Half Year Round Up of Crafting Projects

So far this year, I have made:

Two large gift bags

Five crocheted dishcloths

Two twiddle muffs and a fidget mitt

Two knitted facecloths

Two crocheted sun hats

A crocheted bag

A crocheted cardigan

A pair of knitted socks

That's 17 projects.

Rhododendron Cardi

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft Crush DK

Composition: 100% Cotton
Colour: Rhododendron
Pattern: my own design 
Hook: 4.5mm
Needles: 4mm

Amount used:  

Started: 25th June 2023
Finished:  Abandoned: 28th June 2023

I've rather fallen in love with CottonSoft. It's a beautiful yarn to work with, and I have thoroughly enjoyed playing with the colourway 'Aqua'. Now, it's the turn of Rhododendron.

This cardigan is made by creating pinwheel octagons in Rhododendron, bordering them in Violet. The Violet is also used to create the squares between the octagons.

The stitches at the centre of the octagons are created by using the magic ring crochet technique. Make a magic ring, and work a single crochet into the ring. From there work a double crochet, but instead of finishing it, leave it so there's an extra loop on the hook. Keep working partially complete double crochets until there are 8 loops left on the hook. Then transfer them over to a circular knitting needle.

1. (K, yo) x 8

2. K

3. (K2, yo) x 8

4. K

5. (K3, yo) x 8

6. K

Continue in this way until (K9, yo) x 8, and finish with a further round of knit.

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Scrap all of the above!  It's not working out. I'm not enjoying the making, and it's just now happening.

Face Cloths

Yarn: King Cole CottonSoft 

Composition: 100% Cotton

Colour: Honey

Pattern: Spa Day Facecloth

Needles: 4mm

Amount used: 50g

When I made the dishcloths for Cat, the Offspring mentioned using them as facecloths. I discouraged this as the yarn, and the stitch I used were great for dishcloths, but a bit too rough for the face. 

I said I'd make some facecloths. Cat explained that if they were made in white cotton she would be unable to used, to sully them with makeup. A compromise was reached, and foundation-coloured facecloths were made.

After the knitting was done, they at in my sitting room, only needing the ends weaving in. They sat there far too long, all for 4 ends. Eventually, they were finished and handed over.

Figgy Socks

And done!

I shall admit it, I was a little worried that when I started the crocheted cardigan these socks would become yet another work in progress. 

To prevent this happening, I decided to do at least one round on knitting on each sock each evening. That was the aim, but I got a bit carried away, and then I realised they were had reached the point for shaping for the toe. The knitting was completed last night, and this morning the toes were grafted closed and the ends woven in.

Done.

Now Bring Me Some Figgy Socks

Yarn: King Cole Footsie

Composition: 93% Acrylic, 7% BPT

Colour: Fig

Pattern: my generic sock pattern

Size: my foot (64sts at start)

Needles: 2.5mm

Amount used: 100g

Started: 26th April 2023

Finished: 22nd May 2023

It feels rather strange knitting with socks again. It also feels strange using such small needles. However these socks are starting to grow, and I'm loving both the texture, and the colours. They will be a fine addition to my me-made wardrobe.

Twiddle Muffs

Our local hospital has asked for Twiddle Muffs. These are used for patients with dementia. There's lots of tactile little things, inside and out, and it keeps restless hands busy. 

This is my first Twiddle Muff, although I have made two Fidget Mitts before. The muff is two layers of chunky yarn, knitted on my Addi Express knitting machine. The knitting took about 30 minutes, the grafting 5, and too much time to add the buttons etc.

In this project, I've learned how to make a crocheted twisted fringe, and how to crochet onto knitted fabric.  Another muff is waiting to be decorated, and it's definitely going to have far more crochet on it. Buttons take so much time!

Christmas Sweater

One of  the Beloved's Christmas presents this year was 12 balls of King Cole Explorer Super Chunky in the colourway Raleigh. This is being worked into a sweater. 

I'm roughly following a pattern.  The largest size is two sizes too small, so I'm grading it to fit. It was also written as flat pieces to be worked separately, and then sewn together. This is not my style at all! This sweater is being worked in the round, and will have Raglan sleeves rather than drop sleeves.... oooh, I'm going to make a 4 stitch cable pattern going up the Raglan.

The pattern was also created without a chart for the cabling on the front and back. One of my tasks this morning is to take the jumble of numbers and letters, and make a pretty picture. 

One Old, One New

My aim just now is to finish projects by alternating between UFOs and brand new projects. 

After finishing Ducky Duck Duck Duck, I tried to make a crocheted hat. This was frogged a number of times, and an knitted one was made instead. The leafy design is from Arne and Carlos' Quarantine Knitting KAL. It is one band of "Golden Pothos".

Whilst looking for fabric to start a new project I came across a hat needing four ends to be sewn in. (Why do I do this?!) Anyway, it will be a very quick UFO to complete.

A Doing Day

For the first time in a great long time, I have had a doing day. 

Things done today include four loads of laundry, baking a carrot cake, helping the Geek to declutter, watching the American television's Dirk Gently, finishing the pink hat, and doing quite a lot of knitting on the Beloved's hat.  His hat is grey chunky alpaca. It's a hairy beast, and the front of my top and skirt are now also hairy! It's just as well I love the guy.

I am feeling content and accomplished. Not a bad state of being on a Friday afternoon.

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The Beloved and I went out on a date this evening, and I finished his hat for him to wear on the way home.

A Crown for the Beloved

The Beloved was in the shop the other day and spotted an alpaca hat. He was rather taken with it, and asked if I might be able to knit him a new hat. A good few years ago I knitted him a red woollen hat. It's great, it's warm, but when he gets hot the hat starts to make him itchy. The hope was the alpaca would not do the same thing.

