Nine months later... All things baby (especially blankets)

I can hardly believe it's been nine months since my last post! A lot (an awful lot) has happened in that time, as you'll know if you've seen my Instagram. Scroll past the next two paragraphs if you're not interested and just want to get to the crafty stuff!

Last time I was writing a blog post I was about to sit what I hoped would be my final exam. Well, it didn't go to plan (more on why in a minute) and I failed. So up to the end of September I had to focus really hard and try again - along with some exam counselling that resulted in me passing my last ever exam and becoming a qualified actuary. Probably means nothing to most of you but just know it was nearly seven years of hard work to get there, and they're very tough exams. I'm so pleased they're finally done (I'll have more crafting time!) and I now just need to get the paperwork sorted to make it all official.

Now the second big thing that happened is the birth of my second child - another gorgeous girl! I hadn't announced on here that I was even expecting - it was a difficult pregnancy (which affected my ability to study significantly) and along with the study is why I've not updated this blog in so long. She arrived at the end of November, rather dramatically as she didn't wait until we got to the hospital and instead the paramedics arrived just in time to deliver her at home! I've made so many cute baby items for her, but her favourite is this blanket, which she loves playing peekaboo with:

To be honest the blanket is very soft and squishy so I'm not surprised she likes it! It's tempting to make one for myself... Being made in wondersoft baby dk held double it worked up very quickly too. The main part of the blanket is simply rows of double crochet into the back loop, and the border is seven trebles into the same stitch (missing three stitches either side) interspersed with double crochet stitches to make the maths work! Here's a picture of the whole blanket:

I also became a little obsessed with baby hats at the end of pregnancy - good job too given how cold it's been. Though I did find time to knit myself a hat, pattern from TOFT:

It's made in TOFT chunky which is a luxury wool but so worth it as it's made the softest warmest hat I've ever owned. The TOFT fluffy pompom adds the perfect finishing touch.

Here are a couple more of my makes over the period - these were a gift for my best friend Claire who was due just a few weeks after me:

The toy is the polar bear from Edward's menagerie by Kerry Lord. The blanket is a granny square, and for the edging I simply did chain five loops between the chain spaces, then again chain five loops from the centre of each loop. I love the way it finished it off.

Yet another baby blanket I made is this pastel granny stripe, pictured here with one of the many hats I made:

It's made in stylecraft special dk, and I've had the colours picked out for a long while without a specific plan. I've used candyfloss, pale peach, apricot, lemon, spring green, sherbet, cloud blue, lavender and wisteria. For the border I did (2 treble crochet, chain 2, two treble crochet) into each chain space after doing a round of granny stitch all the way round. Here's a closer picture of the border:

The other thing I was planning to make lots of, but didn't quite get round to, is baby booties. I got a few pairs finished in time (and a few more pairs are still in the making) - of those these from TOFT have to be my favourite as they are just so soft and warm as I made them from baby alpaca wool:

That is a pretty good recap of just some of the things I've been making over the last nine months. Now it's a new year I've decided to make a new start on this blog - I know I've said that before but this time I mean it and I won't have exams getting in the way. Going forwards I hope to update it every couple of weeks. Being on maternity leave for most of the year I'll hopefully get lots of crafting done - at least I will do once baby starts to sleep! I've got some very exciting things in the pipeline, and so many ideas buzzing round my head I think 2018 is going to be very exciting indeed.

A trip to TOFT and a mini zebra

It's been a while - time flies when you have a toddler!!  I know I've said this before, but I will be updating this more frequently going forwards - if nothing else once my exam next week is over I'll hopefully not have any more exams.  Very excited about that, should mean more craft time!

I'm not going to bore you with details of the last ten months or so (how has it been that long?!?) but I will revisit some of my projects that I finished in that time - mostly because the owl blanket is amazing! (More on that in a future post, I promise.)

So as I'm sure you've guessed from the title of this post, I went to TOFT yesterday for their Easter open day. This is the third open day I've been to, and whilst I didn't get to finish the mini bunny I started in the workshop I did have a fantastic day out.  My toddler loved the alpacas (and the orang-utan example they had - she kept trying to steal it!) and generally she was very well behaved (monkey theft excepted). It was also lovely to speak briefly to Kerry Lord (author of the Edward's menagerie books I love so much) - it was nice she remembered us and commented on how much my toddler had grown (she's been growing non-stop since Christmas, I'm sure of it!)

Here are some cute alpacas:

These are the show alpacas, and apparently most people can tell they're better because they're cuter - they have shorter, fluffier faces for example.

