lionheart Crochet installation.

Aslan from Narnia

Image/Shauna Richardson

Hare
(Everyday occurrence on a dog walk in Sweden/not crocheted of course.)

A crochet lion on a big scale......

Shauna Richardson
1st mention at my knit cafe in Stockholm, one of the other British mums asked had I heard?

£500 thousand, knitted /crocheted lions?, I know nothing.......

Google and a name (Thanks to Susan) ,Shauna Richardson

Crochetdermy her web site
http://www.shaunarichardson.com/words.php

Her words from site
Maybe anything can be art – A gesture, a van, an empty space. Crochetdermy employs animals, realism, traditional craft and accessibility to explore this theory.

Curiosity, Victorian taxidermy, and the endangered craft of crochet are used to create unique uncanny* life-size and larger animal sculptures.

I guess that this is/was some kind of community project/LONDON Olympics, I guess again/ it was a competition and Shauna won.


So I emailed her, and offered my help!!!!
(well you just never know, unless you ask)

Crochet is of course my favourite thing to do.

And I hope that she doesn't mind me mentioning her on my blog.;-)

Everyday I find some new
knit or crochet project that just blows my mind,
so many good idea's so many creative people.

This is a good time for the traditional craft to shine and inspire the youth of today in so many unthinkable ways.

But that the traditional craft still remains the same we just all choose to use it so differently.

Knitted lego/VHS dress and more.

(via Raverly (Ella)the knit hack photo was taken.)

Lego Man

Lego knit, very cool I found this today whilst checking out what going on in the blogging world.

I think that a lego knit should really be this years Christmas No1 toy.;-)

In my world, along with Pink Uggs and a necklace that says my surname
(like Carrie,S,I,T,C Bradshaw) I hope Rich reads this post, Or that Santa is real..........

http://knithacker.com/

Whist I mention this blog Knithacker I get a mention, well actually my VHS dress.

VHS

I am a knit hack top 10 so that's pretty cool , my VHS dress. A voting system on her blog, all good fun.

VHS is still sitting proudly in my front room on it's mannequin, I must get this is a display place it is just too good to be sat in my house. It was made to be seen;-)

http://knithacker.com/2009/08/04/vhs-dress/

Charity shop Bargain

All this and a Rowan label 50kr's (around £5) now that's a bargain.

And an iccle 50gm ball of Bamboo, Oj Oj Oj

Recommendation

http://www.woolandthegang.com
Funky this upbeat knit site has good easy ideas, fun kits and yarns.
Have a look when you get a minute or two.

Grinch Knitted Mitten (1975)

A Knitted Mitten for the Grinch............

My 1975 challenge part two the mittens,

1st mitten went well or So I thought!
(I seem to be typing that a lot lately)

I mean I did wonder about how long the hand part was becoming.

It was fast becoming a Grinch mitt, extra long fingers.

A working Coffee today, had some teasing by my good friend Kim........as I proudly stitched up my mitt.

Explaining all about my Julie, Julia Child's Knit challenge.

Explaining that is why the Mitt looked a little large,

I am pattern following, 1975 style!.

Mentioning here, putting it together the way that I thought it was supposed to go,
I mean there are no notes on that part,
just the diagram.

Go figure!.




My thumb and the end of the fingers part, traditionally should be quite close.........

And not around 15cm long.

It was here I realised my mistake whist completing mitten two,

I had in fact sewn the cuff(The turn up part) as the hand ,vice verser.

Hence the extended finger part!

Phew easily fixed (oh yeah) and tonight the met my pre teens seal of approval, she is very happy with her new Mitt's.

Good job completed so quickly as it snowed a little again today...........we are in for a bad winter, for sure;-(

Good Mitt verses Grinch Mitt before a quick repair
As I use crochet to stitch up it was quick to UN-pick(frog) and swap ends to stitch.

My Rasmus on his 1st Jog

Today I decided to brave the elements and my strong dog.
And double up my tasks,
dog walk and a run.
And surprisingly it went ok;-)

Smitten With My Mitten

Knitting challenge part two.

Progress so far seems to be one mitten is almost completed, well ready to stitch up.

This time no translating 1st, I just used the diagram instinct first.......
if in doubt translate;-0.

Drifting a little from the challenge,

But a challenge all the same,

Because for me knitting is a bit of a challenge,

It doesn't come naturally like crochet.

But I am addicted to those perfect neat little stitches
that sit patiently in their rows just waiting to be increased.

No stress,
Simple,
Smart and at the same time smug,

As they can sit as long as they like and you can continue..........
When ever, 1hour,1day,1week even 1 year.

Mitten start point it's a higgley piggley post, but that just my personality.
(Yesterdays diary of mitten one)

Slow progress to begin.........why?
As I realised in a coffee shop with no measure its broke and I need to replace it.

Improvisation a business card will do.

I figured 7 cm?ish.......
In fact on texting Rich, 8cm to be precise

So that's what I used to get started a little maths/basic/me;-)

Pattern(ish)

Size 7 sticks, chunky yarn.
48 stitches to start

17 Cm's Of just Knit.

Then a decrease of around 11 cm (check that)

Then knitted around 12 stitches

Cast of the rest and then picked back up the remaining 12 stitches on the needle.

knitted to end of that row increased but 5 stitches.

Then worked the remaining stitches in knit.

7cm more

Cast off.

Smitten with my mitten

My progress so far.

Pattern and Translation/well its parts as not all the words I could find.

Vantar/Glove

[stickad jersey (bomullsvante cotton)] glove; tumvante vanl. mitten


Storlek: Vaxenmodell,dam och barn 10-12 år. Lätt att ta mått och
ändra storlek.

Simple take measures (steps) change size; mått äv. dimensions.

