More Crocheting

I've put the socks aside for the moment, as soon as I saw this pattern I knew I had to make it. Cute isn't it?

Source: lionbrand.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

First I trialled it with Cleckheaten Natural Cotton, only getting some of the back done as it came out too small. Decided on Magnum Soft, which has crocheted up a little larger using 5.5 mm hook. Am making the largest size, not sure which of my Great Nieces this is for, I suppose who ever it's closest to fitting. It's coming along quite well, if you don't count last night's crochet session. I couldn't get my head around the two rows (yes TWO rows that form most of the pattern. I kept frogging and only had about 10 cms of crocheting done after several hours. The night before I had done close to the whole back in less time. I blamed bad eyesight and ended up enlarging the pattern to a size my long sightedness could read. Then when I hopped into bed I did a couple of rows and it all made sense again.

Crochet and Felted Slippers

Over the Easter break I decided to go through my yarn stash to see what I had and to neaten up tangled balls. We drove to Kiama on Friday and I kept myself busy untangling a ball of cotton thread, didn't fall asleep once nor did I feel carsick. I untangled the last knot just as we drove into town an hour and a half later.

The weather was lovely, a little too cool for swimming, we watched the Blowhole for a while, it wasn't blowing very high and then with ice cream in hand walked along looking at boats. As we walked a lady pulled me up, telling me that the dress I was wearing was amazing. It made me feel great, but then my husband and son kept teasing me about my amazing dress. We took a short drive around town and followed a sign to the Little Blowhole. We found it better than the big one, it came out of 30cm (approx) hole and shot up high. Could get as close as you wanted to it, I got a little too close standing just on the outside of the veiwing platform when it sent the biggest plume up, I got soaked, my husband and son teasing me for getting my amazing dress wet. I didn't mind especially as they both had their cameras pointing away from me at the time.


As I was sorting through my yarn stash I decided I wanted to knit socks using some of my homespun wool but didn't have the right sized needles for it. Instead I crocheted slippers using Lincraft Surprise Yarn.


Basic Slippers.

1 ball Lincraft Surprise Yarn.
Using 5.5 mm hook

Pattern below fits size 7 -8 foot.

TR (Treble) is the Australian version, this stitch is known as DC (Double Crochet) in USA patterns.

Row 1: Magic adjustable ring, 3 ch, 5 tr into ring. Pull ring tight, join to 3ch with slip stitch. (6 stitches

Row 2: 3ch 1 tr into same stitch, 2 tr into each stitch , join with sl st (12 stitches)

Row 3: 3ch 1 tr into same stitch, 2 tr into each stitch, join with sl st (24 stitches)

Rows 5 -11: 3ch, 1 tr into each stitch. Try on slipper to see if you are happy with fit, add or decrease rows if needed.

Row 12: 3ch, turn work, 1tr into second stitch from hook, 1 tr into next 18 stitches (20 stitches)

Continue on for 9 more rows - again check for sizing, adding or decreasin rows for fit.

Finish off with slip stitch, cut thread leaving about enough to sew and to crochet around opening, I left about a metre of thread.

With slipper inside out, lay flat and stitch back opening closed. Stitch back up seam so the thread is at the heel opening, make loop with the thread and DC (SC in USA) into end of each row and stitch around foot. Sl ST closed, 10 ch, sl st into last edging stitch. This makes a loop that could be used with a ribbon to tie around ankle if wished.

With Surprise yarn it's always a surprise how the colours come out , I got three Slippers from one ball, the top is the first and the bottom is the last. The first 2 looked similar in colours because I purposely cut and joined the yarn. The third will be used as a display piece at work.



With the success of these Slipper/socks I was inspired to try a felted version using Lincraft Cosy Wool.

Using the basic pattern and working in DC , not TR - (half dc USA), I guesstimated the sizing, using size 5.5 hook and starting the first round with 8 stitches, second round at 16 stitches and third at 32 stitches. The toe section was 15 rows. With the foot/heel sections at 24 stitches and 11 rows long. Needs another row or two for proper fitting.

Before felting

After felting. After 5o minutes in the washing machine with a towel at 60 celicus, the width shrunk over an inch while the length shrunk about 1 inch.

