KnitNotWhat

Tikki

2011-08-05T14:42:00.000+12:00

I’m going to share some of my finished projects using patterns from one of my favourite designers, Georgie Hallam. I was lucky enough to get to test-knit the following designs which are all knit seamlessly and in the round for the most part.

First up is a gorgeous wee knit called Darwinia. this is an adorable girl babydoll or dress and features gathering on the bodice, and a little ruffle on the bottom.

Darwinia is knit in 8ply and can be knit in both cotton or wool (mine has been done in cotton for the summer) which means its great all year round. Sizing goes up to sz 10 and starts at a tiny NB.

Next, is the sister pattern to Darwinia – Acacia. This can be knit in 4ply for sizes NB-2y or 8ply for sizes 12m – 10y. Acacia can also be knit in either cotton or wool, again making it perfect for every season.

There is two different style – the first with gathers on the bodice as you can see on my pictures, and the other with gathers throughout the whole body. I loved knitting this pattern and it’s one I plan on knitting again very soon.

And last, but definitely not least, theres Little Butterflies which is a delightful wee short sleeved cardigan that features a circular yoke and little butterflies on the yoke. I’m a bit disappointed because none of the photos I took show off the butterflies to well.

While I’ve done mine in just one colour, the pattern has instructions on how to a contrast trim. Designed in 8ply there is also step by step instructions on how to knit this design up in different weight yarn.

I’ve also just finished another test knit for Georgie but I’ll give that its own separate post next week.

And Another

2011-08-02T13:59:00.000+12:00

I’ll get straight into it today with my first designer being Cathy Rubin. Now there’s heaps of patterns out there for fingerless gloves but these ones are gorgeous with the added ribbons for the girls. Ribbon Glubs are a OSFM pattern knit with 8ply.

They are knit seamlessly and for the most part in the round, they are such a quick knit that you can whip a pair up in an afternoon. As you can see above, they are a great fit on Miss 4 and also below, on Miss 8

Don’t like the ribbon look? That’s fine as you can also leave them out which also makes them perfect for the boys.

The other designer is Anne McCrea, I was lucky enough to test this next design and it really is a delightful girly knit. This one is called Ariane Dreams and is part of a bigger collection of hers called the Dreamer Collection.

This a gorgeous tunic/dress that is knit in the seamlessly and has a plain bodice and 3 different lace options for the skirt. You can knit this pattern in either 8ply or 10ply and has a range of different sizes starting at 3m. I love this pattern and am looking forward to trying out the other lace options

More knitting updates

2011-07-31T13:58:00.000+12:00

Sick of these yet? Only a couple more and I think I’ll be all up to date – next time I won’t leave it so long between posts.

This one features a few different designers, the first one being Rachel Evans. This one is called the Paige Babydoll is a delightful wee knit that has two different options for the skirt part - a full skirt with two different hems or an A-line cabled skirt.

It is knit in 10ply and available in sizes NB-5. Another perfect pattern that is perfect for layering in the spring, winter and autumn. It can also be knit in cotton which would be perfect for the summer. I’m definitely planning on knitting a couple more of these, just have to buy some more 10ply yarn.

Next up is a design from Shannon Passmore. Versa can be knit up as a vest, tunic, dress or as a babydoll. I’ve only knit the pattern as a tunic but have plans to do a couple more of the options when I can find the time.

(Excuse the bad photos – it was hard to get Miss 3 to stand still to take a decent photo.) This pattern can be knit in either 10ply or 12ply and from sizes NB-10 which makes it an extrememly versatile pattern and great value for money.

Lastly, we have a Charlotte Sweater by Raya Budrevich. It’s knit in 8ply and can be knit with or without sleeves. It features a ribbed neck and bodice and with the no sleeves, creates a racer style back.

There’s a gorgeous little ruffle down the bottom that you can see in the photo below. Sizing starts at 6m and goes up to a sz 10, this really is a top that is suited for all seasons.

Another Overdue Update

2011-07-29T13:57:00.000+12:00

This time a quick update featuring patterns designed by StitchyMama. Kath has released a few patterns and I hear she has even more in the pipeline which I’m looking forward to.

The first knit, which I was lucky enough to get to test knit is the Blossom Bolero. The bolero is designed especially to go over summer dresses and has a range of different cuff and edging choices so you can make a unique bolero every time. This one below has long sleeves and a lace hem.

Other options include a plain garter stitch edge, picot cast off, ruffles and 4 different sleeve options. I will admit that I was a bit worried about knitting this at first when I learnt that the edging had to be picked up after knitting the body, but it really isn’t as hard as I first thought.

Again, like most of the patterns I like, this pattern comes in a wide range of sizes from 0-3m to sz 10. You can buy the baby/toddler sizes and the child sizes separately or buy all sizes as an e-book, I highly recommend this pattern and its another pattern that I find great value for money.

