Magic Loop and UFOs everywhere

Gosh, its over two weeks since I last blogged and I haven't really got very much to show you :(  .... I have had two eye operations in the past 5 weeks so perhaps that's going to be my excuse.  Oh, and I'm just hearing on the radio now that our Prime Minister said this morning that the 'mummy bloggers' are running our country and since I'm a mummy and I also blog, I guess running Australia must have been keeping me busy too.  Gotta love our Julia ?????

So, after avoiding anything that couldn't be knitted on two needles ever since I've been knitting, I have now 'mastered' (or should that be 'mistressed'?) the magic loop and am tickled pink. Here's my first FO using this method - a premmie hat using 4ply Jigsaw by Heirloom and on size 2.5mm needles ......

Yay for the magic loop method and down with those evil dpn's !!

I've noticed on a few other blogs that I follow, people have been worrying about having so many UFO's (unfinished objects) ... whew, I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one guilty of this.  From where I'm sitting right now, there are five UFO's within reach - I wonder if its a 'comfort' thing having them nearby?  Anyway, I finished a crochet coat hanger cover this morning and a frilly scarf that I'd started at the last Spotlight Knitting Party a few months ago.

Spotlight provided the yarn and needles to make the scarf and I had a funny feeling that 4.50mm needles wasn't right for that yarn.  Last year I made several frilly scarves in Katia yarn and I think 8mm needles. Those turned out a good length but this Spotlight one is quite short but would look ok if worn under a coat.

The only other thing I've made is this baby's hat ... 'twas a need for instant gratification at a time when I didn't want to strain my eyes.

And now the time has come to get back to that tunisian cardigan that I started a few months ago.

Thanks for visiting.

Itty Bitty Kiddie Mittens

So how do you keep the 2 year old's hands warm - fingerless gloves of course.  What else??   Just when I thought I'd done enough for the girls who work with my daughter, one of them asked if I could make some for her toddler. Its been a long time since I've held the hand of a 2 yo so it had to be a bit of a guess as to the size but I think these should fit.

Want the pattern?  Its one of those Clayton's ones - you know, the pattern you have when you don't really have a pattern.  All I did was ........
8ply soft yarn, 4.50mm hook.  Chain 23, work hdc in second chain from hook and to end of row, ch2 and turn. Now, working in the back loops only, continue with rows of hdc for about 4.5 inches (work through both loops for last stitch on each row).  Sew seam, leaving a gap of 3ch for thumb. Turn up cuff, voila !!

Grannies and Gloves

This past week has been a bit of 'this and that' as far as crochet and knitting is concerned. A few more granny squares have been added to my small pile which will be going to Japan - remember I told you about that project here.  We have until the end of June to send squares to the Knit4Charities member collecting them so hopefully I'll be able to make a few more before then. They're always fun to do aren't they?

Two more pairs of fingerless gloves will be going to work with my daughter tomorrow and I have a pair of grey ones on the needles at the moment . I'm enjoying making these and the girls love them so that makes it worthwhile. I have tried sticking to fairly neutral colours but couldn't resist some 'wicked' fire engine red when I was shopping the other day. I reckon that colour would go great with black.  Hmm - we'll see.

Speaking of red, I really must get back to the child's tunisian cardigan I have half made. I know I haven't got enough red to complete it but since the original pattern uses two colours, I'm going to have to do the same thing.  I'm tossing up between white or yellow at the moment - not sure which way to go.  Any ideas?   The second colour will be used for one sleeve and one side of the front.

Hope the weather is warmer wherever you are. Winter has really hit here now and its SO cold.  Most nights we are getting below zero temperatures and the days are just above the two figure mark.   My heated throw is getting a really good work-out and of course the house heating is going all the time.

Thanks for visiting.
xoxox

To Crochet or Not to Crochet

That is the question.  I've been making fingerless gloves for my daughter's work colleagues and the part I least enjoy doing is the cuffs because of all that sc and working into the back loops.  Not that its hard - I just don't particularly like doing it. So, the idea of knitting the cuffs and crocheting the rest seemed a good option. Do you think it looks ok?

As usual, the colour is way off - can't seem to get it right these days.  The pair on the left is crimson, the ones on the right are a kind of green and my table is a darker colour than either of these pictures.  The gloves from hell are below - contrary to what they look like here, they are blacker than black and were a pain in the 'you know what' to make.

As a bit of relief I made this little baby's vest the other night.  This will be donated to charity.

I think if I make it again, I'll do another two rows on the body section as this looks a bit short.  Very easy pattern though, and only took a couple of hours to make.

Its cold, wet and absolutely miserable weather here today so I'm planning on staying indoors as much as possible and doing a bit of knitting.   Before I finish though, I have a question for you ..............  If Kmart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?