FO Friday – The Year of the Owl

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and you got all your handmade gifts made in time.

While I may have run out of time to get most of my Christmas crafting started, I did get a few Nel the Tiny Owls by FreshStitches made for an earlier Christmas that the Tiny Owl Knits Ravelry group.  It is called TOKmas and this year on 14th December at the same time everyone opens their gifts from a secret spoiler.  It is a lot of fun to first stalk your spoilee and then to open your gift at the same time with everyone else around the world.

Including these 2 and the one that I showed you the other week, I have now made 5 tiny owls and not kept a single one.  I really have to correct that next year.

I also made a couple of drawstring bags out of fat quarters.  I really liked the fabric and had to go back to the store to buy some for myself! Not sure what I will make out of it yet, I just had to buy it before it was all gone.  The drawstring is a ribbon which I wouldn’t normally use for this purpose but I couldn’t resist the cute little Christmas owls.  They just fitted the theme perfectly.

I loved being part of TOKmas this year and will definitely do it again next year.  The hardest part was receiving your box of gifts but not being able to open it until TOKmas day!

Until next time, enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!  However you celebrate at this time of year I hope you have a great time, even it is just playing with the wrapping paper.

 

WIP Wednesday – A Project For Me

How is everyone’s week going?  Putting the finishing touches on all those Christmas presents?

I think I am just going to have to admit defeat and buy all the gifts I need to instead of making them like I intended.  Work has been crazy busy and by the time I get home I am exhausted.  Today I came home and slept for an hour which I have never done!  It didn’t help that I was not feeling very well.

Needless to say I haven’t had much motivation to do anything.  Last night I started one of my many kits from FreshStitches.  I started the Mal the Duck because my eyes were hurting after staring at a computer all day.  I could not focus on the black stitches of the top hat.

Ever wondered what you get in one of the kits from FreshStitches?  I think I will make this kit next after Mal.  It is Nel the Tiny Owl.  I think kit is about time I made one for myself.

I love that you get everything you need in one little bag, the pattern, yarn and the safety eyes.  In New Zealand it is very difficult to buy worsted weight yarn.  I always wanted to try it to see what I was missing and these kits have been perfect for that.  The wool yarn that is in the kits is really nice to work with and I do miss it when I go back to using acrylic yarn which is what has the best range of colours.

That is all from me today.  Good luck with finishing any last-minute Christmas present you might be making.

(Looking for a Christmas themed pattern?  Go to FreshStitches blog for a special discount code valid until Friday)

Be sure to check out Tami’s Amis Blog if you need a break from crafting.

 

FO Friday – Buzz Buzz Buzz

So I haven’t had a chance to finish the Snowman, the top hat is taking forever! I might have missed the end of the CAL but I will get him finished.  He will not become a long-term WIP.

Today’s project has been finished for a while but I have not had a chance to photograph him.  I just couldn’t get his to stay still long enough.

This version of Dale the Mosquito by FreshStitches was part of the Kit Club.  That is why the legs are longer than normal.  There are pipe cleaners in the legs which makes them moveable.

I really can’t stand mosquitos.  I have spent many nights trying to find that annoying buzzing around my head.

The really good thing about Dale is that you can easily see him!

Don’t worry Dale is fine, he just has a small headache but he promise not to try to bite me again.

I am off to finish the Top Hat for the Snowman and try to figure out some Christmas presents!

If you are like me and need some inspiration for last-minute Christmas gifts, check out Tami’s Amis Blog.

 

WIP Wednesday – Snowman Progress

I am making slow process on the Snowman for the FreshStitches CAL.  I don’t think I will make the December 12 deadline but I am going to try to finish him off by FO Friday.

Just a word of advice, if you have kittens that are 9 weeks old, 1) do not introduce them to yarn on the first day you bring them home and 2) do not leave a ball of bright orange yarn unattended while going to look for scissors to cut the yarn to finish off a carrot nose.   I may or may not have had to redo the last round of a nose after coming back to find to little girls playing with it!

I still have the stick arms, the top hat and the cowl to finish.  I am thinking of making the cowl in red and green for Christmas.  Any other suggestions?

Be sure to check of Tami’s Amis Blog for more work in progress.

 

Meet My Little M and M

2 weeks ago tomorrow we welcomed into our house 2 little balls of fluff

Molly and Marley hugging while sleeping.

They are now about 9 weeks old.  The tabby one is called Marley (after Bob Marley’s family) and the grey one is called Molly (after Molly Rhone, the President of the International Netball Federation – she is a Jamaican).  Marley + Molly = M and M.  Both girls are from the same litter and have been inseparable for the last 2 weeks.  They do EVERYTHING together!