Another pattern I’m quite fond of by Kath is the pinwheel beanie pattern. I’ve knit this one quite a lot and am currently knitting up a few more at the moment for friends.

You can knit this one up in any size imaginable because as well as pre-set sizes it has instructions to custom make to any size head. This has to be one of my favourite hat patterns, and is definitely the first one I turn too when someone needs a hat.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T22:35:00.001+12:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5 minutes for mom

A Winter Wonderland

2011-07-25T16:01:00.001+12:00

Warning – picture heavy post follows..

This is what awaited us when we woke up on this cold winters morning

After a toasty warm breakfast of porridge, the girls dressed up nice and warm and ventured out into the snow.

And practised making some snow angels in the backyard

Then we decided to dress up nice and warm and take a walk around the corner to the park. We weren’t the only one who had this idea, there were about 4 other families there.

Morgan making more snow angels

On our way home, Morgan decided she was pretty thirsty…

Apologies to any Facebook friends reading this blog post who may have already seen these photos.

And the winner is...

2011-04-02T14:14:00.001+13:00

Erin/Plingie :) I can't figure out how to get hold of you via your profile, so if you could e-mail me at k_roberts@itbytes.co.nz so we can sort out the details.

Thank you for everyone who donated to the cause, and apologies for the delay in drawing the winner. We left Christchurch a couple of days after the earthquake and have only recently arrived back.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A message from Krissie

2011-03-07T14:02:00.000+13:00

Due to the recent Christchurch earthquake, the drawing of the giveaway has been delayed.

Krissie and family are all ok and she will update when she has more reliable Internet access.

For Hope

2011-02-14T16:50:00.001+13:00

Hope is a little Wellington girl who is turning 4 this week, she was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago. Rachael (who took the stunning photos) summed it up when she wrote “In New Zealand, when a child is diagnosed with cancer, they start receiving beads. The beads are part of their story and recognise and honour a child’s bravery throughout their journey with child cancer. They are collected at each hospital visit, and for each treatment they receive on their journey” And yes, Hope, 2 years on from her first diagnosis has 900 beads. Hope had been in remission and had been treatment free for about 5 months.

Her family has recently learnt that Hope’s cancer has returned and is spreading, unfortunately this time it cannot be treated and her family have been given a very short time frame to spend time with her. There are so many people out there who are currently raising money for Hope and her family so they can enjoy as much time together without having to worry about the financial side of things.

So I have teamed up with Hannah from Red Riding Hood Yarns for a raffle that I hope everyone will like.

(click to enlarge)

With Georgies permission, I am offering to custom knit a Sorello or Fratello for a little person of your choosing. The pattern starts at sz 6 months and I am willing to knit up to a sz 6. I will be knitting with some gorgeous yarn from Red Riding Hood Yarns that Hannah is kindly donating and will custom dye in whatever colours the winner chooses.

Pictured below is some samples of the gorgeous yarn Hannah has dyed.

So, how do you enter?

- You must make a $5 donation to my bank account –
Kristina Roberts, 03 1700 0172932 001

- After you've made your donation pop back here and leave your receipt number/reference with a comment and a way to get hold of you.

- You can enter as many times as you like, so if you want to deposit for example $20, then you'll have 4 entries

- I will close this on Friday 26th February, winner will be drawn at 8.30pm New Zealand time. Please keep in mind that any donations transferred on the 26th will not show in my account in time.

- I will accept PayPal donations from people overseas, my paypal address is k_roberts@itbytes.co.nz (I would be extremely grateful if you could cover the fees so I don’t have to)

- After the closing date, all money raised will be passed on to Hope’s family.

Many thanks to Julia, who allowed me to borrow pictures of Hope and text from her Blog and to Georgie Hallam who allowed me the use of her photos of Sorello and Fratello

Well Overdue – Part 2, Julia Stanfield

2011-02-11T20:10:00.000+13:00

Welcome back to todays edition of Well Overdue, we now head into part 2 of goodness knows how many parts and today we focus on a good friend of mine, Julia Stanfield. I was lucky enough to test-knit Julia’s 1st and 2nd designs and lets just say I hope they are not her last.

The first pattern, The Little Rascals, is actually 3 patterns in one. First up, there is the Little Hoodlum that is a stylie modern looking hoodie. I loved knitting this pattern, the way Julia has set things out, it is easy to follow and you can actually knit this without the hood if you prefer and add a collar instead – both options are great.

Again, like most of the patterns I like, this pattern comes in a wide range of sizes from NB to sz 10 making it definitely value for your money. It can also be knit in both 8ply and 10ply yarn, how awesome is that?

But remember how I said it’s technically 3 patterns in 1? The other options that I haven’t finished knitting yet are Young Einstein, which is a v-necked cardigan or jacket and Hotshot, which is a v-necked vestee, again both options can be knit with a hood or collar or just left plain which looks equally as good.

The 2nd design is Teacher's Pet, which is a gorgeous, simple seamless dress with so many options to get a unique dress every time.

