I don’t spend all my time in the kitchen….

….and this may be hard to believe to the high number of posts on my blog that focus on food that I prepare for my family, but my first creative love is actually knitting, and crochet (although I am still a bit of a crochet novice!).

I find it relaxing. I can zone out while I do it, and it can help me forget about the stresses in life for a little while.

image credit:http://www.etsy.com/listing/62339385/keep-calm-and-knit-on-8x10-print

Sometimes I sell my knitting through a page on Facebook. Like this piece I am currently working on for a market night.

and these 2 little newborn beanies made out of gorgeously soft, squishy, organic, merino. LOVE!

I am a member over at Ravelry, as any knitter/crocheter/weaver/spinner/yarn crafter should be, and am inspired daily by the amazing talents of the thousands of people that share their projects there.

If you are into yarn, and aren’t on Ravelry, you really should head over and join up. Just be prepared to lose MANY hours out of your day there, as you browse, download, admire, and (love) xx

My Granny Square Crush

Ok, so I’m not really a hooker (as in, one who crochets…..not the other type :-p), but I have a bit of a closet love affair with Granny Squares. They are so versatile, and can be as loud and bright, or as classically simple and chic, as you want them to be.

(oh, and sorry about the quality of some of the photos about to come, many are from my phone).

This is Amy

Miss C scored herself a lovely little Australian Girl Doll called Amy for Christmas, so of course she needs a whole heap of accessories and clothing. Miss C decided Amy needed a blanket, and I totally agreed.

This is Amy’s blanket 🙂

So, I had a dig around through my yarn stash for some scraps that would coordinate nicely.

I settled on scraps in pinks, purples, and greens.

I love Amy’s blanket…one could say it has me “hooked” on granny squares hehehe

Now as, quite frankly, a beginner crocheter/hooker, I cannot remember stitches off the top of my head, so I had to have a bit of a hunt around on Ravelry for a square I liked the look of, then refer to a book for the written instructions/diagrams for the stitches. I settled on a traditional granny square. Easy.

isn’t she a beauty?

Anyway, I used mostly Aran/12ply weight yarns, with a 5mm hook, and this (roughly 30x30cm) little blanket took me about 3.5hrs in front of the TV one night.

The ease and speed at which it worked up, totally got my blood pumping, and I have dived head first into a blanket for my little man, Matser E. I am aiming for something between cot size, and single bed size, depending on how long my yarn lasts me.

Perfect colours for a little boy 🙂

Cannot wait to complete this blanket for the special little man in my life!

while I’m in the mood…

I’ll post about another swap I was in.

Another winter warmer/shop the stash swap in my favourite group over at Ravelry.

For this swap, my recipient had said she would love to receive a crochet item, as she can’t crochet herself, so I decided on a neck warmer/cowl.

Pattern: Urban Shells Yarn: 100purewool “Gray Marvellous” Buttons: Coconut from Lincraft Hook: 4.5mm Extras: Darning needles; and large peg magnet, note pad, pens,  and bag from Typo

Unfortunately, the neck warmer wasn’t suitable when it was received 😦 but I hope to rectify this ASAP, as I feel really bad about it.

Winter Warmers

Recently, I was part of a swap in a group over at Ravelry.

It works kind of like a secret santa, where you are allocated a person to spoil.

Our theme was ‘Winter Warmers’, with the aim to shop the stash.

I was thrilled to find out the person I was allocated , is also a chocolate lover, and liked fingerless mitts, and the colour teal…..so I pretended I was shopping, dyeing, and knitting for me! Haha!

Pattern: Twistler Wristwarmers Designer: Wendi Dunlap Yarn: Henry’s Attic Licorice Twist, dyed by me

I really enjoyed knitting these, and will be taking limited custom orders for them from my Facebook page, Tanya Knits.

First Cab off the rank…

So to speak.

I have completed my first custom knit since starting my Facebook page Tanya Knits. These gorgeous longies will be off to New Zealand, just as soon as I can get to the post office without my 2 youngest children getting blown away in the wind, and drenched by the rain……it is terrible out there!!!

Pattern: Ultimate Longies by Shannon Passmore Trim Yarn: WOOLganic Organic Merino Worsted in ‘Chlli Pepper’ Main Yarn: Mosaic Moon Uruguay 3ply in ‘Hearthside’

I really hope these longies are loved by their new owner, as much as they are loved by me. I LOVE the yarn, and think I may have to try to track down some more Hearthside at some stage for my own little fella 🙂

Newborn Squishies

Just a quick project update.

I received an sms from my next door neighbour yesterday with some basic details of the arrival of their 3rd child, a new baby girl.

Within the hour, I had the needles out and firing, and by bed time, I had completed this gorgeous little number for the new princess:

Pattern: Kaia Babydoll Yarn: hand dyed (by me) 100purewool for the skirt Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury doubled for the bodice (also dyed by me) Needles: 5mm and 4.5mm

This gorgeous little pattern can be found over at Ravelry,

and I am also very excited to share that I am now licensed to knit and sell from this pattern 🙂

Busy Busy…

I have been a bit quiet of late, but I promise that is because I have been deeply engrossed in knitty stuff!

Firstly, I am the Designer in Spotlight for the month of May over at the Budding Designers Down Under group on Ravelry, so I have been busy keeping an eye on projects that group members complete from my patterns, and answering questions etc.

 

Secondly, I have been admiring and musing over some lovely yarn I have received this past week:

More details of these yarns will be shared once they have become the special items they were purchased for.

 

Finally, I am working away on a few more designs in the “puffy sleeved” range. A long line cardi with cable feature down the centre back, and a cute little cropped cardi……..and there also may or not be some rough sketches of another girly item too!! ;-P

 

Anyway, I have spent a lot of time getting familiar with spreadsheets, measurements, and gauge calculations etc the last couple of nights, and now have an almost complete pattern for my long cardi, and the first test knit from the pattern has been cast on.