Snowflake Sweater

Another pattern from the test knit group. This one I really enjoyed making! It is also sized all the way from 6 months to ladies XXL, so I think I will also make one for myself after I finish the things I have already committed to in my mind. No live models, so I improvised with teddy bear, who was a most willing model. It was either that, or a large stuffed cow! LOL Maybe she will be the next model.

Lots of other info about this one on my Ravelry project page. It was a fast knit and it turned out wonderfully. I hope to do others by this designer in the future too (and it is a Canadian design team to boot!)

Time for some Sweet Treats!

Continuing the food creation, some tarts, cupcakes and other sweets have taken shape. It is as much fun creating possible flavours for them as it is in creating them!
More treats to come .... I would like to have several dozen of them to send to the nurses at dialysis for a little Christmas treat. They also make lovely little toy food for serving at tea parties!

Birthday cupcake in double chocolate, complete with candle and child safe "flame"

The cupcake case is removable too! :D

Mmmmm Strawberry Parfait

Black Forest Tart

Mocca with Rum ball topping and chocolate drizzle

Pumpkin with a dollop of whipped cream

Strawberries and Cream

Peach Parfait with mini Cannolli topping

Let your imagination run wild!  :D 

Angelfish Shawl is Finished

I finished blocking the shawl last  night, but since the designer has not made the larger shawl herself, I did not know how large to stretch it for the blocking process. The final size for me, as I did the blocking, is 24 inches by 48 inches.  I am not sure if it is the yarn or the blocking, but the pattern does not really POP like I think it should. Maybe it is the colour. I DO like the final product and the yarn was wonderful to work with, I just am sorry it does not show off the design for the designer. But, she just wanted the pattern checked for errors and clarity so those parts I did fulfil well for her.
I intended to model it myself, but my assistant photographer is not very good (and he is also in bed sleeping!) so I took the pictures hanging instead. I hoped the red behind would enhance the design but not so much so. Oh well.

Smiley Snake Toy

This is another pattern that I tested in the pattern test group. 

It is supposed to have a wire inside it so it can be posed.

But I used some old oxygen tubing inside it so it still has body, and it coils nicely. I could not see putting a length of wire inside a toy for any age group. No matter how much padding you put around it, there is a big chance of the wire poking through. Originally I planned to put the wire inside the tubing, but when it came to that point I could not find my wire. And that was a huge search! I have no clue where I put it, but I have a large package of craft wire, somewhere, in this house!

It is cute. But, I think the hat is a little to girlish .... I try not to stereotype, but I can't see too many little girls wanting a toy snake. Maybe they do. So, after I took the pictures and posted my final comments on the toy, I took the hat off so now it is a unisex toy. A cowboy hat might be more suitable than a sunhat. What do you think? 

I am a pattern tester!

I came upon an interesting group in Ravelry whose purpose it to put designers and knitters together to test designs. I have browsed the site often in the last few weeks and followed some of the pattern tests. Some I would have really liked to join in, but they fill up quite quickly it seems. Saturday a new pattern was released for testing, and it was just what I have been looking for. I needed to check my yarn stash first before committing to it however (I did manage to build up quite a stockpile in the Mary Maxim sale and really should deplete it somewhat before heading off to a yarn store again). Luckily, I found 3 skeins of Vanna's Choice in a variegated colour, which is what the pattern was designed for. I checked the thread again, and was lucky to see that she still needed another test knitter for the larger shawl, which is what I wanted to make. I was accepted as a tester!

This morning I dutifully made the test swatch, but discovered that I must be a tight knitter, or perhaps my yarn is a lighter weight than she had in mind (although it is classed as the weight she described). I will tear out the first swatch and redo it in 6.5 mm needles to see if that is closer to the correct gauge for me. Might have to go and buy longer circular needles for this, but want to make sure of the needle size first. I am excited to be part of this test!

 

Swatch trials

New shawl in progress October 10

I have finished to row 43 and have found a few things that need to be clarified. Although it is going well, I am not impressed with the way this colour knits up. It has a camouflage look to it. The yarn itself is nice to work with. I am going to tear it out and start again in Caron Simply Soft Shadows in colour Opal Twist. It is primarily black with a white or brown contrast thread wound through it. It would also make the pattern stand Oct 25 so I have some time to play with still.

October 16 The shawl is done! It is a really nice mix of lace and knitting .... feminine but not overly frilly. It took about 2 1/2 balls of the Simply Soft yarn. If it was not part of the pattern test, I would have made it longer to use the yarn, but it is fine as it is. I will block it tomorrow and see what the finished dimensions are. Right now it is 18.5 inches X 40 inches. I think it will be a warm, cuddly addition! Final pictures to come in a few days.

Definitely Not to be Eaten but Really Cute Food

In keeping with Thanksgiving, I decided to give crochet food a try. These were made using a pattern from the Lion Brand free pattern site. Lion Brand Cornucopia

First to be finished was a small pumpkin, followed by an apple (which also passes as a red pepper), then a cob of corn (so cute!), a summer squash, and finally an eggplant. They needed something to rest in, and so a small horn of plenty was made. They don't all fit in the horn, but that is fine as they are supposed to spill out. More food may be appearing as it is so cute and fun to make!

I also made several turkeys to decorate our dinner table for our feast. Also cute little things! They are also a free pattern. Thanksgiving Turkey to crochet

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends! This holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of the month here, while our friends to the south celebrate it later in November.

It Might be ...Raining Cats and Dogs!

The last week I was busy creating some kitty cats and then a few dogs. I still plan on making more dogs, but have taken a break from them for another project that involves Thanksgiving, which is fast approaching here in Canada.

The original cat is the multi coloured little girl on the green cushion. She was made using a Jean Greenhowe pattern from the Animals pattern book. I wanted to make this one for several months but got busy with other things, so when I realized I had nothing on the go at present, this is the project I headed for! I used size 3 mm needles for her, as the pattern called for. The yarn was some left over Bernat Softee Chunkee from the poncho that Audrey made.

All the cats resting on their cushion or blankets

The first 2 cats are having a nap, as given in the directions, but the next 2 wanted to be awake and at play!

 I wanted a slightly larger cat, so the next one was created with size 4 mm needles and double strands of yarn. These were just in my yarn stash as bits left from other things so I have no idea what they are, but one seemed to be a worsted weight and one was some kind of brushed yarn. I had hoped that it would end up fluffier, but it has just a slight nap to it. The colour is unique though. She also got a rose blanket/rug for her resting comfort! The grey and white cat came next, and she was made combining a light grey yarn with a much thinner white yarn. I made a little blue blanket/rug for this one. The last cat is the black and white one. I wanted more of a tuxedo cat but I don't think I used enough white to actually call it one. She also got a little cushion to rest on. The cats were all knitted.

The Corgi borrowing one of the cushions from the cats.

The dogs and cats all get along just fine in my house :D

The dogs are crochet creations. The Corgi was the first attempt, using the pattern for the monthly CAL for one of the Ravelry groups I am in. The ears were huge at first so I did an alteration on them to make them more in scale to the dog. Her little legs are so short that her belly rests on the surface she is sitting on too. So, the next dog got longer legs and a modified version of the ears. He looks somewhat like a fox hound or some kind of terrier, to me! I think I will make the dogs a toy to play with when I go back to them. I would like to get another 2 dogs for the collection.  For now, I return to my Thanksgiving projects. More on that after the fact I think!