Slip rib scarf pattern

I haven't posted for a long time but I'm coming back with a new pattern. :)
This pattern is perfect for really thick and thin yarn, especially variegated ones because it shows the yarn and flecks of colours really well.



Pattern
Materials: 9mm needles
Crochet hook
Super bulky yarn or yarn with varying thickness and colours. If you like, use thinner yarn but keep the needles thicker than usual and cast on more stitches, keeping the number odd.

CO 15 sts
Row 1: Slip 1, p1 repeat across.
Row 2: Purl 1 through back, k1 across.
Repeat these two rows until you have a scarf the length you want. Leave leftovers to make tassels about 16 for each end and attach them with a crochet hook. There is no need to weave ends with this pattern as they end up being part of the fringe!

Shades of Plummage

A new scarf designed by me! This stitch pattern is taken from the book; The Ultimate Source book of Knitting and Crochet Stitches Harmony guides

Materials
Either -Scraps of 8ply (DK) wool
or about 150g- 200g of soft 8ply wool
size 4.5mm hook and a pair of scissors

Gauge
Not important. If you use the right hook and yarn you won't have any problems.

Pattern (Fan and V stitch)
Make a starting ch with a Multiple of 8 sts +2 (I used 34 ch for mine at a width of 6.5'')

1st row (RS): 1 sc into 2nd ch from hook *skip 3ch, 9dc into next ch, skip 3ch, 1 sc into next ch, rep from * to end, turn.

2nd row: ch3, 1 dc in 1st st *5ch, skip 9dc group, work a V-stitch of (1dc, 1ch, 1dc) into next sc rep from * ending 5 ch , skip last 9dc group, 2 dc in turning chain.

3rd row: 3ch, 4dc in 1st st *Working over next 5ch so as to enclose work 1sc into 5th dc of group in row below **9 dc in V-stitch space rep from * ending last rep at ** 5dc in tch.

4th row: 3 ch, skip 5dc, V-stitch in sc, *5ch, skip 9dc group, V-stitch in sc rep from * ending 2ch sl st to tch.

5th row: 1ch, 1sc over last st below *9dc into sp at center of next V-stitch, sc enlcosing 5ch through the 5th dc of group below rep from * to end.

Rep from row 2-5.
If you are doing stripes keep repeating those rows until you have three lots of fan rows, then before changing colours work the next row of 5ch and V- stitches. To change colours, complete the last stitch of the row by pulling the old and new yarn through the last step of the stitch. On the next row crochet around the ends to weave them in.
Continue working in this manner until it is long enough.

End with a WS row working (2ch, sl st to 5th dc of group, 2ch) in place fo 5ch between the V-stitches. Weave any loose ends in well. Block if needed.

Enjoy using up your scrap yarn!

Jewellery & Macrame

I have been making lots of great stuff in Jewellery lately. My favouirte is a bracelet made from copper wire chains and spirals


I also made this macrame necklace last weekend. Its the second of its kind, I made a green one beaded with only brown and gold buttons.

Banana pecan cake

I made this yummy cake last night and as you can see half of it is already gone!

Here's the recipe- its based on a simple banana cake that my mum has used for ages.

Ingredients
3 tbsp butter (or polyunsaturated margarine, that's what I used)
3/4 cup sugar I used 1/3 white sugar 2/3 brown sugar and a dessertspoon of treacle to get that rich and healthy taste.
1 large egg
2 mashed bananas, old spotty ones work best
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
small hand full oats
small handful wheatgerm or bran
1/2 tsp baking powder dissolved in 1/4 cup of milk
pecan nuts

Directions
Using an electric beater beat the sugar and butter till mixed then add the egg and beat well. Next add the mashed banana. Sift flours with baking powder into mixture. Beat well. Add oats and wheatgerm and then slowly the milk.
Grease and flour a round tin, pour mixture in spreading evenly and top with pecan nuts. Pop in a moderate oven for about 20-30 min or until you can poke a knife in the middle and it comes out clean. Let it cool and then carefully turn out of tin. Store it in a container, if it lasts that long :) Enjoy!

Duffle bag

Wow, I started this thing about 3 years ago. I dug it out and decided to finish it. I'm glad I waited, I think I have more experience now and I did a better job of it. So happy with this and its the prefect size for keeping knitting projects in.

Ruby's all grown up...... well nearly

Take a look at this big puppy- 6 and a half months old!



Compare that to this when she was just 6 weeks old

Fashion parade <3

On the 10th of August this year I went to the Brunswick university in Melbourne for the open day. It is such an awesome place and after seeing all the rad classrooms and displays I really want to go there when I finish school. The highlight of the day was the fashion parade which showed lots of awesome clothes from talented people studying fashion design. The designs were so cool, there was even a coat that unzipped at the bottom hem to expose a dress underneath. the music was really loud and suited the whole thing perfectly. I took my camera along to snap some photos, here are some of my favourites:













I hope one day I can go to this place and see my own designs on the catwalk :D I'm so excited to go here in 2011....