I ran out of time on this one, but like its predecessor, this little beauty can also be knit with a hood to keep those little heads warm, other options for this pattern are a belt and belt loops, eyelet holes so you can add a ribbon or an i-cord, different hem options and 3 different options for the skirt - a full skirt, a box pleat and a petal style pleat. (pictured above is the box pleat, and below is the full skirt with ruffle hem)

This pattern is available in sizes from 3m to sz 4, and can be knit in either 8ply or 10ply. The pattern is well set out, easy to read and a rather quick knit. I have plans for a full skirt one for my little miss for the coming winter, and I don’t think that will be my last.

Well Overdue – Part 1, Hats

2011-02-10T19:34:00.001+13:00

It’s been so long since I last updated that everyone has probably forgotten who I am :P To save you having to read numerous posts about each individual knits I’ve done lately, I’ll squeeze them into a few categories and pop up a few posts over the next few days :) In no particular order, we have hats!

First up, I test-knit this gorgeous beret for a friend of mine. It’s called the Dolce Beret and was designed by the lovely Sheryl Greenfield. It’s available in a few sizes from toddler to adult. The red one pictured below is a sz medium and fits both my 3yo and 7yo.

This was my first real go at lace other than the odd lace borders on bigger garments, I found the pattern easy to read and understand, I recommend it for anyone who wants a stylish hat perfect for the cooler seasons.

The next hat was also a test-knit, the Hoo Hat is another quick and easy hat with the option of either one single owl cable or a whole band of them.

And last but not least, we have a few pinwheel beanies which are still one of my favourite hat patterns, so quick and easy once you get going, it’s a must have pattern for everybody. I won’t bore you with all of them, just a couple of my favourites

Modified Beanie with no eyelets and a knitted flower sewn on top.
Another modified beanie in teeny size for my newborn (at the time) niece

Right, enough for now – would rather no-one fell asleep on me :P

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T23:58:00.000+13:00

It’s still Wednesday for a few more minutes!

Buttons buttons buttons

2010-08-19T10:30:00.000+12:00

When I was growing up, my nana had this big container of buttons that I used to love sorting out into colours and shapes. I’ve always loved pretty buttons (not to mention I’d love to start my own button collection like my nana) so when a friend started selling handmade buttons I was in heaven!

Check out the gorgeous buttons I received in the mail this morning! The orange and pink ladybirds already have something waiting for them and Morgan has claimed the owls and ordered me to knit her something.

For anyone else out there who loves buttons as much as me (or even if you don’t) check out Buttons by Benji for heaps more gorgeous buttons (and she’ll send anywhere in the world), I know I’ll be getting more in the very near future

Nicci is also having a giveaway this month to win $100 worth of buttons, all you have to do is create something, whether it be knitting, sewing or even using them as an embellishment, and
e-mail her photos and you’ll be in to win.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T14:45:00.001+12:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays check out 5 minutes for mom

FO Olearia

2010-07-02T13:22:00.001+12:00

Pattern : Olearia by Georgie Hallam
Yarn : TWC Utiku, 226gms Cherry

I was lucky enough to be a test knitter for tikki again. This time for her latest pattern Olearia. Olearia is a gorgeous wee pattern that features three different designs – two cardigans and a shrug, all which are knit seamlessly and easy to knit.

I knit the 2nd version of the cardigan which features a gathered bodice with a plain stockinette body and did capped sleeves instead of long sleeves. I really enjoyed knitting this cardigan, as all of tikki’s patterns, it was easy to follow, well set out and simple to knit.

If you want to buy the pattern, check out Ravelry here or tikki’s blog here, sizes range from size 1 – size 8 making it great value for money!!

I’m also licensed to sell all versions of this pattern so if you don’t knit and would like one, e-mail me at info@littlemooknits.co.nz or see http://www.littlemooknits.co.nz/knits/olearia for more information.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T20:41:00.001+12:00

And she returns…

2010-06-11T21:15:00.001+12:00

As some of you may be aware, I offer custom knits. I’ve been able to offer the Milo Vest since about October but it’s not something I used to advertise a lot. In an effort to get myself better known, I launched Little Moo Knits properly just over a month ago.

I have to thank my lovely partner for doing the website for me, I couldn’t have done it without him (seriously I wouldn’t of known where to start.)

I now offer 7 different custom knits which are

Milo Vests

Pinwheel Beanies

Pinwheel Sunhats

Kaia Babydoll

Olearia

Dolce Beret

Longies, which I don’t currently have a photo of, but there’s one coming very shortly

There’ll be a few more coming in the next couple of months as well!!

I promise some more knitting updates next week, I’ve been lucky enough to be a test knitter on a few things recently (including the Olearia and Dolce Beret pictured above) so have a heap of updating to do.

