Newborn Knits

It has been a number of months since my last post. One of my blog followers actually contacted me to see why I hadn’t posted in a while. What can I say?? Life just got so busy and gradually the weeks slipped away. From working three days a week, I have also gone back to full time work until later this year so my time is even more limited when it comes to my personal pursuits. I’ve also been on holidays as well as downsizing my spinning wheels, sheep collection and yarn stash.

Yes, it was getting to the point where my sheep and wheels were literally meeting me at the door! I realise I had to take control and start managing my collection so I’ve managed to move quite a few of my sheep and wheels to new owners and now my home looks much roomier and neater. Do not despair; I still have five spinning wheels and plenty of sheep to keep me company 🙂 I have kept all the sheep that were gifted to me 🙂

Despite all this, I have still managed to do lots of knitting, some crocheting and some spinning so I’ll show you a few of the items I’ve made over the last couple of months.

One of my friends will become a first time grandma in winter this year so I’ve made some garments for the new baby. As we don’t know the gender of the new bub, I’ve used red, white and green as neutral colours that should suit either a boy or a girl.

The In Threes baby cardigan is an absolute favourite pattern of mine and it’s available on Ravelry. There are over 7,000 projects attached to this pattern!! I’ve made quite a few of these cardis as I love the pattern so much J

These little Baby Hug Boots are so easy to make. I’ve adapted the pattern to use dpns so I can knit them in the round. I just seam the sole. For the red and white hat I used the pattern Greenleaf Baby Hat which is also on Ravelry.

For the red hat I used the pattern Three Textured Baby Hats that features this pattern: King Charles Brocade. For the green hat I used the same pattern: English Diamond Block. The little white hat is made using the pattern Lomond Baby Hat.

I’ve also just finished crocheting this lovely corner to corner baby blanket. I have so much baby yarn so this was the perfect project to use up some of that yarn. I must admit I do love the C2C blankets. They’re easy to make when you’re at a group as there’s not much concentration required. This is the third baby C2C that I’ve made. As soon as I finished this blanket I immediately went upstairs and sorted through my baby yarn, selected some new colours and started crocheting another blanket J

Still on the baby track, my neighbour’s daughter is having a little girl in a couple of months’ time  so I made this cute little Watermelon Baby Cardigan. Again, the pattern is on Ravelry. I’ve made quite a few of these cardis as they’re so adorable and quick to knit up.

I made two pairs of Baby Hug Boots in different sizes and just reversed the two colours.

The pink hat is made using the pattern Button Baby Beanie. The mauve hat is made using the Lomond Baby Hat pattern.

So as you can see, even though you haven’t heard from me for a while, my fibre and yarn pursuits continue. I try to make sure I knit or crochet every day of the year.

I’ve also made quite a few pair of socks so I may feature them in my next post.

Until next time…

Melanie

Two more C2Cs!

Crocheting a C2C blanket is time consuming but so worth it once you admire the finished item. I made my first C2C back in July when I was in Noosaville and I’m now on my 4th one!

I am rather enamoured with this C2C baby blanket which took me less than three weeks to complete.

I used predominantly Cleckheaton Country Baby 4ply, and Patons Australia Feathersoft 4ply. I was lucky enough to have an array of colours available and I even have enough to make another one!

I added a crocheted edging and used a different colour for each side.

I finished this C2C blanket last night. It was started in August so that’s not bad going considering it got quite large and heavy and consequently I had to finish it at home rather than as a portable project 🙂

I selected all my autumn shades of acrylic stash to try and get rid of them and I certainly used a lot. Had to use my recliner chair as a prop to try and give you an idea of the size. The blanket is folded in half in the picture below.

I managed to pick up six balls of this lovely variegated acrylic which I interspersed with solid colours.

I tried placing the blanket on my bed to give you a better idea of its size.

I’ve just started my 4th C2C using all my sock yarn scraps and believe me I have lots of them!

To finish off, one of my dear friends from the Redlands Spinners & Weavers gave me this beautiful pashmina.

It has come in very handy at work as the air conditioning in my office is like a freezer!

I recently bought these two gorgeous pin cushions from Vino Catz Handmade in Australia. They are beautifully made and very secure as fishing line is used to secure them. Very clever indeed!

and this lovely little shoulder bag which can be used to hold your phone. I love searching the net for handmade Aussie wares.

