Craft Review: Week 15: Sunday 1st April - Saturday 7th April

As  it is half term, I have had plenty of time to do art and craft. Admittedly, an awful lot of that was taken up by my Art Exam prep, which I have been annotating faithfully, as well as adding the experiments for at least another 6 pages in my book (A3). I haven't done much of my other work though yet, so I'm going to have to try and get that done this week....

Sunday

I made two more hearts. These are not designed to specifically given, but I am beginning to build up my stocks as my Mum says she might let me have a stall at her school's summer fair, to sell my crafts. I'm awfully excited, as it would mean I would have something to prepare for after my exams, and an easy way for me to earn a little bit more money. It's a win-win situation!

If anyone has any tips or tricks they'd like to share, or even any ideas for what I should sell, please comment and tell me!

These hearts are very simple to make, and I've re-adjusted the pattern from the book 'Kirstie Allsopp Craft'. These ones skip out beads and nonsense, and look far more rustic with shorter tails and a knot. Once I've assembled all of the equipment, it takes me only about 5-10 minutes to assemble them, and they really are gorgeous. Perhaps I shall share a pattern later...

Monday

On Monday, I painted little Ida... I love that shade of blue...

Tuesday

I finished the last few rows of My second Fluffy Buckbeak Scarf, and I then spent the entire day doing my Art Exam Prep. I even got my acrylic paints out to do a fair few studies. I love this project so much, but  the exam is looming and I'm beginning to panic...

Wednesday

I knitted another square for My (long-neglected) Harry Potter Blanket! This is a Gryffindor House Scarf Square, and it's a really simple pattern, which I will share when I have finished all 4 of them.

Thursday

I spent the morning knitting, and the afternoon painting. I knitted a fair few more rows of my Ravenclaw scarf, my faithful WIP, and then I painted Erick. Not bad for a day's work in my opinion. 

Friday

Today, twas another art day. But I forced myself (it's such a strain... *sarcasm*) to knit another Hogwarts Scarf Square for my Harry Potter blanket. I hope to do Slytherin and Ravenclaw next week, and perhaps even a couple more, of various descriptions.

Saturday

I had my first experiment with crochet today! And I have to say, it's looking rather successful. It took me a while to to figure out how it works, I'm completely self-taught here, except for the tutorial I was basing it on, and I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it. I chose to experiment here, because I have lots of friends who like bracelets, and I don't, and this seemed a nice way to get rid of the bracelets without making it look too obvious.

Craft Review: Weeks 12 and 13: Sunday 11th March- Saturday 24th March

I had visitors last week, hence the lack of posts. We are also nearing exam time, particularly in art, so I'm beginning to panic (4 weeks until art, 7 until everything else).
But, I did keep my resolution, I keep trying to do some sort of craft every day, which is often my relief from all of my revision. thank god for craft. so this is what I've been up to:

Another Buckbeak Scarf

Pretty swirls

I started knitting another Buckbeak Scarf. I had another ball of wool, a hard day at school, and I decided to start another simple knitting project.

I decided I wanted to try and stitch a swirl into a canvas. This was just an impulse, I am now unsure of what I want to do with it or the rest of the canvas.

• I have been doing lots of art. Mainly for my exam, which is looming ever closer, but I still have been annotating my coursework books occasionally.
• I did a few rows of my Ravenclaw scarf.
• I collected a few more squares patterns for my Harry Potter Blanket.



Ben Youngs' Try, Twickenham, 17/3/12

• I'm also beginning to get a drawing urge... I want to draw something rugby related (I love it so much (Ben Youngs' Try last weekend....absolutely brilliant)), but I also want to do something a bit more whimsical... what yet, I'm not sure

I have a French Speaking exam next week, joy of joys, so I'll be freaking out until Thursday about that one... Otherwise, I will continue crafting as much as I can, as frequently as I can, and just look forward to the Easter Holidays.

Craft Review: Week 8: Sunday 12th February - Saturday 18th February

This week was half term, so I've done far too much sleeping. And watching films. And rubbish things on TV... But it also means I get more crafty time (and more homework -_-). So this is what I did.
Sunday

Today, I picked up my Ravenclaw Scarf again, and by Jove it's getting long. I'm still following the pattern from Charmed Knits, but it prescribes fourteen colour block pairs, and I have just completed the eighth, and it's already nearly as tall as me! But I will continue on, I want one so badly, I'm not going to give up because I think it's monstrously long.

