Hallowe'en 2011

Here we have 2 Knights...One of the Camelot-esque variety, and one Jedi 

knitted chailmail shirt and coif, sewn undershirt

as for the Jedi...he looks like a mini Luke in the middle pic :D... sewing again for underrobes and main teracotta one (had to dye it as i didnt have anything big enough that was darker than the cream) and a twisted cord for the belt.

snake pattern

copy/pasted from another blog...will edit for pics and mistakes later

gauge isn't really important, you just need to make sure the hook and wool give a close enough finish so as not to leave big holes. I used a 4mm hook and a double knitting wool that handled quite heavy...it definitely wasnt a baby weighted DK. Used maybe about 25g of main colour with oddments of red and black for detail

sc single crochet
ch chain
inc increase (work 2 sc in single stitch)
dec decrease (insert hook, pull thru thread, insert hook in next stitch, pull thru yarn, then pull yarn thru all 3 loops to make one stitch)

the main body is worked in spirals

Start off by making the tongue, this way it can be fastened off well inside before stuffing the head and prevents any small bits getting eaten off (i have two small boys, so eaten off IS the correct term lol)

With red chain 12, turn and sc in 2nd chain from hook and following 5chain, this makes one half of the forked tongue, make another 7 chain coming off from the last sc, sc down these new chain for the other side of the fork, then sc down the rest of the base chain and fasten off...you should have what now looks like a forked tongue

Using main colour work 2 ch
1st row work 6sc in 2nd ch from hook (6st)
2nd row (inc) in each sc (12st)
3rd row (inc, 1sc) to end (18st)
4th row (inc) in first 3 sc, then sc to end (21st)
5th row (inc, sc, inc) twice, then sc to end (25st)
work 3 rounds straight
9th row (dec, sc,sc,sc) repeat to end (20st)
10th row(dec, sc,sc, sc) to end (16st)

at this point attach tongue by bringing ends thru the starter loop and sewing in ends and knotting off well. Make eyes using knotted wool, i used 2 strands held together bringing wool thru 6 times then pulling tight to make a large sized knot, attaching as picture at the bump in the head. Stuff head then continue on with spirals.

Work for as long as you feel you need to, stuffing as you go, to make a long sausage. I made him long enough to allow a knot, but he could easily be longer or shorter as you wish...this makes him a great stash buster as long as you remeber to leave enough to decrease for the tail as follows...

before decreasing stuff end only very well so the stuffing can move out and fill the tail end when finished.

continue in rounds working a decrease the 5sc round until it gets too close to work comfortably...i had about 5 sts left by that stage, break yarn and stitch thru end to close.

et voila...a little snake 

headband tester

pattern test toddler hat

I'll link pattern when available

Tiny Beanie

6mm crochet hook and DK wool

2chain, work 6hdc in 1st chain, do not join,work in spirals

(inc) in each - 12hdc

(work 1, inc in next) around - 18hdc

work 1hdc in each for 4 rounds

work 1 round in sc, fasten off and sew in ends

for the flower

3chain slip into 1st chain.

working into loop work (sc,dc,dc) 6times then slip to close. 

attach to hat as shown with optional button for decoration

flower headband

A pattern test for a Ravelry designer... pattern can be found HERE

Formula One Inspired (okay, mostly Red Bull Racing lol)

CHRISTIAN HORNER

The Original Teeny Dude...Christian Horner...all others were due to this inspiration.

The Eagle-eyed will note the pinky ring,belt buckle and arms to appeal to The Christian Horner Fan Club 

ADRIAN NEWEY

Adrian Newey...Genius, Airbender

STEPHANO DOMENICALLI

Stephano Domenicalli from Ferrari

THE EGG COSIES

made in 2010 colours, these are set in the order at the time

THE BEANIES

Mercedes and Mclaren

Force India and Red Bull

(yes FI does look a bit like Irish colours)

Ferrari and Renault

(yes Renault could be classed as being Jordan too)

I must make more LMAO

and xbox again

no...we were NOT going looking for another 1 point LMAO

but here's another cool one from a day or so later :)

Milo the Armadillo

The teachers at the nursery school know I knit and crochet a bit...well okay a LOT.

