10 Shades of Yarn

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Hi Needle Tweakers

With all the hype of 'that' film I couldn't resist writing these wee few lines:

10 Shades of Yarn

1.    . His eyes locked with hers, she whispered go on do it.  He put his hand in his trousers stroked it, let out a moan of anguish and brought it out -  hubby paid for yarn again!

2.      It irritated her skin, felt rough, lasted a long time, but so so worth it – Shetland wool.

3.      It was rock hard and long with a girth to die for, the job was done in half the time  her wrist was aching off – mega crochet hooks are fab

4.     She was tormented, twisting, turning and unsatisfied -she couldn’t retrieve a dropped stitch

5.     “No don’t do that please you are spoiling it, the moments gone now’, she cried – her swatch became the cat’s latest toy.

6.   .  She quivered in anticipation, heart racing, cheeks flushed, she couldn’t bear to wait much longer – choosing her new crochet project was so difficult.

7.     Her mouth dry, pulse beating in her very core, she was so frustrated, the wait was agony – the wool shop only opened at 9am

8.   .  ‘Mr Grey has got nothing on you darling’, she murmured, staring at the rainbow of colour in her yarn stash.

9.      ‘Oh you are so hard, you make my head spin’, she cried, not making any sense of the pattern instruction

10.     The challenge was too much, sweating, exhausted and a complete mind ****, yet she needed more, why did she work to a short time frame.  

I hope these are taken with a wisp of yarn, no offense meant just a bit of fun .

Goodnight all you tweakers
Catch you soon
Love Catherine xx

I should have known better .....

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live love knit relax





Hi Everyone

Hope you are all well and happily tweaking.  I have to say I made the classic mistake a few days ago.  Have you ever knitted something that you really haven't enjoyed doing,  then tried to complete it super quick so that it's out of the way?  Have you ever estimated your measurements as you knit, or roughly measured and thought, 'that'll do'?  Take heed peeps.

I knitted up a boyfriend cardigan in chunky yarn.  I joined the shoulder seams, the back ended up two inches shorter than the front pieces.   In total annoyance, frustration and shame I frogged the lot in double quick time.   I couldn't believe I had done this!!!!  Won't  be doing that again.  (Frogging probably, cutting corners I don't think so!!!!)

As a prolific knitter I hang my head in shame.  The chunky yarn will be knitted up at a later date, and Catherine will be checking things very accurately in the future.

Lesson learned, needle tweakers, onwards and upwards.

Have fun, and most of all make it easy on yourself!!

love Catherine x

Hootie pics

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HOOTIE PICTURES

See free pattern below, sorry my technology levels are awful xx

Happy free hooking
Catherine xxx

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CATHERINE WILSON DESIGNS

HOOTIE - BLANKET WITH AN OWL MOTIF

DESIGN INSPIRATION :   I needed to make something for a newborn quite quickly.  I wanted to make something simple and effective.  The traditional crochet stitch for the blanket is wonderful to make as it is displayed on the wrong side it has much more texture and bulk to it.  This stitch would be perfect for bigger blankets and afghans too!!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.  If you are a beginner you could always make it plain or buy a ready-made motif.  Have fun.

Catherine xx

Note: Instructions in English, US in brackets.

MATERIALS: 2 x 100g King Cole Comfort Aran (worsted) Shade 332 lemon, 4.5mm (7) Crochet Hook.  Oddments of dk  yarn, brown, white, yellow, pink, strand of grey,  for Hootie,  3mm crochet hook.  2 tiny buttons if required, sewing thread and needle.

SKILLS NEEDED: If you can make a chain, ss (slip stitch), dc (sc) and tr (dc) you can make the shawl. Making the Hootie needs circular skills and basic embroidery.

TENSION: non-specific try to keep work even.

SIZE OF BLANKET: 48cm (19”) wide, 52cm (20.5”) long. This blanket suits a small pram when baby is tiny.  This can obviously be increased as desired, ensure you have enough yarn.  The basic pattern is a multiple of 3sts +1 adding 2 for foundation chain.

BLANKET

Using 4.5mm (7) hook make 72ch. 

Foundation row (note this will be the wrong side of the work) 1 dc (sc) in 6^th ch from hk *2ch, skip 2ch, 1 dc (sc) in next ch, repeat from * to end.

1^st row:  3ch, 1tr (dc) in first dc (sc), * skip 2ch, 3tr (dc) in next dc (sc) repeat from *, ending with skip 2ch, 2tr (dc) in next ch, turn.

2^nd row:  1 ch, skip first tr (dc) *2ch skip 2 tr (dc), 1 dc (sc) in next tr (dc) (the centre tr (dc) of 3), repeat from *, ending with 1 dc (sc) in 3^rd of 3 ch, turn.

Repeat 1^st and 2^nd row until 22 complete patterns have been worked.  Work a row of dc (sc) edging all around the blanket, fasten off darn in ends.