They were not the cutest alpaca there though - one was born at 7.30am and she was so cute:

She's being warmed up by fan heaters in the barn here, after rolling down the dewy hill and getting a bit cold! Definitely the cutest alpaca on the farm, and she came two weeks early as she clearly didn't want to miss the open day. Don't blame her, to be honest.

Anyways, that's probably enough cute alpaca pictures for now - onto the second half of this post. When I first saw the Simon the mini sheep kit, I instantly knew I wanted to adapt the pattern to make a mini zebra. So here he is:

I know I'm biased, but I think he's so cute!  Now I've had permission from Kerry to add the head, ears and tail pattern on here, as those are my designs, but the body and limbs are covered by her copyright so to get the pattern you'll have to buy the mini Simon the sheep kit from TOFT.  Just so you know, I'm not affiliated in any way and I do not benefit from you doing this, but it is really cute so it is worth buying!

Quick note - I've written the pattern in the same way TOFT do. A dc is a double crochet stitch (UK terminology), dc2tog is a decrease and dc2 into the next stitch is how you increase.

To make the head, start with 6dc into a ring in cream.

Round 1 - cream: (dc2 into next stitch) 6 times (12 stitches)

Round 2 - black: (dc1, dc2 into next stitch) 6 times (18 stitches)

Now continue to work in single round stripes of cream and black.

Round 3: (dc2, dc2 into next stitch) 6 times (24 stitches)

Rounds 4 to 6: dc (3 rounds)

Round 7: (dc6, dc2tog) 3 times (21 stitches)

Round 8: (dc1, dc2tog) 7 times (14 stitches)

Round 9: (dc1, dc2 into next stitch) 7 times (21 stitches)

Continue only in black.

Round 10: dc

Round 11: (dc5, dc2tog) 3 times (18 stitches)

Round 12: dc

Round 13: (dc1, dc2tog) 6 times (12 stitches)

To finish, stuff and gather stitches.  To make the eyes, I did two French knots (the same that you do in cross stitch - there are plenty of tutorials for this online so I've not added one).

To make the ears, I started with 5dc into a ring using cream, did two rounds of dc then dc2tog three times (the last of these with the last stitch of round 3 and first of round 4). I then sewed in place.

To make the tail I held two strands of cream together and chained 5, switched to black and did three chain 5 loops on the end (this is similar to the way Alice the zebra's tail is made in the book, just made smaller).

The body follows that of the mini Simon the sheep - the 6dc in the loop and round 1 in black, then alternating cream and black in single round stripes.

The legs also follow the mini Simon the sheep pattern, working in black until the end of round four and then in cream and black single round stripes.

After sewing everything together I made the mane by having chain 5 loops on the back of the head in the same way the mane is done on Alice the zebra in the book, and a little thicker between the ears for a fringe - I wanted it to look like a baby zebra so if you just wanted a mini you could probably use longer chain loops.

I think this could be easily adapted into a horse / pony / donkey or even unicorn by changing the colours - though the last will need a horn...  Think I'm going to have my hands busy, as there's still a certain mini sheep I need to finish and lots of sheep based variations I want to make!

I hope you like the pattern - felt that I needed to post something good after such a long break! Let me know if you find any problems with it, I'm only human after all.  I'll be back soon, once I'm free from those pesky exams...

Time flies, again, when you're making a menagarie!

So I've been pretty rubbish at regular posting.  But that's not because I've had no time to do anything - it's because I've been busy making so many things!  It has helped that my daughter has been going through a growth spurt (meaning lots of naps!) and my husband had two weeks off work (meaning someone else could chase my daughter round).


To make sure I keep writing new posts, I'm now going to schedule in "blog time" every two weeks, to ensure I keep this blog going as I really do enjoy it!  Though I've also just started up on instagram so you can see what I've been up to between posts. 


Now onto what I've been up to...  Firstly, I made a wonderful little sewing pouch.  In it I keep everything I might need for crafting - scissors, a variety of needles, assorted crochet hooks, sewing thread, there's some felt, a couple of stitch markers and a whole lot of other random bits and pieces.  It's been really useful, especially when we went to Cornwall a few weeks ago.  Here's a picture:

It's a really handy pouch, and has been used so much!  It was part of April's Craft Club Box (link here) which included this kit and a whole lot of other bits and pieces (some of which I've not yet decided what I'm doing with, but I'm sure they'll come in useful!).  It's also fully lined and I had fun making it - I've never done top stitching before so it was also a good opportunity to practice new techniques.  Pretty sure I'm going to use it lots - and I'm even thinking of making another, slightly larger, one as a more quirky project bag.  I'm currently using drawstring totes mostly, and my 11 month old daughter can empty those a bit too easily...