One of them told me about this book by Jan Fearnley with a knitting pattern for an armadillo that she had started but it didnt look quite right and would I be interested....silly question really, cos I'll give anything a go LOL.

So, she gave me the book and some wool...I felt the pink looked a bit dark so rummaged in The Stash and found one near as darn perfect...so got all the bits of double knitting and the size 11s (3mm) together ready to start

The pattern does have quite a lot of shaping and some colourwork for his back so it's not for a beginner...you can get the pdf link through her website, but I would definitely recommend getting the book too as it's a lovely story for the little ones.

A couple of evenings later I had all my bits ready to sew and embroider

I did a few things in a slightly different way/order from the pattern tho, The eyes I made 2 lengths of wool with knots in the center so I could tightly knot the ends inside the head...just to make them a little more secure and less likely for little hands to yank off (I have a 3 and 4 yr old and know what they can do). I als did the embroidery on the back before sewing it on...again for the same reason so I could secure any ends inside neatly.

So here he is...

...I remembered while doing his back why I don't do Fair Isle very often (fiddly keeping the back neat and not too tight)...

... and finally for a size guide here he is modeled by my 3yr old. I nearly didnt get him back.

mathematical hyperbolic crochet and stuff

Yeah I know...havnt been very prolific with posting recently.

So what have I been up to? As the title suggests a little bit of mathematical crochet.

Started off with 6 sc in a ring, work 1 sc, inc 1 sc in a continuous spiral. I have no idea how many stitches were in the final round of the spiral...suffice it to say a helluvalot. As coral follows a similar growing pattern I also "modelled" in with some teeny tortoises...well they look like turtles

As for the tortoise/turtles, they come from the freebie pattern by lucyravenscar ... here are some more because my kids keep asking for another one in a different colour and they only take about 15-20 mins from start to finish

What else...ah...the Liquorice Tic-Tac-Toe. Jean Greenhowe pattern from Bazaar Knits.

Look great now it's finished, but a word of warning to those without patience cos it's a b**ch to sew up.

My kids love it tho, bright,colourful and an easy enough game. 

Finally the one i like the most at the moment. Again by lucyravenscar it's Wicket the Ewok

There are other bits either done or nearly done. Will get them up soon.

My First Nursery Made Mothers Day Card

and yup...another xbox score post

you know something...I don't think I need to explain,

so if you don't know,check the other xbox tagged posts LMAO

Iggle Piggle

As usual just using budget wool in pale blue (maybe about 30grams worth) and some oddments of black and red. uk size 10 needles (3.25mm) and some toy stuffing. legs,body and head are all one piece, stitch count in bold at end of row

k Knit
p Purl
st-st stocking stitch
st/s stitch/stitches
inc increase
k2tog/k3tog knit 2 together/knit 3 together

instructions in brackets are repeated as mentioned

BODY

Beginning at base of feet with red cast on 14st

1st row inc k wise in every stitch (28st)

beginning knit st-st 2 rows

change to pale blue and st-st 8 rows

shape for feet

next row k4, (k2tog) twice, (k3tog) 4times, (k2tog) twice, k4 (16 sts)

st-st 15 rows on these 16sts ending with a p row. break yarn and leave sts on a spare needle

make another leg the same without breaking wool.

