Updates to the store may be a bit slow to start with, as we’re currently in the process of moving from Canada to France which is very exciting.  We’ve been in the UK for a few weeks catching up with family and friends, and we’re moving on soon to start our French adventure.

Whilst updates to the store and blog might continue to be few and far between until we get settled in, I will try to send out orders within a day or two.  Once we get settled in, you can expect more frequent blog posts, patterns and new items in the store.  For now, I’m just excited to say that the store is officially open!

Teddy Bear

I have crocheted a few teddy bears before but none as big as this one.  He’s about a foot tall and so very soft and fluffy.  I made him with brown and white acrylic yarn, which was a bit fiddly to crochet with.  The stitches were difficult to see through the fluff.  He worked up fairly quickly though and I’m pleased with how he turned out.

The pattern for this bear comes from Lion Brand Yarns, and is called Bear in a Jif.

Iced Donut

I love crocheted food, it’s so much nicer than those hollow plastic toy foods you can buy at toy stores that end up squashed and misshapen.  Even better are crocheted deserts, they’re so cute and yummy looking!

This donut is easy to make , takes very little yarn, and looks good enough to bite into.  The stuffing and seaming was a bit fiddly, but it didn’t take very long, and the outcome made it worth the effort.

I made my donut with a beige/brown/cream yarn and gave it swirly icing with a pink, purple and blue variegated.  It’s acrylic so it’s washable in case little mouths are tempted to have a taste.

I found the pattern for this donut at crochetville.  It was designed to be a pin cushion, with the heads of the pins as coloured sprinkles, but I prefer it as a soft toy.

Girl's Summer Shirt

Girl's Summer Shirt

Lion Brand Yarns offer hundreds of free knitting and crochet patterns on their website, and their FAQ page states that you are free to sell your finished objects.  That makes them one of my favourite pattern providers.

I knit this cute summer shirt in washable acrylic yarn in a neutral colourway that has strands of brown, pink and cream.  I think it looks really lovely.

Despite the fact that I did a gauge swatch, the top came out wider than expected.  Next time, I will go down a needle size and see if that helps.

The Child’s Sun Top pattern is free from the Lion Brand website.

Blue fingerless gloves

I love to find free patterns online, especially if the author allows people to sell their finished objects.  I want to share great free patterns I have used with you, my readers, so that you can enjoy them too.  This is the first of such patterns.

These gloves are extremely simple and easy to make.  They’re knit in the round so there’s no seaming, and the ribbing gives them a comfy yet snug fit.  Basic Fingerless Mitts were designed by Sue Brady.

I knit these up in a lovely teal blue colour, in a washable acrylic yarn.  I actually made the first glove months ago, but I lost the pattern, so I couldn’t make the second one until recently.  I was glad to find it again so I could make a partner for the lonely glove.  They’re much better as a pair!

Enjoy the pattern

The Georgia Cowl

My friend Georgia asked me to make her a cowl.  We browsed around online for some inspiration, looked through my stash for some yarn, and while she borrowed my computer, I started knitting.

What appeared on my needles was a simple, basic cowl, nothing fancy, but it knit up fast, I enjoyed making it and, most importantly, Georgia liked it.

I used a fluffy acrylic yarn that measured about 7wpi and 8mm circular needles to create a soft, squishy fabric.  The formula for creating a similar cowl is as follows:

• Cast on a multiple of 4 stitches and join. I cast on 60 stitches.
• Knit in the round using k2p2 ribbing to desired length, I used exactly 100 yards and my cowl is 10 inches tall.
• Bind off in pattern.

I apologise for the vague instructions, I forgot to take notes when I was knitting. I knit another cowl and this time paid attention to what I was doing.  The pattern has been updated and is less vague now!

You may use this pattern for any purpose, including to make items to sell.  If you post your cowl online, a link would be appreciated.  Happy knitting!

Ball of handspun

At the weekend I got my drop spindle out and had a go at spinning. I’m very new to spinning, I’ve only tried a couple of times before. I had a batt of corriedale cross which I wanted to spin up into a bulky yarn, about 5 or 6 wpi. It was full of bits of grass and had a few knotty bits, so I began by picking out as many of these bits as I could. I tore it into strips and predrafted them ready to start.

I haven’t yet managed to get the spindle spinning and deal with the wool at the same time, so I stuck with the park and draft method, getting the twist into the yarn then holding the spindle still while I let the twist travel up the wool. I was aiming for a good twist and a relatively bump free yarn, as my previous efforts had been a bit messy. The resulting yarn was still quite thick and thin, but it was much smoother than before, so I was pleased.

Closeup of handspun yarn

I spun just one spindle full, which came to a rather small 22 yards. I soaked it in hot water to set the twist and wrapped it around the back of my other half’s desk chair to dry. He wasn’t too impressed, especially when I also stole his computer to play the sims

When it was dry, I joined it onto a length I’d spun before, and wound it on my ball winder. It averages about 6wpi, and the 37 yards only just fit on the winder. I have 2 more batts of the same wool, which I will spin later, and then I may just have enough to make something with it!

Rebecca Book Bag

I made this bag a couple of weeks ago, but before I could photograph it, I got ill. Now that I’m feeling better, I’ve taken the photos and listed it for sale in my etsy store.

The Rebecca book bag is named after my sister, Rebecca, who I first made one for. It is designed to fit a large ring binder or stack of text books. It has a wide shoulder strap to spread the weight of heavy books more comfortably. There are no interior pockets, so your books and binders will slide in and out easily.

The bag is made from brown cord (unknown fibre content) and lined with 100% cotton. It is machine washable and can be ironed inside out. The bag measures approximately 12 inches wide, 10 inches tall and 3 inches deep. The strap is 32 inches long and 3 inches wide. As you can see from the photos, it’s just the right size for a large binder, and there’s room to slot a couple of books or a pencil case in there as well.

The bag costs $38USD and as always, there’s free worldwide shipping.