Knitting WIPs – T-shirt, Hooded Cowl and More!

On 13th Feb 2024 By woollymakerIn knitting3 Comments

Hello and Happy February!

It’s been a while since I wrote anything here, but don’t panic! I’m still crafting away behind the scenes.

I’ve been reducing the amount of knitting and crochet lately due to headaches and eye strain – the winter darkness makes it hard for me to craft at night and I’m busy during the day, so I tend to slow down in January/February.

I do have a couple of projects on the go which I am excited to share with you, as well as a few acquisitions.

Let’s get straight into it!

MukiCrafts – Reindeer Hooded Cowl

I bought this pattern from an Etsy shop called MukiCrafts a couple of weeks ago and finally cast it on last night.

It’s a pattern for a hooded cowl. You can make it in any size, from child to adult and it comes with reindeer antlers and ears.

Now, I’m not doing the antlers and ears! I’m just doing the hooded cowl section in some seriously funky colours!

The yarn I chose is called Autumn Chunky by King Cole and is shade 5251. You can get it here from The Knitting Network if you’re interested.

Since it’s chunky (bulky) weight yarn, it’s knitting up quite fast!

Not the best lighting…but whatever!

Image from an **Etsy** shop called **MukiCrafts**

The Tolsta Tee by TheCreaBeaDesigns

I follow Rebecca from The CreaBea on YouTube and have wanted to make this t-shirt since she first created the pattern last year.

The pattern is really popular and lots of people have added their own take on it – plain, striped, picot edging, eyelet lace pattern, different weight yarns etc.

I decided to make mine out of a thin wool (not cotton) and make it 3/4 length sleeves so it could be an in-between seasons piece.

The yarn I’m using is from West Yorkshire Spinners and is called The Croft Shetland Colours – shade Langa 010. It’s DK and 100% wool. You can get it here from The Knitting Network.

I’m knitting the body, after splitting for the sleeves. This is my first top-down top and it’s fun to say I’ve split for the sleeves! 🙂

I’ve done the raglan increases well (right photo) and the rest was straightforward…except for the German Short Rows at the top.

I didn’t realise you had to pull up the yarn at the end before you turn it, so there are some big holes at the front.

Also, with working straight for the short rows, the tension changed a bit, so there’s a section at the back with bigger stitches than the rest of the piece. I’m thinking of re-doing the collar section but I might just stitch some flowers over the holes or do some visible mending.

It’s my first top-down so it’s a practice piece.

I think it might be too small…so here’s hoping it blocks out a bit!

Other Projects

I didn’t finish my Christmas Crochet Cushion in December so that’s technically still on the hook.

I’ll try and finish it before summer as I want the project bag it’s in and the space!

But the colour combinations I chose…yummy! So festive! And it’s great using up festive stash yarns too. I think I’m all Christmassed-out for making decorations. There is just nowhere to put any more of them!!

I also bought a GIANT POM POM MAKER recently from an Etsy shop FatPomPoms.

I’m looking forward to using up my stash in a bright and decorative way!

It’s a great Christmas present for crafters and people with children who do cheerleading – they could their own giant pom-poms!

Random Thoughts

I have a lot of sock yarn to use up, but that will have to wait for warmer and brighter days – it’s too small to focus on in the dark!

I also bought some more chunky yarn as I seem to be on a chunky spree at the moment. I’m looking for the right pattern. I think I’ve found one from an old magazine – chunky but floaty! I’ll talk more about that in a future post.

In my stash, there are a couple of mohair yarns which I think I’ll do a light and airy cardigan or top. There’s an Etsy shop (and YouTube channel) called FridayKnitsDesigns and she has a light and airy cardigan that I like the look of.

Image from an **Etsy** chop called **FridayKnitDesigns**

Future plans:

Make another Tolsta Tee with some bamboo yarn I have in my stash.
Socks! Lots of socks!
Use up red cotton by making some Xmas dishcloths?
Chunky sweater as discussed above.
Mohair cardigan as discussed above.
I have the patterns for The Corran cardigan and another jumper from TheCreaBea but not the yarn.
I want to try some mittens in the round.
Practice more advanced techniques to improve my skills.

I’m going to leave it there as this post will get super long otherwise!

I’m going to talk about the projects in more detail in future posts, as well as the 21 unread books on my bookshelf! :O

Hope you’re having a fun February and see you soon! x

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Festive WIPs

On 7th Dec 2023 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, crochet, Uncategorized1 Comment

I’ve been crocheting and knitting a bit more recently thanks to the darker nights and cosy knitting atmosphere!

Here’s what I’ve been making.

Christmas Cushion

I’ve been using up scraps and odd balls for a while now. I just have too much yarn!

So, I thought I’d make up a quick Christmas Cushion from crocheted granny squares.

The colours have blown out a bit on the pics above – they’re much better in real life. I’ve completed the 9-patch front of the cushion and now I’m working on the back of the cushion, which I’m just going to continue granny stripes on 2 ends and then sew up the sides for an envelope-style cover.

The plain yarns are generic ones that I lost the ball pads for, but the speckled festive yarn is by King Cole. It’s called Glitz DK, and you can find it from The Knitting Network if you want to try something festive for yourself!

Socks

I’m in the middle of casting on a new pair of socks for myself and a pair for my Dad. I don’t think I’ll get 2 pairs done in the 2 weeks left before Christmas, so I might be selfish and prioritise mine as I’m struggling to find the right amount of stitches to cast on for a man-sized foot!

