WIP Wednesday 14

Is it Wednesday again already. I'm sure the weeks are getting shorter. OK so what have I been up to this week.

Firstly I've made a crochet Poppy from a pattern a friend from NM's has written. It looks great and is straightforward to make so if anyone is still in need of a poppy for Friday she has provided the pattern free on Ravelry here

I've worked some more on the zen jacket for the CAL and its coming along nicely now.

I've also been spinning this week. I've had a total fail when it comes to spinning on my new wheel, a secondhand hitchhiker. I just cannot get it right but my spinning has been getting alot better with my traditional.

thats a little overspun but at least the thickness is more even.

nearly no bits I can see overspun in this though. Yey

I did these on Monday and filled another bobbin with the various brights last night. I've got a jumbo flyer on the way so am going to wait to ply them till that arrives.

The other thing I've been playing with is making crochet necklaces and bracelets. I've been playing at making up my own pattern for the first time as an idea of giving them as Christmas presents maybe. I've no pictures at the moment but if I get the sizing figured out I'll do some then.

For more WIP posts please see Tamis blog and have a look at what everyones been up to this week

WIP Wednesday - Bit late today

Nearly missed it today. Well I've been working on the blanket but didn't get it finished for Halloween but hopefully will have it nearly there by Friday (I keep saying that but one week it will be true). I've started sewing the layers together I need to do the binding and I might do some free-motion sewing on it at a later date but at least it will be usable till I get round to that.

The second thing I've been working on this week is the Zen jacket for the G+ CAL. I finally got the yarn to start it as I realised I didn't have enough of the yarn I was going to use and couldn't get anymore of it so had to have a rethink.

I haven't worked on my rippled wrap shawl at all this week so no progress there.

For more WIP posts please see Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday 12 - Halloween is coming

Well I'm still working on the Ripple wrap shawl, I think I'm nearly there on it it just depends how much bigger I want it really. Maybe one more repeat of the rainbow.

I've also finally gotten the blanket I started for my eldest back out the cupboard and I am determined to finish it in the next week. Its quite appropriate for this week also as its very halloweeny in pattern. I've finished hand sewing the spider and hopefully will put the final piece with the spider on the front and add the two missing stripes to the back so I can put it together tomorrow.

For more WIP posts please see Tamis blog

WIP Wednesday 11

Well my shawl is going well. I'm loving how the colours are coming out on this and its a fab pattern to do in front the tele. You don't need to think about it too much which is just what I need at the moment.

(The colours are a little brighter IRL the flash on my camera is making them a little flat somehow.) 

My cushions not changed since last week as I've just been doing the shawl.

I'm also starting today making the Zen jacket for the G+ CAL. I've chosen to make it with angels and elephants 50% alpaca/50% merino yarn in mevagissey colourway that I had here in my stash.

For more WIP posts please see Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday 10

I've actually started a couple of new things this week.

First is a new shawl. I'm using the Rippled wrap pattern by Cheri McEwen and the rainbow Kauni laceweight I had in my growing yarn stash.

Its very easy to do and seems to be working up quickly at the moment though I think as it gets bigger it may start to get a little monotonous as its all double crochet.

Secondly I've started making a Blooming Flower Cushion following the pattern done on the Attic24 blog. Again its an easy pattern to follow especially with all the great pictures she's added to the pattern on her blog.

The yarn I'm using for this is a mixed bag of bright colours I got from natural mamas FSOT left over from another crafty mamas blanket. Looking at the amount I'm likely to use for this cushion I may have enough left over to make a lap quilt to go with it. I'll definitely have enough to do another pillow if nothing else.

For more WIP please visit Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday 9 - Adventures in Spinning

Well to be honest my WIP has really not changed much since last week so figured there's not much I can really write about that I haven't already shown before so this week it's not so much a knitting/crochety type WIP but more my adventures in spinning (which I think is definitely a long term work in progress but fun none the less).

I got a drop spindle and some roving a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten around to having a go with it. Well I figured it was about time, so did a little youtube surfing and watched a few videos.

I found a few I liked and decided to follow this method to splitting and predrafting my wool before starting to spin it and then using another video by the same poster I started to spin my wool.

So I started with this

I unbraided it and had three chunky strips

I split it down and ended up with a pile of thinner strips

I then had a go at predrafting the wool. This is harder than it looks and I kept pulling it too far apart and splitting it up. So after re-attaching it a fair few times and then adding all the strips together I had a nice long piece to spin.

A couple of things I found out with this first attempt is your predrafting needs to be alot thinner than I thought. I thought I'd got it quite thin but I've still ended up with quite thick yarn. Its pretty, though I'm not sure I'm going to try and ply it as its going to be super chunky if I do :)

I've got a few more lengths to do practising this method and then I get to play with this next.

Its an ashford traditional. I'm planning on going on a course at the end of next month on spinning and also getting in touch with my local spinning guild as I think I still need quite a few pointers but its definitely fun.

For more work in progress posts please see Tamis blog.

This is Late Thursday

Right so this was supposed to be my WIP (work in progress) Wednesday post but unfortunately it was a little delayed due to the fact my youngest decided to pick a fight with my new kitchen floor.

