Category: knitting

Acquisitions and Ideas

On 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 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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My First TOP DOWN SWEATER is a Go!

On By woollymakerIn knitting2 Comments

I’ve wanted to try a top down sweater for AGES but never found the right pattern or had the right needles etc.

But now the excuses are over!

I bought my first pattern from Ravelry (after years of only looking at the freebies!) from Jennifer Steingass. I’m doing the Dreyma Sweater in brown and cream.

And what’s more it’s my first garment in natural fibres which haven’t been dyed.

The yarn is West Yorkshire Spinners in an aran weight. I chose a dark brown and a nice cream in their Jacob Aran range. It’s 100% British wool and as far as I know it hasn’t been dyed.

You can get it here from The Knitting Network if you want, I love the feel of it. As someone who usually knits with acrylic, it’s nice to try something a little different!

I had to buy a few sets of needles as my local yarn shops only do 80cm circulars…I mean, there are so many other sizes we need! Don’t people ask for the 40cm, 60cm or 100cm ones?!!!

I found some Addi circular ones from Wool Warehouse online, they’re a bit more expensive than the ones I’ve been used to, but OMG they feel so much better to knit with!

I’ve done the collar so far, did that in an afternoon and then realised that going from 40cm to 80cm was too much so ordered a 60cm circular needle and we’ll see how that goes. It just came in the post today from Wool Warehouse, so they have super fast shipping for a regular shipping fee.

I don’t knit in the round much so I’m sure it’ll be fiddly until I increase a few more stitches for the yoke when I can use bigger needles.

I’m loving it so far though!

Here’s what it looks like at the moment:

I’m onto the first round of the yoke except I’ve done it wrong and will have to unpick the white stitches.

I’m kind of stuck with the ‘No Stitch’ squares on the colour work pattern. I don’t understand how to actually go about doing a no stitch!! That sounds ridiculous but do I slip stitches or what? I’ve sen instructions online that tell you to ignore the stitches and just stitch what you get told too…but then the yarn must stretch over the stitches that haven’t been stitched?

Where is that emoji with the head exploding? My mind isn’t blown out of awe it’s being blown at how simple yet confusing this is for me. Never mind, I’ll figure it out.

I’m still loving having something in the round to work on even if there are a few awkward bits.

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Scrap busting…dishcloths, blankets and more!

On By woollymakerIn knitting1 Comment

I have a lot of wool.

A LOT OF WOOL!

And frankly, some of it is old and boring.

I maybe bought it for projects that never materialised or simply just bought it on impulse. Whatever the reason for it all being in my gigantic yarn stash, it needs to be used up…so I can find the room to fit more yarn in of course.

So, in the past week or so, I’ve done a few short projects to use up some leftovers.

Knitted Dishcloths

First, I made a few dishcloths with some 100% cotton I had leftover. I don’t normally like knitting with cotton as I find I have to hold it quite tightly and it hurts my hands after a little while.

And in full disclosure (I really wanted to write dish-closure here!), I don’t even use these kinds of dishcloths haha!

I know a few people who do, so they might get a few as a random gift the next time I see them.

I really like this yarn though, for all that I might whinge about cotton, this feels really nice and comes in some vibrant sunny colours.

It’s by James C. Brett and I believe it’s called It’s 100% Pure Cotton. I’m using shade IC08 below.

So far, I’ve done a waffle stitch pattern and a simple garter stitch one. Since I don’t use them, I’m not really sure how big to make them, so I’ll do a variety and see what works.

The waffle stitch

Cast on an even number of stitches

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1, P1

Row 4: K1, P1

Repeat those 4 rows for as long as you want it. The front looks like squares and the back is textured too, so I quite like this simple stitch!

Below on the left is the back of the dishcloth and the front on the right.

The back looks pretty cool too, though doesn’t it?!

Knitted Blanket

I’ve had a pattern for a knitted blanket that I ripped out of a magazine years ago. There are 9 large squares and 3 patterns.

A complicated cabled centre square, 4 stocking stitch squares and 4 other cabled squares (with a simpler cable pattern).

I’ve done one square in aran leftovers so far, just a simple stocking stitch one that I can sit out in the garden with and not have to keep looking at a pattern. It’s not as big as I thought it would turn out to be, so I might have to do more squares or a huge border. Not sure yet. Maybe I’ll just see what it looks like stretched out and sewn together!

I’m using darker, maybe more autumnal colours, like orange and grey instead of the pastel colours of the pattern.

I’m not really a pastel person, you know?!

And since I didn’t think 4 balls were going to enough as the square below used up more than half a ball…I went and bought 2 more balls of a beautiful blue/ green colour.

Just in case.

The yarn is Stylecraft Special Aran and I’m using the following 3 colours: 1062 Teal, 1063 Graphite and 1029 Copper.

