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.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!

I Found Cheap Yarn!

On 14th Aug 202115th Aug 2021 By woollymakerIn crochet, knitting5 Comments

The Knitting Network

I was looking for a few balls of Christmas yarn to finish off a Christmas crochet Granny Square blanket that I started at the end of last year.

I was just using up scraps of what I already in my stash, but I didn’t have enough to finish the blanket in one go.

So, I left it and was on the lookout for more of the same yarn as my local yarn shop, where I got the original few balls, didn’t stock it anymore.

King Cole Glitz DK

It’s usually around £3.49/ £3.59 in other places. I found it for £2.99 at The Knitting Network (it did say it was on sale from £4.29 though). I don’t know how long it’s on sale for…but if you want some really nice Christmas yarn then I would have a look here to see what’s in the sale.

I got 2 balls of the Christmas colour way and 1 just plain red.

I ordered them on Tuesday evening and they arrived on Friday morning, so the shipping was pretty quick. And I got a tracking number for Royal Mail, even though I used the cheapest shipping option.

And I love the fact they came in a PAPER BAG! NO PLASTIC AT ALL!

Well done Knitting Network!

I’m glad I found a new place to buy wool! I usually go to Deramores or Wool Warehouse, but they can be out of stock in what I want a lot of the time.

If you want Christmas yarns start looking now before everyone else does too!

Here is the link to the yarn I bought if you want to have a look yourself:

https://tidd.ly/3CKUVTN

[This post contains affiliate links which means if you click the link and make a purchase, I get a small commission of that purchase at no extra cost to you!]

One of my recent posts from Medium if you’re interested in seeing how my writing style changes from platform to platform!

Having A Writing Schedule Is Important…And It’s Not!

https://woollyorbit.medium.com/having-a-writing-schedule-is-important-and-its-not-eb5a29107df8

My Pinterest feed if you want to see what I’ve been looking at and saving over there:

And here are some of my latest posts here on WordPress:

Here’s an affiliate link to Deramores which is an online shop that also sells the Christmas yarn if The knitting Network is out of stock…but it’s not on sale though!! 🙂

King Cole Glitz DK Acrylic Yarn

Knitted Coffee Pot Cosy

On 12th Aug 202112th Aug 2021 By woollymakerIn knittingLeave a comment

If the people that you knit for are sick and tired of you knitting them scarves then this is a really quick and easy idea for a knitted Christmas Present!

I made this last December and I think it only took me a couple of evenings to knit.

It’s in an Aran weight yarn with 5mm needles so it does knit up quite quickly and the pattern was a simple diamond one using just knit and purl stitches.

I found the pattern in my Knitting Pattern Folder. Yes, that holy binder of pages ripped from knitting and crochet magazines merits capital letters!

I pulled it out of a magazine a while ago and liked the look of it. It’s one of the few patterns in there I’ve actually done! Usually I just flick through the pages and try to find some inspiration.

I just double checked and it’s by Sian Brown and from Let’s Knit Magazine but I have no idea what issue number!

It’s a bit loose and fluffy because it’s been in use for nearly 8 months!

I’m sure if you were to do a quick Google search you could find a good pattern for a coffee pot/ cafetière!

I did find one on Ravelry for a really cool Dalek one by Coryna Blasko…

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/caffeinate-press-style-coffee-maker-cozy

Or, if Dr Who isn’t your thing, how about this cabled one by Ruth Churchman? (also on Ravelry)

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cabled-cafetiere–tea-cosy

Or…just freestyle your own. Make a rectangle and add buttons! 🙂

You can find my most recent post on Medium below.

7 Non-Fiction Book To Help You Live A Better Life!

https://woollyorbit.medium.com/7-non-fiction-books-to-help-you-live-a-better-life-89e146c3fad6

Bread and Knitting

On 5th Aug 20212nd Feb 2022 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knitting2 Comments

I’ve made a lot of bread the past 2 years, but since December 2020 I’ve hardly made any. Until today.