Monday

I went into town and bought 10 balls of wool for £7.00. Now that's a bargain. The cheapest ones I can find anywhere else are usually£2.50 at least. I will definitely be returning there again. I also finished this cushion I've been working on for a few months. It's the embroidery, I swear, it puts me off. I also knitted another tiny little owl, just for fun this time.

Tuesday
Today, I made R2D2! I had a lot of fun, and it's very rewarding to make a pattern yourself. It's sparked a whole load of ideas for me, and I can't wait to try and knit something else!

Wednesday

Today, in the breaks between the hairdressers and the opticians, and going regular shopping (such a bore, considering we didn't spend nearly enough time in Waterstones), I managed to knit up half a square for my Harry Potter Quilt. This one will be based on Sherbet Lemons, Dumbledore's favourite Muggle sweet, as is often expressed during the first few books.

A tradition of ours: Sock photography.

Thursday

I went Craft Shopping!!! We went to Hobbycraft, and my mother had to restrain me from buying everything. So, instead, I narrowed it down to what I needed: 5 Plain Plastic full face masks (for my art project); and what I really wanted, which equated to: 4 mini canvases, and a book on knitting cakes. Yumyumyum.
I also then went to Becky's for a sleepover, so there wasn't much time anywhere.

Friday

I was wiped out from Becky's (there are only so many films one can watch in one sitting, and I think three is pushing it at two in the morning...), so I spent the afternoon sleeping, doodling and writing. I actually finished the first chapter of a story I'm writing. It'll need tweaking, but if anyone wants to read it, leave a comment and perhaps one day I'll post an extract of it.

Saturday

Saturday, I really started to knuckle down and do my artwork. I did a three hour sustained drawing of two pairs of sunglasses, trying desperately to get the perspective right. It worked, eventually, I also started to tidy up any loose sheets of paper in my book, organising it, tucking things away, etc. I also started doing some studies of some photos that I took for it a few weeks ago... But because it's exam work and I don't want plagiarism, I'm keeping them to myself.
Sorry!
A few more months, and You can see them...

Toodle pip!

I told you it was dangerous....

Do you remember the Victoria and Albert museum website with the pattern generator? And that I said it was Dangerous? Here's why....

One Gorgeous, lovely, beautiful Fred Weasley.

One Victoria and Albert Museum Pattern.

After 10 rows... You can't really tell, can you?

15 rows.... Beginning to see it...

Yes! Definitely there at 20 rows!

Ta Da!!! Isn't he gorgeous!

So, 4 hours, a load of confusion, several scraps of wool and two knitting needles later, I have my lovely Fred Weasley. I was determined. And that is Dangerous.

Craft Review: Week 1: 26th December 2011- Saturday 31st December 2011

Following in line with what I promised myself in my resolution, here is what I have been making this week:

Monday

This is one of the Felt Hearts from Kirstie Allsopp's CRAFT book. I made it for my mum's birthday, which is at the end of January. I have only made one at the moment, but it may end up having a few friends. I really like this pattern, it's very simple and looks beautiful.

I also knitted 4 rows of my Ravenclaw Scarf....
This is my darling, my faithful Work in Progress that I have been working on for nearly 5 months. Not that I contributed to it much during school time.... I'm following the pattern as prescribed in the book Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel.... I need 14 pairs of the white colour stripe, and I have 8... Nearly there!




Tuesday

Well, I did paint a Canvas for my friend Robyn's birthday, but I can't show that here yet as she may see it and that could be disastrous. But, I will upload a picture when she has received it.

I also started making a purple Vintage Flower, from the book 20 to Make: Fabric Flowers. By this I mean, I gathered a ring of fabric into a circular ruffle while sitting in front of the television watching Great Expectations.

Wednesday

This is my finished Vintage Flower, and I think it looks quite nice. It measures roughly 12cm x 12 cm, with a safety pin on the back so it can be used as a brooch, or to attach it to other items. The trouble is now... I don't know what to do with it. If anyone wants it, let me know. I'll accept any offers.

I also made up this pattern for a knitted bracelet. I'm going to call it the 2-stitch Bracelet. Someone somewhere else has probably made up the same thing, and I wouldn't be surprised, but it gives a nice tubular plaited look to it.

I also started to make this jar of what I will call Thought Stars. They have little tiny messages scrawled on a strip of paper, folded up origami style into a little star. I found this on stumble upon, an ingenious website which is absolutely fabulous. These will also be for my mum's birthday, as she often needs cheering up...

Seen this before?!

This is the embroidered outline that I did last week. I now have the laborious task of hand applique - ing it to this cushion cover *sigh*. So, this is what I contributed a proportion of my time to.