Woolly Mail

2010-04-01T17:07:00.001+13:00

Last month a friend of mine, Julia released a pattern for some quick and easy (not to mention cute) snakes, “Snakes & Adders”

She then held a competition, which was simply to knit a snake! How easy was that? So that's what I did, then DP saw me knitting one up and decided he’d knit one too. And low and behold he won!

And because I’d made him enter it, he let me choose the gift – we ended up going with a vanilla soaker for Morgan to wear at night time to hopefully stop the leaks we’ve been having. Here’s the lovely package we received in the mail this morning.

Close up of the Stitchmarkers

Morgan was more than happy to try on the soaker for mummy but wouldn’t stay still long enough for me to get decent photos.

Thanks Julia!! They fit perfectly (and I’ve even saved the chocolate for DP) :P

Bad blogger! (and new header)

2010-03-31T14:25:00.001+13:00

I’m such a crappy blogger! I realised today I hadn’t posted since the beginning of March so thought I’d say a quick hello to prove I haven’t gone walkabouts. I’ve spent most of the time that Morgan has been “sleeping” playing around with a new blog header, hope someone likes it as much as I do :)

I’m hoping to get a Wordless Wednesday post up later today if I have enough time otherwise it might have to be a Talkative Thursday instead.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T19:48:00.001+13:00

For more Wordless Wednesday go here

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T19:05:00.001+13:00

For more Wordless Wednesday go here

Snazzy Swift Sacks

2010-02-24T14:20:00.001+13:00

Take one swift sack

Add one swift (ignore the sticker on the carpet)

What do you get? A new home for my swift which will hopefully keep it from getting broken again!

I won a giveaway in January for a snazzy swift sack made by the lovely Sam. They are the perfect size and very well made. I did have my doubts when I got it as to whether or not my swift would actually fit in it but they have proven to be unfound – there’s plenty of room in there.

So if you have a swift that needs a new home when its not being used – check out Sams here

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T19:19:00.002+13:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays click here

FO: Teddys Summer Breeze

2010-01-31T19:00:00.000+13:00

More clothes for Teddy!

Pattern : Kaia Babydoll (Dolly Sized) by Rachel Evans
Yarn : Bodice and Lace – BWM Cotton, Skirt – Patons Smoothie (don’t know yardage)

Another quick test-knit for the lovely Rachel. This time a doll sized Kaia Babydoll. As you can see Teddy is rather pleased with her new outfit (she’s getting quite a collection now)

Not entirely happy with the lace at the bottom nor my cast off, should have done a stretchier cast off instead of being a lazy bum! But I’m sure Teddy won’t complain.

Two Little Dickie Birds

2010-01-30T17:11:00.001+13:00

Two little dickie birds,
Sitting on a wall;
One named Peter,
The other named Paul.
Fly away Peter!
Fly away Paul!
Come Back Peter!
Come Back Paul

Normally I don’t knit toys – the whole sewing up seams and sewing on limbs etc completely puts me off, but when I needed a quick gift for Zoes friend I found this pattern - Sweet Little Bird, I decided to give it a whirl. And “Little Birdie” was born.

When Morgan saw him, she informed me “knit red birdie moo” so he was soon followed by “Big Red” (seen below trying to find worms for his lunch)

They only took a few hours to knit up (even with a very persistent toddler trying to help some of the time) and used of some of my scraps. The purple one weighs 17gms (including stuffing) and the red one (wool held double stranded) uses 41gms wool, although he doesn’t have a tail as I ran out of wool.

I’ll definitely be knitting some more of these in the near future. And at least one more in the very near future, Zoe has put in a request for a nice colourful birdie.

Crafty Goodness

2010-01-25T16:23:00.001+13:00

Oops meant to post this a couple of weeks ago

Now that all the crafty goodness I’ve been working on has made it to its new homes I can start showing it off. First up we have some fingerless gloves that I made for mum for Christmas.

I used the Fetching pattern as it was one I’d knit before and I knew it would be a quick knit. I hate doing the thumb bits so I changed them a bit, I don’t think it looks as good but it was easier for me (and I knew once I’d cast off they were finished). Mums now put in a request for a matching hat.

Next we have some thick squishy dishcloths made for a friend for a SS gift (I used the Easy Peasy Dishcloths pattern)

Some little snowmen for a Christmas decoration swap (will link to a pattern shortly)

And finally some yarn dyed up for yarn swaps on TNN

Not as much crafty stuff as I was planning but I’m hoping to do as many handmade gifts as I can this year. Stay tuned for tomorrows post on what crafty goodness I’ve received lately :)

FO Pinkalicious

2010-01-11T10:46:00.001+13:00

Pattern : Pinwheel Sun Hat (8ply or DK version) by StitchyMama
Yarn : 70gms Moda Vera Bamboo/Cotton

TNN 10 in 2010 – babies and kids - #1

I was looking through my yarn stash the other day and mentioned that this yarn would make a cute sunhat for Morgan. Well my little madam overheard me, and kept passing me the ball of yarn, pointing to my needles and telling me “Moo hat”. Every time I dared out the needles down for a minute, she’d pick up everything and bring it back to me “Moo hat mum” needless to say we ended up with big tangles a few times *insert rolly eyes emoticon here*

Love this pattern, super easy knit this time, the last time I knit this pattern, thanks to Kelly - I realised I had been doing my YO’s wrong which would explain why a couple of lace type patterns I’d tried to do hadn’t worked out too well. I think it turned out super cute and I love the way the yarn knits up.

