A trivet!

A last minute gift idea was to make a teapot trivet. I LOVE it!, It came out bright & happy & was so easy to make!

On the go: a girlie dress

I had a bright idea to knit baby Laney a dress, the only problem is that the pattern comes in one size 0-3months & she just turned 3 months old this week! Luckily, she is small for her size (currently in 0000) & I actually chose a size larger knitting needles so hopefully all will be ok.

A thankyou mandela

Back in June I won a baby quilt, I was totally blown away with it & felt guilty that my emailed thankyou just wasn't enough.  After my baby was born, one night as I watched her sleep tucked up in that quilt I just new I had to make the quilter a proper present to express my gratitude.

Eeks, I need your help!

add a cherry pink

I started a project, a crocheted cardigan for my baby girl - I was a good girl,  read the pattern, found the yarn, hooks and started the pattern.
Until, I discovered, I read the pattern wrong. Well not the pattern, I guess you'd say I read the ingredients wrong!

Free Pattern: Easy Peasy Crochet Balls or Baubles

These crochet balls/baubles are a quick easy project & once you have made the first one, you will be able to whip them up easily within 30 minutes. The hardest part is holding the stuffing down whilst you work the last row!

 You can stuff them with anything, toy stuffing, wool, fabric scraps & even lavender.

Work some up in bright playful colours for the kids or festive colours & string together for a Christmas wreath or use thick cotton yarn to make some & sew together flat to make a trivet or pot holder.
Use any thickness of yarn (the picture shows thin crochet cotton) and use a suitable hook.

To make the balls/baubles: 
dc=treble      dc2tog=double crochet two together to decrease

~ chain 4 & slip stitch together to form a loop
~ 3ch (counts as first dc), 11dc, slip stitch to the top of the 3ch
~ 2dc in every space, slip stitch to the top of the first dc
~ (1 dc, 2dc) around the row, slip stitch to the top of the first dc
~ dc in every stitch around the row, slip stitch to the top of the first dc
~ (dc, dc2tog) around the row, slip stitch to the top of the first dc
~ dc2tog around the row, slip stitch to the top of the first dc
~ stuff the ball
~ (dc6tog)twice, and darn in the ends or chain a loop to the top.
Note: if on the last row (dc6tog)twice you have more than 12 stitches, just dc7together or dc8togther twice for the same effect.

Woolly love

I really want to show you some woolly love right now.
Check out my latest purchases and yes, before you ask, they have all been 'allocated' a project! (well, almost all!)

A couple of hats

Even though it's nearly summer down here (at the near bottom of the world), I've been whipping up some hats for baby Laney, or should I say Baby Sister or Oni, that's what bubba Joe calls Laney (he can't say L so Laney sounds like Oni when he says her name!).

A girl walks into a store.....

I went to the store the other day to buy buttons but this is what I bought home...

On the go - a confession

I'm about to admit to a little bit of a weird habit that I have, I hope I'm not alone in the world out there but anyway, deep breath, here goes.....
I love to start new projects. Wait, let me start that again, I LOVE to start new projects before finishing other things!
You see, I always want to be prepared, I just HAVE to be prepared - I mean, what if I want to crochet at midnight but don't want to concentrate on a pattern or what if I want to knit in the car or what if I want a challenge myself - I need to be prepared for all of these scenarios.

Book-tacular!!

After a bought of moody blues bought on by the tiredness & the exhaustion of having a newborn baby and the hormonal fluctuations as you realise that you don't carry that baby safe & sound inside you anymore....  I went shopping online & bought myself some crafty books to cheer myself up!

I chose this book, Knit-and-Crochet Garden: Bring a Little Outside Inbecause of the cover (yep, I buy books by their covers!), can't resist men knitting, crochet blankets & gardens!

An itty bitty hat

You know I had a baby right? An itty bitty baby right?

Cups & things

Here's a project for the kids or the grandparents or for you on a rainy day. In our case it was a present from bubba Joe to his Dadda (instead of yet another tshirt & socks combo!).

Meet my Laney

On the 10th September at 7.19am, my husband & I welcomed our second child into the world, our daughter Delaney Isla was born weighing a slight 5pounds 3ounces (2.4kg).

Not a flat pancake

With our exciting trip (yeah!) planned & underway, I thought I'd better start something on the hook that was quick, easy & no pattern reading or excess yarn needed.

So I started another project bag.... but I need to undo it & start again as it is supposed to be FLAT not looking like a bra!  But hey, easily fixed and it will give me something to do whilst bubba Joe is napping on holi!

A knitty group

Colourful chevron baby blanket by Rachel

I belong to a knitting group, do you?  I kind of feel like I'm 'coming out of the closet' by saying that because many people laugh when they find out I belong to a knitting group but hey, I'm not ashamed of my hobby & I'm not embarrassed to knit in public either so I ignore those titters & sniggers that I hear & happily attend my group at the local cafe.

