tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20139597455661442002024-03-05T20:38:09.249-08:00Owl In StitchesA blog about my journey through the world of Knitting and Crochet.
By Kim DickinsonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-10171612776013879812017-04-18T08:24:00.003-07:002017-04-18T08:24:23.865-07:00Field Guide to Knitted Birds - Book ReviewI was lucky enough to receive a copy of Arne & Carlos' latest book from Search Press to review; Field Guide to Knitted Birds and it is safe to say I love it!<br />
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Firstly I would say if your not a fan of working in DPN's (double pointed needles) then this isn't the book for you as all the birds are created mostly in the round ..with just a small section worked in rows back and forth, but if you have no issues with DNP's then this book is a must! Arne & Carlos have really let there imaginations run wild again with some fantastic birds from magpies to my favourite the I DO I DO I DO.<br />
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Not only are the patterns written and presented in a clear format but further instructions on the construction and finishing touches are given clearly with photos to support. Finishing touches include sequins, feathers, and beads to really jazz up the birds!<br />
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This book really is a must for any knitter looking for some quick, fun, and quirky projects, and another great thing is they are great stash busters with only small amounts of yarn needed for each bird.<br />
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Here is my first bird made, as advised in the book I have made the basic bird shape in one yarn, so now I am happy with the construction and pattern I can add some colour work next time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matilda's made a new friend</td></tr>
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I love the idea of creating a selection of birds and hiding them around the garden. They will make great eye catching decorations and when my daughter gets a bit older we can go on an adventure around the garden bird spotting!<br />
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Book Information:<br />
Title: Field Guide to Knitted Birds<br />
ISBN: 978-1-78221-539-4<br />
Publishers: Search Press<br />
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Talking of my daughter we took her for her first swim today! :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-88919285366792848522017-04-16T05:05:00.001-07:002017-04-16T05:05:05.673-07:00The Moment My Life Changed Forever...12:39pm on Wednesday 18th January - that's the moment my life changed forever. It is the moment my daughter Matilda came in to the world.<br />
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Nothing can prepare you for that amazing moment and the overwhelming love my heart was suddenly filled with, and 12 weeks on that feeling has only got stronger!<br />
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Any mothers out there will know motherhood is hard work and within 24 hours - who am I kidding it didn't take that long - any illusions I had that I would be spending my days knitting as I gazed at my sleeping beauty were gone, but I wouldn't change it for the world! But as I have slowly got to grips with my change in role and learnt to do the house work one handed it has meant Matilda's nap times have become my knitting times and I'm excited to say I have two patterns completed that will be published in the summer issues of KnitNow magazine.<br />
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I also have a new design venture with Cygnet Yarns so keep your eyes peeled for some new patterns by me in their fabulous yarns!<br />
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But currently at the top of my to do list is the review of the new Arne and Carlos Book; Field Guide to Knitted Birds, that I have been lucky enough to receive a copy from the publishers Searchpress, so stay tuned as my book review will be posted in the next few days.<br />
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So it really is all go for me right now and I wouldn't change it for the world! I have always been driven to push and challenge myself with my knitting and designing but with the arrival of Matilda that has just increased my drive so much more as I am now not just doing this for me but I am doing it for my daughter. In years to come I want to show her that if you work hard enough you will succeed at your dreams.<br />
I want her to have a mummy she can be proud of.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-17569483587673279452017-01-17T03:47:00.000-08:002017-01-17T03:47:44.460-08:003-6 Month Baby Hat - Free Knitting PatternI saved holidays and was lucky enough to finished work on the 21st December and have been waiting for the arrival of my daughter (and still waiting due date was yesterday) during this time my fingers have been on fire knitting and crocheting baby bits and bobs, most have been shared on my Instagram feed, some from existing patterns and some I have designed I hope you have enjoyed seeing them.<br />
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One of the patterns I created was for this slouchy style hat, I was inspired to create this as I had seen a lot of hats like this on other peoples Instagram feeds and in the shops and really liked them and I had a ball of yarn I thought would be perfect for it, rather than try and get a pattern to suit my yarn I decided to create one. I haven't converted this in to other sizes so the below relates just to 3-6 month size.<br />
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The yarn came before the design, it was something I picked up a year or so ago, I had no idea what to do with it I just liked it :) I would never have guessed I would end up using it to make a hat for my own daughter.<br />
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So anyway enough chit chat here it is, I hope you like and if you have any questions or feedback just drop me a mail I am always happy to help; owlinstitches@gmail.com<br />
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Materials:<br />
Yarn: 1x Sirdar Snuggly Tiny Tots Baby Fashion DK, Shade 0996, 50g<br />
4mm DPNs<br />
2 pompoms<br />
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Cast on 70st and split across the DPNs and join to work in the round<br />
Work 5 rows; K1, P1 rib<br />
Knit 6 rows<br />
Purl 6 rows<br />
Knit 6 rows<br />
Purl 6 rows<br />
Knit 6 rows<br />
Purl 6 rows<br />
Knit 18 rows<br />
Cast off<br />
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Fold the hat in half and join the two sides of the cast off edge together to close the top.<br />
Attach a pompom to each corner, or an alternative - tassels.<br />
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I have done this on DPNs as I didn't want to have a seam in it, but you could easily switch DPNs for straight needles and work in st st, and then reverse st st to create the knit and purl sections<br />
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xxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-4667259477946191822017-01-17T03:20:00.001-08:002017-01-17T03:48:56.238-08:00Keeping us waiting<br />
So yesterday was my due date, but no signs of baby yet! She must be far too cosy and who could blame her, with the frost and snow we have had recently.<br />
I am trying to be patient but I am so excited to meet her its not easy, I have about 10 knitting projects on the go too as I just cant keep my focus :)<br />
