Knit, Crochet and Natter 8: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn!

[crazyjinglist]

A thread for woolly crafters. All welcome, from total beginners to experts!

Previous thread here

Tried my hand at embroidery today. This is the cardi I’ve been designing for my little girl.

That's lovely @buckingmad , very nicely done 🥰

That's so pretty @buckingmad ! My dd has just started learning to embroider and is really liking it!

Very pretty @buckingmad I wantt to embroider but stop myself because there's nothing I want to actually have embroidered and partly because I don't have as much time as I'd like for knitting. I hanker after this book which has techniques from around the world in it.

My Pinterest is currently full of machine embroidery, 1930s smocking and Weta workshop costumes ( in a parallel universe in my mind, I work there). And funny animals, which is a favourite way my ds and me spend time.

That's a fab jumper @lucysmam . Just the sort of thing I'd wear.

This book

Oh flipping heck. Embroidery: a makers guide by Thames and Hudson

@buckingmad that is beautiful!

Thanks all! I’ve now got big ideas on embroidering something for my first wedding anniversary to stick to the cotton theme!

The embroidery is lovely @buckingmad

I do like a bit of smocking @MerylSqueak but I haven’t done any in years. That’s something else for the never ending list of crafty things to try.

That is beautiful @buckingmad! Lovely the way you’ve placed it too!

The wool for my CAL for my mum arrived. I think my InTheNight dog is even more excited by yarn deliveries than I am…

@InTheNightWeWillWish you've taught your pooch well haha! I'm looking after MILs yellow lab next week and I'm so excited! Although I was hoping to also start that CAL and not sure how he'll react to yarn! 😂

I haven't ordered the yarn they used (although I probably will at some point and do another one) I'm just going to use up yarn in my stash because I'm trying not to buy any new yarn until I use up the 3 bags sitting under my bed 😳 I wonder if it will be like the last CAL and I'll end up with half the yarn leftover!

@sophs29 hopefully if he’s older and out of the knob adolescent stage he won’t be too obsessed with your yarn. The advantage of labradors is that if they are obsessed with your yarn, they’re more obsessed with food so just give him a big chew and you can get on! My mum wanted those exact colours, which I obviously didn’t have in my stash 🙄but as it’ll be her Christmas present, I should probably treat her to new yarn anyway and not stash yarn! I expect there will be some leftover because I think they have to allow for everyone’s tension. If there is any leftover though as it’s just granny squares you might be able to make a smaller one or just do another stash project. I keep saying I’m not going to buy any yarn until I use up my stash but my stash doesn’t seem to have what I want/need to work on! I’ve found out my friend is having a baby though and so I’ll definitely be going through the stash for that one (although I have a knit pattern for a baby blanket and I’ve tried two different yarns with that pattern and neither work, I’d love to give her that blanket though but I’m being strong and working with what I have).

Hahaha @InTheNightWeWillWish I think he's 8, however he still definitely thinks he's a puppy! But yes food will definitely distract him!
I think I'm going to give mine to my mum so she won't mind about colours but my niece would love the original colours for it, so maybe that could be a birthday present for her if I enjoy making the first one!

Oh a new baby, how lovely! Are you going to knit the blanket then or? Your knitting has been so neat for someone just learning!

@sophs29 I’m not too sure whether I’ll knit or crochet or maybe one of each yet. I have this blanket already made and I have the yarn in for this one, which I really want to make. I’m doing a knitted blanket just using up some scrap yarn which is a pale blue, yellow and white. I’m not doing anything too fancy just basic stitches on that one. I really, really want to make this knitted blanket but I’m struggling to find the right wool. The pattern doesn’t specify which wool they used so I think I’ll message her and ask. However, I’ve got so much in my stash and can make other baby blankets so I feel I should do something from my stash. I just think the penguin blanket would make such a lovely gift! Clearly I need more people to have babies and to quit work to fit all the yarn crafting in but somehow have an unlimited pot for yarn purchases then I can do all the baby blankets I want to!

