My friend Lizzie bought me an ice dying kit for Christmas (thank you!) and I’ve only just now found the time to have a go.
The results are pretty cool if I do say so myself!
I’d never heard of ice dying until she bought me the kit but basically you place ice cubes onto a piece of fabric, sprinkle over powdered fabric dye and as the ice melts it makes some really funky patterns depending on whether you scrunch up the fabric beforehand.
I think it’s supposed to give a kind of tie-dye effect.
I placed my fabric on a baking rack over a baking tray (I didn’t have a bowl or bucket wide enough for the fat quarter so I used a tray).
I also folded my fabric into 4 quarters and laid it flat.
Once the ice had melted I realised that on the bottom the baking rack had made a striped pattern which was quite interesting! All 4 quarters had different patterns, I’m just waiting for it all to dry before I decide what to do with it.
So, if you want to have a go at something different and easy to (you could do this with kids it’s so easy!) then this is definitely an option!
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.
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…
Well, where do I start with this one? I have made so many things from so many different materials. Also, what are the exact judging criteria?!!
I generally go for easy, quick-ish knits and bits. I like to knit and crochet blankets, cowls and hats. I am only just now starting with the sweater knitting after about 5 or 6 years of knitting. I am late to that party.
One of my all time crochet faves is this shawl I made with Stylecraft Cabaret DK, I don’t know the shades but I did 2 balls of a multi-coloured shade and then 2 balls of a grey/ blue shade.
It is so soft and snuggly and I used up yarn I had already and best of all…I crocheted it in the sun last year during lockdown 2020. Something beautiful and practical out of being stuck at home. Pattern from a book called Shabby Chic Crochet designed by Agnieszka Strycharska.
Another of my all-time favourite (non knitting or crochet related) makes was this recipe design I cross-stitched at university. As if I didn’t have enough to do then!!
I have kept it hidden away for all these years until last year, when I got out my hot glue gun and stuck it to the front of a spare notebook I had and it is now my hand-written recipe book. Of course, it doesn’t look as glamorous inside…
The pattern was from a cross stitching magazine with a free calendar and the pattern was in the calendar, I can’t remember anything else about it than that!! Possibly Cross Stitcher or World of Cross-Stitching magazines??
I also love this granny blanket I made last year using up Double Knitting scraps. It’s bright and funky coloured and eye-catching and is currently on my bed on top of my duvet as it’s getting cold here. Last night was -3C BRRRR!!
crochet granny square blanket
As for knitting? It’s hard to pick a favourite. Probably all of the mini Christmas makes I did last year. I bought 3 volumes of pattern books from a website called Deramores. They were called Christmas Knits by King Cole Yarns. And I knitted baubles, stockings, a Christmas pudding tea cosy, Christmas hanging trees…so much festive goodness!
mini knitted stocking
tea cosy
knitted bauble
So, yeah, that’s a few of my favourite makes. I realised when writing this post, I don’t actually have a lot of pics of things I have made. Every so often I have to make more memory space available and I go through and delete photos, but also I just don’t take many pics! I am not the best photographer in the world…
Also, a lot of the favourites have been given away to friends and family.
Woolly Orbit 