Tag: small projects

Knitting

Closet Find Now In Rehab

Iris Rose

There are two things that I hate about cleaning my closet. The first is cleaning my closet. The second is deciding what to get rid of.

Once I get going, however, I can be ruthless. In fact, I am so ruthless with discarding clothing that I find myself with more empty than full hangers at the end of the clean. I also end up with a pile of clothes that are new, near new, loved but don’t fit quite the way that I would like them to, and clothes that I just know can be redeemed from the discard pile if I can just somehow fix them.

I have been good about keeping up with the closet every six months but, for some reason, I find I am putting back the same few redeemable clothes over the last couple of purges. I think that these pieces are like the single skeins of yarn that I buy, just too pretty to be tossed but why keep them if they are never to be used?


One such piece is a very pretty quilted vest that was given to me as a gift. It is very well made, soft and does fit but, and here it is, I just don’t feel right in it. We live in a cold climate. I need sleeves.
I tried to pass this pretty vest along with other new cast offs to DDs last weekend but no dice. DD1 liked it but said “my arms will be cold”. I confess that I donated the rest of the bag but took the vest home. I just like it!

I have been stewing over keeping this odd piece of clothing ever since Saturday. This is just an example of my peculiar way of thinking of fibres; I really want to keep this soft, quilty, cozy vest but have no idea when, more likely if, I will ever, ever wear the thing.


Yesterday I had a light bulb come on; why don’t I knit or crochet sleeves! With sleeves it won’t be a vest any more and my arms will be warm. If the sleeves are tightly crocheted or knitted the vest can double as a light jacket. I am dying to get started but I need to stash dive for a complimentary yarn and decide on which craft I will use.

I am putting all of my WIP’s aside this weekend and devoting my crafting time to sleeves. I hope to have a finished vest with sleeves that will then be known as a jacket, done by Monday. Bet you can’t wait for next week’s blog to see how this project turns out!

Happy crafting!

Knitting

Easy Bunny Pattern, Free Of Course!

Iris Rose

For any one in the Calgary area who is interested in dropping by, I will be selling my wares at the Etsy Spring Fling in Okotoks on Saturday, May 5th.  We will be at the Elks Hall, #31, 58 Elizabeth St from 10AM to 5PM.  I would love to meet you!

I posted a photo of my newest bunny creation last week and, because it is just such an easy (and cute) make, I thought that I would share the pattern with you today. This little rabbit is made without too much in the way of complicated shaping making it an ideal quick gift for a baby, kid or even your BF. Does anybody say BF or BFF anymore? I am sadly out of touch!


In any case, dig through your stash for that fuzzy yarn that you couldn’t resist buying and now don’t know what to do with and get started. I estimate an hour or two of knitting and about the same for sewing up and you will have a sweet addition to the family!

I have included my pattern for crocheting toy eyes that allows you to securely sew and tie the eyes on so that they are baby proof. The large size only is in the bunny pattern but, just because, I have added the complete pattern at the end of the post. If you want a knitted pattern for eyes and or a crocheted pattern for a nose, you can download both with my Monsters pattern which is free on Ravelry.

Happy crafting this week!

Easy Bunny

Materials: Pipsqueak or similar fuzzy yarn held double, 90m plus about 12m for ear contrast. Dk or sport weight yarn, held double, 30m, polyester filling, safety eyes or a crocheted or felt circle for eyes.

Tools: 6mm knitting needles, 4mm double point knitting needles (2) or a short circular needle, large eyed tapestry needle for sewing.

Body: using your fuzzy yarn held double, cast on 40 stitches. I used a cable cast on. Knit 30 rows in stocking stitch.
Divide your stitches in half on two needles, wrong (purl) side out, or both ends of a circular needle for a three needle bind off. Use a crochet hook and bind off the two sets of 20 stitches together to close the end of the square. This will be the top of the head. Put this piece aside and make the other pieces.

