Long time, no yarn along.

 Oh my goodness me!!  What a long time since I joined in with Ginny's yarn along.  I've been busy on a commissioned bag, but have also been actually working on something for me!  Can you believe it, things for me usually get pushed down to the bottom of the pile, and  forgotten about.  Well, I had actually forgotten about this, I was twiddling my thumbs the other evening wondering what I could do, thinking I had nothing on the go, when suddenly I remembered this jacket I was working on.  Mum had bought me the cotton (Aunt Lydia's crochet cotton size 10) for Christmas with this very jacket in mind.  So I picked it up and continued from where I had left off.  I am pleased to have sussed out the arm holes, as basically this is one big circle with two holes for the arms to go through, and I have reached that point now, and I can see what is happening.  Funny how you cannot see how it works until you reach it (or is that just me?) 

It is two strands of cotton crocheted together, with the tiniest of crochet hooks (2.5mm), so I find it quite hard going on my hands, and certainly know if I have crocheted too much in one go, but I am so looking forward to seeing this finished, I really think  it will be something very special.  However, I still have a long way to go, and think it may certainly keep me busy for the rest of the year (in between other projects too!)

 As for reading, I am re-reading Buddhism for mothers by Sarah Napthali.  First time I read it I didn't really know much about buddhism, but found the book really useful with regard to parenting.  Since then, I have read much more about buddhism, but have found it difficult to relate it to my life as a mother of four with little time for meditation etc.  So I am re-reading it and finding new perspectives on it, and probably getting much more out of it second time around. 

Off to see what everyone else has been up to, have missed catching up on quite a few blogs and projects.

Flitting

 I haven't been able to settle to anything much this week, flitting from one project to another.  This is more than likely due to there being lots of projects needing to be done at a similar time (when is that never the case with me!)  So, there has been lots of crocheted leaves ready for my 6 inch ring I am doing for the Guild exhibition.  I have to get it done by the beginning of May, and there is still some more spinning to do too before that is finished. 

At Christmas time a friend saw the bag I made, and asked if I could make one for her.  After explaining that I had lots of things on, and if she didn't mind waiting I could do her one in the grey Zwartble I had, she agreed.  So I eventually turned my attentions to this this week, only to find I had spun the wool too fine to use for this project, so am doubling up the balls, and will have to spin some more wool to finish it.

 I haave also been dragged into the 21st century with, not only a mobile phone, but a smart phone that does all kinds of things as well as making phone calls!  So before I was happy to take it out anywhere I had to make a case for it to prevent the screen from getting scratched.  I was going to use some handspun wool on that too, but it seemed a little rough, and was again too fine!  So I raided the conservatory (where all the wool scraps are kept) and came across some self patterning "Crofter" by Sirdar.  So combined with a dark grey for the collar, my new phone cosy was created. 

As for reading, just a bit of Radical Homemakers before bed.  Still enjoying it, but not finding much time to settle down and read.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to in Ginny's Yarn Along

Good things come in three's.

It just so happens that there are three projects and three books this week for Ginny's yarn along.  So let me introduce you...

This rippling star is going to (hopefully) turn into this, a jacket.  I had seen the pattern ages ago on ravelry and then asked for the cotton for Christmas from my Mum.  It has been picked up and put down as things with shorter deadlines have come and gone, as is the way with doing something for yourself, it never seems to be high on the priority list.  But this week has seen me pick it back up, and I want to get it finished in time for a wedding in September.   Without a deadline, despite it being a gorgeous pattern, I don't think it will ever get finished, as is the way with how I work!

Another two projects I have been working on.  A present for Ethan for his birthday next week.  It WILL be a minecraft creeper, like this.  But for now it looks more like a mallet!  I have used three strands of different coloured green DK yarn to try and get a pixel effect, like in the game.  It seems to be working out ok.  And the little pokeball keyring is a little something I put together from this pattern, as a gift for Luke to give at a party he is going to at the weekend. 

 As for reading, I am still picking up Car Sick, and Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales.  But my book of choice has to be Radical Homemakers.  I had seen Jacqui reading it a while ago, and checked out the library, but to no avail.  But then was able to pick up a second hand copy the other day online, and I am loving it. 