The advantage of labradors is that if they are obsessed with your yarn, they’re more obsessed with food so just give him a big chew and you can get on!

My lab is broken @InTheNightWeWillWish

Can generally manage a bit in the evenings when she's already napping but just when you think you're safe she'll decide yarn is what she wants. And if she manages to grab yarn and get it into the garden no food competes. This was Friday!

Oh but she looks so happy @tizwozliz !

I saw this while browsing this morning and I think it's rather fab. I can't crochet though, so I thought I would post it here.

www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/p/flower-patch-poncho-free-crochet-pattern-in-paintbox-yarns-wool-mix-chunky

@InTheNightWeWillWish that blanket is lovely! I love the colour scheme of the one you linked too! The penguin blanket is absolutely adorable, that would be a lovely gift to receive! From looking at the reviews someone used 'Caron 4 yarn'? But yes I'd message and ask her, none of the review pictures quite look as neat as hers so I wonder what yarn she used!

@tizwozliz she is gorgeous! How old is she now? I would cry a little inside if my yarn was dragged around the garden though 😂

@MerylSqueak wow! Mum would love that! It's right up her street but I wonder if the tassels would be annoying/itchy!

@tizwozliz are you sure she’s a lab and actually a cat? Have you tried distraction yarn, so having an inexpensive ball she can run off leaving your yarn alone? Or will she just ignore the distraction yarn?

@sophs29 I’m always a bit reluctant to use Caron because the cost is quite high due to it being imported. So I think I’d prefer something I can get over here.

Yes @InTheNightWeWillWish I recognised the name but didn't think it was one of our usual yarns! Fingers crossed you find a suitable yarn if you decide on that project!

@sophs29 she turns one this week. Fortunately only style craft special so less than a couple of quid so could have been worse!

@InTheNightWeWillWish she likes to lull you into a false sense of security, so this yarn has been accessible for weeks and has been ignored, then one day when you're least expecting it... In the winter we can generally trade at the patio door, if the doors are open and she gets outside with it, no chance!

Eek! I am lucky, because neither ddog nor dcat takes the slightest interest in my yarn!

How's everyone getting on? I'm not getting mych knitting time at the moment, but did some more of my hat last night. I really like the pattern - must try more Kate Davies ones! I'm going to make the fingerless gloves to go with it.

Dh has resigned from school, hopefully with immediate effect (assuming they let him go without a fuss, which they probably will under the circumstances) and should start his new job on 1st June - he's quite excited! I've got one last teaching job to apply for, and after that (assuming they don't give it to me!) I've decided to hang up ny teacher hat and go for entry-level admin jobs!

That’s brilliant for your DH fairisle and good luck for your application! Did you see Kate Davis released a new hooded vest pattern yesterday? I love it!

I’m not getting much done, DS2 wants a woolly mammoth hat like Dino Dana’s so I’m working on that but I’m not a great crocheter so it’s slow.

I did get my loom warped one night for a sampler but haven’t had much time to weave, but that’s the fun bit anyway so it’s ahead of me.

😄 at the dogs and cats pilfering yarn. One of my cats seems to want to cut out the middle stage and nicked my favourite knitted hat off the windowsill beside the back door where I’d set it and ran off down the garden with it. I had to chase him like a lunatic to get it back, then wash it, muttering about ingrates…

she likes to lull you into a false sense of security she definitely sounds like a cat @tizwozliz 😆

@SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound dog2 likes to pinch the yarn but dog1 likes to claim the finished project! So can’t win either way with these two!
@Fairislefandango that’s great news about DH. Good luck with your last interview but it sounds like you’ve both made your peace with possibly leaving education.

I have an interview next week. I’m having a wobble about if it’s right for me but I’m still going to attend and get back in the swing of interviewing. The CAL for my mum’s blanket starts tomorrow. I’m not sure if I’m going to start it tomorrow or try and get some other WIPs finished first. Need to do some knitting and keep practicing but crochet has sort of taken over at the minute.