Owl Fetchings//FO Friday and Year of Projects

You know when you find a pattern that you love, and it takes just a week to knit, bead and block the item? Yeah that. These mitts took me just 8 days to complete, I could have finished them quicker but I've been doing a little bit of designing and some painting. I absolutely loved knitting these AND I made a few modifications to the pattern:

 

Fetching Owls:

I purchased the yarn for these mitts back in April; it's Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran and I used about 1.25 balls. I cast on using a 3.75mm needle instead of a 4mm just to get a tighter knit:



 I made appropriate modifications for the length as I have quite long hands, and I wanted these to sit just past my wrists - so I added in some ribbing rows both before and after the thumb:

 I found these owls super easy to cable, and in actual fact the whole pattern was easy to memorize and just knit up - I love when you find an easy, fun knit that looks awesome:

 I had to pick up stitches for the thumb, and to be honest that was the only place I found a slight issue with the pattern - if I knit them again (which I probably will), I will pick up extra stitches as I had to reinforce the base stitches. However the thumb did come out well after those minor technical issues:

I chose to put just 2 beads on each mitt, because these beads really stand out and I wanted the owl pattern to show but to be quite strong. This last photo shows both the mitts, and our cat Bilbo who wanted attention!!!

I am super happy with my first autumn/winter project this year; I am hoping for chilly weather to come soon so I can wear them!!!

This post is part of my year of projects as I've used 2 of the techniques I wanted to have a go at - modification and picking up stitches. I'm also playing along with FO Friday and Tami.

What have you finished this week?

V xo

Fabulous Mr Fox//FO Friday

My Fabulous Mr Fox purse is finally finished!!! I think I could have finished him in under a week but then I got sick and I have to admit I was completely stressed out about the finishing. I've never lined anything - and I don't know much about our sewing machine, so it had to be hand sewn. Anyway I'm feeling much better now; medication changes make all the difference. But it's also meant that I have finally finished my purse.

 

Here he is in all his lovely glory; I think he's super cute. I decided to put a clicky button under the nose so I could close it; I'm not really sure how to fit zips next but I think when I knit my next purse I shall give that a go:

 

I've had some super pretty fabric tucked away for a couple of years - since we bought our sewing machine (I really must use that), so I decided that something with a woodland theme would be perfect for this purse. I drew around the purse, then cut the fabric just a little bigger. I then sewed the 3 sides together, fit it onto the purse and sewed it all in place:

 I wanted to share a little close up of the purse, you can still see some of the stitch definition in the purse, which I really love:

I absolutely loved knitting this purse, it's super cute and very easy. I'm excited to make another one - as I have plenty of yarn left. I love finishing something and feeling completely proud of it. What have you finished this week?

V xo 

Pretty Green Eyelet Socks//FO Friday

I finished my 2nd pair of socks; I technically finished them nearly 3 weeks ago but hey ho!!! I'm really pleased with these - they are very comfortable and the knit was nice and simple:

 I'm much happier with the heel on these socks; the picking up is neater and the heel is just slightly different from my first socks - which is always fun.

 Even the grafting of the toes worked out better; I was a little nervous about the grafting as on my first socks it went a little off - but I'm really learning about the construction of socks and all the little bits that make them work.

I'm currently knitting a few other pairs of socks; and I'm excited to start the Socktopus KAL next month - the order in which we knit is up and I'm very excited for July's socks; I wonder if I can get anyone to give me sock yarn for my birthday? (if it's a gift it doesn't count as stash - hahaha!).
What have you finished lately?
V xo

Fairisle Felted Needle Case//FO Friday

I finished my Fairisle Felted Needle Case a few weeks ago, after finishing the knitting in the middle of the night - and rushing to get the felting done; my fingers ended up very blistered:

 I hand felted because we have a front loader which means it's a little harder to stop mid cycle. I also didn't wear rubber gloves, and of course hand felting is quite rough on the hands. I already have paper like skin on my hands - they are very allergic to things - even the weather affects them. I guess it shouldn't have been much of a surprise that they blistered so badly.

