Recent Projects

Hallo,

Recently I have been back in Durham, and that means more work, less knitting. I have managed, over the past three weeks, to fit in a bit of knitting here and there however.

My Italian tutor from my first degree, who is now a very dear friend (I'm not a teacher's pet, I swear..) broke her leg! I thought I'd cheer her up while she is stuck with her cat at home, so I sent her a letter and a little Fatcat Creation: a headband.

Here I am modelling it in the most stylish way possible, obviously:

She is addicted to purple, her leg cast is purple too, so I made the headband purple. It's a pattern I came up with myself, and it's cable knit. She seems very happy with it.

The second project I have just completed is another jumper. This one was for ME this time though. It is a chunky knit, and a bit baggy and croppy, and I love it.

 Here's me loving it...

 There's me waving in it...

This is it at the early stages...
And that's what it looked like before I had finished the second sleeve and sewn it all up. The words 'sew', 'sewing', and 'sewn' I always read out like 'siuuuu' and 'siuuuu-ing' and 'siuuuu-n' and have to re-read them as 'so' 'so-ing' and 'so-n'... Anywho! that's my latest knit update. Next project is yet to be decided, but will probably not happen until after my exam on 21st May, boo.

Wallpaper

Knitting still isn't really happening right now, but I'm going home on Saturday and I know I'll crack on when I'm back with Miffy.

In the mean time I still have other things to blog about!

I am now half way through my Masters

One of the modules in my Masters is a work placement module, which gives me the opportunity to see what it is like in the 'real world' of translation. I have applied for a company that has a link with the University, and it also happens to be the company that I really want to work for when the Masters is finished! Fingers crossed I get in for the June/July internship, then I will wow them with my allure (...) and they will BEG for my return in September..... Well that's the plan anyway, but I am well aware that these things rarely happen so smoothly, so I am ready for new applications too.

The dream job is based in Bristol - they have offices all over the world, but the Bristol office is the one I want. I can't help but get a tiny bit excited about the future now that my application is out there. I have started looking at interior designs and mad wallpapers on Pinterest, inspiring me for the first apartment that I will rent...

Ignoring the trainers, this wallpaper is quite Alice in Wonderland..

Obviously my first apartment will be reasonably priced and look just like this..... yeahhhhhh

I really like this mad wallpaper, especially the doggy and the duck... maybe I'll just create my own and it'll have Ruby all over it?

I think this is a notebook cover, but I still love it. Definitely going for the idea of one mad wall and the rest nice and simple.

So! There's another blog post of ramblings, hopes and dreams... I really hope I get the internship for June/ July, but if I don't I will keep trying.

Laterz.

Learning New Things

Last night I finally started the faff that is making up a project. Mini Fox is getting there!

To make this:

Turn into this:

Not really... He should look like this (as modeled by Stephanie Dosen):

I have to...

• Sew up all the different parts
• Sew in all my ends
• Block his body and tail
• Stuff him
• Sew in magnets
• Wear with pride

So last night I sewed up his head using mattress stitch. Whenever I've sewed up a project in the past I've just gone for it as I thought best, but last night I thought I'd use YouTube to help me and actually do a proper job. I also learnt how to whip stitch (for the ears). Look how perfect it looks if you actually try:

My first proper mattress stitch seam. #FeelingProud

Headless Fox...

Sewing in the ends - bane of my life, has to be done though.

Another technique that I had never tried before last night was blocking. For me, when it comes to knitting I love the actual knitting part, and I love the finished product, but making-up is such a pain. That might be because I've never actually known how to do it properly, but thanks to YouTube and about.com I didn't really mind it. So I blocked Mini Fox's body last night, it should be ready for when I get home after work today...

The technique I used is called 'wet blocking' (I'm yet to find out how good it is, I'll put my results in a future post). You wet the wool, then pin it out how you want it on either a towel, a bed (as if I'd risk Miffy's wrath), or a clean bin liner. I went for the towel (the bin liner made no sense to me..). As you can see it looks like road kill!

It is currently sat on my floor having a lovely old dry and waiting for me to stick a magnet on its bum.

So that's the progress made on Mini Fox last night, and of course I did a few more rows of my scarf while we watched New Tricks and Neighbours. 

While I was looking at the Tiny Owl Knits website I saw this new pattern and IMMEDIATELY bought it (best £3.66 I've ever spent). She's made a charm bracelet and it's called 'Care of Magical Creatures'. As if the title alone wasn't enough for me to buy it! I had a look and the project is AMAZING. 

It's a knitted charm bracelet and the charms are all woodland creatures or magical things. It is like the most me project I have ever found: it combines knitting with Harry Potter! This is going to be my first project after the wool-athon, and the excitement of it is spurring me on to hurry up and get through that wool. 

I am going to add the list of required wools to the TOP of my Christmas wishlist.

Knitspiration

Introducing another one of my regular features 'Knitspiration', a feature that will appear randomly throughout my blog history and which will give an insight into the sorts of things I aspire to create, things that inspire me, or simply things I admire. 

