Ginx Woolly Linx Party April

Welcome to Ginx Woolly Linx Party for April.  Your projects for March were amazing, and as ususal it was very hard to pick the features.

Julie from Sum of Their Stories has shared this pattern for a lovely lightweight shawl. I find this type of knitting a bit scary, what if you drop a stitch. But her post has given me confidence to give it a try.

Alexandra of Eye Love Knots teaches us how to make these cute little applique carrots. She has used some for plant labels, and I am sure they could be used for all sorts of things at this time of year when there are lots of Easter rabbits about.

Lilah of Lilah's Treasures has made some really stunning crochet earrings and pendant. Aren't they great.

And finally Gema of Hebra de Lana has made this lovely little hedgehog purse. Check out all her photos to see how beautifully it is made.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 
Remember if you were picked as a feature you can put the "I was featured" button on your blog. 

Kangaroo Family Pattern

I showed you a taster of my new pattern a few weeks ago, but it has taken me a while to get to the finished stage. The kangaroo is very much in the style of some of my other knits, as he is not huge. Finished kangaroo is about 4 inches tall. So not a cuddly toy, more like a little model, that you could keep in your pocket or attach to a school bag. 

I have tried really hard to make the kangaroos realistic, but am knitting a few now in brighter colours, just for fun. My starting point for this pattern was my only magazine published pattern, which is called Australian Animals, and was published in an Australian craft magazine calledd Homespun. These were really miniature animals, which could be used as pendants.

I have spent so much time looking and thinking about kangaroos in the last few weeks, so I may have another go at scaling up, to make a really cuddly kangaroo that a child could take to bed. 

I realise the news may have slightly moved on from the terrible fires in Australia, but I am going to send 100% of any sales from this, and my previous Australian Animals, to a charity called Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Please message me if you would like to use my pattern to make kangaroos to support this or other Australian wildlife charities.

This pattern uses a lot of my usual techniques. Pieces are knitted flat, there is a little icord knitting, and some short rows. A good point is it does not take a lot of wool, 9g for the whole family. The pattern will be available on ravelry, Etsy and LoveKnitting later today.

I am in the country, and most of my stash is in London, so there may not be very much knitting for a while. I did put four 100g skeins of bulky wool, 12ply, in my bag. Would love you to suggest what I could make with this. I don't think there is enough for a garment, but I would like to make something that uses all the colours, as they look so great together. I also put in my little box of embroidery threads, so that might also be an idea for some alternative crafting.

I am thinking of you, and remember crafting is a really good way to relax. I am lucky to have a garden here, and we have been very busy planting, which I will update you about in a week or two. Or if you can't get out, why not start writing that novel that you have been thinking about writing for years?  I am trying to think positive. How lucky we are to have the internet. How nature may to benefitting from us being indoors. How resourceful and adaptable mankind can be.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Gardening Diary March

I almost forgot about my monthly gardening update, as I am in town, and have three more weeks until I will be in the country. (Although as I work in a school, perhaps it will be sooner.) My daughter's school is currently closed for a deep clean, and son's university has put all teaching online, so he is heading off to Cornwall tomorrow. It is very strange times, and I do wish we could all be together, and since in the country we barely know anyone, reducing social contact will be no problem. But here in my flat, other flat-owners have been emailing to check if anyone needs help. My hope is that difficult times will bring out the best in people. It is hard not to feel a bit worried at the empty shelves in the shops. Last night I could hear my son coughing in bed, and lay there thinking, oh no we only have about ten teabags, what will we do! But he is fine, and I have bought a box of tea. 

I have digressed a bit, so back to the gardening update, pictures sent by my husband. The one above is where the jerusalem artichokes have been planted. No sign of them yet, and the spreading weeds mean there is work to do. 

Rhubarb looking good. I think this is the first one we planted.

First early potatoes are planted. He said there was a surface frost this morning, but hopefully they  are safe underground.

 

Onion sets, which I planted, seem to be growing.

... and same with the garlic, which he planted.

Is this a lavendar? Husband thinks so, and the leaves look right, but it seems very early.

And finally to finish off, a lovely bank of primroses.

I really can't wait to get there, as I am sure there are other things we should be planting. Hoping for some nice sunny days soon, out planting and weeding.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

Kangaroo Pattern in Progress

I'm working on a new pattern. As usual it is taking much longer than I anticipated. It was the idea of a friend on instagram. This is version number two, as the first attempt was laughable. Still a lot of work to do, but I think I am getting there. I try really hard to make my knits as realistic as I can, but with kangaroos there are a lot of types, and they do seem able to stretch themselves into different shapes. He is just posing in front of a computer screen. But there is one feature of a kangaroo that I have not even started on.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.

My Very Own Mini Cooper

I have made my fair share of knitted mini coopers over the years. I have tried to do a count up, and think it is at least 15, but I have have missed some. But finally I have made a car for myself, and it is going to live on the back shelf of my very own mini cooper.
  

This knitted car is smaller than the usual cars I make from my Mini Cooper pattern, as I decided to knit it in Cornwall over the half-term holiday. I rather stupidly only took the needles for the wheels. The body of the car is knitted on larger needles. So I had to really adapt the wheels so they were in proportion.

It sort of upsets me that real life minis seem to be getting bigger and bigger.  Occasionally you still see an orginal mini, and they really are like a different car to the mini countryman. Little confession - I was quite keen to get a Fiat, but was over-ruled, and now we have the mini (called Neville) I really love it. It is very easy to park, but also quite nippy when needed. I am taking my daughter out in it for driving practice, and she finds it a lot more powerful than the driving instructor's car on which she is also learning.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time left to join in my Ginx Woolly Linx party for March. Click on the photo above or at the top of the page to find the party. I would love to see what you have been working on this month.