So yesterday to mark the day and as Beans was off work I got out of the house for a few hours and went shopping and Beans bought me a 'push present' although I haven't actually 'pushed' yet it was nice to go together and pick it and the fact we did it on her due date marked the day nicely (although I would rather have met her), so my push present, I think this is something that has come from America but I'm not sure, basically an excuse to get a gift :) but I wanted a gift I could hand down to my daughter when she is older, to make it personal to her I decided I wanted something around her birthstone, which given she will be here sometime in the next 2 weeks whether that be off her own accord or a forced eviction her birthstone will be Garnet, which is like a red gem, in the end we picked a Pandora Bracelet and I am so pleased with it, it is the January Birthstone edition which came with a heart charm with the birthstone set in it, and we added a further 3 charms, one is her initial (we have had her name picked and have done since about 20 weeks pregnant) and the other two relate to family. No other charms will be added whilst I have it, once it is passed on to her she can add to the charms.<br />
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And here it is, and here I am at 40 weeks..... you will see the charm is slightly cropped out, that's because we have kept the name top secret, I don't know how we have managed it but we have so we don't want any guessing now in these final few days :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-57544167451612351152017-01-12T03:29:00.002-08:002017-01-12T03:29:36.984-08:00Its Been a WhileI know I know I am so rubbish at keeping on top of this blog!<br />
If you follow me on Instagram you will know what I have been up to and that earlier in 2016 I shared some exciting news that me and my husband are expecting our first baby, we are still awaiting her arrival but now at 39+ weeks it will be any day which is very exciting! <br />
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On the knitting front I was very fortunate to continue to work with Knit Now Magazine and have a number of fabulous patterns published with them!<br />
And actually yesterday I received a copy of there latest book-a-zine which is a book filled with baby themed knits and it was lovely to see a couple of my patterns made the cut, and my Love a Hug Bear even made the cover!<br />
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I promise to try and get better with this blog over 2017 however I cant make any promises with a baby on the way :) so if your on Instagram pop across to my feed and say hello :)<br />
Follow me <a href="https://www.instagram.com/owlinstitches/" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-22182316601943836462016-05-02T00:56:00.000-07:002016-05-02T00:56:27.098-07:00Alphabet Baby Blanket - Free Crochet Pattern<br />
With a coulpe of friends expecting I wanted to create something special for them, both are keeping the sex a suprise so it needed to be neutral, and I wanted it to be a keepsake and for that a baby blanket it perfect!<br />
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I discovered the C2C method last year so thought this was a perfect opportunity to design my own, and this is what I came up with, my alphabet baby blanket;<br />
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C2C basically stands for corner to corner as that is how it grows! its is made by creating small squares, these squares are created by doing 4 DC stitches, if you have never tired it before it is so simple, give it a go, you will be hooked!<br />
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I have put a link below to some great instructions available on craftsy, but YouTube is also a great resource, just search C2C and you will find loads of video tutorials!<br />
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http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/09/corner-to-corner-crochet/<br />
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Couple of things to note that I didnt get at the start - the odd rows are the right side and the even rows the wrong side.<br />
You read the chart from the bottom right corner working the odd rows down and the even rows up<br />
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My alphabet blanket is made up of 30 small C2C squares which are then joined, 4 are plain so if you have never tried it before they are great to start with and practice, then the other 26 each have a letter of the alphabet on!<br />
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Any standard Double Knit yarn can be used and a 3.5mm hook.<br />
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Here is the chart to follow for each square:<br />
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The squares are finished with a single chain stitch around the edge and it is this edge that neatens then up and is used to join them.<br />
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When you join the squares there are lots of different options, but I have used the matress stitch method as I wanted a flat join:<br />
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You basically pick up the bars In between the edge chain stitch<br />
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Once they are all joined I finished it off with a DC in to each of the edge stitches, when you get to the corner do 2 DC in the 2 stitches on the corner so it goes round smoothly<br />
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The finished blanket is 55x65 cm<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d38G-6yq3jo-bVyQvoqb7eCWUsPjqrnjjV9PhsThvv0wMXZGBusBFjnxvebG8_ZUkYSFf_0MMD2xY2Kw2zP1lm0TSiTqJE2F2KpM434nLyZ_T5Y6DwklHkdBjKomHTRqZC6amRVaSvs/s1600/2016-05-02+08.20.41-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d38G-6yq3jo-bVyQvoqb7eCWUsPjqrnjjV9PhsThvv0wMXZGBusBFjnxvebG8_ZUkYSFf_0MMD2xY2Kw2zP1lm0TSiTqJE2F2KpM434nLyZ_T5Y6DwklHkdBjKomHTRqZC6amRVaSvs/s640/2016-05-02+08.20.41-1.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>
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I have now started to blanket number 2 but with one is going to be all white with each letter a different colour, its a great stash buster to get rid of some odds and ends of colours, and against the white the colours really pop, here is the start;<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGpWUJxVVBs/VycDrvTWnSI/AAAAAAAACYc/xaNGYeNU2Vk7b6Q7wOEk8pQBnAOakMNEQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160501_212645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CGpWUJxVVBs/VycDrvTWnSI/AAAAAAAACYc/xaNGYeNU2Vk7b6Q7wOEk8pQBnAOakMNEQCKgB/s640/IMG_20160501_212645.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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if you give this a go i would love to see the results, you can find me on ravelry or if your on instagram use the hashtag #owlinstitches<br />
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enjoy xxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-60128421456895031072016-04-29T10:37:00.002-07:002016-04-29T10:37:43.072-07:00Flower Cushion, KN Issue 60So the latest issue of KnitNow hit the shops yesterday, do you have your copy? did you spot my Flower Cushion Pattern?<br />
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It would usually be a perfect pattern for Spring but with this crazy weather we are having maybe we should still be on winter theme knits, its crazy that a few weeks ago i was posting about our long walk and then these past few days I've woken up to snow on my car and had to dig my winter coat back out!<br />
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Anyway hopefully it wont last much longer, im ready for some nice weather, weekend walks, al fresco eating and eveining fire pits.<br />
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But if you've not had chance to pick up your copy yet, here it is, my Flower cushion pattern, this photo is one taken from the magazine and i have got to credit Dominic Crolla and Daniel Walmsley for the fantastic photo,<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZHBXWPxDqc/VyJni5TfD0I/AAAAAAAACXA/XzXFW8Mnj_gydjIMVvSGd_AO4PyIxLYiwCKgB/s1600/Screenshot_2016-04-28-20-38-23-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZHBXWPxDqc/VyJni5TfD0I/AAAAAAAACXA/XzXFW8Mnj_gydjIMVvSGd_AO4PyIxLYiwCKgB/s640/Screenshot_2016-04-28-20-38-23-1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cushion is knitted using Cygnet Superwash yarn, its a yarn i have used for a few patterns including my his and hers childrens pajama cases and my love a hug bear, its such a good versatile yarn. it comes in such a good range of colours too and it very resonably priced!<br />
