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.....?

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...

Finished!

I have finished both of my projects! Woo!

That's right, I finally made up Mini Fox:

Foxes everywhere... I got that notebook from Bloomsbury and the fox badge was a present from my friend (and first-year room mate) Emma; I wear it lovingly.

I've started playing around with the settings on my dad's Olympus camera, the above picture was taking using a lighter tone setting, I think it looks quite nice for this close-up.

I saw a T-shirt with these Doctor Who owls on it once, I really love it! This is the section with Tom Baker Owl on it and he's represented with his stripey (and longggg) scarf, it's almost like mine...

Ems being an amazing model: in this photo we went for the 'at one with nature' look. In this photo I used the 'pop art' setting which makes the colours really vivid. I don't know if it was necessary in the evening sunlight, but hey-ho it doesn't look too bad.

Here she is again (looking fabulous with her recently done hair) going for the 'classic knitter magazine model' pose (with added Spaniel).

I like this one, although Binkie looks like she's ready to attack the scarf (which she did later, but don't worry we saved it).

And finally, Emma looking her best, going for the 'scarf on face' look. Brilliant.

Next project?? Any ideas??

I was really inspired by a photo from my first knitspiration post (#appropriate, it is called knitspiration after all). 

This photo, to be precise. I downloaded some simple instructions for cable knitting last night, but it was not the right type of cable for this headband. I dug out an old Rowan pattern book that I had with a cable knit scarf in it, the scarf had two types of cable in and one of them was pretty close to this style, so I'm going to trial and error until I come up with the right look. 

If you have any ideas for some projects that I could make then please comment below!

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.