Beautiful Blankets 

I've never had the patience, or enough wool, to make a blanket - that's more Miffy's area of expertise - but these two are stunning. If I ever managed to master the art of fair isle then this will be the first project on my list. I absolutely love that Swedish style and the colour combinations.

I love the delicate knitted section of this simple blanket contrasted with the chunky, funky crochet edging. Once I learn to crochet I may try this technique.

Black & White

I love this knitted head band and this girl. Her hair has the sort of volume I can only dream of achieving, and this retro style is one of my favourites. If I make this headband I will probably try and replicate this photo (!)

Bette Davis looking fabulous here.

Check out Russel Crowe! (He totes came to Jersey for the Superman premier).

Jumpers

I have a small obsession with knitted jumpers (preferably baggy, 1990s ones). I have knitted myself one and worn it to death, it is now safely folded in a drawer because if I wear it too much it may fall apart.

I love this arty photo, this stitch looks lovely along with the colour of the wool.

Christmas present please.

Woops she forgot to put on trousers... I realllllly love this jumper, this will probably be my first project after my wool-athon.

There are so many more knitspirations that I want to post today but I think I should spread them out a bit (even though the list will have doubled before my next post) otherwise this post will go on forever.

Just Another Miffy Monday

As promised here is one of my new regular features "Just Another Miffy Monday" staring my mum Michelle O'Connell, known to many as 'Miffy' because of a nickname from one of her many Godchildren.

Miffy is a knitter and Crochet Queen and constantly has at least one project on the go. She will often make a homemade gift for friends and relatives and is known island-wide - slight exaggeration - for her crochet bunnies (which will feature in next week's post) which she sells in her shoe shop for charity.

As this is the first "Just Another Miffy Monday" here is a quick random-fact-file:

• Crochet Queen
• Loves Emma Bridgewater
• Jersey girl
• Mum of three (amazing) children
• Owner of Ruby, the world's best labrador and Binkie, Springer Spaniel extraodinaire
• Domestic goddess
• Business woman
• Shoe lover
• Multi-tasker
• Style guru
• Eye for interiors
• Ex-conveyancing clark
• Wonderful wife
• Wool-aholic

Her current project:

A blanket for someone, most probably for our Landrover Defender...

She's using up some wool that she's had for ages and it's now discontinued. She says that the wool stretches quite a lot which might be the reason it has been discontinued, but as this blanket is probably just going to be in the back of the Landy, it doesn't really matter. I think the colours are really good together.

What's in her knitting bag?

Miffy's knitting bag

Her current project.

And of course: her iPhone and her nail cream.

Weekend Creativity // *regular features*

I have decided to take this blog seriously, and properly dedicate time to it. In order to do so I will be introducing some regular features; some of which I made up myself ("I'm in the fourth grade, I can make things up myself!"**) some of which were inspired by other blogs. These features will include:

• Knitspiration: I am constantly inspired for future knitting projects by images, other people, magazines, films etc. and I will post some of my inspirations in this regular feature.
• Just Another Miffy Monday: My mum is a knitter and Crochet Queen and she has agreed to let me do a regular post on her and her projects and inspirations.
• A Few Of My Favourite Things: What it says on the tin really, favourite films, songs, books, artists, singers, anything I can think of! 

So that's what's coming up, now for today's post...

My mum discovered this AMAZING new spread, it literally tastes exactly like those biscuits you get with your coffee: so good.

My dad put up this new clock and some pictures today, I thought it looked really stylish; a classic gentleman's study. I really love that photo of Sean Connery as James Bond. 

I went to Paperchase and treated myself to this cardboard folder. I printed off all of my free patterns and put them in there. One step closer to being a more organised and economical knitter!

Here are some of my magazines and pattern books that I found too.

I really love this folder, and it's perfect for patterns. 

Tomorrow is a bank holiday and I will try and finish my Mini Fox then, my scarf is coming on nicely, I've done two more colours since I last posted about it.

** This is a quote from one of my favourite films, Dan In Real Life, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a relaxing feel-good film.

The plan...

      I was chatting to my best friend the other day and told her that I was planning a mega-sort out of my wool in order to:

a) be more organised

b) be more creative

c) save money

      The idea is to sort out all of my left overs from years of my own projects and also my mum's (she is a great sorter-outer and I often benefit from this). I said that on the weekend I was going to sort it all out and assign a project to every last scrap so that I could:

a) tidy up

b) have lots and lots of knitting to do for the near future

c) not need to buy any wool for quite a while

      If I can get through all of that wool then I will really enjoy the next time I go to my favourite wool shop and buy something new. 

      I intend to make lots of Christmas presents (I'm particularly good at hats, and who doesn't love a good pom pom?) which will also save me money, and little accessories such as hearts and flowers.

      I am definitely a knitter, however I have always wanted to try crochet but have never plucked up the courage. I think another one of my projects will be to learn (thank you, YouTube) to crochet.

      So, the plan for this blog (among other things) is to record my progress with this wool-athon. 

      I have to add a thank you to One Sheepish Girl for completely inspiring me to be more creative and to start a blog. Thank you!