Fanged and Fabulous FO

Last week I showed you my burst of energy photos and told you that I had held something back to share later.  Today I bring you HUGO THE COUCH POTATO MONSTER!!!!

Isn't he fabulous?  The pattern is from Rebecca Danger's Big Book of Knitted Monsters.  This book is one of the most adored in my knitting collection.  When I use the word "most" I mean adored by the most amount of people that I show it to, especially the non-knitters.

This monster is heading for one of my nephews, who has a birthday in the next week or so.  It is being hand delivered, but not by me.  I wish I could see his face when he opens this gift, as I think he will be loved by the newly minted 9 year old who will receive him.  Apparently, I have been informed by his mother, 9 is not too old for woolly creatures.

This knit was pretty straight forward and I loved putting this guy together.  I got the felt for the mouth from Blooming Felt and when it arrived I could not believe the thickness of it.

The felt is 4mm thick and is proper wool felt.  It's incredible quality and I think it gives the fangs a great 3D effect!  I stitched the fangs on the opposite way up to the pictures in the book, and though it was accidental, I really like the way it makes Hugo look like he is smiling.  I sewed the fangs on, rather than using glue, as suggested, as I enjoy the process, rather than from any worries about not sticking.

I used 12mm safety eyes for Hugo as he is quite a substantial chap and I thought 10mm was too small.  The yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash, which I got from Nutty Knitting Supplies and I highly recommend.  I bought a few skeins for toy making and I really like it.  If I could afford it, I would make clothes from it.  I know I would definitely use it for baby or children's clothes.  It gives a lovely crisp and even knitted fabric, which looks very neat.

I was quite surprised at how neat the three needle bind off at the top of the toy looked. 

I had thought that grafting would have looked better, but this looks fine.  I was also surprised that the whip stitch that sewed the bottom of the toy together, after stuffing, looked so neat.

The only thing I would do differently for my next monster is to stuff the legs more.  They do bend a bit when the monster is stood up.  I must remember that where the limbs join the main body, that is the point where all the stuffing is needed, or it will just sink to the bottom of the limb, like in the picture at the top of this post.

I will definitely be knitting more monsters from this book as they are a simple and enjoyable knit which bring so much pleasure.  I know there at least 3 more people who would love one of the monsters, so I should be able to work my way through the book quite quickly.

To look at other finished objects (with less fangs) click on the button!

Spectra

When I had my burst of energy last week (yes that was the last time it happened) I took a couple of photos of my latest WIP.

Isn't it glorious?  I love Noro colour changes but they can sometimes be a bit scratchy on the skin.  Having this smooshy yarn from Countess Ablaze on the outside edges is going to make it a divinely soft scarf.  I am pretty sure I'm going to be buying more of this yarn because is it is gorgeous to knit with and I know it will be wonderful to wear.  I love the subtle colour of the semi-solid as the contrast to the vivid colour changes of the Noro.

This is how far I had progressed last week when I took the photo.  I'm much further a long now.  I'm enjoying this knit so much, as it is easy to memorise and the colour changes draw you along.  You find yourself saying "just one more wedge".

I think I want to keep this scarf.  I really should find someone who wants it, but I love it too much to give away.

That's all I've got to share this week, click the button and have a look at other people's photos as well!

Actual Photos of an Actual Finished Project Shocker!

Well after all my talk of not worrying about blogging, yesterday I had a burst of energy and decided to exploit that burst and take some snaps.  I was sensible and decided to go "Old Skool" and NOT use the tripod or worry too much about lighting and using the light tent.  This means that photos are very like those taken, when this blog was first starting out, but at a slightly improved resolution, because I have a better camera.

The main reason I wanted to record a couple of my projects was the looming of birthdays.  Two of my projects will soon be wrapped up and sent away from my camera!  I will share the first of these projects today.  I will save the other one for next week - to spread out the joy of photos ;-)

I think the last time I spoke about this project was at the beginning of July.

This lovely project didn't take very long at all to knit, what took the time, was blocking it.  I don't think I will ever get over what a difference blocking makes to ALL projects.

Look at how the stitches all line up beautifully after blocking.  Even the back looks good.

I will miss this project.  The yarn is very soft and drapey.

