Potty Potter / Cable & Lace

Having spent so much time crocheting recently, I'd forgotten what a peculiar thing casting off knitting is.  It has a finality that isn't really matched for me when crocheting, and it can evoke so many feelings.  A sense of achievement is almost always at the top of the list, but there are many other things too: relief, sadness, joy and so on.  This hat has something of all those emotions woven in along with the yarn...

The pattern is the wonderful Hermione Hearts Ron by Christy Aylesworth.  Christy has done a really amazing job at recreating the hat featured in one of the Harry Potter films.  I'm pretty sure that even none Potty Potter fans would enjoy knitting this.

Unfortunately I had some issues with the last few rounds...  I miss-read one of the rows, and then I think picked up one too many stitches in the tink.  I don't think it's too noticeable though (fingers crossed no other knitters pay too much attention while I'm wearing it!)

You can find my Ravelry page for this project here.  I named it Lovecats in tribute to this song, which was stuck in my head for the duration:

And there we go!  That is (I think) the first bit of knitting to feature within the pages of this blog!  I hope you like it as much as I do :)

Much love,
Kim

Pretty Little Petals [Free Pattern]

Strictly speaking, this post was intended to be the "Part Two" section of the Granny Oblong saga.  Except that I went on a frogging spree, and now the whole thing is sitting in the "in progress" box (which has a lid, so I don't have to look at them for a while! :P)

But since you were promised a pattern, and since this is called "eggbirddesigns" not "eggbirdthefrog", a pattern ye shall receive!!  I hope you like it :)

Pretty Little Petals

ETA:  You can now link to this pattern on ravelry here

Notes

sp - space

sl st - slip stitch

sc - single crochet

dc - double crochet

ch - chain

The pattern is written in American terms, however if you prefer UK terms there is a fab 'translator' here.  I used an assortment of DK weight and light DK yarn and a 3mm hook.

To Begin: create a magic loop (if you're unsure how to do this, click here).  Work 6sc into this loop and pull tight.  Join with a sl st into the first sc [6 sts total]

Round 1: Ch1, 2sc into each space around.  Join with a sl st into the first ch1.  [12 sts total]

Round 2: Ch1, *2sc in next sp, 1sc in next sp* - repeat between * 6 times [18 sts total]

Round 3: Change colour.  In new colour ch1, 1sc in each sp around [18 sts total]

Round 4: Ch3 (counts as first dc), 5dc in the same space.  Sl st into the next two sps.  *6dc in the next sp, 1sl st in the next 2 sps* - repeat between * 4 more times.  Join with a sl st into the initial ch3.

Round 5: Ch1, *sc around the petals (ie into the 6dc from the previous round), and sl st into the second of the sl sts from the previous round* - repeat between * 5 more times.

To finish, just sew in your ends, and hurrah!  Teensy little flowers to enjoy.

I'm not sure what I'll be using these for yet.  Perhaps I'll get round to working out those oblongs, or perhaps I'll put them to some other use...  Either way, I look forward to seeing how you guys interpret them :)

*This is the flower that originally sat at the centre of the blocks.  As far as I'm aware, this pattern is an entirely new one.  However, it is a pretty basic pattern, so there's every chance that someone else has already created the same.  If you think this might be the case please let me know and I can give proper credit where it's due.

Happiness is...

Please 'scuse me a mo while I adopt my philosophical pose (think Bill and Ted's So-Crates, with lots of fake-beard stroking...).

Happiness is... a lot of things.

Today it began with that tasty dollop of fibre you see up top.  Beautiful.  (No amount of photo-taking and me prancing about with a lamp could do justice to its real-life colour, but if you do fancy a proper look it's here at Forest Fibres*).

Anyhoo.  As it turns out, happiness may also be found in having absolutely no idea what it is you're doing.  One of the things I love most about teaching myself these crafty kinda things is that there's absolutely no pressure to achieve an end result.  No getting-a-tad-frustrated-now teacher to say "well what you want to try and do is..." to make a getting-a-tad-irritated you feel like you just can't do it!

Obviously there are some things that you'll never be able to teach yourself, but for me the best bit about learning something is laughing at your mess of fibre/yarn/paint and thinking "what have I done?!".  You learn so much more by asking and answering that question - by looking back at your process, seeing how it differed from what the tutorials said, pondering on which bits you like or don't like, and using that information to improve on your next go - than by attempting to satisfy someone else's version of the "right way" of doing something.  Admittedly it's quite a lengthy way of learning to do things, but therein lies the fun.

However, even teach-yourself-ers need good tutorials.  Here is Megan.  I can't remember how I came across her, but her videos inspired me to spin in the first place.

Better pictures to come tomorrow when there's some light...

In other news, today was also my first session with the counsellor.  Despite having forgotten to take my medication last night (idiot mistake really), it went very well - a lot easier than I expected.  It was also utterly refreshing to encounter somebody within that field who understood that I need time to decide whether my anxiety scores a 7 or an 8 out of 10 - somebody who didn't instantly jump to the "there's no right or wrong answer" joke that makes me feel like a simpleton, but instead waited kindly for me to process the question and consider my response.  Another moment today that made me immensely happy.

 

* Incidently, I very much recommend Forest Fibres to you - their service was unbelievably good.  Even with 2nd class postage it arrived the next working day.  Although I ordered via ebay, and it seems that the prices there vary ever-so-slightly from their website prices, so perhaps compare between the two before purchase...?  That's only on one item though, so do have a look round to check I'm not just casting unfounded aspersions.