My very own knitted creation mmawhahaa!!

So I've knitted and crocheted a lot of cool things. But they've all been someone else's design haven't they. There's nothing wrong with that at all but I thought that this time I would try and create my own knitted toy based on a drawing I did some months ago.

I wanted something small to fit on my keys you see. I'm collecting keyrings that sum up what I like. I remembered that I had drawn this knit wit guy so I thought it would perfectly portray that I love knitting and such like.

I actually crocheted this because it's easier in my opinion to crochet small spheres rather than to knit them.

It was really very easy to make as it's just two spheres sewn together with some other stuff stuck on. But it meets the old saying: simple but effective don't you think?!

Megan's birthday song: That snotty little girl

It was my little sister's birthday the other week. Goodness me though, she's not really 'little' anymore! She's now a fully fledged teenager, uh-oh! I got an electric guitar for Christmas so I was just fiddling around on that whilst she was waiting to open her presents. Then out from nowhere came the begins of this song. I played a bit more and this was the end result so bear in mind that I made this like an hour. But it's what I hope is a funny song about her turning 13.

Let me give a little run down of this recording. Megan was the one doing the funky filming. And here for the first time, is my Dad on bass. Yep, I think this is his mid-life crisis in action here. He got a bass for Christmas most likely thinking that it'll make him look cool. I think though once he learns a bit more, he could turn out be a great little accompaniment to all my songs.

Anyway, after all that rambling, please enjoy and let me know what you think.

Show and tell time Friends version

Thought I'd give you a break from show and tell for a day! This time I will be showing you the gifts I crocheted for some friends.

You may recognise these as being something similar from a previous post. They're a more colourful version of the christmas tree decorations I made.

I had a lot of fun with choosing the colour combination for them all actually. I tried to match the colours to the personality of each friend if that makes any sense.

I was really lucky as well to find some buttons and beads that were hanging around my room to embellish them all with.

I really enjoyed making these. It was nice to work on some projects that required the skill of crochet for a change. I'm going to try and do a few more things crocheted now I think. Take a slight break from knitting. I say slight because I've got some awesome knitting books for christmas which I can't stay away from! I'm itching to get started on some of the patterns in those!

Show and tell time number 4

Now time for the last installment of my family's knitted presents. It's my little sister's turn today.

Do you remember my gloves that I showed you a while back? Well I knitted some for Megan. Only this time, I designed a new pattern to suit her. I got some grid paper out and designed some hearts, hugs and kisses using my original pattern as a template.

I was really pleased with how they turned out. The yarn I used is better than the yarn of my gloves so they shouldn't go all fluffy with use as mine have. Still, I think that it acts character to the gloves if they looked well worn!

The picture on the left was taken on our Christmas walk. A perfect opportunity to wear our gloves together!

Show and tell time number 3

Happy new year! Hope you had a good night and aren't too hung over. I'll try not to shout too much if you are. So I thought that I would show you my Dad's present today seeing as I showed you Mum's yesterday. Those might know that Dad is pretty into his golf so I made him a golf club cover. But not just any cover oh no. It's him in knitted form! Although, I think that I was very generous with the amount of pom pom hair I gave him. I knitted this on straight needles even though it probably would have been easier to knit it up on double pointed or circular needles.

But it was cool though because it meant that I got to learn a technique called mattress stitch for when I was sewing it together. I love mattress stitch as it helps create a seamless seam. How I wish I had learnt it sooner. Looking back on my past projects, I realise that my seams were pretty shoddy. But still, I've learnt it now. I've actually learnt a lot through knitting all these presents, it's been great!

Oh and the 'R' on the front by the way is his initial not some new fangled golf club.

Show and tell time number 2

Time for another present! This time it's my Mum's pressie I want to show you.

I made her a party clutch bag. The majority of the bag was knitted using moss stitch which is knit one purl one.

The yarn I used was a bit annoying though. It was really thin so I had to double it up. Once I had done that though it knitted up quite well. You can't see it from the pictures but the yarn is actually sparkly.

