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.

The Mohair Sweater

FINALLY I have finished the mohair sweater that I was commissioned to make for a very good friend of mine.

The friend in question has a taste for quality, hence the choice of wool: mohair. She needed a replacement of an old favourite and couldn't find the same one anywhere. I mentioned that I love knitting and she jumped at the opportunity. The pattern I used can be found here, the wool here.

There's Ruby making sure I'm doing a good job.

The most annoying part of any knitting project is blocking and sewing it all up:

Blocking, for those who don't know, is the process of flattening out your work and making it the right shape. The technique I used was to gently hand wash the pieces, and then to pin it out neatly onto a towel, letting it dry properly. I  did the front and back first because I had to stitch the shoulders together and knit the polo-neck straight onto the work.

For the sleeves I had a brain wave left it on the Aga, it dried a LOT quicker than the front and back.

 And then the absolute worst part - for me anyway - is sewing it all up. However, anything is ok if Ruby is keeping me company.

Here it is all wrapped up nicely - despite the fact that it was ripped open immediately, as my my friend was so excited to see it.

I have decided my new 'design name' is "A Fatcat Creation". My nick name (and all my user names) is Hatbat the Fat Cat, so I felt it was fitting. I don't even like cats... I also have a friend who has created a new cocktail, and on my suggestion he is naming it 'The Fat Cat'. Yesssssssss.

I have already moved onto my next project. It is another jumper... but it is in chunky wool this time so will grow a LOT faster.



After the chunky knit sweater I will be moving onto another chunky project. Miffy made a blanket a while ago using chunky, green wool. She has given me the left-overs (of which there is a considerable amount) and I am going to make something out of it...

Any ideas for what I could make.....?

Spring has Sprung

What an original blog title...

But it's true, the weather is reflecting my good mood. I have finished for the term - a stressful end, if ever there was one - and now I am home and enjoying a proper Sunday.

This was me at the end of term, I had my 24 hour translation to do so I made my work space as clear and productive as possible. The tulips and daffodils (inspired by my little sister) really helped. So did the Milka..

When the 24 hour translation was finished I had one more trip to town to make in order to hand in the paper version, and do my last errands before packing to come home. Despite the grey skies, I was in a very good mood, so I made my own blue skies. I got these sunglasses a while ago from eBay because I had a mad Janis Joplin moment, listened to her greatest hits album, and got a pair of these for £2.99.

Once packed, all that was left was for me to have a restless night's sleep (I don't sleep well when I have an early start.. like 05:30 yuck); then travel home for EIGHT HOURS the next day. The largest chunk of my journey was pleasant: a train from Durham straight down to London and first class no less - it was cheaper, when I booked, to go first! My friend Will lent me a book called 'Bonjour Tristesse' and I spent most of my 8 hours reading that or sleeping. It is a fantastic read so far, I highly recommend it.

Yes! I have started knitting again! I knitted this heart and sewed it onto the front of a card for a friend to wish them a happy Easter break. I forgot to take a photo of the finished heart, or the card, but I have one of it half-way there. My slippers are from Miffy's shop a couple of winters ago, the make is Haflinger and they do loads of these designs that go across both feet.
 Home! This is actually a photo that my brother took and sent to me, I love it so much. This is Ruby and she is such a queer sometimes. Wouldn't have her any other way though.

 This morning I had my first proper Sunday in ... 10 weeks to be precise (it has felt like a long term...). The dogs came and lay ontop of me in bed this morning and after a bit of fidgeting I took them for a walk. We went down to the beach nearest my house - living on a small island means there are lots of beaches - and we were only out for half an hour, but when we got home I played with them in the garden for a bit too. Our garden is looking the best it has ever looked this spring. I love these daffs around the base of the old apple tree..

And I love these pink flowers - I don't know their name.. I'm no horticulturist - underneath this romantic bench. We never sit on it, so why not make it a feature?

Looking at this photo has made me realise we (or perhaps just I) need to fill the bird feeders...

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.

Knitspiration #4

Todays' knitspiration is all about my favourite look: baggy! I love wearing baggy tops with skinny bottoms, not only does it look pretty good, but it is also so comfy and cuddly.

 I love the colour of this jumper as well as the stitches used, if only I could afford that much wool..

 Gotta love a classic nineties style, complete with rolled sleeves. I didn't even know that this many cable stitches existed.

 This one, complete with ripped jeans and cuppa tea, is making me want to snuggle up with my dogs.

 I love this girl's boots as well, that jumper looks so comfy.

 An example of how you can do baggy and look smart at the same time; I would love a coat like this.

Lastly: classic nineties child! Sadly I still dress like this ...

Current Projects

I have been working on a few projects at the same time recently, one of them is a big secret as it is a Christmas present for someone special (my sister), so I can't post it on here til after I give it to her.

Here's what I'm working on...

 I'm making a cabled headband for someone...

 I'm making a ribbed beanie for someone...

And I tried out crochet! It doesn't look too bad for a first attempt, however I have to concentrate and look at my hands pretty much the whole time so I can't enjoy it while I'm watching TV like I can with knitting. Maybe I'll practice some more and see how it goes, but for now I'm going to finish off the top-secret-sister-present...

Knit News

Look at that sheepish face. She takes any opportunity to lie on something comfy, even if that's my clothes.

I have begun the jumper that I have been commissioned to make. It's looking great! However when I go home tonight I'm going to unravel it all...

The reason I'm unravelling it is because the pattern and the wool don't work together. This pattern needs aron weight wool and although this wool is advertised as such it is definitely far too skinny, it looks and feels like a double knit to me, so I have found a new pattern that will work much better. The lady I'm making it for wants it to be a cozy, baggy jumper for the winter, so too small will not do.

Look how much work I've done already... it's going to be painful to unravel all of those rows... 

In other knit news: I've started Emily's headband. The one I made her wasn't good enough apparently, so now I'm using this wool that she's chosen from my stash and I've made the pattern even better.

It never looks that neat until it's stitched up and made into the proper headband, but I'm pleased with it so far.

That's it for today's update, I can't wait to get home and unravel all of my hard work and start again.....

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.