join legs together

knit across the 16 sts on needle, then knit across the sts on the other leg, mark both ends of row with coloured thread (32sts)

continue on these sts, beginning purl st-st 21 rows

shape shoulders

next row (k4, k2tog) twice, k8, (k2tog, k4) twice (28sts)

st-st 5 rows

increase for head

next row k3, (inc in next st, k2) 7 times, inc in next st, k3 (36sts)

st-st 9 rows

next row k24, (k2tog) twice, k8 (34sts)

purl 1 row

next row k23, (k2tog) twice, k7 (32sts)

st-st 15 rows

shape top of head

next row k5, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k to end (30sts)

purl 1 row

next row (k2tog) to end (15sts)

next row p1, (p2tog) to end (8sts)

break yarn leaving a long end, thread thru remaining 8 sts and pull up lightly



to make up, bring coloured threads at top of legs together with right side inside and sew both leg seams and oversew cast on stitches, sew up the back seam to just above neck shaping. sew seam from top of head for about an inch to leave space at back of head,


turn right side out and stuff. At this point i would embroider on facial features or add on safety eyes if using them, this way all ends can be well knotted inside the head and less likely to be pulled out by an overzealous tot lol)

finish stuffing and sew seam at back of head closed. get a double length of pale blue wool and wrap around neck, pull tight and knot well, sew in ends

ARMS  make 2

using light blue cast on 7st

1st row (inc) k wise to end (14sts)

beginning purl st-st 15 rows

shape elbows

next row k12 turn

next row p10

next row k to end

st-st 9 rows

shape top of arm

dec 1st at each end of next and every following row until 4sts remain. Cast off


with right side inside sew up seam to top shaping, turn right side and stuff, sew open edge to body with cast off edge at shoulder shaping.

using a double length of wool tie around at approximately row 7 of arm, tie tightly and sew in ends to create a hand.

HAIR make 4

using red cast on 5 sts and icord 6 rows

(where you knit across, slip sts back to 1st needle, bring yarn behind and knit across again pulling tight to create a cord...google icord tho as there are better explainations with pics)

break wool, thread through sts and fasten off

sew hair to top of head as illustrated

NOSE

using blue cast on 2st

1st row (inc) in both sts (4sts)

work 4 rows

next row (p2tog) twice, break yarn leaving long end, thread through 2 sts on needle and pull tight. run a line of stitching around the whole edge of nose and gather with a little stuffing inside, and attach nose to face as illustrated


and ta-da...an iggle piggle


his blanket is just 15 sts worked in sts-st to make a square, then blanket st detail in light blue


I have to add that i am in no way affiliated with the company that makes the program and this pattern is only meant for personal use and all the other usual legal stuff, if you do own any rights and are unhappy with me posting this please feel free to message me and i will remove it...thank you

Toddler Pirate Beanie

I say Toddler size, but altho it's a little big for a smaller kid add on an extra couple of rounds and it's stretchy enough to do a smaller adult head. An extra round of increases should fit most adults. For the motif I ended up making my own up as i went along...I did try to find one online but none of them looked quite what i wanted. I'll write down what I did as best as I can and edit in a better guide with some pictures when i make another. If you try it and can think of a better way to explain it, or if it makes no sense at all please feel free to comment :)

 On to the instructions.

Materials

 Double Knitting (US worsted/Aus 8ply) wool in black and oddments of white. (the whole hat weighs 36grams so about 35g of black would be enough)

4mm(G-6)  and 2.5mm (C-2) crochet hooks

Large eyed tapestry needle

Abbreviations

hdc - Half Double Crochet ( I tend to use US terms so this is the one I mean Art of Crochet by Teresa HDC)

sc - single crochet Art of Crochet by Teresa SC

st - stitch/es

Directions in brackets ( ) repeated as written and [ ] shows stitch count

Gauge 4.5hdc x 4 rounds per inch approx

Hat

round 1 Using 4mm hook and Black yarn make 2 chain, work 6hdc into 2nd chain from hook, do not join,continue in spiral place stitch/row marker for round end

round 2 Work 2 hdc in each hdc working under all 3 loops of previous row [12hdc]

round 3 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next) to end of round [18hdc]

round 4 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 2 hdcs) to end of round [24hdc]

round 5 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 3 hdcs) to end of round [30hdc]
round 6 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 4 hdcs) to end of round [36hdc]
round 7 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 5 hdcs) to end of round [42hdc]
round 8 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 6 hdcs) to end of round [48hdc]

round 9 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 7 hdcs) to end of round [54hdc]

round 10 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 8 hdcs) to end of round [60hdc]

round 11 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 9 hdcs) to end of round [66hdc]
round 12 Work (2 hdc in next hdc, 1hdc in next 10 hdcs) to end of round [72hdc]

