Happy New Year
This is the current progress on Sophie’s Universe. It was a crochet a long (CAL) which I missed last year.
I am such a newbie to crochet. I went in to this project knowing trebles, doubles, half double, singles, and knowing how to do increases and decreases in doubles thanks to a wave blanket. This has been a huge learning curve!
A wonderful learning curve!
My word for 2016 thanks to “Unravelling the Year 2016” is STIMULATING! This project is certainly that! I’m managing so far thanks to the photo tutorials and videos. I may not get to the very end, but I will go as far as I can.
So here I am today with parts 1-7 completed and the yarn for part 8 lined up ready for today’s adventure.
These mittens were originally made by Aino Sibelius the wife of the Finnish composer who wrote Finlandia. The kit, sold online by the Flying Mitten in Jarvenpaa, was a Christmas present. They were my very final make of 2015. I decided to work on them when it was dark, after reading that Aino would go to a friends house to meet with other ladies at night to read, sew or knit. So these are my Moonlight Aino Mittens. The pattern is gorgeous and a real joy to make.
Posted in Crafts, Crochet, Knitting by House Elf with 9 comments.
2015 Makes
I found these 2 cushion covers on Pinterest and luckily managed to trace the pattern to here and here. Above is Oak with the ogam symbol for oak at the bottom of the stem. Below is Rowan with the ogam symbol for rowan at the bottom of the stem. They are knitted with the frame in one piece. I think they are the most challenging knitting I have done yet.
I had a charm pack and some FQs of Hearty Good Wishes, so made myself a bag with lots of pockets to wear with blue clothes. This has to be my fav range of 2015.
I made a batch of 35 brown leads for Cydra UK. A charity on Facebook who are helping relocate dogs in Cyprus to the UK in forever homes.
I made 138 leads for charity in 2015
80 collars for charity!
These 10 went to help a little 3 pen Epi Pound in Cyprus who were up to 10 dogs during the Summer with the threat that after 15 days they would be put to sleep.
I did a little Christmas making. They were meant to be one a month but that only lasted until September, then I had to rush in November. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.
This bag is the same design as my Hearty Good Wishes bag, but I was asked for a Summer Bag. These fabrics seemed to fit the bill. There are frogs in the lining too!
Want to guess how many coats I made in 2015? I was astonished.
There was the odd one made for families in return for a donation to their local dog charity. This one is Lily’s.
But most were made in batches for rescue shelters.
This one went to a saluki called Barney.
These were meant to go to a shelter called Dog Valley via another charity, but that charity helped themselves! I was heartbroken and refused to have anything to do with them again. No UK dog needed the coats more than the dogs in Dog Valley, Cyprus who had been shot at, (1 killed) poisoned (all but one got the antedote in time) and were hock deep in flood water.
This coat was made for my sponsor dog in Dog Valley- “Penny/ Black Fanni”, but she has good news- she flies on New Years Eve to her forever home in the UK.
I am overjoyed!
So drum roll
I made 87 coats! I couldn’t believe it! No wonder my wanna make list hadn’t gone down!
I used left over wax which I had been hoarding to make new scented candles.
I forgot to show you the finished Quilting Mouse on the wall.
This stitchery came from the Simply Vintage magazine. One quilt was done when Daughter decided to start PGCE, the other when son got in to uni. So it is special.
I found some 3ply bamboo yarn going cheap and tried african violet crochet with this lace and picots edging.
I had some linen blocks made a while ago which were too good for the group table cloth project they were made for. Instead they got their own extra borders in cotton, and were turned into wall hangings. The spider is the symbol of industriousness, so apt for the receiver. Another lady had a cat who loved to play, so the lower wall hanging was perfect for her.
Little Red Riding Hood Dress was another Pinterest find traced back to here. It was the first time I had knitted a dress in the round like a sock. Good fun as no seams to sew!
Daughter announced with just weeks before Christmas that she needed a cardigan in black suitable to teach in, in January.
GULP!
Did it though. 🙂
I bought 3x 50g bargain bin aran weight balls in a grey to match the sky. I found this design which makes it look like chain mail, and this edging. It drapes over my shoulders and is long enough to cover my hair when its cold. I rather like it. Shame the pic isn’t the best.
This is a special coat for a special boy (was Buster) now called Arthur.
I made him a promise in June that I would take him away from Cyprus as soon as there was a space with us.
Sadly Bungle’s dementia, nerve damage, and arthritis couldn’t be helped any more without liver failure due to medication.
So we are now Squeak, Arthur, Dobby and Lyla.
I am also getting my life back together after all the loss of 2015. I intend to be back in Blogland.
Little and often will be better than this huge mother load of pics for today.
I hope 2016 brings you all you need it to.
Posted in Crafts by House Elf with 6 comments.