Baylie Bear Cowl - Custom Order

Well, after much ado - mostly to do with waiting for yarn to arrive from the UK. Here is the first custom-order cowl.

I used King Cole yarn's Big Value Super Chunky and a 9mm and 10mm hooks, along with the lovely pattern from The Velvet Acorn. This is going to a little 18-month-old girl, and the colours were hand-picked by the customer.

Here's hoping I get to see a photo of this adorable little cowl on it's new owner when she receives it :)

Baylie Bear Cowl

Here is the first of my Baylie Bear Cowls - pattern from The Velvet Acorn. I've used a very standard acrylic yarn, it is only 12-ply (bulky weight) whereas the pattern calls for super bulky weight. I've just slightly adjusted stitch quantities as required and am very happy with the end result! This should be the right fit for a 4-8 year old I would estimate.

Lamb Bonnet

Ahh finished at last! I began using a paid pattern by Tara Murray, but then altered slightly as I was using a different yarn and hook to the recommendations. I ended up using a double strand of BWM 8-ply cotton with a 5.5mm hook for all the cream sections, with a single strand and 4.5mm hook for the beige. It needs to be said that I totally love the feel of doubled cotton and will definitely be doing this again!

This bonnet is off to a new little bub very soon - hopefully Mum and Dad love it as much as I do! :)

Cotton/Bamboo Mandala

A sweet little Mandala I made last year, using a cotton/bamboo blend from the back room at Bendigo Woolen Mills. Pattern by Barbara over at Made in K-Town. I gifted this as part of the International Crochet Gift Swap in 2013.

Cross Bookmark

I finished this project a little while back, using DMC cotton pearl no8 in shade 712. I used a 1.25mm hook, and the original pattern can be found here.

C2C Baby Throw

Here is a lovely project I finished earlier this year, sitting at approximately 1m x 1m this is a beautiful, soft baby throw. Made with 8-ply, 100% cotton from Bendigo Woolen Mill using a free 'C2C' pattern from Red Heart. (C2C = corner to corner, as this is how it is worked). I used the shades Wild Lavender, Daffodil, Blush & Honeydew and finished it off with a 'granny square' style border (4dc clusters). It has been washed with essential oils to soften the fibres, and blocked to a nice square shape. I love working with 8-ply cotton because there are so many patterns you can use, but the fibre is so soft and gentle - and all natural!

Creative Crochet Crew Group

I belong to this fantastic group on Facebook called Creative Crochet Crew Group with  32,882 members at this moment in time. The head admin is a friend I've made through the group (check out her awesome work at Get Knotted Yarn Craft) and she had this great idea for a themed day each Sunday.. "Someday.." Sunday where we share projects we'd love to start/finish/attempt one day. Basically it's a chance to share our dream list with everybody. She ran the idea past the group and I offered to design the banner for her. The banner made its debut today in the group, and here it is..

I created the 'yarn clouds' by hand using my Microsoft Surface Pro tablet, the free Bamboo app and the stylus which came with the surface. I then transferred them into Photoshop and designed the banner from there.

Things you learn from the idiot box

As mentioned, this weekend was largely spent watching TV - however I actually learnt something. Taking a break from the riveting drama mindless drivel of The OC, I watched the first two seasons of Derek, and educated myself on Robin William's career with Patch Adams. The whole time a range of quotes really stuck with me..

Now I know my own beliefs, however I think this is such a valid point for our society,

"I don't think it matters if there is a god or not. I've met people who believe in God that are good and that are bad. And I've met people who don't believe in God that are good and that are bad. So, just be good. I'm good. Not 'cos I think I'll go to heaven, but because when I do something bad, I feel bad. And when I do something good, I feel good." - Derek (Derek)

Upon  the topic of kindness,

"You make a living from what you get, you make a life from what you give." - Hannah (Derek)

"Kindness is magic." - Dougie (Derek)

"She said it was better to be kind than to be clever or good looking, I'm not clever or good looking. But I'm kind." - Derek (Derek)

Also, relating to our kindness towards others, highlighting not only how important it is to stop thinking about ourselves, but also how healing this can be,

"The doctors didn't help me. The patients helped me. They helped me realize that by helping them I could forget about my own problems. And I did. I really helped some of them." - Patch Adams (Patch Adams)

Finally, upon the topic of labels - and their functional relevance to everyday life. When Derek is asked if he would be willing to be tested for Autism, the following conversation takes place:

"If I am 'tistic will I die?"
"No"
"Would I have to go into hospital? Would they have to do tests on me?"
"No"
"So will it change me in any way?"
"No"
"Well, don't worry about it then." - Derek (Derek)

Road Trip Scarf

This weekend has been really quite cruisy, Sam went into town with the guys yesterday and then left to go pigging at 7am this morning - still MIA at noon. This has resulted in serious date with my butt and the couch, which has been way too enjoyable. But don't get me wrong, I haven't been totally useless, I've also finally finished my first Road Trip Scarf. This pattern is by the hugely talented Zelna over at Zooty Owl, which I altered slightly by stopping a few rows earlier so that it will be a good size for a little girl - with a custom unicorn stitched onto it. I made it with 8-ply 100% wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills - who offer free shipping on orders over $40. I love BWM - especially when I was living in Bendigo and could shop in person, however as well as being able to request shade cards from them, their website is a fantastic set-up for ordering. This is such a nice little pattern, it works up quickly (even for me!) and the finished product is really unique and versatile.