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.