Q1 Makes and Creations

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

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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

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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.

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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!

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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!!

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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!

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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…

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March Goals

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!

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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!

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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.

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• 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.

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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!

My Sewing Patterns – What’s In My Stash #1

What’s In My Stash #1

I don’t actually have that many sewing patterns anymore!

A few weeks ago I had a period of manic sewing and went through a few patterns. If I like it I’ll keep it for another use. If not, then it goes straight in the paper recycling!

So, there’s a few less than about a month ago!!

All of the patterns below are free ones from sewing magazines. I think the bigger ones are from Simply Sewing. I can’t remember where I got the other two.

I’ve done the Anna Tote, that was a quick and easy pattern that I definitely want to do again. I’ll stick a picture below of the denim bag I did.

I like the long wrap skirt and the Fiona Dress (the blue one on the right of the pattern) as it has 3/4 length sleeves. I can’t honestly see myself doing the others anytime soon as I’m into knitting at the moment and I’m realising I go through phases of crafts!

But I want to keep them for the future. I have the satchel pattern all cut out and ready to go…just need to check what fabric I have left.

My first webbing (so ignore the wonky stitching!).

So there you go – a nosy into my sewing pattern stash! Just what you didn’t know you needed!!

Do you have more or less than 8 patterns?!

Cross-Stitch Progress

I’m doing a random off the top of my head project to use up leftover embroidery threads (and Aida fabric).

It’s just a black outline which I’m filling with random colours. I’m trying to do lines rather than dots as it’s quicker.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it, but I’m thinking a trivet or a placemat with some wadding underneath and another piece of backing fabric on the back.

I like the fact that I had all the materials already for this project…I didn’t have to buy anything and I’m using up what would have been thrown away otherwise!

I’m about a third of the way done so far.

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I don’t know why the light is so bad in these pics, but they look much better in real life!!

I did think about doing a shape in the middle, like an ‘S’ for Sarah…but in the end, I thought it would be easier to just do random lines! I would say if I do a bit every week, then it’ll be finished at the end of August/ early September.

But there really is no rush and it’s so nice not to be looking at a pattern all the time!

The fastest sewn headband in the World!

Last week was the week I sewed up all my outstanding sewing projects. I even managed to sneak a few small extra ones in too!

I had some fabric scraps leftover from a previous project and thought I’d make a headband. The fabric is quite stretchy, I’m not sure exactly what it is. But I love the colour!

I basically kept wrapping the fabric around my head and trimming a little bit off until, including seam allowance, I thought it was the right size to stay on without sliding off or giving me a headache. Not an exact science, to be sure.

I sewed up the long side, right sides together and turned inside out. I then tucked the end of the tube into the other end, folded the edges neatly over each other and then sewed it up. It took 15 mins if that.

And it’s my favourite make on the sewing machine yet! It’s practical, it FITS perfectly and it’s not too hot to wear in this heat!

If you look on Pinterest you can see lots of ways to make much more interesting ones, like a turban or knotted headband. I just made this off the top of my head (which is where it is currently!). And it used up scraps which would otherwise have been thrown away. I’m really happy with it!

Happy 6 Months!

I started this little blog 6 months ago this week and thought I’d share a few things with you.

The stats and boring stuff

• Number of Posts: 103
• Number of Views: 2,089
• Number of countries (where people have read my blog): 30
• Most popular post: (after the homepage it is a post about my first ever sewn skirt – https://woollyorbit.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/first-ever-skirt/ )
• Number of Visitors: 603
• Number of likes: 663

Projects

This year I’ve done a variety of crafts, mostly knitting or sewing. I’ve had periods of not doing anything at all, I’ve been ill, I’ve lost my mojo, or just got fed up with a particular project and put it down for a month or two.

So far I have finished:

Knitting

• A Neon Fair Isle Bag
• Bauble, 3 mini stockings and a toy mouse, using up scraps of free yarn from knitting magazines
• Knitted headband
• Hand knitted woolly hat
• Loom knitted woolly hat
• Loom knitted cowl
• Finished a Christmas jumper (my first one EVER!) I started late 2020
• Done more on my orange jumper, I’m about a quarter of the way finished with the front.

Crochet

• Granny Square Shawl
• Started Baby Blanket for a friend
• Started Christmas Granny Square blanket…will finish nearer December this year as I was only using up yarn

Sewing

• 2 x zipper bags
• Denim Rucksack
• Denim Tote Bag
• Yellow headband
• Yellow skirt
• Yellow pj bottoms (still need to redo the waistline)
• I cut out the pieces for a practice baby dress, I’ll sew that up in a few weeks – I’m all sewn out for a bit!

