One Slump or Two?

Now as the title suggests, I am in a slump! Ive been working very hard on knitting patterns and recovering from my tooth removal nearly 2 weeks ago that I have done pretty much nothing. And it is driving me nuts!! Totally round the bend. I am not a person who likes to not be doing anything, and I have lots of unfinished projects on the go that could really do with finishing so I have been trying to look for ways to kick me back out into the real world.

One way I love to try and pick myself up is shopping. Of course!! However, this close to christmas money isnt necessarily available for the frivolities, so I am off to shop my stash. Now for all of you who dont know what this is, you need to do it before you go shoppping, or like me, you need a little inspiration. Shopping your stash is getting out all your bits and pieces, whether it is make up (like I did last night), clothes or wool and crafting, and having a good old sort out. Last night I shopped my make up stash, and found a fab lip gloss I have never used because I wasnt sure, put some on and I love it. It is so brilliant and I guarantee you will find something you forgot you had. (unless you are one of those uber organised people who knows where it all is- good for you)

Another way to drag myself from this hole is looking at blogs. I love the blogasphere, so many people to do things you were afraid to do, or give you advice on how to do something new! I have found a couple of great bloggers this week that I want to share with you all. You might not be into makeup, as I wasnt, but I have got good advice from them both, not just about makeup

The first brilliant Blog is Katie's Beauty Blog. Katie reviews all sorts of make up and beauty products. Her pictures are brilliant and she reviews like a normal person. Which means she gives practical advice and normal language- how it really works.

Her review on Models Own Beetlejuice Collection is blooming brilliant, and helped me pick some for my christmas list. (picture comes from Katie's Beauty Blog)

Her review on moisturising changed my view completely and when I find it whilst reading Ill post a link but it is hiding from me at the moment.





Another brilliant Beauty blog is Fee at Makeupsavvy and her reviews are equally as good. But my favourite posts have to be her behind the scenes. Her latest is about affliate links and it is so so good for anyone who is a blogger. I have learnt so much from her and I cannot recommend this website and particularly this post for this information.

Some more of my favourite blogs at the moment include athriftymrs where fashion, decluttering and fun can all be found, and I am always envious of her brilliant charity shop finds! Charlotte at Teacher in Style has recently got her first Mulberry, the way she has written it makes you just as excited with her, and her christmas spirit is well and truly as alive as mine. And again, Its all fiddle fart is a brilliant crafting website, so many ideas, its hard not to be inspired!

Hope you like the new festive look to the Blattcave, i just loved this starry background. The bricks and mortar Blattcave is not nearly as festive right now, but I am so looking forward to decorating and making it warm and cosy. The christmas scented candles are already creeping their way in!!!
Sleigh safe everyone!

Cold Fingers, Warm Heart

All I am hearing about this year is Fingerless gloves. Whispers are all over Ravelry about fingerless mitts, whether they are useful or not, and whether we will wear them or they will be well recieved in stockings this christmas. Now I was a fingerless sceptic originally, my fingers are always cold, and surely they can't keep your hands warm right?
Well actually they are some of the cosiest things going, I can still type and use a till at work, I can still work the touchscreen on my phone and Ipod and of course, I can still knit. So I am a convert.
There are plenty of patterns out there for fingerless mitts. Ravelry of course is a perfect start, and here are a few of my favourite patterns.

Firstly, I have just finished my pair of Fable Fingerless Mitts. They were originally knit in soft cotton, but I have been gifted some lovely single skeins of Pure Silk, which is the softest thing that has ever existed!! For this pattern, I used a lovely Olivey green/grey colour for this season, as the colour will hopefully go with all my wintery outfits

They are plain at the moment as I have yet to add the wrist section and buttons. I have a lot of vintage mother of pearl buttons in my stash so they will hopefully be perfect for this pair of gloves.

Another pair of fingerless mitts I love is the Argentate Gloves, which have a lovely eyelet pattern. Please dont be put off if you havent done eyelets before. This type of project is perfect for trying out your lace on a small one skein project.

For a beautiful, delicate pair of fingerless gloves, I can wholly recommend Whisper. These are made with 4ply and are just beautiful. Perfect for dressing up a bit in the evening, but you still want a bit of warmth.

I also cannot resist Ysolda Teague patterns and her opera gloves are no exception. I have knit these in Black with Pink Ribbon and they are brilliant for dress up. I love them!! This picture comes from Ysolda's site because I dont have picturs of mine, but I love Teal anyway so they look brilliant!

And what is the point in blogging about fingerless gloves if you can't shamelessly plug your own fingerless mitt pattern. These Monty Mitts were designed for my little sister, and coloured for their Cat, Monty. This year she might have to have Fletcher Fingerless' for their little Pug Dog Fletcher.

Keep your hands warm this winter, and sleigh safe!

Angel Delight

Yesterday, whilst procrastinating and looking at knitting patterns, I stumbled across this beautiful (and free) pattern for an angel. So I decided to knit one, and see what came of it. I am so very impressed so I thought I would share it all with you. They take about an hour or so to knit, including the wings, and a little sparkly DK. So here is my version. The one in the picture is going to my Great Aunt, along with a jar of my homemade mincemeat (she provided both the jar and the apples!!) who I will see tomorrow when I go and pick up my granny. The other angel is a surprise for my granny who has been hinting that she would like one too!!

In the background to this angel is my favourite candle holder. I bought it in a cool January in the South of France at the Basilica of St Mary Magdelene in St Maximum and I absolutely love them. Whenever I light a candle, I like to think that these two ladies are looking after the people I light the candle for and take worries away

So I hope the angels will look after you tonight

O Holy Night

Now one thing my house would not be complete without at Christmas is my nativity collection. I call it a collection now because I have so many and every year we buy a new little one. We have a T light holder one, we have a beautiful wooden one and a little olive wood one made in the Holy Land. And of course, how could I forget my first knitted one? (and my Husband, who I forgot was faffing about at the back of this one!!!)