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If you fancy giving this pattern ago then a have a few tips to help you get a good finish, the first one is the joining, there is nothing worse than spending so long knitting the piece but then rushing the joining, not done properly can really detract from the qulity of the finished piece. So with this in mind make sure you use the matress method to join the sides. Matress stitch is a very commonly used join and is perfect for joining two pieces of stockinette stitch, it is usually used on jumper seams etc.<br />
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Matress Stitch Instructions:<br />
You need to pull the two pieces together I always use stitch markers to hold them in place<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MPVGI_gvliYlf7zbUV4GWeCE00x_b2t7wPtOMizgNne6IfaF_13JCO5nbOJ9Z_uENo2wgo6F_wXzbgcYW-enWbWP_5zBEC0FcnOGBFaDK8WZSuLuT5KE8rfqcgqbkZA88U_eoZSRI68/s1600/2016-01-13+22.04.00-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MPVGI_gvliYlf7zbUV4GWeCE00x_b2t7wPtOMizgNne6IfaF_13JCO5nbOJ9Z_uENo2wgo6F_wXzbgcYW-enWbWP_5zBEC0FcnOGBFaDK8WZSuLuT5KE8rfqcgqbkZA88U_eoZSRI68/s640/2016-01-13+22.04.00-1.jpg" width="440" /></a></div>
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using the bar you will find inbetween the edge V, heres a photo to hopefully show you what i mean;<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys51iYdQPM0/VyJXBI84iLI/AAAAAAAACW4/YwpLsBXk2Y0PtnzHLy2xGp9wDt5fC8jcACKgB/s1600/2016-01-13%2B22.11.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ys51iYdQPM0/VyJXBI84iLI/AAAAAAAACW4/YwpLsBXk2Y0PtnzHLy2xGp9wDt5fC8jcACKgB/s640/2016-01-13%2B22.11.24-1.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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And here you can see the finshed effect;<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f3fEmsuwYQ/VyJXNdIsbHI/AAAAAAAACW4/FzdptLUbn2kLKyP4nOKJUlzQc9lGO0rXgCKgB/s1600/2016-01-13%2B22.11.50-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6f3fEmsuwYQ/VyJXNdIsbHI/AAAAAAAACW4/FzdptLUbn2kLKyP4nOKJUlzQc9lGO0rXgCKgB/s640/2016-01-13%2B22.11.50-1.jpg" width="614" /></a></div>
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Attaching the Petals:<br />
You should have no issues following the instructions with in the Magazine for the joining ofthe petals but if you are more of a visual person you may find these help;<br />
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So once you have all 5 petals and you have threaded the yarn through the stitches you need to thread the yarn back through the first petal<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq54ys9nxw1UzCb5IMP_6mkB9Fs469qFlf_epQ0rLQKuwH3JjItfPDwAxD8qpIwHx3JPeDcugXBA5_e89AEAGjn-gadJJHBSr7lwTAJdmaiVhpiF8dQQK8lZBs_yK195cvFgJCUR9Fkyg/s1600/2016-01-17+19.10.13-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq54ys9nxw1UzCb5IMP_6mkB9Fs469qFlf_epQ0rLQKuwH3JjItfPDwAxD8qpIwHx3JPeDcugXBA5_e89AEAGjn-gadJJHBSr7lwTAJdmaiVhpiF8dQQK8lZBs_yK195cvFgJCUR9Fkyg/s640/2016-01-17+19.10.13-1.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
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Then place this over once of the flower centers and pull tight - VERY TIGHT to make sure it is secure and can't be pulled off.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T1T3Eb5zLO4/VyJWdWM5eWI/AAAAAAAACWk/u3OuwXgq5XI_B42jXa3TP8t7ng7lAf2ogCKgB/s1600/2016-01-17%2B19.11.23-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T1T3Eb5zLO4/VyJWdWM5eWI/AAAAAAAACWk/u3OuwXgq5XI_B42jXa3TP8t7ng7lAf2ogCKgB/s640/2016-01-17%2B19.11.23-1.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
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If you have a go at making this i would love to see your photos, you can either link your project to this pattern in ravelry or if your on instagram, use the hashtag #owlinstitches<br />
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Thanks!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-9142378790637671742016-04-17T05:47:00.000-07:002016-04-17T05:47:34.187-07:00Down the MinesSo this weekend was one i have been looking forward to for while and it didnt dissappoint!<br />
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We arranged it a month or so ago with friends; a mini road trip to Birmingham for a Friday night out and then the Saturday exploring the Black Country Museum.<br />
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So Birmingham is about an hour or so's drive away so we were able to go after work on Friday, we had a lovely eveing in Birmingham although the weather was very wet that doesnt matter when your inside sipping a cocktail or two...<br />
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And luckily the wet weather didnt continue on the Saturday, although it was cold, but thats OK.<br />
Sothe Black Country Museum is just outside Birmingham in a place called Dudley. Its a museum but not your usual museum, its outside set across about 26 achres and through its streets, buildings and cars it shows you the history of the mines and the towns and people that worked them. it is such a fun interesting place, i remember going as a child on a school trip many moons ago.<br />
As you walk round and enter the different houses and shops there are people dressed up in the fashion of the period who will tell you about it and pass on stories of the past.<br />
We also got to go down a mine and hear about the conditions the men would work in and the jobs they would do.<br />
Oh and the fish and chips, done authentically in beef dripping.... AMAZING! although i dread to think about the calories, ah well .... they were worth it :)<br />
Heres collage from the day i put on instagram;<br />
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And in crafty news i have just listed some new stitch markers on etsy, they are Hello Kitty themed, what do you think?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccum5f4BLmaWbTD7TdkFlN5yDv3l8UYTOKNNG5CVU8vj5bD7uTuZt6AutQx8Ul_EWXUbAHkNZeAXVkci5BjkQTXC-gDWSWFc1GcpkFXIwrqtupbrUVkxVPzm2Wvv5L0Sa7TrhGyiLtME/s1600/IMG_20160417_094207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccum5f4BLmaWbTD7TdkFlN5yDv3l8UYTOKNNG5CVU8vj5bD7uTuZt6AutQx8Ul_EWXUbAHkNZeAXVkci5BjkQTXC-gDWSWFc1GcpkFXIwrqtupbrUVkxVPzm2Wvv5L0Sa7TrhGyiLtME/s640/IMG_20160417_094207.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also the other day i mentioned that i had been working on submissions for the latest KnitNow call, well i am pleased to say they went down well and 3 have been selected, so i am now just waiting for the yarn to be confirmed and sent through to start these, as always they have to stay top secret until published so it will be September / December before i can share these with you.<br />
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But whilst i wait for the yarn to arrive I want to start a baby blanket for my Friend who is expecting, she is due in September, i have a few ideas for this and plan on using some left over yarn from a commission, its called Lana Gatto and its a super soft Merion Extrafine New Wool, its has a lovely bounce to it that i think will work perfecting for a blanket.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-7733992611847572302016-04-10T07:15:00.001-07:002016-04-10T07:15:16.294-07:0028723 stepsYes thats right 28723 steps, or 14.2 miles is what we walked yesterday.<br />
