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

Every year, since…2007 I have made a decoration for my Christmas tree.

2007: The one to start it all, a tiny santa hat for the top of the tree. No pattern used, just kind of winged it with what I had on hand.

2008: Pattern is Advent Tree: Sugar Mouse by Alan Dart – to mark the fact that the flat I was living in (a very old listed building) had mice in the walls, and under the floors, and in the ceilings…

2009: Pattern is Advent Tree: Marzipan Pig by Alan Dart – to commemorate the swine flu, I was also doing my first job after uni which was QC checking the swine flu vaccine vaccine.

2010: Another pattern I winged, a guinea pig in a test tube (ok, a pot for holding swabs, but close enough) as I was onto my second job, which was a mix of sales and microbiological testing. My favourite client was a guinea pig farm – I got to cuddle 200+ baby guinea pigs!!!

2011: Based on the free pattern Beans the Cat by Linda Dawkins, this is Crumble the cat, the first cat we fostered. Also our first pet cat as she was deemed unhomable due to the many issues she had with people and food (she was treated badly before we got her)

2012: Based on the free pattern Rose pins by Sarah Kim Tenbuecken – a set of four tiny roses in the same colours as my wedding bouquet (yep, decided to get married in the same year the world was supposed to end) Interestingly, I made these again as actual hair pins in 2016

2013: Free pattern Tiny Onesies! by Akaemi Barnett – to mark the birth of Felix (right) and the other was for my bosses daughter, also born 2013, 6 weeks after Felix. (This is also the first decoration I actually posted on the blog in real time!)

2014: Free pattern Tiny Train Knitting Pattern by Diane Stobbart – marking Felix’s first birthday being held at a miniature railway.

2015: Free pattern Oisin owl by Pauline Gallagher – to match the owls on Felix’s stocking

2016: Based in the free pattern Phoenix and Dragon Finger Puppets by carinbrat – tweaked the wings, turned the puppet into a body…nothing too major. This red dragon is to represent Wales, as we had our first proper little family holiday there.

2017: Free pattern Tiny Onesies! by Akaemi Barnett – to mark the birth of Inkling, it only seemed fitting to do the same as I did for Felix back in 2013! They’re even both made with the same ball of white sparkly wool.

I wonder what 2018 will be?

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 149 (1 since the last post)
Wool bought – 51
Wool given – 135
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 624

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Heh, I’ve been reading way too many nursery rhymes…

Let me explain the reason for this particular blog post. I don’t know when it started exactly, but somewhere between me finishing primary school and Felix starting (ok, she’s at nursery school, but close enough! She wears a wee uniform and everything!) it’s become a thing to give teachers presents on the last day of school.

Rather than the shops recommended chocolates or tat, I opted to knit them little something’s instead because…well, it’s what I do!

So, the owl first:

Pattern used is Oisin owl by Pauline Gallagher. When Felix first started she kept insisting one of her teachers was ‘Mrs Owl’. For months we heard about Mrs Owl and, come parents evening, we discovered that Mrs Owl was actually Mrs Powell.

Couldn’t resist making her an owl though.

And the caterpillar?

I’m on a roll with these guys…once again, the pattern used is the free pattern Caterpillar by Kimberly Chapman, with the same modifications mentioned in my previous post.

You’ll also note this caterpillar is wearing a scarf. This is because it’s for Mrs Scarf. And no, that is her actual name, though we did initially think Felix must have misheard that one too! A bit more effort was put into this one as she’s recently announced she’s pregnant, and well, it’ll be cute for her little one to be.

Right, back to knitting food for –

Oh wait, other things to be knit!

A FOURTH meret hat (free pattern Meret (Mystery Beret) by Woolly Wormhead) as my mum decided to steal the one meant for my aunt, so I whipped up another one for my aunt. Plain black this time, but it’s an angora/silk/wool blend so oh so snuggly…

Anyhow, as my mum stole the other hat, she cheekily asked for matching armwarmers (she does work in a playground which is a wind tunnel, in Scotland, so I can’t begrudge her too much as the stolen hat was way warmer than the others…)

Free pattern Camp Out Fingerless Mitts by tante ehm, I’ve made them before for mum and as she likes and wears though, went for the same pattern again. Was playing yarn chicken, hence the stripes!

Right, now back to knitting all that food!

Starting total – 650

Wool used – 63 (3 since last post)
Wool bought – 33
Wool given – 49
Wool gifted – 59

Total – 610

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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 Gaming, Knitting, Little one No Comments

Completely different!

A warm cosy hat for Engel! I used the free pattern ‘Leef’s Ear Flap Hat (3-color)’ by Leef Bloomenstiel, only changes were a knitted merino lining inside the hat for extra warmth and the number of stitches. The pattern says 84, Engel has a huge head. Seriously. He wears an XXL motorcycle helmet and even that’s a little snug. I increased the number of stitches for this hat to 147.

