A Little Bit of This and That

This week I have been unwell with a nasty cough, and chest infection. Hubby caught it last week and the grand kids the week before. So it's traveling around the whole family.
I've been taking it easy and doing lots of internet surfing. When I come across something different that I fancy, I give it a bit of a go.


First I found this scrap buster youtube tutorial. I liked the stair pattern it created. At the beginning and the end of this pattern you do use scraps, but in the gut's of the pattern, it takes up more than just scraps.

I used a bag full of blue and white baby yarn that I had sitting in the corner of my cupboard just waiting to be put to use and made this small baby blanket.

Another youtube tutorial was on crochenit. I was given some double ended crochet hooks some time back and I thought it was about time to try them out. So here I am making up another bathroom mat with this method.

And yet another youtube tutorial on weaving a small case, see's me beginning one of my own. I've been wanting to try a small weaving project for weeks.

After seeing my doctor on Tuesday, I took the opportunity to check out a couple of second hand shops. I picked up a couple of sweaters that are suitable for recycling (it will be my very first time to unravel a sweater), a bag of brown yarn and a bag of mystery items.

The mystery bag was priced at $2, but what caught my eye was the little orange loom. I have not opened it up as yet, I'm saving it for an incentive for myself. Because I've been feeling so poorly with this cold, I have not over done it with the house work. So I made a deal with myself, I can open the mystery bag when I have achieved a certain amount of house work, sick or not. Well it has worked and my incentive is awaiting it's  opening.

Contents revealed.
The loom is a flower maker, there are several balls of cotton, twine and yarn, lots of elastic, shoe laces, frames, ribbon, some sort of shuttle that you would wrap cotton onto (the red plastic item in the frame on the left), bias binding, doily, zip and some press studs.
not bad for $2.

Last but not least, I made a heart illusion square, just to see how they are made.

Pattern here. 
I hope you have enjoyed my little bit of this and that. 

Knooking? Cross Between Knit and Crochet

Have you knooked as yet? I made a swatch using a regular crochet hook and some cord. It was just like knitting but using a crochet hook instead.

Here are some links to knooking and thanks to IwannacraftToo from HGTV for bringing this to my attention.

Introduction to Knooking

Blog Post for Knooking

 

Crochet A graph In The Round

Crocheting a graph in the round most certainly can be achieved with the correct graph.

Because the stitches are off set when working in the round, a flat graph will not line up, making your picture slanted or even distorted.

I tried to make the flat graph work in the round, I ripped it so many times, but I was getting no where with it. I decreased and increased to make it work some what. 

But the end result was not quite up to standard, I did write down the instructions as I was making it up, but changing colors, decreasing and increasing in a simple construction of a hat was quickly becoming a difficult to use pattern. 
I prefer the KISS method. But I was not to be beat, I began to crochet a hat, using the hdc ear flap method, 
BUT, I did not join my rounds, 

,

 I've never tried this method before and it was working up really well, I got to where I estimated the graph would suit best and I began the flat graph pattern. 

 Although I was not joining rounds and going back and forth, the hat shape was still forming.
The flat graph fitted perfectly and I got the result I had wanted.

 BUT, using this method of not joining the rounds did increase the hat size. I am currently working on a smaller stitch to obtain the hat size I want.
The free pattern will be available once I have achieved this.
I must point out that the graph is not mine, so my pattern will be more or less a stitch count from the graph it's self.
It did take me 5 nights if ripping and writing to achieve the end result.

Old Sweater New Look

This is a great technique to increase the size of an old or new sweater.

You will need a sweater, a shirt that is longer than the sweater, scissors, pins and sewing machine.

Shirt and Sweater

Cut the button up panel from the shirt, leaving an  over lap on each side for sewing

Cut the sweater down the centre

Sew up the button edge so it does not flare open, leave a small bit un sewed at the bottom for some flare

Attach the button flap from the bottom of the sweater and up wards with some pins, then sew into place.

Pin the other side into place from the bottom to the top of the sweater, have a check to see if it is even with the other side, then sew into place

The striped pattern makes gives you a nice straight line to sew on

Fix up the collar how you would like it to sit, finished :)

Want to add more of the shirt to your sweater?

Use the pockets or cuffs for a more dramatic look.