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We were hoping for good weather, it had been so on and off all week, but when we work up yesterday morning the sun way breaking through the curtains it was perfect! so at 9:30 we set out on our walk, i live in Alsager which is a small town in Cheshire, one of the neighbouring towns is Sandbach, a walk down an old railway line known as the salt line and a walk along the canal connects the two so thats what we did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jTlwxc57OsgdyueNzbAiGFcqePElTx__xAnzH6Q9ZGuSy2MYnaHde_gCWC7aS_yxPpv7tiizm95JKMBFBNWAXn-ypB-YWs0kmnb3zS8iwbgCntuCmneQX82zV41h6omrvezGA3fwZXc/s1600/2016-04-09%25252010.24.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jTlwxc57OsgdyueNzbAiGFcqePElTx__xAnzH6Q9ZGuSy2MYnaHde_gCWC7aS_yxPpv7tiizm95JKMBFBNWAXn-ypB-YWs0kmnb3zS8iwbgCntuCmneQX82zV41h6omrvezGA3fwZXc/s640/2016-04-09%25252010.24.57.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we reached Sandbach we nipped in a place called <a href="http://www.miola.co.uk/" target="_blank">Miola</a>, we spotted it on our walk in to the town centre it is a sort of garden/home store and cafe, what caught out attention was the large metal animals at the front, the owner was a lovely lady and she explained they are hand made in Kenya, you can see from the photo how big the elephant was, my husband is 6ft5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQKP2V9TwKno2j_ixNhyphenhyphenWj7pxsT7EF5vCAHbwBdFs9pl2pKkc1Nz0OARAP89GZ8VDWnkH6VaPXHBT26Qu6NZ0mbjDB5k-cmJ9LS5ZlBVldVavvuFD8SEJP3AIalKUR8ULYqm2puLWwfQ/s1600/2016-04-09%25252011.19.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQKP2V9TwKno2j_ixNhyphenhyphenWj7pxsT7EF5vCAHbwBdFs9pl2pKkc1Nz0OARAP89GZ8VDWnkH6VaPXHBT26Qu6NZ0mbjDB5k-cmJ9LS5ZlBVldVavvuFD8SEJP3AIalKUR8ULYqm2puLWwfQ/s640/2016-04-09%25252011.19.25.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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It really was such a lovely place, a bit of a hidden gem i think, i will be going back there again with my mum as i know she will love it, and they do afternoon tea and had a log burner inside, perfect!<br />
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And then to top it off there was a Makers Market in the center of Sandbach so it was lovely having a wander through.<br />
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When it came to lunch we really felt we had earnt it, we ate in a lovely italian cafe, i cant recall the name but it was so nice, and authentic, the food was so fresh, unfortunatley i forgot to take a picture but i did get one of our G&Ts :)<br />
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And here is the evidene.... 28723 steps in total :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrZTkpC4bCMsodaRPWDkE-3iD22Fc7S3BGS8Oz-UcH1_szOaqtUdfVT9Gc6cnI3HdNqxD1WKPWvl-mx351O5a3pLR6RPFbCAQ4JzXzZVHcMGrNp9VON0v2UK7XvKDPuN0TB4dYwBY7Lk/s1600/2016-04-09%25252016.03.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrZTkpC4bCMsodaRPWDkE-3iD22Fc7S3BGS8Oz-UcH1_szOaqtUdfVT9Gc6cnI3HdNqxD1WKPWvl-mx351O5a3pLR6RPFbCAQ4JzXzZVHcMGrNp9VON0v2UK7XvKDPuN0TB4dYwBY7Lk/s640/2016-04-09%25252016.03.55.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-18954136723695830522016-04-08T10:34:00.001-07:002016-04-08T10:34:24.619-07:00A Friday NoteHello All,<br />
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So my last post was this time last week, on one hand it feels like yonks ago on the other i cant understand where the time has gone...one thing i will never understand the concept of time! the old i get the quicker time seems to go, im 30 this year as well so i am in no rush tomove in to the next decade!<br />
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So my last post was on my latest published pattern, the flowerpot doorstop and after writting that i spent some of the evening and weekend working on my latest design submissions for KnitNow which i sent off on Sunday, i am still waiting to hear back from them but hopefully they like my ideas, i always find this time a mix of excitement and annticipation its never nice when you get rejections but a rejection doesnt mean they dont like it, it may just mean it doesnt fit the theme of the magazine or there are other designs similar they prefer, it took me a few round of submissions before i had anything accepted.<br />
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Yesterday i received the PDF for the pattern i have in next months KnitNow magazine, so this wkends job is to proof read that and ensure it is correct, i must say the photos that have been taken of it are just fab and i cant wait for you all to see it :)<br />
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I think i also mentioned in my last post that i was planning on casting of some baby booties for a close friend who is expecting, well if you dont follow me on instagram here they are!<br />
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i have done this pattern a few times, its an old favourite of mine. i love the picot edge around the sole. unfortunatley i cant share the pattern source with you, all i have is a black and white photo copy it looks like its been taken from a book but with no detail on the pages i have, so it is a very prescious one!<br />
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On the sticks now is a request from the Husbean, which is rare indeed its not often that he asks me to knit him something which is a blessing really as being 6ft5 a jumper is no quick job for him, anyway its an accessory but not the usual sort, its a cleaning accessory, a dusting mit!<br />
I knitted one years ago, i think it may have been one of the first things i did and i must say it was great but i never realised at the time Ad was usng it too, our home must have been spotless, anyway it soon went all tatty, and i threw it out, much to Beans's disappointment so finally i am getting round to making him a new one and in his requested Steelers colours. The pattern is from Rachel Matthews, Knitorama; 25 Great & Glam Things to Knit.<br />
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So thats my plans for tonight, continue with the dusting mit so Beans can get on with someSpring Cleaning :)<br />
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I have my fingers crossed for some nice weather tomorrow, its been so mixed this week one minute dry with the sun breaking through the clouds and the next its smashing it down with rain, but i am hoping for a fine day, it doesnt have to be warm just dry so we can get out for a long walk down the canal and old train line to work up an appetite for a nice pub lunch, and then work it off with a walk back, but we will just have to wait and see....<br />
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And next on the needles....im not too sure, i have a few personlal ideas i would like to investigate and self publish but also an endless wish list of patterns...i might swap the needles for a hook for a change who knows, once the dusting mit is done i will have a look through my stash and see what i fancy<br />
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Enjoy your weekend, i hope it filled with lots of relaxing, fun and KNITTINGAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-70957080559685278772016-04-01T10:36:00.000-07:002016-04-01T10:36:38.036-07:00Flowerpot DoorstopApril already, i cant believe it the year is flying by!<br />
I am pleased to say i did not get fooled today, well to my knowledge anyway...<br />
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Anyway i just wanted to share with you my latest design which is out now in this months issue of KnitNow magazine, issue 59.<br />
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Its my Flowerpot Doorstop, i was really pleased with this design as i love the bright colours and extra element the buttons add, here it is....<br />
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And a birds eye view...<br />
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If you plan on giving this a go, one tip i would give is to pin your flowers in place before you sew them on, it just means you can make sure you have an even mix of colour and style across the top<br />
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I was really pleased with the buttons i was able to find to add to it, if you are interested these were from a store UK called Dunelm Mill and below you can see the tub details<br />
