Inner Beast

Could I possibly design an INNER BEAST DOLL? she asked

One that would represent your voice from within...

the one which which fills you with doubts… 

makes you question your decisions, 

your happiness, and your ability to succeed. 

A nameless, faceless creature – who needs to be tamed! 

A creature you can pinch and poke, and throw across the room.

Scream at, jump on, and bite on the butt if you need to.

 

A creature with the following characteristics...

(most of which I managed to stick to)

human shaped

no face
horns
crazed eyes
big butt
could sit on a desk
legs that are easy to grab
use crazy yarn and solid held together
worked in crochet

I love how the crazy yarn blurs the edges of his shape, 

even if it made him really difficult to photograph clearly!

The eyes were actually added as an afterthought,

as it was so difficult so see any details in the photos, 

and you just needed something to pinpoint where the face was.

I actually loved the anonymity of him without eyes… 

and may end up removing them again…

This piece was designed to complement the Magic Ball Swap 

held in December 2016 at the International Freeform Forum.

The pattern is available as a PDF download from Ravelry

(currently free)

here is the link

If you'd like to chat with others working on the same project,

head on over to this Ravelry thread and join in the fun 

(or just check out the other INNER DEMONS as they are released!)

and if you're new to the idea of Crazy Yarn - check this out

Copper Star Creation

There is a wonderful ADVENT CHALLENGE which runs each year

over in the laughing purple goldfish group on Ravelry

click here to check it out

Each day during DECEMBER, a nominated member will post a

Christmas Decoration they have made using recycled goodies

It's truly incredible to see how creative some people can be!

I’ll be honest here…

I didn’t really have much time to allocate to the challenge this year!

Even all my brain space is currently occupied with a million other things at present…

But somewhere in the deepest, darkest corners of my mind, 

an idea started to filter in - and I just couldn’t shake it.

I wanted to create the most glorious Christmas star

using some of the copper wire I have been stripping from old electrical cables…

In my mind it was perfectly shaped from all angles, each arm was identical,

 and the centre of the star was slightly raised to form a small peak…

In reality, it’s a little quirkier than that - AND I LOVE IT

Best of all - since I already had the wire stripped - this star took about three minutes to make!!!!

(it’s taken me longer to put this post together, than it took to make the decoration)

I just formed myself a basic star shape, 

wrapped the arms a few times to bulk them up,

 then a few wraps around the centre to bind it all together…

Oh - and a tea bag string for the hanger! Of course.

Kiddie Mitts

Little Miss Katie was nagging me for a lacy pair of mitts...

So I worked up the Challenge Mitts in a kids size - and they turned out perfectly!

The adult size pattern is available as a free download from here.

And here are the alterations I made:

1. This yarn is a very fine 8ply - or maybe even a 5 ply!
2. Made a starting chain of 30, and worked 6 shells in each round
3. 6 rounds of shells before the thumb opening round
4. 3 rounds of shells after the thumb opening

LOVE - LOVE - LOVE the results... and I can see many more kiddie mitts in my future.

(Especially seeing how quick they are to make)

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!

April Challenge.

Pssst.

Don't tell anyone...

But it's April already!

Yep, that's right...

APRIL!!!

Can you believe it?

I feel like an Old Duck saying this... but WHERE does the time go?

Meanwhile.

That's my baby in those photos.

She turns two in June.

Again I ask...

Where does the time go?

Well April is disappearing quickly, so if you want to join in the April Challenge - you'll need to be quick.

This month we're test knitting Shelly the Colourful Turtle.

I'm in love with the simple Slip Stitch pattern which make up the shell - easy but effective - gotta love that!

As always, the pattern is available for free to all testers/participants.

At the end of the month, I choose my favourite turtle.

The winner then tells me what to design for the next knitting challenge...

Interested?

Come and join the fun here on Ravelry or email me directly.

What are you waiting for???

Slow Progress

I'm making slow progress on the Zebra Hat, but I thought I'd give you a closer look at my plans...



Remember that I keep saying you don't have to be an artist to make a sketch?

Well - this is a prime example of that!

Sketches help you design... even if they don't "look" any good.

It's all about getting your ideas down on paper. Then you can decide how to go about making them.

The sketch at the top of the page shows the hat I wanted to design for this challenge. A quirky earflap hat - which looks like the head of a zebra. It could have so much character!

But I'm kind of stretched for time - and I don't want to rush that one...

So for now the rough sketch is down on paper... and I'll get back to it - ONE DAY.

In the meantime, I'm going with something much more simple:



I've made up a rough graph of how the stripes will play out. The background will be knitted in black, and the stripes in white. Kind of the opposite of how it appears on the chart, if that makes sense!



And I'm just about to embark on the colourwork.

I just need to find my white yarn. I think I know which bag it's in...

A Zebra Hat.

Of course there are other things I could (and for that matter SHOULD) be working on...

Like the design for my December Crochet Challenge...

But instead I'm making a Zebra Hat:



It's for the Designers Challenge Group over at Ravelry.

This month's criteria:

Object: head accessory
Theme: black and white
Technique: colorwork - using more than one colour in a row

So I'm putting together a Zebra hat.

