My latest projects

I've been a bit busy lately so struggled to fit in writing blog posts. With going back to work next week (well, officially three days ago but it's half term so a week off for me!), posts will probably be less regular. Over the last couple of weeks we have had a hospital stay for Miss S due to her fairly severe asthma and the husband has been in a play for the last week. This hasn't left me with much free time for crafting or blogging! Hopefully I'll catch up with myself this week.

I finished the poncho, which I loved making. It worked up fairly quickly, think it was about 7 hours in total and I enjoyed making the granny stripes. It's a good pattern for watching TV to as doesn't require much concentration. Here is the finished article:

The colour was chosen by the lady who ordered it for her toddler. I think it is a fab choice and the colours look so lovely together. I really love colourful crochet!

With the leftover yarn, I finally got round to making the unicorn. Once I got going I enjoyed it and couldn't wait to complete it. I find working with a small hook (3mm) and having to focus on tiny stitches quite tiring though, so it took me a good 7-8 hours. I'm not so keen on the putting together stage either. I've had a few requests to order the unicorn but I'm not sure I'll make amigurumi to sell. I'm not sure I would enjoy it and there are issues regarding safety certificates when selling toys.

Some pics...the first few rows took me forever. Then I found this youtube video which made doing the inital magic ring a bit easier.

I followed the pattern in the order it was written, so legs first, then body.

I posted this picture on my facebook page and got some funny suggestions as to what I might be making...toes, clangers, and russian dolls!

I expect once the head was made it might have been more obvious...

Here she is, all finished. I think she is so incredibly cute! My daughter nabbed her and my 8 year old son wants a "storm" unicorn. I have no idea what one of those is! Very satisfying when amigurumi is complete but hard work and patience to get to that point!

Can't remember if I shared a photo of the slouchy hat in my last post...

My daughter requested it and loves it. I made it from the lovely Caron simply soft yarn. The only place I have found that stocks it is Wool Warehouse, who I have now ordered from a number of times! Their delivery is pretty quick and their prices very competitive.

Once all those items were finished I was daydreaming about creating a beautiful rainbow blanket for baby S. I have been lusting over an Attic24 pack of yarn for ages so bit the bullet and invested in one. It's good value with the yarn costing slightly less than buying individual skeins. Think it works out that one skein is free.

Isn't it beautiful! I bought a couple of additional skeins, the bright orange and bright yellow which are next to each other aren't part of the Lucy pack.

With my daughter's input, I decided to make a granny stripe blanket with a ROYGBIV rainbow colour scheme and with alternate white stripes.

These were the colours we selected, they look even more gorgeous in real life! I made a foundation chain of 120 in red and set off making the blanket. It took me about two hours to get going and hook 10 rows of granny stripes plus the foundation chain and a starting single crochet row. Each row is taking on average 10 minutes.

Can't wait to crack on with the other colours and see it grow but it will have to take a back seat to my Betty's Bells orders and my proper job!

The end is nigh (of my mat leave, that is!)

The last few Wednesdays have come round so quickly. This is my last Wednesday on maternity leave so I expect I won't have as many projects on the go once I'm back to work. I start back on Monday but that's a bank holiday and next week is half term so I should manage to get a bit more hooking in before things get too chaotic once more!

I've mixed feelings about going back, which is to be expected after maternity leave! I'm going to miss my two little people so much. The last few months have been pretty challenging and I've had some really difficult times, but I've loved being there for them, 24/7, so much and seeing how much they've grown and developed has been a real privilege. I'll miss my big two too although they probably won't notice my absence so much with their being at school. I'm on a part time contract so will still be able to pick them up four times a week and drop them off two or three times.

People usually try to console those going back to work with the thought of hot cuppas and toilet breaks in peace. Teaching isn't one of those jobs that lends itself to getting a hot cuppa and to be honest, I usually drink so little I don't need the loo! But there are advantages to going back. Firstly, the money! SMP isn't great so a bit of extra cash will be nice. Secondly, my colleagues. They're all lovely and really supportive. I enjoy working with them. And of course, the children/pupils/learners, whatever the government is referring to them as this week. Those amazing young people who test you to your limits and make the good times great and the hard times worthwhile. I'm looking forward to seeing the ones I have taught before and getting to know new classes.

