Some small things

 This is a small container or pouch in the shape of a mushroom, made from Bendigo Woollen Mills wool.  I thought it might make a cute emergency sewing kit but the weight of the cap is quite heavy so I may need to line it with some interfacing and material to support the walls a bit.

This is a newborn baby hat with earflaps, the colour is the palest mint.  It's the most beautiful wool - a 90% extrafine merino and 10% cashmere baby wool from Filatura di Crosa - I totally love their stuff, it's so nice to use.

Rug project

A quick post before going out in the heatwave day.  This is what I started last week - Patons Wilderness wool - very thick and chunky and worked in 2 strands so extra hot.  Needless to say I haven't worked on it this week.  I bought 3 balls of it from the cheapie bin at the local craft shop but have since found out it's a new release wool so luckily I was able to buy 3 more balls to finish the project.  It's actually a star shaped rug - will show the finished product when done.

Latest projects

 This is a shawl/wrap in 8ply Sublime extrafine merino - the original pattern has the yarn in a silk mix and hence is a lot more draping than my version but I thought it would be nice in the thicker yarn for something dressy for winter plus I loved the yarn and couldn't wait to use it!  The second picture is more to the actual colour.

This is a jumper I am making, left picture shows most of the section up to the armholes and the right picture is a close up of the stitch pattern - and is also a truer colour.  It's quite pink but I thought it would brighten winter up!  It's a Rowan DK 100% wool.

This is a scarf I am making from a Dream in Colour Smooshy Forest (I think), vastly different to the pattern original of alpaca / merino which is very soft and drapey.  This is soft but with hardly any drape as such.  When the scarf section is finished the patterns calls for a crochet rectangle which is then sewn onto the middle of the scarf and sort of makes a hood for when you want to use it ie, standing at the train station early in the morning in winter....

The Gingerbread House that Almost Was

Oh well, never mind.  First time unlucky - there is always next year.  It was still eaten!

I have lots of projects on the go, heaps in fact so will endeavour to post some pics soon.

Happy new year everyone!

One of my newest projects

This is my latest scarf project - very portable for working on the way to work.  The yarn is a mix of wool / mohair / silk which gives this project a very nice shimmer.  It's a bluey/green/purple, very deep colours.  The scarf consists of crocheting a foundation row, then half of the circles and then up the other side of the row to complete the circles.  You then join this row, as you go, to another completed row of circles.  This project is 4 rows of circles but I will see how much yarn I have, might go a bit bigger and make it a wrap.

One finished scarf/shawl

Have finished the Cherry  Tree Hill sock yarn scarf / shawl (see beginning pics below), this picture actually shows the colours best but I still could not get a good quality close up.  It's folder here several times over, it will be nice around the neck and throat in winter.

One finished baby blanket

This is my finished baby blanket made from Lion Brand Organic cotton and edged in a cotton/acrylic red yarn.  I am quite happy with the result and now that is finished, can make another one for my girlfriend Anna who is expecting baby no. 2.  I may not have finished the wedding quilt yet but I will get to the baby blanket as at least it's a portable project.  I may edge the new blanket, once done, in green though for something different.

Some yarn I bought recently.....

This is a skein of beautiful Handmaiden brand 100% silk yarn I bought recently, 900 lovely  metres of it!

This is a skein of Cherry Tree supersock yarn, I thought the peacock hues of this yarn were divine!

Plus below is some of my stash - this is the disorganisation stash in the house - to keep me inspired. Needless to say I have more stash in the craft room, under the bed, in the study......

Shawl

The colours of this are coming up much redder in the pictre than they really are - they are much more burgundy / purple.  This is a sock or fingering yarn by Cherry Tree Hill, the only stitch being used is a treble stitch and of course, being such a fine yarn, it is a slow project to crochet but good on the train on the way home.

Cardigan

This is a cotton cardigan I have started.  The yarn is Lang Golf mercerised cotton and this is the beginning of the back piece.  The front and arms are going to be a mix of this white and also an apple green and vivid blue - sort of a colour block look.  The original pattern shows a mix of cream and latte but they are not really my colours.  This yarn is so beautiful to use but shows up any mistakes!

Baby blanket

This is the baby blanket I am making for Jasmine's expected grandchild.  It is being crocheted out of Lion Brand organic cotton, the stitch is an extended double crochet - 2 in every 2nd chain hence the nice pattern.  I am going to edge it when it's finished - it's probably about 1/2 to 2/3 way there.

What to next

Am having trouble finding exactly what I want to make next.  Many of the projects are rated Intermediate and I'm not quite there yet!  I have a baby project to make for a friend at work but haven't found the yarn I like - most of the acrylic/nylon numbers make me shudder - definitely a natural fibre person!  I have located some Patons Haze which is a cotton/acrylic mix which might do nicely but it's not the colour I want.... I have also started some small christmas projects.... I know it seems early but it will be here before we know it.  I have been waiting for finer weather to block my purple scarf - it's finished but wanted to block it particularly the end sections which are circles.  Have yet to join the corkscrew scarf.  Have definitely been putting off my assignment for my pattern cutting course, it's part of a dressmaking and pattern cutting course (distance) but I am really disliking the pattern cutting section, sigh.

Corkscrew scarf

This is the corkscrew scarf I have almost finished - it's from Kristin Omdahl's Wrapped in Crochet book - she is sooo clever.  I love her work.  I have to join the three corkscrews lengths together and my scarf will be ready!

Okay, first post - whoo hoo!

Well, here it is - my first post! I haven't yet managed to set up the layout of the blog as I want but I had better start somewhere so here is my first post - a scarf I am working on. It is a lovely pattern Frothy Scarf WR2101 from www.redheart.com but I am making it in Jojoland Kaleidoscope 100% merino wool in a purple/green variegated colour. I actually think it would look better in perhaps paler colours to show the pattern more but it's a learning curve - I am only a novice! I hope to another picture when I've completed this project.