As you can see Morgan loves her new hat (shes also quite the little poser) and has worn it a lot, I wasn’t even allowed to sew in the ends or block the edge until she went down for a nap.

(click for a better view – will open in new window)

FO Summer Breeze

2010-01-08T19:50:00.001+13:00

Another delayed FO post, was finished in November.

Pattern : Kaia Babydoll by Rachel Evans
Yarn : Bodice and Lace – 62gm BWM Cotton, Skirt – 82gms Patons Smoothie

The size 2 test knit of the revised Kaia Babydoll I was supposed to do, instead of taking a quick detour and doing this one.

Made this one out of cotton and acrylic and even did the lace down the bottom as per pattern. Still love this pattern. very quick and easy knit and the result is a gorgeous little top that can be worn on its own or overtop of something. Looking forward to knitting lots more!

(click for a better view – will open in new window)

My Little Knitter

2010-01-02T21:39:00.001+13:00

Morgan loves watching me knit and always likes to know who I’m knitting for. She picked up some of my knitting needles this afternoon, pointed to my wool stash and said “I knit mummy”, I passed her what was in arms reach and she sat on her stool “knitting”

TNN 10 in 2010

2010-01-01T14:21:00.001+13:00

**edited 6 Jan to add another couple of sections**

Over on Ravelry, a new group has been started for TNN members and friends. It’s a wee bit of a knitting challenge to knit 10 things in 2010, there’s about 9 categories to join in. At this stage I’m joining 5 (now 7) different categories so that means at least 50(70) items from me next year *gulp* including a pair of socks *double gulp*

Under each category I’ve started listing patterns I’d like to knit, the list is still very much a WIP, some of them are bound to change due to my indecisiveness. As time goes by I’ll mark things off and maybe include a picture so I know what I’ve done :)

(all links below are currently Ravelry links)

One Skein Knits and Dishcloths

Just going to be dishcloths to go along with the new monthly dishcloth KAL at KrisKnits

Charity Projects

Undecided here as of yet

Baby/Child

Pinkalicious (Blog post here)
Pattern: Pinwheel Sunhat by StitchyMama

Rainbow Dress
Paxton Jacket (for a special little boy)
Bloom (x 2 - one for Morgan in 8ply, one for Zoe in 10ply)
Oriental Lily (x2 for Morgan)
Milo for Morgan for the winter
Pinwheel Beanie for Zoe
Little miss greenjeans probably for Morgan

MCN Knitting

Ladybug Loops Longies/Shorties
Ultimate Longies
Looking Glass Longies
Vanilla

Dolls Clothes

Dolly Bloom
Poppy Cardigan
Pinny for a Dolly (x3 – Jo, Amy and Beth)

1 of each

Dolls Clothing
Teddys Summer Breeze
Pattern: Kaia Babydoll (doll sized) by Rachel Evans

Toy
Little Birdie
Pattern: Sweet Little Bird by Raynor Gellatly

Adult knit – Tilted Duster ?
Baby/Toddler knit – Baby Tiered Coat and Jacket ?
Bag - Grrlfriend Market Bag ?
Dishcloth
MCN Knitting
Older Child knit (5+)
Shawl or scarf
Socks
Toy

finish 10 projects!

Big Red
Pattern: Sweet Little Bird by Raynor Gellatly

Traveling Woman
Lets Go Shopping - Market Bag
Buddy Bag

(The items in the last category might move up to the “1 of each” category if they fit, which will make room for more variety)

Happy New Years!!

2009-12-31T21:48:00.001+13:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T19:24:00.001+13:00

Birthday Boy

2009-12-27T19:41:00.001+13:00

It was DP’s birthday yesterday, and because he doesn’t like the boxing day sales as much as me, we had a nice quiet day at home :) The girls made Daddy some yummy shortbread for his special day. I made up the mixture while Morgan was pretending to sleep and then let them go nuts cutting out shapes with Zoe’s new cookie cutters. (Ignore the fact that they might look a little burnt around the edges – mummy cooked them for a bit too long)

Morgans

Zoes

and of course the birthday boy needs birthday cake! Decorating by Miss Zoe.