 Anyway I am in LOVE with my needle case, I know some of the ladies who knit this (at the class I went too) trimmed the edges to make it all really straight but I decided to leave my edges rough - I think they look really pretty.

 I stitched the inside into place, and even bound the book with some of the white yarn - just to give it a nicer look.

I absolutely loved this knit, and it's made me want to knit more fair isle pieces - I have several hats in my ravelry queue and even a pair of a mitts. Colourwork is fun, it does take a little more time to knit but the colour changes keep your interest. If you get the chance to do a fairisle class I would highly recommend it.
What are you finishing this week?
V xo

The Puppy With No Name//FO Friday

On Wednesday I wrote about starting some new projects; which obviously meant that I've finished some projects (or I had horrific startisis!!!). I've finished 3 projects in the last little while BUT I want to share them one at a time as they all have stories behind them - so check out the blog for the next few Fridays.

 

I finally managed to finish THE PUPPY!!!

 I know I complained about this knit majorly; especially whilst knitting the body - the colour changes in the pattern were not overly clear (in my opinion). However I finally picked it back up after 6 weeks in the naughty cupboard AND the rest of the pattern flowed really well:

 The head knit up really well, the ears are super cute and the wee tail is too. I had a few issues during the sewing up as the instructions were pictoral rather than written - which I always find a little more complicated; but I got there in the end and it all stitched up really well.

 I thought I had some safety eyes but I couldn't find them anywhere (maybe they got lost during the big clear out???) - anyhoo I used buttons for eyes and the nose is a leather button I picked up in a charity shop (6 for 30p - I wasn't complaining).

Kristofer really loves his puppy, and finally decided on calling him Robert - which really suits puppy. He has had about 6 name changes in the time that I was planning the knit and during the actual knitting; I'm glad he finally settled on a name.
What have you been finishing lately?
V xo

Travel Socks//Finished Object Friday

I think since I started this blog last February, I've mentioned (quite a number of times) that I want to be the kind of knitter who isn't afraid to learn new skills and move forward with her craft. Thus last week I cast on my very first pair of socks; to say I was nervous is an understatement! However they actually knit up really quickly and I'm totally in love with them:

 They fit really well; to be honest the toes are the only part I'm not hugely happy with - I'm not that good at grafting yet, but I'm sure I shall get there:

 I am very happy with the heel, considering most knitters find turning the heel is the hardest part, I really enjoyed it and I think it came out pretty well. I actually found picking up for the gusset was the hardest part:

 And of course no sock photo shoot is complete without some kind of arty shot; so here it is:

And in true knitter style, I have already cast on my 2nd travel socks - which are some pretty eyelet rib ones from the same book. Thank you so much to everyone for commenting on my WIP wednesday post - I've had a look at quite alot of sock patterns on Ravelry as a result.
As usual I am playing along with Tami; have a knitty Friday and an inspired weekend.
V xo

Cadbury Owls//Finished Object Friday

My Cadbury Owls Sweater has been officially finished for over 2 weeks; but due to hail/snow/rain/sleet it was difficult to get photos outside. Last weekend we finally had a day that was dry enough and sunny enough to get some pictures - so thank you to my lovely MIL for being willing to stand outside when it was less than warm!!!

 



This is my favourite spot in our garden, I take alot of my FO photos here:

 Of course I had to to a close up of the Owls, I'm really pleased with how neatly they came out - the really do look like Owls!!! I was going to put buttons on all the owls but then I found these in our button bag (there was only 6 - and I need 2 spares, just incase) so I sewed them on and fell in love:

 And of course a standing photo, I'm glad I did the extra length on this - I think it would have been far too short if I hadn't. This angle makes my boobs look giant - they are actually not quite this big IRL! hehe:

I already have some yummy dusty pink yarn to make another Owl's sweater, maybe with large pearl beads for eyes this time? I think I will make it a little longer - more tunic length if I can but I love the short sleeves - I like to layer.
What have you finished lately? Pop over to Tami's blog to check out other FO's.
V xo

Blue Fudge Plains; 100th Post//FO Friday

That's right, it's finished AND it's my 100th post!!! I can't believe I've managed to get to 100 posts already; I've had a great time blogging here - and I've made some awesome friends along the way. I have to say a huge thank you to all my followers and commentors - you've made this journey really fun and I've felt supported during the tough times too!!!

