Caturday XV

Welcome again to Caturday, the day I dedicate to The Kitten and her cuteness, and invite you to do the same with your kitties!

Today: The Kitten basks.  Isn't this a wonderful photo?  The sun, gleaming in her fur.  Her contemplative gaze - what is she looking at?  The way the sun has given the photo a washed out effect.  Suck it Instagram! (who's bastard child Instigram doesn't work on my blackberry *boo*)

Yeah it feels good to be a gangsta.

And look, a related cat-bit today, another comic from the lovely Yasmine from Cat versus Humans!

via

Got a kitty related post to share?  Pop the deets in mister linky!

FO: knitty

Wowser!  Look at all these finished items!

I recently finished two knitted hats.  That's right, two.  That's also right, knitted.  What is going on???  I think they're pretty snazzy too!  Here is a Snow Hat for Kid and a Two Needle Garter Hat, modelled by my lovely niecicle aged 7.  I actually made the purple one for her, and the green for a little boy, but she liked the green one better.  Go figure.  Sorry little boy, no hat for you.

I tried modelling these myself but I still can't get over how much I hate my face in photos.  ugh.

I really should have made the snow hat longer (ie. followed the pattern properly!), but I misjudged how long it should be for a decent sized turny uppy bit (wtf is that called?  I've gone blank).  I also need to watch my yarn as I knit because a few times I made accidental yarn overs between the purls and knits, causing me to have to undo a row every now and again, and then I didn't put the stitches on the needles properly and got all these twisted purls.  Despite all that, this knit up really quickly!  I will definitely make more, maybe even one for myself in a nice plain colour!

The garter cap was much more successful, with adequate length for a generous turny uppy bit.  The downside is that it has a seam, but I think it is not very noticeable.  I didn't whip stitch the seam, I don't know what the name is called for what I did, I sewed it up in a sort of inside-to-out motion.  I also modified the pattern to match the weight of the yarn, by casting on 25 stitches, and doing each decrease section over 8 stitches.  I only had to knit 6 sections (rather than the 7 suggested in the pattern) and the finished measurement is 9” long by 8” wide.  The snow hat is slightly smaller unstretched. 

And here are my finished toasts, modelled by the lovely A.  I made the thumb hole by not knitting in the round for enough rows to give me the desired size thumb hole.  I think I should have done the method of casting off stitches instead, becuase my hole was super loose, which I attempted to remedy by crocheting around the hole.  Also a lot of my ends are poking out.  Weaving in ends in knitting seems to require a lot more finesse than for crochet.  Any tips?  Aaand finally, my cast on seems tight, so it can be a bit of a struggle to get them up my arm. 

Anyways, the yarn for these cost me all of TWO DOLLARS!  So even with their imperfections, a great little item to keep my hands toasty this winter.



Linking up with Tami's Amis FO Fridays, and Fiber Arts Fridays at Wisdom Begins in Wonder.

WIP: doldrums

Hi there.   Nothing particularly exciting to show off today, even though I have been doing my best to keep my hook moving at every opportunity.

My Sailor Purples Shawl (haha, so clever, as I'm using purple instead of blue *snort*) is coming along, though I expect progress to slow down now the rows are getting longer.  I can get about 2 rows done per train ride at the moment.  It currently measures 34cm.  My plan is to use the rest of the black I have, then use the pink/purple remnants for stripes.  Hope I have enough, but I plan to do a bit of dyeing on the weekend (omg exciting!!!) to get another shade or two.

I found it amusing that a few of the comments on this shawl last week were all about how impressive it is that I am working with black yarn!  Yes, I do indeed have super vision.  

You can kinda get a sense of the texture by the picture on the left.

And, the poor little Blissful Flowers Shawl.  Still going, less than half a row to go now, so the end is in sight.  It took me a while to reverse engineer a way to add extra rows onto the outside of the shawl to make it larger.  A downside to the 'clever' outside-in construction of this shawl that I was so fond of initially, is that you have less control over the finished size, obviously causing problems when it turns out smaller than you would have liked. 

Just for you, a creative half in half out of focus shot.  Ooooo arty.