Next to what has kept me very busy over the month of May.  You may remember the elephant and polar bear I crocheted - well now I've added a significant number of animals to my menagerie.  In May alone, I managed to create seven animals - including my first bird.  Here's a picture:

The sheep was a bit of a pain to do with the fleece (though it would have helped if I'd followed the instructions and not done it into every stitch!) - other than that they were all rather straightforward.  My favourite has to be the hippo, with her tutu!  I really love these animals from Edward's menagerie, created by Kerry Lord at Toft.  They're so simple, and rather addictive!!  I have another six currently in progress, so expect more of these!!  My daughter is loving them too - the tiger got taken when he only had three legs and I had to steal it back to finish.  He's the firm favourite so far!


For anyone that looks at them and thinks "I can't make those, they look so complicated" or "I can't crochet, but I'd love to make one" then I would advise they are easier than you think. I'd suggest if you want to give them a go then start with something simple like the elephant or bunny, a light yarn so you can see the stitches easily and a good quality crochet hook (I like the Knit Pro waves range - a good hook makes it so much more enjoyable) plus the book with it's lovely clear instructions then you'll be making your own collection in no time!


I have a lot (and I mean a lot!) in the pipeline at the moment - sewing wise, crochet wise, knitting wise and generally craft wise (my daughter's first birthday party is less than two weeks away...) so hopefully there will be some interesting makes in the near future.  For instance I've nearly finished my first dress - which has been a great learning experience.  I'll share that with you soon - for now my daughter is up and wants lunch, so I better go!

Flowers and dinosaurs

Been a busy few weeks since my last post - but then life is busy with a baby! She's recently perfected sitting up on her own from lying down, and has grown the couple of inches she needed to be able to pull herself up on the coffee table and sofa... Keeps me busy watching her!

In terms of craft projects, it's been pretty productive. I've completed another of the Edwards menagerie range, Bruno the dinosaur and made some flowers with a free kit. Shane two of the three were started since my last post, otherwise I'd be making good progress on reducing the number of projects on the go!

Firstly Bruno the dinosaur.

Kind of cute! Fairly easy to knit, as with all toys the sewing up is what took the time. I have plansto make a pink version, once I make the other five in the collection (so probably around 2030!). The pattern is from Deramores, and I've used the recommended wool - Deramores studio DK. It was actually really nice to work with, and affordable too (always a bonus!).

Now meet Benedict the chimpanzee. He's the crochet animal I've made from Edwards menagerie this month. He's made in paton fab yarn, which is cheap and cheerful and ideal for a toy my baby daughter is going to chew, throw and generally try to destroy!

He was really quick to crochet, taking around four hours over the Easter Bank holiday weekend. Plus there's less sewing up with crochet toys! I only wish I'd stuffed him more - he's quite the skinny monkey.

Finally, today's project has been a flower broach from a kit on the latest issue of Simply Crochet. It only took about an hour and looks great - the kit flower is the one in the middle.

The two smaller flowers are my own design to use up the leftover yarn. I've included the pattern for the top one below:

Starting with yellow, chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to make a ring.
Round 1 - chain 3, then work 11 treble crochet into the ring, then slip stitch to the top of the first chain. You should now have 12 stitches. Change to red.
Round 2 - * chain 3, skip one treble stitch and slip stitch into the next stitch. Repeat from * five times more.
Round 3 - into each chain work a double crochet, half treble, double crochet. Change to mid pink.
Round 4 - chain 4, then work a double crochet into the back of the slip stitch on the previous round. Repeat this five times more, so there will be six outer petals.
Round 5 - * working into each stitch, work a double crochet, then two double crochet into the back loop only, a double crochet and a slip stitch into the double crochet from the previous round. Repeat from * five more times. Change to light pink.
Round 6 - * work a double crochet into the next stitch, then a half treble and then a treble into the next stitch, a treble then a half treble into the next stitch, and a double crochet into the next stitch, and a slip stitch into the final stitch of the petal. Repeat from * five times more before fastening off.
To work the leaf join green to the middle back of one of the petals. Chain 4 and slip stitch into the back of the next petal. Into this chain loop work a double crochet, half treble, treble, chain 3 then slip stitch into the first chain, treble, half treble then a final double crochet. Fasten off and sew in the ends.

I think that's the first ever crochet item I've designed! And all because I had some yarn left and my daughter was still napping. If you give it a go and something isn't clear do let me know - worth noting the terms used are UK crochet terms.

I hope you enjoyed the pattern, and I hope to be back in a couple of weeks with more exciting projects completed - I only have a buttonhole to do on the skirt and then it's finished...

Time flies when you're busy crafting

How has it been over two months since my last post? A lot has changed with regards my little one's routine - she now sleeps much better. At the moment though I don't, thanks to a particularly miserable cold I can't shake off.