Since joining the Australian Handspinners and Knitters Facebook group, I have been exposed to such wonderful fibre that is available for sale and have succumbed to some of it. Every Friday night Charly McCafferty (AKA Ixchel Bunny) showcases some of the most amazing blends of fibre. You have to be very quick to buy any as it’s first in, first served. Last Friday I managed to pick up these two Happy Tiger Bunny Tops – 100 gram tops $24 – A blend of Hemp, Suri, Silk, Eco Merino, Angora Bunny, Llama. The colourways are March Hare and Tweedledee.

And the night before last I picked up two of these Cashmere Fling Tops – 100 gram tops $23 – A blend of Cashmere, Tencel, Bamboo and Glitzy Nylon. The colourways are Absinthe Fairy and Minions. Aren’t they simply stunning!

I’m going to have to turn my phone off on Friday nights from now on as I am just too tempted!!

That’s all my news for now.

Before I finish I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to all those affected by the terrible Paris terrorist attacks that have sent shock waves around the world. Unfortunately terrorism is changing the world we now live in.

Until next time…

Melanie

Noosaville Holiday Wrap-Up

My three weeks’ holiday at Noosaville has now come to an end 😦 It’s been an amazing time and I have loved every minute of it! This is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world and I am so lucky to live so near to it.

I’ve had spectacular weather and was privileged to walk along the Noosa River and look at this every day.

I love these majestic pelicans that make the Noosa River their home.

This particular part of the walk along the riverfront is quite magical.

So many people have stopped and chatted to me as I sat at my usual spot near T-Boat Hire knitting to my heart’s content. Most of these people have been Victorians, Tasmanians and New Zealanders escaping their bitterly cold winters to spend 4-8 weeks in our gorgeous winter sun. The kids were all back at school so it really is the best time to visit the Sunshine Coast. One couple who stopped and chatted to me remembered me sitting in the same spot last year!

I have experienced some gorgeous afternoons as the sun set.

And of course, I’ve had loads of fun at Sheep Thrills meeting so many lovely knitters and crocheters. I even met a spinner originally from Brisbane (now living in Tewantin) who knows someone in my spinning group!

Bonnie (the owner) gave me a big hug this afternoon as I left for the last time. I was quite sad as I really love this little shop and the eclectic mix of women who visit for a knit, crochet or simply to purchase yarn. Today it was very busy with 21 noisy crafters at work.

And I’ve gazed at so much luscious yarn. And of course, I have bought a lot of that luscious yarn 🙂

I even managed to buy this very cute little sheep at the local newsagent of all places! She’ll fit right into my bedroom with its orange accent colour 🙂 I bet you wished you had her Bonnie 🙂

During the last three weeks, I have crocheted a C2C afghan, knitted three Croc-a-tail scarves, a My Friend Nancy scarf, a Chunky Misti Hand Paint Alpaca scarf, a Lophelia cowl, a Cria Concentrate scarf and a Margarita hat. You’ll get to see all these projects once I’ve blocked some of them and settled back in at home.

Many thanks to my friends whom I met with during the last three weeks. I’m going to miss you all but the good news is, I’ve already booked my three weeks for next year so I have something to look forward to!!! 🙂 🙂

To finish off, here’s a collage of all the selfies I took nearly every day and posted on my FB page, no doubt, driving my friends mad in the process 🙂

So until next time…

Melanie

C2C Afghan

I’m not a great crocheter as I prefer knitting and can read a knitting pattern a lot easier than I can a crochet pattern. However, when I was recently at Sheep Thrills I noticed a lovely crocheted afghan casually thrown over the back of a chair. Upon asking, I was told this was a C2C (corner to corner) afghan. Quite a few of the ladies in the QldBaysideYarnClub of which I am a member are addicted to crocheting C2C throws so I thought I’d investigate further.

Leah from Sheep Thrills suggested I look at The Crochet Crowd video tutorial which explains how these afghans are made, which I did. It didn’t take long to get the gist of how they’re created and I was on my way.

The yarn I used was Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran in the colours chocolate brown and apricot. The yarn was on sale at Sheep Thrills for $4 a ball.

In total I used 13 balls of each colour (yes, I had to buy more than the 10 balls of each colour that I had).

From this small start in a corner…

to this slightly larger afghan…

The finished size is approximately 4 foot (1.2 metres) square.

