Cotton Bolero

 So this month I made something for myself that actually fits. Hooray! This simple but clever lace, bolero pattern came from here. I think the knitting only took three or four evenings. I've always been lazy about getting around to the sewing together and weaving in the ends. But eventually I did because I wanted to get it done before the weather gets to cold and I can't wear it again until next year.

I loved the pattern, it was a lot easier than I though it would be. I used Lion Brand Nature's Choice Organic Cotton in the colour 'Pecan'. I really loved this yarn too. It is super soft and Aran weight. It was perfect for this pattern. I love the way it is chunky but feminine.

 I was excited to wear it for the first time today, and although I was already in love with it, it was nice to hear others express how nice it was. There will be lots more lace knitting ahead for sure.

This is what disappointment looks like.

Why is this hat so disappointing I hear you asking.

So I'll tell you. I've been dreaming of this hat for over a year. I could see myself shoveling our driveway this winter in it. I got this book 'Pretty in Punk' with the pattern in it for Christmas and continued to dream about it. I had never knit intarsia before and I had never felted before. Funnily enough I was more afraid of the intarsia bit that the felting bit. The intarsia bit went quite well. I won't say I did it perfectly, because I didn't, but for a first attempt, I don't think it was half bad. I spent a month of my life working on it and then I got the the part when I had to felt it. The directions told you to put the hat in a hot wash in the washing machine. So I did. The idea was to shrink it a little to help hide the joints and give the Mohawk it's distinct look. Unfortunately it shrunk a lot. So much so that it fits my 22 month old daughters head perfectly, but not at all on mine. Of course little Miss. I is not interested in wearing it. Maybe come winter she will change her mind. I think I will have to try to make this hat again eventually, but for now I have other plans. I can't help feeling sad about it.

What's in a name!

 I love names, names of paint colours, car names, mine and my kids names, and the names of colours of yarns. I was thinking for a while I needed to make a scarf for my S.I.L. Mrs. V 40th birthday. I came across Lion Brands Amazing in the colourway 'Joshua Tree'. After my husband I think she might be one of the biggest U2 fans I know. It seemed like it was meant to be. This beautiful patten is called Argosy and is found at http://www.kitty.com/. 

I really love the way the colour changing yarn knit up. It took me two or three tries to get it started, but once I got the lace pattern memorised there was no stopping me. I thought about blocking it, but last time I tried to to wet block something it didn't really work. I figured it was because it was 100% wool and neither is the Amazing yarn. I decided to try ironing it on the lowest setting with just a touch of steam. I did half at a time and just let it cool off on my ironing board. It worked really well, so I will probably be using this method again.

Happy Birthday Mrs. V.

My biggest fan!

 My sister Miss C. is probably the biggest fan of my hand made things. She is always letting me know that she wants me to make her this and that. She is a fun person to make for because I know she will love and use whatever it is I make her. This year for her birthday I was not sure what to make her. Not because there wasn't anything she wanted, but because I'm always seeing things I'd could make that I know she would like. A while back she mentioned that she wouldn't mind a new apron (I made her one quite a few years ago). In the past when making aprons I haven't used a pattern and made it up as I went along. This time I decided to use this Simplicity patten which I got for $1, I love a bargain.

I picked pink girly fabric, covered in fairies. She used to be quite into fairies and I'm thinking their having a come back. I'll be honest, even though I was a sewer before I became I knitter, I much prefer knitting. This came out great though, so maybe I'll try doing a bit more sewing in future. Happy Birthday Miss C.

Slouch

 My Mum is a natural red head and when I was teenager I wanted to be one too. For quite a while I used to dye my hair. I'm not sure if I was inspired by my Mum as much as the character of Angela Chase on the T.V. show My So Called Life, which was and still is a particular favorite of mine. Anyway I've been thinking of going red headed again recently mostly because teal looks so good on red heads and I love teal right now. I'm not keeping this hat though. It gets to sit on the head of my beautiful 12 year old niece, Miss K. She has very luckily been blessed with natural red hair. I'm pretty sure she will look fabulous in this hat once the weather cools down a bit.

The patten can be found here and the yarn is Caron Vickie Howell Sheepish in Tealish. It is a really great patten that I will be using again. Although I love the colours the yarn comes in I'm not totally in love with the yarn itself. I have another ball of it in tealish and I'm thinking of making some matching fingerless mitts, but only time will tell.

Homeless mitts

My husband thinks that only homeless people wear fingerless gloves, but now I wear them too! Well I won't be needing them for a while since it feels a lot like summer already here. The pattern is from the purlbee the yarn is from knitpicks. The colour is called green veggies, I thought it was the perfect colour for a long time veggie lover like me. I had to make a couple of changes to the pattern. I have quite skinny wrists, so instead of casting on 60 stitches, I only cast on 50. I also knitted them an inch shorter that the pattern stated. I used self striping yarn so I only needed to use one ball. Perfect!

Tutu trouble!

 A little while ago little Miss M. went to a birthday party and came hope with a pink tutu. She wore it everywhere and totally loved it, until it developed a big hole and soon it was beyond repair and so she started asking me for a new tutu. Then I remembered reading this post on the Blue Blog such a long time ago and  before I knew it I was making my own no sew tutu.

 

There is nothing more fun than jumping on the trampoline in a tutu.



Once I'd made one for little Miss M. I knew I couldn't let her have all the fun, so little Miss I. got one too. She's not as in love with it as her big sister, but there is room in it for her to grow, so maybe when she's a little older she will have fun playing dress up.

Little Mr. M. didn't want to miss out on all the dress up fun so now I will be laughing at this video clip for years to come as he dances around acting all goofy.