Ears: You will make four pieces, two in the main colour and two in a contrasting colour for the inside of the ears.
Cast on 7 stitches and knit 14 rows of garter stitch.
Decrease 1 stitch at each end on the next row (knit 2 together).
Knit 1 row.
Decrease 1 stitch at each end of the next row (knit 2 together).
Knit 1 row.
Knit 2 together, knit 1. Cut a long tail for sewing. Take off these stitches with a tapestry needle and pull tight. Sew a main colour piece to a contrast piece along the long edges from the wide cast on base to the point and back down to the base. Set these completed ears aside.

Legs: Using your fuzzy yarn, cast on 7 stitches and knit 1 row.
Purl the next row, increasing 5 stitches across by knitting into the front and back of every second stitch.
Knit 5 rows of stocking stitch, starting with a right side or knit row.
Purl 2 together across. You will end up with 6 stitches.
Change to your dk yarn held doubled and, using a 4mm double point needle or circular needle, start a 6 stitch icord for the leg. Knit 15 rows, cut a long end for sewing the leg to the body, thread the stitches with a tapestry needle and pull tight. Make a second piece.

Arms: Using the dk yarn held double, work the hand as the foot and leg. You only need to work the icord for 10 rows. Make a second piece.

Nose: Using the dk yarn held double, cast on 3 stitches. Starting with a knit row, work 2 rows of stocking stitch.
Increase 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any increase that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Increase 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any increase that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Increase 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any increase that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Work 4 rows of stocking stitch.
Decrease 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any decrease that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Decrease 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any decrease that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Decrease 1 stitch at each side on the next (knit) row. You can use any decrease that you prefer.
Purl the next row.
Cut a long end and thread the remaining 3 stitches with a tapestry needle. Draw tight. Thread the yarn around the outside of the piece with a running stitch and gather up. Stuff the nose lightly and pull the thread tight to close. Fasten off but leave a tail remaining to sew the nose to the face.

Crocheted Eyes: 4mm hook needed.  With sport or dk yarn, ch 2. Make sure that you have at least a 10cm, 4” end from your starting ch as you will use this to secure the eye to the face.
R1: 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join with slip stitch. For small eyes, fasten off and leave a 20cm or 8” tail. Thread this tail on your needle and, working in the back loops, gather the edge to form a ball. Do not cut this tail and do not trim the shorter end as you will need it to secure the eye to the face.
R2: (sc in sc on last round, 2 sc in next sc) twice, 2sc in last sc, join with a slip stitch.
R3: sc in each sc around and finish as in R1.
Fasten off and leave a 20cm or 8” tail. Thread this tail on your needle and, working in the back loops, gather the edge to form a ball. Do not cut this tail and do not trim the shorter end as you will need it to secure the eye to the face.

Making Up: Centre the nose on the body piece and sew it down securely. Place eyes to your liking and attach by the appropriate method to whichever eyes you use.
Sew the side of the body piece from top to bottom. Leave the bottom open for stuffing later.
Sew the feet closed, stuffing lightly before you sew the opening completely shut. Sew the legs to the bottom edge of the front of the body.
Sew the hands closed, again, stuffing lightly before finishing. Sew the arms to each side of the body about half way up the side.
Sew the ears to the top of the head.
Sew about half way along the bottom piece with a mattress stitch. Stuff to your ideal squishiness and sew the remaining half closed. Give your bunny a shake to fluff it up.

Crocheted Eyes: 4mm hook needed.  With sport or dk yarn, ch 2. Make sure that you have at least a 10cm, 4” end from your starting ch as you will use this to secure the eye to the face.
R1: 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook, join with slip stitch. For small eyes, fasten off and leave a 20cm or 8” tail. Thread this tail on your needle and, working in the back loops, gather the edge to form a ball. Do not cut this tail and do not trim the shorter end as you will need it to secure the eye to the face.
R2: Medium eyes only: sc in each sc around, join with a slip stitch and finish as in R1.
R2: Large eyes only: (sc in sc on last round, 2 sc in next sc) twice, 2sc in last sc, join with a slip stitch.
R3: Large eyes only: sc in each sc around and finish as in R1.

