FO Friday- A little story

Once upon a time, several years ago, I learnt to crochet. This was mostly because someone I worked with was talking about it and I thought it sounded interesting. I bought a beginners book, some hooks and yarn and away we went.

Several years later, when hunting in the loft for something I found a blanket, neatly tucked away. With the impending arrival of my newest niece I decided it would make a suitable present, whilst also clearing a little space in my loft.  

I bunged it through the wash, for it is (gasp) acrylic, and sent it off to my sister.

I think I made up the pattern as I went along, it appears to be trebles with a border of doubles. I think I remember working it in strips, and appear to have crocheted it together as I went. I have no idea how I did this. 

So it has found its happy ending, for my sister uses it more than the lovely bamboo blanket I purchased for said little person.

Knitterly/yarn snob note- Seriously this is nasty yarn, I bought it when I had no idea about yarn or anything yarn related. I am not opposed to acrylic, it is handy stuff since babies tend to leak from all ends but I would find something nicer now. Still it washes nicely and seems ok softness-wise.

FO Friday- Brioche baby hat

Another FO that has been done for ages but has been hanging around waiting for its turn on FO Friday (like months).

Pattern: Brioche Baby Hat by Connie Carroll

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll

Needles: 3.0mm

Mods: I know I altered this a little, but it was so long ago that I can't remember, I am fairly sure I made it shorter than in the pattern.

This a nice pattern to work, and makes a very cute baby hat. The brioche stitch is not difficult, but I think it is much more effective when worked with two colours, in a single colour it just looks like a slightly odd looking rib (you know when you look at something and it looks odd, but you can't work out why?).

I love the yarn, it is one of my favourite sock yarns so far- machine washable, not too expensive, lovely colours, good fibre content, its only downfall is the ribbing on my sock could be springier, but that may be to do with my gauge on those. I am considering ordering some more as I am about 3 skeins short of having enough sock yarn for my whole alphabet. 

A really terrible photo that shows the stitch but is an awful representation of the colour, it is a lovely bright red.

I have been doing some knitting, and even have a couple of FOs, but mostly I am spinning, today is the TdF challenge day so I will be off to try some Wensleydale locks in a minute.

Scrap down- scratch mitts

It has been a few eeks since I posted a scrap down, lots of toehr projects have been gettin in the way and my bag of part balls has been getting ever fuller.



I made these a few weeks ago with the yarn left voer from the blue blueberry socks.

Pattern: Baby Mittens by Malin Nilsson
Yarn: Regia silk
Needles: 2.5mm
Mods:

10 rnds rib
25 rnds plain
2 plain rnds between decreases
No I cord as people in the know said not to

There was not a lot of yarn leftover by the time I had done the socks and a blanket square, but I just managed to make them. They might be a little small, in which case they will go to a preemie hospital.

Scrap down- Northern lights hat

So far I seem to be getting through the leftovers from my A-Z socks. When the socks are done I have been making a blanket square and then finding a small project to use up most of the rest. Anything left over after that goes back into the blanket bag. It means I don't get too many squares from any one yarn.

Pattern: Wasabi baby hat by Mary Hough
Yarn: Cherry tree Hill Supersock in Northern Lights
Needles: 3.5mm dpns
Mods: Stopped increases at 96 sts as it was getting huge. Made hat about 5 inches deep. Worked 6 st i cord for the top.

Someone on Ravelry suggested starting with a 6 st i cord of the length you need and working the increases from there. This seems a more sensible way to work this pattern.
The sizes given in the pattern would make a hat big enough for an adult, thought maybe the given needle size was wrong.

Scrap down- Baby toy

This week a little scrap down that was knitted in an evening. Also a chance to try felting.

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Pattern: Felted teething rings by Melissa Masse

Yarn: Mixture of Brown sheep Worsted and Wash and Fliz it fine held double

Needles: 4.0mm dpns

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This is a really simple pattern that uses up scraps of feltable yarn nicely. It is quick to do and you can keep adding rings until you run out of yarn. Once it is all sewn together, into the washing machine it goes!

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I have not done a lot of felting yet so am pleased with how this came out. It was a very easy one to do as it does not have to finish a particular size. It just got tied into a pillow case and put in a 60 degree wash with some towels for a full cycle. It escaped from the pillow case at some point during the wash but doesn't seem to have come to any harm.

FO Friday- Baby set and pinkish square

It has been a busy week this week, hence the quiet in blogland. I have managed to get some crafty stuff in, although I did fall out with ALL my knitting WIPS at the beginning of the week for one reason or another. They are getting back in line now so hopefully I will be able to do some over the weekend.

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The FO for this week is actually from a while back, it is the final baby set I made while stash busting. The recipient is due to arrive some when in the next few weeks so I will be posting it off soon.

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I discovered baby socks are probably more effort to make than they should be, they may be tiny but they still need a lot of stitches. Cute though (and also possibly huge, I don't actually have any idea how big baby feet are!).

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There is always time for a sock yarn blanket square, yet another UKRAK donated yarn, it is a little more pinky in real life.

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I am finding the different weights of sock yarn interesting, I think I like ones that come in at about 350m per 100g the best- the Goldilocks moment of not too thick (doesn't fit in shoes) but not too thin (takes forever and teeny tiny needles)!