Would you like to see more idea's using a similar method with felted sweaters?

Watch this Video Tutorial.

My Hand Made Bargains

I have chosen to sell some of my hand made crocheted items at my new Etsy store.
I have also made the decision to keep my prices very affordable.
The materials used to make my items are new and the cost for my labor is very low.
My philosophy is to sell at a low price, which in return brings more sales.
I invite you all to view my shop and I would love to read your feed back.
Some of my hand made good for sale, 
from $12.00 USD.

Crafty Crochet

Some crafty crochet to share.

Have a really good look at the picture below.

The crochet work and idea's belong to Rudy Rambo, I saw her post to Mikeyssmail on face book and it impressed me enough to blog about it (with her permission).

Not only has she embellished her project, but she has put it together for so many uses. I wonder what is under the lid of the 1st container on the right?

Below is a stitch marker and row counter in one. I saw this idea on the internet somewhere and made one up myself, I have already used it and it is so very handy.

I was doing some swatches of skull and crosssbones from a graph pattern. I was testing for the best size to use in a hat. At this point I do not think I could work the graph into a hat as I make the hats in the round and I do not think the graph pattern will line up as the stitches in a hat are off set. But I was able to sew on the small skull to the back of an ear flap hat.

Large Skull Graph.

Small Skull Graph.

This is an ear flap hat I made for a 2 yr old.

This is the link to my pattern.

I must tell you that I was one of two winners for Mikeyssmail DVD competition.

I am going to use this as an aid in teaching my grandkids more on the knifty knitter, maybe I'll get them to crochet too!

Locker Hooking? Crochet, Threading, Latching, Rag Stash Buster

I stumbled across this craft known as locker hooking!
From this

To this

And this

And this

Here is a good selection of information to get you and I started.

Here is a link to another locker hookers post.
Link to some free patterns.

YouTube Video Tutorials.

These tutorials will lead you to the next in the series too.

You may also like to see some latch hooking

                           


Materials you may need. 
The locker hook from Amazon could not be posted to Australia, so I ordered mine from here.

Recycled Sweaters and Dyeing Yarn

I've been contemplating on recycling old sweaters.

I looked into this once before and browsed the second hand shops for used sweaters, but I was baffled, I really did not know what sweaters would unravel well. 

So this time I am going in prepared with the knowledge I have discovered on the internet. 

I'm also considering the purchase of felted sweaters, the ones that were accidentally felted that can be cut into shapes for all types of uses.

I also thought it may be handy to have some knowledge of dyeing yarns too.

I just have to learn about what types of yarn will take the dyeing process.

I found some handy video tutorials that will assist me in this venture and I would like to share them with you too.

Excellent link for more help.


Link for more help.

Have A Browse Around These Sites

These site's are all about yarn creations, full of pictures, minimal reading and links to the original post. Certainly worth the browse.

Check out the youtube video's below too. 

Go to this link for the picture with the garden chair

 Go to this link for the recliner and the TV

Let's Go Back To The Lady Bug Scarf

Let's Go Back To The Lady Bug Scarf.
I have a couple of pictures from the makers of my ladybug scarf pattern.
Crochet Quackers ... home of the ducks .
Oh my, crochet quackers really does the pattern justice. 
You may want to have a look at her blog too, she crochet's ducks among other things.

This one is from a maker from ravelry, her name is Themrselliot.

This is what she had to say about her ladybug scarf.

"I used buttons with some variation of size for the dots on the back and the eyes. Time saver! I also pinned in the corners of the scarf neck piece so it tapered to the first attached ladybug’s head"

It is pleasing to see people using the pattern and their version of the pattern too, thank you Ladies.

Just a little some thing for me

I made a  scrubby dish cloth, a tawashi cloth and a simple knitted square face cloth. It's the first time I have had the knitting needles out in a long time. The scrubby was made on the knitting loom and the tawashi cloth is crocheted.

The link to the free patterns are above.

I also made some toppers for a hand towel.

It's not often that I crochet just for me.

It is a treat for myself to place in my bathrooms.

I have a little bit more of this cotton yarn left, so I'm off to look for something else to match.

It's All About Crafting

Get your self lost in this craft site. So many things to see, crochet, knit, sewing, quilting, paper crafts etc, etc, etc, enjoy!

Whip Up.