WIP Wednesday 31st August 2011

Good morning.  I have failed to post a WiP Wednesday since the start of the summer holidays!!!  Still crafting in the evenings but the kids have discovered youtube, moshi monsters and bin weevils over the holidays so I havent been able to get on the computer very often!

Getting excited now as Autumn is really in the air now despite it still being August!  The trees are starting to turn and the evenings are getting chilly.  Lit the fire last night which was lovely.  I love all seasons but love the time of seasonal change the most.  It is also the time of year to start thinking about Christmas gifts and what to make everyone :-)

Onto my WIP.....  I need your advice.  I'm making a crochet cardi for myself from a King Cole pattern.  The bottom section is made from square motifs that are joined together.  The joining edges are created from a chain stitch row so I am not sure how to join one motif to another.  Normally with crochet I've joined firm edges together either with single crochet, whipstitch or mattress stitch.  Not sure which joining stitch to use and whether to insert the needle into the V's of the chain or go under the round and into the arches that it created on top of the previous round.  Hope I am making some sense!!!  The pattern just says join motifs in a row.

Head over to Tami's Amis blog for this weeks crafting WIP's

Carnival Time and Year of Projects 29/8/11 week 9

You can tell it is the Summer Holidays as I am way behind on my blog!!  We have had a lovely few weeks though.  This weekend was the Carnival where we have a day and night procession through town and a horticultrual and craft competition.  I put 12 entries into the competition and came away with 4 third's - not my best prize scoop but a lot of fun.

The horticultural and craft exhibitions

I entered a Fancy Filigree Bookmark made with size 10 crochet thread and a 1.5mm needle.  Didnt get a prize on this one.  I really enjoy thread crochet work and have treated myself to some more colourful threads.

Mum and Dad's 60th birthday creations and my moroccon tile afghan picked up 3rds.

Sadly I didnt scoop a prize in the bag section!

and my Year of Project show entries......

My rainbow heart doilies made with size 10 thread and a 1.5mm hook.  I will admit to being a little disappointed not to get a prize on this one but they will look great up on the wall.

And I finally finished Josie's genevieve sweater.  It used 6 skeins on superwash merino worsted dyed by Ali and Pixieknits and I got the tension with a 5.5mm needle.  Have hated this project (incorrect yardage requirements and the pattern was lacking in description) !!!! If I ever make this again then there is no way I'd make the skirt so full - all that back and forth stocking stitch drove me mad!!  Josie is chuffed to bits with it though and it picked up a 3rd at the show.

and here are a few more pics of the carnival

Take at look at the Year of Projects page on Ravelry for lots more crafty pics

A year of projects - week 6

And what a week of crafting its been :-)  Seem to have achieved lots this week despite working on a different project each day *raises eyebrows*!  I vow to work on only one project at a time once all the current projects are finished - ha ha ha!

From my YoP list I have done lots of work on Josie's Genevieve sweater.  Ali at Pixie Knits managed to match an extra skein for me so I now have enough to finish the full length version with pixie hood.  Still fuming that the yardage requirements are so out on this pattern.  The new skein is slightly less varigated than the original skeins so I am knitting 2 rows in the old, 2 rows in the new to try and blend it as much as possible.  Only another inch of the hood to go and the remaining sleeve.  Have tried to stitch the bodice to the skirt with mattress stitch as per the pattern but I've only ever used mattress stitch on vertical knitted stitches and not the cast off row to the cast on row.  I've tried a couple of times but it looks untidy so will go up to my local knit and knatter tomorrow night to get some expert opinion on neat finishing.

Now my other projects weren't on my original list but this week I have also been working on:

A Calorimetry headband for myself.  I actually made 2 but the first one was way too big.  Originally casted on 104 stitches on 4.5mm needles and worked up until 28 unworked stitches on either side of the middle.  Second time round I only used 88 stitches and worked up until 22 unworked stitches - it fits a treat and will be perfect for those 'ooops should have washed my hair days'!  Made in the lovely Noro Silk Garden

The kids and I made a wigwam :-) thanks to inspiration from summer holidays when I was little at my grandparents and my friend Helen who has recently made one for her little girls.  Had intended to follow this tutorial for a more professional job but it was a scorching day and the kids were happy with it just held together by pegs!!

 I'm making Josie a dress with a knitted bodice and ooga booga print skirt.  The knitted section is from the Milo pattern knitted with Rico Kids DK

After sitting on top of my wardrobe for a couple of months I decided it was time to tackle curtain making for the first time!  Unfortunately I brought the material on a whim before learning how to correctly measure up to include seam allowances and pattern repeats.  I was short of material for both our bedroom curtains and Josie's!!!  Thankfully Dunelm's still had the material in stock for our bedroom.  Very proud with my work so far.  I shall make a blog tutorial for 'curtain making for newbies'!

 And last but not least!!!  There are lots of tutorials in both the blog world and on youtube for pillowcase dresses.  Spotted some cheap cases on ebay and started on my own version with a bit of smocking!  It is slightly too wide for Josie so thought it might fit my sister as a top.  Sadly it is too narrow for my sister but now I have the correct measurements my next sewing project will be a grown up sized smock top and I shall rethink the design on the pillowcase dress.

I am off now to have a look at what everyone else has been up to this week over at the YoP blog-a-long