The bamboo content of this scarf blended with the merino really is a perfect combination for scarf yarn.  It is soft and light, with less chance of overheating the wearer!

It's a great length too as it can be looped artistically or doubled up and threaded through the loop, like above.  It gives the wearer options about how they use the scarf.

To remind you of the details of this scarf:

Yarn: Daisy 4 ply by Posh Yarns (80% merino, 20% bamboo)
Pattern: Favorite Scarf Ever by Lisa Bruce
Project Page: Ravelry Page

To see other finished projects to inspire you, click on the button.

Poorly Blogger

I have been a very poor blogger of late.  I know this and I'm NOT going to apologise the way other bloggers do.  I'm just going to explain that over the next few weeks my posts will be few and far between.  As you are probably aware, my health has been deteriorating of late and I have been waiting for surgery, to hopefully relieve some of my worst symptoms.  I FINALLY have a date for that operation.  The 3rd of October.  Having a date is wonderful, I just wish it happened before Summer was over, however, it does means that I should have an okish Christmas this year.

Until my operation I am not going to beat myself up trying to blog about everything.  I'm not going to be able to.  The main block for my blogging is the photography aspect.  I usually like to post pretty photos of nicely finished things, and photography is the most physical thing I do - ridiculous I know, but true.

I'm also slacking off on the blocking stages of finished projects, as that is pretty physical too, crawling around the floor pinning out errant edges is not my idea of fun at the moment.

I'm still knitting away, but it is all fairly undramatic progress at the moment.

I did cast on a Spectra by Stephen West the other day.  I'm using my Countess Ablaze Count Cashmerino Sock in Grey Skies Over Manchester, that I shared with you earlier in the month.

I added a skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock, to the mix, that I picked up cheaply from Hejhog.

I haven't taken a photo of yet ;-)

I normally avoid intarsia like the plague, but this is nice crisp intarsia that only involves one twist of yarn,every now and again, in a nice straight line.  It is mildly annoying but I can tolerate it for the lovely pattern.

I cast on the Spectra because I had finished the Wingspan.  It is lovely and sproingy, but it does need blocking to crisp out the points.  I really enjoyed knitting it and I love how it looks and drapes.  I am very tempted to cast on another just for me, using some of my yarn from stash.  I shall have to debate which is the right yarn to use, whilst I knit Spectra.

My hexipuffs are also stacking up.  I think I have about 10 now.  I know it isn't a huge mountain, but I am enjoying the lack of pressure I have put on myself with these little knitting gems.  I will finish when I have enough.  I don't have an end date or a final size I want to get too, I'm just knitting them for fun.  It's  quite liberating and revisiting old sock yarn projects is lovely.  I have so many beautiful sock yarn odds and ends, that make perfect little hexipuffs, and knitting with them again is a dream.  Next time I have the right light for my phone camera I will snap a few of my favourite ones to share.

I've also been trucking along with Maplewing.  I'm past the change over from the big pattern repeats at the edges, and I'm now onto the smaller repeats section, which is easier to memorise.  This section is going much faster because of the shrinking of the number of stitches and the easier to remember pattern.  I may actually finish this pattern one day - a while ago, I wasn't so sure!

As I have a large aversion to posting, without including photos, I will include a couple that I took in the garden a few weeks ago.

© Chrissy Fletcher, 2012 - Lavender Flower

© Chrissy Fletcher, 2012 - Tiny Yellow Flower

© Chrissy Fletcher, 2012 - Aquilegia

I hope you like them.  I want some yarn in the same colour as the aguilegia, if you spot it, let me know, though I think BabyLongLegs may have some that is pretty close.

So, until I feel like posting again, so long!

Progress I can share

I am currently working on two secret projects.  It's driving me mad not being able to share them.  Ah well, one day....

But I actually have taken a couple of photos of some ongoing work.   Firstly we have a Wingspan Shawl.  It is a free pattern that has whispered to me for a while.

I decided to use the yarn I won from pinkundine of Misadventures in Craft.  This self striping yarn is perfect for a Wingspan and I've seen this style of yarn used a couple of times in the project pages on Ravelry.

