Tag Archives: crafting for children

Knitted Thing #2

Apparently it’s not that difficult to knit a hat – who knew?! This weekend, that’s what I did – cast on 80 stitches Saturday, sewed up a hat on Sunday. Brilliant!
Hat-Wool

The difficult thing, it would appear… is convincing the intended recipient to keep it on his head for more than a second or two! Even when distracted by a delicious ANZAC biscuit (prepared earlier by his big brother).

So with that in mind – here is the front:
Hat-Front

…and here it is off!
Hat-TakeItOffAgain

Here is the back:
Hat-Back

…and here it is off again (nearly)!
Hat-TakeItOff

The End.
Hat-Off

Bead People are Go

BeadPeople01
Success! But a little bit funny around the neck where their insides are showing (oo-er!) I shall have to make a whole gang anyway no doubt, since at present there is only one each for the bigger kids, and that is not enough to prevent ‘troubles’. So I’ll improve my technique a bit as I go.

BeadPeople02
The Steiner/Waldorf blocks (also affectionately known as ‘offcuts’ around here, thanks to Dermot being the son of a joiner!) were from Mum for Rohan’s birthday. They came from Winterwood, we visited for the first time last week. For the record – beautiful shop, beautiful, beautiful felt, but I don’t recommend driving from here to there and back again with a passenger prone to carsickness. Sorry Mum! (She couldn’t even drive us, since my car is a manual and I won’t let her drive it!)

My Creative Space – Bead People

CreativeSpaceApr-15

Today I’m making wee folk for my wee folk. Do you want to know how? Trudi posted this great little tutorial a couple of weeks ago as her Creative Space. She also sells kits in her etsy shop, with all the little bits and pieces you need, including some pieces of her hand-dyed felt. The embroidery floss is the only thing not included – I picked these two out of my stash of my own hand-dyed floss. (I’ve been itching to get back to some dyeing, too – so little time, so much to fill it with! But who’d be happy if that was reversed?!)

Have a happy Thursday, whatever you’re making or doing. Check out some more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s.

My Creative Space

creative-space

I know, I know, Kirsty’s Creative Space meme is for Thursdays, but I did take this yesterday, so it counts! I just wanted to let you all know that I’m here, still alive, and even still managing a little bit of creative this’n’that. Yesterday’s space was captured while I waited in the car outside school – Niamh had bombed out in the back seat on the way back from the shops (a rare occurrence, but the nap was much needed), and Rohan decided he needed cuddling to fall asleep (a frequent occurrence, nap also much needed). So I pulled out my new ‘car project’ to work on for half an hour. I’m playing copycat and making a patchwork ball, much like Christie’s. Look – it even (unintentionally) matches his outfit!

I have retro-blogging to do – pics of Rohan from his first month – it’s been a rollercoaster, but he’s adorable enough to forgive – and a recount of (the perfect) Mothers’ Day. But since I only seem to be able to grab 5 minutes here and there (gee, wonder why!), don’t go holding your breath!

Recent Bits

I mentioned a recent streak of creativity yesterday. Yesterday’s post was going to be much fatter, in fact, and show you all these goodies. But then I went and did some fancy cutting and pasting and accidentally lost a whole slab of bloggity-goodness. Swear words were muttered, and the ‘executive decision’ was made to split the post in two.

So yes, I have been making a few bits and pieces. Several weeks back I went along to Nikki’s sew-along for the Rainbow Comfort Pack effort (goodies for kids affected by the recent bushfires). I spent the afternoon cutting out pieces for bags, but not sewing. It was enough to get the bug again anyway, and in the next week I made up 5 of these cutie pie recycled-woollen-jumper bunnies:

Bunny & Ball

The pattern is a freebie from Betz White, find it here. Four of these went off for the Comfort Packs, but the one above is staying here with us, for the Wee Bairn, whenever he should make his appearance. I think I had a little bit of guilt creeping in, because up until the bunny, there had been no crafting whatsoever for the new addition.

Next up was this lovely Puzzle Ball, which I’ve been wanting to make for a while now. It wasn’t quite as difficult as I had imagined. Tricky, yes, and I wish I’d worn a thimble for those last connecting stitches, but not super difficult. This pattern comes from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. There is a similar free pattern here, which Christie has made to great success, but I think I prefer this more ‘solid’ version.

Puzzle Ball

Tunic Top

I also succumbed to a pattern in the latest issue of Ottobre magazine, and made up this tunic top for Niamh. It should fit her in… um… about 2011 or so. Whoops! I did measure her, I swear. I decided to make the next size up, since I didn’t want her to grow out of this the moment I made it. Unfortunately, Ottobre kids’ patterns are graded by height, and since Niamh is fairly slight in build, I would have been better to go with the smaller size but increase the overall length. Ah well. Eventually she’ll fill this one out. Meanwhile it’s still hanging on the wall where I took the photograph – it’s an interesting artwork 🙂 And just how adorable is that ric-rac trimmed heart pocket?

Tunic Top - Pocket Detail

Finally, finally, something for me, me, meeee. This Wildflower Pincushion has been calling my name for a while. It’s a pattern by Anna Maria Horner, and can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens (US) website, here, should you wish to make your very own. Again, fiddly, but not too bad. I probably made it a little bit trickier for myself by reducing the size by about 25%, since I didn’t want a whomping great pincushion. This is just the right size. Love it – it looks like some freaky spore-flower from outer space.

Wildflower Pincushion