FO : Sack Boy (Little Big Planet)

Project Details
Pattern: Sack Boy, from Playstation 3's Little Big Planet. Pattern by Alan Dart, in Simply Knitting (available online)


Yarn: Patons Jet, in a brown colour. 1.5 skeins. And black stash yarn used for making the eyes and the mouth.
Needles: 5.5MM needles


Comments and Mods: Very easy to follow pattern by Alan Dart, and if you follow the pattern, you're pretty much guaranteed the results. The only changes I made was to use yarn for the eyes instead of shank buttons as the shank buttons I bought were too small for the massive head that sackboy had, and I pretty much winged the construction of it rather than follow the instructions. Besides that, easy, fun, quick pattern with great results. My bf loves it :D

Knitting on the PS3

Besides my "homely crafting", I have always loved going out, having a coffee with friends, shopping, discovering new haunts and discovering new knick knacks. However, since my bf took up his job as a mine engineer, we have based ourselves in a fairly sleepy town (approx 30 000).

While my work whisks me away for 1/2 of the year, the other half is usually spent coming back and forth from my "home town" and my current town. While in my current town, my bf often worries that I will get easily bored, and often stocks up on things that he thinks will keep me entertained (little does he know how much knitting and sewing can keep me occupied)..

Late last year, he (like many other PS3 owners) discovered Little Big Planet. He fell in love with little Sack Boy so much he decided that *I* needed it too. Not being an adventure gamer myself, I played for about 1 hour and have never touched it since. That said though, the other half has certainly taken to the game.

So in secret, I've started knitting him a little Sack Boy. It's almost done, except for the finishing and then i'll leave it nicely by the tv with the PS3 game. I don't often knit for him - but I do hope he likes it :)

New Yarns for New Projects

I have been a little bit busy organising my shelving for my knits, sewing projects and other crafts for my little craft room. Unfortunately, my room is on hold for the time being as we have a houseguest with us and we are unable to move things around without busybodying around. 

So, in an effort to provide hints about my NEED for a craft room, i have been stocking up on goodies with a view of indicating how much extra room i need, and how much a craft room would alleviate this need. Cheeky i know.. hehe . But amongst my purchases:

RYC Cashsoft DK:

Online Merino 150 (a 5ply of baby merino)

Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette in a Musk Colour (a wonderful blend of Alpaca, Silk and Merino... Bliss)

Unfortunately, I have no idea what I actually want to do with them .. :S

Time for a meme

I saw this over at Liz's blog, and it looked like fun so stole it. Thanks Liz! The idea is to bold what you've done, and leave out what you haven't.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (not a rock band, but in the orchestra/flute choir)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (albeit a highschool one haha)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (does my lemonade store count?)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (not allowed to...)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (my cousin who was stuck underneath a gigantic floatie with his head underneath the water for what seemed like eternity. Nothing heroic)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

WIP: Golden Vintage Cardigan

It seemed like only yesterday I was complaining about the ugliness of the green cardigan (aka Golden Vintage Cardigan), yet despite that, I have actually finished it.. :S Unfortunately, cardigans I actually *want* to finish are still languishing. Why? I have no idea.. but perhaps it has to do with my disdain for the colour, and the need to just quickly use it up no matter what. 

Anyways, I figured a WIP shot/post would be necessary rather than jumping straight into the FO post (which will need to wait anyway because I haven't sewn on buttons yet). 

But for anyone who is wanting a quick easy classic cardigan to knit, I highly recommend this one. Easy to follow instructions, DK yarn (not fatly knitted, nor painfully thinly knitted), and a design that is easily worn and dressed for.. 

PS. The other green/teal cardigan is being knit willy-nilly. One back, one sleeve, and now a front. I'm trying to keep the 4 ply boredom interesting :p (and I also got a new lens for my birthday so trying it out on different camera shots)

FO: Zooprint Grey Tunic Pocket Dress

People that know me know that i love whimsical, cute, girly things. Whether that is ribbons, buttons, cute prints, styles, anything.. i love whimsical things!