A crafty update

Been doing lots of crafty stuff lately, knitting, crocheting, sewing, macrame, cooking, weaving and spinning! So happy it is the holidays! I have also been doing some jewelry making at school. On Thursday I am going to Queensland for 6 days, I have been packing for the last 4 days. So to get get ready I have also been making a few things to wear up there. I made the most awesome bathing suit from a pattern at burdastyle.com and just yesterday I started crocheting flowers to go on a top I'm making. Sorry no pics yet but I am going to take heaps in Queensland so there will be photos of me wearing them.
Here are a couple of little projects I have been working on lately.

This is the first thing I made in Jewelry class:

And this is a bracelet made from a fork! Awesome

These little things are hair ties with buttons sewn on, they keep my thick hair up better than anything else.

Thats all for now, I am going to design a lacy singlet top for summer so the pattern might be up soonish.

Honeycomb socks!!!

I Just finished these socks for my dad today, he loves them and I can see he'll get a lot of wear out of them.



Here is the free pattern for them :D

Materials
About 120g (short socks) or 150g (longer socks) of Bendigo woollen mills colonial or any 8ply wool
Set of 4 4.5mm DPNs
Cable needle
Two stitch holders
Tapestry needle

Sizing
These socks are made to fit a men's size 11 foot. If you are making them for smaller feet use slightly thinner wool like thick sports weight yarn and substitute 3.5 needles instead.

Pattern notes
*When joining wool use the split splicing method. This will help you to avoid lumpy bits in the stitch pattern and save you time because there will be no ends to weave in. Just make sure you felt the ends together really well to avoid breaks.

*M1L: Insert left needle into horizontal bar between the two stitches from front to back. Using the right needle knit through the back of that stitch. Here is good tutorial on how to do this increase: Kategilbert.com

*C4B: slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left hand needle, then knit sts from the cable needle.

*C4F: slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next 2 sts from left hand needle, then knit sts from the cable needle.

Honeycomb cable (worked over the 28 sts that make up the front of the sock)
Row 1: k2*C4B, C4F; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2
Row 2: knit
Row 3: knit
Row 4: knit
Row 5: k2 *C4F, C4B; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2
Row 6: knit
Row 7: knit
Row 8: knit
Rep these 8 rows

Lichen st (worked over the 28 sts that make up the bottom of the sock)
Row 1: k1, p2, *k2, p2 rep from * to last st, k1
Row 2: Same as row1
Row 3: k3 *p2, k2, rep from * to last st, k1
Row 4: Same as row 3
Rep these 4 rows

Pattern
Toes:
CO 12 sts on each needle (24sts in total, 2 needles) using the figure 8 cast on method.
A tutorial on how to do this can be found here: Helloyarn.com
Knit one round in St st putting the first 12 sts of the row on one needle and sharing the other 12 sts between 2 needles. This will help you recognise where the start of a round is. You could also use a stichmarker for this.

Next round: *k1, M1L, knit to last st on that needle, M1L, k1 rep from * around.
Next row: knit
Continue in this manner until you have 28 sts on each needle, (56 sts altogether) ending on a plain knit round.

Foot:
Next round: work cable pattern across first 28 sts(front of sock, needle 1), then work lichen st over the next 28 sts (back of sock, needles 2 and 3).
Continue in pattern until you have enough to comfortably reach the ankles.
I worked 10 repeats + an extra 4 rounds in pattern. End on either row 4 or row 8 of the the repeat.



Short row heel:
The heel is worked over 28 sts, keep working with sts on two needles as this puts less strain on the front of the sock. I suggest putting the sts from needle 1 (front of sock) onto two stitch holders while you work the heel, it will really help.

Last row (4th or 8th row of repeat): work cable panel as usual, then work lichen in pattern to the last st. Turn work.
2. On the wrong/purl side, yarn over and purl all sts until one st remains. Turn.
3. On the right/knit side, yarn over and knit up to the stitch/yarn over pair. Turn.
4. On the wrong/purl side, yarn over and purl to the first st/yo pair. Turn.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you needles look like this: 1 st, 8 st/yo pairs, 10 sts, 8 st/yo pairs, 1 st. This occurs on a k row.
6. K to the first st/yo pair. k1 (st from the st/yo pair), K2Tog (joining the yarn over to the knit stitch
in the next st/yo pair). Turn.
7. On the wrong/purl side, yarn over and purl to the first st/yo pair. p1 (st from the st/yo pair), SSP
(joining the yarn over and the purl st in the next st/yo pair). Turn.
8. On the right/knit side, yarn over and knit to the first yo and K3Tog (knit 2 yarn overs and knit stitch
in the following stitch together). Turn.
9. On the wrong/purl side, yarn over and purl to the first yo. SSSP (purl 2 yarn overs and the
following stitch together). Turn.
10. Repeat instructions 8 and 9 until the last stitch on each end is consumed (1 yo and 28 sts). This is
a wrong/purl side row.
11. On the right/knit side, yarn over and knit up to the last remaining yarn over on the set of heel
stitches. Slip this stitch over to the needle holding the instep stitches. K2Tog. This counts as the
first stitch in round 1 of the honeycomb cable pattern.
12. Knit across the instep (needle 1) in the Honeycomb cable pattern, up to the last stitch. Place the last
yarn over remaining from the heel needle on the needle with the last remaining instep stitch and
SSK the two stitches together. Knit in lichen st to end of round.