Books

• Prelude to Foundation
• Robots and Empire
• The Complete Robot
• The Naked Sun
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich [spoiler alert: the book did not!]
• War and Peace

Cross- stitch

• Started a rectangle placemat to use up old threads
• Fortune Favours the Bold sampler
• Make the Days Count sampler
• Birthday card

Miscellaneous

• Tall candle and candles in jars to use up wax
• Tried out new techniques – Entrelac knitting, changed sewing machine needle, Sewed with Denim, Made pockets – both inner and outer, sewed webbing, used belt buckles, created repeating patterns and had a large sample of a pattern made up on fabric, made my own Procreate brushes
• Digital ‘Art’ – figured out Procreate, Photoshop and Canva properly
• Joined RedBubble, Medium, Spoonflower, Patreon and all the sites
• Joined Etsy as a seller and my digital download shop is coming soon
• Joined Amazon as an author and my first book will be coming soon

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  first ever sewn skirt

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  pin cushion

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  pattern from an Etsy shop called Stitchrovia

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A Random Waffly Roundup

I had a similar blog a few years ago which I closed down and I realised this year how much I missed writing and posting. I don’t think I follow trends or whatever, I just generally tend to post what I’m doing. Mostly, it’s crafty stuff like knitting, crochet or sewing, with the odd life post.

I try to post a couple of times a week, but if a month goes by with nothing, I won’t apologise for it! Sometimes life happens and that’s that.

Photography is always going to be my downfall, but I’m actually OK with that! I’ll try and take a nice picture, but if I can’t I’m not going to beat myself up about it!

I love to write. I might not be the best writer in the world, but hopefully I can communicate my thoughts in an easy to read way! This blog is mostly about my crafting and my life to a certain extent. Although, since it’s my blog, I reserve the right to talk about whatever I want. That being said, I did start to write on Medium about a different topic as I thought it wasn’t a great fit here (although some people might find it interesting and relevant if they have a small crafty business).

On Medium I write about making Passive Income online, and to be honest I have struggled writing there somewhat. I feel like I have to up my game and the articles, whilst OK, aren’t the best. So, I’m trying to improve my longer form writing over there. The difficulty is trying to write without every article sounding like it’s a listicle – you know, the clickbait sounding ones…3 Things You Didn’t Know You Needed (and they’re not what you expect them to be) or 5 Ways To Make A Living Online With This 1 Thing…

I hate that kind of content…it’s so Buzzfeed-ish (if that doesn’t sound TOO snobbish!). I prefer to just write whatever is in my head and I find it quite hard to organise my thoughts sometimes. Maybe it’s the adding value part of writing for money?

Speaking of money…my best month ever on Medium this month – 6 cents! I’m rich! [Although I haven’t posted much at all over there with being sick for most of June]

And the post that made most of that was this one where I talked about Low/ No Content Books on Amazon:

https://woollyorbit.medium.com/lowlow-content-books-on-amazon-kdp-low-quality-books-acec85abf1aa

I’m using Canva to make Pinterest pins and I’m adding a pins to each article on Medium, which is something I haven’t been doing here. BUT, I’ve started to try and start using affiliate links on this blog, but not all the time as I don’t want to spam everyone. Incidentally, you CAN use affiliate links on a free WordPress site, as long as the site doesn’t exist solely for that purpose and you’re creating content around the links.

Am I getting off topic now? Feel like I am…

So, what’s to come?

The projects I want to finish or at least make a lot of headway with in the next few months are:

• Knitted orange jumper
• Knitted sock yarn shawl
• Crochet Baby blanket
• Cast on knitted baby cardigan and entrelac heirloom blanket
• cast on pair of knitted socks
• Sew together baby dress that I have already cut out the pieces for
• Read The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (then ALL of the books on my bookshelf will have been read!)

I want to make some bread as I did a bit in the last couple of years, but I’ve got out of the habit lately. And I want to try more vegetarian recipes…I’m NOT a vegetarian not at all. But I think eating one or two veggie meals a week is not only better for my dodgy digestive system but the planet too, so I’m going to try and start cutting out fat and sugar (she says drinking a full fat Coke on the hottest day of the year). So, I want to post a few more recipes on here too.

I also want to use my stashes of, well, everything. I have lots of wool to use, some fabric (although with the week of sewing last week, the drawers are looking a little bit emptier) and other random things like shea butter and ingredients for homemade beauty products, paints, things like that.

I have a leather handbag that is all ready to be saddle stitched together.

I also want to write more often on Medium, have 200 designs on Redbubble, and open my Etsy shop in the next few weeks.

So, there is a lot going on behind the scenes, a lot of plans and most of all dreams. It does seem like I post on here something I want to do and a week later I’m like, Nah! Forget that! I’m doing this instead!

Well, that was the last 6 months, here’s to the next!

Crafty Updates

I’m feeling a lot better this weekend than I have for a while, so much so that I even managed a walk around Hobbycraft (a UK craft shop chain which has a bit of everything)!

I bought 4 balls of wool to knit some baby clothes as a friend is having a baby girl in December (I love it when people tell you what the sex is so you can plan your makes!) and I got a sewing pattern to make a baby dress and hat, maybe a pair of diaper covers/ shorts but we’ll see!