So when i discovered this grey zoo print fabric , I just *had* to have it. Not knowing what I wanted to do with it (again!), and coupled with the directionalism of the print, I bought 4 metres. In the end, I made a little shift dress , with pockets, and sleeve gathering... and Of course, i still have about 2 metres left. But that's okay, because I originally made this dress for my sister (and ended up liking it so much I kept it)... so I could use the extra fabric for a little top or something else for my sister.

 

Not the best photos - I'm borrowing my boyfriend's digital camera, and my shaky hands don't match well with it :(

Project Details:

Pattern: Simplicity Project Runway 3507

Fabric: Main: 100% cotton - grey animal print. Yoke: Dark Grey Drill

Notions: Thread, Make your own buttons.

Comments: 

Don't go by the pattern sizing, go by your RTW dress size. I made the one that suited my measurements, and it was HUGE. I had to downsize the dress and it ended up being my RTW dress. 

I would've liked to have put a zip in it as well, but I made this dress in one day so that I could wear it that day, so no zip. It's a little stiff to get out of, but not too bad..

Rowan 45 Preview

OOOh i love new season time. New magazines, new books, new yarns. It's a fabulous time to be knitting ;) Here's a look at the new Rowan 45:

2008 Knits

Oh what a dismal year... :(

Here's hoping for a better 2009 :)

Waiting

Belated Merry Christmas to you all! Hope it was a fantastic one. The last few weeks have been fairly hectic, with work going non-stop, travelling back and forth, and birthdays, christmas and weddings to attend. This is my first breather moment, and I can't post what I want up :(

There is 1 sewing FO, 1 knitting FO and about 46 viruses on this computer prior to reformatting. This also means I don't have anything installed, including a simple photo resizer, so I'm not able to post the FOs. SIGH.

Regardless, I do hope you have a great new years and a wonderful new years.

PS. I will be MIA for a short while. Will be working for 8 days, then travelling back to Perth for a weekend of partying with best buddies coming in from Melb. Have fun.

Restarting...

I must be on a green kick. Or variations of it. First there was Martha, then there was the Golden Vintage Cardigan, and now i've restarted Lisette in a teal green. I still have the choc brown one, but i left that in Perth and being 600kms away means I can't access those knits :(

But anyways, here's hoping to a better Lisette this time round.

It's a knockout...

Have you ever knit something that you've fought every step of the way? Where you keep on knitting even though you have this feeling inside you of "im not going to like it" or "i hate this.. and i hate that" but you continue to fight it regardless?

Well, that's how i feel about the Golden Vintage Cardigan. The pattern/design itself is very classic, and I do love it.

What I don't love about my knitting it is the colour of the yarn i've used, the needles that i'm using to knit it, and the inkling that I could turn out to be some horrid 80's pastel flashdance character. And yet i continue...



You see , the yarn that i'm using is titled "icy mint". It's a sort of bright pastel green (similar in colour to the one i used for my Leaf Sweater) but brighter...

The needles that I'm using are really short. I couldn't get gauge on 4.0mm or 4.5mm but i remembered that I had a pair of Clover 4.25mm in my straights vase. Perfect. Except for the fact that it is about 25cm tall... and squishing 90 stitches on there is a bit of a challenge. But i persist.


I keep thinking to myself "just stop, reknit in another colour" but something in me tells me to keep going. Maybe it's because I just want to use the stash yarn (i dont think i liked the colour from the get-go).. or maybe i keep thinking it *might* turn out okay.. whatever it is... i'm still fighting it every step of the way!

FO: Bubble Bee Top

I finished this top a little while ago, but because of my hectic schedule of late, haven't had time to do a proper FO post on it.


The bubble bee top is the first item that i've conceived all by myself - usually I would look at something and go "i can make that" or "i like this, but a little bit different".. This time, I just bought the fabric and was inspired from thereon - but of course, it had to be cute! I also liked the idea of a bubble top as I love to eat (hehe) so having something that could hide my full tummy was always a good option ;)

Project details:
Pattern: My own design.

