yarn along:dreamcatcher

Joining in a little differently with the yarn along today, I mean, it is mostly made of yarn so I guess it counts right! This dreamcatcher came about by just playing with yarn and a hoop really, there wasn't any kind of plan it just evolved as I went along. The hoop is an old kids basketball hoop which I covered in a layer of tightly wrapped yarn. The tree started with the strand you can see going straight up from the bottom middle to the top middle, making the trunk. As I wrapped and thickened this central line I just took bits and pieces branching off whenever I felt like it. All the yarn wrapping took me about 2 days on and off in between normal mothering duties, cooking for hungry mouths and homeschooling. I then added the traditional netted 'dreamcatcher bits' in really really thin sewing thread (this was a delicate operation for sure!), and sewed some silver and white beads and crystals to it. The dangle underneath is made up of threads, lace, beads, a dried teasel and some dried everlast flowers that faith gave me a few years ago. It now hangs above my bed, hopefully letting some lovely dreams in.

Jo x

yarn along

Joining in with the yarn along today, just working on some socks while I wait for some creative inspiration to strike. Socks are always my standby, always needed, easy to transport and I've made so many that no pattern is needed (although here is my general sock recipe) so I can stop and start as necessary. Got some lovely purply mottled sock weight yarn from a local shop ad I'm really enjoying how they're coming out. Reading Ink Heart by Cornelia Funke, this was bought as a christmas present for Faith but I'm enjoying it too, If you like a bit of fantasy then I'm sure you would too - thoroughly recommended.

Jo x

Yarn along

Joining in with the yarn along today. Anyone else in the uk knows how much rain and grey january can bring so I really felt in the need for some colour...

These patterns were lots of fun to make. Revelry notes here. The original patterns use very different colours and are from the book fair isle basics and beyond. The fingerless mitts in particular are in very muted colours in the book and look quite different. I made the hat on bigger needles than suggested and I also made the large size and then I felted it down so that it would be really wind proof and snug. If you do this I would definitely recommend checking that your wool felts because I have ( more than once ) made something too big in 100% wool only to find that it's superwash and won't felt. Giant slippers anyone...

Can you see how the picot edging on the mitts curls up? That's because I was too lazy to block them! 

It feels great to be knitting again after having quite a break and just not feeling like picking the needles up for a while.

Happy yarn along

Jo x

Ps. I also discovered how extremely difficult it is to take a selfie on an ipad and got many many photos of the wall, the floor, random colourful blurs, really strange expressions, etc so forgive me but the 2 I've put in are the only ones that show the hat and that I don't look like a complete loon in!

yarn along

Joining in with ginny for the yarn along this week.

Since the mad amounts of knitting for Christmas were finished I actually didn't knit anything at all for about a week! My knitty fingers soon got itchy again though and I picked up this project, I started these for myself after Christmas last year but I ran out of yarn and I re-ordered the wrong colour and got a bit disheartened and left them in a bag under my desk. Anyway, I have now got round to finishing them off and I love them loads. Ravelry notes here. I used jamieson and smith jumper weight yarn, it is one of my favourites and very very warm. Also comes in loads of great colours.

I have also just had delivery of this yummy yarn (I am using the shades mocha and ochre) to make this pattern . It is by the same designer as the gloves and I've had my eye on it for a while, i've been waiting for this post christmas break to get started on it and it feels very exciting.

I am also casting on this jacket for Roghan, working on the jumper for chris that I had intended to be a christmas present, and starting some christmas presents for next time, I am working on 1 a month to avoid that last minute rush. Is anyone else in a flurry of New Year casting on?

Happy yarn along x 

Jo x 

yarn along

Joining in with the yarn along.
Finished off these socks for Roghan. They are made from the leftover yak wool that I made chris' socks from.

Also discovered how hard it is to photograph dark grey socks!

mama made trousers too!

Finished my peaks island hood, I love it so much it is being worn all the time with everything. I think I mentioned last week that I loved this yarn (fez - debbie bliss), but can I just say that I really really love this yarn!

Also been making lots of little gifts to send away, free star pattern here, and ravelry pages here, here, and here.

Can't wait to see what everyone else is doing, happy yarn along.

Jo x 

yarn along

Joining in with ginny for the yarn along.

I have been working on this peaks island  hood ravelry notes here. I love love love the pattern and I love (lots and lots) the yarn, debbie bliss - fez. It is soft and squishy and, this may sound odd, but it smells really nice! Updated: this is now finished but I have no finished photos yet, I will try to get those for next week.

Here is a free poppy pattern. I made these for some family members for poppy day but they are pretty enough to just wear whenever.

Middle: black: (I used brown as thats all I had but its black really)

Cast on 14 sts, cast off.

This creates a strip that you will spiral and sew down into the middle.

Leaf: green: 

cast on 4

row 1: knit

row 2: kfb, knit to last stitch, kfb (6sts)

(kfb = knit front and back - increase 1)

row 3: knit

row 4: as row 2 (8sts)

rows 5-8: knit

row 9: k2tog, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog (6sts)

row 10: knit

row 11: as row 9 (4sts)

row 12: knit

row 13: as row 9 (2sts)

row 14: cast off

Petals: red: 

small:

cast on 5sts

row 1: knit

row 2: kfb, knit to last st, kfb (7sts)

row 3: as row 2 (9sts)

row 4: as row 2 (11sts)

row 5-8: knit

row 9: sl2, k1, psso (decrease of 2, this looks better than a k3tog because of the way the sts lean but you can do k3tog if you want), knit to last 4 sts, k2tog twice. (7sts)

row 10-12: knit

row 13: as row 9 (3sts)

row 14: cast off

large:

follow the directions for the small petal, but start off with cast on 7sts (the number of sts will be 2 more all the way through), also in the instruction 'rows 5-8: knit' just add another row of knit in there.

