Slouchy Flower Hat

I just finished up this lovely slouchy flower hat:





This started as a travel knit - I wanted something small and portable to take back to the UK with me at the beginning of the year. I found the pattern online, printed it out, threw it in a project bag with the recommended needles and some deliciously soft alpaca yarn...

En route I read the pattern for the first time and realised that the flower is knit after the hat is completed. Boo.  I thought the flower would be knit into the design of the hat. You see, I do not love fiddly knitting where there are little bits and pieces to crank out and assemble later. So I knit the hat on my trip, started the first flower petal and then cast it aside. That is until Andi started the KAL that spurs folks to finish up their projects!

I'm soo thankful for the motivation. And the crazy part is that the petals really weren't a big deal and took me no time at all. (Although sewing them onto the hat kept me occupied during a good portion of a movie last night!!)

The hat was originally intended for me. But I asked Naomi to model for me, and wow it looks pretty on her! Aside from her being a prettier model :o))), I think that certain hats just look better when there are long locks cascading out from underneath. So sweet girl has a new winter hat!

Pattern: Flower Hat by Rebecca Lenox
Yarn: A handspun alapaca that I picked up at a local craft fair (good grief this stuff was lovely to work with)
Needles: As recommended in the pattern
Modifications: None

Ooh and Naomi started preschool this last week. What a bag of emotions that was for the pair of us. Nerves and excitement before starting and wondering how the transition would be. Relief and overwhelming joy to see her integrate soo well and love the new school!


Hope you are having a lovely weekend,
Sam xxx

Kid Silk Haze Airy Scarf

I am in love with this scarf. It is light, fluffy, cosy and fabulously PINK!
I shouldn't get too attached though - this is actually a gift knit.



The Airy Scarf pattern is a free one (always a bonus): http://www.cheekyattitude.com/free-pattern-kidsilk-haze-shawl/



It is an extremely straightforward pattern and was perfect plane knitting on a recent business trip.



I used the recommended Kid Silk Haze yarn and knit on size 10 needles. The pattern recommends knitting 1.5 balls, but I always think it's better for scarves to be super long and so I knit 2 complete balls of the kid silk haze. The resulting scarf is 74 inches long.

I'd read that some folks didn't enjoy knitting with the fine yarn on larger needles. I really didn't mind at all... but I do think it helped that I was using lightweight needles - the old-fashioned plastic kind.

Not a lot else to say about this one except that I want one too :o)))
Ooh and it also gets entered into Andi's KAL.

On an entirely different note, last weekend we all went to visit an alpaca farm. It was SOOOOO much fun. There were some yearlings and some that were only a month or 2 old.



I thoroughly enjoyed being able to be up close with the alpaca and pet them. (I don't think the alpaca were anywhere near as excited as I was :o)))



And Naomi enjoyed feeding them. Such a fun little outing.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend,
Sam xxx

My Sister's Knitter KAL - WIPS

Yesterday was the last day to cast on new projects that would be eligible for Andi's Kal.

The intent of the KAL is to finish up Works-In-Progress by end September. The caveat being that they had to have been started prior to August 1st. But, how did August 1st get here soo fast? You see, I had in the back of my mind that I was going to cast on some new projects before today :))

This is a good thing though. With my WIP project count in the double digits it is time to whittle some of these down! Now, which to choose:

 

For sure: Airy Kid Silk Haze Scarf:

 

And the Colour Block Mittens:

Anything after this is a bonus.

Maybe the Poinsettia hat because I only have the Poinsettia to go. It's a quick finish if I just knuckle down.

 

This is going to be fun :)

What plans do you have to finish works in progress?

Hope you are having a good week,

Sam xxx

Swallowtail Shawl

Andi of My Sister's Knitter is hosting a KAL/CAL that is focused on encouraging the participants to finish WIPs by September 30th.  Anything that is cast on prior to August 1st counts as eligible.  And if the comradery of the group isn't enough to motivate, then there are also fabulous prizes!  :)  I recommend that you check it out and join up on Ravelry!

My first entry into the prize drawing is the Swallowtail shawl.  I cast on for this in February 2009, and finished it just the other day.  I can hardly believe that this baby has been on the needles for over 4 years!  Feels soo good to have it finished.



I'm really not sure why this one took soo long.  I'd go through periods where focus on knitting this... lace  knitting for me is the perfect way to destress - I literally sit down in a quiet room away from all distractions and focus on the pattern.  But then, after a bit of attention, I would put it away and forget about it.  I was happy to have a nudge to pull this project out and finish it up.



This colour is soo pretty and think that the subtle shifts in tone don't detract too much from the lace pattern.  If I had a do-over, I would have added more repeats of the leaf pattern.  The shaw is a reasonable size, but I would have preferred a little larger.  (I blocked this to it's max :))



Details:

• Pattern:  Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn A. Clark (available as a free ravelry download)
• Yarn:  Curious Creek Fibers Meru, colorway is Emerald City
• Needles:  US 3
• Mods:  None

Hopefully this is the first of a couple of projects that I finish in the next couple of months.