I’ve already done a ribbing and then ripped back because it was too big!

They’re not at a picture stage at the moment, but that’s the main priority for crafting at the moment!

Wreath

This is so squishy and soft!

It’s a super quick and easy way to use up lots of yarn at once. I just need to do something about the back which is quite sharp thanks to the glue and metal. I think I’ll add some felt or fabric…I just need to find the time!

I also have several patterns for hats, jumpers and t-shirts that I want to cast on, but at the moment it’s socks and the cushion!

In the next post I’ll show some of my recent finished objects that I’m sending off to charity or giving away to friends!

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3 Knitting And Crochet Patterns I’ve Bought To Cast On This Winter

On 11th Oct 2023 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, crochet, knitting1 Comment

I love Etsy for knitting and crochet patterns.

The trouble is there’s too much choice!

There is not enough time in the world to make them all. At least with the patterns you can keep them un your email inbox until you have the time to make them up!

I have a lot on my needles and hooks at the moment so I’ve had to put these aside for now. I bought all of these patterns this year and plan to make them up in the next few months once the weather gets a bit cooler.

I thought maybe you’d like to see some inspiration for new cast ons..

Tolsta Tee by TheCreabeaDesigns

I bought this pattern a couple of months ago and I still have to cast it on.

I’ve watched Rebecca on YouTube since day 1 and I’m amazed at how fast she knits her projects up (also, who manages to knit in a dark cinema?!). This pattern has had a lot of love shown to it already, so who knows? You’ve probably heard of it!

It’s a simple t-shirt which you can do in either DK or 4-ply weight yarn. There are so many variations for this pattern – thin or wide stripes, spots, plain, lace eyelets…people have been really creative with this pattern!

I like the idea of making a simple cotton t-shirt for summer (yes, I realise the irony of casting this on in winter!) but I just didn’t get time to start it this year.

I have some terracotta-coloured cotton that I might use for this project…but I also have some green bamboo and cotton mix, so I’m currently undecided about which option to choose!

The Corran Cardigan by TheCreabeaDesigns

And I bought this one too from the same shop!

I loved the simple lace pattern for this one. I thought it could be worn in-between seasons…something to layer up with that wasn’t too chunky and bulky.

I also like that there are customisation options for this too – long or short sleeves. I think I might get creative and try to do 3/4 length sleeves as I prefer that to long sleeves!

The Bowen Top Down Sweater by rubywebbs

The other 2 patterns I bought were knitting but this one is crochet!

It’s top down which is interesting for a crochet pattern. And I think I could make it up quite fast if I didn’t have so many other projects queued up!

I love the texture of this top and I’m not sure whether to make it in a colour similar to the one in the photo above or in a brown tone.

I also love the neckline. I’m not sure what to call it but I like it!

I think a fluffy brown yarn might be a good idea. Maybe hold a brown mohair yarn with another type to get the fluffy effect? Not sure, but one for early 2024 methinks!

I also have another top and a hat pattern from this shop but they might have to wait even longer to make!

So, there you go, 3 designs currently in my queue!

Have you made any of these?

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Christmas Gift Guide For Crafters

On 1st Oct 2023 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, handmadeLeave a comment

If you know someone who loves to craft and create but are stuck for what to get them for Christmas, then this gift guide is for you!

I chose 10 ideas for gifts and it was fun to look over past purchases and find new shops for future treats!

CRAFT KITS

You can’t go wrong with a craft kit since crafters already love to make and create!

WonderWeaverDesign

I love this shop so much!

I’ve bought gifts for other people and for myself from this shop before and I would highly recommend it.

I especially love her pumpkin baskets which I think are really clever.

The owner sells kits for you to make your own baskets, pencil holders and decorations. Since this is a Christmas gift guide, I thought I’d show you a kit to create wicker Christmas Bells.

Image from an Etsy shop called **WonderWeaverDesign**

WhiskerWorks

This Etsy shop makes me want kids just so I can have an excuse to buy this cute rainbow!

This is a genius idea and perfect for any age!

It’s a rainbow made from wood that you wrap yarn around to make the rainbow’s colours. You could cut the yarn and redo it any number of times if you fancied a change and you could also create black ones for Halloween or Red and Green ones for Christmas.

Image from an Etsy shop called **WhiskerWorks**

YarnyBobs

This is a really simple idea that you can do with young kids but it’s quite effective.

POM POMS!

This shop offers kits to make pom pom wreaths, robins and xmas puddings and are a really great stocking filler gift for this Christmas!

Image from an Etsy shop called **YarnyBobs**

PERSONALISED

There are so many options nowadays to personalise a gift for someone you love.

You don’t have to add their name…it could be ‘Knitter of the Year’ or ‘Best Crafter in the World’ or something along those lines!

BearandRoseYork

This is a shop I will be ordering from this Christmas. I love these little Snowmen!

They also do personalised wall names so if you wanted to create a statement piece related to crafting, you could! For example, Knitting Room, or Crafter’s Corner.

A great idea would be the word STASH and have it hanging over your wool drawers or boxes!

Image from an Etsy shop called BearandRoseYork

LisacreatecrafDesign

This idea is one I haven’t seen before – a personalised money box/ piggy bank!

I love how you can see the coins through the plastic part…incentive to save more.

This would be perfect for crafters who always complain they spend too much on craft tools and supplies!