Fabric: 100% cotton for all parts - yellow gingham for the yoke and white bee fabric for the main. The lining is some scrap of light white fabric that i had - maybe poplin?

Notions:

• Elastic - the top was a bit bellowy rather tham bubbly at first, so my patternmaking teacher suggested putting elastic in it to keep it drawn in at both the top and the bottom.
• Bee buttons - they are perfect! I found them in the button aisle one lunchtime and knew that i had to have them ;)

Would I change anything? My original design featured a zip, but the extra fabric required for this was mistakenly forgotten in the patterndrafting stage. So, it had to be elasticated instead. I still would've preferred a zip as i think it looks a bit more polished, but oh well.

FO: Martha Cardigan

Ooh i didnt even realise how long it has been since i last posted until my SO told me!! Eek. Apologies for that - i've been rather busy with being back on site, one of my good friend's weddings, my own birthday, and getting things organised between the three places i spend most of my time.

So to make up for it, here's an FO! hehe. Oh and please forgive me for not having read your own blog posts - i have 13253 unread posts in my bloglines :S

Project Details
Pattern: Martha, by Sarah Hatton featured in Rowan Studio #2


Yarn: 5 balls of Grignasco Tango in a blue/green tweedish colourway. THe yarn is very similar to Rowan Felted Tweed (which is the yarn used in the pattern recommendations) in that it is made of the same fibre compositions, but for some reason it feels a little more springy than Felted Tweed, which is somewhat delicate and quite brittle at times. The yarn was a pleasure to knit with, and at $8.40 a ball, it was a cost saving compared to Felted Tweed.

Needles : 4.0mm needles , and a cable needle.

Modifications? No modifications (i think?). You will notice however that in my FO, i am missing the top button, which is not intentional on my behalf. hehe. I actually bought 4 buttons but I was at my dad's place and misplaced one of them. I'm not in Perth at the moment so I can't go and buy a fourth button, but next time i'm there I'll definitely pick one up :p


Comments: When i finished this cardigan, i thought "ugh" thinking it was extremely granny like and absolutely not my style. However, once i put some little yellow buttons on it, it became a little more likeable. Then i paired it with some shorts and i thought "cute!". It's still not entirely wearable with my wardrobe, but at least i found something cute about it ;)

PS. Apologies for the mess in the photos - I was taking photos in the guest room, where we are getting it ready for xmas visitors.

Cotton.. cotton everywhere

I arrived back in Perth on Wednesday night, after doing a 9 day stint out on site. As always, I'm usually a bit unfocused when I come back from site because the last 9 days has been all about work, and living at work, so it becomes a bit hard to get back to "reality".

Anyways, I arrived back in the evening and found a gigantic parcel from Bendigo. It didn't really click in my head that I had ordered some yarn recently, and so it was a very nice surprise.

I opened my parcel, and in it :


3 skeins of cotton 8 ply in parchment (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 8 ply in damask rose (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 8 ply in latte (about 800 metres)
2 skeins of cotton 4 ply in teal (about 1400 metres).

.. and guess what? I had no idea what I wanted to use them for, and really (2 days on), I still don't!. I looked at my ravelry list and can see several items made from cotton dk/fingering on there, but i don't know which colour I had assigned to which project and whether it really even was for that project.

I'm in a pickle.. not sure where to start and how to knit :S Oh well, at least the yarn is nice to look like (a bit like a colourful icecream stack really!)

Interweave Knits Winter 08

Is anyone else really disappointed with the latest Interweave Knits Winter 08 preview? Actually, come to think of it , I've been rather disappointed at the last two issues (i think?) and haven't bought one since Spring's beautiful issue.

There are only two things I like in this issue , one of which I would actually knit and the other is a "maybe".

Manchester Jacket (a maybe):

Elaine's Blouse: (a yes, but i will wait till it is available on Knitting Daily's Store I think)

And does anyone else think that this is practically a ripoff of the Phildar Leaf Sweater??

