Easily Amused...

I'll admit it... I'm easily amused.

Sometimes it's the smallest and simplest thing that makes me laugh...

For example:

One of my Ravelry friends has the username "seaburke".

We've met up at quite a number of crochet meets over the years, so I also know her by her first name... Catherine.

Last week, I discovered that her last name is Burke.

And all of a sudden the penny dropped!

"Seaburke" is "C. Burke"

(Which had apparently dawned on everyone else in the group YONKS ago, but not me)

And I'm still giggling about it now...

Much the same as when I discovered that "mareeknowscraft" did not just choose that name because she is Maree and she Knows Craft... but it is a play on the word Merino, as in the exquisite breed of sheep with glorious wool!

Anyway...

My latest source of amusement is also yarn related.

I spotted this Esther yarn at Lincraft the other day, and was having a little ponder about what a pretty name it was, and wondering how yarn companies choose the names for their yarn.

And when I turned the label around, I saw that it was 100% Polyester!!!

Esther is 100% Polyester!

So - YES - if you spotted a mad woman giggling uncontrollably in the yarn section of Lincraft on Monday afternoon, it was most certainly me.

I did warn you that I was easily amused.

.

It's not always about the crochet...

It's not always about the crochet...

But I do like to be working on some kind of a Crafty Endeavour!

Sometimes I like to embroider instead:

Of course it's VERY slow and time consuming...

If you haven't seen cross-stitch embroidery before, it's exactly what you would imagine it to be.

You stitch one little cross after another, after another...

I'll be happy if I can finish this off before the end of the year.

But while I was working on it earlier today, I thought "Hmmmmmmm...."

Remember the Australian Quilt I was talking about making?

I think I know what my first Aussie "square" will be:

The Arnott's Parrot!

And then maybe the Skipping Girl.

And More...

There were a couple of other goodies in that parcel which arrived from Loren the other day.

Firstly this gorgeous angel card... made from her own photo... of her own creations!

The angel wings are recycled pull-tops from a can, with crochet around them.

So clever.

Then there was a surprise for my other daughter, Little Miss Katie.

This fabulous applique butterfly - which Katie is thinking about using on a necklace...

Or a wrist band...

Or pinning as a brooch...

Or embellishing a hat with...

Or a bag...

Okay - so she doesn't really know what the plan is yet - but she will get there!

The other surprise was the leftover yarn from Charlie's little top, with the suggestion that I could use it to make a matching headband with...

A brilliant idea!

And I've already started:

 

And some adorable tagua nut buttons, too...

Surprise!

I got the most lovely surprise in the mail yesterday,

all the way from the other side of the world...

From someone I've never actually met - but feel like I know so well!

If you're a member over on my Ravelry group, then you probably know my friend and moderator Loren (aka Twisted1)

Well, she sent the most adorable little top for My Charlie...

(who was being the Queen Of Uncooperative, and refusing to pose nicely for a photo)

And now she sits still!

Inspiring...

What is it with cats?

They're so damn inquisitive that they won't leave you in peace to take a photo!

This work is NOT mine... but By Golly it's wonderful!

Don't you think?

I came across this magnificent Work In Progress over on Ravelry. 

It belongs to a Brilliantly Creative woman by the name of Colleen, who is designing a quilt to represent her native Canada... not by representing traditional icons, but using images which are personal to her.

 

I love the idea - and I'm inspired to create my own quilt, representing Australia!

If you're a member at Ravelry, you can check out Colleen's project page here. She talks in great detail about each square, and why it is significant to her. Well worth reading... 

And maybe you will be inspired too!

Rupert the 20 Pound Cat

So during my unplanned blogging break, I was still running those Monthly Challenges over in my Ravelry Group. January's was a knitting challenge, and the request was for me to design a giant 20 pound cat. Something I would never have dreamed of doing on my own... which is why I find these challenges so much fun!

Here he is with Little Miss Charlotte:

He's so huge... and so cuddly... the kiddies LOVE him!

I've left the ends of his whiskers free, so that their position can be changed on a whim...

And here he is with the boy who likes to be called Thunder Lizard:

Which just goes to prove that you're never too old for a cuddle toy!

 

 And of course I have to show you the winning entry from the challenge:

How brilliant is that!

I'm mesmerised by his eyes...

DawnKimMarch was a very deserving winner.

