Daisies

Daisies
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Monday 26 March 2012

Colourful Blanket

The stork party is over and now I can show the world the blanket that I have knitted for my grandson who's about to enter this world in a couple of weeks' time!

 The elephant I adapted from the pattern in our local Stitches mag and was designed by Dana Biddle.  I used the main pattern, but made small changes to make it my own.  Ears flop and tail and trunk, as per her pattern, left loose.
 The dark bit is suppose to be the dam and was waiting for ducks or hippo's to gather, but my hippo was a flop and I could not find safe ducks to put in the dam, so I opted to sew (very securely) two hippo buttons onto the water.
The tree is also from Dana, the sun and clouds my own, but I must say, the giraffe totally my own creation.  Sure that I would not be able to do another as this was trial and error, but it came out fantastic!  Very chuffed!  Hope the little one will have endless joy sitting and playing on this blanket.

That's almost another Monday gone!  Happy week!

Friday 23 March 2012

Caledonia Earflap Caps

Last week saw me starting on these caps.  I have been looking at this pattern for some time now and because of the colorwork (think weaving different strands of wools over and under and having rather tight knitting) I really wasn't in the mood.  But, sometimes all you need is a bit of boredom from doing what you are doing the same old way and you are ready to try something new.  That's how it was!  Bored to death with the same old, same old.

Anyway, did not turn out to be all that difficult!  Did not have all the different colours needed for the entire pattern, but I used what I had and even if I must say so myself, the caps turned out pretty good!  I am even looking at incorporating different designs on the cap as well as doing the cap without the earflaps.  Those flaps, by the way, look great on perky young faces, but not so perky on old faces like mine!  Still had a few balls of those 100% Merino wool from African Expressions in my stash, so I used those.  The wool really, really knit up so good, besides being soft and warm!  The pattern is from Creative Knitting Magazine, September 2011.  

 My granddaughter sporting the cap I have knitted for her featuring a pair of ears!  Extra ears have never hurt anyone!  This is the youth's small/medium size and I did not use the 4 needle method here, but 2 as per normal.  The pattern was basically doubled, so it looks different from the others.  Also, one has to be very careful when sewing up to make sure that the lines of the pattern matches up perfectly.
 When you see the original pattern, you will see that it does not look like my creations whatsoever!  I only used the tree chart and because I did not have excessive colours to play with, even the band around the hat looks different from that of the pattern.
 This was the first cap that I have done and for the flap I used a 6mm needle that was at reflection, way to big for these flaps.  They turned out to be more like elephant ears, but seem to look fine on men!  If only those ears could hear!  Cap turned out fine otherwise even if the flaps look a bit lopsided!
This is the children's cap that I have knitted for Gabrielle adding the ears as a playful element.  Changes here were the flaps knitted in garter stitch and the whole cap being knitted on 2 needles instead of 4, making the band wider and somehow looking different from when you knit up with the 4 needles!

So all in all, they turned out very well and look nothing like the original pattern.  Maybe when I have enough different coloured wools, I will do the original!

In the meantime, I am also finishing off a very beautiful little blanket for a special little person who is going to surprise us in April.  I really hope that this blankie will keep him warm and content for many years to come.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!  Here the season is turning into a beautiful autumn that's bringing lovely cool weather after all the heat we had during summer!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Bag Story

Remember all the little blocks that I crochet a while ago?  Well, those have now been thrown together to make a knitter's bag.  Lots of little itty bits of wool have been used up and turned into a lovely, useful something!  I might even consider doing another! I have lined the bag, not to lose needles and hooks, using a very nice locally manufactured material.  Goes very well with the bag!

 Here are some of the initial blocks that I have done.  At that stage, I did not know what I was going to do with them all.  Some were blocks from a pattern for a beautiful jacket that I really want to knit for myself this winter.  A Rowan wools pattern, so I will have to substitute with local wool as the Rowan brand is frustratingly expensive here in SA.

 My granddaughter loves horses and when we visited the beautiful Kurland Estate a week or so ago, I took these photo's of her loving this equally willing horse!  The horse was eating grass from her hand and she was over the moon with the fact that the horse did not go away, but stayed for more attention from us!

 Here, at last, are the photo's of the finished bag. I really used bits and pieces even to do the bottom bit, but later switched over to the same colour that I was going to use for the handles.
 Other side!
 Inside, showing the beautiful lining.  Luckily, one cannot see how horrible my hand stitching is!
 I should have shown the handles better.  I used single crochet that makes a good hardwearing fabric and folded the strap over a piece of strapping to make it doubly strong.
I am very satisfied with my bag, it shows what I am doing at this moment in my life.  My work now, is after all, knitting and crocheting items for sale.  It is slow work, not always paying well in money value, but there is little that comes to the good feeling one gets when one has finished an item and it really looks good!

Next time, I'll try making a felted bag.  Cannot wait to do that!  Must just get all the correct materials together and then, wow, and hopefully, a beautiful felted bag!

Lovely day/Lekker dag!

M