April 27, 2013

Billy the Goat amigurumi

Meet the latest member of my zodiac amigurumi animals - Billy the Goat.

Billy is only young so not very experienced in getting his pictures taken. He is playful when he is not trying to pose for the camera! I really think a buttoned up cardigan would look smashing on him but he is not that preppy, apparently... He doesn't even want to wear the bell!

This little amigurumi is made out of all simple single crochets in the round. I used some scrap black felt for his forehead and some 6mm safety eyes (he likes to stare!)


 
 

Here is the family so far... It makes me happy to see them together. I love how they all look different yet they seem to compliment one another... I am glad I took a group shot cause this gives me ideas for the rest of the animals and more importantly perspective on how my crochet and design skills have progressed.

 

I still have 5 more animals to make and then I am hoping to write up the the patterns for them. This is a slow long term project but I will get there.

Back to more creating....

April 21, 2013

Screen Printing workshop

I did my first screen prints yesterday!


From top left: screen exposed - waiting to be dried; some placemat sized fabric prints and repeat print on a 2metre long fabric.

I was having so much fun, I didn't get the chance to take more pictures. It was an all day workshop taught by Shivaun of Peter Leis Screen Printing Gear in Leichhardt. I highly recommend their workshops, Shivaun is so knowledgeable (being a 3rd generation screen printer, no wonder). She is extremely professional and passionate about her trade and it really showed throughout the day.

The maximum number per class is 4 people so you can get proper attention from the teacher and yesterday there were only two students including me so we got to ask lots of questions and plenty of practice.

It was a really wet day so we exposed our screens inside, in front of this really cool heat lamp set up but Shivuan did hers with natural light (on a rainy day) to show us how the screen would turn out under condition like that (and what an under exposed screen would look like too).  It was a long day (very good value for money) with lots of information and all hands on but what a fun and inspiring day I had!

We went through how to set up screen printing at home too so I am really interested in doing that and can't stop thinking about the possibilities!

I still have lots to say about this experience but somehow words aren't really enough, you have to actually be part of it to really appreciate how under rated true screen printing really is.

Here is to another "Try new things" experience!


April 7, 2013

Notthingham beanie - how to make cables without the cable needle...


This week I finished a baby sized Nottingham beanie for a friend's impending new arrival. This is such a easy knit and I used less than one ball of a Morris Estate 8 ply yarn.

There are some cables in this pattern and this time around I tried making these without a cable needle. Very Pink Knits and Knitting Daily both have excellent demos.



Off to plan for the next project!

April 2, 2013

I am so excited! and I just can't hide it! I know I know I know I know...

Woohoos! I just sold my first custom order! Yep I did! TONIGHT! I did! The look on my customer's face was priceless... she actually squealed with excitement and then I squealed too...



Meet MISS PANDA LOVE! She has gone to her new home with this lovely girl who bought Bo the Bear with a preppy bowtie. They will be mates!

As Mr Burns would say: EGGCELLENT!

So without further a do.... [drum rolls now], here are more pics of MISS PANDA LOVE...



Check out the matching button tail! 
Some progress pics...
I was asked to add a bow so I made up three different ones  and ended up pick the last pretty bow. I made these using this and this I found on Pinterest.





 Stitch with Love.... I AM SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!




April 1, 2013

Another baby beanie in the works...



Last week I casted on another Nottingham beanie and this one is for a friend's new baby boy who is coming in May. He is just one of many impending babies in the first half of 2013 and I am again having to keep a list as I did in 2012 so that I can remember them all :)

Last year I made this same beanie in adult size for Terry and it turned out very nice so I am keen to see a mini version of it.



I am using some Morris Estate 8 ply in the Swimming colourway, knitting with the 5mm 60cm circular needles. The yarn is lovely to knit with, soft in the hands and very quick to knit up, even with the fiddly cables. I picked up a few balls of this yarn in different colours at the 2011 Christmas sales in the Morris & Sons Sydney store. I thought they would be perfect for little knits like this one.

This is now going to be my commuting project (mum's shawl is back on the coffee table!) and I have it in a box shaped bag I made about 18 months ago.  I am definitely going to make more of it as it is perfect size for little projects.

Hopefully I will be able to get more done on it this week so I have more baby gifts on the list!

Happy stitching!