So, while I get back into the swing of things, crocheting will have to take a back seat. Although I will be sure to keep something on the go as a relaxation activity once all my homework is done!

This week's works in progress:

Slouchy hat: nearly done. Daughter likes it but wants it a bit "slouchier" so I have to frog the last couple of rows and add a few more of the double crochet rows.

Poncho: done! Will show you pics on finished Friday!

Amigurumi Unicorn: One leg done! That took me flipping ages! If anyone has any tips about how to do a magic ring with a 3mm hook they would be greatly appreciated. Once I'm a few rows in it's fine but those first rows are so fiddly.

Right, back to being referee between the baby and the toddler!

WIP Wednesday

Apologies for the lateness of this weeks WIP Wednesday post, but the original post has gone missing somewhere in the ether between the blogger app on my phone and the internet. Very annoying. The blogger app is pretty useless and causing me to consider moving the blog to another provider. Wordpress seems a popular choice. I like how blogger links to all things google though.

So, this week has been pretty busy! I got a new niece which spurred me on to finish the amigurumi bunny and to make the cutest little hat and shoes set.

I have also been busy completing a lovely hat for an order. It's pretty much the baby cloche hat pattern that I've used before, just done in a adult size. It's made from Lily Sugar n Cream cotton which I love working with. The stitches look so defined and neat. I hope its new owner likes it. 

I have a couple of WIPs this week...

Preschooler poncho: I'm really enjoying making this colourful poncho. It's the first time I've worked with stylecraft yarns and I have to say, I'm impressed with the quality of the double knitting yarn. It's lovely and soft and stays neat as I'm working with it. The threads don't unwind like some yarns do and there's an nice finish to the stitches. I'm 16 rows in now and I reckon I need at least another 20. Each row takes about 15 minutes now but that gets gradually longer as there are two clusters of stitches added to each row. I think I'll finish it off with a couple of rows of single crochet and then a scalloped edging. 

Neon pink slouchy hat: Requested by my 10 year old daughter, apparently these are what every girl needs these days. In bright pink, obviously. Still, it's a pretty easy request in a lovely yarn. I love the Caron Simply Soft (which is worsted/aran weight yarn) so much, I just wish I could buy it locally. I don't mind buying from the internet but the free delivery for orders over £25 is just too good an offer to miss out on and I have ended up with a LOT of yarn! Have a look here for all the pretty colours that are available.

Not looking likely that I'll have either of these finished by Friday, but I'll give it a go! Oh, and the amish puzzle ball...it hasn't left my WIP box since last week, oops. 

Adventures in Amigurumi

Wonderful news! My baby niece arrived today, 13 days overdue and absolutely perfect. It was lovely to have newborn cuddles with her. So, now she has her amigurumi bunny I can show you photos of it during construction and now it is complete.

I used this pattern by Adorable Amugurumi and it was set out in a very organised fashion and was easy to follow. You have to work in the round which I am not used to doing but soon got the hang of it. Stitch markers are essential so you know where your round ends. I used a kirby grip and have since treated myself to some plastic stitch markers. 

It was still missing one ear and one arm at this stage!

The individual components didn't take long to make up. I found the first row was the trickiest but it was plain sailing once those stitches were done. The stuffing needed to be added to a few of the parts before the final rounds were made. 

I added the face before stuffing although the instructions suggest doing it after. I made the pompom by winding wool around a small fork and then tightly tying a strand of yarn around the centre. I used sharp scissors to cut the loops and trim the pompom so it was neat and spherical. It's a very cute pompom don't you think?! 

Stitching together took a good hour or so as I found it tricky to get the parts looking just right. I also was unsure of how to finish off the stitching and where to leave my yarn ends. At this point, using a variegated yarn seemed like a bad idea. I'm sure it would have been easier to hide my seams if they were the same colour as the main parts! 