Yarn, Knitting and Crochet

Projects Finished and What’s Next?

Iris Rose

Last Saturday found DD1 and I at the Fibre Shindig. Wow, what a wonderful experience but very hard on the budget! Lots of gorgeous squishiness leapt into my shopping bag to come home and join the stash party.

Speaking of stash, I am using up my stash of worsted ends with charity hat knitting.  I know that I wrote about this before but here are a some of the hats that I made this month.

Do you ever hit the wall creatively? I am so there. I haven’t even got the creative juice to clean up my new patterns and publish them. Do you think it might be spring fever after the long dark winter? I hope so as I am ready to rock those needles and hooks if I can just find the right project! I will update you next week; my mind is cooking up an idea while I am writing this!

Okay, enough of the grumbling! I have made a new toy and I am tickled with the result. How is this for some serious cuteness!
I started with my monster pattern, which is free on ravelry by the way. I made longer ears and left out the hair rows on the body piece. It is an easy adaption and a quick make.


I finally got this little sweater sewn up this week. It had been languishing in the UFO pile for only a short time, but I am determined that the UFO pile is going to stay at two week finish or frog status.


I also found this little cradle bag, almost finished, when I organized (sort of) my stash and finished it up this week as well. Looks like I am on a roll!

Happy crafting this week and may all of your yarn pull easily from the centre!

Crochet

Spring Flowers (No Rain!)

Iris Rose

This week I am switching up my crafting and presenting my latest crochet endeavor to you. I needed some decoration for my craft sale on May 5th and really didn’t have anything around that would do.

All of my booth and table decorations are geared toward Christmas as I normally only do sales at that season. Etsy, Made in Canada, is now promoting year round local sales with three, one each in spring, fall and winter. Robyn (aka DD1) made a string of crocheted Christmas lights last year that really looked great draped along the front of our table. She suggested doing something similar in a spring theme, so the idea of a flower garland was born.


I love to simply crochet, to heck with a pattern, when I am making three dimensional things. I have made many flower decorations for baby hats, so I am quite confident in basic flower design. If you are not comfortable winging it and want to create some loveliness for home, I highly recommend the Mypicot website. For a one time fee, you can download hundreds of stitch patterns including booklets of flower and leaf designs.


Back to my flowers, I made these in the evenings by trial and error, lots of error, and am really pleased with the final design. I crocheted a double yarn chain and joined all of the flowers, varying size and colour of both flowers and leaves.


I am very happy with the finished garland. It is more than I imagined; don’t you love it when that happens! I have a few extras that I am going to leave as individual with leaves attached for scattered adornment, maybe with wired stems.


I have been sweating over my knitting machine as well and have another almost sewn up yoked sweater done. I will post that photo next week after it is blocked.  Now I just need to settle on a hand knit project!  I have kind of hit a creative blank so having the garland turn out well is a big morale boost for me.

Happy crafting and may all of your yarn be untangled and all of your work come together beautifully!

Knitting

Done Dollies!

Iris Rose

Last week my subject was undone dollies. This week, tada, they are almost finished! I only have two little mermaids left to sew up and I am all done with this portion of my sale stock.  I went from this

to this

in just five days!  The little babies are about 15cm or 6″ tall and the little kids are 10cm or 4″ tall.

I had a good time putting these together. I usually have fun knitting these little toys; so much fun in fact that I keep on working on the knitting part with no regard as to how long the finishing will take. I normally regret my knitting impulse but this time it was different. I didn’t hurry through the process last weekend. I took my time with the faces and hair and really enjoyed myself.

  
I confess that I do like all of them but one. I am just not happy with the face on one little one but have a plan to redo the eyes and I think that it will make a huge difference. A couple of the little mouths are crooked but, as in real life, I am just going to accept them as they turned out. Someone will find them huggable I am sure.

  
I need to get back to reducing my stash and knitting little toys is definitely not the way. I see a blanket or two or at least a couple of bulky sweaters in my future project pile. Now if I can just get to it.

Have a happy week and enjoy whichever craft you decide to work with.