To make an adult or larger kids hat add in one or two more increase rounds here, following pattern will give 78 stitches and 84 stitches respectively, then continue as below with those stitch counts

rounds 13 to 26 work 1 hdc in each hdc (14 rounds total)
round 27 work 1 single crochet changing to white to complete the stitch, then work to complete 1 full round of single crochet and slip stitch to close.

Sew in all ends neatly


Skull and Crossbones motif

Worked in 3 parts, 1 skull and 2 bones, do not make turning chains after the first foundation chain, in my opinion this gives a neater edge in this case
Skull

Using 2.5mm hook and white chain 7
row 1 work 1 sc in 2nd chain from hook and each chain along [6sc] turn,do not make turning chain
row 2-4  work sc in each sc
row 5 work 2sc in first stitch, work to last sc, work 2sc in last stitch [8sc]
row 6 work 2sc in first stitch, work to last sc, work 2sc in last stitch [10sc]
row 7 work 2sc in first stitch, work to last sc, work 2sc in last stitch [12sc]
row 8-11 work 1sc in each sc - 4 rows
row 12 slip stitch into first stitch, work 10sc, slip into last stitch, turn
row 13 miss the slip stitch from previous row and slip into first sc, work 8sc, slip in next stitch, turn
row 14 miss the slip stitch from previous row and slip into first sc, work 6sc, slip in next stitch, turn
row 15 miss the slip stitch from previous row and slip into first sc, work 4sc, slip in next stitch, fasten off

Embroider mouth eyes and nose as shown in picture before sewing skull to hat placing chin of skull 2 inches (5cm) up from contrast trim row.

Crossbones make 2

This is harder to explain and I will get pictures edited in later when I make another to help clarify, but it's basically a chain ,work a nobbly bit,work the chain,make 2 nobbly bits,work other side of chain make nobbly bit and close...bear with me and I'll TRY and write down what I did...

chain 16
in 2nd chain from hook work 1 slip stitch, 3 hdc and 1 slip stitch (5 stitches in one loop)
work in sc along chain to last stitch.
in last stitch work the following, 1 slip stitch, 3 hdc, 1 slip stitch, 3 hdc, 1 slip stitch (this is the double nobbly bit)
continue working down other side of chain to last stitch (the one that was the 1st stitch at the beginning)
in last stitch work 1slip stitch, 3hdc, 1 slip stitch and fasten off

Hopefully this should now look like a bone, if not when sewing to hat the center of the nobbly bits can be pulled in a little to make the indent...again I appologise and I will try to get clearer to understand photos and instructions up ASAP

Sew these onto hat below the skull as shown.

Present hat to toddler and hop he/she likes it :D

Toffee Yoghurt Muffins

Firsty...the only reason I made toffee specifically was because I had a huge pot to use up. I'm writing down the original quantities but i doubled it up to use up the pot and made 48 buns..fairy cake sized not muffin sized as I only had small cases. Fill the cases quite well as it dosnt rise too much but is still amazingly light considering.

This is the kind of recipe I like...bung it together,bung it in oven,munch :D

preheat oven to gas 5, 190c, 375f

115g softened butter/marg

150g caster sugar

250g plain flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

240ml yoghurt (any flavour you like, I used toffee)

Put everything together an mix well...this is where I love my kenwood mixer.

Fill the cases and bake for approx 20 mins till springy and golden.

Turn onto rack to cool.

Munch :D

The Toadstool Stool

I've been planning this one for a while...in fact I've actually had the reel for over 6 months now and now it's made we have a fair bit of space in the cupboard LOL.

Started off it's life as a giant plastic cottonreel. Well...network cable reel but you know what I mean.