Roo: 0 Kitchen Floor: 1 = trip to A & E

So instead of WIPW I am having a This Is Late Thursday post instead :)

Well what have I worked on this week. I've been working at the Maia Shawl as part of the NaturalMamas CAL and its going really well. When I started it I thought I wasn't going to enjoy it at all as its seemed a little complicated from the first few rows, and I got a little confused with the instructions by row 6 as I couldn't understand how to get 17 stitches into the 15 I seemed to have (I did have 17 actually I just wasn't counting 2 of them, Silly me). So by the end of my first go at it I thought this is going to be a really long project and I bet I don't finish.

I went back to it the next day and how wrong was I. Now I've got the instructions sorted and understood its actually quite straight forward and I seem to be getting on really well with it. Yey

I'm at row 30 and its about 12" long (I need to get to 17" and then start the edging). I've done the stitches quite tight and think they may supposed to be a little looser but I like how its looking so far so don't mind I'm using Black-purple-grey Kauni lace-weight and its really nice to use. It does feel a little scratchy but I'm hoping with a bit of a wash once its finished it will soften up a bit.

For more WIP Wednesday posts please visit Tami's Blog and see what everyone else has been getting up to this week.

WIP Wednesday 8

I'm afraid to say this week is a little thin on the ground as I've actually finished most of the things I've been actively working on this week (which is a yey really as I'll have stuff finished and can post on Friday but doesn't leave me much to post about here sorry). The only thing still going at the moment is my Bavarian shawl but I haven't gotten any further than last week as I've been finishing my blanket, cake topper and have made a peg bag also.

I am about to start a new shawl as part of a crochet-along. I'm going to be making the maia shawl and have bought some lovely kauni yarn to make it with in shades of purple-grey-black.

I also got some of the rainbow yarn and some pencil roving at the same time so need to think up something lovely to do with that as well :)

I will have a look at everyone's WIP over today and for more WIP posts please visit Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday 6

Well this week I have only really been working on my Tunisian crochet blanket. Its coming along really well and I'm hoping to get it finished this week. I've only got two and a bit more colours to add :)

For more WIP please see Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday 5

Bit of a brief post this week as I am away at my mums. This week I have been working some more on my Tunisian crochet blanket and have finished the next colour on it (only 5 more stripes to go)

I also started last night a Bavarian style crochet shawl. I have tried to pick some summery colours for this one as I already have quite a few dark coloured shawls and thought light colours would be nice for a change.

I still have all the rest of the things on the go I had last week as well apart from the knitting needle roll I finished last week.

For more WIP please see Tamis Blog I will try and look at everyone else's through today as I get chance :)

Work in Progress Wednesday 3

Well its been a bit slow on the crafts front this week seen as the boys have got chicken pox. I did order a set of Tunisian crochet hooks as a result of going to a lovely ladies house on the weekend and seeing some of the blankets she had been making. I really wanted to have a go after that. So they were ordered on the weekend and arrived super fast

I had a quick play today with them and was surprised how easy it is to do so am going to have a go at a basic blanket first off I think

I also have been working on the wedding cake topper I was asked to make. Its coming along well now so I just hope she likes it when its finished..

And then the rest of my time has been spent on my craft fairy gifts which are just about finished now, just a couple of final alterations and they can be posted off :)

Please check out Tamis blog for other WIPW posts :)

My first WIP wednesday post

OK so I've been reading on a few other blogs where they do WIP (work in progress) Wednesday and thought I might give it a go. I figured it may help me finish off some of those project that I seem to have been doing since forever but never actually finishing. I'm afraid I'm not actually doing any crochet or knitting bits this week which seem to be more the focus of WIP but I promise to try and get some started. So here goes, this is a summary of all the little bits I've got on the go this week.

DS1's Quilt

I started this before christmas and I still haven't managed to finish it yet I've got all the pieces cut and mostly sew together for the back and the front now. I have also nearly finished the spider applique I decided (for reasons unknown at the time) to hand sew on rather than use the machine so has taken forever to do.

Vase

I don't like the vases i've got so saw a pattern for making a fabric vase and thought it would be a good way to hide my horrible vases when I have flowers. All the sides on this are finished now its just a case of sewing them together

Quilt along
I've cut alot of the pieces out now from the fabric I had here already. The last few bits I needed have arrived this morning so will carry on cutting pieces and starting to work out my layout this evening.

Craft Fairy
I am taking part in the naturalmamas craft fairy this year. I haven't ever taken part before as I've not really felt I would be good enough but decided to take the plunge and have a go this time. The theory behind this is a little like a secret santa but with crafty things. You are given the name and address and a little information about the person, from which you make them something you think they would like. In return I will receive something handmade from another person. I have had a few ideas for this but haven't actually started yet. As its a secret gift unfortunately I can't really add any pictures of what I'm doing.

Cake Topper
I was asked but a friend to make a cake topper for her wedding cake. This has been a bit of a learning experience for me as I've never done one before but said I'd have a go and am currently on my third attempt at getting it right. The weddings in August so I've got a few weeks left to get it finished. I've got the groom finished just the bride to tackle now :)