It’s a cottage loaf recipe (using butter instead of oils) and I added a mix of seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, linseed etc to the white flour.

I had to use up the flour by next month so it was good to get back into it again, even if I was a little slow getting all the bowls and ingredients out!

Did you know it was Lammas/ Lughnasadh this weekend just gone?

I’m not a Pagan at all, but the Wheel of the Year (all the Pagan celebrations like Spring and Autumn Equinox, Samhain (Halloween), Yule, Imbolg…) does make a certain sort of sense to me.

Lammas is a time to celebrate the harvest coming in, people make corn/wheat dollies, bake bread, have feasts, preserve food, have bonfires…

So, here is my Lammas (short for Loaf Mass) bread complete with plait and everything!

I like the feel of late summer when the fields start to turn from green to gold. I’ve heard the farmers in the nearby fields getting the harvest in for the last couple of weeks or so.

And really, I just wanted to make a loaf of bread!

I had some seeds leftover, so instead of finding them a plastic bag or somewhere to put them and forgetting to use them, I just threw them to the birds and filled up the bird bath with water, so the birds can have a mini Lammas feast too!

I saw about 15 House Sparrows in the garden after I did that. They’re very sweet birds -some even nested in our roof this year. They’ve stopped cheeping now, so I think they’ve all left the nest!

Here’s a pic of the finished loaf.

I’ve struggled with making crispy loaves and I think I know the secret now…put a bowl of hot water under it when it’s cooking so the oven gets all steamy.

The smell of fresh bread has gone through the whole house now…Yum!

(Can you believe the plait looked perfect before it was baked…now it looks wonky!).

As well as getting a few jobs done today like shredding papers, tidying up etc. I also did a spot of knitting. This is where I am on my orange jumper:

I’ve done just over the first pattern repeat. You can’t see it properly I don’t think, but there are 2 bits of stocking stitch on each end, 2 cable and lace panels and then a section of stocking stitch in the middle.

It’s a beginner friendly pattern and it was in one of those knitting magazine books where it’s just patterns and they take patterns you’ve seen in other magazines a few times before, but bring it into one place. Does that make sense?!!

Like a more expensive and thicker version of a knitting magazine, by the same editors and publishers, just no articles and very few ads.

I know what I mean! It’s from a few years ago, and I did the back last year, about this time actually, so it feels a bit like deja vu!

I’m on the front now and then sew it together, do some short sleeves and neckline once it’s sewn up and then it’s done. Hopefully I can finish it this year…I started the rib of the back piece in 2018 I believe, then put it away for ages before picking it up again last year.

I love it still, but I’m sick of seeing it on my needles. I want to wear it!

The yarn was really cheap, less than £2 I think, it’s King Cole Big Value Double Knitting in Shade 3029 Rust.

The pattern was by Pat Menchini, I can’t see a name for it. There is an optional cowl to go with it, but I’m just doing the jumper!

Yes, the rib at the bottom is HUGE!

Sometimes I can have a real go at it and get a whole pattern repeat done in one go (that’s 24 rows) and other times I lucky if I manage 2 rows!

But I love the pattern on the cable panels on each side.

And look what came in the post today from Deramores…my Christmas sock yarn!

I only got one ball…I’ve only ever made 1 sock in my life (that’s not 1 pair…I mean 1 sock!) and I guess I had half a ball left for the other one. Hopefully I have enough to make a pair out of one ball…although I have some orange sock yarn to use for the heels or toes if not.

If you want to have a look for yourself, I’ll pop an affiliate link here (for The Knitting Network). There are other lovely Christmas colour ways in this range too. I really like the Fairy Lights colour too…

Now all I need is an easy beginner sock pattern…and the patience of a Saint since it took me 3 weeks to make my first ever sock a few years ago (no wonder I only made one!!). Hahaha!