Little Red Riding Hood

 All the knitting is done now of the Little Red Riding Hood Story bag, so I thought I would update you all in the yarn along, that Ginny holds every Wednesday over at Small Things.  There were a few false starts, and I ended up using a different pattern for the wolf in the end, as I wasn't happy with my first attempt.  I have tried to match the clothes and hair colour to the characters in the book I have picked to tell this story.  Except for the wolf, as he changes his clothes in the story, and I couldn't hope to try to do removeable clothes!!

 Mother, Little Red, and Grandma.  In the book Grandma has glasses, but I couldn't work out how to do those! Not sure whether to put a mouth on Little Red either, as she expresses many different emotions during the course of the story.

 Apologies for the sideways pictures.  Silly camera!!

There wasn't a woodcutter in this version, which meant a little less knitting for me!

Just got the bag to do now, and they'll be off to their new home in Ireland.    As for reading, still working through "Car Sick" with a little Thicht Naht Hahn's "A Path to Emancipation" thrown in for good measure!

Yarn along- Little Red Riding Hood

Knitting has been happening again, with the production of some story bags.  I am currently making the characters for Little Red Riding hood, trying to match the clothes etc to those in the story.  Little Red is nearly done, just awaiting the eyes.  I don't know why it is, but I never like putting the eyes on, seems to spoil it in my opinion, but I think she probably does need eyes.  The Big Bad Wolf is awaiting stuffing (not with Grandma, this is the nice version ;) ) and mother is on the needles at the moment.  I love making these little characters, the children are probably fed up of me showing off my little creations, but I get a real sense of satisfaction of creating something like this from some yarn!  The pattern I am using as a base for the dolls is Phoeny's Man Dressin Up doll, and the wolf is JellyBum's Wolf.

Reading wise, I'm still reading Car Sick.  It is a great book about how to reduce car usage in our society which is so often built around the car.  Not just a book preaching "don't use your car", but how to engage the wider society about reducing car usage.  The recent bit I have been reading about is walking buses, and cycling training.  All these would be do-able in our local area, but it's getting the impetus and support from the local people.  Last time they tried to organise a walking bus at Ethan's school they had 2 volunteers, and that was it.  I think it might be time to approach the school again.

Joining in with Ginny again for her wonderful Yarn Along, looking forward to see what everyone has been up to this week.

Today is the last day for entering my give-away.  If you are quick you might be able to have a chance.  Just leave a comment at the end of this post and join in the celebrations of 300 blog posts.

A distracted yarn along

It's Wednesday, that must mean it is yarn along time. 

Well, this week has definitely been one for bits and bobs, and getting easily distracted by other woolly projects!  I knitted up the billy goats gruff for another story bag order.  And am currently doing the parts of the troll, ready to assemble and await the arrival of the book from that big bookstore on line!  But my distractions have been to finish off spinning/plying some beautiful purple wool.  Just have to think what to do with it now!  And a little needle felted bunny rabbit, which is my first attempt at needle felting a three dimensional object, ready to send off for a birthday present!

In amidst all my distracted crafting I have started to read "Car Sick", a book I found at the library whilst searching for something completely different, I'm only one chapter in, but is already has me thinking about our car use, and how, when I get some wheels back, I will be far less ready to jump behind the wheel to do a short journey.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to, hopefully they have been sticking to the tasks at hand a little better than me!

Three little pigs

 Joining in with Ginny and her yarn along.  A bit of post Christmas crafting resulted in three little piggies and a big bad wolf.  The patterns are from Knitting Animals by Anne-Dorthe Grigaff, although I adapted the fox pattern to create the wolf buy basically knitting a different style tail, and obviously changing the colour.  The idea is to make a bag to put these in, along with a pocket to hold the story of the three little pigs.  Once the bag is finished, it will be popped in my shop, Aisling Designs to see if there is any interest for them.  My favourite thing about them is their little corkscrew tails! 

As for reading, I picked up a magazine when out shopping the other day, permaculture.  I have read a few of these before, and found them really interesting, and now I have a purpose, ie educating myself for the distant future when we get to build our hobbit hole, it is even more interesting. Also reading the Dalai Lama's new book, that I got for Christmas.  Again, another book that makes so much sense.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to.

Rudolph is ready to fly

Here he is all finished.  Trying to get him in natural light is pretty hard at this time of year.  Trying to get hold of him full stop is pretty hard too, as a certain little girl seems to think he is rather cute, and doesn't want him to go to someone else!!