It's a beautifully mindless knit, and it is perfect for knit night.  I'm not really knitting it at home, but it is still growing well.  The colours make me think of Spring.  I wasn't going to keep it, but it is making me want to be selfish with this knit.  I shall see what it is like when it is done, because I intended this scarf/shawl to be a gift to a girl I know for Christmas.  She would be feel like a princess in it.

On to my other "doing it when I think about it" project.  My hexipuffs.

I hoped that arranging them artfully would make them look better.  But no, there are still only six of them.  They will grow into a bigger pile, slowly but surely.  This was never going to be a quick project.  I have no hurry to get it done.

My little pile of hexis will grow and grow and grow until they are a HUUUUUGE pile.  I like having a bag into which I can dip when I am considering what to knit.  By the time I've finished a hexipuff, I know what it is I want to work on for the rest of the day.

To see other folks' projects, click on the button!

My First Entrelac!

I have finished my entrelac cowl.  I really really love it.

Isn't it yummy?  I thought about blocking it, but I love the way it cups the face and reaches up to my ears.

I also don't think the stitches need any straightening.  This yarn is so lovely and plump it fills any gaps and irregularities in stitches.  It looks neat enough.

My friend tried it on and fell in love.  I won't give this lovely thing away, because this yarn is my favourite ever, but I have got some yarn that will suit her and know what she is getting for Christmas now.  I did enjoy knitting this cowl so knitting another one for my friend will be no hardship.

I do think cowls will become one of my new favourite things to knit.  They are so quick and neat and they use less yarn than scarves!

To see other finished projects, click on a button!

Some pretties to make you reach for your purse!

I haven't blogged much of late.  It's a mixture of things, mainly because my entire mind (the stuff that's left over after the drugs and pain have taken their share) has been occupied with designing.  It's been a long time since I've felt the siren call of the swatch and chart, but it's taking over every waking thought.  I'm being driven to distraction with how to finish my design, at the moment, so I've been walking away from the chart to look at pretty things.  I might of accidentally bought a few.

In the spirit of A Stash Addict's Fibre Appreciation Thursday, I thought I'd share the yarn I bought from independent dyers and spinners.

Please be assured that this stash enhancement has been acquired over several months, and I don't normally spend this much on yarn, but I was led astray by my designing head that kept whispering to me ".... but it would be wonderful as .......".

This is Posh Yarn.  I've shared Posh Yarns with you before.  This independent dyer does a scheduled update once a week and if you don't sit on the website when the update goes live, you are unlikely to get your desired yarn.  Once you have used the gorgeous base yarns from this dyer you will always want more, especially when you add in Dee's wonderful touch with colour.  This particular skein is Martha Sock Yarn, which is 80% merino/10% cashmere/10% nylon.  It's a lovely blend.

Another UK indie dyer I have bought from recently is Countess Ablaze.  I think the first skein I bought could quite possibly be the same base yarn as the Martha from Posh Yarn, it is Count Cashmerino Sock.

It is so hard to capture the subtle shades of grey in this yarn.

This photo does a slightly better job.  I don't know why this yarn feels much "squishier" than Martha, because it has exactly the same composition, but maybe it is simply down to the way it has been skeined.

At the same time as buying the Count Cashmerino, I fell in love with this:

It is Countess Ablaze's Lord of Silk.  Isn't it delicious?  It is made up of 75% merino and 25% silk.  I adore the sheen and the richness of colour in this skein.  I do love Countess Ablaze, and I believe I was her very first customer, back in November last year.  Is it a bit sad that her ribbon labels just make me coo with delight?

Last, but by no means least is a yarn from baa ram ewe in Leeds.  They are a great yarn shop that I wish I could visit in person, but until I can, I shall live with the website.  They have decided to bring out their own blend of yarn.  It is sock weight and it is called Titus.

This yarn is spun from 100% UK sourced fibre.  It is made from 50% Grey Wensleydale, 20% Bluefaced Leicester, 30% UK Alpaca.  It feels amazing!  I am itching to knit with it. I can't decide whether to use it for my new design or not, but I think the skein is a little on the short side being only 320m in length.

There is only one shade available as it is undyed.  But that single version has such subtle depths to it, you could never get bored.

I am so pleased with all the yarn purchases that I have shared with you.  They suitable for many different types of knitting and I can't wait to cast on with them all.  Unfortunately I've to finish this design I can't get out of my head first!!!!