Image from an Etsy shop called **LisacreatecrafDesign**

HANDMADE / CRAFT-RELATED

Not everything handmade is handmade! Sometimes you can create the design and send it to a printer or a manufacturer and it’s still an original ‘handmade design’.

Some of my favourite small businesses sell their own handmade or uniquely designed items. Like the ones below…

FleecefunShop

This shop has a lot of funky sewing-related designs such as stickers and enamel pins.

I love the collection below!

This image is from an Etsy shop called **FleecefunShop**

SomersetYarns

This shop on Etsy is a yarn shop that does the most amazing neon (and other!) colours. I have a bright hank of their sock yarn waiting to be knitted up into the most dazzling pair of socks ever!

They ship very fast and I just love the feel of the yarn itself. I’d definitely recommend this shop…I mean, look at these colours! They brighten up your day!

This image is from an Etsy shop called **SomersetYarns**

TheMagpiesEyeCo

This is a shop I’ve bought from a few times and which gets very busy close to Christmas!

The owner makes sparkly resin buttons which make me so happy! I struggle to choose which ones and which sizes to get!

I’ve added a couple of screenshots instead of photos to give you an idea of EXACTLY HOW SPARKLY her creations are! 🙂

Screenshot of shop called **TheMagpiesEyeCo**

And more sparkles…

Screenshot of a shop called **TheMagpiesEyeCo**

PRACTICAL

How about something practical for your crafty friend? Like something to help them organise their stash or projects?

Tote Bags

These designs are from my Society 6 Shop called WoollyOrbit.

They make great gift bags instead of using wrapping paper and can be used to keep current projects in! I also plan to make more crafty designs, so let me know in the comments if you have any ideas!

hellospecklehome

I discovered this shop a few days ago and added it to my favourites.

Pastel colours are very on trend at the moment and will continue to be right through the festive period.

This shop makes pretty little concrete dishes and trays. Perfect for organising the bits and bobs that crafters accumulate!

This image is from an Etsy shop called **hellospecklehome**

There you go!

10 ideas for gifts for the crafter in your life! Or yourself!

I know I’m going to be getting myself a little snowman and probably some more buttons! And yarn…always yarn!

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Socks!

On 28th Sep 2023 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knitting2 Comments

I’m a sock knitter now!

It’s official!

I’ve knitted 2 using the Magic Loop method – one in Medium and one in Large, just to get an accurate sense of how big a circumference I need for my big feet.

Each sock took about a week, although I hasten to add, I wasn’t continually knitting on them for hours at a time…just when I had a spare moment or two.

Previously I’ve tried the DPN method and managed a single sock which took 3 weeks to make! That was at the beginning of my knitting journey and I’ve come a long way since then.

I find the Magic Loop method MUCH faster and easier than the DPNs.

I followed a YouTube tutorial by the Crazy Sock Lady and it was good to see the technique in practice, rather than just reading about it in a pattern!

Here they are:

I only have one sock blocker that I got free with a magazine so, I’ll be asking for another one for Christmas!

I used 2 different yarns for these socks.

The bright pink one is made from a yarn called Fyberspates CoopKnits Socks Yeah! It’s in the Xenon colour way which is exactly as bright and awesome in real life as it looks in the picture! Get it from Wool Warehouse here.

The sock on the right is made from West Yorkshire Spinners 4-Ply in the Gingerbread colour way, which you can purchase here from The Knitting Network if you’re interested.

I made shorty socks as I thought they would go quicker as I was just gauging the size – they were just trial runs.

I thought the width of the large one was a better fit but I definitely think there is room for experimentation. For example, start with a larger cast on and decrease for the leg or the other way around…just to get the right, personalised fit for me.

I want to make socks for friends and family but I’m kind of dreading getting the fit right! And if I’m asking people to either measure their feet or try on the sock in progress then that takes away the element of surprise, doesn’t it?!

I have lots of sock yarn to use up in the coming months (years?). Here’s a sneak peek of JUST SOME OF THE SOCK YARN in my stash!

I guess I like bright neons and autumnal warm colours from this picture!

I bought a gorgeous black wool and silk sock yarn to knit my Dad a pair of socks for Christmas which I couldn’t seem to find for the pic above. Like I mentioned somewhere above, I need to find a pattern suitable for man-sized feet!

I also want to make a pair of Christmas themed socks for me for Christmas Day.

There’s a lot of socks to be making in the coming months, so I better get busy!

I’m looking forward to finally wearing a pair of homemade socks this winter.

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Life As It Is Now – Hobbies, Writing and More!

On 24th Aug 2023 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, writingLeave a comment

Hello lovely people, it’s been a while!

I’ve been writing everywhere so much lately, I don’t know how I’ve managed to neglect this little blog!

What’s been happening?

I’m just at the tail end of 2 weeks holiday, which I have to say has been the most productive holiday ever!

I’ve been getting back to writing on Medium and I’ve written about 50,000 words both there and on my new blog (which I’m still building up about writing).

I’ve made progress too! The most amount of views on Medium…but also the most amount of click throughs for my affiliate links – it’s finally working!

I’ve also had a lot of medical appointments in the past 6 months and this has seriously affected both my writing and crafting. In fact, I have a hospital appointment tomorrow, which is why I’m getting as much writing done today!

I feel like I haven’t crafted or created much this year because of that.

But then, it all swings in roundabouts as last year was VERY prolific!

In the past couple of months I’ve still managed to get a couple of knitted cotton summer tops finished (they still need blocking) and a couple of socks. Yes, I’m a sock knitter now!