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If you do give this a go i would love to see pictures, you can create it as a project in Ravelry or tag me in on Instagram :)<br />
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On a personal note its been back to work for me after the bank holiday weekend, it was lovely having 4 days with lots of knititng time so im really pleased now its Friday night and i have the weekend ahead of me, i dont actually have any looming deadlines this weekend so i am going to take the time to cast on some baby booties for an expectant friend, its a pattern a have made a few times and had for years, an old photocopy with no details of the original source on so a very precious pattern, i really must get round to scanning it in i would hate to ever loose it, i will be posting pictures of my progress on instagram.<br />
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Also really want to make my friend a cross stitch for the arrival, i will include the babies name, dob, and weight, she is due in September but with all my other plans i must start this sooner rather than later, the neutral sections anyway as the sex is not yet known, such an exciting time and i am so pleased for her xx<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-50270362464798218892016-03-24T13:06:00.000-07:002016-03-24T13:06:04.789-07:00Spreading the BugSo last night for the first time I taught a lovely group of ladies to knit, dont get me wrong I have spread the knitting bug before to friends but thats always been a 1 to 1 lesson, last night it was to 20 keen ladies and it was so much fun.<br />
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And here they are, well their hands anyway - I didnt want to break their concentration with my camera I their faces :)<br />
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when i was first approached to do the evening i kept going back and forth on ideas for what they could make as the evening had other events happening they would only have an hour or so on the knitting, in the end i chose a bunny, given that its easter it seemed quite fitting and the perfet thing is its such a simple pattern to make the bunny, its just a square!!<br />
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So i put kits together with the stitches all ready cast on so it was just a matter of teaching them the knit stitch, and what naturals they were<br />
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Here are the bunny's...can you believe its just one square of yarn for each bunny<br />
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22 pompoms made for the kits<br />
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If you fancy a go the instructions are <a href="https://josoandsew.wordpress.com/tutorials/knitted-bunnies/" target="_blank">here</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-29368901871659132352016-02-21T11:19:00.000-08:002016-02-21T11:19:11.105-08:00This Weekends MakeWell its Sunday night and the end of a lovely weekend full of knitting, my day job unfortunatley doesnt involve knitting so from tomorrow I will have to wait until the evening to get my sticks out, I hope one day I will be lucky enough to knit 24x7 but we shall see.<br />
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Anyway I just wanted to share with you my make for this weekend, I am so pleased with him. He is knitted from an Alan Dart pattern for the Pudsy Children in Need bear but I just did it in brown and didnt add the eye patch, isn't he cute!<br />
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If you havent heard of Alan Dart make sure you google him, he has some great patterns for toys which include alot of well known characters.<br />
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Here are some of my bear in the making.....<br />
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All the seams joined but not stuffed<br />
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I use pins to check the position before I join the features<br />
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Such a cutie :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-15153493820285166272016-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:002016-02-17T12:47:50.032-08:00Happy Mail DaysI have had a few days of happy mail recently both post and email! Starting over the weekend I received some more owl charms and was able to make some stitch markers to restock my etsy shop! I also got 6 different owl charms so have listed a one off set, once they are gone they are gone!!<br />
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I aslo received some new cat themed charms so if owls aren't your thing maybe cats are :) for me it has to be owls but I am pleased with how these came out<br />
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I also in the post the other day received my Jigsaw Cushion back from the publishers, it originally featured in KnitNow magazine, issue 52 but is now available via ravelry, craftsy, and love knitting as a PDF download (see side menu bar for links) im so pleased to have it back I just love the colours and it's a great addition to my office!<br />
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And to top of the happy mail I recieved confirmation today for 2 new commissions which is so exciting as I was really pleased with my designs and had my fingers tightly crossed that they would feel the same, there will be more on these in june and July when they are published.<br />
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But my happy mail theme hasnt ended yet as on the 4th March the next KnitNow magazine is out and I have a pattern in it :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-4784369262184770032016-02-14T13:48:00.001-08:002016-02-14T13:48:35.673-08:00A Proud WifeSo at 4pm on friday my husband and 3 of his friends set out to beat the current world record of doubles darts, 48hours and they did it! They did 50 hours!!! Not only did they beat this but they did it to raise money for charity and between the 4 of them across their just giving pages and buckets and events over the weekend the total is currently on about £4k for Macmillan Cancer and British Red Cross.<br />
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Such an amazing effort!! For it to be submitted to Guinness as a record breaker certain criteria had to be met like the whole thing filmed, two independent people watching at all times etc. They followed all the rules and it will be submitted so fingers crossed it gets their seal of approval! !<br />
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I honestly do not know how they managed it, I popped by at different points during the weekend and the thing that really stood out for me was the support from the local community some of them putting in +24 hours watching and cheering them on it was such an amazing event to be part of and I am so greatful for ever person who showed their support and helped them through!!<br />
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A visit from Ads nephew and number 1 fan really picked him upon the sunday morning, it was visits like this for all of them that helped them get through the darker hours<br />
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Here they are the record breakers posing for the press<br />
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A few treats were waiting for Ad when he got home<br />
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Ads just givig page for the British Red Cross: https://justgiving.com/pairsdarts/ </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-19898963989110364472016-01-26T12:05:00.000-08:002016-01-26T12:27:34.833-08:00January noteI can't believe we are almost at the end of January I dont know where the days have gone, this month I have had a couple of designs to do for KnitNow magazine and I have also been testing yarn for a possible kit I am looking to put together for one of my most popular designs my rib fingerless gloves,<br />