The hat has been started. It's a bit unusual. Twenty four stitches were cast on, and a cabled strip will be knitted. When it's the right size to fit around his head I'll join the ends and then pick up 72sts  from one edge. This will form the main part of the hat.  

The yarn is King Cole Alpaca Chunky in grey. The balls are 50g, and I expect to use 2 balls.

More Nothing

More nothing. That's wrong - more being in the moment, and not requiring myself to be creative nor crafty. It's good. 

Although, I did finish knitting a pink 'kitty hat' which had been started in February.

February Hatathon

A standard hatathon is completed by finishing 26 hats in one month. This year, I'm going crazy, and I'm attempting a double hatathon. That's right, I'm planning to finish 52 hats this month.

Woolly Chewy

How best to keep warm on a cold winter's night? Snuggle up beside Chewbacca!

A good few years ago, I made a Cookie Monster hot water bottle cover for Stitch. It has served her well. Unforunately, her partner, Lilo has taken a liking for it, and regularly smuggles (or is that snuggles?) it.

The time has come for Lilo to have his own snuggly hot water bottle cover, and that's why I've just started knitting Chewbacca.

Double, Double, Toil and Success!

I was cranking away this evening, and found success with holding double knitting yarn doubled. 'Success' doesn't sound like a strong enough word. I am delighted with the results.  

Double knitting yarn makes up the bulk of my yarn stash. The fabric produced by the Addi Express with double knitting yarn was light and airy - it was like hand knitting produced on too large needles. My concern had been I would need to buy loads of aran and chunky yarns to use the Addi. This would be totally the wrong outcome.  Instead, I've found holding two DK strands together and looming with them creates a great fabric, not too tight, not too, but just right.

Wedge Scarf

Yarn: King Cole Tonal Chunky
Composition: 100% Acrylic
Colour: Quicksilver
Yarn: King Cole Tonal Chunky
Composition: 100% Acrylic
Colour: Humbug
Pattern: Wedge Scarf
Size: adult
Needles: 6mm
Amount used:
Started: 10th Nov 2019
Finished:

Cast on 3 sts.
1. Kfb, k to end.
2. K2tog, k to last stitch, kfb.

Repeat these two rows until the scarf is long enough.

To add a bit of interest, I decided to make every fifth ridge in the darker colour.

No Pattern

Whilst thinking about Blame Dunderknit, I decided to knit a scarf for myself. When I finally settled on yarn and a pattern I realise the pattern I had chosen was for DK weigh, and I had Chunky. Rather than working out how to resize the pattern I decided to do my own thing. (Quelle surprise!)

I started work on my interpretation of the scarf, and dutifully began to write a pattern. Then it struck me, I don't have to write a pattern. I don't have to plan. I can swing it instead. I don't owe it to anyone to write patterns. They can be written as and when I want to!

Blame Dunderknit

Dunderknit is a Scottish YouTuber who lives in London. She has given me permission, well, everyone really, to make something just for me(ourselves). She explains often at this time of year we are so caught up in creating for other people that we forget to make beautiful things for ourselves.

The yarn can come out, and work can begin, and if anyone asks any questions, we can blame Dunderknit. I've just cast on a shawl for myself. It's in a chunky yarn, and won't take long to make, but it's for me.

Mini Christmas Stockings

A customer came into the shop yesterday. She wanted to show me the progress she has made on her mini Christmas Stocking.

She brought out the red and white stocking we had been making in the workshop, and it looked good. Then she brought out the pink and white one. This one had been made at home, by herself, and it looks good! At home there's a second pink and white sock, and it looks even better than the one pictured. And, it seems the pattern I wrote is excellent for size 4-5 in a child's shoe, which just so happens to be the size her daughter takes. The little one pointed at the pink sock and said 'My sock'.

She bought yarn for two more pairs of socks!

Booties

A customer came into the shop last week. They were having a very hard job making a pair of bootees. I looked at the pattern, and didn't find it terribly clear. Instead, I wrote my own pattern. She was delighted.

Using 3.5mm needles, cast on 30sts.
Work 18 rows of k1, p1 rib.
Row 19: Kfb, p1, (k1, p1) to end.
Row 20: K1, (yo, k2tog).
Row 21: Purl
Change to 4mm needles. Knit 1 row and purl the next.

Shaping the top of the bootee
1: Knit
2: P21, turn
3: K11, turn
Working with these 11 stitches:
4: Purl
5: Knit
6: Purl
7: Knit
8: Purl
9: Knit
10: Purl

Decrease rows
11: Ssk, knit to the last 2 stitches K2tog (9sts)
12: Purl
13: Ssk, knit to the last 2 stitches K2tog (7sts)
14: P7, then with the wrong side facing. pick up 10 stitches along the top of foot of the bootee, purlwise, and then purl to the end.
15: K27, then pick up 10 sts from the top of the foot, and knit to end. (47sts)
16: Purl
17: Knit
18: Purl
19: Knit
20: Purl

Shape foot
1:K1, ssk, k15, k2tog, k7, k2togtbl, k15, k1. (43sts)
2: Knit
3:K1, ssk, k14, k2tog, k5, k2togtbl, k14, k1. (39sts)
4: Knit
5: K1, ssk, k13, k2tog, k3, k2togtbl, k13, k1. (35sts)
6: Knit
7: K1, ssk, k12, k2tog, k1, k2togtbl, k12, k1. (31sts)
8: Knit
Cast off

To make up join the foot and back seam reversing when you get to the rib and join on the right side so that you can't see the seam once you have turned the top down.

Thread ribbon through the eyelets.

Sock Tutorial

It was rather weird teaching again. I do love it, especially when you see the 'lightbulb moment' when the person gets the idea.

We've been talking about having a regular 'Improvers' Knitting Class' at work, and that sounds like a great deal of fun.