Now that my pattern has been fully tested, it is available for sale as a PDF for AU$4.50

And if you're wishing for a crochet version - my testers are working on the pattern right now!

I hate this monkey!

Did you ever have a project which you hated working on? 

Hated with absolute passion?

I did!

Don't let this monkey fool you by how adorable he looks...

I know he seems so innocent and unassuming - but that is not the case at all...

This monkey has been doing my head in. Actually, I shouldn't really blame the monkey. Mostly it was the pattern. It was one of those nightmare ones - you know the type. Where every piece is worked as awkwardly and as untidily as possible. And you kind of hope that it will all make sense when it comes to the assembly. But then those instructions make no sense whatsoever? And there was no clear photo to work with either.

So I ended up making it up. I kind of know what a monkey should look like, so I ditched the instructions and did my own thing.

Aarghhhhhhhh!

Honestly, if I was making it for myself...

Well - I just wouldn't!

If it was for me, I would have got five minutes into it and then tossed it aside and started something different. Unfortunately, I was given the pattern to make it up for someone else - so I had to persevere with it. 

And PERSEVERE I did!!

I wish I could say I did it without cursing... But I'm not that tough!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who had endured the project from Hell, and lived to tell the tale.

Embellished Crochet

I still haven't decided how to embellish my felted bag...

In fact it's looking Very Boring!

Really...

I could do almost anything here.

I have a perfectly blank canvas to play with...

And yet I feel overwhelmed with choice.

I just don't know where to start - so I'm not starting at all!

Kind of like the housework, I guess.

Anyway, yesterday my dear friend Dawnie-Pants brought over a book called Embellished Crochet.

I think she must have known that I needed help.

So my plan for the rest of the day is to flip through the pages, seeking inspiration...

And see where that takes me!

Wow!

This doesn't look at all like I expected!

So basically, when the navy yarn felted... it pulled the non-felting yarns in tightly as well...

And left all those loose fly away knots.

I kind of like it.

Well... most of it!

I'm not too sure about this mohawk of eyelash yarn at the top.

It's a bit too QUIRKY for my liking.

Time to get out the hairdressing scissors, I think!

 

And if you're wondering about the fluorescent tape on the neck of my mannequin...

Well the beanie came out a little small, so I figured I could stretch it over the head.

I might have been a little rough.

Ah well. I can always add some more paper mache.

A Felting Experiment

So I'm working on a felted beanie...

First time ever.

And I have NO IDEA how it will turn out.

 

In a way, every time you felt it's a bit of an experiment.

I mean - you never seem to know just quite how your yarn will react to the process.

It's sometimes even a complete mystery whether it will felt at all.

Of course, you could always felt a swatch piece...

But let's face it. I never do that. And I like to think that I'm in the majority on that one.

(Although I could be wrong).

And this time I'm trialling something a little different.

I'm using two yarns worked together: one strand is a navy feltable wool and the other one is my Crazy Yarn. The Crazy Yarn is made up of short leftover scraps all knotted together. I have no idea what fibre most of it is. In fact, it would be safe to say there's a little bit of everything in there. Some of it is definitely cotton, some is bamboo, some is acrylic. None of those fibres will felt.  So what will happen when they are put through the felting process with a 100% wool?

I have no idea.

But I'll do it anyway - Just for FUN!

 

I also have no idea if the beanie will fit a normal adult head after felting...

But it can always be a kids hat...

Or one for a GIANT.

Where are you Ashley W???

So I used the Random Number Generator to chose... and # 20 was the winner.

According to my calculations: Ashley W left the 20th comment over at the Beanie Giveaway, so she is our winner...

 

"Kiss Kiss and Bumpy Bits are my two favorites. I actually just moved to Alice Springs, so I can't wait to see these in person. I know nothing about the Beanie Festival, but I'm looking forward to it next month. Ashely W"

So Ashley - now you need to email me your choice, and the address you would like it mailed to!

Yes... And I don't know.

YES...

I am still collecting tea bag strings.

I DON'T KNOW...

What I will make with them yet!

My ball now weighs 76 g.

 I've been feeling like it just doesn't seem to grow. No matter how many strings I add to it, that ball just seems to remain the same size...

But then I looked back at my last blog post about it.

And guess what?

IT HAS GROWN!

Last time it was only 22g...

And I still have another 67 g of untied strings.




So the madness continues.