What do you have on the needles?

Have a great weekend.
Sam
xxx

Tyk and Tynd

I recently had the good fortune to spend a weekend with my knitty friends.  Each year a group of us head up to the mountains for our annual Camp Wanna Knit Knit (for camping, read 'glamping').  A girls weekend of delightful company, fantastic food and oodles of crafting.  I have soo much fun on these weekends, and although it's always a little sad to say Goodbye to my little angel and dear sweet hubby, I do LOVE the dedicated crafting time and a grown-up girls weekend.

Naturally all that crafting time means I get to make a good dent on projects.  This year's focus was on finishing the Tyk and Tynd scarf.  A beautifully simple pattern (perfect for mindless knitting while I catch up with friends) with a stunning end result.





Part way through knitting the scarf I had an idea to replicate the scarf ridges in the form of a coordinating Wurm hat.  I kept the scarf on the needles while I worked from the other end of the yarn balls.  This way, when I returned to the scarf, I could knit until all that wonderful yarn was used up.





Details:

• Yarn:  Kauni Effektgarn and Isager Alpaca Strik 1 (alternating)
• Scarf pattern:  Tyk and Tynd scarf
• Hat pattern:  Wurm (a free ravelry download)
• Needle size:  As recommended in the patterns

The combination of the Kauni wool and the Isager Alpaca is genius - the alpaca provides a colour wash that helps smooth out the transitions in the kauni wool, as well as 'lifting' the overall scarf so that it feels light and airy.  I am extremely happy with the end result and know this will get some good use once Winter rolls around.

Stitchy Stuff

Hi Folks,
This is a quick one.  I have lots to share... just not enough hours in the day :)

For this post I wanted to drop a quick note about a couple of quick sewing projects:

Ruffle skirts:
These are quick and easy - just buy ruffle fabric and matching elastic for the waistband.  Measure to the desired width and join together.  Naomi's ruffles are horizontal, and mine are vertical.  It was fun to play around with the fabric, and there is no shortage of online tutorials - here's a particularly pretty and feminine on:  Coastal Curtsy skirt .  Tempted :)



Minnie Mouse Dress:
This uses pre-smocked fabrics from Joanns. Again, measure to desire size and seam up the back. That's it.  Literally in 5 minutes I had a completed dress for Naomi.  I added a couple of ribbons for shoulder straps and it was done! Naomi is a very happy girl!



Swap Blocks for Guild - Liz's Star Quilt.
The guidelines on this were really straightforward. Make a star, any star, using the muted fabrics provided, and add a pop of colour from your own stash, if you so desire. In the piccie below you can see all the squares she has received to date, and the 2 I contributed.



That's it for now.  I have lots of knitty goodness to share next weekend :)
In the mean time, have a fabulous week,
Hugs,
Sam xxx

Apron Swap

The Denver Modern Quilt Guild met the other week, and this month's activity was an apron swap.  I can't believe my luck this month - I got to pick first and ended up with this beauty:



All the aprons were super lovely and I would have been thrilled to receive any of them. But getting to pick first... ooh that was fun! :) Here are all the aprons, modelled by the lucky recipients:

 

Next month we are doing a name tag swap. Each participant wrote their name, and some basic guidelines on a piece of paper and we drew at random. I received Sara, who simply wanted something bright on a lanyard. I'd seen some pieced spool designs online and thought it would be fun to try my hand at creating one, and using the spool's "thread" to spell out the letter S. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, although it is a tad larger than I think it needs to be (more postcard size than name card size). Hey ho, at least it's not sandwich board big :))) and no-one has an excuse for missing her name.



I'm looking forward to seeing the results of this next swap.

Well, I hope you are well, friends?
It's been a little hectic here (mainly work, but also some bug that has worked its way round the 3 of us) which has resulted in low energy levels and no desire to craft (shocker... I rarely ever feel this way). Consequently I've not really had anything to blog about. All that to change... starting with fun Mummy Daughter sewing plans tomorrow, as soon as we are wrapped up with swim class (little water baby just loves going to the pool).  Here's a fun swim pic that just makes me beam each time I see it:



Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Sam xxx

Birthday Boneyard

I've been doing some secret knitting for a friend's birthday, which is part of the reason it has been a little quiet here.  But now that the big day has come and gone, I can share what I've been working on...

It's the Boneyard shawl from Stephen West (don't you just love his shawls!).  Bonus:  the pattern is a free Ravelry download!



Before I start any given project, I like to look through the finished versions on Ravelry for inspiration.  For this pattern I saw that a bunch of folks had knit their shawl using one skein of Madeline Tosh Pashmina.  I had one particular colour of Pashmina in my stash - Pop Rocks - that I knew my friend, Stacey, would love.  It's a super bright pink, and just up her street.