147!

But it fits, and he likes it, and I am reminded once more why I don’t knit him hats. I’ll forget in a few years and offer to make another no doubt…

Onto my other project this week!

Remember how I blogged about my obsession for dice bags? Well, Felix has clocked on that when we’re playing our RPGs that everyone (near enough) in the group has a knitted dice bag. So, she demanded her own dice bag and dice. And it had to be a full complement of dice, not just the D6’s!

Here’s the dice bag – her pick of pattern and colours.

Not surprisingly, she wanted owls. This bag actually is a cross between her mittens and her Christmas stocking. I was impressed with how well she managed to get across what she wanted!

That’s all for this week – except the wool count, three balls used again this week!

Wool Count down:
Starting total – 697 balls
Wool used – 9 (3 this week)

Total – 688

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one No Comments

Slight change of pace this week – I couldn’t leave Felix out after both myself and Engel getting armwarmers, so mittens it is!

I used the free pattern ‘Owlet‘ by Odessa Reichel – though I did end up making two pairs as the first came out large enough for a 6/7 year old! Felix can have those when she outgrows the smaller pair (pictured).

For the food item this week I actually went old school and used one of my many knitting books – Amigurimi knits by Hansi Singh. Can you guess which pattern I used? Here’s a hint:

Peas! This is probably going to be the last knitted food for a while – I will be making more, but will wait till Felix asks for them! She actually seems satisfied with the influx she’s received these past three weeks…

Last but not least:

Wool Count down:
Starting total – 697 balls
Wool used – 6 (3 this week)

Total – 691

Have a good week everyone!

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

It’s been another busy week. Work, team building day involving playing Rambo by shooting my work colleagues and superiors with laser guns running about the woods, the conclusion to Cthuhlu: Horror on the Orient Express (it was epic, and so far off course the actual written recommended ending that no matter how much I could try and explain, no one but those who were there would understand.)…and Fallout: Shelter was just released on Android (my platform of choice).

Because of all this, mostly my new game, this not-so-little owl lay languishing in pieces for four days.

Free pattern courtesy of  Rachel Gallagher-Miller

Cute, isn’t it? It’s for Felix’s childminders birthday this week (cutting the sewing close here) and the colour choice, well, this is what happens when a not quite two year old gets let loose in my wool stash.

And that’s it for this whole week. In shame, and frustration at my own addiction, I’ve deleted Fallout:Shelter from my tablet. Productivity has quadrupled…

However!

Last week I finished this cute project.

Centre panel is a free pattern – Paw Print Cloth by by Rhonda White and I just winged the rest…

It’s a dog blanket for my dog-niece Missy (or Mishap) and I had far too much fun making it!

No wool used this week, so no wool count.

Not sure if any will be used this week either as I have lots of little projects on the go, and two blankets, but they’re going slowly…

Chat to you all next week!

 

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by RoxyPosted on Posted in Knitting, Little one 1 Comment

This May bank holiday I was at the Chestnut Centre – its an otter and owl sanctuary, and since the weather looked promising, I figured it would be a nice little family day out.

I think I should take a moment to explain. I hate water. Nearly drowned when I was 15, yadda, yadda, the stuff gives me the creeps. Especially big open expanses of it. When myself and Engel had Felix I wanted to make sure she didn’t have that same phobia, so to the pool she went when she was but a tiny thing.

Her response to water? Roll onto back, cuddle a rubber duckie/ball and kick with the back legs, grinning manically.

So we nick named her ‘Ottah’, as that’s what she made us think of.

Subsequently, I kept saying when she was old enough to not need a pram, we’d go to the otter sanctuary and she can see her namesakes in action.

She loved it. Otters go squeak. Owls go hoot. She can outrace her mum on the uphill and her dad on the downhill. Everything’s awesome.

Though she did have a tantrum at the gift shop on the way out – she ran right past all the mountains of cuddly toys, and dove into the books, demanding about six of them…she already owns five of the ones she wanted! So when we got home I read ‘The Otter that Loved to hold hands’ to her then promptly cast one on the needles.

One adorable Otter. Its one of the Patons wildlife collection. It goes to bed with her. And I had to do owls too.

The infamous Owl Puff pattern – its free on Ravelry. Oh, and because I’m sure someone must be wondering what knitted thing I photograph all the toys on:

The also infamous, ten stitch blanket. Also free on Ravelry.

Hope you all had a good bank holiday too!

Oh, wool update, three used this week! And of the two I bought last week, yep, Sods Law, only needed one in the end.

Wool Count down:
Starting total (28Feb15) – 747 balls
Extra stash found – 10 balls (so far)
Wool used – 36 (Yeah!)
Wool given – 3
Wool bought – 3

Total – 725

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