Will be doing a few update posts shortly with all the Christmas crafts so stay tuned :)

Christmas ‘09

2009-12-27T19:26:00.001+13:00

I hope you all had an awesome Christmas – I know we did :D Here’s a few photos from our morning. (Forgot to get the camera out when everyone came round for tea)

Look what Santa brought us!
Zoe opening one of her presents

Morgan with one of her favourite presents of the day

Dad, Nana and Morgan playing with Morgans new train set

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-25T19:31:00.001+13:00

For more Wordless Wednesdays click here

Christmas came early

2009-11-24T19:22:00.001+13:00

I’ve wanted to get the girls a trampoline for as long as I can remember, so this year I suggested to DPs parents that instead of buying the girls separate presents this year they could put some money towards a trampoline and we’d pay the rest.

We went and bought the trampoline on Sunday and decided that we’d put it up early, so off we set with Moo’s help.

Reading the instructions

Helping to lay the poles out
I can lift it mum!

Not many photos after this point as I had to help :P The trampoline is a lot bigger than I thought it was (don’t ask me how big I thought 14ft was coz I have nooo idea) but it turns out it’s the perfect size

Morgan wasn’t too sure about it at first – took her a long time to even get on it, but in the end she was bouncing and jumping (although its a completely different today – she won’t even go near the thing)

The Start of Many

2009-11-20T14:17:00.001+13:00

Got some delicious woolly mail from Kelly the other day. A few months ago Kelly ordered some wool on behalf on me from Jolly Jumbucks (and a lot of other kiwi gals :P ), I couldn’t decide what colour to get so I asked her to choose something for me – the only request was it had to be girly so I could knit something up for Morgan.

So here we have 100g of the nicest hand-dyed wool I’ve ever felt – Paper Roses on Ceridwen which is 3ply 100% Merino (worsted). A creamily soft yarn with three plies from Uruguay. (just in case that means anything to anybody :) ) Hard to get a true colour of all the pinks but its absolutely gorgeous and girly.

But of course, now Morgan has decided she doesn’t like it and everytime I ask her if she wants mummy to knit something for her with it she yells “Nooo”, so maybe I’ll knit up something for her big sister. Any ideas?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T12:55:00.003+13:00

Boring Post Alert

2009-11-18T12:45:00.001+13:00

you’ve been warned…this is a short boring post with no pictures.

Forgot all about last weeks “Wordless Wednesday” – ok well that's only half the truth, I did remember – even took pics but then forgot to pop them up and although I did think about putting them up on Thursday, figured that would be cheating.

Due to the camera slowly dying (I’ve got bad luck with cameras at the moment) and falling to pieces this weeks Wordless Wednesday post will be from last weeks pics. The good news is we’re planning on buying a new camera on Friday, but I’m secretly hoping DP will have time to go and buy it after work tonight, or tomorrow!

Not much knitting going on at the moment – have lost my knitting mojo. Am planning on knitting up some dishcloths for someone today/tomorrow so hopefully that will fix it, as I have so much baby knitting to do (unfortunately not for me – mostly family members with a few friends chucked in there too)

FO Birthday Top

2009-11-05T11:58:00.004+13:00

Time for another FO post!!

Ok, so I’m very unimaginative and couldn’t think of a better name than that...since its for a birthday present and its a top, made sense to me at the time :P

Pattern : Kaia Babydoll by Rachel Evans
Yarn : (don’t shoot me) Some acrylic I had in my stash

Another (kind of) test knit here (told you I love test knitting? – nothing better than having a deadline and being one of the first people to try out someone elses brilliant ideas) I was supposed to doing the sz 2 version of the revised Kaia Babydoll but am waiting for my yarn to arrive, so I thought I’d knit up a 12 month size for my niece who’s birthday is the day before Morgans.

Love the pattern, very quick and easy and I love the way it looks. I didn’t do the lace down the bottom as per the pattern because I was knitting in acrylic (don’t like acrylic as much as I used to and found it very squeaky so after the acrylic I have is gone I’ll stick to nicer yarns :P ) and I wasn’t sure whether or not the lace would come out ok so I did a ruffle that came out looking gorgeous even if I do say so myself.

Will definitely knit this pattern again, hopefully some of the pregnant people I know will have some girls :D

(click for a better view – will open in new window)
Stay tuned for Morgans Top in a couple of weeks (this time in cotton and acrylic – yes I know acrylic again but apparently the stuff I’ve chosen is one of the better acrylics but we’ll see)

On a completely unrelated topic, this will be my third post in 2 days, thats like a world record for me, and 6 posts for October! – I normally would have given up blogging by now but this time I’m quite enjoying it :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T18:45:00.001+13:00

October at a Glance

2009-11-04T11:03:00.001+13:00

I’ve been trying to think of new things to do on here so that you guys have more ~~crap~~ stuff to read/look at. So first up we have
“At a Glance” which if I’m organised will be posted at the end of each month…possibly the beginning of the next. But if you know me, you’ll also know that I’m not a very organised person :P

Highlights in October

DP and I celebrated 9 years of being together (big thanks to Kelly for helping me with the gift)
Zoe doing swimming lessons with her school and doing great!
My SIL having her first baby – Logan
Morgan’s 2nd birthday!
Getting a CL to knit and sell Milo Vests! (ok…not as important as the other ones but it makes it on my list :P )

I was hoping to add a photo part to this post – but due to our camera being broken, there weren’t too many photos taken – found a couple from Morgans birthday (hopefully I’ll be able to add photos to Novembers “At a Glance”)

Dad and Morgan taking her new bike for a spin

Morgan's Birthday Cake, its the first one I’ve made – so don’t look to closely (normally DP’s mum makes the cakes)

Stay tuned for “Wordless Wednesdays” which I’ve just realised is today…

Not a baby anymore!