The final product ended up being pretty much exact size as the basic slippper but because there is no stretch with the felting it's a little too small lengthwise for my foot. Will be adding a seperate heel piece later.

Crochet Bug has bitten

but I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I found this on Pinterest and fell in love.

Source: omelhordoartesanato.blogspot.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

So after some quick Portuguese lessons thanks to Google translate and some searching on Portuguese crochet terms, I decided to give it a go.

Chose a thread I could get locally which I hoped would suffice, I went with the size 5 I could find DMC Petra No. 5. There's no tension guide on the pattern so the best I could do was guess and after a few false starts am using a 2.5 mm hook. Am attempting a sleeve first.

Decifering the pattern has been a challenge, I think I am going ok have got a couple of the motifs done but there's no instructions or I haven't translated them yet for the actual construction. There is a drawing showing where the motifs go but it's pretty basic.

This may just end up being a dud, one that so far I've spent $50 on and may need more thread. I chose what I thought was a pretty green, but not sure if I still like it.

Christmas Gifts and Crochet Barbie Dress

To keep Christmas spending down to a minimum this year I've decided that most gifts will be handmade. I say that every year but this time it's more of a necessity it's either that or no gift giving.

I have our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and a growing number of great nieces and nephews. We don't really swap gifts with my husband's family, just his parents and a brother or two. Husband has already bought gifts for his brothers. Oh and one of his nephews family who just happen to be neigbours of ours.

I want to stick with supplies I already have on hand for the most part. I've started with a cute crocheted Elephant for a 1 year old great niece, at the moment it's waiting to be stuffed and sewn, perhaps a dress for her as well.






For her 5 year old sister and 4 year old cousin, it will be Barbie Dolls and dolls clothes. The Barbies have been in my stash for ages, I bought them a few years back to make Christmas Angels with. Was going to use Originals by Gidge designs

This dress was inspired by a pattern that was originally on Originals by Gidge. I only had 4ply cotton on hand so thought it would look fine sized up. Was going to make a long dress with bodice but during the first fitting of the skirt part, I tried it out as a strapless dress. Hmmm liked it.

Crocheted Barbie Dress.

4ply cotton
2.5mm crochet hook

Chain 7
Row 1:
1 dc, 2 ch, 1dc into 5th chain from hook, 1 dc into last ch. 3 ch, turn

Row 2:

1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 3.

Repeat row 2.

Row 4:

2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain, 3 chain, turn

Row 5:

Repeat Row 4

Row 6,

3dc, 2 ch, 3 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Rows 7 & 8:

Repeat row 6

Row 9

4 dc, 2 ch, 4 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Rows 10, 11 & 12

Repeat row 9

Row 13:

5 dc, 2 ch, 5 dc into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 14:

Repeat row 13

Row 15:

6 dc, 2 ch, 6c into 2 ch space, 1 dc into top of turning chain. 3 chain, turn

Row 16: Final row.

Repeat row 15, except for 3 chain, finish off. Leave enough thread for sewing panels together - 20 - 30 cm.

Repeat the above 4 more times, 5 panels in all. Do not finish off on final (5th) panel, leave thread on hook. Do not cut thread.

Laying panels flat side by side, just butt the edges together and join with simple overcast stitch, don't worry about taking small stitches, the lacy effect hides the stitches well. I stitched each panel as I completed them, saved having to make a new panel when one mysteriously disappears. As they do, trust me I know. Happens to me all the time, things just disappear.

Stitch 5 panels together to form flat piece.




With hook and remaining thread.

1 ch, sc up the edge of final panel, I did 2 sc per "hole" and 1 sc into edge of each shell. At the top turn corner by stitching 1 chain and then sc across top of all panels, 1 ch to turn and repeat down the edge of the first panel. Finish off, leave enough thread for stitching.


Stitch to about 3 cm below top and finish off. Sew press stud, velcro dot or button and loop for closure. Straps can be added if needed.

Of Maids and crochet.

Hired me a maid, yup a maid.