The 4 balls I got were in 2 gorgeous wine/ plum colours by The Women’s Institute. They do some really nice yarn and I can only seem to get it at Hobbycraft. I thought I’d stay away from the traditional baby pink colours which I think she’ll be getting lots of things in that colour and maybe try for a more muted and darker colour for the jumper/ cardigan.

And the sewing pattern is by Simplicity, number 1447. I’ll make the dress without the ric-rac.

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New acquisitions on the left and the yarn I’m going to use for a baby blanket on the right.

So, there’s some baby clothes to make a start on in the near future. I already have a few balls of white chunky wool to make a baby blanket, so I might start that soon. I think I might crochet the blanket, knit either a cardigan or a jumper (and maybe a hat/ mittens/ bootees etc) and then sew some clothes like a dress or a sunhat.

I’m not great at toys and things like that, but I was thinking about some bricks, maybe a playmate and some simple things like that. But we’ll see about time (and skill!).

I have done a bit more on my orange jumper (2 rows to be exact). I’ve lost the mojo again. This time last year I was making a big push and got the back done, then I got bored and moved onto Christmas makes in September and didnt really pick up the orange jumper again. I’ve got about half the bottom ribbing done, need to finish that and then start on the actual pattern, which is a really simple one.

I think the problem last year was I got all knitted out and then went onto sewing. Then got all sewn out and have struggled to finish any of the projects I had on the go. And what with being sick lately, I haven’t really felt the crafting urge. But I’m starting to now!

I have the orange jumper and a simple garter stitch sock yarn shawl on the go. I want to start the crochet baby blanket and start looking for easy baby patterns to knit as well as look at practice fabric to have a try with the dress pattern before I do it for real!

I also have some neon Double Knitting yarn leftover from my Fair Isle bag project, so I might have a go at an entrelac cowl as I’ve never done entrelac before. I’m also thinking if I like the technique I could do another larger entrelac blanket for my friend and give her two…one a fluffy, smaller pram or cot blanket and another a larger, more durable heirloom type blanket.

I haven’t quite decided but it’s fun getting back into the decision making process. Maybe the problem is I’m fed up with my current projects?

I did start a knitted toy dog 6 months ago but I can’t find it!

I had a sweet idea for a present for my cousin’s little 1 year old boy. I have a couple of pattern books our gran gave me, one has knitted toys like dolls and teddies and a panda and the other pattern book is to knit dolls clothes and Barbie/ Action Man clothes (in REALLY 60’s/ 70’s colours and patterns!).

I was thinking I might have a go at the panda or one of the teddies and then it’s something that’s sort of from gran (who died almost 20 years ago). But that might take me a long time and again, I’m not great with toys, but it’s a sweet idea for when I have a chunk of time to knit on that and only that!

I have sock yarn in 2 different colours and I would like to try knitted socks again.

Oh, I’m feeling the craftiness coming back just writing this!

OK, so I have some decisions to make about which project to cast on next! I think I’m going to try to do more jumper this week and start the crochet baby blanket (I’m thinking a corner to corner one would look great).

Cross-Stitch Project Progress

I’ve picked an awful colour scheme for this project! I know I’m using up my stash of threads and fabric…but still I feel I should point out that the colour choices are all mine and in no way am I following the pattern’s colours!!

The purples of the ‘YOU’ look OK, but the rest…I’m reminded of trains for some reason hahaha! Especially the ‘GOOD THOUGHTS’ colours.

See my previous post for details about the pattern. I won’t keep repeating myself.

It’s been nice working on this at night, listening to a SkillShare tutorial. They have some really good videos about graphic design and illustration which I really need to focus and watch the screen. But to have a general video on in the background about business, marketing, mindsets, that type of thing. Well, it’s like I’m watching a productive video, you know? Like I’m doing homework.

But then again…I LOVE homework!

I did a whole ONE ROW of a knitted bag project last week. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I have wanted to rest my eyes a bit lately. I’m getting headaches from looking at small things like stitches, knitting stitches, and of course, computer/ I-pad screens. So, if I can come off the screens and not have to focus on small things, then so much the better!

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m taking it easy with the crafting for now. I do want to get a few projects finished this summer.

But right now my focus is on getting my Etsy shop set up. I have managed to reach a few goals that I set myself for May, which is exciting, but more on that later!

Have a lovely afternoon- it’s been grey and overcast all day. It even did a bit of mini ice hailing earlier on. I can’t wait for the warmer weather to arrive! May has had more hailstorms than I can remember in a long time.

New Cross -Stitch Project Started

The other day I posted what I drew when my computer updated. It took so long I started on some cross-stitch too!

This is the last project I have from an Etsy shop called Stitchrovia. I’ve talked in previous blogs about getting designs from here. This one says ‘Think good thoughts and good will find you’.

