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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

I wasn’t kitten you when I paw-romised more Cheshire cat inspired Disney bounding accessories!

You’ll have to paw-den me though in that the accessories I was gonna share originally aren’t quite done yet, but purrhaps that’s a good thing, as they are more fun than these clawsome cuties!

If you’ll allow meow to spin a yarn, I was initially knitting hats, and the first pattern I picked…it just wasn’t working. The stitch count was good, but the pattern didn’t work with the grey variegated wool. So I tried another. And had a play at another. Purrseverence paid off, and after some consultation with my stitch dictionary, I settled on a mock cable slip stitch pattern.

After knitting the hat, I didn’t want to stop and work out the maths for the ears, and thus just…kept going…

Hence the two cowls rather than hats!

It’ll be hats next week. Unless I paw-crastinate! No promises!

In non knitting news, this year is continuing to be a year, however, a few things have finally nudged into place and a few things have come together, and even though there’s still a lot going on and a lot to be done and chased…it feels a little lighter, and a little brighter.

This may be due to wielding an axe and battle shield last night as I have joined a viking re-enactment group. I’ve been going for a few weeks, and I’ve decided it’s something I’m going to continue. So don’t be surprised if various forms of viking craft start popping up in here!

Despite all the crazy going on, I decided I needed to have something that was very much ‘my time’ and ‘my thing’ and completely separate to ‘the crazy’. And it’s genuinely helped. Although the number of crafts I do has jumped, and a few of my old ones have been dusted off, and I have plans for some small and some grand ideas for the future.

And I may have bought a ridiculous amount of linen and sent it to Rabbie with a very big ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and hopefully soon she will work her crafting magic and I can dress up as a viking too!

But that’s in the future, something fun and frivolous to focus on.

And with that, stay safe until next post, and if you don’t already have something yourselves that’s a fun and rewarding distraction to help combat those dark grey days, I encourage you to find one.

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 29 (+2)
Wool bought – 17
Wool given to me – 15
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 2

Total – 881 (Net difference: +1)

So close…so very close guys…

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

So, as you all know, I didn’t post anything last week. It had been a very busy, but good, week, a lot of the issues that had been ongoing had been resolved – those that need to know, know, I won’t bore anyone with the details – and the Monday was a nice quiet one with a friend round doing some miniature painting with us. (Ok, I spent it cleaning models, but it counts).

So Tuesday rolls round, I’m about to put the little terrors to bed and then post on here when Inkling stood up, declared his tummy hurt and then puked. And puked. And puked.

There must be some form of eldritch magic at work because something so small can not contain that much puke. This was followed by much cleaning and a long night of puke, clean, puke, clean until pretty much time to get up for work…

It took till Friday before my littlest terror could be classed as ‘well’. He could keep down food and drink, and had some energy, but not quite his usual bouncing self which took till Sunday.

Unfortunately that same Friday, just a few days ago, I then became ill…

Hence, you got to be kitten me.

The pun game is still on, and it still ties in with this week’s knitted thing!

Cats, cats, cats! This is a close up of Covered in Cats Cowl by Marna Gilligan from her book ‘Cat Knits’.

I wanted another cowl, and I loved the colours in my 100% That Witch jumper, and I just needed to knit this cute pattern so… Perfect trinity? Oh, and as you can see, it doubles as a kitty blanket.

On that note, I shall leave you with a close up of this cutie and give you the wool count. Until next post, stay safe!

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 4 (+3)
Wool bought – 10 (+10 – bought for this year’s 100 Xmas decos)
Wool given to me – 2
Wool gifted to others – 3
Wool handspun – 2 (+1)

Total – 887 (Net difference: +7)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 1 Comment

Who doesn’t love a good pun?

As I said last post, we will slowly work on catching up on all the Christmas knits so that I can have a fairly relaxed start to the year, knit wise at least.

The start of my year has not been relaxing. It has been one thing after another after another.

Its also why I didn’t post yesterday, if I did it would literally have gone:

Me: Bad weekend. Here. Photos.

Photos.

Me: Here, details.

Me: Done now. Take care.

Which would have been a somewhat poor post…not that this one will be much better as I am tired! Things have been fixed/improved, so the stress is easing, but I am still worn out.

Enough babble. This week we are going to look at cowls!

As a thank you for a wonderful weekend away, I decided to knit a little gift for the hosts. This first set is Duotone Cowl by Orange Flower Yarn, a free pattern, and even though it’s for the man of the house, Girl Gift Mitts by Debbie Meiklejohn knit to match.

Its a great pattern, very easy, lends well to stripes and with it being ribbed, fits everyone from my skinny wrists to manly shovel hands!

And for the lady of the house, Lizard Ridge Cowl by Janis Witkins, also a free pattern, and knit in Hufflepuff colours. Again, a pair of Girl Gift Mitts to match!

These were both cowl patterns I wanted to try, so I was more than happy to knit these as gifts.

Right, until next post, take care!