Leg:
Now you can continue in pattern until the socks are about an inch shorter than you would like them to be. For these socks I worked 3 repeats and then started the ribbing. End on either the 4th or 8th repeat.

Ribbing: k1, p1 to end of round
rep this row 7 times, 8 times in total.
Cast off loosely and weave in all ends securely.

Hope you enjoy making this sock! :) If there are any errors please let me know and I will gladly clear up up and confusion.

Scalloped lace beret pattern

Here it is at last, my first self designed pattern!

Materials
Katia 100% fine merino wool or
1 5og gram ball of sport weight yarn (I recommend using a stretchy and soft merino yarn)
1 32 '' long 4.5mm (US 7) circular needle
Set of 5 4.5mm (US 7) DPNs
Stitch marker
Tapestry needle

Pattern notes
*When joining wool use the split splicing method. This will help you to avoid lumpy bits in the stitch pattern and save you time because there will be no ends to weave in.

*M1L: Insert left needle into horizontal bar between the two stitches from front to back. Using the right needle knit through the back of that stitch. Here is good tutorial on how to do this increase: Kategilbert.com

Scallop lace pattern Multiple 18+2
1st row: knit all sts
2nd row: knit all sts
3rd row: k1, *[k2tog] x3, [yf, k1] x6, [k2tog] x3; rep from * to last st, k1.
4th row: purl all stitches
Rep these 4 rows

Pattern
Co 108 sts (36 sts on each of the 3 needles), place marker to show the start of the round. Work in 2x2 rib for 8 rows (1inch).
Next row (9): Working in stockinette st with the circular needle, [knit 6 sts, M1L] x8, then [knit 5, m1L] to the end of the row. M1L between the last stitch you just knitted and the first stitch. (128 sts)
Start stich pattern and work 7 repeats. Add more is you want a slouchier hat.
Just a warning, my hat didn't seem that floppy at this point but it was later after blocking it. Do more repeats ONLY if you want a big, tam shaped hat.

Decreasing: You can change to 4 dpns when knitting gets difficult with 5.
Row 1: knit all sts
Row 2: knit all sts
Row 3: Using all 5 dpns for this row; k2tog around. (There are now 64 sts in total, 16 sts per needle)
Row 4: purl all sts
Row 5: knit all sts
Row 6: knit all sts
Row 7: k2tog across (32 sts now)
Row 8: purl all sts
Row 9: knit all sts
Row 10: knit all sts
Row 11: k2tog across (16 sts)
Row 12: purl all sts
Row 13: knit all sts
Row 14: knit all sts
Row 15: k2tog across (8sts)

Cut yarn leaving a 6" long tail. Thread onto a tapestry needle and thread through the 8sts let on the needles. Weave in ends well. Block lightly and flatten out on and bowl covered with a towel.
Wear proudly!

Bit of an update

Ok....I know I haven't posted in a long time. Thats mainly because I have been crafting like crazy because its the holidays. Also you might have noticed that my blog looks a bit different now. I haven't come up with a proper name for it yet but I have decided that I need a proper crafting blog. One where I can post pictures of my crafty stuff and keep my patterns for people to use. :D

So back to what I have been doing. I have been spinning! The other day my mum and I went to the Bendigo woollen mills shop and bought 3 bags of fleece. Such yummy colours.....

This is another yarn I've been working on. Quite a while ago my grandma gave us some fleece as she didn't need it anymore. I have just started to use it in this combination that I'm going to call lemon butter. The chunky thick single is ready made roving and the thinner yarn is my first real attempt at spinning using a spindle. A few dying attempts and stained hands later and I got this bright yellow colour. I'd heard a bit about dying yarn naturally and decided to give it a go with some tumeric.









My latest project is these pair of socks for my Dad's birthday in august. I'm writing up the pattern as I go so expect to see it posted up here soon!












Thats all for now, I have to make the most of the last day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow :(

RUBY!!!

I got a puppy on Saturday and she is absolutely beautiful. She is only 6 weeks old and sleeps a lot.
Here she is on her first day at our house:










I went crazy today taking lots of photos of her. Every where my cat goes she follows. Oshay (the cat) hasn't figured out exactly what a dog is yet so she usually runs away.

Trip to melbourne