Holidays

Can't believe that I have been at my full time job for 12 months.  It really does seem like yesterday when I started.  I am on annual leave at the moment, all 38 blissful days.....I decided not to go away this year, so 5.5 weeks at home is quite challenging but I have managed to fill in the first 3 weeks quite easily.

Cooking, cleaning, knitting, coffee with friends, dinner with friends, catching up with family both in the country and by the sea, going to see my football team play, exercising, sleeping.....lots and lots of sleeping, shopping.....lots of shopping, pattern writing and just generally enjoying not working.

I've put together a whole bunch of photos I've taken whilst on hols, some on my DSLR, some on my phone, some snatched from my Instagram account, some snatched from others on Facebook.....thank you Lamb Loves Fox and thank you Kris.

And if you are waiting patiently for Purdey pattern to come along.....your wait is going to be a little longer.  Kris who does all my desk top publishing for all of my patterns, had an early arrival.  Welcome to the world Pippa Mae.  Purdey has been put back till Kris is ready, and I think this little bundle of gorgeousness is a valid excuse, don't you?

Victoria x

And Then There Were Four......

Busy knitting prototypes of Purdey bonnets & earflap hats......Subtle sizing changes mean a whole re-knit just to check.....and check again!  Luckily all these prototypes will go to photographers for modelling and sizing checks.  It looks like both patterns will go past my toddler age bracket and should hopefully fit up to or close to a 10 year old which is great for those who have young children & there will be 4 sizes in both hat patterns.

I've contacted my typist, formatter and desktop publisher and she'll start typing up the basic notes of the first Purdey pattern this weekend whilst I start taking the step by step photos.  I don't think we'll be finished by the end of January as promised but I should have the earflap hat well on the way.....that will be the first Purdey pattern as it's unisex whereas the bonnet is more female orientated......it seemed logical to do the hat  that all can use first.

Anyway just a little update for you all, it's back to the knitting for me and all the pretty colours!

Happy New Year by the way, hope you're all well into the swing of 2015.

Vx

Time keeps on Slippin'

I never intended to stay away for so long......and now it's marching on towards Christmas.  I've been in my job now for 6 months, where has the time gone?

Once again this blog post sees me with no news, or progression on pattern writing.  Full time work is really just that.....full time, with what always seems as no let up.  Trying to always catch up on sleep before catching up with anything, anyone or anybody!

I have made one decision that has turned out to be a good one.....a cleaner.  This has freed up a little bit of time for me and for the first time in what seems like months, I have started to finish some long overdue knitting as well as just knitting items, because I can.  Also a large stash of white Fuzzy Wuzzy came my way via Canada, so I spent a few nights knitting up little Kitty Kat hats....some of which are still available in my Etsy store.....there will be some more to come as I have a lot of this yarn to knit down.

I also spent a considerable amount of what little time I had throwing, donating, gifting and selling off furniture, clothes, books and crockery, as well as throwing years of long held sentimental items.....I just felt it was time to let all of these things go.  I've refreshed some of these items.....new sofa,  bed, chairs, storage for my stuff as well as wool and some new bed linen(s), with a few more things to come, but it is true what they say, you do feel lighter when you're not smothered in stuff and clutter......well I do anyway, and it was a good decision in the end.  Even though it sort of didn't feel totally right at the time.

The only other thing I've done is to put up the Christmas tree......a new 3ft white tree, that sits of the side table filled with beautiful vintage ornaments that I've been buying and stashing over the last few years.....these ornaments weren't cheap but they are so lovely so I figured I needed to get a few extra weeks out of the tree.

Well that's all my news, I promise I won't stay away for too long next time.....fingers crossed the next post will be all about 2 new hat patterns....Purdey bonnet and Purdey earflap......which leads me to say as well how overwhelmed I've been with current pattern purchases.....Clover seems still to be the pattern of the moment, and I just marvel at the beauty of them all when I look at Instagram.....there is literally 100's of them using the tag #cloverearflaphat......so thank you to all who have purchased a pattern or two and I hope you'll all get just as much joy out of Purdey when it's out just before Christmas.