Also, on a completely unrelated topic…look at that sunset last night – it’s on my iPhone which just doesn’t do the sky justice at all!

[This post contains affiliate links which means if you click the link and make a purchase, I get a small commission of that purchase at no extra cost to you!]

Knitting with the freebie yarn – Christmas and Rude Mice!

On 6th Jul 2021 By woollymakerIn crochet, knittingLeave a comment

In the previous post I talked about using up the stash of yarn I had saved up from free yarn kits that you get with knitting magazines. Here are some of the things I’ve made so far…

I’ve been knitting Christmas stockings in July. Yep, you read that correctly!

I’ve done 3 so far and I think that’s the lot for now!

I also made a knitted bauble and a crocheted one (which I don’t think I’m going to keep – I just can’t get the decreases in the round to look good when I’m crocheting). AND I also tried to make a knitted paper chain but the first link I made looked so rubbish that I changed my mind pretty quickly on that one!

I really like the knitted bauble. I made a Christmas one last year and placed a polystyrene ball inside. This time I used toy stuffing and the result looks just as good, maybe even better as the knitted fabric doesn’t have to stretch over the ball.

So…2 baubles and 4 mini stockings are done so far.

I did also make a knitted toy mouse, thinking if the pattern was any good then I could make a few more for an animal shelter (specifically for the cats to play with)…but NOOOOOOOOO!

All I can say was before I sewed on the ears and eyes it looked REALLY RUDE!!

How can the stockings look slightly different when it’s the same pattern?!

Lol to the rude looking mice! I threw the blue tube away (it was the wrong kind of yarn for paper chains really)

I’m going to save the white fluffy wool and the bit of black I have leftover…that’s pretty much all I have left.

Not bad for a few evenings knitting. I even did a few rows on my jumper.

I also bought some more yarn at my local yarn shop today. It’s so funny because for so many posts I’ve been saying things like ‘I need to stop buying yarn and use up my stash’ or ‘it’s not environmentally friendly to keep buying acrylic or other manmade fibres’.

And what do I do?!

BUY MORE ACRYLIC YARN IN REALLY FUNKY SHADES WITH NO PROJECT IN MIND!

And I’ve bought some more possible baby blanket yarn. I have plans for that.

And some plain black toy eyes.

Oh and 2 books – 1 about using up sewing leftovers into mini projects and another for knitted baby blankets.

I am getting my creative mojo back! Yay!

I know I’ve been ill for a few weeks, but I’m feeling much more productive and motivated now. I’m getting back to crafting and writing and even spent a happy hour organising files and folders, cleaning, recycling bits and bobs…you know, the sort of productive pottering around that feels like you’re procrastinating but you actually get a lot of stiff done!

The next thing is sewing! I haven’t sewn anything since Christmas and the projects are slowing piling up!

What to do with all that free yarn from magazines…

On 2nd Jul 20211st Jul 2021 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knittingLeave a comment

One of my great weaknesses is knitting and sewing magazines. Overpriced with naff freebies and as the years go by, the adverts get more frequent and the number of pages in the magazines go down.

Seriously, soon it will be £9.99 for about 10 pages. It’s ridiculous.

And I don’t even like all the patterns in them if I’m honest, although yes, I do realise they have to try and cater for everyone. But have you noticed how so many of the patterns are disgusting blue and green jumpers that look like two different patterns have been Frankenstein stitched together? Yurgh….just give me a normal pattern in one colour anyway. OK, stop whinging now!

It’s the freebies I wanted to talk about.

I’ve stopped buying issues with cheap plastic freebies out of principle – they go straight in the recycling or in bags for the charity shop. I can’t even give some of the freebies away as none of friends really knit a lot.

And then we have the yarn. It’s not ‘good’ yarn that you get free with any magazine. You rarely get a branded ball of wool that you would want to buy in a wool shop!

It’s cheap acrylic made in a factory in China and not enough to do anything decent with in any case.