But after finishing the bag, I thought it needed jazzing up a bit so I lined the bag with this lovely fabric, embellished it with pretty beads to act as the buttons and crocheted a flower brooch. I thought that I would make it as a brooch because then she has the choice of moving it about the bag or taking it off completely to just wear. Anything that takes her fancy!

I also made her a strap that you can wear different ways. She can wear it as a little shoulder strap or clip it on the other side for a wrist strap. And of course, she could have no straps at all!

It's a bag of many options!

Well this is my last post of 2010! I really hope that you have a great night tonight however you choose to celebrate the new year coming in. I'm just going to be having a quiet little night in having fun with my family. I'm cooking them a nice three course meal so that should be nice. We've also got some fireworks! But before that, I've got a new years cake to make! A yummy scrummy chocolate cake.

Here's hoping that 2011 will be a fabtabulous year for you.

Show and tell time number 1

Well the presents have all been opened now so finally, I'm able to show you everything I've been so busy with in the last few months. Rather cool was that my presents were the first ones to be opened! I think to give these presents the best chance to shine, I'll show you them in separate posts. So, without further ado, here is the first installment: This is what I made for my twin, Ellen. A travel pillow. I thought it fitted in quite nicely with our future plans happening next year. I'll tell you more about this in another post! Inside is a fleece cushion which I made and sewed together. The stars I was really pleased with. I crocheted and then blanket stitched them on. The edging is also crocheted. One of first things that Ellen noticed though for some strange reason was the wooden buckles. I found these in Boyes and just had to get them. I think they go really nicely with the moss stitch border don't you think? Anyway, I hope that it will come in handy. If she doesn't use it though, I know I certainly will!

Christmas Eve magic

Well it's the night before Christmas and I'm sat here by the Christmas tree with my family watching a film on the telly with my dog sleeping by my feet. How lovely eh?! Like something out of a novel I know but it's all true! Speaking of the Christmas tree, here are some of the decorations I've made including that Christmas star I said I was going to finish the other day. I decided to give my knitting needles a bit of a break so I crocheted these. I got the pattern for the baubles from a lovely blog called Attic 24.

I can't wait for Christmas tomorrow! I may be considered in the eyes of the law an adult now but I still get very excited nonetheless! I hope that you all have a great day tomorrow whatever you're doing.

I'm off now to fulfill a family Christmas tradition, to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol!

It's a Crafty Christmas

Well first of all let me just apologise for my absence. As I'm sure is the case for most people, I've been very busy with my preparations for Christmas especially considering that I have decided to knit my presents for the family this year. Blinking heck it's been a knitting frenzy trying to get everything completed. There have been quite a few panic stricken moments where I didn't think I would get it done but I have managed to pull it out of the knitting bag! Yes excusing that rather bad pun, I am finally able to lay down the knitting needles and say I am finished on the present front . I'm in the process now of making Christmas tags to go with the wrapping paper.

This is all rather annoying actually. Here I am all excited as I've got all this crafty goodness to show you but because they're presents and thus a surprise for the recipients, I can't divulge any information. So you'll have to wait for show and tell time till after Christmas I'm afraid.

Now that my presents are all taken care of, I think it's time that I pay some attention to my other project; a crocheted tree top star decoration I made a start on a while back. It's perching on top of the Christmas tree quite miserably at the moment begging me to complete it's other points. I'll do that today so it'll sitting proud for Christmas day I think.

Birthday cake surprise

It was my Mum's birthday the other day so I decided to make her a cake as a surprise. We went to a nice restaurant for a meal where the waiter very tentatively gave her the cake being careful not to singe his eyebrows off. The fountain I bought to put on it was very impressive! As you can see in the photo, the flame was so high it went out of shot! The cake was a real labour of love. It took me a couple of hours to bake the cake itself and then all night for the decoration.

Luckily, Mum was out at a party so I didn't have to worry about her walking in. I started decorating at 7pm and just literally didn't stop till just gone midnight! As you can imagine I was very tired. But as much of a cliche as it sounds, it was worth it. I actually had to point out to Mum that I had made it because she thought that it was a restaurant cake! An what does the cake itself taste like...well, as my Dad put it, fabulous! Yay!!!