I must admit on the cooler days here at Noosaville it was great to be working on this project as it kept me warm at the same time!

When I finished the afghan, I added a chocolate brown border of three trebles, two chain in each three-treble space followed by the final border in apricot of seven double trebles in one two-chain space, a treble in the next two-chain space and so on. I had to do a bit of cheating to make sure the seven trebles always occurred at a corner.

I am very happy with my first C2C afghan. In fact, when I get home I’m going to make one using different coloured 4ply baby yarn. It shouldn’t take too long as it won’t be as large as this one.

Have I tempted you to maybe start a C2C afghan?

Until next time…

Melanie

A Chunky Scarf, Baxter and a C2C Throw!

This little project took me only one night to complete. Granted it was knit on 9mm needles using Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky yarn which is luxuriously soft as it’s a 100% baby alpaca.

The pattern is Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf and has lovely ruffled ends.

This scarf has certainly kept out the bitingly cold wind which I experienced not long after my arrival at Noosaville.

Another little project I completed not long ago is an adorable little bear from a gorgeous book called Knitted Toy Tales: Irresistible Characters for all Ages by Laura Long and it’s the Daddy Bear pattern. This book has the cutest little characters you can knit and they are all photographed beautifully. I have called my bear ‘Baxter’.

These little bears are quite easy to make especially the face as the nose section is knitted separately and then sewn onto the face. And of course Baxter had to have a bright orange I-cord to match the accent colour in my bedroom as this is where he lives.

The wool used to make Baxter was spun by someone else. I just plied, washed and skeined it. I recently bought another spinning wheel and two of the bobbins were filled to the brim with spun yarn which looked salvageable so rather than throw it away, I plied it. The yarn felt a bit coarse to be worn close to the skin so this teddy was the perfect project. He’s also stuffed with wool so he’s a 100% wool bear!

Here’s Baxter with the other two teddies I’ve made with a couple of sheep that wanted to get into the picture too 🙂

While I was at Sheep Thrills last week, I noticed a lovely crocheted throw and when I asked about it I discovered it was a corner to corner (C2C) pattern. I was instantly intrigued so the next day I sat down in front of my laptop and watched Mikey from The Crochet Crowd explain how these blankets are made. I’m using the lovely Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran wool I bought and I am quite pleased with my progress.

Who’d have thought I’d put down my knitting for some crocheting!!

And to finish off, what do you think of this lovely large and orange carry bag I picked up at Noosaville? It’ll be perfect to accommodate my C2C throw as it grows larger and larger!

Until next time…

Melanie

 

Holiday Happenings

The last few days have simply flown by; I hope the next two weeks slow down a bit. I’ve met with wonderful friends, done lots of knitting, walked a lot, bought lots of wool and met some fantastic women at social knitting.

The weather has been perfect! Blue skies, lots of sun and very cold at times so needless to say I’ve been trying out all my scarves and socks. This morning was absolutely stunning as I walked to Sheep Thrills to partake in social knitting (the third time this week!!)

The Noosa River looked absolutely gorgeous. It was a crisp and vigorous half an hour walk for me. That’s one way to warm up.

This is where I normally sit and knit on the riverfront.

Today I met a whole new group of women at Sheep Thrills. I love this little shop. It has such an inviting atmosphere and you’re instantly made to feel at home. You could say it’s now my ‘home away from home’.

Two women reconnecting with their craft so their table was relatively quiet as they concentrated on how to knit and crochet.

The glorious selection of yarns is to die for!!

As you know I love a yarn bargain so I just had to indulge in these yarns which were on sale for only $4 a ball!! These are Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran which is a 100% extrafine merino.

I am going to use these balls to make a couple of In Threes baby cardigans.

These three balls of Lotus Yarns Miya will be used to knit a gorgeous lacy shawl or two with beads. This is a 2 ply / lace yarn and is made from 70% mink, 20% merino and 10% silk. It is wonderfully soft.

At Sheep Thrills there are gorgeous handmade throws and garments all around the rooms that are on display and for sale.

One the throws I saw was a C2C crocheted rug. Now I’ve heard a lot about C2C from the women of the QldBaysideYarnClub so I was intrigued. Leah told me about The Crochet Crowd tutorial video which I viewed and now I am really quite interested so I have earmarked the 20 balls of apricot and brown Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran yarn for this project. I am going to be busy!!

Until next time…

Melanie