I did a couple of days of sewing, made a hair turban above, tried something else that didn’t work, and then gave up sewing for the time being. It’s just too much of a faff getting the sewing machine out!

I’m also crocheting 2 blankets at the moment, one for Christmas, the other is a chunky yarn I had in my stash. Not sure if I’m going to keep them yet. Think I might donate to local charities.

I have knitted one pink sock and one gingerbread sock (above). I’m just testing sizing, so the pink one was a medium and the one above a large. I think I might try the next one with a medium ribbing, but then increase to a large for the body of the sock.

The yarn I used for the gingerbread sock above was West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply (1109) and I was unsure at first of the colours…but then I knitted it up and now I love it. I just need to make the second sock! If you want to check it our for yourself, you can get it here from The Knitting Network.

I’m also knitting a tiny stocking, and there is a winter sweater on the needles from last year, but that’s about it at the moment.

Still, with all the health things going on right now, 2 cotton tops, 2 socks, a shawl, a sewn head turban and a Christmas stocking isn’t bad. I’ve still completed a few objects this year!

Oh and I’ve been reading loads.

25 books and counting this year, with about 11 more on the shelf to go.

It’s my payday treat to buy myself a book. I’m working my way through Brandon Sanderson – The Way of Kings and Warbreaker are next on the fiction list.

But mostly it’s been self-development books. Some useful, some generic!

I’ve been designing more for RedBubble and Society 6, but mostly that’s it.

So there you go, that’s what I’ve been up to lately!

I love this style of blog…it’s like a cross between a show and tell and a diary! Haha!

Going to get back to posting on here more often!

Happy crafting!

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Life, Knitting, Crochet and Sewing WIPS for 2023

On 30th Mar 2023 By woollymakerIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Hello and happy March to you all!

It’s been a little while since I posted up on ‘ole WordPress, so I thought I’d share an update before getting back to regular posting.

January was a month of adulting – updating stuff, filling in forms and chores. Lots of errands, that kind of thing.

I’ve been reading a lot: 9 books in January! And a further 6 in February…yup, that’s a lot! It would appear I’m in a reading phase.

But I’m OK with that. I naturally go through phases with reading and some years are full on and some are pretty sparse.

Remember those goal posts I did last year, saying I was going to do this and that – nope!

Unpicked/ frogged most of my then-WIPS and have started on new projects and new ideas. Sometimes the projects which hang over your head pull you down and they aren’t fun anymore.

So, I got rid and am much happier!

Knitting

What have I been working on lately?

In December (Christmas Eve actually) I finished a chunky jumper I had on the needles. I had done part of the Palin back in stocking stitch and a bit of the cabled front…but hadn’t made a note of the next row and I messed it up and couldn’t be bothered to unpick and re-do the cables.

So, I just frogged it and made it all in stocking stitch and it fits great.

I tried to make the arms 3/4 length, it didn’t quite work as they just look a little short for me! But it fits and looks OK. High praise!

I like the chunky-ness of it and it’s the thickest jumper I own. Nice and warm.

Below is what it should have looked like!

And here is the finished object!

It didn’t take too long once I got into it again!

Other WIPS

I’m currently working on a knitted cowl, and a fair isle sweater and have a leftover Christmas stocking to finish! I won’t show pics here as I’m not sure if I want to unravel any of them yet.

The leftover stocking is a neon version of these ones below:

And crochet?

My crochet sweater is still in the bag since, hmm pretty much this time last year. I want to get into it but there is something that takes precedence before I finish my WIPS.

Someone is leaving at work and I want to knit or crochet them something, but I’m not sure what yet!

I also started a crochet cowl on a recent night shift and it’s about a third of the way done. I might donate that to a charity.

I don’t think I ever showed it but here is the hat I knitted (well, started) on my last nightshift!

So, knitting and crochet have been put on the back burner for a little while. I have 2 more books on my shelf to read and I found another couple downstairs before I get into crafting again.

What else have I been working on?

Soap!

I used up a tub of melt and pour soap I had lying around and now it’s waiting all packaged neatly in boxes to be used up!

I added the colour, scent and shape. It solidifies quite quickly, so it’s not really a long project. But it’s one I can cross off my list!

I have also been thinking about what to do with some items I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Harrogate last November.

I bought some wool, fabric and some bits! The towering will be made into a hair turban (instead of using a towel when I wash my hair – much easier!) and also some scrunchies I think.

I also bought some grey fabric not shown here (which I can’t find anywhere in the house, I don’t know where I put it, haha!) and I want to sew another Tilly and the Buttons cardigan from one of her books I have.

But, there’s no rush for sewing!

I’ve been on a gluten-free special diet lately and I’ve been eating lots of weird dishes! I made a banana bread recipe the other day with gluten free flour and added a few blueberries. It was actually quite nice!

So, whilst I’m getting creative in the kitchen, it’s not for cakes and biscuits, alas!

Gluten-free spaghetti is actually really tasty, not like some other options such as bread and cakes. I’m still finding what works for me.

Medium

I’ve been enjoying writing on Medium lately, it’s been my most profitable month of the year so far on there.

Maybe because I’ve been reading so much on there, but the words are flowing a bit easier and faster. You can write about whatever you want and I do like the clean, simple theme of the platform.

This post below has been one of my favourites to write and has made me $4.78 so far in the last month or so since it was published!

View at Medium.com

Sign up to join Medium here for full access to every story on the platform (if you sign up using my referral link, I’ll receive a portion of your membership fee at no extra cost to you).