As with the other designs I bought, I’m using up my stash of Aida and threads so the colours won’t match at all to what the pattern suggests, but since this is only a type-face design with text and a few details, then I don’t think that matters too much!

This is what I have so far… I know it’s hard to see the yellow.

I usually print out a black and white chart, although you get both colour and black and white with your purchase. I just prefer the black and white.

But this time it’s a much bigger picture than the previous two…the pattern fills up 2 pieces of A4 paper with tiny squares.

I want to say it’ll be a project to do bits at a time, but I know once I get into a project like this, I pretty much can’t put it down!

No, I don’t use embroidery hoops! I just iron it at the end (don’t worry, I’m careful not to squish the stitches!).

I’ve also done a whole row of my knitted Neon Fair Isle bag. Yes – A WHOLE ROW! Progress, but doesn’t feel like it!

I guess I really am all knitted and sewn out for a bit!

Craft and Life Updates

Wednesday 14 April

Neon Fair Isle Bag

I started this project last month and honestly haven’t done anything on it for about 2 or 3 weeks.

I’ve been so preoccupied with my new digital hobby, creating digital ‘art’ and messing around with Photoshop etc. that all crafting has been put to one side.

After several years of ‘BLAH BLAH BLAH’ (which I won’t go into here), I feel like I have emerged with a hit-the-ground-running kind of attitude in the last couple of months or so. Things which have been on my list to do for ages have got done, things I wanted to start have got started. I am MOTIVATED!!!!

So, naturally, knitting and sewing has been put aside for the moment. Although, saying that, I did manage to get about 10 rows of my Neon Fair Isle Bag done last night whilst listening to some Youtube channels.

I also opened a brand spanking new Etsy shop last week too. Yay! There’s nothing on it yet, still doing the back end stuff like policies, making nice banners that kind of thing. But it will eventually become a digital download place where I sell printables (but better quality than what I’ve been posting here! You know…do it ‘Professionally’).

But it’s empty at the moment. I also have to, you know, CREATE some printables for the shop, but just having it opened and ready to go is motivation in and of itself.

I am also leaning towards doing some more sewing again, I feel like sewing is a bit of a faff compared to say, knitting. I have to actually set the sewing machine up downstairs, collect my sewing box, materials, threads, patterns etc together and it just seems to take more time to set up and get started, so I might do some sewing on Saturday or Sunday. [Spoiler alert: I didn’t!!]

Saturday 17 April

I treated myself to a Fat Quarter of fabric from Lovely Jubbly Fabrics which came in the post today. I’m getting seriously fed up of my current fabric choices, I think I might make a bag (my favourite things to make) and if there’s anything leftover then a scrunchie too.

Golds and Purples on Black…oooh look at those colours!!!

I also went for a walk down the country lanes near me, it has been so sunny and ‘warm’ lately, it looks like not just Spring, but Summer (although occasionally feels like Winter!).

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Hardly a cloud in sight…although I think the daffodils are done for the year!!

Sunday 18 April

I have bought and printed off a couple of new patterns from an Etsy shop called Stitchrovia. I did a cross-stitch piece a few months ago and after years of putting cross-stitch aside I realised I loved and missed the hand embroidery element to it and so I bought 2 more to do.

They’re text based patterns, not what I usually go for, but I’m feeling motivated lately like I mentioned above, and so, why the heck not?!

A motivational quote makes for a motivated person…maybe?!!

I chose to do one called Make the Days Count

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/616060065/make-the-days-count-cross-stitch-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_8

and another called Think Good Thoughts

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/252232720/think-good-thoughts-cross-stitch-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_9&crt=1

I’m going to stitch the first one on some black Aida I have, that might be a little hard on the eyes, I can’t remember ever having done cross-stitch on a black background before. If it gets too difficult to see, I can always start again on a white background.

Another project that I dug out to finish is a leather handbag. I went on a workshop last year, luckily right before lockdown happened, and made a mini leather handbag and got the pieces ready to make another one.

I dyed the main pieces a dark green and red (looked more pink) last year and bevelled the edges, got the buckle on and then I got sort of stuck sewing on the buckle strap. On the day of the workshop, the teacher did this part for all of us to save a bit of time because saddle stitching takes ages!

I used up a lot of the thread she gave us, and I sort of lost interest a bit. But, now I have some thicker black waxed thread so we’ll see how I go.

I have all the tools and materials, I needed there to be strong natural light really. It was too dark and cold to work downstairs in winter. I’m ready to try again!

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Monday 19 April

You know those days that you know you have been productive but there is absolutely NOTHING to show for it? That was today!

House cleaned, paper recycled, papers shredded…so much boring admin stuff done! Dumped so much old stuff…files on computer, old papers (that’s one thing that piles up for me…I love to scribble random notes on paper). I sorted a bag of books to take to the charity shop…and yet the place still looks the same!! 🙂

Part of me being motivated and productive is cleaning and de-cluttering, I never knew years ago, how good it would feel to throw stuff away!

