ravelry download) with a few of the charts chopped and changed to better suit the individual. Felicity has cats, owls and ducks. Engel has cats, spiders, bats and fish bones, whereas I have black sheep, cats and red squirrels. (All the charts are free on Ravelry, full links can be found on the Ravelry Project pages on my Ravelry account)

Its also no coincidence that there are two black cats and one tortie on each stocking – Dashie, Salem and Crumble, our little kitties!

Quick post today – have presents to wrap!

Wool Count down:
Starting total – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 20 balls (so far)
Wool used – 115 (Just 2 this week)
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 45

Total – 702

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I know its only November, and I’m breaking one of my own cardinal rules, but I’m going to talk about Christmas.

(Normally I don’t talk about it till December, I get the shopping done in January mind you, but I don’t actually like the whole festive thing till December)

But I have a two year old and she knows what Christmas is all about: presents!

And in my case, craft fairs. So, some Christmas knits! Its all tree decorations, and I’ll state now, not all of these are stock, a lot of them are because Felix saw the pattern and then demanded ‘mummy make! Mummy make me happy!’

How can I refuse?

So, onto the photos!

Advent Tree: Candy Cane Heart by Alan Dart (expect to see more of these patterns, Felix wants the lot, except the elf…

Free online Santa hat (tree decoration sized) pattern. Its Knitted Santa Hat Christmas Ornament Pattern by Linda Dawkins.

Felix loves stars, I think its cause she sees them in the shops and they’re bright and sparkly…so this was a must. Free Ravelry pattern called Stjarna by Karolina Eckerdal. These ones are knit in a sparkly silver wool, for extra cuteness!

And last but not least, based loosely on the free Ravelry pattern ‘Oh Balls!‘ by Marcie Nishioka, with some creative colour changes and additions…

Reindeer!

Robins!

and Christmas puds – oh my!

What else? Not a lot bar work and DIY and life…oh, wool count! 6 Balls since last post (and one was a 500g one too!)

Wool Count down:
Starting total – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 20 balls (so far)
Wool used – 104
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 45

Total – 713

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