Print on Demand

I’ve also been working a bit on my Print on Demand sites lately and got my first order on Society 6, yay!

Below is my most recent pattern that I created with both Canva and Repper.

I like how, in Repper, you can export in really big file sizes which means I don’t need to use Photoshop for the large furniture-sized files on Society 6 – it takes ages to load Photoshop sometimes!

I ordered this pattern from my RedBubble store, as well as a phone case in another pattern for myself.

It’s just another outlet for my creativity.

Are we all caught up?

Sort of! There’s a lot to talk about since the last time I posted on here 6 months ago, but I’ll leave that for another post.

See you soon x

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October Goals

On 5th Oct 2022 By woollymakerIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’m going to stick to crafty/ life goals for this post as I have MILLIONS (yes millions) of side hustle/ work goals and this post would rapidly turn into a 10,000 word book if I included those too!

Now that I’m reading over what I’ve written, I realise these are also autumn goals in general…it’s a lot for October and it’s already the 5th with no progress made!

1. Finish what I have started!

I have several projects on the hooks/ needles/ in the queue that have been on the go since the start of this year. I’m fed up of them to be quite frank. I want them off my needles before I cast on anything new.

Here’s what I have on the go at the moment:

Grey chunky knitted sweater
Grey Fisherman’s Rib knitted sweater
Green knitted tunic
Crocheted top
Halloween granny square blanket
Knitted blue baby cardigan
Chunky knitted hat in the round
Top down knitted sweater in natural fibres
Knitted lace cowl

And in my sewing queue are bags mostly…a few patterns and a few zipper bags. As well as another Tilly and the Buttons cardigan in a plain fabric.

So. What to focus on?

Halloween Blanket – 2 more balls of black yarn to use up for the border. It’s chunky weight yarn so will crochet up quite quickly.
Knitted baby blue cardigan – got the right front, sleeves and collar to do. Won’t take too long once I get started but it’s a lace pattern so I have to concentrate which is what’s been putting me off!
Green knitted tunic – I’m working in the round now, bottom up. Once I fix my tension problems, I’ll be able to go quite fast on this one.
Chunky knitted hat – Did about 6cm of this in the round at work one day! Shouldn’t take too long to finish.

And then we’ll see what happens after that!

I want those 4 things done at least this month!

2. Christmas Socks

I have 3 balls of Christmas sock yarn and ideally, I’d like at least one pair of socks for Christmas this year. The yarn is thin and takes ages for me to knit a sock, so we’ll see. But I want to make a pair of socks and before I can do that, I have to finish at least ONE THING on the list above.

There’s just no room for loads of project bags otherwise!

So, I would like to be casting on a pair of Christmas socks near the end of October, if possible!

3. Use up other crafty things

I have a leather handbag to sew up.

Another cotton bag to ice dye (cannot get plastic ice cube bags for love nor money locally).

Lots of recipes to try. Flours and other dry ingredients in the cupboard to use up!

Finish the last book on my shelf to read – The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. At least I can read the book in my breaks at work!

I think a general goal could be to just do a bit of some of the above! Start the book, sew a little bit, bake some bread…

So, there you go. Just some things I want to do this month.

You’d think that by writing this all down and putting it out into the world, that I’d be more accountable to myself and would ‘get shit done’.

Nope!

What usually happens is that I write a blog post like this, life happens and I need to change my plans and do something else instead!!

I get sick, I’m too tired, I do more hours/ different shifts at work…

For example, last week I did a night shift, so the next day I had planned to write a bit was completely out because I was sleeping! The week before I had the Monday off for the Queen’s funeral…I was so tired from health complications I did nothing!

So, life can almost get in the way sometimes. Of both side hustle and crafty plans…but at least by writing this in the first place, I’m trying to prioritise what’s most important/ urgent and get a little something done.

Hope you’re having a good Wednesday and talk soon x

Acquisitions and Ideas

On 22nd Sep 2022 By woollymakerIn knitting1 Comment

New Wool

Last week at work I was so good!

I gave away 2 free knitting kits (that you get with knitting magazines and which I always end up throwing away) and 4 balls of wool to a colleague.

I was slowly making some room in my stash tub.

NOPE!

I instantly bought 2 balls of sock yarn to replace some of the old!

Both are technically Christmas themed sock yarns – 1 by Stylecraft and the other by West Yorkshire Spinners (the left one).

But the one by West Yorkshire Spinners looks more autumn-y to me rather than the ‘gingerbread’ it’s supposed to be.

I also bought a pair of tiny circular needles to have a go using instead of the DPNs. We’ll see if it works!

You can get the orange one here from The Knitting Network, one of my favourite places to buy wool online. I’ve shopped with them a few times before, they’re quick to dispatch and quick and all of their products come in eco-friendly packaging!

And the fabric in the picture above is a gift from a friend (thanks Lizzie!). I’m not sure what to do with it…a bag of some sort maybe? But I also like the idea of making a cushion too…

Ideas For Future Projects

I have 1 1/2 balls of some chunky James C. Brett yarn leftover that I want out of my stash (they’re huge 200g balls so take up a lot of room!) and I was thinking of doing another chunky knitted hat in the round.

I knitted my first hat in the round earlier this year (usually I just do them flat and seam them up) and now I have all the right size circular needles for that!

Also, I’m making another baby blanket out of some scraps of aran baby wool I had leftover. I’m desperate for the room!