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So far this is my favourite yarn so i hope the colour choices are winners too, hopefully I will be able to share more on this soon.<br />
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With February just around the corner dont forget about my Sweet Lovehearts pattern, they make great decorations and cute keepsakes for the ones you love! Available on Craftsy and Ravelry links on the blog<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-46664558959124200052016-01-08T09:35:00.000-08:002016-01-08T09:35:07.775-08:00Love a HugSo yesterday Issue 56 of KnitNow arrived on my doorstep, i was so please to see that my first published pattern of the year had made the front cover.<br />
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It’s my love a hug bear!<br />
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With Valentine’s day coming up it’s a great knit to give to show someone you care! The feet of the bear are knitted in a heart shape and done in a different colour which makes it a bit different.<br />
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When designing for Magazines you actually work 3-6 months in advance, so although its cold outside I am now starting on some spring/summer designs, they all have to stay top secret until they are published so I can’t give you any clues on what to expect I’m afraid!<br />
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Here are some photos of the bear that I took before I sent if off for his professional photo-shoot for the magazine<br />
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This month’s magazine also comes with a great freebie, a selection of yarn and a choice of patterns to make with it, including a baby hat, bangles, mug hugs etc. but for me it’s got to be the owl knit. I will be posting pictures on my instagram feed so keep an eye out. xAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-69166600807208128322016-01-03T12:55:00.000-08:002016-01-03T12:55:38.152-08:00Happy New YearHappy New Year!!<br />
Im now coming in to my 3rd year of this blog but I can't say I have ever really given it too much love and attention, if you are a regular reader then thank you and I promise to do better this year, maybe this should be my first new years resolution. I wasnt actually really planning on having any resolutions but as I started typing it seemed to make sense so there it is!!<br />
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Now I do have goals I want to work towards this year but j dont really see them as resolutions, maybe thats because actually resolutions dont seem to last....hmmm actually on that note the above is no longer a resolution just another new year goal!<br />
So my other goals, knitting related of course are to expand my published knitting patterns, I would like to increase the locations and of course continue to be successful with KnitNow but also be successful with some other magazines, my ultimate goal is a published book but thats not one for this year I dont think. I also want to focus on my instagram account as my main source of contact with other knitters, I tried twitter and I do still use it occasionally but I am so much more of a visual person I really enjoy flicking through it, but I must spend time to reach out to people comment on what I like and hopefully inspire others.<br />
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On a personal note I will be 30 this year, I cant say it really bothers me but maybe the fact the celebrations will include las vegas softens the blow!!<br />
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One thing I do seem to be so far is more organised, I cant say it's been a conscious effort to improve, and given we are only 3 days in maybe I shouldn't get too confident but I have managed to restock my handmade stitch markers on etsy and I am really pleased to see them selling already, although that does mean I need to get making some more! And today I have got round to listing 3 of my patterns on craftsy, and by thw end of the week you should see them on Ravelry and Loveknitting, here they all are....<br />
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My most popular handmade stitch markers are by far my owl stitch markers, they are snag free and every one of the 8 markers has a different owl.<br />
I make these by hand and only ever have a limited number availabe due to the time required to make them.<br />
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My Bunny Bunting is such a cute make for easter, each piece isnt cast off but instead threaded on to the twine. The bunnies are knitted in moss stitch and the carrots garter.<br />
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The pattern for my pencil covers comes in both designs and are great for kids, the colour ofthe yarn used for the petals can match the colour of the pencil and you can do a whole pot full!!<br />
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And the final pattern i listed was this Animal play mat, now Im not going to lie there is a lot of knitting in this but it is well worth it, babys love texture and this has lots of that, with each square having a different feel, this also makes it a great knit for beginners as there are different stitch patterns to try and because each square is knitted separately you wont feel over faced!!<br />
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i would love to know what resolutions you have set, knitting related or not....Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-30936044257173701502015-12-30T09:09:00.000-08:002015-12-30T09:09:31.272-08:00The Christmas Jumper SurpriseSo back in January me and my mum decided we were going to Knit Christmas jumpers for the family to wear on Christmas day, in total we had 8 jumpers and with other personal projects and my freelance design work for magazines it was important we started early so we had enough time to fit them all in, so a few weeks in to 2015 we got to work on our top secret project!<br />
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Christmas jumper have become so popular in the past few years and there are so may available to buy we wanted to make sure these were unique so a festive image on the front was not an option, and as we were making them personally for family we wanted to make sure they had that personal touch so it was to be knitted jumpers as the whole object/character rather than the image on the front and the recipient’s name knitted in to it too. The characters we came up with were, a Christmas Pudding, a Christmas Tree, Rudolph, a Robin, a Gingerbread Man, a Present, a Snowman, and a Bottle of Champagne!<br />
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We planned a ‘Quizmas’ Eve party to give the jumpers out, which if you can’t guess by the name is a party on Christmas Eve in which we planned to do a quiz, but no one knew they were also getting a jumper! When everyone was settled with a drink in hand me and my mum sneaked out and put our jumpers on, but it was so funny as they were covered in bells they were jingling so much I’m surprised no one heard and came to see what we were doing! When we entered the room they were amazed at our jumpers and then when we produced further boxes, one for each of them it was brilliant, the laughs and cheers made every secret stitch totally worth it.<br />
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Unfortunately my Uncle (Christmas Pudding) couldn’t make it on Christmas eve but here is the rest of the gang in there jumpers, and we gave him his on Christmas day.<br />
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The great thing about knitting jumpers is they are not fitted items so we were able to use basic small, medium, large measurements to create them.<br />
We also did accessories to go with each one, like hats and gloves, but by far my favourite has to be the gingerbread man that sits in the pocket of my dad’s Gingerbread man jumper.<br />