You can get the same yarn from The Knitting Network here.

I’m looking at the photo below and I’m wondering if I took the photo of the back by mistake. I was so sure it was the front. Ooops!

That’s just a couple of things I’m doing to use up my stash. I have quite a few other projects on the go at the moment and it’s getting to the point where I need to finish something before I cast on anything else!

I have a few half balls of chunky yarn, a couple of DK weight yarn and a few odd bits in either 4ply or aran, so I can’t use all my scraps in one blanket project…more the pity.

I’ve seen a few patterns for chunky hats, so I might have a go at that. We’ll see. I have one bag of leftovers left, so it’s not too dire at the moment.

What’s dire is the fact that my drawers and boxes are overflowing with full balls and hanks of yarn ready to be knitted up into projects, hahaha!

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Q1 Makes and Creations

On By woollymakerIn crochet, knitting, Reading and BooksLeave a comment

I don’t normally measure my life or crafting life in quarters…but why not for the sake of keeping count?!

What have I made or done so far in January, February and March 2022? Let’s take a look and see!

Knitting

I have cast on a LOT of things, but don’t have many finished objects yet. Here is what I actually managed to finish:-

  • I made a baby hat using up neon yarn I had spare from previous projects and donated it to charity (no pic)
  • Not finished, but I’ve done a few more rows on my sock yarn shawl. It’s taking ages coz it’s 4-ply!
  • Again, not finished, but I’ve done some more of my lone sock!

What have I cast on this year so far?

  • Grey fisherman’s rib tunic
  • Chunky grey cabled sweater
  • Green tunic top
  • Pink cowl

Crochet

I’ve been loving getting back into crochet, which sort of got put on the back burner for the last few years apart from the odd granny square or two.

Finished objects include:-

  • Pink and purple granny square blanket
  • Baby blanket in yellows and greens
  • Orange baby blanket
  • Pumpkin colours granny square blanket
  • Blue and green blanket for a friend (C2C)
  • Cowl for me using up neon yarn

And I’ve also cast on a few projects here too…

  • Crochet top
  • Pink and blue granny square blanket to use up scraps
  • C2C cowl with brown James C. Brett yarn

The thing with both knitting and crochet this year, is that instead of just looking at patterns, I’ve also been buying them!

A v-neck sweater by Petite Knits.

A few patterns by Jennifer Steingass on Ravelry. I decided that her Dreyma sweater was going to be my ‘Fair Isle’ top down sweater that I wanted to use my natural aran weight undyed wool for. So, once I have a top or two out of the way, this will get cast on pretty quick!

And I’ve noticed on every single knitting podcast that I come across on Youtube they mention the Ranunculus sweater. I looked at it and I looked some more and eventually I left it at just looking. But if the pattern comes in different weight options…well, Aran weight is my favourite and I might have to try it as a thicker version (instead of the thinner lacier version).

Not that I have to follow other people’s trends…but I can totally see why people do more than one option.

Sewing

Nope!

LOL…so many plans and so little motivation to set up all the million pieces I seem to need to just sew a bag or two! I just haven’t been bothered is the short answer here.

But I’m sure, like Austin Powers, I’ll get my mojo back somehow!

Books

I’ve not been as prolific this year with reading as with other years, but I’ve managed a book or two.

What have I read so far?

  • The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
  • Happy by Fearne Cotton
  • Make It Happen by Jordanna Levin

I’m in the middle of Walden by Henry David Thoreau and Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott.

On my to read list are:

  • On Writing Well by William Zinsnerr
  • The Stars, Like Dust by Isaac Asimov
  • The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

As you can see, not an exhaustive list. And I’ve been saving On Writing Well for when I feel like I have more mental headspace to process it. I’ve been so tired in the last few months that I’ve just left things to one side if I can’t find the will to tackle it head on. It seems like one of those books you have to process and make notes on! Or at the very least highlight some passages!

As for Walden…the idea of someone just leaving modern life behind and upping sticks to live in a cabin you built in the woods for a year or two is incredibly modern and almost ‘hippyish’. Is that the word? It’s alternative and whilst most people nowadays wouldn’t bat an eyelid at someone trying something like that, I’m pretty sure they would have in the 1800’s which is when it was written.

I just find it fascinating that people would choose the ‘oddball life’ in the 1800’s as they would now!!

Miscellaneous

I haven’t really done much else to be honest. I haven’t done much baking and the other odd bits on ly lists still to do are, well, still to do!

Like my leather handbag which needs finishing or the ice dying fabric kit that a friend got me for Christmas…I just haven’t had the time!

I also haven’t written much on Medium, which is a shame because I love it over there.

As for print on demand?