It is a great feeling at this time of year, having had so many projects on the go, to be slowly ticking them off, and I must admit that I rather like Rudolph, even if he looks nothing like the original pattern!

As for reading, I've been working my way through "The Heart of the Buddha's teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh.  So much makes sense to me, I just wish I could remember all the words that are used to describe a concept, it makes my brain hurt at times!!

Linking up with Ginny for her weekly yarn along.

The journey

 Back in about March time, it was a bag of golden "fluff".  Not sure what kind of sheep this wool had come from, or what it had been dyed with but a bought some from a friend who had got some from a guild she attended.  Despite it being carded, it was still fairly bobbly, and quite a coarse feel to it.  But as a beginner it was great to practice on.  So it slowly moved on to this...

 ...and then got plyed...

 ...and the the Guild I attend announced a competition to make a bag, to be made for May 2012.  The golden spun wool sprang to mind, as it was really too rough for anything to be in touch with your skin.  And I fancied having a go at cable.  Found a pattern for an easy cable bag. 

 As I started knitting, ideas developed as to how to adapt the pattern, so I decided to add a wide shoulder strap, with cable down the middle and moss stitch at the side.  I also decided I wanted a flap to make the bag hold together a bit better.  I had wondered about felting it to make it more sturdy, but decided that was a risk I was not willing to take, so decided to line it instead, and this is what I have come up with.

The competition has been moved forward to this Friday, so finished just in time.  I know there is no chance of winning, as I am only in my first year of spinning, but hey, I am so proud of my first proper make with my homespun wool. 

I am joining in with both Ginny and Spinspiration this week, and figure this covers both.  But as for reading, there have been way too many deadlines to meet to be able to settle to anything!!

Rudolph the body-less reindeer

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things for her weekly yarn along.

 I have spent much of this last week trying to solve the problem of Rudolph.  I had done the legs, and head, but had underestimated the amount of wool it would take (I had been using remnants from other projects).  So after going round every yarn store I could find in the local area trying to match the wool, I could not even get close.  I eventually remembered that the wool I was using was sat in the wool basket as part of an unfinished hat. So, hopefully that is the problem solved, and I will have enough wool to finish Rudy off in time for Christmas.

And as for reading, well, not really managed to find a spare moment this week, you can tell it is busy, as my copy of The Mother magazine came through the door this week, and I haven't even managed to flick through it yet!

Yarn along- it's all progress

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things.

Well, after thinking about the granny stripe blanket, and pondering lots of different solutions to the oversized problem I decided I would play it safe, and just continue with it as it is, it will just be extra snuggly!  So, in order to get it done in time for Christmas I have to do at least a stripe a day, which is fine if I don't have anything else to do, but that never happens does it!  Anyhow, I am managing to do it, and if I skip a day (like Monday when I fell asleep taking Sophie to bed!) then I am making it up at other times. 

As for reading, I have fallen in love with this book. It is just my kind of thing.  Short little snippets that I can pick up and savour.  I do not need to be able to concentrate for long (5 minutes at night and I'm asleep!), but the wisdom held within it's pages is retained, and I can apply it to my days, which at times can be anything but peaceful!  If you have never read this book, I seriously recommend it.

Granny Stripe strife

 You know the Granny Stripe blanket I am working on?  Well, I hit a snag!  When I did the foundation chain I didn't think to measure it against the bed!!  So, 16 stripes in I thoughts Id better make sure it was ok, as it seemed a bit big.  Our bed is a king size bed, and just look how much I overestimated the length!!  So I am now faced with the idea of either starting again (which would be heartbreaking) or trying to salvage this one by cutting it, and retying the ends.  I am sure it won't be as easy as it sounds!  I was wondering of any of you more experienced crochet-ers (better than hookers!) could advise me the best way to do this

Some other stuff I've been up to this week is knitting a hat for Sophie for the winter. A rainbow hat, which actually ended up fitting me, but is nice and baggy on Sophie, which is how she likes things.  (Please excuse the state of her face, she had been refusing to wear it, and when Grandad threatened to wear the hat she plonked it on her head, so I quickly snapped a photo, before she changed her mind, if I'd had more time I would have cleaned her face!!)

 Can just about see the green and blue on the top of the hat.

Unfortunately there hasn't been much time for reading, too much produce to try and process from the allotment!!