Rant over ;) I'm starting back on site again, but with a shorter 9 days on, 5 days off roster. I've ordered my yarn requirements for my next 4 projects but am still waiting for them to arrive. *patience*

Made on the Left

This morning, my sister and I went to "Made on the Left" , a local market held at various intervals, and showcasing some of the Western Australian arts and craft talents and I picked up some gorgeously cute things, and just wanted to show my support for my fellow WA-ians! =D There was a lot more I wanted to buy, but I had set myself a limit for the markets, and easily spent it all long before we left.. Most of them have etsy stores, myspace accounts, or exhibitions coming up so I've tried to link where possible.. enjoy :)

A cute set of buttons from LisaMax and Jessica McLeod: (oh how I heart the underpants one!)

A felted bird brooch from Hanako:

Owl earrings from Osier! :

Apple earrings and Gingerbread man brooch from Brown Paper Crown:


Babushka doll earrings from J2aney, and Bird Earrings from Blush of Boys:


Gingerbread singlet from Brown Paper Crown:


Polymer clay ring from J2aney:

Lil piggy almost finishes a cardigan

So. I've been rather slow in finishing Martha... But to prove that I *have* been working on it.. here it is, unfinished, and looking rather ... grandma like. Hopefully some buttons and a bit of styling will help it look less grandma, and more... vintage..(insert hopeful look).


Also, just one day after I finished my temporary duct tape dress form, the store called me to say that my REAL dress form had arrived and I could pay and pick it up when I wanted. Oh well - at least I have a second dress form to use if i've got two projects going at once (highly likely considering my low attention span). Unfortunately I won't be able to pick it up till the weekend as the store is not open late enough for me to head there after work, and I'll be heading back out to site again on Wednesday.

I did however pop into the local craft store, and picked up some awesome piggy in the middle fabric . People who have known me for ages, or can speak chinese know that my surname is pronounced similar to "pig" and that growing up, i was always called little piggy - not because I was fat or overweight, but because I was lazy, and all I did was eat and sleep. hehe. Anyways, just thought I'd share :)

Duct tape forms and dressmaking

3 weeks after ordering my adjustable professional dress form, it still hasn't arrived in store yet. So, frustrated with having to wait, and making the most of having both myself and my boyfriend in town at the same time, I embarked on a (temporary) duct tape dress form.

So, armed with two rolls of duct tape, and whatever rags and unwanted clothes and plastic bags that were lying around in my old bedroom (at my parent's place), we rolled and rolled, giggled and cackled, and completed a duct tape dress form.


My first reaction was simply " really, that's me" as i realized that my boobs were too small, that my hips were too big, that my shoulders were mismatched, and that my bum was somewhat odd looking.

Anyways, after the initial denial, I set to work on a little dress that I am hoping will be ready in time for my friend's wedding. The imaginary picture in my head is a strapless dress with ruffles all over the bottom, similar to Jenny Humphrey's green dress from Gossip Girl.

When i started working on it with my duct tape dress form, I was having trouble pinning and adjusting by myself as the dress form did not have a stand or anything to stabilise it. Of course, my poor sister (aka, my unwilling slave) was forced to help me pin the ruffles in place while I fixed the darts and the bodice area.


After several mishaps where the 5kg dummy kept falling on us, we got smart and put it on top of one of my dad's bar stools (i wonder if he's realized it's gone yet??), on top of a stack of old uni books so that it was roughly my (and my sister's) height, and then taped the dummy down. Voila! It's now stable enough for me to work on it by myself and i might even try handfinishing the ruffle details later (after i catch up on this week's Grey's Anatomy).

As you can see, i'm currently confined to my old bedroom (at my parents' place) while i've been seconded to work in the city for awhile. When I head back out bush, ill be back out in my own house, and hopefully set work on that elusive craft room ;)

ooohs and aaahhhhs

I thought i'd share with you some of the latest offerings from various publishers around the knitting globe. While these are cute, unfortunately there aren't enough good patterns in each of the books/magazines they come from for me to buy it. Nonetheless, it's always worth a looksie, and who knows, i might be able to adapt another pattern anyways :)

Latest offerings from Debbie Bliss:

From RYC :

From Jaeger: From Kim Hargreaves: