Friday 30 December 2011

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!

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Christmas Reading...

It seems there was a theme this year when people were buying my Christmas Presents... Craft Books. And I love them. I want to try EVERYTHING within them (well, not quite. I don't particularly feel like making a cross-stitched sardine cushion (?)). So, My New Year's Resolution, which I will start early, is that I will make something, or at least contribute to making something, every single day. It's a tall order, but I'm determined to do it, even if it means that I only do one row of knitting per day (I'll finish that Ravenclaw scarf eventually).
I will also do a review of each Craft Book I have received, and the projects within them. As a taster, these are the ones I could find while I had my camera:

Kirstie Allsopp's CRAFT book
Projects I like the look of: Bubble Coasters, Stack and Whack quilt, Felt Heart, Paper Bead necklace, Handmade paper, Ice-cream balls, Ribbon Rose, Lavender Bath Creamers, Silver Button Medallion.
How To Knit, D&C
Projects I like the look of: Garter Stitch Scarf, Ribbed Tube Socks, Ballet Slipper Bling, Sequined Knitted Throw.
The Make-It-Yourself Gift Book, Reader's Digest
Projects I like the look of: Chic Fabric Necklace, Traditional Rag Rug, Place mats for a Country Kitchen.
Twenty to Make: Fabric Flowers, Kate Haxell
Projects I like the look of: EVERYTHING! Seriously, this book is AMAZING and there are so many beautiful projects, but I particularly love Vintage Flower, Embroidered Daisy, Flower Cuff, Naive Felt Flower, Patterned Daisy.
Compendium of Knitting Techniques, Betty Barnden
This one is a bit of an instruction manual, and doesn't have projects, but for this reason, is quite possibly the most useful book I've received. It will help me learn all I need to know for my Knitting (hopefully).
So watch this space! There may soon be a dramatic influx in the amount of Craft which occurs in my life, despite the looming horror of OWL's (Exams).

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

Look what I found!

I found these in a drawer the other day while clearing my cupboards out
I made that! About two years ago.... It used to work, all of the electric wiring's etc. It's a steady hand game whereby you have to get all the way across the metal loop without touching it with the handle. If you did, a little LED in the wand lit up. Unfortunately, it doesn't work anymore, one of the components has snapped off and i can't remember where it goes. I made it in school, in woodwork, and I was very proud of it, as it was one of the only projects that I made that ACTUALLY ever a) got finished or b) worked.
This is a wooden 'jumping toy'. It was meant to be a golden snitch, but I didn't finish this one, and it never worked anyway...
The top always fell off because it was too heavy. This picture shows the 'mechanics' behind it - two circles bouncing up and down (I can't remember the correct term for it). Either way, it failed. Dramatically.
So, unfortunately, these will be finding their way to the recycling/rubbish bin as I can't see any more use for them. Shame, but I wanted to archive them anyway.

What I am working on...

I thought I would try something different....
Can you tell who it is? I've been experimenting in the technique of outline stitching using paper. but, because my mother couldn't tell who this was, I decided I would add some more detail to it. So who is it?
It's Hermione! And my mother thought it was Hagrid.... That really is worrying.... So, I'm going to go around and stitch in the other basic outlines... Of her hands, clothes, legs, but not specifics like facial features, otherwise it could look creepy...
But for now, what do you think? Is it a good idea?

Monday 12 December 2011

My Harry Potter House Bookscarf pattern

This is for people, like me, who are beginner knitters, can't knit on the round, don't even understand the concept of dpns and just want  to knit a nice little Harry Potter bookmark.

You will need:
Wool in the colours of your Hogwarts House (red and gold/yellow for Gryffindor; blue and bronze/silver/white for Ravenclaw; green and silver/white for Slytherin; yellow and black for Hufflepuff)
Knitting needles of choice (I used 4mm, but I'm sure it would work with most needle types (you'd just end up with a bigger scarf))
A  crochet hook (don't ask me what type, I have no idea... I just found a plastic one in the drawer and used it)
A tapestry needle (for weaving in ends)

CO 7 stitches in Main Colour (red;blue;green;yellow)
Rows 1-8  Knit all Stitches

Stripe Pattern
Change to Second Colour
Rows 9-10  Knit
Back to Main Colour
11-12  Knit
Change to Second Colour
13-14  Knit
Back to Main Colour
15-22  Knit

Repeat Stripe Pattern With 8 Main Colour Rows after 3 times more, so that you have four blocks of stripe pattern, and 5 blocks of the Main Colour
Cast Off.