HOOTIE (uses 3mm hook throughout)

BODY:

1^st round  Using 3mm hook and dark yarn make a loop, work 3 ch and 11 tr (dc) into loop join with a s/s

2^nd round  Ch 3 work 1tr (dc) into same st, work 2 tr (dc) into each tr (dc) to end, join with a s/s

3^rd round  ch 3 (counts as 1tr, *2tr (dc) into next tr (dc) and 1tr into next st, repeat from * to end.  Join with a s/s and fasten off.

HEAD AND EARS:

Repeat 1^st and 2^nd row of body using dark yarn join with a s/s.  Do not fasten off yarn.  Work 3ch then 2tr (dc) in the same space, work a s/s into next st. (One ear made),  s/s over next 5 sts, work 3ch then 2tr (dc) into same space, work a s/s into next st and fasten off.

With sewing thread, (I find this works better than yarn for fine work), sew the head to the body, overlapping so the bottom of the head is almost at the centre of the body.

Make eyes in white yarn by making the 1^st round of the body twice.  Join the eyes together with a couple of sewn stitiches.

Make beak by using the lemon worsted doubled.  Make 3ch and work 2tr (dc) into the 3^rd ch, fasten off, sew the beak between the eyes.

Embroider French knots for the pupils.  Darn in all ends neatly. 

Sew facial features to lower part of the head as shown.  If desired sew contrast single chain stitches for feathers.  Sew on to the blanket as desired.

DECEMBER/JANUARY

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DECEMBER/JANUARY 

After a long time I have finally put fingers to keyboard and recommenced my
Blog.  Hope all you 'needle tweakers' are ok, and had a good Christmas and New Year.  (I refuse to refer to it as 'holiday').  

I am going to make the effort to blog more often and try to make more time to design.  I have been working full time in the caring community for 13 months now and don't seem to get as much free time.as I would like, as it is indeed the first full time job I have had for about 12 years.

First up is a Christmas jumper I designed for Sean at work, as Health and Safety Officer he wanted something a little different for his work's 'do'.  I knitted a basic raglan jumper in aran (worsted) yarn and knitted lettering.  Unfortunately, as per usual my camera was being a total pain half the pics did not work out!!  But I have got these to show;

The front of the jumper with 'elfie' sleeves in Cranberry, olive and white.

Close up of the lettering

and the 'and' sign.

I am absolutely gutted that the pics of the back did not come out!  I made an applique elf's hat in vivid green with cranberry edging and a gold bell on the top so it jingled, and stitched it to the middle of the back. 

Next up;  Harvey (Hat and Scarf Set)

As per, my hat and scarf have disappeared into the Bermuda triangle I call home!!   I had some beige aran in my stash and a little left over Sirdar Crofter yarn thus Harvey was born, A combination of crochet and knitting for the hat, hence the name.  Check these out:

Cowl stitch, very easy shells with a couple of trebles inbetween done on a 7mm hook.

I like big bobs and I cannot lie!!

.                             




Thanks Shirley xxxxxxx







And last but not least ......

Having encouraged my friend Shirley to take up knitting after years of abstinence, little did I realise she has a great and powerful aversion to any yarn thinner than aran (worsted).  She found this wonderful yarn called King Cole 'Shine' dk in The Yarn Fairy in Southport and in sympathy I created something for her.

The design is based on Sirdar 5566 Crochet pattern.

    

Stitch detail - unfortunately the beautiful glitter effect is not showing in the photograph!


This is it for now folks - stay well and keep needle tweaking
Love Catherine xxx

Beautiful Blockley!!

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Hi Everyone

I am in beautiful Blockley, in the Cotswolds, until Friday.  The kids are grown enough to housesit - so its just me and my lovely hubby.  Today is raining so I thought I would work on my latest project - a scumble cardigan which I have appropriately christened 'Blockley'.

Worked with varying hooks and stitches, I am just beginning to make a basic frame to shape the back of the garment.

The above photo demonstrates the true colour of the yarn a beautiful blue called 'Cobalt' a bamboo/cotton mix from King Cole.  (King Cole Bamboo DK purchased from Deramores).  This is a lovely soft and smooth yarn, I find 100% cotton DK sometimes heavy to work with.

This is the start of the scumble a basic treble (dc) circle building up to a larger motif.

This illustrates the large piece of scumble work attaching to the base edge frame of the back of the cardigan.

A close up of some of the stitches from the main piece

more ....

more ...

Watch this space for more developments!!

I am looking to purchase some lovely beads to add to this project, while I am on my little holiday.

Keep tweaking All!!!

Love Catherine

Back to life, back to reality ...

Hi Needle Tweakers

Well three years of University has now ceased and I am back to earth.  I'm still trying to stay on an even keel it has been an emotional roller coaster of a journey.  On the upside I now have time to reflect, work on new designs and play with yarn; without the worry of deadlines and dissertations.  For the next week I am at the outlaws (inlaws ha ha), dogsitting, this gives me time to think, create and chill out.  Below are photos of items I have made in the last two weeks.

 

The owl and the moses basket cover are my original patterns, the matinee coats are all credit to Patons crochet pattern no. C4621 for the pale pink, and Sirdar crochet pattern no. 1798 for the multi, lemon and white.

Catch you sooner rather than later, sending warm wishes its good to be back.

love Catherine x