Finish quilting and sewing the binding onto my “Round Robin” quilt,
blocked a finished stripped knitted shawl, when it’s dry I can knit the border on,
did a little granny strip crocheting at night and
now I’m off to a baby shower to deliver a quilt I made…
Happy crafting
Love
NikkiM
Buzy making a car quilt for a 2 year old little man.
Buzy knitting socks for a 2 year old little man.
Buzy practicing intarsia knitting when 2 year old little man is sleeping.
Buzy playing with a 2 year old little man.
If you would like to know how I did it and what yarns I used just clip on “All wrapped up!”
Happy crocheting
Love NikkiM
I found one of my late mothers Patons knitting pattern books, needless to say it’s in pieces. It was good to knit something from one of her patterns and see her little notes in the margin. Good memories. The pattern I chose was a sleeveless slipover with a cable panel in the front that runs up next to the v neckline. This is for little Matthew, my little Godson, that is turning 2 this winter. Remember I live in the Southern Hemisphere.
I used a local South African yarn called African Expressions – Harmony colour 2057, 100% merino wool, it’s really soft. Using a size 6(4.00mm) and 9(5,50mm), KnitPro interchangeable needles with cables, ranging from size 4(3.50mm) – 11(8.00mm), that I bought myself a while ago.
Inside the pack you get 4 cable keys, I didn’t know that this is what they are used for and I was using them as stitch markers, until a friend of mine said “Nikki those are to tighten the cables to the needles!” she must have heard me cursing that the needles kept dropping off the cable while I was knitting. “Oh” I replied, red faced, “Thanks!”. It will help if I read the instructions next time, but I’m very glad I have such clever friends, so next time I will just ask.
The knitting bug has bitten me big time, but I have been quilting and crocheting on the side. I must say Dear Jane has been neglected, by the looks of it, it’s going to take me another 5 years to finish her.
Happy crafting
Love
NikkiM
On my recent trip to Europe, we stopped in a little town in Austria called Melk, here I found a little yarn shop as we were walking back to the boat. As we only had an hour before the boat sailed and everyone was cold and needed a coffee, I had to do my shopping fast, very fast, so I asked the shop owner to show me all her local yarns. I chose Seide made by Ferner Wolle, it’s a 50% blend of wool and silk, so I bought two balls of each colour she had.
Got home and looked at my purchase and wondered what on earth am I going to do with 16 balls of wool! Then it came to me, a few years ago, I bought a book with the most amazing patterns and ideas called “Color by Kristin” written by Kirstin Nicholas. Looking though the book I found a Child’s Sampler Scarf that said “Keep Practicing”As. I don’t have children living in South Africa in need of a scarf, but I do have a daughter in the making, my eldest is getting married to a girly that lives in New York, and she can make use of it.
I adapted the pattern from 40 to 80 stiches and managed to knit it in the round on a 61cm/24”circle needles using designs that can be divided by 2, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 20. At present the scarf is 124cm/49” long x 23cm/9” wide.
I did send her a picture of the scarf asking if she thought it too “bright”. Her reply “Nikki – its beautiful!! Really, I love bright!. They need color in winter.” I can see why my son love it there!
Have an amazing week, till next time.
Love
NikkiM
I found this quick and easy crochet poncho pattern from a blog “Le Monde de Sucrette”. It’s a really easy pattern and it crocheted up in no time. Using various colours from the Special and Wonder Soft double knit yarns from Stylecraft that I found in my stash.
Using a 4mm ( 8UK / US6) crochet hook, using my first colour, I started with 72 chain, the head I was crocheting for measures 45cm (18”), with 8 of 3 set double crochet on either side of the 6 set corner cluster. I crochet 26 rows including my base and border row. For the border I crochet 5 double crochet in the chain and 1 slip stitch in to the middle chain of the 3 set double crochet to form the loopy border and 8 double crochet in the 2 corner cluster.
Crocheting is so confusing what means one thing on this side of the world is something different on the other side of the world. Women, we can never make up our minds or maybe we want to make sure we always use our brains!? In the pattern she uses tr (treble stitch) UK, I know it as a dc (double crochet) US.
Alissa is a Steiff teddy bear and we adopted her in Nuremburg on our recent trip to Europe.
Happy hooking!
Love
NikkiM
Back home I found this book “Crochet your own dolls & accessories” by Sally Byrne I crochet the girly on the front page without the stripy legs using Elle Premier natural cotton 4 ply and a number 3mm (US D/3, UK10) crocheting hook using the following colours:
046 Peach – arms, legs, shoulders, neck and head
001 White – panty and vest, this forms part of the body
050 Denim – skirt and shoes
029 Coral – jacket, the button I just cut off one of my shirts I was wearing at the time I was crocheting the jacket.
044 Brown – hair, I couldn’t understand the instructions for the hair so I did my own thing.
I used “Silky Soft “ 100% Premium polyester fiber to stuff with and started the stuffing process from the beginning.
For those of you that are new at this, like I am, this kind of crocheting is called amigurumi and you can find “hundreds” of free patterns on the internet and you tube videos, showing you how to do this kind of crocheting and really good advice.
Lots of fun was had while bringing Bella to life, I think she needs pink cheeks, I just haven’t had the courage to put them on. Maybe I must take her for a makeover at the beautician!
Next time I will share with you another crochet item I’m busy with at the moment.
Love
NikkiM
Buzy Day 