In addition to feeling lousy for the past week (which feels like forever!) since my last post I have been away to the Isle of Wight, had a poorly baby (where else would I get a cold) and managed to squeeze in a craft show at the NEC. For the latter my loving husband got dragged along as on the day my best friend (who was supposed to be joining me) couldn't make it as she was sick. He was very good though, and didn't complain when I spent all his money! Now I have lots of new projects I want to do...

Anyway, one advantage of my little girl now napping is I get more time for crafts (finally - maternity leave is as I imagined it!). So I've naturally started about a thousand new things, from an Easter basket to a snake! I have also managed to get a couple of things actually finished - a crochet polar bear and a knitted snail.

Firstly, the polar bear. He's from the Edward's menagerie range, same as the elephant from an earlier post. Again, he was quick to make and very straightforward. The next animal I have in mind is a zebra, which will be a little more challenging! Here's a picture:

I would definitely recommend this as a great beginner project - the book contains all the basics in a clear, well explained way. The only problem with it is there are so many lovely animals I want to make them all!

Next, the snail. This was a small project from a free kit that I took to the Isle of Wight with me. It was quick to finish, though I think black was a bit strong for the eyes as it looks a bit alien! See what you think:

Actually that picture makes her look a bit sad, poor snail.

Next time I'll hopefully have some more projects finished - my aims are for Bruno the dinosaur and a skirt I've had on the go for a very long time! Plus given its Easter next weekend I should probably get the basket finished... Also I'm hopeful it will be two weeks to the next post, not two months, but with a baby who knows!

Olive the owl

Given its been almost two weeks since my last post, and I've just finished a project so I figured I should write about it. I've also been making good progress on a cardigan that I've targeted to finish by the end of January (though that's not looking likely now - maybe I should target the end of February!) - the back is now complete which is the largest part so it feels good having that completed! I'll post a picture when it's finished.

So the project I've just finished is Olive the owl. I hadn't actually planned on knitting it, but it was a free kit with Let's Knit magazine a while back. I decided to have a go when my mum called to ask if I'd done it, as she also had the kit but had run out of the dark pink (and so wanted to know if I had any spare). Wanting to help, I started it that evening.

That phone call was last night, and I've now finished it:

Pretty cute, and a very quick knit. The pattern is fairly simple to do - three of the four rows of the pattern are stocking stitch, the other uses simple increases and decreases to give the curved stripe effect. It only took a few hours to complete. The pattern is available for free here.

Oh, and if you're interested I had 60cm of the dark pink yarn left. I'm yet to hear whether it's enough for my mum to finish hers.

Now I really should get on with finishing some of the many projects I've started already!

New year, new resolution

So I don't think I achieved my aim of finishing the year with fewer projects on the go than I started the year. So I will once again make that my aim...

I've actually made a good start. Helped by starting to use gentle sleep training techniques so my daughter naps in her cot not on me! Currently on day four and it took 5 minutes to get her down and she's been there for 45 minutes... At this rate I'll actually get housework done in the week!

So to the craft projects. Firstly, I started making a monkey rattle way back when my friend told me she was pregnant back in summer 2013. It's been knitted for a long time, it just needed making up. Anyway I've now finally got round to doing so:

I did make one mistake - around the eyes there is supposed to be a patch of cream, which I did knit, but then I sewed the nose over it! It's knitted in a cotton yarn, Rowan handknit cotton, and is in garter stitch so very quick to knit. However, because it's cotton yarn there is no stretch, which made it fairly tricky to sew up and turn the right way round. It is quite cute though, and my daughter likes it because it makes noise! That and the arms are nice and chewy.

The second project I've finished recently is one of the bags I keep mentioning. This one is grey, and was my first crochet project. It's essentially a rectangle of double crochet, folded and side seams sewn, and a handle added by making a chain of the length you want.

I then decided to line it in a floral blue cotton fabric to finish it off:

So to the third project. This one is probably the most complicated that I've completed to date. It almost went in the bin on more than one occasion! In fact it was only the first part that was tricky, once past the lace top it was rather easy. It was knitted in one piece from the top down, in a Rico cotton variegated yarn. Here it is:

I really like this, and once over the tricky lace it was really easy to knit. Plus the lack of making up is a bonus! I finished it off with cute flower buttons. The only problem is it would fit my daughter now, but it's winter and too cold! Yet there is no way I could guess that at nearly 7 months she'd only just be fitting into 3 to 6 month clothing.

Anyway, I think that's enough for today, if nothing else I've not finished anything else! I have a few things in the pipeline though, so hopefully I'll have a new post in a couple of weeks with a few more projects finished. Also I should have my new laptop up and running, so I can use my camera to improve the quality of the pictures.