I made a couple of alphabets and a few other tiny designs, I’m around 250 designs on RedBubble now. That’s going well. People in Australia seem to like a particular cushion design of mine, I sold a couple whilst I was off work last week.

Here’s my shop if you’re nosy!

And I’m wanting to get back to that quite soon. It’s spurred me on to get to 300 designs!!

This is what people have been loving lately! It’s such a simple design too…

I want to do more crafty designs for knitting and crochet. Just simple ones. I am not a graphic designer after all and it probably shows!

I’d like to do more along these lines:

There’s a few other things regarding online creations and ideas but for now I’ll leave it there otherwise this post will be hours long to read!

Q1 could be summed up with the fact that I’ve suddenly started casting on like crazy and wanting to get back into things that have been put aside for a while over winter.

Spring is here along with the brighter days and I want to get stuck into things.

My goals for the next quarter is to finish one of 4 tops I have on the go with my knitting and crochet before I cast on another (yeah, we’ll see how that goes!) and to try to finish that damned knitted sock! 🙂

We’ll see. No rush or pressure for anything though…

Green Knitted Tunic Progress

On By woollymakerIn knittingLeave a comment

I’ve actually done some knitting on my top!

I know, I know, you were worrying about it only being cast on and no stitches done for quite a while now, but rest assured, you can breathe easy now! I’ve actually done some more on it!

I finished the moss stitch border at the bottom and am now on the main pattern part, which aside from the moss stitch sides is all stocking stitch on 4mm needles so is going a lot faster.

I wasn’t in the mood for much knitting or anything at all last week, all things considered (I spent the time recuperating after surgery) but this week I feel awake and much more mobile so I’ve been working away at the green top and even started a new crochet project!

But I’ll show that in another post. For now, here is what I have so far and a pic of what it is supposed to look like when finished…

Yes, it’s not a huge amount done, but it’s something! And there is absolutely no rush for it to get finished.

I’m finding that after a good six months of hardly any projects on the go at the same time, I’m really liking casting on a lot of things at once!

I could never be a truly monogamous knitter. I guess it’s shiny new object syndrome!

WIPS and Bits!

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, crochet, knitting, Reading and Books2 Comments

It’s back! The crafting bug that is!

After a couple of months of not doing much at all, now I’m doing EVERYTHING!

Last week I even started and completed a finished object (a crochet cowl I began on my lunch break at work!).

I’ve got 2 knitted jumpers on the go, a pair of socks and a shawl.

And for crochet there are 2 blankets and a top. Yes, I’ve started a crochet top!

So, here’s what I’m working on currently.

Grey Fisherman’s Rib

Thought I’d taken a better photo than the one below but oh well!

I’m doing the version on the right which is longer and has a rollover collar. It’s aran yarn, so it’s knitting up quite quick when I work on it, I just haven’t had much time lately to have a go at it in earnest.

I love the look of Fisherman’s Rib, it’s a surprisingly simple pattern by King Cole (Tabards 5657).

What I’m not so sure of is the bottom of the piece. It’s a normal rib worked on smaller needles and then you start the fisherman’s rib properly with larger needles. But, the thing is you have a border of 5 garter stitches on both sides.

I think it would have looked better if there was a garter stitch border on the bottom instead of a normal rib if that makes any sense?!

If you look at the picture below, it looks like there’s 3 different stitches and it looks a little strange to me…but I’m going to finish it!

The yarn is lovely. It’s a wool and acrylic mix so it feels soft and squishy and it’s by Hayfield.

Hayfield Bonus Aran.

Shade 0051 FORGE

You can get the yarn from The Knitting Network here (affiliate link).

I’m only on the front and have still got the back to do, but it’s one I’m working on whenever I have a spare few minutes. I don’t feel the rush for this one!

Green Jumper

I have literally just cast on the front. Not even done any stitches!

It’s a pattern from Let’s Knit magazine on page 22 of issue 180 Feb 2022. It’s by Susie Johns.

Not much more to say as I haven’t properly started it, but I guess I’ll just say there is more to come with this one!

Sock Yarn Shawl

I’ve done a couple more rows of this ongoing WIP, but it’s starting to get long which means each row takes ages. Also, it’s in sock yarn…which is really thin! So it’s a marathon not a sprint for this one.

But I’m still in love with the colours. They seem almost too autumnal for this time of year!

Socks

I’ve done maybe 2 or 3 more rows of the ribbing for the cuff since I showed it last. I want to make this a priority once I finish my crochet blankets.

lol not much done! But I forgot how fiddly DPNs can be. No, don’t tell me about other methods of sock knitting…I’m determined to finish this the way I started it!

Scrap Yarn Crochet Blanket

Possibly one of the best colours I’ve ever used for a blanket!