Attach the fringe by cutting 3inch pieces and tying them through the Cast On and Cast Off edges
Weave in all ends (apart from the fringe!)
And place inside your favourite Harry Potter Book.



It's Christmas time!!!

Christmas.Now around this time of year, I can just feel the creative juices oozing simply EVERYWHERE. Nice word, oozes.....
And one of the first ways to show people you're Crafting talent, is to make them Christmas cards!

I've been making cards for over 5 years now, and I still believe them to be childish, but I hope they can be an inspiration...
Now these photos are what I would call difficult... they all ended up aligning with the side. I think it calls for a vague multi craft tutorial....  For those that are simple enough.                                                                        For this card, I used a white blank and some die-cut circles, I arranged the circles into a Christmas tree shape (triangle with stalk below) and stuck them on using 3D foam pads.

This one has a complex structure in its make up, but is very simple in decoration. I added a border along the bottom of the front flap, and a tag stuck above it to only the front flap, but so that it over laps onto the second. This restrains the movement, just enough so that it can stand up properly.
On a blank, attach a strip of Red patterned paper, or one of any co-ordinating colour. Find and image to attach centrally, and add a greeting .
To 2/3 of a white  card, starting from the right hand side, attach a piece of patterned paper. add a border that runs vertically down the join. To this join, attach a motif that co-ordinates with the paper. Add some gems in the bottom left corner.
This card incorporates a Hufflepuff version of My Harry Potter House Bookscarf pattern . I cut a 4.5 cm x 0.5 cm slit, 4 cm from the tom of the card to thread the knitting through. Beneath the line, I stitched one row of running stitch in the same yellow wool. I then inked a greeting and slotted the scarf into place.
On a square blank, attach a strip of patterned paper. On top of this, add a square of a different patterned paper. within this, cut a square of the first patterned paper and align with the strip to give the illusion of an aperture. Attach a felt tree and adorn with gems, on the tree, and in each of the four corners.
Separately, attach a purple square of glitter paper to a square of silvered shiny paper. attach a ribbon vertically around them. Adhere to the card blank. Attach a greeting, and a silver Christmas tree  to mirror the base.
Attach One Red square to the card, and layer a patterned one above it. Attach a motif to the centre of the patterned paper. Around the edges of the central point, perform a simple running stitch in a co-ordinating red embroidery thread.
On a piece of yellow card, attach a ribbon vertically. at the central point of this ribbon, create a cluster of other, co-ordinating ribbons, and add a greeting. Attach a motif to  conceal the ends. Adhere the entire section to the card blank.
Attach a Ribbon vertically down the centre of the card. Layer a square of card, and then a frame onto the ribbon. Within the frame, attach your chosen motif.
Attach a piece of coloured card with a ribbon tied around it vertically. Let the ribbon ends fly loose. Attach a tag to the ribbon to make it look like a present, and place a snowflake at the foot of the card.








Edit: I have uploaded a video, showing the variety of cards I created this year to my youtube channel, LikeYodaSpeakI, some of which are not included here. It's not a craft tutorial, just an ideas video.

I have been busy over the past month, I promise.....

I really have been!
My art coursework is freaking me out and my french teacher is detestable with the amount of homework she gives me, so that is my excuse!
This is my last week of term before I break up for the christmas holidays..... 2 weeks in which to panic about January mocks, eat too much, freeze to the extreme whereby the duvet is my best friend..... stuff like that....
And it's my birthday on Friday.
I will be 16 on the 16th.
It is my sister's birthday today.
She is 12 on the 12th.

Freaky O.o