felted scrap mini-beasts

When we were making felted necklaces the other day there were some tiny ends that we didn't want to use as beads. My daughter (7) disappeared and here is what she came up with:

Her mini beasts were made from little bits of felt trimmings stuck down on some paper with PVA glue and then drawn around to add the other shapes/ legs etc. I think they are quite cute.

More felted necklace fun.

My d.d. and I have been continuing with our felted necklace fun.

We are mad on these, they are such fun to make and get loads of good comments when worn. Thanks to Kleas blog for the original instructions.

This is how we go about it:

We start by sorting out which colours of wool roving we want to use. My daughter has to use at least one shade of pink!

She spread out the fibres and made some multicoloured piles which were then rolled up into sausages and dunked in warm (as hot as she liked) water.

There was then a lot of rolling and rubbing with a piece of soap and some net fabric wrapped around the felt. In the hot water, out again and rub.... keeping going until ...............

a roughly held together felt snake (or two) had been made.

 (The Secret bit: at this stage she went to bed and I cunningly put the sausages inside a dedicates washing net then threw them in the washing machine with a load of washing. They came out smaller and more solidly felted and needed a bit of pulling to make them straight.)

When dry they were then chopped up with sharp scissors to make the disc/ beads and threaded together to make the necklaces. Clear elastic thread seems to be a good solution.

This one was made for me and the bottom one was made for her, because it's got more pink in it!

Definitely good fun to make, great as gifts for children to make and be genuinely wearable.

There's a 7 year old girl at my daughter's swimming class who always comes to see me to check out what I'm knitting and what necklace I have on. She is desperate for her mum to help her make one, so hopefully this will be of some use!

Free Pattern - Easy Peasy Knitted Shrug

This isn’t the pattern that I’ve made for my swap partner, but it is a new free one. It’s very quick and easy hence being called ‘easy peasy’ knitted shrug. Well, rather a minimal shrug, more of a shoulder warmer. You can also push one arm tube through the other and wear it as a scarf: two for one. Nice!

It was a very simple, quick knit, done mostly on a car journey to and from Wales. I actually thought I had made up the stitch pattern, but latterly discovered it sitting in my Erica Knight lace and eyelet knitting dictionary. I think that might be what Elizabeth Zimmerman called an unvention.

Easy Peasy Shrug Recipe

I recommend using a needle a size or two larger than the ball band suggests in order to achieve a lacy effect. Swatching is advised, although ignore that advice and start and then knit a few rows, try on over the arm for size and rip back if need be.

Tension for 10cm x 10cm (4 “) in pattern = 24 stiches x 17 rows, I used Rowan DK Soft which is a DK / 8 ply (11 wpi) yarn on 4.5 mm needles

Start by measuring the circumference of your arm above the elbow. This will give you the size to use, though note that the size is the finished garment size rather than the arm size. If you are working at the given tension and I haven’t given a size that will work for you then one pattern repeat will add on (or take off) 3cm, adjust as required.

Small = 33 cm finished arm circumference , Cast On 68 stitches

Medium= 36 cm finished arm circumference , Cast On 74 stitches

Large= 42 finished arm circumference , Cast On 86 stitches

Note that the first and last stitch of each row are always knitted.

Pattern:

Row 1 : Knit

Row 2: K1 *K wrapping yarn around the needle 3 times* repeat to last stitch, K1

Row 3: K1 *transfer next 6 stitches to right needle dropping the extra loops, reach behind with the left needle to pick up first, far right stitches, temporarily dropping the left 3 stitches at the front of the work, then put these back on the left hand needle, knit across all six stitches which will create a crossed over set of stitches* repeat to last stitch, K1

(The alternative way to swap the stitches is using a cable needle putting the first 3 on the cable needle, put to back, Knit next three stitches and then knit the cable needle stitches. I just found it simpler not to do this because of the loose size of these stitches)

Row 4 Knit

Continue in pattern until you have completed a length equal to the distance from just above one elbow across the shoulders to the other elbow finishing on row4.

Cast off and block now if you need to.