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things and her lovely yarn along.

Yarn along - A bit of this, a bit of that!

 Haven't really been able to settle to anything this last week, well that's not quite true, I have, but there are various things I can't do with different members of the family around.  The cable bag is my default, so that is coming along nicely. 

I missed a friends little lads birthday, so am making a present as a belated gift.  A fishing game, whose pattern is here on ravelry.  But am now awaiting some stronger magnets to finish it off.  So I will get everything to the point of having to add the magnets, and then hopefully it will be done soon after they arrive.

 The granny stripe can only be done in the absence of my FIL, so it is coming along, but a little slowly. 

 And I am also working on a project that can only be done in the absence of my Mum, but as that is not strictly knitting or crochet, I will talk about that at a later date!

My reading has been similarly ad hoc.  Introducing myself to a little yoga (oh my how awful is my balance!!), and plodding my way through Everyday Blessings.  A lovely book, but when the day is done, and I am exhausted I only ever seem to manage a couple of pages before sleep overtakes me.  This is not due to the book, I am like it with most books I try to read at bedtime!!

Thank you Ginny for providing a little bit of focus for my projects, it's about as focussed as I have been all week!!

Win some, lose some

 Joining in with Ginny again at Small Things, for her yarn along.  This week there are some successes and failures.  I was messing about with a heart last night, started making it with some left over yarn from some wool my MIL treated me too (King Cole Riot).  I then thought is would be very symbolic to stuff it with some of lavender we dried from the wreath from her coffin.  So now I have a personal memento of such a special lady.  The lady who, in fact, taught me to crochet.

The failure was this Ipod case I made to put in my Misi shop.  Lots of little niggly things that make me just not happy with it. The sides aren't straight, the butterfly isn't quite symmetrical, and it just doesn't seem right.  So if any one wants an Ipod/Iphone cosy for free, let me know, as I don't even have one!

 And as far as reading goes, this is probably a bit of a cheat, as I only got lent this book today but am already loving it, and it is feeling very right, and am looking forward to doing some experimenting.

Granny stripes and juice

I am joining in with Ginny again this week, with her "yarn along".

This is a long term project I am working on.  Following the death of my Mother-in-Law a couple of months ago my Father-in-Law gave me all of her wool.  She would create the most beautiful, colourful fairisle jumpers, and whilst I cannot even hope to recreate anything like that, I thought a blanket for my Father-in-Law, using his wifes wool would be a nice gesture.  It is going to be double bed sized, so I have a long way to go.  I think I may have made a slight error though, I decided to do the stripes lengthways, which means I need more wool of a particular colour to complete a stripe.  I have already had to remove one stripe as there was not quite enough wool to complete it, and I have a horrible feeling that the brown stripe I am currently working on will be the same.  I was hoping to have it done by Christmas, but I think that may be a little ambitious!

As for reading, well, I must admit to being a bit of a convert to juicing. My diet was needing a serious overhaul, and for now, juicing is giving me that opportunity to focus a little on what I put into my body.  It also making me feel alot better, and less likely to reach for those sweet nibbles in the cupboard that I eat and then regret doing so within seconds.  So my book of the week is a recipe book, full of lovely ideas as to what juices you can make, and a sister book to this also goes into the health benefits of each kind of juice.

Chuffed with cable

I have always admired the jumpers my Mum has been able to knit in cable, and had set myself a challenge to learn how to knit cable. With the Guild Challenge being brought forward to December, where we have to create a bag using spinning, weaving or dyeing, I thought I had better try and crack this nut.  The wool I am using is my first real attempt at spinning, ie once I had sussed out what I was supposed to be doing, and it has quite a bobbly effect, which is as much down to the wool as my spinning, and the wool is quite coarse,so lends itself to a bag rather well.

I sat down and googled "how to knit cable", and I was off!  I'm sure there must be some more complicated patterns, but I am really rather chuffed at the effect, and how simple it is.  Combine that with using my own wool, and my new wooden circular needles, this is turning out to be a wonderful experience.  I like the rustic effect that is being created, and am excited to watch this grow day by day.

The book I am reading is "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh which I think is adding to the enjoyment of knitting this bag even more, as I am mindful of the stitches, of the wool, of the process of making the bag... can you tell I am loving making this?!

I thought I would join in with Ginny today sharing my knitting and reading, and the joy of both.