I sent off a load of stuff to Knit For Peace today and I still have the main box to go! I think I’ll do a few smaller things such as hats and maybe a cowl or two just to fill the box. There’s already a shawl, baby blanket, baby hats and cardigan as well as an adult hat.

I have the yarn for 2 summer vest tops and the patterns bought and ready to go.

The thing is, I have 5 tops, 2 blankets and a hat on the go already. I guess it’s never to late to start a project, but I want to knit woolly warm things now it’s autumn. And it’s getting cold so it’s definitely autumn now!

I have enough sock yarn for 6 pairs of socks!

I have DK yarn for a pink and cream jumper which I have yet to find the perfect pattern for.

I have some single balls of hand dyed yarn which need to be made up into something.

And lots of single cotton balls that I had an idea to make into lots of dishcloths.

So many ideas and not enough time, energy or money to do them all!

And then, after making a concentrated effort to get my stash down to a manageable amount…I saw the pattern below in a knitting magazine and I want to have a go at it.

Even though colour work makes me want to jump screaming out of a window…

The pattern is by Jenny Watson for West Yorkshire Spinners and was in the magazine Knit Now Issue 146, but I’ve seen it other places online. I bet if you googled WYS Festive blanket you could find it!

But seriously, look at those dark traditional colours.

I might have to quickly try and finish as many little projects as I can, so that I have a spare project bag or 2 for this!

But I really don’t need another blanket!

Ah such terrible decisions to be made, haha!

Christmas is nearly here, and I have a lot to do to get ready for it this year.

There’s the blanket above I want to make and a pair of festive socks too.

I would love to make a Christmas jumper, but I just don’t think I’ll have the time this year.

A few years back I made a load of decorations, so at least that’s one thing done…although I might make a few more baubles as they’re pretty quick to make.

And a Santa hat, too, maybe?

I’m working on a crocheted chunky Halloween blanket right now, but I think I might keep that one for myself.

Anyhoo, that’s a lil catch up. It’s late and I’m tired and I want to go lie on the bed and read a book.

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Green Tunic Progress

On 14th Sep 202213th Sep 2022 By woollymakerIn knitting2 Comments

I am knitting my third ever jumper, and this one is bottom up in the round…sort of!

It’s a pattern from a magazine called Let’s Knit (issue 180 Feb 2022) and it’s by Susie Johns on page 22.

But it’s a funny construction, to me anyway, in that you knit the front and back very bottom part seperately and then join in the round to work the body, THEN separate again to do the front and back yoke parts back and forth.

And that is where I’m struggling with it.

My tension has dramatically changed from working back and forth on 4mm needles to working in the round on 4mm needles. So, I bought some 4.5mm needles in the round and I’ve gone up a half size…but I need to do a few more rounds before I can tell whether it’s working or not.

Other than that, I’m not sure what to do, as the difference in tension is HUGE!

Can you see at the top on the picture below how it has changed? Argh! So frustrating!

The colour is more like a mix between the 2 pics above, why does the camera always struggle to get a perfect likeness?!

It’s DK and quite nice to work with. It’s Highland Heathers DK by Stylecraft in the shade 7228 lichen. You can get it here from The Knitting Network if you want to have a look.

I really like pattern itself. it isn’t difficult, it’s just the tension I’m having trouble with.

This is what it’s supposed to look like below:

But I have to say, my magazine is now a lot tattier than when this pic was taken!!

I’ll keep chugging away at it, I desperately want it off my needles so I can think about autumn/ winter knits!

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A Pastel Crochet Shawl

On 13th Sep 2022 By woollymakerIn crochet2 Comments

I started this project to get rid of some stash yarn in a quick and easy way!

I finally finished it yesterday after a few weeks of doing a bit here and there and not rushing it, basically.

It’s a very simple granny square crochet shawl and used 3 balls of yarn. I think I’m going to donate it or give it away as I already have a shawl in the same pattern that I made a couple of years ago which still works just fine!

The pattern I used was from a book called Shabby Chic Crochet by Agnieszka Strycharska. And I’ve done it 4 times now, using different weights and brands of yarn and it always works up well.

It’s actually a really good baby yarn which I’ve made into baby hats before (in different shades). It’s soft and has just a hint of sparkle in.

It’s called Baby Twinkle Prints DK by James C. Brett and you can get it from my favourite online knitting shop The Knitting Network (who also use eco-friendly methods of packaging for all their orders).

As I said, I’ve done this project several times with no problem, but can you see my tension changed about halfway through? That never happened on the other shawls!

I think I might have either crocheted looser or tighter or it was just a different ball of wool.

Either way it’s not too noticeable, although as the maker, it stands out like a sore thumb to me!

I’m quite pleased with this quick little project.

I have 5 tops that I’m either knitting or crocheting on the go at the moment, as well as a Halloween granny square blanket and sewing together a leather handbag. So, it was a nice break!

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Organising My Crafty Life

On 19th Aug 202218th Aug 2022 By woollymakerIn Uncategorized3 Comments

In the past month or so I’ve suddenly got my knitting mojo back after about 3 or 4 months of not really being bothered.

But I’ve come to the conclusion that I have so much stuff that it’s getting me down! Too many knitting or crochet projects I started that I don’t love anymore and aren’t likely to get finished any time soon.

So, I did a ruthless thing and did a purge!

I threw out 2 projects I started ages ago and just haven’t had the motivation to get back into them; the knitted shawl in amazing lovely autumn colours and the knitted socks which I couldn’t even finish the ribbing for!