I started a book called The Testaments by Margaret Atwood today. It’s the last book on my shelf that I haven’t read, once this is done then my reading list will be complete.

Yay!

It’s a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, I love dystopian future fiction. Give me a book about the world ending any day, I mean come on. Who wants a romantic comedy when you can have death and destruction?

I’m going to try and get some more of the Neon Fair Isle Bag done. It’s only small and it’s only knit and purl, but the colour changing and untwisting takes me forever! It’s soooooo slow going. I have about half of the second side to do and then sew it together and make an -icord strap/ drawstring with my French Knitting Doll.

Well, that’s all for now folks, I’ll try and post more regularly but I’m all steam ahead on the digital stuff now. I even planned out an e-book at the weekend. I do want to get my crafty projects done though, sometimes they hang over your head for ages and they become bigger things than they really are. Some things, like the bag, were only meant to be short and quick projects, and yet they drag on for so long that they almost aren’t fun anymore.

Goals for April:

-Finish Neon Fair Isle Bag

-Do some more on my leather bag (doesn’t mater how much, just SOMETHING)

-Try and finish The Testaments book

-Knit a bit more of my orange jumper that I’ve done half of

-DIGITAL STUFF: open Amazon KDP account, finish all the back end of Etsy stuff (FAQs, Policies, etc), do a bit more on Pinterest and RedBubble sites, Figure out commercial usage fonts and then it’s all go! Start designing printables and work on my book.

Yup, lots to do! See you soon xx

Printing My Own Design On Fabric

In the last couple of weeks my creativity regarding designing and using Photoshop has just exploded.

I have a better understanding of Photoshop and have been able to create repeating patterns. So, naturally I thought, why not get one printed onto fabric?

The first website that springs to mind for this is Spoonflower, a company from the USA but which has a manufacturing centre in Germany.

I uploaded one of my designs and yes, in hindsight I probably should have waited because I have since created other designs that I like better than this one! But this one is special because it’s the first ever one that I had moved all the pieces into place and created layers and figured out shortcuts…it’s special, you know?!

So, I received it in the post today (Tuesday) after ordering last Wednesday, which to create and ship and have it delivered in the space of a week in these pandemic and Brexit trying times I think is pretty good!

The fabric was a cotton, I can’t remember the exact name of it, but it feels quite nice and the print quality is pretty good, the lines will never be as crisp and clear as when you print onto paper because that’s how it goes with fabric, but overall the colours are pretty true to my design and it looks good. There is only one real downside…

The print is MASSIVE!!!!!!!

I hold my hand up, I think that’s my fault for missing the part about sizing (although I’m pretty sure I read it through before I ordered) anyway, I think I know where I went wrong, aside from ordering the biggest piece of fabric as a test piece. It’s all in the pixels and how many and what size canvas etc. Oh well, I know for next time and to be frank, for figuring out everything in a fortnight, it’s all still pretty good!

Here we go:

I drew these pictures on Procreate…they are MASSIVE on the fabric though!!

I still have a lot to learn about pattern placing and making good patterns that are specifically for fabric but overall, it’s not bad for a first go! 🙂

As a comparison, this is what it looks like when it’s small, as on my RedBubble shop…it looks WAY better as a tiny design! I guess size really DOES matter!!

tiny pattern!

But seriously…what the heck do I do with such a HUGE pattern?

Patchwork is mostly out because the squares would need to be huge. Maybe a cushion, of which I have a million already, or a tote bag? I haven’t made a proper tote in years…oh dear!! What should I do with it?!!!

WIP’s and Stuff

I have a few FO’s today (that’s Finished Objects for the uninitiated). Yes! I’ve actually finished stuff!

Knitted Jumper

The first is my Christmas Jumper which has dragged for the last part and had to have a real push to get it done. I had thought I was buying just a basic jumper pattern and when I got it I realised that although the front was a simple stocking stitch pattern, the back was like a cardigan with buttons and everything! Who the heck wants to wear a backwards cardie?!!

The pattern was by Stylecraft Cabaret DK, I think number 9181, and the wool I used was an acrylic one called Glitz by King Cole in their Christmas colour way.

That was so weird that I thought I would do 2 fronts and make up the collar myself, which I did and it looks OK.

I have finally mastered mattress stitch and the actual sewing up looks good for once. I do have some issues with the collar though, which I may unpick and re-do at some (much later) point, namely that I think I picked up and knitted the stitches from the inside not the outside if you see what I mean, and that I may have picked up stitches on either the front or the back, and then picked up AND KNITTED stitches on the other side so it looks a bit wonky to me. I can sort of live with that though.

There are two main negatives to this jumper in that the wool, which I loved and had all the same dye lot, sometimes had a different striped pattern in the SAME BALL OF YARN! And I didn’t realise this until I came to sew it all up together, so parts look slightly different. but that’s not the end of the world, I think I notice it more because I made it and someone who hadn’t wouldn’t necessarily hone in on it straight away.

