Misha Knitted Cardigan

In May last year I started a cardigan called "misha" by Jane Ellison, it was a pattern in the Lets Knit magazine in March 2011 and I fell in love with it. I had never knitted a garment before but the pattern was simple and I decided to give it a go. Since then I have regretted the decision many times and nearly give up just as many times.

            I picked a cotton yarn called Sublime Yarns Cotton Kapok DK which gives it a lovely drop to the knitting. But I made a horrendous error when I to started knitting in the back loop of the yarn. I had been knitting like this for years and when knitting small toys it doesn’t matter and actually creates a lovely stitch, but on such a large project it was a nightmare! I only realised I was doing it wrong half way through and by then it was too late and I had to continue it. It was at this point the whole project got shelved and sat in my knitting bag for months and months. It’s was only when a friend pointed out that I had started knitting it nearly a year ago that I took matters in hand and decided to finish it. I pushed hard on it and finished in a week and with a little advice from my knitting group it is now all sewn up and completed.

The pictures don't do it justice, I am very pleased with the results and have even worn it out! 

Cushion Making

For Christmas I received a voucher to take a course in a local place called "Make Place" in Norwich where I live. It offers a range of different courses from making peg bags to cushions and crochet, they are quite well priced and all materials are included so you exit with a finished object to proudly show off. 

I selected to do an intermediate cushion making course and arrived on the day bright eyed and bushy tailed for the day's activities. 

I learnt lots of new things like how to use an overlocker and the sew machines were very hi-tec. I also learnt how to make buttonholes on the machine which I have never done before. I was under the impression that I was quite good at sewing so picked the course and I thought it would be at the right stage for me, but I can honestly say I was a bit lost by the whole thing, my stitching was wobbly and I was confused about how the pattern came together. Stupidly rather then asking important questions I kept quite and did as I was told. 

I did come out with a lovely object but don't think I would be able to make the same thing on my own  :(

YOU MUST NOT BE PUT OFF BY MY EXPERIENCE

I am sure if I had paid attention more and asked more questions I would feel more confident in doing the cushion again, but I have come out of it with a very nice object and the day was very enjoyable.  

Whale out of a pair of jeans

I have been off sick from work this week, but I was not put off from crafting while unwell. 

While I have been ill I have surfing the blogs, I came across a wonderful toy pattern for a whale made out of a pair of jeans from a lady called Mevrouw Walvis (I think). The blog is in Finnish and thanks to google chrome which translated it straight away, I decided to have a go and make it myself.

She clearly states the following which means I can not show you images of her whale, so you need to click the link to view the original

Mevrouw Walvis’s whale

“this disclaimer: It's OK to link back to this post, but it is not OK to copy all the photos and the tutorial, or translate it Thurs another another language. Posting this as your own creation is evangelical worse. Making whales for yourself or as gifts is ok, selling or Producing Them Them commercially is so not OK. Would you be happy if you had this Happen to something you made ​​and shared on your blog? Did not think so.Stealing Is not just nice.”

So I hope it’s clear that I can only show you the pictures of my whale’s journey but nothing else :/   But I hope you enjoy.

I went down to my local fabric shop and ask for a sample of bright blue fabric so could make the eyes . 

 I hope you like him. 

Blog update

So the snow has arrived in get force last night and after falling over in it already I decided to stay indoors in the warm. Don’t get me wrong I love the snow and think it is beautiful unlike my husband who lived in Germany for many years and often rants about paths and roads not clear with the comment “This would not happen in Germany”
As you can see Nutty Knittings has had a bit of a revamp this weekend. I am rather fond of the new background and colour scheme. 

You can now view all the blogs that I follow and see when the last post was made. 

I have also made a mobile phone version of the blog and you can view it by scanning this QR Barcode

The only thing I would now like is a new banner at the top of the page so look out for that soon, plus a update on the hexi-puff challenge! 

Axelotal

A friend ask me to knit a Axelotal for her little girl some months ago and I have been feeling rather guilty that I didn't know what one was plus I have been so busy with the hexi-puff blanket that a lot of projects have gone on the back burner.

I have done some research into the little creature and it seems to be quite interesting, an Axelotal is a aquatic amphibian and is closely related to a salamander some other the information on them is quite heavy going on the scientific stuff

 I used Eddie Lizzard by cheezombie pattern and adjusted the tail and add gills, and I am very happy with the result I hope you enjoy her too. Just needs a name!

Little Bee

As I have reported previously I have started knitting the "Beekeeper's Quilt", and since starting I have discovered a whole world of hexipuff magic. So many people are knitting them and the raverly page states over 2700 different projects and counting. 

I decided to make my own little design on a hexipuff, I have seen other bumble bee patterns on the site but I couldn't really understand the pattern so I made my own and made it a lot more simple :)

Feel free to knit you own!

I recommend just knitting the pattern on one side. 

I hope to come up with lots more designs and share them all with you.

The beekeeper's quilt

In my mind for sometime I have been planning to make some sort of blanket, and have view lots of different ways of doing it. I saw a lovely blanket by a lady call Sophie on Ravelry, which was made using the Pom-pon yarn that I have last year knitted a scarf from.

This idea was very appealing nice results and I knew this will be a very quick knit with very great results also being super soft. This became the plan but it would cost about £8.00 a ball and needing two of each colour it could end up a costly matter and I don't think I could sneak that about of yarn past my husband without him noticing. But as a pondered this problem I came across this amazing a little pattern called the "Beekeeper's Quilt" it was made of hundreds of little hexagons in lots of different yarn of all different colours and is amazing.

  The quilt is designed by Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits and this has become my new project!

It is of epic proportions, I have to knit hundreds of the little "Hexi-puffs" in a wide range of colours but I have taken on this challenge! Wish me luck!