This year, we decided to buy another from the Aylesford Priory. We had our eye on a small porcelain one that had sold out by the time we got there. But never fear, this one caught our eye. When I got to it, and saw how lovely it was, I was surprised to find a switch on the back. It lit up. Frankly it was coming home anyway but that sold it even more. It had to be ours!! Here is is. I love it so much.

 And for all of you waiting with baited breath for this pattern, here is a sneak peek of the newest pattern from the Blattcave, available on Ravelry soon. I am so pleased with how it has turned out. The photo is rubbish, I know, but its a secret sneak peek so you shouldnt expect david bailey!!

Let me know what you think of the new nativity!!

Round and Round in Circles

Now, as many of you know, me and knitting in the round are not friends. We are not even aquaintances. Frankly if I saw it out on the streets, I'd go back indoors. However, some of the lovely patterns I see are knit in the round, especially when it comes to toys. Many adore the idea of not sewing up, but not me. My patterns are always designed flat for that purpose.
Now I am getting much better at converting patterns, Ive decided to make a list of rules to follow when converting, so lots of other fellow flat knitters can create fabulous knits. Now my rules are pretty much for toys and smaller things like accessories, rather than seamless jumpers and socks so follow these rules and you should be fine!

1. Remember that when you knit in the round, in order to create stocking stitch you knit all the rows, and to create garter stitch you knit and purl. So when converting to flat knitting, if the end result is stocking stitch, convert every other row to purl. Normally the purl line is the one without the pattern or increase/decrease. If you want to garter stitch then convert the purl rows in the pattern to knit rows.

2. If you want to, add an extra stitch to the beginning or end of the work to allow for seaming. Personally I dont do that but that is up to you. This is something you will learn as you go.

3. You may need to change striping. This is because when you knit in the round, you can do just one row of colour and then start another. With knitting flat, this is more difficult, you will be changing colour all over the place, and adding ends everywhere. Instead, you can change the pattern to even number stripes or use two DPNS as follows:

Yes I did use that awful abbreviation DPN. It means double pointed needle for those who are ignoring their presence (i dont blame you- but stay with me) Use two, and if you want to do one colour stripes, knit in one colour, then slide the work to the other end of the needle and use the other colour. Trust me this works. Remember to knit on the knit sides and purl on the purl sides, even if that means you purl two rows. Dont worry it will work out!!

Here is a practise bit for you to try the technique- in colour A and colour B on 2 dpns, use whatever you got, this is only for practise and can be unraveled later!!
Cast on in colour A
Knit one row in colour B
Slide the work to the other end of the needle, Knit one row in colour A
Purl one row in colour A
Slide the work to the other end of the needle, purl one row in colour B

You should get the idea from this practise here. I owe all this ability on DPNs to Julie at The Byrds Nest, who taught me this technique when I knit the rabbit, the inside of his ears were done this way

4. Do not be afraid of I-Cord. There are plenty of tutorials for I Cord and it makes brilliant legs and antennae!! 2 DPNs are used to create a seamless cord. However if you cant do it on DPNs then there are also tutorials for doing it with your hands too!! Look it up on YouTube or Google, plenty of people are out there to help!!

The only way you are going to learn to convert from round to flat is to do it. Try something little, follow the pattern and sew it up. Here are a few patterns you can give a go, they dont take up much wool and you can give it a go and see. Hamster Beans is one, Pocket Rabbits is a pattern knit in the round and flat so you can see the difference and why not give this little halloween spider a go?

Holidays are Coming

I have been pretty quiet of late, and this is because I have a project on the go. Not just a small daily project like normal, and not a project with a pattern I have found myself. This time it is my own pattern. All my own, from the deep recesses of the brain, and it is pretty epic, even if I do say so myself. And, it is nearly finished, all bar a couple of animals. I promise the pattern will be here soon, so watch this space and get those needles at the ready!

Ive also been knitting stockings. Lots of stockings. So here is a picture of my latest advent that I have knit, and I am really pleased with it, and never knitting another one. I have knit so many of these stockings that I have finally had enough.

It is also nearly Halloween!! Last year (and this year) I made some great decorations for christmas using card and recycled carrier bags. So this year, I decided to branch out into halloween versions as well. These Boo signs below are made from Sainsbury's Orange carrier bags and some leftover cardboard. They are great decorations and I love them.

Take care everyone, and keep knitting!!!

Mystery KAL by a new Auntie!!

I am an Auntie!!! On the 25th October, my little nephew, Charlie, was born. He weighed a very little 3lbs 1oz and is currently battling an infection, but fighting his way through so we can hope he will get over this hurdle and be healthy and happy for many long years.

I was knitting for him way before we even knew he was a him, and one of those things was the mystery KAL in the toy lovers group over on Ravelry. This was a fabulous KAL (knit-a-long) run by Julie at The Byrds Nest and she very generously offered one of her amazing patterns for the group to knit. This was my first KAL and I was worried I would not be able to complete it, or Id forget!!! But luckily, this pattern was so good, I couldnt resist. It was originally knit in the round but I converted it as I went to create.....

This Rabbit is now going to be a present for my nephew when he comes out of hospital, as at the moment it is probably twice his size!!! So if you have learnt anything from this post, it is to go and check out the Byrds Nest (if only for Mango the Giraffe who is completely irresistable!!!) and to give a KAL a go- they are great fun and the mystery made me let go of rules and follow someone elses for a change!