Craftyness

I've been in a bit of a craft black hole recently - fighting with the same few things over and over - pulling them out, starting from the beginning - pulling them out - and starting them again! Now I'm getting better at crochet, knitting and sewing (and I AM getting better) it's not just enough to finish something, I've got to get it almost perfect (note: I said almost perfect - I'm trying not to get back into my perfectionist ways).

So, what have I been making? Well, anyone who follows me on FACEBOOK will know that this weekend I've mostly been doing Formula 1 and Knitting!!!!

Jan's Glove-things!

My lovely friend Janice asked me to make something with some 'camel wool' she'd bought. Camel as in dromedary and not just the colour, although, as you will see, it is, actually camel coloured too! Who knew?We scooted around the internet for a pattern or 2 and she found these - very trendy wrist warmers - the latest fashion accessory.

So, armed with...

1. Zero experience of knitting on double pointed needles and 
2. No idea whether the wool thickness or needles were the right ones for the pattern,  

I forged ahead with them...(Thanks for the 'opportunity' Jan!)

I used some tutorials on YouTube to help with the double pointed thing. Love Love Love Youtube for tutorials!

I began to knit. It came out looking like a camel coloured tube - this was what I wanted!!!

I kept going - it seemed to fit my hand/wrist - this was also what I wanted!!!

I had to do a couple of alterations to the original pattern around the thumb hole as the pattern called for 8 rows of a gap to stick your thumb out and I decided this would have caused circulation issues, so I increased the count there, but all the rest has been more or less the same as the pattern.

With things being a bit busy the last couple of weekends, though, I've had no time to do any knitting since I got so far a few weeks ago, but yesterday, during the Grand Prix, I managed to finish the 1st one...

...and, get on with the 2nd! Yay!

I'm now up to the thumb hole on the 2nd one (it was a looooooooong race, wasn't it?) and hopefully, it will be done in a day or 2!!!

They look a bit irregular - I think that's partly due to my inexpert knitting style, but also the wool is of varied width and thickness - so it makes them a little 'rustic' looking. I hope Jan likes them! I think they're fab and will be making myself a pair very soon!

Booties for Sam

Sam...

The first pair I made were WAAAAAAAAAAY too small. Massively cute tho...

He has little (big) feet! So, I drew around his toes and then started another one. I made one, and still have to finish the other.

A bag for me

Yes I'm actually making something for myself!!!! It's a gorgeous wool in shades of brown and cream. I'm going to attempt to crochet in some round wooden handles. I will also line it and do all the proper pockets etc. This too, has been taken out and redone, twice. I'm going without a pattern so I just have to see what something looks like, in order to work out if that's what i want!!!

Mum's Cardie

Mum's cardie is becoming a real stop and start job. I've completed the back and the left front. I'm only about 5 rows away from completing the right front. Then, I only have the sleeves to go. It's not that it's taking a long time, it's more that I get going on it again, only to drop it when another new project comes along!!!

Some other stuff

A couple more bags on the go - can't tell - they're surprises!