Month: October 2018

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Cozy Pillows

Iris Rose

Today we have a rerun of a post from a couple of years ago.  I see that Bernat Blanket yarn is still quite popular and thought that I would share again a pattern for some comfy pillows that really fit this time of year (late fall, almost winter, shudder).  It also proves that I do indeed swatch to figure out how my designs fit!

I gave into the seduction of Bernat Blanket a while ago and let it languish while I tried to decide what the heck I was going to do with it. I had purchased a ball (and they are large!) of white and another of ivory while they were on sale and put them away to think about.

I have little confidence with interior design so consequently my living room, while crowded was a bit stark. I picked up some blue fabric and covered my existing pillows but wanted something big and squishy for those TV naps (yes, I am still watching the movie) on the couch.

I thought that I should go through my stash and try to use up some of my waiting yarn to take advantage of the current trend of big knitting in home décor. I came across the Blanket and, knowing I had a couple of extra bed pillows, the idea for a cozy, squishy pillow was born.

Of course, I only had the one ball of ivory and no blue to match the little pillows which meant another yarn buying trip which is never a hardship. I picked up a ball of blue which was a great match and another of ivory as my swatch told me I would need that much.

I started out by playing with different needle sizes from 6mm to 8mm and ended up using the 8mm recommended. I had decided to make plain stripes but then thought a few changes in width and pattern would make them a little more interesting. Knitting in the round and a three needle bind off meant there was no sewing except to close the cast on edge once the pillow was stuffed inside which is always a plus in my book.

These comfy pillows have got a lot of use and were so easy to do. I have a hole in my stash now too! If I can think of something to make use of the white, I’ll have room for a couple of new skeins of yarny delight.

You can find the pattern in my Ravelry store here.

Knitting

Monsters In The Making

Iris Rose

Well I scooped an extra day this week by thinking that it was Thursday last Wednesday and posting a day early, oops!

This week, I have been continuing to make stock for my craft sale. I am almost (and that is a big almost) ready. I finished all of my Sugar Cubes for now and have moved on to Monsters. I had a bunch of fun with these as you can really use your imagination to make them each unique and as colourful as possible.

This toy is a great way to use up those fancy fluffy yarns that you bought as irresistible and now wonder what the heck you are going to make with it.

 

 

My pattern for these is free on Ravelry for now and is not a difficult pattern to make. You do need to have some knitting skills though to increase and decrease. I would not rate this as a rank beginner pattern.

I am going to continue my toy making for one more week and then it is time to inventory and ticket for the first sale. I am going to try to squeeze in a couple of more kid sweaters as well, good luck on that to me!

I started making a poncho with Hobbii Twirls yarn and I am not loving the way it looks. The yarn is really nice to work with. It is soft and has a nice stitch definition, but I somehow expected it to be more gradient than it is. You can see stripes in the work where the colours have changed. It may be that this is just the nature of this style of yarn. I own a cake of Whirl but haven’t used it yet. I hope it has gentler colour transitions.

Thank you for following my blog and have a happy crafty week!

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Cuteness Overload

Iris Rose

It is Thursday again and I have some cuteness to share with you this week. I am still plodding along with the craft sale stock but finally feeling like I am making some head way.

Before I show you my latest, however, I have a complaint to air. I use Aveeno Ultra Calming face moisturizer and bought a new bottle last week. Now I know that I bought the spf30 instead of the usual spf15 but really, half the size for the same price? It is scent free but the new one smells so strongly of plastic that I wonder what is leaching into the lotion from the container. Time for a new product, I think.

Now for my Sugar Cubes, based on the free rabbit pattern that I published here on my blog earlier this year. I am having a lot of fun making these. They are simple and don’t take a lot of effort to knit. The eyes are crocheted and the pattern for those is included with the bunny pattern as well.

If you want to make these for yourself, follow the bunny pattern but cut back on the number of stitches and rows. I cast on 30 stitches and knit twenty rows with a smaller needle (5mm) to make the larger of these cuties. The little one is 20 stitches and 15 rows. Icord arms and legs with a fuzzy foot and they are ready to cuddle!  I really do need to find a better photo background than the underside of my LK150.

Thank you for supporting me by subscribing to and reading my blog. Have a fun and crafty week with skeins and skeins of untangled yarn.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Toys For Sale

Iris Rose

I have been busy making new stock for my craft sales over the last few weeks and really having a blast creating them. I had been feeling a little stressed about managing my stock, but I think that I will be okay once I get through the load of knitted and crocheted but not sewn yet pile.

 

I decided to try production style creating again even though I hated it last time I did this. Hey, I like it this year! I found that doing all of the planning at once, all of the knitting or crocheting at once, making the noses and eyes, well, you get it, is really working for me. I feel like I am accomplishing so much more and that I will actually be done by the deadline. I sort everything into separate bags and, once the bag is empty, I start on the next one. I am actually having fun!

 

I have a bag of monsters, mini monsters and little square animals yet to be sewn. I had a bag of topsy turvy dolls and another of roly poly animals that I have finished except for two. I am on a roll!

Here are a few of the little things that I have made. First up are more topsy turvy dolls, because DH thinks that they are cute and will sell (I do too!), that are based on a Jean Greenhowe’s pattern.

 

Next finished are some roly poly animals that are really popular. These are based on a Barbara Prime pattern called Pookies.

 

I hope to get a few more things sewn up this weekend, Thanksgiving here in Canada, and will be well stocked for early November.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Regardless of where you live, have a fun and safe weekend with lovely yarn and easy crafting.