 Thursday

I went out shopping today. I bought some glorious cushion inserts for just £1.99 each! Guess what I'll be making shortly... I also bought a new skirt pattern, which I may try out  later with some nice tartan fabric I have lying about... But, I also bought this:

A five pack of 50g balls of wall in a wonderful grey-ish blue-ish mottled tones. For £4. BARGAIN! You could usually spend, quite easily £4 on just one ball of this type of wool. It was a brilliant offer, and absolutely gorgeous.

AND... This is what happens if you leave me for 10 minutes, with new wool and a pair of needles without work on it. I apologise profusely to my lovely other WIP's, but this is gorgeous. 20 stitches, 7mm needles, simple garter stitch. I'm in heaven. It's superbly easy, and looks beautiful. Chewing gum for the mind.

Friday

I told you it was dangerous, didn't I?! Here we see one completed Fred Weasley from Prisoner of Azkaban, Pattern via The Victoria and Albert Museum. I spent a few hours muddling my way through this. It turned out well, don't you think?

I also added a bit more to my fluffy scarf.

Saturday

I added a few more rows to my fluffy scarf on the way to the recycling centre... Not much else though... It was New Year's Eve after all!!!

So that was the weekly round up of my crafts. I think I've done quite well. What about you?

This is Dangerous....

My primary knitting centres around 1 topic: Harry Potter. I am knitting my scarf, and my quilt.
The scarf I have a pattern for.
The quilt, I do not. I have to gather patterns myself.
So, imagine my amazement when I found that the Victoria and Albert Museum Website can create a pattern (albeit a quilt one) from a photo that you uploaded.
This opens up a world of possibilities.
You could choose to make a quilt with someones face on it by using each square as it's meant to be, with one block colour, or you can choose to formulate it into a stitch guide for one single square.
Very Dangerous.
Especially with me.
And my Quilt.
So guess what I spent two hours doing yesterday?!

Just one out of 32...
I'm going to be having fun with some knitting....
Obviously, the patterns need to be adjusted slightly as  I cannot do half stitches.

As I said.
DANGEROUS!

Irish Shamrock

Another Square for my Harry Potter quilt. This one, is in firm support for everything Irish in Harry Potter: from the Quidditch team, who won the 422nd Quidditch World Cup, to dear old Seamus Finnigan.

The pattern is not mine, I found it, once again, on the Internet. I take no credit for the design, all of that goes to the author of the link below, where the pattern can be found. I thank this person for sharing the pattern with the world. I used the pattern for the small Shamrock Cloth.
http://krisknits.blogspot.com/2009/03/st-patricks-day-cloths.html

Owl 1

This is an Owl Square. I plan on doing 4 of these, but in different colours. This one is mottled brown.

The pattern is NOT mine,  and I take no credit for it, but it can be found at this web address:
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/features/crafts/knitting/owlsquares

Dragon

A Dragon Square!

This was another pattern that I found on the internet, so I take no credit for the design, it goes entirely to the owner. Design found at:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chinese-fireball-dragon

Weasley Jumper

Another square! This one is the flat form of the front of a hand-knitted Weasley Jumper, completed in my preferred colours, and with my initial.

This again was a case of 30 cast on stitches, knit in stockinette until square, with the initial embroidered to the front. I am not comfortable with intarsia at the moment, I need practise, so perhaps this could help at a later date.

Stag Patronus

Another One knitted square for my quilt! This time it takes the form of a white stag patronus:

This was a pattern that I found at the below website address. I take no credit for the design of this one and it goes entirely to the owner who was very kind to share her pattern on the internet. Thank you :)
http://www.knittingknonsense.com/moosecloth.html

Weasleys Wizard Wheezes

Not the first one I knitted, but the first that sticks in My brain. Probably due to the colours.

This was done by casting on 30 stitches in the orange, and working stockinette stitch until I ran out of Orange wool. I then divided the remaining width to make it square by two, joined purple wool at the top and bottom of the orange and knitted 6 rows of purple at each end. I then embroidered The WWW logo onto the centre of the orange.


1 square down on the quilt!

My Harry Potter Knitted Quilt/Blanket/Afghan

As my humongous long-term project for knitting, I am going to try and make a Harry Potter quilt/blanket/afghan. But, for the purposes of simplicity, I will call it a quilt.

Each square is 30 stitches by however-many-rows square. A lot of them will be designed and or improvised by me. It is a daunting prospect - I haven't quite decided if it will be 100 squares or 144 squares yet, but I will see how it progresses!