I had 6 balls of yarn in 3 colours to use up. One of which I used for testing a baby cardigan which I didn’t like and the others were going to be for a jumper which I never ended up casting on.

2 are plain and 1 is variegated.

They go together perfectly!

I’ve been doing 2 rounds of each colour in a set pattern, but now I’m on the last bits of the last balls I’m almost playing yarn chicken. I think I’m going to have to do single rounds to finish as I really don’t want to buy any more yarn! Totally defeats the object of making a stash buster blanket if you have to buy more yarn, doesn’t it?!

I think I might either give it away or donate it to charity once I’m finished with it. I have too many blankets as it is. The same applies for the one below!

Blue and Pink Crochet Blanket

Literally another plain old Granny Square blanket in blue and pink. The light is really bad today, so I’ll just have to leave you wondering about what it looks like. Also it’s only about 10 rounds big so it’s not massive at the moment. I started this one at work as well.

Who knew breaks were such a good crafting opportunity?!

I’m not really actively working on this one apart from at work, so it might take a while to build up.

Crochet Top

With all the crocheting I’ve been doing lately, I felt inspired to make a crochet top. This came out of nowhere.

I’m making it in the yarn below which is Pebble Chunky. It’s sold in Yorkshire Trading (which is what I call a ‘cheap shop‘ in my mind. I guess something like Dollar Tree in the states? Not somewhere you’d think of immediately for yarn anyway!).

It’s 200g and I got 2 balls. I have to remind myself how much crochet eats the wool, so I’ll probably have to get at least 1 more ball.

The pattern does the sleeves and the yoke all in one long piece so it looks like I’m crocheting a massively long scarf. Hopefully it’ll all shrink a bit when I come to join pieces and seam it up at the end.

Again, I’ve not done much, but the yarn looks a million times better in real life than the picture below!

So, those are my knitting and crochet WIPS. Quite a bit to be getting on with.

I’ve also been buying a few craft related books lately too.

I found a couple of bargains which I snatched up right away.

The first is a cross stitch book by Emma Congden (I’ve done some of her designs in previous posts last year).

You can get it here from Waterstones (affiliate link) if you want to have a look yourself.

Since I’ve used up all my threads, it’ll be fun picking a design and getting the materials for it. I think I have enough Aida fabric left from previous projects so it’s just the threads I need. But, more stitching ahead!

And I bought a beginner knitting book. I know, I know, I’m an intermediate to advanced knitter…but I quite liked the look of some of the patterns in the back of the book.

And for inspiration which is (kind of) nothing to do with crafting I bought THIS BOOK!

I love flicking through the pages and dreaming of my own crafty homestead!

I’m also reading a few books at the moment as well as just looking at pretty pictures.

These 2 classics about writing.

And this one below about manifestation. It’s kind of an ‘alternative’ read if you know what I mean. Whilst it does address manifesting things etc. there is also a few mentions of Tarot Cards and crystals which honestly, just makes me sigh a bit. Not the book I was expecting exactly, but still a good read.

I like the fact she talks about manifestation as utterly pointless unless you put in the action as well as the thought and feeling, though.

So, yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to!

And I want to get back into sewing again soon too. But knitting comes first!

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March Goals

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, crochet, knitting1 Comment

It’s funny that my last post was almost a month ago…so much for posting every day in February!

But, you know what? Life got busy and I had a lot of hours at work last month and when you get in late at night, you just don’t feel like blogging…or doing much else at all!

But, this week I’m off and I’m back to writing and blogging with a vengeance, so what better at the start of a new month to set some goals? I love reading other people’s goals posts, yes, I’m sad like that!

So, what do I want to achieve with my crafting first of all, and then what do I want to get done with life and everything else?

I’m saying goals for March, but let’s face it, some of these will probably roll over into April or even May!

Crafting Goals

Sewing

  • Do something with denim fabric I got for Christmas – maybe a bag?
  • Find a skirt or top pattern for the dark denim I bought myself a few weeks ago.
  • Use up old wool fabric for a draught excluder (the front door is VERY chilly!).
  • Use up old fat quarters and zips and make some zipper bags.
  • Go through all my sewing patterns and get rid of the ones I am realistically never going to use!

Knitting

  • Work more on my grey top in Fisherman’s Rib. I’ve done a few inches on the front but I’ve put it aside for a few weeks as I’ve been working so much!
  • Try and finish a sock that I cast on a while back, literally only a few cm done on the top cuff rib at the moment.
  • I cast on a green sweater a few weeks ago and haven’t touched it since, so, try and do the rib at the bottom as it’s on quite small needles so might take a while.
  • Sock yarn shawl – just do a few rows, it’s getting long to finish a row now.
  • Measure and design a top down sweater with aran natural fibre I got for Christmas. Or just find the right pattern!

