Starting the year with some squares

While down at Mum and Dad's for Christmas I decided I'd pick up my white blanket again (by the time I finish I'll have to call it The Decade Blanket) and do a few more squares.

Circle Flower - a pattern I designed after starting another pattern that just didn't work for me.

 Pretty Petals

 Double Framed Lace

 Popcorn flower - another one I made up

 Kata Also one of mine, finally got around to making a version for this blanket

 Poinsettia - another original pattern

 On the road again - another pattern I made up

 Not sure what this one is

 Snowfall Square

 Manny Ann's square

 Cygnus

 hmmm, another mystery one

 Majesty Square

I have documented the patterns I made up in a little more detail than I usually do so they are on my very large 'to do' list to get them written out and tested.

Crafting is taking a back seat to University work for a while, so maybe towards the end of the year.

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.

Le Maillot Rouge

In my crafting side trip I had to take a side trip. I was off at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show for a couple of weeks in July - ok I wasn't at the show for a couple of weeks, just 3 days, but the couple of weeks leading up to it I was down visiting with Mum and there was just no time to knit.

An-nee-way I'm back on track and the vest is whizzing along. I needed another ball of red and picked that up while I was away too.

So here it is... I've got the bands to do - my favourite part... NOT! And then I think I'm foolishly attempting the impossible, I'm going to try and embroider Thomas the Tank Engine on the front.
The Little Man has asked for a blue vest too. Unless the embroider goes like a dream I hope he's happy with just a blue one.

More squares

I had to modify the square this month.
My squares are anywhere between 8 to 10 inches wide (I'm using 12" patterns but with DK yarn).
This square was written for DK yarn, but to be about 12 inches wide. I modified the middle pattern and by default the open lacework around it.
I also modified the edges so they didn't bow as I'm reasonably paranoid about things being straight along the edge.
I like it.

And here's an improvised pattern that I also like.
In fact I think this would make a great lap quilt and could be made rectangular.
(I'm pretty sure I wrote the pattern down somewhere, probably on a scrap of paper knowing me, but I'll see if I can find it - but that won't be until August, so don't hold your breath. I'm sure you're all smart enough to recreate this one yourself.)

Daisy square

When I first saw this pattern on Ravelry I couldn't wait to start a blanket.
There are some stunning examples.
One of the girls in the crochet group I chat with organised to get the yarn we needed to make our charity square (the cost of the pattern, you send it to the pattern owner and she puts the blankets together for charity) and one of the girls who was travelling to the US took the squares over and mailed them there.


This is my square.
After doing this square I'm not so keen on the blanket.
I don't know whether it was the squeaky acrylic yarn I was using (there was a specific requirement for the charity rug, 10ply acrylic) or the fact that I feel the back of the square looks quite mish-mashy, I'm just not keen on a whole blanket, but you never know.

Another block

No pattern for this one.
I might have it written somewhere.
I was inspired and just made it.
I like it.

I like the flower in it and I like the solidness of the block.