Knit, Crochet and Natter 7: the School of Stitchcraft and Wizardry

[lazylinguist]

A thread for woolly crafters of all kinds, from beginner level to advanced sorcery!

Previous thread here

I think a handmade mermaid is perfect for a 3 year old @Oysterbabe. Most of my niblings have handmade toys that I made them.

Im a bit stuck on my socks. Pattern says I should finish on a RS row, it takes 14 rows to get from 21 to 8 stitches so I end on a WS. Any ideas? I have emailed the creator but I'm impatient

Could you do the rs row with 8 sts @CrochetBug then you end up the right way round? You'd have an extra row but I don't think that'd make a huge difference unless you're using a super chunky yarn.

As in, do the 8sc as a row so you're then the right way round, with no decreases

Thats what I was thinking @lucysmam. Although the sides of the heel already only have 7 stitches even though there'll be 14 rows to go into
Typical that I actually pay for a pattern for once and it seems to be wrong

I think a mermaid is absolutely fine and if it's the same quality as your elephant then perfectly acceptable as a small gift. My niece and nephew kept requesting crochet toys long after the age I thought they would have outgrown them.

oysterbabe I’ve given crochet items as gifts. People aren’t asking for them but I’m gifting anyway and it’s probably that people are too polite to complain That works for me though because I want to keep making things but I don’t necessarily want them in my house for evermore, so they need a home and therefore they’re being turfed out as gifts! There’ll probably be a thread on here about me in a couple of years ‘my CF “friend” keeps making tacky and weird crochet gifts for my kids - we have 20 fairytale blankets and 5 pairs of animal slippers!’

Anyone tried cross stitch

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. I'll see how she turns out. I bet get a move on, the hair looks like it will take a while!

InTheNightWeWillWish I am absolutely going to reach the stage where I'm giving crochet toys to everyone I meet I need to stop looking at patterns, I already have plenty I want to try.

The only thing I would bear (bare?) In mind with toys is that they don't have any kind of CE mark(or the post brexit equivalent).
The other tip is to stuff it until its so full you can't get any more stuffing in. Then leave it overnight and stuff again before you sew it up. I have no idea what happens to the stuffing but it seems to go flat.

I know you can't sell anything without it, but it doesn't apply to gifting things. However I know some people who are very strict on what they let their dc play with so I always let the parent know before I make it that it's not CE tested. And although I believe it's safe I take no responsibility for it. I am planning to buy the kit though so I can properly test stuff.

@languagelover96 Cross stitch was my first craft love, but I can't do more than about 15 mins at a time now before my hands seize up

Productive day here...I've sewn in the ends on the cottage, and frogged an old project for the yarn. I'll cake it tomorrow morning, probably. Oh and I've tidied up my bag...again 🤣 that won't last long 🤔

The house has hardly been touched though. I've pulled the muscle behind my breastbone & it's really sore :( I think I must have slept funny to get comfy with it, & I know I'm not sitting how I usually do, so now under my ribs is uncomfy too 🙄

I felt quite bad at dinner time actually; we have quite a few kids with various issues & I kept pulling teaching staff from their class rooms to deal with fights/escape attempts as there's no way I could have done it & not hurt myself more, and there just aren't enough other staff to deal with anything effectively :(

Sorry you're in pain @lucysmam . It's hard enough in schools in those situations even when you're feeling on top form - try not to feel guilty!
I'm doing tons of supply teaching atm because there are loads of staff absences. Behaviour isn't great atm - not helped by kids having cover lesson after cover lesson!

I'm determined to start a project this evening, but I've got so much housework to catch up with and lessons to plan!

We have loads of staff absences too lazy and I found out earlier my favourite teacher's leaving at Christmas :( I feel for the kids too - it must be hard not knowing which teacher you'll likely be having. Dd2's had her maths teacher for one lesson so far this year & between both girls they've always had at least one sub a day.

Did you pick a project to start? I've started the second cottage of my village & the first is ready for blocking tomorrow - I just need to remember to bring my pins down with me.

I did start the church but my gauge was well off so I'll go back to it after this one 🤷‍♀️

I think I'm going to start dh's hat first, but I'm planning to have my wrist warmers and ds' socks on the go too!

Thanks for the advice CrochetBug
The eyes will be embroidered and no detachable parts so hopefully she'll be fine with it, but I will check. I have no intention of selling anything. Is the CE testing quite hard work?

My mermaid is well underway and I think it looks OK so far. It's hard to tell. I hadn't appreciated how massive the head is, it's like a grapefruit I've used one of the kids nerf gun bullets in the neck so it doesn't flop around.

I've not done it myself @Oysterbabe but my friend said its not hard. But you basically have to destroy a toy so effective have to make one knowing it will end up in the bin. You have to set fire to them and stuff. Then, provided it passes, any other you you make to that pattern using the same yarn is classed as safe. I delayed buying the kit that tells you how to test because there was a chance it would change after brexit. I think I'll get Christmas out the way and then look into it.

I've finished my sock. I don't know if I should wash it and see if it survives the machine before I make its twin, or if I should make the 2nd one and wear them before I wash them.

I think I'll wash the one I've made rather tab potentially ruin 2 of them. I've got a machine load ready to go on anyway.

Omg, I'm half way through pinning my cottage & someone has shifted my second tin of pins ffs!

I hope the pva mixture washes out of the house part ok 🤔

Looking good, @lucysmam! How dare someone move your pins

Loving the new jumper design by Jen Steingass but definitely not in a hurry to make another one! here

I know! The two tins were together, on the table. The other is now nowhere to be found &, of course, no one has seen it 🙄 I'm not sure there'll be enough of the long ones I've used for the roof so I'll have to mooch to the post office & costcutter tomorrow to see if either sells pins.

On the bright side, the roof's drying out nicely. I'm excited to see it put together though.

That's stunning lazy! I can't co-ordinate knitting but would love to have a go at something like that in crochet maybe.

I've been browsing socks again since we got in from the local firework display. Dd1 says she'd like these in purple and black please mum 🤣

Wow those socks are so cool lucysmam
My DH is forever tidying my stuff away and then denying all knowledge.

Those socks are @lucysmam!

Aren't they!? I'm very tempted for myself as well.

Who knew socks were so fun

They are impressive socks @lucysmam!

What did your DDs do before you started to crochet lucysmam?

I’ve got the day off today but been doing a few hours because I need to get on top of everything before I finish (3 days). I’m going to do some crochet though this afternoon. I’ve been too tired and not done a single stitch all week. If anything I think I’m minus a few stitches as they seem to have been undone as they’ve been knocked off the sofa.

Happy Friday everyone

I'm on the collar of my test knit. It's such a strange thing, I really liked the original picture but I'm not sure about the final result. I went and made the 45" size and that was about half the positive ease recommended, I should have followed my gut to do zero ease. I think I might end up giving it to my brother if he wants it, he's a foot taller and broader than me and I suspect might fit it perfectly. Lucky it's unisex really...

I washed (and tumble dried) my non machine washable sock. It's kind of felted and lost all its stretch. I can still get it on but not easily. I think it's still wearable so I might make another one knowing they might not last long and find something else for all the yarn I bought for socks. Something that won't need washing!
And then the hunt for nice, affordable (in the colours I want) sock yarn continues!