Crochet

  • Finish pink and purple granny square blanket. Not much yarn left, so just finish what I have for a few more rows and then see what size it is!
  • Do some more on my bright pink and blue granny square blanket, not much done so far.
  • Finish top piece of my crochet top. I’m crocheting the front, which has the sleeves and yoke bit all in one if that makes sense? So, it’s taking a little while to do a single row, but it’s looking good so far!
  • Make a hat with scrap yarn.

Miscellaneous

  • Ice dying kit to do with fabric.
  • Leather handbag to pick up and sew together with saddle stitch. All the pieces are dyed and ready to go.
  • Get back into baking bread again, haven’t done any in AGES!

Work/ Life Goals

  • Schedule a week’s worth of posts in advance for this blog and on Medium. I’ve neglected both a little bit recently.
  • Get up to 500 designs on RedBubble by the end of March (I’m about halfway there already).
  • Get up to 50 designs on Society 6, oh what a pain it is to upload on that site!
  • Launch my 2 other blogs I have waiting in the wings…just how am I going to find the time to write so much content?!
  • Do more with Pinterest.
  • Publish my book which is about 2/3 done, most of the printables are done I just need to do the actual writing, like the introduction and conclusion etc.
  • Launch/ ope my Etsy store with printables to download and print yourself at home.

…

  • See more of my home county! I feel like there are lots of places in Yorkshire that I haven’t been to even though I’ve lived here for years!
  • Do more Yoga – either DVDs or from Youtube.
  • Do something physical, either cycling, or go to the gym. The ‘worry’ about going to the gym is starting to ease a bit now the pandemic is lessening (is that the word?).
  • Finish all the books on my shelf. Only 5 to read and I’m halfway through one.

What I really want to do this year is use stuff up.

Read all my books and either donate or sort out somehow those that I’m not likely to read again etc.

Use up my wool and fabric stashes before buying any more of either. There is literally NO ROOM for any more!

Just make some space and get rid of the old things that are taking up space and that I’m fed up of!

I’m making headway on that already. I’ve already made a bright neon cowl that I started to crochet on my lunch break at work and finished at home the next day. I just have a tiny bit of neon wool left now and I’m not sure what to do with that. I’d love to crochet a pair of wrist warmers but I don’t think there’s enough yarn left!

Anyway, that’s my rough goals for March. It’s a lot, but it’s all doable as long as I plan my time carefully and get motivated!

What are your plans for this month?

Aside from relaxing and taking time for yourself of course!

The grey fisherman’s rib sweater progress below as well as books I’m reading now, a crochet blanket I’m nearly finished and my sock yarn shawl progress!

Ah, the colours look so good on this scrap yarn pink and purple crochet blanket!

Knitting Project Bag – Review

On By woollymakerIn knittingLeave a comment

A few weeks ago I ordered my first item from Society 6…a pink tote bag that simply says Knitting Projects on it.

It’s from my shop. I only have a few designs up as they need so many file sizes that it takes me ages to upload new designs, compared to RedBubble which I find to be a far easier uploading process!

But anyway…

I thought I’d see what their tote bags were like as I’m always on the lookout for a new tote! Since most of mine at the moment are either holding sewing materials like wadding or stuffing or they have current knitting projects in, I thought I it would be a good idea to try something new.

Here is the link to the design if you want to have a look yourself:

https://society6.com/product/knitting-projects-bag_bag?curator=woollyorbit

This is a screenshot of the design from a while back (I think they have 20% off at the moment instead of 40%…they have regular sales on different products which I like!).

As you can see, it’s a very simple design!

And below are some terrible photos by me…

And the quality?

It’s quite stiff and sturdy. There’s just one layer (that I can see) of fabric which looks and feels like a canvas type fabric. The handles are black and just the right length.

The colours turned out pretty true to the file I uploaded. I’m always slightly worried that the colours on my computer screen will look different on the actual product…but this is pretty true to the design.

On the whole I’m quite pleased with it!

On any fabric print on demand item which has your design printed on it, like pouches and bags, there is always going to be a point where you say the design could be printed a bit sharper, but I think it’s just part of the printing process.

I have the same trouble with RedBubble. I ordered a tote from RedBubble a few months ago with a green design on and the colours turned out perfectly, but could have been just a bit sharper.

There’s always a give and take with print on demand!

I have my knitted jumper that I’m working on in the bag at the moment…the crochet blanket has been relegated to a finished object bag in my wardrobe.

I’m looking at adding some more craft-based designs to both my RedBubble and Society 6 stores, so if you have any ideas for sewing, knitting, crochet etc. designs, then let me know!