A boys blanket

With everything nowadays focusing on the baby, I wanted to make something for bubba Joe (I didn't want him to start resenting the baby before it was even born!)
So I picked out a stash of colours and started...

I don't want to show you the pattern yet, I want to tease you for a little bit because I am quite excited by this pattern & can't wait to see it come together!

Taa daa (x2)

I've been making more booties, this time with a new pattern from The Lovely Crow - see Ravelry for more info here.

On the go...

Right now, I've got two current yarnie projects on the go. The rainbow stripey thingy was going to be a snuggle sleeve for the baby but the yarn is too fluffy for that, so bubba Joe is getting a scarf (which he is very happy about!).

To hex or not?

Hey there people! I am wanting your super advice right now.  Do you see the pile of fabrics above? Well, I am wanting to cut up that pretty bundle & sew them into hexagons and maybe make myself a quilt for my bed.  ...BUT...

Giveaway - a crochet garland

Hey there!  Would you like to win this groovy crochet flower garland that I made just for you (if you win it that is!)?

Hooky writing

Everybody loved this bag... did you?  Well, I loved it so much that I have decided to write up the pattern for you, for me & for the girlie next door.  It may take a bit to write it up, I mean, check out my writing....

Taa daa!

I finished it, what do you think? 

Some rainbow on the click clacks

Ever decided to do something out of your comfort zone?   I know, I know you are about to say LAME!!! ... but I'm knitting a baby thingy in colours that are so not me, rainbow, erkkk.  
Anyways, I like to step outside me occasionally & do something a little different (it's cheaper than a holiday)!

Deets on Rav here.

A growing bag

It's growing & I ADORE it!  
Do you??  I so do and I can't wait each night to add another row or two!

Flower Power

Wanting a quick cheerful project, I set about making some crochet flowers....

In one night...

After a few brain strains with the doily pattern that I am currently working on, I decided one night to have a break from it and sit down, relax & just crochet without thinking.

Pink!

Do you like to test yourself? Do you like to step outside your comfort zone and try something challenging?

Taa daa

Remember me telling you last week that I was doing a quickie crochet project? Well it was a quickie & now it's done & even posted.

A quick hooky...

On my hook is a quick project and by quick I mean it will probably take me two days & that is only a few hours each day. Well, that is the plan anyway but remember that I am pregnant (in my 3rd trimester now) and I'm potty training a 2.5yo boy!  Good luck to me!!!

Taa daa

I finally (finally!!!) finished the tunic dress that I was knitting for bubba Joe's girliefriend Zoey.  

I had to undo it heaps, reknit, undo, reknit - ugh!  This dress was an extreme test of my patience but I think it was worth it in the end, what do you think?

Best mail ever!

Squeeeee!!  

Look at what I received in the post the other day (oops I mean the other week!) - a hand-sewn quilt. How cute is it!

Taa daa for my hottie!

Yay for me, that's what I'm feeling today! Yep, I am feeling very proud of myself! 

I finished my hottie for the #hottiechallenge2013.  

Some hooky flowers

I hooked up a few quick flowers on the weekend to finish off a project.

Do you like them, aren't they cute!
I am feeling the need to make more but have no real reason too ... but then I thought of you, my followers, perhaps I could make a pile more & join them into a garland as a giveaway - what do you think, would you like to win a pretty floral crochet garland for your wall or window? 

Almost giving up....

This is the post where I want to give up knitting, in fact, I am so frustrated and annoyed with myself that I want to give up all craft..  but I won't, I hate giving up, I'd rather suffer through multiple failures until I find something that I can achieve that I am proud of.  Do you ever feel like that?

 

a hooky update

I'm really loving the progress of this new crochet pattern for The Hottie Challenge.
What do you think, do the colours work?  And ugh, can you see all those ends that I'll have to sew in!!

A hottie challenge

Ok firstly, before I start on about The Hottie Challenge, let me just tell you that a hottie is a hot water bottle (took me about a month to figure this out!!!)

And with that out of the way, have you signed up for The Hottie Challenge via Curlypops?
I did, this is my first year - the deadline is mid June & there is still time to sign up now - so why don't you? The money raised goes to a worthwhile cause. So go on. Do a hottie with me!

Above is a sneek peak of what I am making for my hottie cover - I chose bold autumn colours & a new crochet pattern .... I hope it turns out like I have pictured it in my head!

Eeks, the deadline is near

Oh em Geeeee, the birthday is this weekend - this dress/tunic needs to be finished for it as it is the birthday gift.

Quick, knit knit knit knit.  Stop procrastinating, put down the e-reader Rie & knit!

Knitty knit knit knitting

 I've been clickety clacking my knitting needles this week. I working hard on the dress for bubba Joe's "girlfriend" (in his mind she is!).

Recipe: Toasted muesli aka Granola

Giving gifts that are handmade - gifts that will be useful or eaten are certainly the way to go.
If you agree, then read on as I have an awesome, tasty gift for you to make & then give!

Here is a quick, last minute gift of Granola to make for someone special.