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Which also soon found its way on to the tree<br />
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Here are all the jumpers laid out flat so you can see the detail<br />
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Now it’s time to start planning next year’s homemade surprise, although I’m not sure anything will top this!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-22020235567822493982015-12-14T14:19:00.000-08:002015-12-14T14:19:06.511-08:00Olaf Kit - KnitNowOk so I must admit I have never seen the frozen film but like half the population okay am a fan of the well known song and when KnitNow magazine landed on my doormat with the free pattern and kit I just couldnt resist making it.<br />
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KnitNow magazine is a magazine I have a subscription for, not just because the sometimes feature my patterns :) but because there is always a great selection of well written patterns and Olaf was no exception.<br />
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The yarn kit came with everything you needed and the amount of yarn provided was great, I actually think I could have almost got 2 Olafs out of the quantities, I have in the past had kits that have just fallen short of the yardage needed so I was very impressed with this!<br />
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Now I cant pretend my knitting of this went completly glitch free but it was my own fault; the pattern stated "row 1 and all odd rows purl" I did this however the last row detailed was an even row and rather than doing a purl row before casting off a cast off on the purl side, when I then had to pick up stitches I ended up with a bump along the edge, so had to take it back a few rows, so lesson learnt end on an odd row!!<br />
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One of my tools that really helped with this pattern was my digital row counter, I would have been lost with out this, as with all patterns its essential to keep track of your place<br />
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I still have some of these in my etsy store, i would be lost without mine!<br />
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When i was making up my Olaf i found that putting small pieces of card in the base of the feet helped them stay structured and Olaf stand up<br />
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Pinning the pieces in place before joining them also helps make sure the position is correctand stays correct whilst attaching them.</div>
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The arms were a little fidderly but once the threads were sewn it i think they looked worth it.<br />
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And here he is my Olaf<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-39777472061017937522015-12-06T12:34:00.003-08:002015-12-06T12:34:36.868-08:00Kirstie Allsopps Handmade Christmas FairA couple of weeks ago I went to the Handmade Fair in Manchester and it was fabulous, basically it is an event made up on talks, workshops and stalls all related to craft and in the price of the ticket you get 3 events; 2 workshops and a talk.<br />
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For the talk we went to a talk with Kirstie Allsopp and the lady behind<a href="http://www.attic24.typepad.com/" target="_blank"> Attic24 </a>, Lucy. Its was really interesting and actually the motivation behind my blog revamp and promise not to neglect it again. The stage was filled with her blankets and colour work which was amazing to see I follow her on instagram and always feel inspired by her colours.<br />
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So for my 2 work shops I did Lino printing wrapping paper and needle felting baubles.<br />
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Lino printing in basically a piece if lino that you carve out your image on and then ink up and print, it was really fun (and a little messy) but the needle feling was by far my favourite, not sure if thats because it involves fibre :) basically you have a tool made up of sharp needles that you punch in to the fibre to 'knit' it together, we did this around polystyrene balls to create baubles, I love it so much I actually ordered all the equipment to make some more although have not yet got round to picking it up.<br />
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Here is Kirstie opening the event, my and my friend couldnt help let out a little scream when we saw the craft queen.<br />
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Waiting for the attic 24 talk only 1 row from the front<br />
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Amazing view and brilliant show<br />
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And my creations...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H54mhc8cFUQ/VmSZ6lnFS5I/AAAAAAAACKY/VfDyvoqSrfg/s1600/2015-11-21%2B13.29.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H54mhc8cFUQ/VmSZ6lnFS5I/AAAAAAAACKY/VfDyvoqSrfg/s640/2015-11-21%2B13.29.54.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-32372249999221302342015-12-06T09:29:00.003-08:002015-12-06T09:29:49.886-08:00Festive Robin Bunting - Free Crochet Pattern<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I have neglected this blog and for that I have no excuse and I am sorry, you may notice the change in style, I am hoping the revamp will help me reconnect with it. I have lots to tell on the patterns I have had published and craft I have been doing, but first a free crochet pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I made this robin bunting for my mum, for her robins are not just for Christmas, she loves them but this bunting I think does add a festive touch and is something she will save for the special time of year. I am more of a knit designer than crochet so crochet patterns from me are quite rare, but I hope you like it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_Iv5RV3NluBwC6liXFk0aEdV_F2W0v_tf02TyK4sB8LQX1judP56g3ecKYSzrZ1hDjqazxQfvX442lIVYqh1jId9BCt_GiXOt-P6_9Ug_udFgtEMkBwCkBW28z-n5NATeYKmtJyAb_8/s1600/robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_Iv5RV3NluBwC6liXFk0aEdV_F2W0v_tf02TyK4sB8LQX1judP56g3ecKYSzrZ1hDjqazxQfvX442lIVYqh1jId9BCt_GiXOt-P6_9Ug_udFgtEMkBwCkBW28z-n5NATeYKmtJyAb_8/s400/robin.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Materials</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Double knit
wool in red and brown (I used Patons Fab DK Red 02323, and Hayfield Bonus DK
Rusty 0780)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Small
amount of DK yellow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">2 blue
beads for each Robin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">3mm crochet hook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Measurements<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">You can
make as many robins as you want which will change the end length, the distance
between 2 robins is approx.. 14cm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Each robin
is 9cm at widest point, 9cm tall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Abbreviations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Ch - chain<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Dc – double crochet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Hdc – halt double crochet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Sc – single crochet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Sl st – slip stitch<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Tr – triple crochet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Pattern<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Using Red.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Ch 4, join
with a Sl st to the first ch to make a loop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 1</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; sc 2 in to each sc, sl st in to