They’ve gone!

I frogged them and saved the yarn…but no more working on them ever again!!

And, looking through my photos for the 2 above, I realised I threw out another project too. A knitted blanket in squares, which I’d only knitted the first square.

I frogged that too and made a crochet blanket last week! Wool used up…great!

*Why did I take a picture of this ages ago from the back again?!*

I did a big clear out and got rid of half used skeins of wool, scraps of fabric and things like that, that I’ll never use! I have so much more room in my craft drawers now.

I’ve also been trying to use up yarn that I’ve bought over the years without a project in mind. Such as these cute coloured pastel balls of yarn, but I never used because I don’t wear pastel garments!

So…I made a couple of baby hats, I’m knitting a baby cardigan with funky dark green and pink yarn and I started a shawl with the baby pastel yarn I had lying around.

And then with yarn leftover from those projects, I started a granny square cushion!

So, I’ve started a few projects lately with the aim of using up my stash.

A lot of my stash is acrylic and I want to start getting away from that. Acrylic is plastic basically, isn’t it? I want to use more natural fibres, but I don’t just want to chuck out everything I have…so I’m going to use it all up first.

I do love the colours of this yarn – the pics don’t do it justice and it is so soft and snuggly. But I only bought 1 or 2 balls of each colourway, so the projects are small that I’m doing to use it up!

It’s Baby Twinkle Prints DK by James C. Brett. You can grab it here from The Knitting Network if you want to have a look. I like The Knitting Network as they use paper not plastic packaging!

I’ve made a little bit of room so far…although I have about 10 tote bags with my knitting and crochet projects in them lying about!

I have 4 knitted jumpers and 1 crochet top I’m working on, with the yarn for a summer cotton vest (which won’t get finished before the winter comes lol!) and a lot of sock yarn still to work on. I also have 9 balls (!) of DK yarn to use up for a jumper as it was on offer!

And then there’s a few odd aran weight balls which I thought to make a baby blanket from, some cream and pink yarn for a jumper, and some chunky yarn for a cowl.

So, even when I finish the current projects, I have enough yarn to be using up until the end of this year without buying anything new!!

I’m gong Cold Sheep for the time being!

…

Well, I’m going to try to anyway!!!

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I Tried Plastic Free July

On 18th Aug 2022 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, recyclingLeave a comment

I don’t know when Plastic Free July became a thing – until this year, I’d certainly never heard of it before.

But I thought it was something I could have a go at. Usually I don’t jump on bandwagons…I like to watch them roll by! The thing is, I thought this was doable for one main reason…work!

I could pack my own lunchbox for work!!

So, what did I do?

I bought myself a glass water bottle from Wilkos for a measly £2.50 and it has worked perfectly as my workplace has a staff canteen where I can refill it with either water or squash.

I also bought myself a glass pyrex lunchbox and some metal reusable cutlery.

There is only one problem with all of the above and that is the very obvious ‘But Sarah, they’re made of glass!‘. Yes, yes they are! I proved I had the reflexes of a cat ninja the other day when my glass water bottle fell out of my locker.

Overall though, the plastic free lunches worked quite well. I still had the odd bottle of Coca Cola or Fanta…it’s a heatwave kind of summer you know? So, there were a few plastic items that slipped in.

The thing I did really well was that I started recycling MORE of my plastic last month. I didn’t realise my local supermarket took in soft plastics to recycle, so on the way to work lately I’ve been dropping off a plastic bag full of soft plastics to recycle. Soft plastics such as bread wrapping, food packaging, food bags etc.

I’ve used my local greengrocers more and opted for paper bags over plastic ones.

And as always I’ve brought my own shopping bags with me (such as the one below I designed myself for my Zazzle store).

So, my ‘plastic free’ July was mostly focussed on food and shopping. I didn’t go completely free as it just wasn’t possible for me then. I got sick in July and something else cropped up and I had to just focus on a couple of things.

But I still class it as a success though as I got into the habit of thinking about plastic and I actually made a start!

What’s next?

I guess there’s always health and beauty products, but honestly, I’m not ready to completely change my period products just yet!

I do have some ideas for other things though; a selection of either sewn or knitted facecloths or pads, buying shampoo bars instead of bottles, hard soaps instead of in bottles etc.

And there’s always cleaning products for the home. I’m experimenting in finding the right dishcloth pattern with cotton yarn. I find cotton quite hard to knit with, so I’m still looking for the ‘perfect’ pattern.

Such as the ones below from a couple of months ago.

I did buy more cotton yarn in different colours, so I might have a go and see what I can make.

I quite like the colours and the texture of the yarn of James C. Brett’s It’s 100% Pure Cotton DK range. Another cotton yarn by James C. Brett which I’ve used in the past is Craft Cotton which is good for cotton dishcloths. You can get it from The Knitting Network here. It’s also quite cheap for a 100g ball in my opinion!

I quite like The Knitting Network as they don’t use any plastic in their packaging. I’ve ordered from them before and can recommend them!

I’m glad I tried Plastic Free July, even if I still bought and used some forms of plastic. It just goes to show how widespread it is in our lives. It’s also given me a bit of a push to look at how much plastic I’m using in other areas of my life, such as crafting and hobbies.

But more to come on that in another post!

For now, I’m going to continue using my glass bottle and just pray I don’t drop it!

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Blogging and Bits

On 8th Jun 2022 By woollymakerIn bloggingLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I did a bit of a life update post, so here’s all the crafty and non crafty bits I’ve left our for the past 6 months or so!