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Current Knitting WIP

On By woollymakerIn knitting2 Comments

I made a list of the things I wanted to make this year. Things I wanted to knit and sew and I was pretty specific with the projects I had in mind.

And then, in true me style, I threw that out the window and decided to start something else completely.

I opened one of my recent-ish knitting magazines, saw a pattern and thought ‘I’m doing that!’. I bought the wool for it a few days ago!

Here is a pic of what I have in mind…

The pattern can be found in issue 180 Feb 2022 of Let’s Knit magazine. It’s by Susie Johns and is on page 22.

I’m using a forest green DK weight yarn by Stylecraft. It’s Highland Heathers shade 7228.

You can get it here from The Knitting Network.

You knit the bottom parts of the back and the front and then you join them to knit in the round before splitting again for the the front and back yokes, which I think is really interesting. I’ve never tried a jumper in the round before so this is a good in-between project!

It looks ‘easy’ and seems to be one of those projects where you can just knit without having to look at the pattern instructions every five minutes.

I’ve got all the bits and bobs ready, I’ve marked the sizing on the pattern. I’m all ready to go!

This will be the 3rd jumper I’ve ever knitted after my first 2 last year.

I’ve almost lost my knitting mojo recently, so this feels good to be planning and almost casting on a completely brand new project! I wrote this yesterday and as of today, I’ve just cast on the stitches for it…but it’s getting late, so I’ll have to continue with it tomorrow!

So, I make that to be a jumper (sweater? I never know whether to use UK or US terms on here…) and a pair of socks on the go. Along with a sock yarn shawl which will take literal YEARS to finish at this rate!!

3 knitting WIPS is kind of manageable I think!

Have a crafty day x

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2022 Knitting/ Crafting Goals

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knitting, sewing4 Comments

I thought I’d write my crafty goals for the year here.

To be honest, it’s mostly going to be knitting for now. Yes, there’ll be the odd crochet or sewing project too, but I have a little list of knitting projects to get out of the way first (or at the very least, started!).

Sock Yarn Shawl

This is an ongoing project with no particular urgency, but it’s the project I cast on before all of the others on this list, so it gets first place! It’s a 4ply yarn by West Yorkshire Spinners in a GORGEOUS colour way (you can get it here from The Knitting Network if you want it in your stash!).

It’s going to take a while to finish it, but there’s no rush!

Socks!

I have only ever knitted one sock. As in, ONE. Not a pair…but one!

I threw it away last year as it was all twisted and would never be worn!

Socks are my knitting nemesis. They take ages and they seem so slow to make any progress with at all. I’m a bit impatient!

So, this year, I’m going to focus on socks. I’ve cast on and knitted a couple of rows before Christmas, and then I put it aside. It’s time to pick it up again.

I just find DPNs so fiddly and no, I’m going to try any other methods like the magic loop anytime soon as I think it will be just the same amount of fiddliness!!

Fair Isle Top Down Sweater

I have the aran wool all ready for this. I have the book all ready to look at. I don’t have a pattern!

I’m going to have a go at designing one myself, which means I need to measure myself, design a Fair Isle Yoke motif (I’m thinking trees) and then write up the pattern itself for me to follow.

I’ve never designed a sweater before, I’ve only ever knitted 2 in my life in fact. Last year.

But, it’s a huge project I’m really looking forward to!

Miscellaneous Bits

I have wool for the following projects:

  • A soft grey hat
  • A neon cowl
  • A baby blanket from scraps
  • Aran wool for a tank top (sweater vest)
  • About 20 random single hanks/ balls of yarn that I have NO IDEA what to do with!

And I’m currently crocheting a scraps blanket which I’ll donate somewhere that accepts baby knitted items.

Sewing

  • Christmas fat quarters
  • Denim fabric – maybe a skirt or a bag?
  • Grey wool fabric into a draught excluder?
  • Fix a pair of shorts I made last year!

I also bought 3 metres of some striped fabric, with the intention of making either a dress or top. I’m thinking a t-shirt, which isn’t my first choice of garment for sewing…but it’s something I’ve never done before and will give me good practice with pattern matching. I could make it into a mix of t-shirt and dress by doing a long tunic type top.

We’ll see!

And finally, I’m going to finish a leather handbag I started last year…it’s all dyed red and green, it just needs to be sewn up. I’ll have to refresh saddle stitch, but it should be no problem once I get into it!

That just needs a big chunk of time to focus on it!

Well, that’s it. All my crafty projects for the year.

There is not a lot on here really, I feel like I finished a lot of the bigger projects last year so I’m almost starting with a clean slate this year. And that feels pretty good. 🙂

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Little Catch Up

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knitting4 Comments

It’s been a while since I last posted on here.

Happy New Year to you all!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and managed to get a lot of crafting in. I haven’t managed to get much crafting done at all lately.