The second thing is that it only fits without any top on underneath!! (obviously still wear a bra!) I do think my tension changed slightly and I did just cast on my size, which I did wonder if I should go up a size? But maybe it’s something to slim into? (Not that that is the way to look at it…) It does fit but it’s definitely on the tighter side and I have to say I don’t usually wear fitted/ tailored garments. It is in the wardrobe until Christmas 2021- hurray it is done!

And for a first jumper, I am actually quite pleased if you ignore all the whinging above, it’s just there are a few bits I would go back and change…I guess that’s called experience! I still haven’t blocked it either.

It is done…Huzzah!

I also unpicked another jumper I had started – the same pattern in a different colour – but as I cast on the same size, I thought, you know what? I’m just going to unpick it and make something else with the yarn.

So…that means I am down to just the orange jumper and a simple shawl on my needles.

Knitted Hat and Headband

Except that’s not true… I also bought a couple of balls of a chunky yarn called King Cole Big Value Chunky in a mustard colour (shade 3486 turmeric) and made myself 2 short projects.

The first was a simple knitted 2×2 rib stitch hat and the second was a knitted knotted headband using up the remainder of the wool.

The hat pattern was from a magazine I ripped it out of years ago and the headband was a free Ravelry download. I like them both, but I haven’t worn them out yet, typical how the weather warms up when you knit something woolly!

Here is the link to the headband pattern:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/twisted-turban-headband-6

It is called Twisted Turban Headband by North River Knits.

I just needed something quick and different to the tiny stitches of the finished jumper and I love the colours of the hat and headband- although no matter how many times I took the above picture the colour isn’t true to life…it looks much better in reality!

Knitted Fair Isle Bag

I also cast on what I though would be a quick-ish project but I can see now will take a week or two because it is stranded colour work.

I have a book of knitted bag patterns and was flicking through it last week when I saw a Fair Isle bag pattern that I thought would look good in neon because why the heck not?! I forgot how fiddly more than one colour is though 🙂

From How To Knit Beautiful Bags by Sian Brown

The pattern is from a book called How To Knit Beautiful Bags by Sian Brown and I’m doing the bag in the top left hand corner that you can see on the back cover of the book. Just for something different and colourful.

War and Peace

I have also finally made a start on a book that has been on my shelf for YEARS – WAR AND PEACE. I am about 500 pages in and I have to say, considering I know nothing about the Russian side of life in the early 1800’s I am quite enjoying it. I have put this book of for so long thinking I needed to really concentrate, but the style of writing is actually quite easy to understand.

I think it’s like Charles Dickens for me. I’m quite well-read but had never tried Dickens until maybe 5 or 6 years ago, thinking he was too hard and the language would be too hard etc. But he was really easy to read and understand and wrote in a modern way…surprisingly so does Tolstoy. I shouldn’t be too surprised really as I’ve read Anna Karenina and enjoyed it, but it is not as…shall we say CEREBRAL as I expected it to be.

I have had to look up what the difference between a Hussar and a Cossack was though…and everyone is a prince or princess – which I now know is a title like Duke or Duchess and NOT actual royalty!! Having Youtube to watch scenes after I’ve just read it is interesting too…search for the I Challenge You scene and the duel…poor Pierre, he is such a good character!

I haven’t done anymore sewing, I feel I am on a knitting binge now.

So, current WIPS are:

1. Orange lace and cable jumper
2. Simple garter stitch sock yarn shawl
3. Neon colour work bag

To be cast on soon/ still looking for patterns:

1. Socks with new sock yarn and old orange sock yarn
2. Something with recycled aran yarn
3. Something with yarn from unravelled jumper (5 balls of Cabaret DK by Stylecraft)

Phew! That’s all I can think of for now, thanks for sticking with this essay to the end…give yourself a pat on the back if you did! You made it! 🙂

Till next time…have a crafty happy afternoon! x

Saturday – Short and Sweet

Want to know what to do with those craft magazines apart from recycling them at your local paper bank?

Easy! Turn them into Button Badges!!

A few years ago I bought a badge maker and messed around with it for awhile and then got bored…it’s languishing under my bed at the moment! But I did make a few badges for my needle case (for knitting needles I mean) before the badge press got relegated to under the bed.

Day #12 – Knitting vs. Crochet

CRAFTY 30 DAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE DAY #12

Day #12 Knitting vs. Crochet

Knitting

How long have I been doing it?

I learned at the start of 2016. I made a stocking stitch scarf and that was it, I was away. I taught myself from a few Youtube videos.

What level are you?

I would say I am an intermediate knitter. I haven’t done a lot of lace, cables or Fair Isle, although I’ve done some in the past. 

What kinds of things have you made so far?

Blankets, scarves, cowls, hats, random freebie patterns from magazines, a couple of knitted whale toys, hot water bottle covers, a coffee pot cover, cushion covers, one lone single sock, loads of Christmas decorations – baubles, mini stockings, hanging trees etc., 3 large Christmas stockings, a tea cosy in the shape of a pudding…

What techniques have you mastered so far?

Simple ones. Stocking stitch, rib, gartur stitch, moss/ seed stitch, patterns with knit and purl such as basket weave and waffle stitch, basic cabling, basic eyelets and button holes, baby jumpers/ cardigans, increases and decreases.

Would love to try entrelac, brioche and Double (reversible) Knitting next.

Crochet

How long have you been doing it?

About 12 -13 years. I learned at university and although I tried knitting at the same time, I found it too difficult at the time and just focused on crochet.

What level are you? 

I would say advanced. I understand how stitches are made and altered, even if I have to refer back to patterns for stitches sometimes. Most of the things I crochet I design myself as I tend to make quick and easy items.

What kinds of things have you made so far?

Blankets, scarves, hats, amigurumi figures, baby dress and waistcoat, balls and baubles, pot holders, trivets, a terrible top which I threw away!, decorations, bunting, granny squares, bags, cowls, cushion covers…

What techniques have you mastered?

Pretty much most of the basic ones and once you understand how crochet is done, it’s pretty much variations on a theme. A few techniques I haven’t tried yet in crochet is entrelac, broomstick lace and hairpin lace. 

Notes

I find crochet a lot quicker than knitting – I could crochet a scarf in an evening, depending on the stitch used. But I like the look of knitted stocking stitch better than crochet. 

I would prefer to have a knitted jumper rather than a crocheted one, although I could probably whip up the crochet one in half the time. 

As you can see from the answers above I tend to make household items, rather than pieces of clothing, whether for knitting or crochet. I don’t tend to do many small items such as toys or figures because I hate the fiddly bits and they never look ‘normal’ by the time I have sewn them up! I hate doing crochet amigurumi mostly, I have to be in the mood. 

In 2021, it is sweater knitting all the way, I have 3 on the go, as well as a knitted shawl and there are sewing projects getting lined up, so I don’t really have the desire to do small projects at the minute. Especially as Christmas is out of the way and I did quite a few small decorations last year.

So…if there was a contest between knitting and crochet, I think knitting would win, but not by much. I am equally a knitter and crocheter…I don’t discriminate, it’s all yarn!!

WIP’s and UFO’s

WIP = Work In Progress

UFO = Unfinished Object

I have a few projects on the go and a few craft materials leftover from previous projects that I have some ideas what I could do with. Here is what is on my needles/ in my project to-do list so far (as of January 2021).

KNITTING

On my needles at the moment are some pretty big projects. 3 jumpers and a shawl to be precise.

1. My first ever jumper is an orange, simple design I found in a magazine. I actually cast it on a couple of years ago, maybe at the beginning of 2018 or 2019, did a few rows of the rib at the bottom and then put it away and forgot all about it. Last year, I took it out again and managed to get the whole of the back done and I am now finishing the rib of the front. But whilst I wanted this to be my very first jumper, I cast on another one in September of last year for Christmas, which sadly I never got done in time to wear for Christmas Day 2020. I CAN ONLY KNIT SO FAST!!! So, I am alternating between this orange one and the Christmas one below. This one has a simple cable and eyelet pattern with lots of stocking stitch. (The pattern is by Pat Menchini and is in a collection of patterns called 100 knitting patterns. I think it’s a collection of knitting patterns previously published in Let’s Knit magazine, a knitting magazine in the UK. It doesn’t really have a name as such, it just says Cinnamon Spice and that it’s a long-line tunic.)

I am really enjoying knitting this up.

2. The Christmas jumper – this is a very simple plain stocking stitch jumper with three quarter length sleeves. I have done the sleeves and the back and am about a third of the way done with the front. I love the wool, it is called Glitz by King Cole (1698) and is a Double Knitting weight. The festive colours are soooooo pretty! I also knitted a bauble with some leftover yarn from one of the sleeves in this wool and it looks quite cute!

I bought the pattern (9181) for the jumper for £2.99 (I think or maybe £3.99) from an online store called Deramores and I ordered 6 balls, so hopefully after sewing it together and knitting the collar I should have some leftover for future Christmas knits later on this year. It is by Stylecraft and the pattern uses Cabaret yarn.

The only thing I don’t like about this pattern is the back – it’s a cardigan in reverse and looks really strange, so I am simply knitting two fronts instead and hoping they don’t look too weird once I sew them up.

