Blue Serenity

I am extremely happy with this project.
I made it in Patons Serenity and the drape is lovely.

It is a Doris Chan pattern - Rosalinda, from Crochet Lace Innovations, but I have modified it.
I didn't want it so baggy so my first change was to do it on a smaller size hook.
Then when I got to the underarms I didn't add in an extra panel, I just joined and kept going as per the pattern for the body.
I love it and I have received many compliments.
Love, love, love it.

Cookie Monster Heaven

Teacher presents

I wasn't sure what to get the teacher who filled in for DD's class for the rest of the year so I bought an African Violet and I made some Mexican Wedding Cookies (these things are yummy, addictive and pretty fattening - everything you want in your Christmas bikkies!) and I made her a little bag.

The No-Edge-Vest

My little boy is turning into a fashionista.
He can be quite fussy about what he wears - at the moment it's either Thomas the Tank Engine or Toy story.

A while ago I made him a vest that had crochet round the neck and arm holes but no band on the bottom, when I wanted to make him another vest as the previous one was sitting above his belly button, he held it up to me and said 'like this Mama' and rolled up the bottom. He didn't want a rib edge. In fact when I queried him he didn't want an edge on any of it.

So he picked out the yarn at the shop by rubbing it under his chin to make sure it was soft and the colours were what he liked - he wanted green in it as well but I couldn't come at mixing olive green in here... it's not my colour.

So we got some zhivago (or imitation zhivago) and I started.

If you look closely the red and blue stripes are actually exactly the same size, crossing over in the middle. That maths took a while but I like the effect.
It does look like there's more blue though.

And here's the cheeky little monkey modelling. It was pretty hot the day I asked him to put it on so he was not too impressed and happens to have pyjama bottoms on and a singlet.
Prince Charming.
Doing some fancy model shots.

Showing off.


The pattern? Well I just winged it.

Braving the 2ply

My daughter's Year 1 teacher retired in the middle of last year.
I wanted to give her a nice thank you present as she'd been wonderful for my daughter and we really missed her.
The year before I made her a project bag that had cats on the outside and was purple on the inside (she collects cats and purple is her favourite colour). This year I wanted it to be an extra little bit special so I decided I'd make a shawl.

I hunted for about 2 weeks for just the right pattern. I didn't want to do a triangle shawl as I felt they were a bit 'granny' like and didn't want her to feel that was the message I was sending seeing as she'd just retired. I wanted a shawl that she could wear out that was almost scarf like but not really, for when she just needed something round her neck/shoulders.

In the end I settled on Annis. The next hard part was the yarn.
I ordered some Classic Elite Silky Alpaca in Plum. 2ply!!!! yikes.
Anyway I started.
This pattern also has nupps in it. These are little bumpy things in the pattern. I have heard they are a knitter's nightmare, but I found a tutorial on doing them with a crochet hook. Nupps - not a problem.

So in the end I finished and blocked it in time to give it to the teacher.
I'm not sure if she liked it, she didn't open it in front of me, but she is craft minded herself so I'm sure she appreciated it. (I'll try and find out this year if she liked it, but DD is changing schools so it won't be easy!)

Anyway, here are some photos. I'd happily make this pattern again. I think I might try in some yarn I've hand dyed.







Once blocked.




I love it in 2ply but I'm not sure I could knit it again. The yarn was definitely gorgeous.

Magic Yarn Ball for Christmas

In my Ravelry Swap Group we did a Magic Yarn Ball (MYB) for Christmas.
Here's mine -

• the yarn is Araucania Itata Solid in Melon

• the idea of a myb is that you fill the ball of yarn with presents that drop out as you knit. To do this you need to unwind your skein (or ball) and then wind around all your goodies

• this results in a ball of yarn in an unusual shape. (Even my DH really liked the idea of the myb)

The insides -

• right in the middle I had some hand dyed wool silk roving
  
• some of the almond biscuits I'd been making for the kids
• a Christmas sheep that pooed jelly beans
• a notepad
• some handmade stitch markers in a little purse
• a sample pack of dyes to try and a little thing of soak
• some buttons, a wraps per inch measure
• a project bag I'd made from two fat quarters + a small pair of scissors, needles and tape measure to go in it
  

• bag and buttons