Christmas kind of takes over everything, but I’ve also started a new job in the last month and since that was in retail…well, you can imagine how manic that got over December!

Honestly, I simply haven’t had the inclination to sit down and knit and it’s been kind of nice to step back away from the crafty side of things for a little while.

I’ve been doing some reading lately. With all the books I’ve been buying people I racked up 10 stamps at Waterstones which means a free book! I chose The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix.

It’s set in the early 80’s (in an alternate 80’s) and is about the coexistence of the Old World and the New. Our heroine Susan is caught up in an adventure after witnessing Merlin, who is a Left-handed fighting bookseller, kill a crime boss with a silver hatpin…

I really can’t explain it anymore than that! I enjoyed the book as a fiction read that wasn’t a science fiction book by Isaac Asimov (which feels like all I’ve read over the past 3 years!) and it was an interesting concept.

The writing style was almost a little too simplistic. And the heroine was mostly swept up in things rather than participating in a lot of it. I guess it felt more reactive than active until the very end.

Some things could have been explained or detailed a bit more. And the relationship between Merlin and Susan could have been expanded upon.

But overall, a good read.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned this into a film…

I’m currently reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott...it’s about the art of writing. Some writing and life advice. It was going OK, until she started mentioning God every 3 pages and made a comment about France losing the war! I can’t get that throwaway comment out of my mind and it’s coloured the whole book now, haha!

So, we’ll see if I can finish it!

I thought I’d show you some of the crafty bits and bobs I got for Christmas…

I got some fabric. Denim in dark blue and yellow/ gold. I’m thinking a bag or a skirt. Not sure yet!

You can just see the yellow and blue denim in the background below…I couldn’t get the other pics to upload, internet just went funny at the crucial moment!

I also got a set of gorgeous dark red Christmas fat quarters. The colours are a lot darker in real life. I’m saving them for next year as the desire to make ANYTHING festive has completely left me.

My brother bought me a wool winder and since I’ve treated myself to 3 new balls of wool today and all of them are in hanks and not balls…well, that’s going to come in useful!

And the wool I bought?

Some 100% British Wool by West Yorkshire Spinners (Jacob in Aran weight) on the right of the pic below. I bought 2 balls of that, thinking it would be good for a hat or as part of a Fair Isle yoke for a jumper I have in mind to start soon.

And I also bought just the one ball of Washted Malabrigo (684 Chameleon colour).

You can get that one here from Wool Warehouse if you like the look of it(the one on the left). It’s really squishy and soft!

And for Christmas I got some more wool by West Yorkshire Spinners in brown and cream colours for the jumper I just mentioned above…so I’m all ready to start measuring and designing my first ever top down jumper!

And these are natural fleece colours…no nasty chemicals or fixatives, just pure wool as it came off the sheep! So…an eco-friendly option!

And finally…

The next post will be looking at my 2022 crafting goals. And then, hopefully back to blogging with a vengeance in January and beyond.

Last year in February I did a 30 day blogging challenge and I’m thinking of doing that again this year. Last year was about crafting, not sure what the topic/ theme could be for this year. Maybe a specific craft like knitting or crochet?

I was almost thinking of sharing a small business or a pattern I’ve enjoyed every day…something like that? Not sure! What do you think?!

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Knitting Updates

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knittingLeave a comment

Last week I sent another box of knitted goodies to charity. It’s great for me as I have more room to make more stuff now!

Do you remember some of these below from previous posts this year? All gone now as well as more blankets that I forgot to take pictures of!

I loved the Christmas blankie so much…but there comes a point when you have to say to yourself “Actually, I have ENOUGH knitted blankets now!”.

I have a few projects on the go which are:

  • Knitted baby cardigan
  • Knitted sock yarn shawl
  • Knitted socks
  • Orange granny square blanket using up scraps from a jumper I made earlier in the year

That’s enough to be getting on with now. I have a few ideas for future projects which is basically, a top down sweater and more socks! Also a tank top and a neon fair isle cowl.

Since I got rid of a lot of scrap fabric the other day, I don’t have a lot of sewing projects planned. Although I did buy a couple of cute Christmas fat quarters from a local sewing shop a couple of days ago…I couldn’t help myself!

Just look at the traditional Christmas colours on the fat quarter on the right!

I never go for weird Christmas colours…I remember as a teenager in the early 2000’s when they bought out black Christmas trees for the first time, as well as purple and silver as a festive colour combo…I hated them! What was wrong with golds, red and greens?

Anyway…I have NO IDEA what I’m going to make with them…probably zipper bags as they are my absolute favourite sewing make!

Knitted Baby Hat Done!

On By woollymakerIn knitting2 Comments

I started knitting a baby hat a few nights ago and finished it last night. It just needs a pom pom on the top and then it’s completely finished!