It’s OK for small things like the free toy patterns you get with the magazines, the freebie yarn does tend to knit up quite tightly when I’ve tried some of the patterns out. And it does seem to be hardwearing and in bright colours, I’ll give it that!

I’ve thought about donating yarn to local schools, but they’re closing for the summer soon and I’m sure they could do without having to sort random craft items at this time of year. It’s hard to give these yarn packs to charity shops as they are branded and probably say something like ‘not for resale’ on them, which would mean they, in all likelihood, would get thrown away.

So, I decided that instead of wasting these tiny balls of yarn, I would use them in something sort of productive. They aren’t the best mix of colours, but that’s OK.

I am going to make Christmas decorations out of them and use up the yarn that way.

I do have a small ball of a fluffy white, which could be good for the top of a mini stocking. I was thinking of doing mini stockings, knitted paper chains, maybe some baubles and then see what I have leftover from that.

I could donate them to charities accepting knitted items or find a way to sell them for charity. I’m not sure yet.

I have enough knitted and sewn Christmas decorations from last year…I don’t want anymore at this time. I’m just thinking of a fun way to use up the little stash.

I’ve already started a grey and pink mini stocking- last night I got the top part done, just need to do the heel and the foot and then sew it up.

I suppose there is always things like coasters or placemats to make…but I probably wouldn’t use them anyway!

What do you do with the freebie yarn if you buy these expensive magazines?! I’m desperate not to send it all to landfill!

on the left, it was difficult to photograph flat, that’s going to be a mini stocking and on the right is all the freebie yarn I have so far!

DAY #1 Last Project I Worked On

On 1st Feb 202131st Jan 2021 By woollymakerIn knitting, Uncategorized2 Comments

CRAFTY 30 DAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #1

The last project I worked on

That would have to be my Christmas jumper which I started in September 2020. I tried my damnedest to get it finished by Christmas Day 2020, but after lots of knitting and crochet throughout the year and suddenly a massive sewing inspiration, I felt a bit knitted out and slowed down.

I started with the sleeves to shake things up a bit, then did the front and am now working on the back. I am about a third of the way done, just need to get to 39cm in length and then start shaping the armholes. It is a fairly simple stocking stitch so I don’t have to think about it, but it seems to be taking FOREVER.

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming…

The yarn is by King Cole, I think it’s called Glitz and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

(I know it’s a dark photo…it’s always dark when I want to take pics!)

I did another 3 rows today…if I aim to get the part before the armhole shaping finished this week, then in theory the rest of it should go quicker as the rows get shorter.

It’s dragging though!!

End of Feb done and dusted for definite! 🙂

Saturday- Short and Sweet

On 30th Jan 202129th Jan 2021 By woollymakerIn crafts and hobbies, knittingLeave a comment

knitted stockings — left: 2020 stocking; right: 2019 stockings

For today’s short post: a quick look at the Christmas stockings I knitted in 2019 and 2020.

On the far right is a pattern from a Let’s Knit magazine of 2019 (don’t ask me the issue number – I don’t still have the exact pattern details!). I used a dark green yarn instead of a horrible light blue in the original pattern. But otherwise it is intact (the yarn was a Hayfield Aran weight yarn – for all 3 stockings above).

The one in the middle is technically the same pattern (I was on a role at the time) but look carefully and you will see it is not exactly the same shape as the one on the far right. This is because I got fed up of the colour stranding for the Fair Isle pattern and decided to just keep it simple.

And, finally the one on the left was made in 2020 and is from a pattern book by King Cole called Christmas Knits (either volume 1 or 2). I completely changed the colours from yucky bright pinks and shocking neon greens to a more traditional palette and added a ribbed top, which I folded over and loosely sewed up to keep it in place.

All three were knitted flat and sewn up at the back. I can’t choose a favourite – I like them all! 🙂

And, best of all, the one on the left used up leftover yarn so I didn’t even have to buy any more!!!