For at least half an hour each day she is employed to clean my house. I am a hard task master, no breaks during that half hour, she's been pretty good with it no complaining at all. First day she had to tackle my neglected kitchen, then second day is was back into the kitchen to clean up after dinner and then tidy the dining area. Today she put dinner on, a load of washing in the machine and then went on to tidy the main bathroom, I even had her on her hands and knees wiping over the floor with a damp cloth. After that she dished up dinner, I've insisted on her returning later to clean up the dinner things and the kitchen.

No real payment is provided, she will be rewarded one day a week with a day off either in or out as the whim takes me, perhaps a visit to a nice coffee shop or someother reward. If she doesn't make an appearance one day a forfeit will be made, no day off until her times are made up. Sounds mean doesn't it?

It doesn't matter what time she turns up as long as she does, last night it was 10.30 pm, the night before it was around midnight, tonight it was 7.30pm. I had just finished watching a favourite show and decided that it was time she turned up, was looking forward to it. I got up and walked to the kitchen dresser, pulling out her apron, pulled it over my head and tied it behind my back and TAA DAA instant maid. It's one of the things I didn't like about wife and motherhood, the maid or (dare I say it?) the feeling of being a slave to my family, it's really been a bugbear to me and is the reason I let things get neglected, perhaps I was a slave in a past life. Doing this puts things on my terms, I've turned around something that I thought was negative to being positive.

Her influence rubbed off on me, because last night after I put her back in the drawer I had the cleaning urge and cleaned the hotspot by my bed and my bedside drawers. I lit my salt lamp, sandalwood and listened to Sacred Earth, it's been a long time since I've done that. Afterwards I got into bed and read from Change your Life in 7 days before putting in Chakra Cleaning Meditation CD and then did the Hypnosis CD from Change your Life before falling asleep.

On the craft front, I've been crocheting myself a bag. Had been wanting a plain black bag for a while now and recently saw a crochet one for sale, figured I could make one myself. I came across this one at Future Girl, fell in love with the shape, I'm not doing the handle part, I want it to be a shoulder bag. Her instructions are great and the bag is coming along nicely. I chose Moda Vera Beetle yarn, 50% cotton/acrylic, would have prefered cotton only but this had the exact feel I was looking for, it's crocheting up beautifully on a 4mm hook. The yarn was on special $2 instead of $3, I think I'll need less than 3 full balls.

Just refered to the first part of this message, to some it might sound like sheer lunacy which is why I added it as a label. Perhaps it is, perhaps the Moon is working on me. We tried seeing the Super Moon but it's been rainy and overcast. Only saw it a little 2 nights ago and to me it wasn't that big, then my brother told me that because we are heading to winter we wouldn't see it at it's biggest anyway.

Did some time traveling today.

I LOVE THE WAYBACK MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!

A while back I was trying to back up some files and botched a file transfer, losing a whole file of downloaded crochet patterns. Was so disappointed because I loved the patterns and was saving them for a rainy day. At the time I tried the Wayback Machine but was unable to access the files. The other day we came across some printouts of a few of the patterns and I decided that I put out a call on here to see if anyone who might read this had some of the patterns. First I tried the machine again and was able to access most of the files. WHOO HOO! If you know the address of a defunct website the machine should be able to access archived pages.

I just spent an hour of ups and downs - downs when a file failed, there were 23 of those but there were 34 ups. Nice.

The website was called Originals by Gidge which offered beautiful crocheted dolls clothes sized for dolls such as Barbie. I'm very happy to again have a file full of these patterns but disappointed that so many were unavailable.

A relaxed Monday.

It's Monday morning and I am curled up on the couch, Laptop on my lap. Nice relaxing day today, no work they needed to cut hours at work and I jumped at the opportunity. Will mean less money but there are those at work who need it more than I and it's only for a couple of weeks. I don't go back until Wednesday. It's cool outside today, overcast and grey, complete opposite of yesterday where I spent time outside sitting in the sun in a tank top. Not bad for mid winter.

I decided to clean out my laundry yesterday, had noticed a smell in there, turns out to be the washing machine. I've looked it up, apparently I wash on too low a temp to rid the machine of bacteria so have just run the empty machine on it's hottest temp with out of date Dettol, hopefully it will do the trick. Bleach or vinegar was recommended but I don't have any. From now on I'll do this at least once a month.

Rehashed entry from my other blog, gonna shut it down once I pull out all my favourite entries.