Work and Side Hustles

I’ve been working a lot lately as my contracted hours have gone up. I work in a supermarket and there are quite a few surprising perks…like the free flowers above! They were past their display by date and would have been thrown away so I took a couple of bunches home and they lasted over a week.

I also get the odd ‘score’ in the free colleague section in the staff room…potatoes, bread, carrots, herbs…they all have best before yesterday dates on but most of the fruit and veg is still edible!

The downside to working more hours at my actual job of course, is that the side hustle side of things inevitably slows down a bit. But May was prolific!

After months of not being bothered or doing the bare minimum, May was like someone lit a fire up my ass and I was away!!

I started to write and post more regularly on Medium and the stats have definitely gone up over there because of it. I’ve been working on a second WordPress blog about writing, doing all the boring backend stuff like banners and logos etc. Now it’s just the actual content to finish before launching.

I even opened a new Print on Demand store on Zazzle a couple of weeks ago and yesterday I got a couple of things with my design on to test the products – a keyring and a tote bag. Boring but useful products!

They came from the US within a week and a half of ordering, which is really fast for both manufacturing and shipping and I love the picture quality on both products. Sometimes when you print on fabric the design can get a little blurry, but not this time! Zazzle is looking to be the best platform so far.

The daylight is a bit weird so the light isn’t the best in the photo! But I’ve used it for shopping already!

Blue and Green Mirror Image Pattern
by WoollyOrbit

Zazzle has hundreds of products with the ability for the customer to personalise the designs which is unusual, so I still need to do a bit more research on that one, but the shop is live now. I also figured out how to put one of my designs on the sidebar of this blog. I mean, am I technical or what?!

As for my other print on demand sites...Society 6 has 44 designs as opposed to 12 at the beginning of May, and RedBubble has over 300 although that needs a thorough sort out!

So, print on demand is going well!

Some Random Garden and Plant Pics

And it was my parents wedding anniversary this month – a big one! So, naturally, they got lots of flowers!

My cactus that I called Mr Whippy (after a type of ice cream in the UK) has nearly doubled I size since I bought him. He’s a Cereus Forbesii Spiralis if you’re interested…and just look at the Mammillaria below it – my babies are having babies now!!

Books

I’m slowly getting through my to read pile.

I’ currently reading Walden and Side Hustle In Progress. Recently I finished Design Your Lief andBird By Bird with Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg finished at the end of April.

BUT… I bought another one yesterday, so as the pile diminishes, so does it accumulate!

I bought The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins. I read The God Delusion by him a couple of years ago and the language was so hard to read…so many big words, lol! This looks easier and more interesting!

So, that makes the current To Read List as follows:

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
Side Hustle In Progress by Elizabeth Ogabi
On Writing Well by William Zinser
Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Knitting and Crochet and Sewing

I finished a blanket in the previous post, but I’ve not been crafting an awful lot thanks to doing a lot on the writing and designing side of things.

I have a few balls of neon yarn left from previous projects and a little bit from this project so I might just do a few more granny squares and see where that takes me.

You can’t really go wrong with a granny square can you?!

I want to finish a couple of projects so I can make a start on some summer knitting, but I have no motivation to craft at the minute…it’s writing and reading, but that’s OK as it comes in waves, doesn’t it?

Priorities

Pinterest is something I’ve let slide in the past few months. Considering it’s such a useful tool for side hustles, it’s a shame I did neglect it, but you know what? I find it both easy and awkward!

Easy to create and schedule pins in Canva and the whole uploading process isn’t difficult, it’s just it seems to take ages to get anywhere. Followers mean nothing as it’s more about trends and what people are searching for.

So, Pinterest is a priority for me in June and July.

As is knitting a summer top! I have a couple of vest patterns for cotton yarn – see below.

And I really want to finish a leather handbag that I started dying a few years ago, but just never got around to sewing it together!

And sewing! Gotta get back into sewing somehow!

This has sort of caught you all up on stuff.

There’s always more planned than I have time to do, never enough crafting time!!

But right now, it’s writing and print on demand that’s the main focus, not crafting.

But I’m sure I’ll get back into knitting and crochet soon!

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Crochet Blanket Finished

On 28th May 2022 By woollymakerIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I haven’t done much crafting in the past few weeks. I’ve been busy doing other things!

But, I finally managed to get something off my hook. It was the easiest pattern I had on the go as I didn’t need to look at a pattern, being only a simple Granny Square Blanket. I didn’t have to think about what I was doing, I just carried on crocheting!

I used up spare yarn, 1 x blue ball and 2 x pink balls of STYLECRAFT SPECIAL DK, which you can get here from The Knitting Network, if you’re so inclined. I used 2 x 1435 Bright Pink and I can’t remember the blue colour (but it was a nice bright, almost neon shade).

It’s not huge and I still have a bit of each colour left, I just didn’t think there was enough to go another round in each colour!

So, those scraps have now been added to my scraps bag and I’m almost at the point where I’ll have enough DK weight yarn to make a blanket completely out of scraps. Yay!

Not sure what to do with this one, maybe I’ll donate it again to Knit For Peace or a similar charity once I have a few to go in a box together.

The colours look all blown out with the lighting, but they are actually quite bright in real life.

I agree, it’s not very big! But it can be a pram blanket or even a doll’s blanket!

I can’t help thinking how gorgeous this would look as a cushion…maybe I’ll have to look into that!

Hope you’re having a crafty weekend x

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