Dragon!

Hey everyone!

Very quick post just to say hello to Mr Aled Jones - the Welsh dragon I've made for a friend's birthday. She moved (abandoned me?!) 8 whole years ago for university and never came back. Hopefully one day she will return, but for now I am coming to terms with it by making tiny amigurumi dragons!

Here he is!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!

Made using a combination of two different patterns, slightly amended for the eyes as I didn't have any beads to use, but I quite like his little smile. I LOVE the wings, I think they are my favourite bit :) Also the ears and arms worked out a little different, more through me not looking at the pattern as I sewed them on than by design, but I think the ears look more Welsh 'dragony'.

Pattern for body is here, and the pattern for the wee wings is here.

My favourite photo from our last trip down to Llandudno - my best friends, fiancee and partners with me behind the camera. We raced up to the top of the Orme for sunset and only just got there in time, it was crazy windy but beautiful. Good times, will try get there again some day soon!

Love

Ali

xx

Cowl-tastic!

Hi all, 

This weekend saw me ill and alone. Not a good combination, the boy was away on a stag do and I had picked up a virus from work which left me with a terrible headache and fever. After spending all of Friday, and a good part of Saturday sleeping I was feeling much better on Sunday and with time to spend whilst watching the entire first season of Downton Abbey!

A few weeks ago I bought myself a big chunky ball of wool from Hobbycraft, with a cowl pattern. They had one knitted up which was amazeballs and was just what I was looking for, so off I merrily skipped and payed my £5.

The brand I used

Sad times came when I got home and realised I don't really know how to knit. Yes, I've made scarves, long rectangles, generally full of holes, using the knit stitch and none of this new fangled 'purl' business. So, after a few very frustrating attempts to remember to k1, p1 and pick up a loop and drop a loop between each stitch (!) I gave up and made my own pattern instead!

I forgot to take any 'making of' photos - this was me checking that my phone was working, or something like that

Ta da! Last night, in one grey jumper...

And today, in another grey jumper!

From behind. Oh er missus.

Here it is:

200g of Fab Big #02350 delphinium - a lovely teal blue
10mm  knitting needles

Cast on 24 stitches
Knit 20 rows plain knit stitch
Next is slightly more complicated - knit a 'twisted drop stitch' pattern. This is really simple and even I managed to do it.

Insert needle in to back of stitch, wrap around 2 loops, not 1! pull through as in a normal knit stitch. Carry on all along the row. 
Next row, ONLY do the same, but only knit in to the first loop you made, and let the other stitch drop off your hook.

Keep going until you run out of wool, for the last two or three rows use normal knit stitch.

Crochet ends together using a basic slip stitch. I used a contrasting wool as I only had a much thinner hook than the chunky wool - a 5mm hook.

And that is it! Don't wear it to bed, your partner will laugh at you. Or if you're single, go nuts, make a giant one as a sleeping bag and live in it (now I want boy to go away for the weekend again...)

Love Ali

xx

Circles, Squares and Wiggles: Crochet Blankets

Hi all!

This isn't a How To, just a bit of showing off! I've just finally finished sewing in the ends of a new baby blanket for a friend and as I'm waiting until she is a bit nearer giving birth to give it to her, I'll show the internet instead! The pattern is based on one from a crochet book I got out from the library a few weeks ago, and is a fantastic book written by Linda Permann called 'Little Crochet, Modern Designs for Babies and Toddlers'. Worth checking out if you or anyone nearby has an little ones! Modified slightly in that the pattern in the book was very small, so I increased it by making a few extra rows of squares.

And then I thought, oh, I haven't put any pictures of my wiggly rainbow blanket I made months ago on Pinterest yet, I can add them in here! This pattern was slavishly followed from the very easily followable patterns from Lucy at Attic 24. I'm in love with this, but didn't make it quite wide enough for a grown up blanket, still love it and it will stay in blanket cupboard (or on a random chair in the living room...) until a purpose for it appears!

And then this is what I'm working on at the moment, although I'm having a little break and sewing in ends tonight as my crochet finger feels pretty much like it is going to fall off! 

This one was inspired by some Pinterest wanderings a little while ago that I've become fairly obsessed with (here for the original photo). The pattern is very basic, just a normal granny square but instead of going straight in to the previous row, doing a row of 3 chain and single stitches in each gap in white. I think it looks lovely and has built up really quickly. If I do this again, I would go for a rectangle shape instead as maybe the final product will be more useable?

Love Ali

xx