Garn: Allt ullgarn går att använda. Vantarna s. 16, 24 har stickats
everything,use; högtidl.el.i betydelsen 'anlita' employ;(any odd yarn the point here?)

Med "gute" gran från Bergå

With Gotlander (Gotland and place) yarn

Garbåtgång: 1-1.5 hg

Tips: Muddens langd Kan varieras.
Land something know diversify.

EASY !!!! oh yeah......Oj ,oj.

Knit Worthy Teen

My son

Friday he asked......
"Can he buy on of those really chunky over sized scarf's?"
The sort that are currently very in fashion.

Or

"Could I make him one?"
(Obviously impressed by my skills;-)

Of course Blue chunky in my stash, a knit stitch for quickness, size 7, size 25 needle cast on 32 stitches.

This will Knit up in no time at all.

Teaming Navy with a Jade green, I began sat pm and by sun pm I'm knitting my last few stitches as fast as I can, never quick enough for a teen they want things done like yesterday.

Very Keen, very grateful..... he was trying it on whist it was still on the sticks.

Three balls chunky Blue acrylic.
One Jade Green dk.

11pm last night the dutiful (Pleased for being asked) mum that I'm.
After casting off, I'm then Cutting strips to make tassels.

Lots of strips.........

Lots of tassels........

A knit worthy late night gift.

Make do and mend from the 1940's

http://www.squidoo.com/make-do-and-mend-from-the-1940s

Knit Challenge, Julia Julie style

Part One Completed.

(Here's my helpful, pre teen)

Mummy's lil helpers (but please hush!,don't tell my kids if you see them)

Here is my daughter wearing the Hat, in true my style, I did in the end actually crochet the sides together and not stitch up with a darning needle as the 1975 instructions showed.

Old habits....... And I couldn't help my self adding the extra stitching to the band and while I was in Tassel mode(scarf)........the Surfy Tassels.

1975 meets my modern free-form touch.

Not quiet the challenge but it almost was the pattern, slight modification and it just needed a little added extra, which I felt the tassels gave it;-).

Poor pup

Bumpy nose Rasmus

Earlier this year my pup got worrying sick, a virus? that's what they all say.

His little/big nose erupted and it was touch and go we where very worried.

Friday he frightened us, the bumps come and go(as if he is allergic to something)

But this time........

It started to spread (signs of before) so off to a new vets, only this time it luckily went down as quick as it came. So now we are going to see a skin specialist so hopefully it will never happen again;-)

Very Pleased with the new vets;-)

Nicky Epstien who?

Nicky Epstein knitting Guru! that's who...........

A Funny post as I as have been a little serious of late (I think so)

My friend Quirky lil knits just had her launch in the UK Stall at the Twisted Thread.
http://www.twistedthread.com/
I really wanted to go.......... unfortunately it didn't happen.
(Nov, I'm helping in Yorkshire;-)

Second show case......flight booked. Repeating an earlier post, just so we know where we are.

My reason for this post, I felt that I needed to mention her name. After all it is a
knitting blog and she is world famous and as usual, I had know idea who she was.

Text

We kept updated through text and I checked her Twitter.
(Technology don't you just love it)

Any time any place..........

Quirky's Text.........


I think that it's Nikki Epstein, who's looking at my flowers!


Knits pearls text..........


Cool! (I'm in town so no pc, no idea who)


I have absolutely know Idea who she is but cool all the same
(That name did sound as if it came with knitted fame). In the bulk load.........


Quirky...... smiley smiley , She laughed/explain later. Google

Elegant

Structure and Flowers, things I really love.

Her book list is huge book after book after book. The funny thing I have a lot of

knitting and crochet books

And not one by Nicky E;-(

Challenge hat, Part one of my J,C's project.

Challenge continues.......


With one rectangle already completed. I made a second as I figured that was required by the diagram(imagined?) Or it would just be to small otherwise.

To Big to small

This brings me to my next learning point of the challenge.......

The part about me being right the 1st time(aaaahhhhhhhahhhhhh)

It was indeed cm's and not in fact the number of stitches.

On reading up the how to stitch together properly my finally finished yet
petite pieces. The 1975 way, I found the page that's titled Teckenförklaring.

Translation google last use, (it really is rubbish for Swedish) Legend!!!?

Using a recommended on line dictionary 2nd translation, (Helen suggestion) Translation this time.........

key to the signs (symbols), table of signs (symbols)

Instructions and keys!!! yes good question how I missed this?, I do no know.




Even though the hat is petite size, I think that I'll now move on to the next step of the challenge, gloves/mittens as two attempt and a small hat should count for part one and if I get ahead pretty quick I'll come back to the hat.

So please don't think I'm cheating, I am simply resting part one.......

Hibernating

Promise a little pic of the tiny hat on full completion.

Knit Challenge, Bits and bobs.

A hat?

Well it will be........

This was the 1st part of the hat pattern, that Celine kindly completed today. Nacka(Stockholm) knit cafe, with and extremely beautiful view.

Thanks Aleah.

How its a hat? who knows so I think that maybe a missed the translation for two sides, so I have now begun part two;-)

Reinforced Bag handle.

I brought Ribbon from the local craft store, cut the ribbon to a size.

So that it could be doubled over, then threaded it though.

Weaving the bag strap in the ladder effect crochet.

The ribbon as well a looking pretty acts as a reinforcement
I felt that the bag handle was a little flimsy for the size of the bag.

Purpley lilac ribbon 9mm at 29kr's bargain.
(Apologies the Camera flash affected the silky ribbon)

If you forget to take your photos before 4 pm in Stockholm the flash is now needed
unfortunately Winter darkness in full force.

For the accessories I recycled the buttons from my Gino dress.


Phoenix

Here is the final skein that completed Phoenix my new winter party dress,

And Now

all I need is a party invite.............

Phoenix completed.