Christmas knitted jumper

3. Autumn knitted jumper – this is exactly the same pattern as above except in different yarn (actually using the recommended yarn but in a different shade) and I decided to do the cowl collar instead of the simple plain one. I am going to put this aside for a while and concentrate on the other 2 first as I am not sure on the sizing! I think I will see if the Christmas one actually fits before I carry on with one. If not, and I’m thinking of doing this anyway, I might just rip it back and make something else out of the yarn. I have five balls of it, so maybe a hat and a pair of mittens? I have never knitted a pair of mittens before so that could be something new for this year!!

look at the pretty autumn colours – style craft cabaret yarn

the pattern I am using is the one in the top right corner!!

4. Sock Yarn Shawl – I bought 2 balls of this sock yarn from John Lewis on Oxford Street, London, when I travelled down for a visit a few years ago. After realising I will NEVER be a sock knitter (I tried a few years ago and I managed ONE sock out of a pair and that took me 3 weeks so I gave up completely!!) I decided to make a simple shawl, BUT it isn’t the most softest of wools I have ever used so this might get ripped back as well. Who knows.

the sock yarn shawl so far!

That’s all for the knitting WIP’s. I also a further 2 balls of sock yarn in orange so maybe an actual pair of socks (doubtful) or more mittens? Sock yarn is much thinner than I usually use so it takes me more time to knit up on smaller needles therefore I have less patience for it. We shall see with that. I also have a couple of balls of spare Christmas yarn (red and white) and a tiny ball leftover of white cotton and that is pretty much it for wool. The yarn is by West Yorkshire Spinners (WYS) I can’t remember the exact shade.

Last year, in 2020, I used up MY ENTIRE STASH of yarn. Of which I was drowning in, literally. Yes, literally. I can see the floor now.

SEWING

And sewing? I don’t have that much on my list for sewing but here goes…

1. I have mostly cut out a pattern for a linen top with darts. I have never sewn darts or tucks or anything like that before in my LIFE! So, I am quite nervous. The only thing I am slightly worried about is the fact that I chose vertically striped fabric for the top, so the pattern may get a bit squished and wonky. That’s OK, I am still at the stage of saying ‘IT’S ONLY A PRACTICE!!’. Just need to cut out some edging and sew it together.

2. I have some leftover yellow fabric from the pencil skirt I made [see previous post https://woollyorbit.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/first-ever-skirt/ ] and was thinking of a knotted headband/ turban headband and some smaller projects OR a camisole vest type top. Not sure. Pinterest has some really good tutorials and ideas for knotted headbands.

3. I also have some leftover wool fabric from a cushion I made my Dad for Christmas. About half a metre to a metre left? I can’t quite remember how much, so something with that, not sure what exactly.

4. And finally, leftover from Christmas sewing which was manic last year, several tiny stockings and quite a few squares for which I was thinking a Christmas patchwork quilt, but it’s past Christmas now. Maybe that could be a project for next year. Except, I don’t like having a stash anymore – I want it all gone. I am trying to slim down all my possessions and don’t want materials and tools cluttering up the place, maybe that can be a project that I work on bit by bit?

the mini stocking pile!!!

That’s all my current projects for which I have fabric for. I have a really cute pattern for a small backpack which I think would look amazing in denim and I’m thinking of buying some fabric for that – in the far future, let’s get some of these projects done first. And I have a pattern for a long, wrap skirt which, even though I’m not really a skirt kind of gal, I could totally see me wearing. But I need to get fabric for that too.

CROCHET

Shockingly, I have NO CROCHET PROJECTS on the go at the moment! Yay!

MISCELLANEOUS

I also have some other random projects on the sort of go. One of which is Lino cutting. I tried last year and cut myself so badly on the finger I bled all the way upstairs to get a plaster and stop the bleeding. Which kind of put me off lol! I would love to Lino cut and make some prints, I have all the materials, even the ink, just need to work up the courage (and work out how to do it safely) so that I could have another try.

Gouache is a new love. I am a terrible painter and artist and sketch artist. But there is something so therapeutic about smushing paint around a page. I just want to have a go and have fun.

I have a block of wax to use up and make a candle with. That is next on my list of odd bits to do.

Bath and body/ beauty products such as hand/ cuticle salves and body lotions etc. I have lots of oils and butters that I want to use up, especially shea butter. And it’s winter and we’re stuck inside so hopefully I should fly through them.

I almost forgot, I went on a workshop last year, before lockdown and all that jazz, to make a leather handbag. I learned how to do saddle stitch and I made a yellow and green dyed leather bag. Since then I have dyed another set (I bought a spare blank set of pieces to try myself) this time I dyed it pink (thought it would turn out a lot redder but oh well!) and green and everything is all ready to be sewn up – just need to spend a weekend doing that. It’s been a while, so I might need to refresh my memory about saddle stitch but I can’t wait to have that done and dusted.

I think that’s it. It’s a lot, but the bigger projects like the sewn top and the knitted jumpers will keep me busy for a while. I have decided NOT to start anymore new knitted projects until I finish what I have on the go at the moment.

Phew, this is a super long post! What’s on your needles right now? Something for yourself or for a friend?

Take care x