The AJ Project

I have a Friend...

and My Friend has a Jacket...

the jacket looks to be in fabulous condition - but it's really not...

Let's call My Friend Andrew...

because that's his name.

And let's call the jacket Andrew's Jacket...

because it is.

So I'm going to refer to this as the AJ Project...

The jacket is lined.... which you would think would help it to keep it's shape over time... but NO!

What has happened, is that the lining itself has kept it's shape, but the knitted section has stretched out of shape... so the jacket is larger than the lining, and it just looks all wrong.

Now, you could replace the lining.. so that it fits the jacket better - but then it wouldn't fit Andrew any more...

So I'm going to take it apart, and recycle it into a New Top...

as long as those seams aren't overlocked/serged!!!!

They look okay from the outside, but I won't know for sure until I remove the lining...

Finished.

Looky at what's sitting on my armchair...

Yep - That's right... I finally FINISHED the Freeform Cushion.

Remember I was aiming to have it finished by Wednesday? 

Well guess what?

Today IS Wednesday!

Here's the cushion front:

and the back:

Although it probably doesn't matter too much which was around it sits...

Slippers...

Yes CASSIDY!

You guessed correctly - I was working on a pair of slippers...

The 'vintage' pattern was one that Mum used to use to make our slippers with, when my Sister and I were kids... So it was time to make a pair for my own Daughter.

 

The slippers are worked flat, and before seaming they look like this:

The straps join at the top, then you seam the heel and the toe to finish off

Simple and Cute.

Guess Again

Since you had so much fun guessing what I was working on last week, I wonder if any of you can figure this one out?



 What am I knitting now???

It's something from this Pattern Booklet - which is a lift-out from the Australian Women's Weekly, December 1, 1971...

And that's your only clue...

Out of Hibernation

So I pulled this Freeform Cushion out of hibernation about two weeks ago... and was working on it at the last Crochet Meet at my place.

My plan was to have it finished and sitting casually on the armchair when The Gang rocked up for our Next Meet...



That gave me a fortnight to work at it - which seemed like PLENTY of time...

Only I got distracted by other projects, and I haven't done a thing with it at all!

You can still see the original cushion cover peeking through in places - plus there needs to be some more embellishing to soften some of the edges between pieces.

So I'm giving myself a deadline.

I want it finished by Wednesday.

When The Gang arrive - there will be a new cushion on my armchair!

I started it when I was pregnant with Charlotte, and I'm sick of it lingering around unfinished...

(oh, and next time I start a Freeform Cushion, please remind me to only Freeform ONE SIDE of the cover, and add a plain back)

My Flower Child...

Remember I did the sketch for the FLIPPIE... a head band which would be a cross between Flapper Style and Hippie Style...

Well, here it is in the flesh, as modelled by Little Miss Katie:



And I couldn't help but use the 60s photo effect tool... it's perfect for a project like this...

What's a Flippie???

The theme for this challenge is HEAD ACCESSORIES... and the criteria are to include both CHEVRONS and BEADS... if you want to find out more about it, you can look into the Designers Challenge Group at Ravelry

I thought it would be especially hard to combine chevrons and beads - and still come up with something I like! So I've kind of separated them a bit, by having the chevrons on the headband, and the beads sitting off to the side...

As for FLIPPIE - well, it's a made up word...

it's a cross between Flapper Style and Hippie Style... since this sketch reminds me of both!

(and as for that mermaid - she still doesn't have a name - so keep the suggestions coming)

The Little Mermaid Needs a NAME...

Here she is...

Based on yesterday's progress photo, were you expecting a mermaid???

I had all sorts of guesses yesterday - a turtle, a worm, a butterfly, a grasshopper, a praying mantis, a dragonfly, Craig Thompson (an Aussie politician)... and someone even suggested I was working on a spermatozoa (you're TERRIBLE Geraldine!!!!)

And well done Desertnetti - you correctly guessed it - a mermaid... and you too, Alyssa!

 

Not quite sure what her name will be as yet...

I want her to be "SOMEONE the SOMETHING Mermaid" but I haven't quite worked out those details...

Open to any and all suggestions - just fire away!

(and Geraldine - you need to keep it NOICE!)

           

Guess.

Here's a quick peek at my current project...

Anyone care to guess what I might be working on???

Inspiring Vinyl

So now everywhere I look, I see images to use in my next cabochon...

And I haven't even finished the first one yet!

I'd love to do something with this record cover - I find the image incredibly inspiring...

What Exactly is a Cabochon?

Have you ever heard of a 'cabochon' before?

Not me. I would have had no idea whatsoever...

But that didn't stop me volunteering to join in this Cabochon Crochet-Along over at Ravelry

So, a cabochon is an oval shaped polished gemstone. In the Crochet-Along, we are using a photo or a card as the basis of the cabochon... cutting it into an oval shape, and then working some beaded crochet to encase and embellish it.

It sounds a little odd, and it's not a technique that I have ever seen used before - but I think that's probably why it appeals to me.

Because I do like things a little odd...

The first step was to choose a photo and cut it into the desired shape. I've chosen one of Mum taken at my wedding, almost 13 years ago... 

I've chosen my beads...

And started on the crochet.

I don't exactly know where this is going, or what on earth I will do with the finished piece... but for now I'm just enjoying the process!

Pooped.

I'm feeling a little pooped after all those hats, so I'm resting my fingers for a day...

But young Thunder Lizard (as he likes to call himself) has been busy playing with my Embellish-Knit. Talk about speed french knitting. This toy is AWESOME!

And here is his finished project!

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

It's finished... It's finished... It's finished...



You might remember that I started out with this sketched idea... here.

 

Then it started coming together here... but I was having issues with the teeth...



Anyway, it's finally done - and in the mail - on its way to the Beanie Competition! Yee-hah!

Goddess of the Sea...

Since we spoke last, I've been frantically putting the finishing touches on my Competition Entries for the 2012 Alice Springs Beanie Festival...

In fact it was about 2am the other night, when I decided that I desperately needed shells for this project.

But where does one find shells at 2 am???

Well...

One goes and takes apart their Laundry curtain, stripping the shells from it, of course!

This project is for the Category which asks you to "Introduce a goddess..."

Hopefully by tomorrow I will have finished my second Competition Piece, so that I can mail them off well before the deadline...

So This is Aubergine...

Okay, okay, okay...

I promise that this is the LAST purple hat for the week!



I'm loving Crab Stitch edgings at the moment... and French Knots are a perennial favourite of mine...



The pattern used is Urban Appeal by Lisa Gentry. It's from a booklet titled Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family.

This is my THIRD version of the Urban Appeal slouchy beanie… so I was prepared for the fact that it would be a little on the large side, and that I would want to add extra increases.

So here’s how I modified the pattern... just in case you ever need to do the same
(PS. I do have a looser than average tension)

Worked pattern instructions for Rnd 1-17

Rnd 18: 2 dc, decrease, * 3 dc, decrease; repeat from * around - 67 dc.

Rnd 19: sc around - 67 sc.

Rnd 20: dc, * 4 dc, decrease; repeat from * around - 56 dc.

Rnds 21-24: as written in pattern

Rnd 25: crab stitch around in contrast colour
 
And here's a quick peek at the other two projects I made from this pattern:

First one was made back in 2010 using my Crazy Yarn.





And the second one was made earlier this week, using Scouts Australia colours, as a Chemo Cap for the kid's Cub Leader.