 

Anyways onto my finished object!! This is Blue Fudge Plains, it took me 4 months to finish although I suspect I could have done it in a month had I worked more solidly over christmas. So here are some pics (taken by my lovely wife).

 

This is me wearing the shawl, I love this picture and it's made me more determined to knit one for myself (this is going to a close friend):

 One from the back, I'm really pleased with how the rows worked out - I've never done stripes before so it felt good to try something new:

 And of course a glamour shot!!! I love the fact that this shawl is asymmetrical - it's not a traditional shawl at all!!!

Of course having a finished object means..... I've cast on OWLS!!! At last - and I'm loving it so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has finished this week!!!
V xo
PS - remember I have a giveaway with Eskimimi on my blog right now, go leave a comment for a chance to win!!!

Blog//FO Friday



So a few weeks ago I changed my blog header, you remember that right? Well I didn't like it - infact I hated it!! I know I'm a little bit fickle but I need my blog to feel like MINE, so I've changed it again:

I needed something new and fresh; I'm still a newbie knitter but maybe not as much as I was when I started this blog - it's nearly been a year (can you believe it?) and sometimes a change is a good thing. So what do you think? I will probably update the photos throughout the year just as my FO list gets longer - I will hopefully have an actual yarny FO next week (so I cheated a little this time). The blue fudge plains shawl continues to go well - the stripes are really pretty (in my opinion).

Anyways that's me for now, I hope you've enjoyed this week's blog posts - next week I have a new knit nerd with an extra special giveaway AND who knows, my 100th post might fall next week - we'll see!! I'm close.

V xo

The Everlasting Scarf Stopper//FO Friday

I finally finished the Everlasting Scarf Stopper; and it's super pretty. I know it's only a garter stitch scarf right? But sometimes you put together simple stitches with some smooshy yarn and you get the perfect scarf. My wife loves it - she has been wearing it everytime she goes out, so really I couldn't be happier.

I'm still working away on my shawl; but I'm awaiting some yarn so I'm going to have to break on that until the yarn arrives - meantime my wife wants some mitts, so I'll get them knit up in the next day or so.

As usual I am playing along with Tami; excited to see what everyone has finished this week!
V xo

Agnes Hat//Review

When the lovely Faye, over at Buttons and Beeswax, asked for people to knit some of her designs, I jumped at the opportunity. I quickly decided on the Agnes Cabled Chunky Bobble Hat!!!

 I admit that I was freaking out when I printed the pattern, I was scared that this pattern was going to be too complicated for me; it took me over a week to actually cast-on. Then I got to the end of the brim and noticed a quite large mistake - therefore I had to frog the whole thing and start again. I was beginning to feel that this hat had something quite major against me.

 However I cast on again, and got cracking - it took me 11 days but I got it finished at the beginning of this week - and I LOVED knitting it; it knit up beautifullly, and although it was complicated, Faye's pattern writing is excellent - I cannot fault her at all. I'm excited to knit my next pattern of hers, and I urge you to go take a look at her patterns over on Ravelry and knit something of hers RIGHT NOW, go on - I know you want to .

 I guess all that's left is to say a huge thank you to Faye for letting me knit one of her gorgeous patterns; I need to decide what I'm doing next.