I love the pattern, it was quick and easy to do, just rib and stocking stitch.

The pattern was number JB 010 by James C. Brett.

You can buy it from The Knitting Network here (affiliate link) if you want.

The wool was from Hobbycraft and is by The Women’s Institute. I loved the feel of it, but when I came to knit up with it, it knitted up really tight. So there isn’t much stretch with it.

I still like it, it just means with being so tight it’s a bit heavy and dense if that makes sense?

The perspective looks funny on the picture, but I did the hat in the 3rd size, which I think equates to 3 months old. I’m going to have a go at the cardigan above as it’s not a raglan and I could possibly finish it much quicker than the other one I finished a week or two ago.

Maybe I’ll see what yarn I have leftover from other projects, as I think this might be a bit heavy for a cardigan too. We’ll see!

All of the pieces in the pattern (a hat, a blanket and 2 cardigans) would all look good in Christmas colours.

So, that was a quick make that got done in 3 evenings. I’m pleased with the result, but I might have a look around for a lighter yarn with a bit more stretch…baby heads can be quite huge!!

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Ah, WordPress, How I Neglect Thee So!

On By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knitting, writingLeave a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve posted consistently here. I’ve got to say that writing on Medium has now taken over my life!

Just today I posted 2 posts over there, each about 1000 words. I’ve been posting there everyday and it’s shown in the stats and the payments.

But, I feel like I’m neglecting this lil blog a bit and I had this one before Medium! So, what else have I been up to?

Crafting

I’ve cast on a pink knitted baby hat and have done only about 6cm of the rib. I only started that last night, but it shouldn’t take me long and then next to cast on is a matching baby cardigan or jumper.

I’m still crocheting and knitting baby blankets and I haven’t done any more of my knitted socks! Too much writing happening that the knitting also takes a back seat!

I went through my fabric and wool drawers and boxes and have 2 bags of stuff I don’t want any more. I’m not sure what to do with them as a lot of charity shops can be funny about craft supplies. I might see if a local primary school wants any of it. There’s card blanks, paint brushes, fabric…all sorts.

And yet I still don’t seem to have any more room, after I got rid of 2 bags of craft supplies, 4 bags to the charity shop and 2 bags of paper recycling!

I was ruthless last week, going through all my old knitting magazines and patterns I’d pulled from magazines and put into my knitting folder. I threw out so much stuff that I realistically was never going to use.

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

Print on Demand

Not much done for RedBubble and Society 6, although I did update the shop banner yesterday. I made a sale on RedBubble yesterday (yay!) and that prompted me to have a look. I was excited for a moment as I thought I’d crossed the payment threshold, but nope! Still need another 20p haha!

I’m going to have to have a look this week at print on demand stuff, but it’s still fun. Just a bit neglected too at the moment.

Writing

Apart from Medium, I did set up an e-mail system but I just haven’t had chance to even look at that. I might do soon, but it’s 8pm now and I want to come off the computer soon! Tomorrow is Sunday, so I’ll see if I can send out an e-mail tomorrow.

I’ve also let Etsy and the Amazon book I was writing slide a bit…there is just not enough hours to write! I thought since I’m a fast typer that writing would be quick for me, but it’s been surprisingly time consuming. That’s without my second WordPress blog and my website which both need content.

Affiliates

On the plus side I have joined up and applied to join a few more affiliate schemes which is fun. I haven’t been using them in Medium posts as I submit them to publications and they each have their own rules about what links you can use. But I think I’ll try and do a few more in the near future!

I joined Cadbury’s affiliate scheme (you should be able to see a banner on the sidebar). Yay chocolate!

The whole passive income side of things is slow going, but still fun. The amount of things I’ve learned this year has been unreal!

Christmas

I can’t believe I’ve bought my first Christmas present of the year already. For some people this is early, for others late.

I don’t like leaving it all to the last minute anymore and I NEVER buy anything on Christmas Eve – too last minute, rushed and busy!

I bought my brother a few books and ordered another one. And the fact that it was double points at Waterstones until today…well so much the better!

I’ve decided not to make any more decorations this year, either sewn or knitted as I have no room to store them! Maybe some people might get a mini knitted stocking or something like that, but I’m not doing big things. Need to focus on other crafty things!

Saying that though, I might make another hat or some mittens or myself if I have time. Socks and baby stuff come first though…

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Anyway, that was a bit of a ramble through my head and where I’m at right now.

Still plodding on with things, not as much crafting going on as I would like, but I’m sure I will make a lot of progress with things now that I finished my jumper a few weeks ago.

Hope you’re having a fun and productive weekend and I’ll try to get back into the swing of posting a bit more regularly. 🙂

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