Finally I was happy with how it had come together and thought it looked lovely. I tied a ribbon round the neck to complete it.

Fertig Freitag

I thought I'd mix it up a bit and have the title in German today. It actually has a nice ring to it and also it means I have learnt a new German word. Might try French next week...

Anyway, so following on from my WIP post, here are this week's finished items:

Amigurumi bunny: Finished! Hurrah! You'll have to wait for a picture of it though as it's a pressie for my brand new niece but she's not here yet. Stay tuned (you could fill in the follow by email box over there ---> so you never miss an update ha ha).

Amigurumi Unicorn: I hadn't started this on Wednesday and still am yet to pick up the teeny tiny hook it requires. Doing the bunny has put me off a bit. I enjoyed making all the parts but found putting it together stressful as it was so hard to get it looking just right. I'm not sure amigurumi is for me. I may still try the unicorn though as it's really cute, we'll see.

Under the sea sun hat: I finished this sun hat last week but decided to titivate it a bit.

I added a goldfish with a button eye, and three blue bubble buttons. I also did another row of single crochet to define the ripply edge and make it look neater. I think it looks super cute now. Also it fits both my seven month old and my almost three year old due to the stretchy double crochet stitch used. At least I know I'll get a few years use out of it!

Money bag: Totally random but one teatime the husband reminded me he needed a money bag as a prop for a play he's in. I had an hour. I actually finished it in 40 minutes and was pretty chuffed with that!

Here he is, ever the thespian, showing off his bag. It caused a fair amount of hilarity at rehearsal, can't imagine why?!

If you are in west Cumbria and would like to see the coin purse and its owner in action, go along to see UP POMPEII at Rosehill theatre from May 20th.

Next week I'm looking forward to making a colourful poncho for a preschooler and also a neon slouchy hat for my daughter (her request!).

Until then, have a lovely weekend!

WIP Wednesday

It's already Wednesday again! These weeks are going in far too quickly. Think it's a combination of being kept super busy with four children and using my spare time to crochet and then blog about it! Not to mention that I am on the back to work countdown... four weeks to go and I bet these four weeks go the quickest of all.

So, as usual, I am working on multiple projects. I now realise I'm not alone in this as a crochet group held a poll the other day: one project on the go or a few? The results were 100% had more than one on the go. Surprising? Not really. I think we all love the excitement of starting something new. Looking for the pattern, wondering what colour yarn to use, getting everything ready and making a start. I enjoy working items up but putting them together is my least favourite part and I guess that's when I start on something new!

Anyway, this weeks Works In Progress:

The Blanket: This is just about finished now. Just got the ends to weave in and the edging to do. 

The Sun hat: I'm going to try out a couple of sun hat designs but so far I'm really happy with this one. The pattern is toddler sized but this one fits my seven month old quite nicely (he does have quite a big head though and is the size of some one year olds!). I've two more rows to do on the brim and then need to think about embellishments. I thought the wavy brim might be a bit girly but it looks cute on him and will definitely keep the sun off his precious little face.

Amigurumi Bunny: So far, I've finished the head, two legs and an ear. I haven't quite finished the body and the one arm that are pictured because they require stuffing and then a few more rows. I've quite liked working with a tiny hook to make this tiny toy. I'm not quite sure about the colour of this yarn though...it's pink and white and has quite a lot of one colour before changing. Therefore the head's a bit pink, body is white, one leg is half pink, ear totally pink!  

Hopefully these will all be ready in time for a Finished Friday post!

Amigurumi Amateur

I'm going to delve into the world of amigurumi.

Amigurumi is the art of making small, soft toys, using crochet (or knitting). According to <shhhhh> wikipedia, it is of Japanese origin...

"The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll."


When I was researching the history of amigurumi for this post, I came across this graph, showing the numer of occurances of the word amigurumi in news headlines over the last few years. Looks like it's really taken off! There are many useful blogs and videos offering tips and patterns for cute stuffed animals. I'll crack on with the soft toy I've chosen and when I've finished, will share any resources I've found useful.