2009-10-23T16:38:00.001+13:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to my littlest big girl!!

And now for photos from the past year :)

12 months

13/14 months

15 months

16 months

17 months

18/19 months

20 months

21 months (I love this one)

22 months

23 months

The Birthday Girl!!

Stay tuned for party photos in a couple of days :)

FO Teddys Spring Butterfly

2009-10-22T18:47:00.002+13:00

Pattern : Spring Butterfly by Rachel Evans
Yarn : The Wool Company Utiku, 20gms Raspberry, 23gms Sunset

While knitting Teddy’s Meg Pinny, I realised that I quite enjoy knitting clothes for dolls and furry creatures alike (that and Teddy whispered in my ear about needing a few bits and pieces) so when I saw Rachel’s Dolly Butterfly I fell in love with it. I ~~pestered~~ asked Rachel if she was planning on releasing the pattern soon as I really wanted to knit it for Morgans birthday and she kindly let me test-knit it for her!

Unlike the bigger version, the bodice is only knit using a single strand of wool but everything else is pretty much the same, I can see myself making a whole heap of these.

Through the Eyes of a Child

2009-10-21T21:07:00.001+13:00

Right before the camera “broke” Zoe was taking photos –while browsing through the memory card just now, I found the ones she took – here’s some of her work :)

I think they’re pretty good for a 6yo – what do you think?

FO Meg Pinny

2009-10-09T21:41:00.003+13:00

Pattern : Pinny for a Dolly by Kelly Brooker
Yarn : 48gm Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic, Denim

Pinny for a Dolly is a set of 4 dinky wee pinnys to fit the anatomically correct dolls many toddlers have.

This pattern was brought to fruition as an accompaniment to The March Sisters - a series of pinafores for Little Women aged 0-5yrs. (Due for release October 15th 2009)
Little Women love to wear pinafores, and they adore it when their dolly wears something to match!

FULL VERSION of the pattern is for all four pinny styles - Meg (mock cables), Jo (with foldover hem), Beth (lace edge) and Amy (ruffled ege), and all three yarn weights (4ply/Fingering, 8ply/DK/Light Worsted, 10ply/Aran/Heavy Worsted)
(Blurb “borrowed” from Ravelry page)

When one of my favourite designers asked for test knitters for her Pinny for a Dolly pattern, I put my hand up (seriously I love test knitting – think it’s the whole knitting to a deadline thing) and as you can see the result is gorgeous. Teddy is definitely pleased with her new dress, and has now become Morgan's favourite toy.

Kelly has done it yet again with another quick and easy knit, this time for your little peoples favourite dolls and teddy's.

So what are you waiting for? Get the pattern and start knitting! :)

FO Spring Butterfly

2009-10-07T11:59:00.004+13:00

Ok – first up, I messed up my blogs colours while trying to play with the layout yesterday so excuse the look for a couple of days - all fixed

Pattern : Spring Butterfly by Rachel Evans
Yarn : The Wool Company Utiku, 89gms Raspberry, 93gms Sunset

As I mentioned before I was lucky enough to test the Spring Butterfly for Rachel. She’s resizing one of her patterns from sizes NB-5y.

Such an easy knit, although I’m going to admit it took me a few tries to get the butterfly at the back but that's more to do with my skills not the pattern. I was also surprised at how quickly it seemed to knit up, especially for someone who’s purl rows take twice as long as her knit rows.

The bodice is double stranded with a cute picot bind off on the arms, I also chose to do a picot bind off down the bottom to tie it all in together :D

Will definitely be making this pattern again – it’s absolutely gorgeous.

(click for a bigger view)

Slackness

2009-10-02T14:24:00.001+13:00

I’m such a slack blogger but I kind of have an excuse at the moment – the cameras broken and who wants to read a blog post without pictures?

I’ve got a couple of posts almost ready to go – just waiting on me to ~~steal~~ borrow mums camera when I see her next. I was lucky enough to be a test knitter for Rachel recently, she’s in the process of resizing her Spring Butterfly from sizes NB-5y I believe. So stay tuned for the re-release of this gorgeous pattern.

