Ginx Woolly Linx Party October

A bit of an autumn feel with some of your projects this month.

Alexandra of Eye Love Knots reviews a pattern for this Foxy Headband.

Liz of Howling at the Moon has made this Granny Go Round top for herself. Great colour combination.

Raji of Raji's Craft Hobby has made a toy truck storage box. I think this is such a great idea and would really help get children to enjoy tidying up as they load the truck.

And finally Tonna of Sew Crafty Crochet has made this beautiful autumn table runner.

Expect a bit more of a rural feel to Ginx Craft, as now my daughter has finished school, this month I am finally giving up my town/country life and properly heading to the country. And tomorrow I have a table at a craft fair in the village hall. Bit terrified, but here goes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Rainbow Lizard

 

One of the reasons I like selling on ravelry is that it gives the options for people to link up their projects made from a pattern. When I am looking for a pattern myself I always have a look at the projects. Do they look like the pattern samples, what comments have been made, etc. 

Etsy doesn't have this option built it, but I have noticed recently that buyers of my patterns on Etsy are sending me photos of what they have made, or posting them in the review/comment section. I love it when this happens, and was really delighted to be sent this rainbow version of my lizard. Susie who made it contacted me about the wrap stitch technique, but once mastered she has done a really great job. There must have been a few ends to run in, but I love this little rainbow lizard, who is on his way to Spain for her grandchild.

If you have made a project from one of my patterns I would love you to share a photo, and I do take all the comments onboard.

 

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for September.

 

Autumn Garland and Butterflies

After a last burst of summer in the British Isles, it does seem like autumn is now on the way. I am back in London, just until the end of the month, when I am looking forward to returning to Cornwall - hopefully for the rest of harvest. Apples to pick and press, hoping my husband is watering the pumpkins, my son picking blackberries for the freezer for me to make jam, and that the sloes will be ready to pick. 

To welcome autumn and harvest I wanted to share this beautiful autumn garland, made by Jennifer (who also helps me with pattern testing). It is so lovely, and the more you look at it, the more you see. I love the mixture of animals, flowers and fruit and veg. Jennifer told me that there are no hedgehogs in the USA, where she lives, but she put one in anyway. There at the top are two monarch butterflies made from my pattern. It made me wonder why we don't get monarchs in the UK, but a bit of a search on the internet, and it says that very occasionally some do get blown off course, and they have been seen in Cornwall. So I know what to look out for when I am back there.

 

I spent a lot of time over the summer trying to photograph the butterflies that I did see in Cornwall. At some times there were so many, particularly on the buddlea and majoram, but trying to get a good photograph is a bit of a hard task. I probably spent too much time on this. The hand at the top is my husbands, and that particular red admiral butterfly seemed really keen to be caught on camera.

 

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for September.

Cockle Shell Pattern

I have been busy making cockle shells from my new patttern. My idea is that these will be hanging decorations, perhaps for Christmas, as shells can be a religious symbol. So expect a few more photos when I have attached ribbons. Although I also think it would be cute to make a seaside mobile, with some knitted shells and some of my other sea creatures. I may have a go at this.

A cockle shell is fairly easy to make, and another good pattern to use up any oddments of wool you have left over from other projects. I tried to be fairly realistic with the colours (except for the red which I thought would be Christmassy), but you could go wild and make all sorts. I had an idea that they might look cute with some silver bells, like the nursery rhyme "Mary Mary". 

The only technique that might be a bit unusal is making some turns midrow to make the base of the shell thicker. (I have not put in the wrap stitches which I often do, as this didn't seem necessary.) My other tip is not to over fill the shells with wadding, and to a bit of squeezing to adjust the filling, so that the shells are flatter at the edges.) I enjoyed making this striped shell above, which was just done by switching colours occasionally.

The pattern is available on ravelry, Etsy and Loveknitting.

 

Still plenty of time to to join in Ginx Woolly Linx Party for September.