Granny Square Blanket 2

Or as I like to call it the endless blanket of eternal colourful doom...

I have no pictures yet as I'm still making the edging. I made 240 small squares, joined them in similar hues to make 60 squares and joined them to make one 6x10 blanket. It has taken a bleedin' age.

As soon as the damn thing is finished normal service will be resumed. Hopefully.

An Ode To A Wool Shop

I give my thanks for your multi-coloured hanks
As I finger through them with glee
And I can't help but fall for those lovely balls
Wound up oh so tight just for me

And I really despair as I fall for mohair
So expensive but silky and fine
And my arms are so full of 100% wool
With a softness and warmth so divine

There's needles and hooks and then pattern books
There's 4-ply and 2-ply and chunky
I can't help but be elated when I find variegated
And eyelash yarn that's oh so funky

Acrylic is cheap but it works up a treat
There's fun fur and ribbon yarn too
And the colours so bright, pink, black and white
Purple, orange, red, yellow and blue

So I go to the till and my arms they are filled
With yarns of all shapes and sizes
I'm addicted to yarn, though it causes no harm
Addiction comes in all kinds of guises!

I Want To Make That Of The Week

In some remarkably dull story about Christina Aguilera doing some acting with a little less make-up on than usual I spotted this lovely piece of knitwear that the Daily Mail seemed to have overlooked. It's lovely.

Knitted Character Creation

Oh. My. God. One my favourite TV shows is hosting a competition so awesome I'm a little afraid to enter it, I'm so excited all my imagination has run out of my head screaming "aaarrrgghh this is awesome!!" It's Harry Hill's TV Burp that are running the K Factor, an X Factor style show for Knitted Characters! I need to knit a character and take a picture of me holding it.
Now I've already discussed how the original Knitted Character is not knitted but is, in fact, crochet so what I'm wondering is can I crochet a character instead as I prefer crocheting when making 3d models. Looks like I'm going to have to have a peek through the rules and see...

Just Popping In

I am still here! Here are a list of my excuses for not blogging:

1. It has snowed, outrageously - I've not been able to work and so have spent the time making a hooded scarf. It then stopped snowing and melted so now there is no need for aforementioned hooded scarf

2. It has been cold, too cold to make things, too cold to sit with your hands out typing and too cold for running water to either enter or leave our home. Three weeks without water and you realise Blogger is not a priority. Nor is making anything out of wool.

3. The dog ate it

4. Winter makes me depressed. I'm fed up of my job, I have nothing creative to say, anything I have made I've been too lazy to photograph or blog about. I think I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. Or maybe I'm just genuinely bored?!

5. I have no more reasons I just felt the need to add another point.

Hope you're all feeling cheerier than I am. Happy Crafting! Keep warm!

My Dog in his Christmas Jumper

This is the jumper I made for our dog for Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all. Hope you don't get or give any knitwear disasters this year!

I'm still here!

If you've been wondering where I've been I've become fascinated with finding interested patterns on the interwebs and in case you were wondering, there are hundreds out there! My recent favourite is this site which has a large array of vintage patterns I found it looking for 2 needle mitten patterns as I've recently discovered that I loathe and detest knitting in the round! There's lots of 2 needle patterns for them olden days of yore when folk kitted with two sharpened twigs rather than fancy plastic circular knitting needles.

In other news the dog now has a fluffy sweater (he's a greyhound so I'm sure you can imagine how ridiculous he looks in a jumper made from fun fur!). Plus I've made a Christmas present (big hat for a big head) and am halfway through making a pair of mittens for my mum-in-law (I settled for crocheted though as it works up faster).

Finally I had the following conversation with my Other Half last Saturday

Him: I wish I had a Santa hat
Me: I could make you one
Him: Please

By Sunday afternoon he was wearing a crocheted Santa hat which he wore to walk the dog in, the dog who was still wearing his fluffy jumper!

Here's a very rough pattern (although really they're more 'loose instructions' so don't blame me if it all goes horribly wrong! Also, this is crocheted in the round which I love so use a stitch marker if you need one - I never do, I think I like making life difficult for myself!

Using red yarn I started with a chain joined with a ss that was the head circumference, crocheted sc until near the top of the head then reducing as follows:

first reducing row: 2sctog 7sc to end
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 6sc to end
next row: sc
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 5sc to end
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 4sc to end
next row: sc
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 3sc to end
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 2sc to end
next row: sc
next row: sc
next row: 2 sc tog 1sc to end
next row: 2sctog (repeat this row until few enough stitches remain to join together) leave long tail.

Join white yarn at the wide end of the hat. Sc enough rows to make rim of hat (I did about 8 I think) weave in end

Make white pompom secure with long tail at pointy end of hat.