I’m also working on a bit of a project at the moment, which hopefully will be up and running on Monday :)

Oh, and for Julia – I use Picasa for my collage pictures :D

FO Jo

2009-09-25T11:22:00.003+12:00

Pattern : Jo Pinafore by Kelly Brooker
Yarn : Cascade 220 Heathers, 93gms of purple, 80gms of green

When my friend Kelly asked for test knitters for her latest patterns "The March Sisters - a series of Pinafores for Little Women aged 0-5yrs", I jumped at the chance (although I’ve never read the book)

I tested out “Jo – which is a pinafore for the tomboy; a simple, non-girly pinafore perfect for throwing over a long tee and pair of jeans, ready to jump around in the muck” in a size 36 months for my little miss muck who hates getting her hands dirty inside but will quite happily go outside and dig around in the dirt….go figure.

The pattern is a quick and easy knit (even for a size 3!), and as always when I knit Kelly's patterns – I learnt something new, this time it was double knitting! A great knit for sitting in front of the TV.

(click for a bigger view)

I can’t wait to try the other 3 pinafores - Meg, Beth and Amy!! This series is due to be released mid-October but if you really can’t wait that long, try out Pinny for a Dolly which Kelly has generously offered for free, and if you hurry I think there's a competition ending soon in which you can win some yarny goodness, more about that here

FO Lollipop

2009-08-21T11:41:00.004+12:00

Delayed post but nonetheless :P

Pattern : Rainbow Dress by Tikki
Yarn : Contrast - 44gms of Sullivans Cozy Wool
Main Colour - 122gms of Te Awa Wools Natural Wools - Rainbow Colourway

Have always wanted to try a big sized Rainbow Dress (read – bigger than the dolls size I made earlier this year) so when a non-knitting friend asked if someone could make one for her daughter I thought why not. Tried to make it between a size 12 months and a 2 but it didn’t work out very well and when I tried it on Morgan for size – it was a tad tight, so ended up making a size 2.

Very easy and quick knit when I was actually knitting it, would have finished it a whole lot quicker if I wasn’t distracted so easily. Also made a matching hat but forgot to take a photo of the finished project.

This version of the Rainbow Dress was knit using the free pattern before it was updated. The Rainbow Dress is now a pay pattern and can be bought from here or here. Tikki has put alot of work into the updated copy which now comes in sized NB – 10years making it a great value for money :)

Yarn Dying!

2009-08-03T14:14:00.001+12:00

Never fear, this isn’t actually about yarn actually dying, it’s about dying wool in all sorts of pretty colours!!

Yarn dying is something I’ve had some fun with over the last few months. One of the forums I belong to started doing yarn swaps last year in which you have to pick a theme, hand dye some wool and come up with a package with other bits and pieces for your recipient. I’ve joined in 3 of these now and have had a lot of fun doing them :) Here’s some of the yarn I’ve dyed (keep in mind I’ve only been using food colouring up until now :) )

Stay tuned for some FO posts from me shortly! Oh, and you’ll probably get a whole heap more pictures like this one in my posts, am liking picasa’s photo collages at the moment :)

Catching up

2009-07-17T18:17:00.001+12:00

This update is thanks to Kelly so you can all thank her for giving me a kick up the bum :)

I’ve been very busy the last couple of weeks trying to keep up with the numerous swaps I’ve signed myself up for (mental note to self – try to limit myself to 3 from now on) and to be honest have been swamped under, I think I only have one left to get in the post, which just so happens to be the biggest one, but I’ll get there in the end, and you my fellow friends should get a few more updates from me (possibly even one more today when the kiddies are in bed….but I wouldn’t hold your breath)

So, for now I’ll leave you with some of the things I’ve made this year. Hopefully there’ll be more to update very soon.

Starting Over

2009-06-27T14:03:00.005+12:00

Come in..sit down..oh you're already sitting? Well, jolly good then.

I felt like it was time to start anew, and thanks to my friend Kelly, (go check out her blog! seriously..now...go...I'll wait) who came with the awesome new name, here I am! Now, I like blogging, but alas I am not very good at it, you might even say I'm a sucky blogger - I don't update as often as I should - my posts are often boring and lets face it, I'm not even all that crafty! But hopefully those are just a few things I plan on changing over here.

I've recently gained a knitting bug (please let me know if yours is missing) which I'm loving! I now spend my nights knitting and watching tv, which is a lot easier than watching tv while sewing which you can really only do in the ads as sewing machines aren't exactly quiet. In gaining the knitting bug I seem have to lost my sewing mojo/bug - hopefully it will return in time for the summer in time to sew the girls some clothes. I'm now obsessed with yarn and not fabric - I've even destashed my fabric to make more room for my yarn stash, which has to be a good thing...right?

Oh and just before I go, I'll apoligise now for my lack of photography skills - I do try my best although sometimes my best isn't quite good enough (or even close to good.) I'm getting better at taking photos of the kids, but when it comes to other things such as things that don't move (i.e knitting) I really suck. How hard can it be I hear you say? To be honest not very, it's just one of those things I've never been able to master.