Thanks again


Vicki x

Jumping For Joy......

Little Lamb from Lamb Loves Fox jumping for joy.....She knows dover & madden's Keaton beanie pattern will be available on Wednesday at Etsy and Ravelry.

Etsy will have discounts for 2 & 3 pattern deals.  Ravelry only has single pattern purchases.  I'll let you know when it's ready to go.

Oh and I'm jumping for joy.....I start my new job on Thursday.


Have a good week.

Vx

Autumn Afternoons......

Today was just an Autumn afternoon out of the box, so much so I thought I should embrace the brilliance of it all.  Over to Albert Park Lake, up to the Aquatic Centre, back home via Middle Park, and just because I couldn't resist, I had to photograph the Pamela Anderson house.....yes it's a house.  Used to belong to a celebrity of sorts I guess, well he was an ex footballer from the 1970's....its now been sold several times over I believe, but no-one's been game to cover her up.....the house is sort of iconic really....everyone knows her!

I've also got some news on my little Keaton Beanie.....pattern hopefully should be available next week.....I've now extended the pattern through to an adult hat as well.....the little hats also turned up at Lamb Loves Fox HQ....and here is a little sneak peak.  You'll find the pattern here on Ravelry when it's ready to go.

That's it from me..... Vx

Camilla......Coming Soon

My next pattern wasn't going to be a hat, but after much consideration, I thought I'd get hats out first...other things later......So coming late April......Camilla Pixie Hat ©.   Here on Ravelry....I'll keep you updated.

Thanks Vx

Little Images

Thank you for your kind wishes about my job situation, I'm keeping everything crossed myself.....Yesterday afternoon, Katherine Heise from Lamb loves Fox sent through some images for me....Her delightful family has been quite unwell so her yummy images were delayed for the front cover of her copy of her Finley Pattern, but wasn't the wait worth it?  Cute as a button her little guy is.

I'd also made a little bonnet from from a Norwegian knitting pattern, that she also photographed.....yesterday was a good day, I love images popping into my Inbox.

I have one final order to complete today, and a few new Clover hat to make for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere Winter to knit.....I feel like the pressure is slightly off now.....oh and 2 blankets to finish which I'll share once they are completed.

Hope you're all well, thanks for stopping by.  I'm going to make the best of our glorious weather today.

ps.  Here are the out takes from Katherine's photo shoot.


Vic x

Finley....

This little hat pattern will be ready on Wednesday  NOW!!.  Right here Vx

Images courtesy of Sarah Brown Photography

Do You See What I See?................

Little Finley Pixie Hat to knit your own at home.....Pattern coming soon to my Etsy & Ravelry stores.

Image courtesy of Sarah Brown Photography.  Sarah's gorgeous little man doing his best out take!! But don't you just love it?


I've set up a Ravelry page for Finley to keep you updated on its release here.


Vx

Clover Again.......

Did you ever see just a toothy grin.....Baby Q in her little mauve Clover hat.....This little image will soon make its way to the front page of my Clover Knit your own at home pattern.  At the moment when you download my pattern from Etsy or Ravelry you get gorgeous little Miss A on your cover....but shortly there will be a second version of Clover and you can choose the image of Baby Q, and hopefully soon also a third image from Joy Wright Photography as well.  I just think it's nice to have a bit of variety....it's the spice of life!

This image above is courtesy of Sarah Brown Photography.  Sarah is from Griffith in NSW, Australia and she answered a call out on my FB page....her work is delightful and I instantly fell in love with her photos and also she is a Mum to 4 little ones....superwoman really!  Feel free to stop by her Facebook page and send her some world wide love.

Also don't forget Katherine Heise from Lamb Loves Fox or at her Facebook page....also brilliant photography of her gorgeous children going on here.

Well that's enough of me, I'll be back on Monday with a crochet tutorial.....The Squircle Blanket as I'm calling it.

See you soon.

Vx

Summer.......