After a bit of discussion making it into a toadstool seemed the best idea. To make it hardwearing I decided on crochet and using 3 strands of wool held together. After a couple of tension circles decided on a 5.5mm hook...6mm was a bit loose and 4.5 was way too tight. I don't have a 5mm hook at the moment (plarn project with plastic hook and it shattered...ooops)

Simple circle...2 chain, 8 single crochet (american SC, or UK double crochet) into the 2nd chain, then working in spirals increasing evenly...ie round 2 increase in each, round 3 work 1 increase 1 round etc...

...and so on until it was slightly larger than the reels diameter (ballpoint pen for size guide).

Then a few rounds straight for depth, then some decreasing and finally a row of double crochet (UK trebles) to thread the attaching tie through.

The base was a bit more difficult to cover. Worked it in again 3 strands, 3 different shades of green to give a mottled colouring. Worked back and forth using shortrow shaping this time to create an open sided doughnut shape to make it easy to attach on. Then some details of 6 white circular spots and a little blue flower for on the base.

Picture below is most of the bits unfixed for a general idea of how it was coming along

Once I had everything done it was time for stitching. Details onto main parts 1st, and then the base. It's sewn together at the radius of the doughnut that was left open, but can easily be unstitched and re-attached should it need washed at any point. Finally a chain stich cord around the edge and pulled tight underneath. Finished result of base was pretty neat.

A closeup of the flower detail.

Next came the hard part of stuffing the seat.

With small kids about things always get spilled, so it needed to be something spashproof. Final descision was a black bag filled with chopped up carrier bags. This made it waterproof but still soft enough to be "shaped".

After much squishing and squashing and duct tape the padding was complete and the top cover popped on, again using a chain stitch cord to tie it on making it easy removed for washing.

I have to say I'm pretty chuffed with myself :-) ...

...and Wee Brian quickly picked up on what it was for.

Now just need another reel to make another one so there can be no fighting between the boys.

Xbox gamerscore again

What is Haggis?

Okay...traditionally it's minced up bits of the sheep left over after the good stuff has been used, mixed with onion,oatmeal,spices etc stuffed into a sheeps stomach then boiled...served with mashed tatties (potatoes) and mashed neeps (turnip).


I must add...by turnip i mean REAL turnip, often called swede...the yellowy coloured one with purply skin that you make soup with...not the ponsy wee white and pink things the English call turnip lol.

At least that's what we Scots tell you.

In reality they are actually wee (small) hairy beasties (animals) that run about the hills. They have what might be described as wonky legs, but that's for a very good reason...the males have short right legs and the females short left legs.

Why?

Simples...

The shorter legs determine what way they run around the hill, the short legs being on the opposite side on the different genders means as the males run clockwise and the females run anticlockwise around the hill they will eventually run headlong into one of the opposite...and thus creating baby haggis's

So we tell you lot it's this mixture of guts and rusks etc...just so you don't get upset about eating a cute wee creature

summer scarf

Freebie from the Feb 2011 issue of Let's Knit mag is a couple of 25g balls of a yarn called Cookie. It's a bit like a pompom yarn but as the mag says it's soft enough that it dosn't need to be knitted as one. That being said it is still not the easiest to work with as it's very easy to put the needle tip thru the fluffier bits.

Suggested patterns were for a cushion cover,baby set,teapot cover or a summer scarf...not much use for the other 3 at the moment so decided to make the scarf...12mm needles meaning quick to make was also a draw LOL

1st picture here shows what the unworked yarn looks like. The big needles give a very open work, the other suggested patterns use smaller needles and it does look good with those too...but not the easiest to work with. They suggest it's £4.99 worth of wool...personally given a choice I wouldn't pay a fiver for 50g of wool at ANY time, but I don't think I would buy this one...thank you for the freebie,but as a regular yarn it's not for me...ANYWAY...

The finished scarf is about 2 meters long, more than enough to go very loosely round neck once and still have two long ends to hang down. Fringing was easy to get the right length as you can count the bobbles.

Finally a close-up of the end showing the knitted scarf and the fringing.