first ch. (8)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 2</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; 1sc in to first sc, 2sc in to
next sc, *1sc in to next sc, 2sc in ti next sc, continue from * until all 8sc
have been worked, sl st in to first sc. (12)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 3</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; 2sc in to first sc, 1sc in to
next sc, *2sc in to next sc, 1sc in to next sc, continue from * until all sc
have been worked, sl st in to first sc. (27)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 4</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; Repeat Rnd 3.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 5</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; Repeat Rnd 3 to last sc, isc in
to the last sc, sl st in to first sc. (40)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Change to
brown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 6</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; sc in to the next 15 sc, hdc in
to next sc, dc in to next 2sc, tr in to next 4sc, dc in to next 2sc, hdc in to
next sc, sc in to the next 15sc, sl st in to first sc and fasten off. (this
forms the head)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Rnd 7</span></b><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">; on the right side count down 9sc
from the hdc stitch and attach yarn, sc in to the next sc, hdc in to the
next<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2sc, dc in to the next sc, hdc in
to the next 2sc, sc in to each stitch across the head ending on the hdc on the
other side, sc in to this, sc in to the next 2sc, hdc in to the next 2sc, dc in
to the next sc, hdc in to the next 2sc, sc in to the next sc, sl st in to the
next sc and fasten off.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Weave in
loose ends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">For the beak<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Using
yellow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Ch 4,
fasten off<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Weave in
ends, fold in half and attach to the centre of the face just above the red<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">For the eyes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">attach a
blue bead either side of the beak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Bunting cord<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Using Red
Ch100 (or until it is the desired length), take one of the robins and do 3 sl
st across the back of the head, ch40, take another robin and do 3 sl st across
the back of the head, continue in this way until all robins have been attached,
ch100 (or until it is the desired length).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Fasten off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ta-dah! you have Robin Bunting x</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-9681031988393558872015-02-28T09:25:00.001-08:002015-02-28T09:32:06.347-08:00February Review<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Well as you know I have been working on my 'Get Fresh' top, I put this on hold whilst I worked on some designs and swatches for the latest designs call for KnitNow magazine (more on them later) and when I picked it back up I really wasnt feeling it, it seemed totally snapeless and way too big which had actually been a common theme from the feedback people had done on ravely and I shoukd have listened! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But obviously I didnt want to put my hard work to waste and the lack of shaping actually became a plus factor as it turned nicely in to a snood :) I unravelled it back to the point before the arm shaping and ta-dah!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uaetc9XvUF4/VPH17-l8afI/AAAAAAAACI0/B0XHL3rTJsM/s1600/2015-02-28%2B09.49.31%2B(1)-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uaetc9XvUF4/VPH17-l8afI/AAAAAAAACI0/B0XHL3rTJsM/s1600/2015-02-28%2B09.49.31%2B%281%29-1.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Now back to my other exciting news, so like i said other than this change of plan snood and a few other little knits i have been focusing on designs and swatches for the knit now design call and i found out last night they are not commissioning one of my designs...they are not commsissioning two of my designs....THEY ARE COMMISSIONING THREE!!!! I am so excited and proud!! I cant tell you what but i can tell you they will but in the June, July and August editions. Keep your eyes peeled and let me know what you think x x</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyAiRSkdFlA/VPH5voHEV_I/AAAAAAAACJE/pqs91jdPX2Y/s1600/IMG_20150228_164719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyAiRSkdFlA/VPH5voHEV_I/AAAAAAAACJE/pqs91jdPX2Y/s1600/IMG_20150228_164719.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-31223813699607289832015-02-06T14:16:00.000-08:002015-02-06T14:23:02.122-08:00stitch, sewing and hobbycraft show<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I treated myself to a day off work tocommissionend a day with the girls at the stitch, sewing and hobbycraft show at event city (near the Trafford Centre) it was so much fun!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We explored the stalls and everything that was on offer before going for lunch and deciding what we were going to purchase on our return and a lot of yarn was purchased, there were other craftes on offer too like card making, needle felting and decoupage but I must say my purchases were all along the knitting theme!! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But I think my favourite purchase wasnt yarn but this printed ribbon, its purfect to add to my gift knits! </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zTnCkS2bv7k/VNU7W4nZI-I/AAAAAAAACIQ/62K7mj2r3-A/s1600/IMG_20150206_192113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zTnCkS2bv7k/VNU7W4nZI-I/AAAAAAAACIQ/62K7mj2r3-A/s1600/IMG_20150206_192113.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I am still working through my latest commission designs but cant wait to get creating with my new yarn.....oh yes i must get the get fresh top done first!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The fare continues tomorrow and more information can be found on their <a href="http://www.ichfevents.co.uk/" target="_blank">site</a> i really do recomend a visit!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2013959745566144200.post-38601020046624563342015-02-02T12:02:00.001-08:002015-02-06T14:19:16.411-08:00January Review<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I cant believe we are a month in to the new year already! Its crazy to think this time last year I was setting out on my mission to get published and now I have one pattern published another coming soon in issue 46 of Knit Now and I am currently working on my latest knitting design submissions! Unfortunately I cant share any of the design ideas with you but I will keep you updated on the success I am really excited about the designs so watch this space!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Because of the design submissions I am focusing on my knitted 'get fresh' top is currently on the back burner but im not starting anything new until it is done so as soon as my design submissions are done will be picking it up again!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here are some of my favourite knits from January.......</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AjoXeV5YSWExfORHM9ZHG0yYut8XFuQDmTkztuut91VCQ_KdAOcIJDozwRA9fn5dIXRzPbolih5Isue9TwYJE0kuYVhWmahkHIH9jdkWGQUHQD_9-0lrdoMuzIrPjH0Jne-MmC4vVmY/s1600/1422906095587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AjoXeV5YSWExfORHM9ZHG0yYut8XFuQDmTkztuut91VCQ_KdAOcIJDozwRA9fn5dIXRzPbolih5Isue9TwYJE0kuYVhWmahkHIH9jdkWGQUHQD_9-0lrdoMuzIrPjH0Jne-MmC4vVmY/s1600/1422906095587.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14154850019093392484noreply@blogger.com0