More Dishcloths and a restarted UFO

I crocheted 2 more of the navy bathroom cloths, was asked if they would run but no colour came out when I handwashed the first one. I did wash them and they were put in the dryer (been raining for days here), they did shrink but are still fine for use, they will stretch out with use.



I also crocheted this heart dishcloth, it did take a while - apparently I can't count and kept missing stitches but it came out right in the end. The pattern can be found here http://members.aol.com/JSchlossma/heartdc.html

UFO

I also tried my hand at a KNITTED one! Much more utilitarian than the heart and angel cloths but I am pleased with how it turned out. I wanted a simple cloth, easy to knit with some texture to it. Looked at patterns but didn't find anything I really liked so I thought I'd do it myself.



This is just knitted with 5 rows of garter stitch to begin with (I had 49 stitches), followed by repeats of stripes of stockinette and seed stitches. The stockinette was 5 rows, while the seed was 6 rows. They were bordered with 3 stitches of garter stitch at the start and end of the rows. Then finished up with 5 rows of garter. I had about half a metre of the thread left after casting off.


The crochet bug has bitten me and I was looking for more thread to crochet with, have a basket in my craftroom that holds odd balls and an unfinished tablecloth along with the balls for it. The last time I worked on this was while I was pregnant with my son, he is now 12. I had misplaced the hook for it and didn't get around to buying a new one, then the pattern went missing. I still knew I had the pattern because I came across it a while back. I was able to find it and looked through my needles because I had since been given some hooks. I had thought it was a 1.25 but turned out to be 100. I started on one of the sections and was happy with my progress until I compared it with the cloth, my crocheting has loosened, not that I really was concentrating on it I was watching tv at the time. I have to make sure the stitches are tighter. Started again and the new working is matching the old. To finish the cloth as per the instructons, I only need 6 more mediallions but I have plenty of thread, could do another matching one or enlarge the cloth to fit my dining table. (update I still haven't gotten back to this)


The date and time are now correct, I finally got around to properly setting it up, had it set for Pacific time and not Sydney time - there was an 18 hour difference.

Spring Autumn Cleaning - Master Bedroom - finale.

I worked on the master bedroom today and am very pleased with the outcome. It really wasn't a chore, I looked forward to seeing how it was going to turn out and I also happily went onto cleaning the ensuite. Why have a clean bedroom and a grubby ensuite? We all use the shower in there so it does get a lot of use. I had been inspired to do the cupboard in there after doing the main bathroom last week. What you can't see here is my new sheer curtains, last time I washed my old ones I accidentally threw them out with some old curtains. I bought 11 metres of seconds curtaining, used over 4 metres on the window and the rest is earmarked to make curtains for the bathrooms. The only thing wrong was that part of the hem wasn't attached properly for a couple of metres, the bathroom curtains don't need that part.


Ignore the sleeping bag and bag, my husband was away this weekend and had just gotten home. At least he didn't dump all his bags in there.
I left his things be, only picking up the few things he had left on the floor before he left, he did clean up his side of the bed before leaving.
I added shelves to the shelf in my wardrobe, so much neater.
The floor is clear, I culled my shoes mercilessly - all the ones I haven't worn for ages are gone, only my favourites have stayed, they are on a shelf elsewhere.





I wanted to show off a couple of things on the bathroom counter, I love the cupids, I painted them many years ago in ceramics classes, there used to be a kneeling one but he fell on his head. I didn't get away scott free today, while mopping the floor I knocked a couple of glass candle sticks off the counter. They were only cheap but I was disappointed because I did like them, still have one left. But what I really wanted to show now was the toothbrush glass cover and bowl I crocheted last week, I love the way they turned out. I found the bowl pattern here the glass cover is my own adaption.




The decluttering I mentioned in my last post is going well, I filled the garbage bin outside completely and have donations in the car. If I can get off work early tomorrow I'll drop it off on the way home. One of the things I was thinking of getting rid of was my wedding dress, I didn't store it properly and it has discoloured and was taking up valuable room in my wardrobe, I don't necessarily like it but did back then. I chose to keep it but instead of it taking up space I put it in a vacuum storage bag and now it's slid under my bed. In the bag it's very obvious how discoloured it's become, I'll try washing it one day.