Finishing: I found it easiet to sew my petals together first, overlapping slightly, then to attach the leaf to the back and then to secure the spiral in the centre and use this tail brought through to the back to attach a safety pin.

In other news.... we finally have cold enough weather for Roghan to wear the hat I made in june!

Jo x 

yarn along

Joining in with Ginny for the yarn along.
I am learning to knit 2 socks at the same time!!

Honestly, the things that get me excited...

This was my first sample pair, done in different colours so as to be less confusing. I think the idea here is that you do this twice to get more practice and end up with 2 pairs of socks. I was using up bits of leftover wool though and don't have enough to make more, so I now have an odd pair of socks to fit about a 3-4 year old and as I have a 7 yr old and a 10 month old, they are kind of useless! 

I did learn a lot though and am now working away on a 'proper' pair of socks.

Luckily I am the same size as their intended recipient so I can try them on.

These are made with this gorgeous gorgeous wool which is 50% merino and 50% yak. It feels amazing and is going to be so super warm.

Happy yarn along x 

Jo x 

yarn along

Joining in with ginny for the yarn along this week.

I have been holding back on these photos for a week or two as they were for birthday gifts. However, the birthdays have happened now so I can share.

Socks have become a bit of a birthday tradition for chris so he had some very fetching grey and pink ones.

These were made with my very simple and basic sock recipie (recipie, not pattern because it is not written down it is just the way I do socks and can be adjusted to any size of person or yarn, if anyone is interested I can try to explain that a bit better!).

I recently treated myself to a new book 'toe up 2 at a time socks' in the hopes that my sock making can become a bit more adventurous, and also in the hopes of avoiding 2nd sock syndrome.

This shawl is crocheted from the wisteria pattern.

It was fun to work on and I think the outcome is really beautiful.

Ravely notes here.

I haven't been reading any fiction at the moment because I have so many knitting, sewing and schooling things going on that there is not a minute in the day for reading, unless, of course, it is about knitting, sewing, or schooling! So, to those ends I have been using toe up - 2 at a time socks, handmade beginnings and last minute patchwork and quilted gifts.

Jo x 



yarn along

Joining in with Ginny for the yarn along today, I sort of finished Faith's jumper. I finished it with short sleeves and I thought that would be fine for the summer and I'll finish off the detachable long sleeves ready for when the winter gets colder.

I managed this first photo in the brief sunshine but then the rain had started again by the time I finished, so my apologies for the dark photos.

Faith really likes it and says it is really warm. I made it in an age 8 size so hopefully we will get a couple of winters out of it. Ravelry notes here.

This is one mitten I have done to go with Roghans hat. More on this when it's all done.

Happy yarn along x

Jo x

yarn along

I haven't made it to the yarn along for a while but I have been knitting away.

I have done this fair isle hat for Roghan which I will share more of when I have done the mittens that go with it. It is from the book called Fair Isle basics and beyond.

I am also working on this jumper for Faith and it is very hard to photograph and show the cabling. It is from this pattern. I especially like the detachable sleeves.

 .

Also I have been knitting a teeny tiny cardigan, see this post from a couple of days ago.

I just recieved my very first issue of living crafts magazine and it is such a lovely read, I think Faith has her eye on one of the lavender bunnies in this issue. I have also been reading 'how to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk' it approaches parenting from a kind, trusting and respectful perspective. A really encouraging read for creating peace in your home.

Jo x

yarn along

Joining in with Ginny from small things for the yarn along this week.

I am in starting mode at the moment. I don't know if anyone else goes through stages like this but I definitely do. Starting mode is when the ideas are flooding in and I just can't stop and focus on one thing at a time, whenever an idea strikes I have to get it on the needles and work a few rows of it, then the next idea comes right along behind. The last couple of weeks have been like that so here is what I have on the go now...

A bath mat made from recycled sheet yarn, just making this up as I go along, I'm going to do a rectangle just as big as the amount of yarn I have then line the back and probably do some sort of edging.

A cluster stitch bag or cushion cover (haven't decided yet!) I just had it in my head to do this stitch and I'm really enjoying it!

Tunisian crochet arrowhead stitch scarf, nice little easily transportable project, again I'm just making this up as I go.

Tunisian crochet jacket for faith. I am kind of going with elizabeth zimmermans baby surprise jacket although obviously that is a knitting pattern but the percentages are still the same so we'll see how it goes.

Socks! Always socks on the go round here. Just to stretch myself a bit I am doing a cable pattern on these and learning how to cable without a cable needle. I've always found cable needles fiddly and the method of cabling without it seems much easier. Just look it up on you tube and there are plenty of videos.

These wools are lined up for starting very soon. The green and yellow will become a little frog rattle for Roghan, the blue is for some crochet coasters my mum has requested and the white is for a sheep toy. The white is not quite boucle yarn but it is kind of lumpy, does anyone know if this has a name?

Also, working on this tunisian crochet entrelac blanket, see this post, I think a couple more rounds of this and I'll be done.

So there we go, starting mode is beginning to come to an end now and I'll be onto finishing mode soon. Chris enjoys finishing mode as the piles of half done knitting disappear and we can move around the house again! (Although I think starting mode might be coming at the sewing table...)

Happy yarn along x

Jo x