Looking through the finished projects on Ravelry I also saw that some folks had chosen to work the shawl in stripes of differing colours.  I love stripes, and thought this would add a touch of fun to the finished shawl.  I found some Coral online that would contrast well with the Pop Rocks Pink.  Yes, this combo would be a good, bright, fun one!  Perfect for Stacy.  Ooh and the Madeline Tosh Pashmina is just devine - soo very soft.



The folks that had used one skein of MadelineTosh Pashmina were able to get about 9 repeats of the pattern, which is a good size for a neckerchief sized shawl.  I wanted to make something bigger and cuddlier and worked 12 repeats of the pattern.  The end result is a really good size - enough to truly be called a shawl, without being too big and 'drowning' the wearer.  FYI, the 12 repeat version used 1 whole skein of the main colour - Pop Rocks - and the majority of one skein of the contrast colour - Coral.



Finally, the pattern calls for the Elizabeth Zimmerman sewn bind off.  It's a perfect bind-off for the shawl due to it's strectchiness.  But man, it took me forever to bind off in this manner!  Well worth it though.



The gift is a winner (yay!) -- Stacey loves it.  Which means I am also over the moon:  I do love gift knitting when the finished project is soo graciously received.



Hope you are having a lovely weekend my friends,
Hugs,
Sam
xxx

Apron Swap

At the next quilting guild meeting we have an apron swap.  I've been hunting all over pinterest and the web for something to catch my eye.  I ultimately decided on the Purl Bee Unisex Adjustable Apron.  I like the utilitarian feel of it.  But wanted to kick it up a notch.

Originally I was thinking of adding some fun embellishment or paper pieced pocket. 
Think applique kitchen utensils
Or paper pieced cup of tea
Or appliqued letters such as "eat"

However on my search for fabric I found an easy way out - fabric that already had a kitchen design, and coordinated well with the main fabric.  I could add a little ric rac and a bright fun apron tie - yes this would do the trick.


The instructions are very well written and straight forward.  I didn't follow exactly - e.g. the pattern tells you to fold your fabric in half to cut out the main body of the apron.  My fabric was extra wide and so I didn't want to cut a big hole in the middle of it - I was actually able to cut out the main piece, to specification, out of one half width of the fabric.  But like I say, the fabric I'd selected was quite a bit wider than your typical quilting bolt.  Plus for the pocket, I fussy cut the design I wanted vs trying to get the measurements exact to the pattern.  So nothing major - just little tweaks.



The end result is simple and pretty.  I'm really happy with how it all came together.
Thing is... it doesn't really fit me.  I think Unisex Adjustable Apron should read His and 'Tall-Hers' Apron.
You see it fits hubby perfectly.  Although it may not be his choice in style ha ha.



But at 5'2" it seemed to drown me.  Looking at the pictures I've seen online they have it folded in the middle (which must be the adjustable part).  And in fairness, that approach works.  It just isn't as cute on me, with that fold, as it is on Joe. :) 



Let's hope whoever ends up with this is a good deal taller than I am.  Or who has a hubby/significant other who isn't afraid of a nice pop of pink and a little ric rac ha ha!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend?
Love
Sam
xxx

Work-In-Progress Wednesday

Tyk and Tynd:



Curio Quilt, row F:

Squares, squares and more squares...

I've been spending a lot of time working on quilt squares these last couple of weeks.

First up are the Denver Quilt Guild Quilting Bee squares.  Last month I had Lorrie's box.  Her theme is 'everything goes with denim' and she was looking for strip squares.  As a newbie quilter, I have a lot of fun working on these types of squares - no perfect points to be created... no corners to match up... wonky lines encouraged... It's all about the colours and the fabrics and creativity. 

In Lorrie's box there were a number of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and so I dug into my scrappy stash to complement them with some of the bits and pieces I had leftover from my Mum's quilt.  I really love those Kaffe polka dots. Here are the 4 squares that I contributed:



Here's a snap shot of all the squares that Lorrie has received to date.  I think this is going to be fabulous when complete.  A fantastic theme, that was pure joy to work on.



I'm ahead of the curve this month - I received Teresa's box last week and already have my squares done.  Teresa's theme is a wonky log cabin using purples, greens and pinks.  She encouraged each participant to throw in some orange.  Since she also had Kaffe in her box - some of the shot cottons - I was able to complement with some Kaffe shot cotton in orange that I had in my stash.  I am extremely happy with the outcome:



Here's a snapshot of all of Teresa's squares to date.  I really enjoy seeing these come together now that a number of squares have been created for each theme.  I think this particular quilt might be one of my favourites, and can foresee that I'd make one of these myself.  Lovely isn't it.



My little 'Vanna' certainly seems to think so :)))



In fact, Naomi has been intrigued by all this quilting and asked if we could make a square together today.  We did.  A wonky log cabin square for Bertie's Blankets.  You can read all about it on the Bertie's Blankets blog.




Finally, but most importantly, I've also been working on Mum's Curio Quilt.  Here's where I was yesterday afternoon:



And here's the progress as of the early hours this morning :))



My plan for this evening is to add some more squares for the next row.  I am tickled with how this is coming together.

Have a lovely evening,
Sam xxx