Fold together to make a long, narrow tube. Graft the edges together from each end up to the end of 7th pattern repeat . Try on and decide if you want to continue grafting to make the sleeve longer. Make sure that you graft together the edges loosely so that the lace pattern does not distort.

That’s it. Easy!

Fish Bowl Biscuits

There's a danger here of a bit of competitive mum syndrome, but here's what we made for the school fair.

I couldn't help myself, the left over stuff from the swimming pool cake was calling me. So rather than go for volume on these occasions, I always go for over the top! Few, but special- I hope.

So, here goes for some rather large biscuits....

Basic biscuits made and cut out with a small metal flan case. When I say small, I mean bigger than any of my cutters, but smaller than a large flan. Then  I made some blue marble icing in the same way as for the swimming pool cake which was cut and stuck on top with a little runny icing.

Then a lurid shade of orange icing was used along with a large plastic fish cutter and a dot of black icing for the eye.

Followed by the wondrous clear icing gel liberally painted on top to add to the water effect, a selection of silver balls for air bubble and the vital sprinkling of glitter for added bling!

And at the fair.... sold in no time, but spotted being carried round very carefully by a couple of children!

All's not as quiet as it seems!

I’ve been busily working on a little knitting project for my swapee in Alice Yu’s knit love sock group that I’m in this year. I’ve landed someone who looks like they are a knitting genius so the pressure is on.

I won’t say too much until after I’ve handed over my little package, but I’m quite pleased with what I’ve made and will put pictures up at a later date. A couple of people have tried to run off with the knitted item, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign, but taste is a funny thing and I can only cross my fingers and hope that it’s well received.

I decided this year to set myself the challenge of creating a pattern for any knitted item that I make in a swap- that way I should be sending out something truly unique. I will publish it later for anyone that’s interested.

Shhh, keep it quiet!

More Bread!

My husband thinks I'm obsessed with no-knead bread. He could be right. It's so easy! The thing is, for medical reasons (which I won't go into it) I can't eat brown bread and for years I've tried to find white bread that i thought tasted nice, but white loaves with substance seem rather few and far between.

So, no-knead bread is worth the (little) effort for me. Have you given it a go yet?

I did a bit of experimenting, I replaced all of the water with freshly squeezed carrot juice (300g). It takes great. It looks hilarious. Bright orange bread. Funny looking, but not weird and disgusting if you know what I mean. Anyway, my young daughter eats it. I figured if white bread had to be eaten, why not try and get in some extra vitamins at some point? So, orange carrot bread is now regularly on the menu.

I've also tried throwing half water and half apple juice. Freshly squeezed. I'm rather keen on squeezing juice, I've got one of those Philips extractors has its on everyday at some point. Anyway, that was quite good. I wonder what else to try? I've been thinking about beetroot. I thought that might be quite a laugh! I'll have to wait until they started growing in the garden. Perhaps later in the year.

Swimming Pool Cake

Before I start this I should say that I am no cake decorating expert. I make one or two over the top ones a year and otherwise the decorating is more of a slap-dash, plonk and sprinkle affair. However D.D. asked for a swimming pool for her 7th birthday so here's how it went:

Having made a rectangular sponge cake with a secret (more later) it was time to ice. I started by colouring some fondant icing blue and then laid together sausages of blue and white before loosely mixing them together and rolling them out to make

a water effect which was then laid across the top of the cake.

On top of that I cut out a flat swimming figure giving her a costume and swimming hat, later I put some thin lines of white rolled out icing to look like rippled water.

Some quick tiles were made by cutting up squares of white icing which were then stuck around the edges of the cake

with some pale blue buttercream icing.

I quickly whipped up a pair of diving feet then covered the whole of the water surface with clear icing gel which I had to search for and had ordered in by a local cake shop, but that was when the transformation happened.

I cut out a DEEP END sign for one end and DD's name on the other along with 7 and it was finished.

The fun bit was cutting into it to discover that the water had depth!

Knit Love Club - 'Rumpled'

Hurrah, I've managed to get these finished at last. They were a breeze and I'm planning to use this pattern again. I finished them on Langland Bay Beach, Wales on holiday, which seemed most appropriate given the colour and the glorious weather.