A square hat, mostly black - with a few white stripes. It will either have tassels hanging from each corner, or maybe a fringed tassel running all the way along the top edge...

If you've got some ideas of your own - you should come and join in the group - and make up your own design!

Little Birdie

If you're looking for a little distraction, you should head on over to the Designers Challenge group for the August Challenge.

This month you need to make a Toy Bird using less than one skein of yarn. Knit or Crochet - whichever you prefer. You could even do a little of both if you wanted to.

Now it sounds easy, doesn't it? But I found it super-duper hard to only work with the one skein. Because that essentially means ONLY ONE COLOUR can be used...

I guess you could go with a variegated yarn - but I didn't really have anything suitable in my stash.

So then I had grand plans for intricate stitch details to add interest to my bird. I was going to have these openly lacy wings with a layer of felt underneath, to really make the pattern jump out.

But as you can see, it didn't quite happen. In fact, you can't see any stitch detail in my bird - because I've used a technique called brushed crochet. You just crochet your piece as usual, then use a wire brush to fuzz up the surface.

The brush is nothing fancy. Mine is just a pet brush. I think I paid about $2 for it at one of those Cheapy Shops.

I love the effect the brushing has given. I wanted this little guy to look like a new little chick, all fuzzy and downy... and it has worked perfectly. Plus he is so soft!

I have to tell you though. This is not my first attempt at brushed crochet. I've tried twice before and been really unhappy with the results. Same brush, but different yarn. In the past I have tried it using Pure Wools, because I thought that they would be most successful - but they gave a pathetic result. This time I've used a 100% acrylic, and it's worked magnificently!

Night Owl

I've been wanting to share my Night Owl with you for such along time now...

and FINALLY I can!

I'm so in love with him...

He was originally made for Little Charlotte's room - she has a few OWL things going on in there - but then I decided that I wanted him in the lounge room where I can admire him all the time.

One of the most adorable parts is his beaded CD tummy.

The photos don't really show how wonderfully reflective it is. But it's shiny and beady...and the reflection makes it look like there are twice as many beads there! Love.

I made him for the 2012 International Freeform Crochet Guild Challenge.

The theme this year was:

"INSPIRED! Music and Art in Fibre"

The plan was to take a piece of music or art, and interpret it using Freeform Crochet.

So I chose to focus on the work of a contemporary artist by the name of Karla Gerard.

(you can check out some of her art here on Flickr)

I loved her simplicity and boldness.

Anyway, the Challenge pieces have been formatted into an online exhibition here.

Check out the awesome work of these Freeform Artists from across the globe. You just need to click on the individual tiles there to see each piece of work in all its glory

(and lots of the artists are from Melbourne, Australia - YAY!)

And if you're a little bit inspired by any of this - join the International Guild - so you can be a part of next year's Challenge... You know you want to!

I Won a Prize for my Flippie!

Do you remember "The Flippie Headband"?

I made it for the May Challenge over in the Designers Challenge Group on Ravelry...

To qualify for the challenge, you had to make a head accessory... which incorporated chevrons and beads. There were some fascinating entries, and if you're a member over at Ravelry you will be able to view them all here. It was a fabulous surprise to have my entry voted as the winner!

My prize came in the mail today...

~ Yummy Scrummy Yarn ~

2 x Cascade Yarns - Alpaca Lana D'oro 100g

50% Alpaca, 50% Wool

2 x Louisa Harding Yarns - Ianthe 50g

50% Extra Fine Merino, 50% Cotton

Now to decide what to make with it... Any ideas?

(you'll have to excuse the In Progress jigsaw puzzle - SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!)

Rejuvenation Project

Have you met my friend Tora?

Over on Ravelry she calls herself Gypsy Dancer... and she is the artist behind The Art of Notions. Tora makes the most exquisite ceramic yarn bowls. She's taking a little break from it at the moment, but here's some photos of her work which has sold on Etsy.

Anyway, in addition to all of that... Tora is one of my fabulous moderators over at the Laughing Purple Goldfish Designs group on Ravelry. 

At the moment, Tora is hosting the July Rejuvenation Project. The idea is that you take an item of clothing from your 'fix-it' pile, and transform it using either knitting or crochet - into a new wearable piece.

So the first thing on my pile was a pair of bootleg pants belonging to Miss Katie. Check out the left hand side, just above the knee:

Nothing fancy... as you can see...

And here's the problem:

So I've taken a scrap of leather:

And marked out a heart shape, with a crayon of course:

Snip, snip:

Now I wanted to pre-drill some holes, so I could crochet around the edge. I tried it without thread in my sewing machine... but I couldn't see the holes in the dark leather! So I've stitched around the edge, and will remove the thread as I work" 

The plan was to crochet directly into these holes... but I bent my fine hook in the process, so I'm working a blanket stitch around the edge - then I will crochet into that.

Working some single crochet around the edge:

And a few picots, too:

Of course, as soon as this patch was stitched in place.. .I discovered two holes in the other leg!

So I worked up a few motifs:

Plus this:

And we're done!

Now what will YOU rejuvenate this month???