Lastly I thought I'd share another picture of Miss Holly, I accidently dropped mealworms on the bed -you would have thought it was christmas, she was so excited!!! We love her so much, she's the perfect addition to our family:

I'm excited to see what everyone else has finished this week; so I'm playing along with Tami!!
Have a great weekend, V xo

Lenny the Elephant//FO Friday

I finally finished Lenny!!!!! Isn't he a cutie? I knit him using 100% merino candy skein yarn - it's so delicious and worked really well for this:

 I'm not keeping Lenny, he's already gone to his new home with a baby named Aaron; he has been welcomed with open arms and is already so loved. I hope he goes on to become a well loved toy. Here he is with his special welcoming tag ready to go:

I would definitely knit another one of these, infact I'm thinking about knitting one for myself, I loved knitting it so much. I've got more of Rebecca Danger's gorgeous patterns in my queue, I think I'm making a dinosaur next!!!
What have you been finishing this week?
V xo

Pixie Hood//FO Friday

Okay so I didn't finish either of the projects I had intended on finishing - shocking huh? However I worked late into Wednesday night to finish my pixie hood. I then did a little photoshoot by myself to get the best photos of the hat:

 It's a super cute, and very comfortable hat - plus it's easy to use and the 3 needle bind-off makes it look really great:

 I would recommend this knit to anyone, although it's simple you do learn a little and it's a nice potato chip project in that it takes no time at all to complete and you don't have to be paying too much attention!!! I also used my kindle for this pattern, I simply downloaded it and away I went. This photo was just for fun:

So what do you think? I entered into various "sports" in the ravellenic games - I'm really enjoying it. My 2nd mitt is coming on well but I just want to get Lenny the Elephant finished - just one arm to go then he'll be done too.
Make sure you stop in at Tami's to see what everyone else has finished.
V xo

When Things Go Wrong//FO Friday

So the first baby jacket is finished, I had a few issues with sewing up and finishing, and it's by no means perfect but here it is:

 The underarms are slightly out, and the bottom is relatively unstraight - it's great for a first try at an actual shaped garment, I'm really proud of myself. I've done shawls, and accessories, done really well at those things but maybe I need to give garments a little more care and attention. Maybe I need to leave garments alone for a little while - build my skills in small items and get ready to do garments later. What would you do? I don't want to wuss out, I'm loving knitting and I want to learn - but what's the best way?

V xo

Elefante//FO Friday

After staying up very late a couple of nights this week, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Florence/Elefante is FINISHED!!!! Yes that is right, I have a finished object *bows* I am feeling just a tiny bit pleased of myself.

The head and trunk were the hardest I think, it took me a while to get the hang of it but I think she's pretty perfect.

 I crocheted her tiny ears, and I did an i-cord for the first time!!! I've learned so much just from this tiny elefante!!!

What do you think? Isn't she just cute? I'm glad I went just for one solid colour instead of stripes, it make my first attempt at DPN's just that little bit easier. I think everyone should make one of these - I loved it so much I've been asked to do another one - for a baby boy this

Wedding Slippers//FO Friday

My little sister is getting married in the summer (I'm her maid of honour); and so I decided to knit her some wedding slippers to wear the night before. We get to have the bridal suite to ourselves, with breakfast in bed so we're feeling pretty special!!!

 I used the pattern, Ridiculously Easy Mary Jane Slippers, but made a few modifications. I needed them smaller as Clare has teeny feet and I didn't particularly want the band - so I just knit a little higher up the front and they fit like a dream.

She really loves them and can't wait to wear them - I love knitting things for people who truly appreciate the work that's gone into it. I'm in the middle of a few gift knits right now, what are you gift knitting?
V xo

Green Grass of Spring//Finished Object Friday

It's come around to Friday so quickly this week, I can't believe it. In the coming weeks I have some lovely new features coming to the blog, so look out for that. But in the meantime it is FOF, and if you look above you'll see my finished object. This is the first thing I've designed, it's pretty basic but I love it and you can find the pattern on Ravelry and here on my blog if you fancy knitting it too. It's made up of knits and purls and some slip stitches. Let me know what you think. I'm very excited because I've started working on my next pattern.
Make sure you stop by Tami's blog to see what everyone else has finished this week,
V xxx