I will tell you something about these projects, it appears I am the first person to make them on Ravelry.  It gives me a bit of a kick really, I feel like a pioneer!  (Yes, my life is otherwise devoid of meaning)

I'm finishing up the third Curse Workers book, Black Heart, at the moment.  All in all it has been a thoroughly enjoyable series, and a very good audiobook to listen to during my daily commute (this means not too complicated to follow / holds my attention so I don't tune out).  Plus the audiobook is read by Jesse Eisenberg - how weird!  Who'd a thunk you could like a protagonist who's a blatant criminal?  And isn't Lila a pretty name? 

via

-Linking to-

WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis)

WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet)

Yarn Along (Small Things)

Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams)

What you doing Wednesday (SusanD1408 Crochet Addict)
Hookin on Hump Day (My Merry Messy Life)

Step into the Sunshine

When I was a child, my mum played this album over and over, to the extent that these songs now form part of the soundtrack to my life (even though I am in no way, shape or form religious).  Here is one particular track from that album that I thought appropote for this post:

Anyway, why is this song appropote?  I thought it was a nice segway into the exciting news that I've been given a Sunshine Award! 

Actually, in recent weeks I've been nominated for the Sunshine award, not once, but twice!!   So a HUGE Thank you to Ashley from Geoknitology and Natalie from Marigold's Loft.   If both of you had not nominated me, you would definitely be on my list of nominations below ^_^

The Award comes with the following rules:
1: Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you.  
2. Answer the 10 questions about your favourite things.
3. Nominate 10 blogs to receive the Sunshine Award and let them know they've been nominated.

The questions:
1.  Favourite animal: The Kitten of course!

Just try to not fall in love with her.  Just try.

2.  Favourite number:  Don't have one.
3.  Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee.  I swear I don't need it, I just really like it. 

Plus, coffee makes your hair blow sideways while you fall asleep standing up.  Fact (via).

4.  Facebook or Twitter: Neither, I really don't need to know what you're doing every 5 minutes, and vice versa :)  I prefer PINTEREST!

Makes me laugh everytime (via)

5.  My passion:  I dunno, I love A, The Kitten and my family obviously.  Otherwise, crochet really is my passion.  It's something I do every day, and spend countless hours thinking about and researching.  I don't know what I did with myself before I crocheted, my life must have been quite sad indeed!

One of my favourite things to do is just browse my project page to see all I have accomplised.  Sad much?

6.  Getting or Giving: Both please.  I don't like things to be uneven.  See Big Bang clip below.

7.  Favourite Pattern: Well, I haven't seen them all yet, but the one I have made the most is the Dahlia Shawl.

Check it out here

8.  Favourite day of the week: Everything seems a little bit better on Friday.

If only it actually was Friday today (via)

9.  Favourite Flower: Not really a flower type of person, though I have an awesome cyclamen that just refuses to die. 

10.  Favourite Country: I've not been outside Australia, so that one will have to do - though it really is quite nice, why don't you visit?

And the 10 blogs I am passing this award onto, in no particular order (actually looks like they've come out in alphabetical order, which is lovely!) (I've also tried to choose blogs that I have not nominated previously for awards in attempt to spread the love around evenly):

• Ambassador Crochet
• Craft Disasters and Other Atrocities
• Creating my Life in Technicolour
• Don't get it Twisted Crochet
• Jennasaurus
• Knit one, stitch one, save one?
• Last yesterday
• MemeRose
• Often Grumpy Unless I'm Knitting
• Pass the Cereal

Go and read all those blogs, they're brill!

Thanks again Ash and Nat -xox-

Caturday XIV

Welcome back to Caturday, the day dedicated to The Kitten and her cuteness, and invite you to do the same with your kitties!

Today, The Kitten is a meme.

And the bonus today, totally unrelated, is cat crafts!  I thought this tutorial to make a towel cat toy was just awesome!  (Found via Waldorf by Me)

Fill out the linky below to link up to your kitty related post! 

Ripple Baby Blanket Pattern

Here we go, I'm putting this out there as a pattern in case you too would are interested in making a baby blanket to match this vintage set (also on ravelry here).   My blanket is ravelled here and blogged about here.