Wool Count

Starting total – 880

Wool used – 1 (Woo!)
Wool bought – 0
Wool given to me – 2 (so very pretty balls of wool too!)
Wool gifted to others – 0
Wool handspun – 0

Total – 881 (Net difference: +1)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 4 Comments

Hi all, apologies for the late post but there was several reasons behind it, honest! Between an action packed weekend of catching up with friends, some we have barely seen since pre-covid, and some serious crafting on the sewing machine (curtains, for the conservatory, needed now it’s getting towards winter) and one more little thing…

But that requires some context. At the end of August I volunteered to do a test knit for SuperGreenWitch and was selected to knit her Drop of comfort Cowl in whatever wool I wished. It practically fell off my needles:

The black yarn is Sirdar Snuggly Cashmere Merino DK and the contrast yarn is Sirdar Softspun Chunky in the ‘shale’ colour way. You may have noticed I didn’t link the pattern there – that’s because it’s not been released yet. The reason for getting to post about this now, before it’s released, is that my colour combination was liked that much, it was decided to be the one to actually be featured.

Small problem though: there are rules about publishing patterns, and one such one is that if it’s a garment or accessory to be worn, it needs to be shown as such. By a person. So…

Guess what I did this evening, during a welcome break in the dull weather? Yep. Getting photos of me wearing the item, rather than photographed ‘flat’. It’s a rare thing for me to do as, like a lot people, I prefer to keep myself to myself and that most certainly includes online photos.

But given the opportunity I couldn’t resist! And as I wasn’t sure about what photo to use, the lovely and wonderful Rabbie helped me slim it down to two.

By agreeing to the photos, I get to share it with you all early! And of course, when the pattern gets published I’ll be sure to link back to it, as it’s a very cosy, super quick and very warm knit!

Thats all for this week, hopefully I will either block one of my knits to show for next week, or finish a different project which has taught me the importance of paying attention and reading ahead in a pattern. Again. Twice.

I mean, Inkling can totally do with 8 mittens, right?!

Wool Count

Starting total – 897

Wool used – 146 (1 this week!!)
Wool bought – 50
Wool given to me – 47
Wool gifted to others – 4
Wool handspun – 13

Total – 849 (Net total of 33 down!)

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting 2 Comments

This week’s blog title definitely has two meanings. The fun one is to do with my most recently completed knitting project, the other…

Last week, lockdown fatigue had really, really set in. It was literally at the point where I felt like I was just dragging myself through each day, one day after the other after the other…the mantra of ‘Just keep going, just keep going’ playing in my head.

But the restrictions here have begun to ease, last Sunday our little family went an hour and a half down south to meet up with our friends and their parents dog and we had an amazing day at their local reservoir/water park – there was lots of new scenery, big play parks, a tiny train…it was amazing.

And exhausting. I am not a sociable creature by habit, but we are a sociable species, and finally getting that social contact…yeah, I was tired.

So this low followed by this exhausting high led to their being no blog post last week. As such, we are having not just one, or two, but three finished products to show off!

These are made following the free pattern 19 Fishes on a Mitten by Magdalena Svanberg, except I added extra length so there’s 24 on these.

The idea of this whole set came into being after Engel bought be some of Siobhan Crafts hand dyed mini skeins all based on fish, I looked at them and knew they had to be made into a gift for Rabbie. She did marine biology at university, she does diving still, and her love of all things that live in the seas, oceans, rivers and lakes is astounding.

This crazy bright creation follows Alternating Current by Alex Tinsley from the book ‘Doomsday Knits’ – I followed the pattern pretty much except I used 3.5mm needles rather than the recommended 5mm due to the wool weight.

Another reason Rabbie deserves all the cosy warm Knits’ is that she feels cold. Painfully feels it. I often joke she’s a lizard, but I do feel for her. So this satisfies my mother like instinct to swaddle her in all the hand Knits!

Another free pattern, Fishies by Jackie Ziegler – I was determined to use every scrap of this wool!

This weekend I’m seeing the same friends I saw last week, only they’re driving up to us. I’m excited about this, but no where near as much as the fact that I am finally allowed to see my sis again! Next week we’re meeting up and I can’t wait to give her all these warm and cuddly things I have made, and let her know everyone she wears them that she’s appreciated and how much I miss her.

This pandemic has taught me a lot of things. I am a much stronger person than I ever thought I would be, I am capable of being a teacher, a mum, a wife, a friend, a sister, an entertainer, a crafter, a story teller, a games master, and more than I could list in here. It’s also taught me that I can’t survive alone. I can be a mother and a wife, but I need the husband and father. I can be a sister, a daughter, but I need family. I can be a friend, but I need them too. When presented with the unknown, I fill it with as much as I can to make it seem less scary, and I burn out because of it. But most importantly:

All any of us can do really, is to just keep swimming. We’ll get there, wherever there is.

Till next week, take care.

Wool Count

Starting total – 897

Wool used – 63 (13 this fortnight)
Wool bought – 3 (needed more black DK)
Wool given to me – 21
Wool gifted to others – 1
Wool handspun – 8

Total – 865

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