I promise not to turn into the crazy cat lady who only posts photos of their cats, but I can’t guarantee they won’t appear the odd time or two.

Over the weekend I was searching through Ravelry to find patterns for cat toys to make for them this Christmas.  Here are a few of the patterns that I am trying to decide between.

Mouse Toy by Stephanie Garcia
(Photo Credit: Stephanie Garcia (Kawaii Gurumi)

Swirly Mice Toy for Cats – pattern by Julie Oparka

Tiny Whale – pattern by June Gilbank (PlanetJune)

Crinkle Ball Cat Toy by June Gilbank (PlanetJune)
(Photo Credit: June Gilbank)

(Click on the pictures above to go to the website for the patterns.)

I made the swirly toy last year for Tabs who is sadly no longer with us.  I have given it to Marley and Molly and it has almost been destroyed in 2 weeks.  I am thinking I need something with a long tail or I can attach to a stick because their claws are getting really sharp!

Does anyone else have cat who they make toys for?  Do you have any suggestions about what else I can make for these 2 little trouble makers?

 

FO Friday – An Owl Wearing Glasses!

Wow what a week it has been.  I have been working full-time this week and it has been ridiculously busy.  Needless to say that has meant there has been very little time for crafting.

I have been able to finish this little guy.  The pattern is Nel the Tiny Owl by FreshStitches.

Last year the woman I work with asked me to make a couple of owls to the children of 2 other people we work with.  We decided that they would be really cute with glasses, so this year I decided to make her one.  The glasses are from the local craft store.  They are meant to be for teddy bears but I think they just the perfect size.

I am still trying to figure out how to best attach the glasses to the head.  I was going to stick the arms of the glasses into the head but there are little rubber stoppers at the end of the arms which means I have to think up something else.  A stitch on each side might work.  No children will playing with it so it doesn’t have to be really secure.

I really do need to make one of these for myself! I have now made 3 and not a single one has been for me.

I am now inspired to make so many accessories in miniature!  Can you imagine one wearing a Santa’s hat. How cute would that be.

Be sure to check out Tami’s Amis Blog for more finished projects.

 

WIP Wednesday – It’s a Moose!

Can you believe it is December already?  I know I can’t.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you will know that I have this problem where I start projects and make all the pieces only to stop when I have to stitch the pieces together.

So this weeks WIP will not be a surprise.

This should be (when I finally stitch him together) Mostyn Moose by Patchwork Moose.  All her patterns are really cute.  The fact that I can’t seem to finish this guy is not a reflection on the pattern, I will be buying and making more of Patchwork Moose’s patterns.  I can never resist a cute pattern.

I know that once I start stitching it is never as bad as I am expecting but that doesn’t help me start.

I hope that by posting on WIP Wednesday I might be able to finally pick up the needle and sew him up!

Check out Tami’s Amis Blog for other WIP Wednesday projects.

 

FO Friday – A Holiday Owl

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago I showed you Nelson the Owl in progress from when I was on holiday. Well he is now done!!

I purchased the grey Nelson the Owl kit from FreshStitches and I could not be happier.  I think I might even have enough grey and white left over to make a Nel!

I used a size D (3.25mm) hook so I think with worsted weight yarn he has come out a lot smaller than he is meant to be.  He is about 14cm tall and fits into the palm of my hand.

The photo doesn’t do this guy justice.  I highly recommend this pattern (and any of the kits).

Until next time, check out Tami’s Amis Blog for more FO Friday.

 

WIP Wednesday – Snowman Time

So this week I have been finishing off some top-secret gifts for a Christmas swap so I can’t show you them just in case the spoilee in the swap reads this post.

If you haven’t figured out by now, I have a serious case of startitis.  I keep starting projects and take forever to finish.  What is one more?

FreshStitches is running a Snowman-A-Long until 12th December.  The best thing about this pattern is you can choose your own combination of parts to create a unique snowman just for you.

How do you choose?  I can never decide so I thought I would pull the options out of a hat and see what happens.  I did this for the Choose Your Own Dragon Adventure pattern and I was really happy with the results.

What did I come up with: Top Hat, Stick Arms, Cowl, Coal Smile and Plastic Buttons.  I am not sure about the cowl but it is what came out of the hat so I will go with it.  Everything else I am happy with.  Now I just have to start stitching.

Is anyone else stitching up a snowman?  What options would you choose?

Be sure the check out Tami’s Amis Blog to see what others are working on.