The premise of this blanket is taking the last row of the cardigan from the vintage baby set and adapting it into a blanket.  Not terribly difficult, but I know some people like things written down proper like.
 


Ripple Baby Blanket Pattern

Materials
You could use any yarn/hook combo you like.  I used Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply (Baby Wool) and a 3.5mm hook.

I've used UK terms. 
Foundation row: fdc a multiple of of 23 plus 20.
Row 1: ch 3, tr into next 9 fdc, 3 tr into next fdc, tr into next 10 fdc, *sk 2 fdc, tr into next 10 fdc, 3 tr into next fdc, tr into next 10 fdc**, repeat from * to ** to end. turn.
Row 2: ch 3, tr into blo of 3rd st, tr into blo of next 8 st, 3 tr into next st, tr into blo of next 10 st, *sk 2 st, tr into blo of next 10 st, 3 tr into next st, tr into blo of next 10 st**, repeat from * to ** to end. turn.
Row 3 and all subsequent rows: repeat row 2.

Edging:
To make a nice square blanket I straightened the edges.
Row 1:
Top edge:  ch 4, 2 dtr, 4 tr, 3 htr, 3 dc, *3 htr, 4 tr, 2 dtr, 1 dtr2tog, 2 dtr, 4 tr, 3 htr, 3dc**, repeat from * to ** to last 10 st, 3 htr, 4 tr, 3 dtr.
Side edge:  dc.  (I haven't seen a tutorial for crocheting down the side of crochet, but what I do is 2 dc in the side of each tr and 3ch at the start of each row - try to do it in the same place for each stitch for a nice neat effect)
Bottom edge: ch 1, dc, *3 htr, 4 tr, 5 dtr, 4 tr, 3 htr, 2 dc**,  repeat from * to ** to last 21 st, 3 htr, 4 tr, 5 dtr, 4 tr, 3 htr, dc.
Side edge:  dc.
Row 2: dc around, with 3 dc in each corner.  You may find it hepful to place a stitch marker in the centre dc of your 3dc corners.
Repeat row 2 until you have your desired width of border.

End off, weave in ends, and block if desired.  I found my edging rolled up a bit, so I wet blocked it.

Change colours whenever you like for stripes, my version was 10 rows of white with 4 rows of pink, and the edging .
 


I also have a pattern for a matching beanie, if you'd like to check it out click here.


I've only made this pattern once, so please let me know if you have any issues with the pattern - I'm more than willing to answer any questions, and I would love to see your FOs should you make your own!

Also listed on Ravelry here!

WIP: In blackest night

Ok, my title has only a tenuous connection to this post, sorry Green Lantern fans.  I just couldn't think of anything cleverer.

I started a new shawl on Monday, it's Lynne Sibley's Sailor Blues Shawl.  I've already mentioned how much I love Lynne as a crocheter - she comes up with the most ingenious designs!  I had a 6 hour round train trip to Moe on Monday, so I picked this out as a new commuter project.  I'll tell you, it's really slow going.  You can see by my extremely terrible picture it works up to a fairly dense fabric, and with the 2ply its going to be a long process.  So far I've worked 21cm.  I'm finding the black yarn makes it a bit difficult to see the end stitches, and I can't really tell where I'm up to (despite only a 4 row repeat), so I'm going to get out a bunch of stitch markers to try to keep track. 

I'm going to work this in the black yarn left over from Dahlia III and then add purple stripes with some random 2ply remnants I got for $2 from the bwm bargain room.  

I have no idea how I am going to show you the stitch pattern.  It really is quite nice, trust me.  Also, why is my shawl looking humpy?  I'm going to rely on blocking to fix that. 

And what am I reading?  I finished the second Curse Workers book this morning, Red Glove.  I'm enjoying the series, though the first book is my favourite so far - even though I guessed the twist, it was super interesting.  Red Glove ended in an interesting way, so I'm looking forward to Black Heart!  (Thanks again for recommending the books Lisa!)

I too would like to go naked if I had a body like that (via)

-Linking to-

WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis)

WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet)

Yarn Along (Small Things)
Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams)
What you doing Wednesday (SusanD1408 Crochet Addict)