Summer......what can I say.  It's been incredibly hot here in Melbourne, well Australia all over for that matter.  We broke another weather record here in Melbourne last week....4 consecutive days over 41c.  I can't begin to tell you how awful it was.  Normally we get one 40+ day and then we drop down in temperature and we may get another one a month or so later....maybe 4 over the course of the whole Summer, not 4 in a row......this felt relentless. 

 Hopefully the remainder of the Summer will just stay balmy, sunny with the odd thunder storm and a little bit of rain, that would be nice....and maybe just moderate temperatures.

I've been doing some baby blankets again.  I don't know what it is that inspires me to crochet in hot weather.....I think it has something to do with the wool moving a little more quickly through my hands than what knitting would, therefore I don't feel it sticks as much.....sticky wool, sticky hands, not one of my favourite combinations.

Anyway I've just been moving through the days, back at work, walking, catching up with friends, seeing a few movies, going to the tennis and generally just being a little lazy.....oh and I had my hair cut off, that was a momentous moment, all 25cm of it.....I think the hot weather played a big part in that!

Anyway I'm going to sneak back and do another hour or so of crochet time, before I head out for the afternoon.

Warmest wishes,

Vx

Blocking.....

To block or not to block that is the question.

I'm a blocker, I block my hats, blankets, whether they be knit or crochet and any little baby knits, such as jumpers, cardis, leggings etc.

Blocking just gives everything a professional finish in my opinion.  It relaxes the fibres of wool, and makes your work soft and drapey, it also has the advantage of stretching your work, should you find your items, a little small or tight.  There are so many different ways you can block your knitted/crocheted goodies, but I am of the type that finishes the item off, then blocks on completion.

There are others that block their knitting piece by piece before sewing the garment up.  There are crocheters that block by square before crocheting a blanket together......not me.

I like to unpin the item off a towel or blocking board and know that it's finished.

Just thought I'd give you a quick look at how I block.....I finished a couple of little cardigans over the weekend, and I just wanted to show you the before and after shots.

As mentioned, I had sewn the little cardigan up, except I hadn't put buttons on it....they did come last.  Buttons are always last, because sometimes with blocking you do have to do a bit of stretching and maneuvering and the buttons can end up in the wrong spot, just saves having to un do the buttons and replace.


Firstly I knit all the pieces of the little garment.  The knit is patterned with little fleur de lis in it, as you can see they are very hard to see....the fibres of this wool are all tight.

All little pieces sewn into place and ready for blocking.

I don't do anything special when blocking.  I have a stash of normal sewing pins with coloured tips (so I can see where I've placed them on my knit), a polystyrene board with an old towel on it (this acts as my blocking board and works a treat).  A spray water bottle with just room temp water in it and that's it.

As this little garment was quite squished up, I did spray it damp first so it was more pliable, especially the back of the little garment, and then just placed it flat on the board, and started pinning into place.....Nice and flat, without stretching the rib, but trying to get as much of the pattern to sit flat as I could.

I'll just let you know, it took a good 20 minutes to block this little 3M to 9M cardi into place.  I moved, straightened, stretched, flattened and just played around with it till I was happy with it....It looked like this.

Once flat and pinned, then I get trigger happy with the water bottle and just spray until the knit is damp to wet to the touch.  I then like to pat the water that sits on top of the wool into the item, and then give it one final spray again.  I then leave it until it's dry to the touch, unpin and usually then just pop it on the back of a chair, or the top of the clothes horse so it gets some air around it.

And then, once dry, it's beautiful and flat, soft as butter, and very drapey, and the patterning opens up so you can see it in all its knitted beauty......lots of relaxed fibres in this little knit!!

I did two little cardis, in the end!

The process I use is the same for blankets, nothing changes.


Hope I'm being helpful here, some of you will be au fait with all of this, but for those that don't....You learn something every day!!

 Any way, I'm done for the evening.  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I probably will be back in 2014....weather permitting.....loving this hot weather a little too much!!


These little cardis, are for sale, and you'll find them in my Etsy store.  The link is at the side of the page.


Cheers

Vicki x