knit n bitch

Monkey Amigurumi Help!!

Here's me, putting out feelers to your Amigurumi fans, or Crochet gurus!  I spotted this crocheted monkey in a magazine, and I just have to make him.  Don't have a pattern - want a pattern (or at least some guidance!).  If anyone can help, do email me!

Amigurumi Christmas Delight!

I'v had a bit of an Amigurumi pattern buying frenzy recently, and now I am trying to get the girls involved in a Christmas Amigurumi Knit Along!  Here are the contenders......

 

I'm thinking maybe start wtih an easy option (like the snowman) as this will be our first crocheted Amigurumi!  Will keep you posted on that one.

Now got to track down and purchase this lovely 12ply Acrylic that other Ami users seem to prefer (will be a first for me getting Acrylic).  As my old pal Miss Nicole would say, "how many acrylics died for that ball of yarn".....always makes me laugh that one!

Now look what you've done!

Now, Jac has a lot to be responsible for!  This girl pretty much has the exact same taste as me when it comes to picking knitting projects, so on my last post (the one about the cable hooded sweater) she pointed me in the direction of the new Interweave Mag and the A Cardigan for Arwen!  This is not knit in an 8ply/DK, but I now have the Urrrrrggggggeeeee to knit it up!   Just got to find a 12ply that will work with this pattern (it's knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran).  Oooo hang on, I think I have some charcoal coloured Rowan All Seasons Cotton (a colour long since discontinued) in my stash (you just gotta love knitting from your stash!) that would work a treat for this pattern. 

The magazine goes on sale from 14th November, which implies that the ladies at Interweave Knits will have sent the usual copies to The Wool Shack a little while ago, so they should be landing very soon on our doorstep!  HORRAH!

So, I have been rudely led away from my original project by Jacqueline, but at least it's in a very lovely way!

Kimono Baby Wrap

As weird as this may sound, I have only just cottoned on to the fact that I am pregnant again with #3!  Only in the sense that I have been so busy of late, that other than a hellish first 3 months of morning sickness, I have sort of forgotten about it.  I have a bump, am 18 weeks gone and feel knackered, but other than that, its been business as usual.  In the last week I have felt the first flutters and kicks and this has made me broody, in a bizarre way!  As a result, despite us deciding to find out the sex of the baby this time round, I feel an urge to start knitting for the baby (something I neglected to do much of with the boys).  Here is one of my projects that I am to start in the next few days.  It's from a book called Start To Knit and it's a cute little kimono/wrap cardi.  It's using Rowan Wool Cotton (my desert island yarn) and, believe it or not, I am using some from my stash (what a GOOD girl I am).  The colour is elf, coz it's a lovely green that would suit boy or girl.  When I find out the sex, I may well do another top in an appropriate colour (please be pink, please be pink!).

Knitty Fest

Now normally there isn't that much that I want to knit from the Knitty website.  The odd one or two things, but some of their patterns are a little 'out there' if you know what I mean!  However, I have just been onto the website, for a little browse and there are FOUR things that I would like to knit!  I shall introduce them to you.....

1) The ohsocute Cat called Kate

2) Knecklace (I don't know why this appeals, but it makes a change from knitted food)

3) Tubey (although I would probably do it in one or two colours only) - its really interesting with a great shape.  Oh and I love her hair!

 

4) Blu - these are almost as adorable as the bub that I will knit them for.  Denim jeans, knit with Rowan Denim.....how cute?

 

Oooo Ooooo Cup Cakes

I just lurvvvveeee cup cakes, well, actually, any kind of food that's either knitted, sewn or real.....which is just about everything.  Whilst browsing through the very fab and groovy Whip Up I stumbled upon a free tutorial to make felt cup cakes.  Too Too Cute!

 

Felted Bag Cascade Stash!

Lisa, one of the lovely ladies that works with me, recently said she wanted to knit/felt a large bag!  We had a bit of a search, and came up with a bag pattern from the divine Alterknits books.  It's called a stash bag, which basically means you can use leftover bits of yarn that you didn't know what to do with.  It can be knit as a medium size, or LARGGGGGEEE with leather handles that you attach after it's felted.

Anyhow, get to the point woman!!  I fancied doing this bag too (as is the way) and I ordered in the Cascade 220 from a lovely ebayer (a bargain at $5US a skein). It arrived today, and I went for subdued lilacs, navy and cream.

 

Ideas Please!!!

I am off to the UK on December 3rd, for 2 whole months (with Joseph & Luka) to set up The Wool Shack UK (I've been planning it for about 2 years now and finally pulled my finger out).  Anyhow, I shall be home for Christmas, and it's a family tradition that we give everyone a 'box present', which is a little gesture gift.  Last time I was home I knit the little sweater egg cozies from Weekend Knitting and so I want to knit something along the same lines this year.  Bear in mind that there will be 12 people to knit for, so I want something small and quick, but very cute.

Here's hoping you can help!

Ginger Bread House

I have discovered a new kit from the same company that provided the IV's with our Tea Cup Kit!  Call me a bit of a nerd, or just a nutter, but this one appeals to me in a christmassy kind of way (gawd knows what I'll do with it).  So, a Gingerbread House will be winging it's way to me soon!

Winter Wrap

This could well be the next garment that I knit, as it's quick, but it's also wearable, and (more importantly) it's NOT a baby outfit and NOT for someone else.

This is from the new Suss Cousins book Hollywood Knits Style and knit up in aran/12ply weight yarn.  Now in the past I have been less than impressed with the technical side of Ms Cousins pattern writing, but this is sooooo unstructured that I figured you couldn't go wrong.

I'm thinking some of the more pastel shades of the Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, the pinks and lilacs in the Mohair and Mohair Infusion, and maybe a splash of Desert Garden Aran cotton to change the look of the knitted fabric. (Yes, it's gonna be a Jo Sharp special).