Busy little hands

I have to admit that I have been very lucky as a few weeks ago I was asked if I would make some of my things for Wyreena, a local gallery's Christmas gift exhibition and then a call went out for crafters to make things for Little Red’s Craft Cupboard and I got accepted too.  So the last few weeks I have been busily making things, trying to get enough products made. 

In the past when I have made things for a big order my brain seems to run away with all these fantastic ideas of things that I could possibly make and I get a bit overwhelmed, and then don’t know what to do, sit on it for a bit and then do that last minute panic that I won’t get enough made in time.  So this time I decided to just settle on a few well trusted items.  In the past my children’s toys have seem to have sold well, so I thought a few of these and maybe some new smaller in size Christmas ornaments.

And here are the final products...

A little group of owls (did you know that a group of Owls is called a Parliament?  Neither did I until a few seconds ago J), a little Miss and Master Frog, some crochet hanging birds, crochet stars and my favourite little Santa hat brooches.

I also managed to squeeze in another little frog for a Little Miss L.  I thought that maybe a little dress might have been in order and of course a little flower to pretty it up.

Besides all the crochet one of the other things that I have been busy with over the last few weeks is my garden.  I must admit it got quite a bit neglected over Autumn and Winter so when spring started it was a bit feral and needed quite a lot of work, but I have managed to get it back to how it used to be and this year I have been rewarded with the most beautiful display of my roses yet.  Last week we had some beautiful warm (almost summer evenings) and I would sit on my front porch step just drinking in the beautiful scent in the air.  It was such a fond reminder of how it used to be at my grandmother’s house.

Just looking at the pictures it seems I have a bit of a thing for orange/peach coloured roses.  I don’t know why as I don’t think I own a single thing in these colours J

 
Anna
xo

Busy as a little bee in beautiful spring weather

No words this time, just some images of things finsished, things in progress and our daily life...

 



 

 

Anna
XO

Keeping a couple of little secrets

Have you ever had to keep a little secret?  I have been sitting on two for the past few weeks and I call now finally share them with you.  The two items that I have made have now been safely delivered to their new homes.

The first up is a lovely new Mumma bear for Little B. 

 

Coming from Melbourne where layering your clothing is everything due to our 4 seasons in one day weather trick I decided that she needed another layer so a little crochet cardigan was made.  As Little B is only 1 yrs old, I needed to make something that didn’t have any hard pieces, like buttons for eyes, so when I came across this pattern in 'Softies', I knew it was perfect.

Little B’s Mum is one very clever lady who makes the most beautiful mermaid and mermen softies so I thought another style of softie might be a suitable present.  Check out Little B’s Mum’s softies here.

(Full credit to those out there who make softie toys especially if they require many limbs.  I struggled with the sewing of the limbs, trying to fit them all in so that when you turn the bodies right way out everything was sewn in place.  I must have unpicked the limbs at least 4 times as every time I tried to sew them, they slipped out of place and were not connected properly). 

 

My other little secret was a birthday present for my niece Little C.  Last year I made her this little doll, so this year I decided that I needed to make something that she could use with the doll.  I knew that she had a little wooden cradle for her dolls but nothing to put in it, so I made a blanket and sheet set.

 

 

 

I knew I wanted to make a crochet blanket for the top but was unsure on what pattern or style.  I then came across this pattern on my favourite place Pinterest.  As soon as I saw it I was hooked, I knew it was the one.  So off I went following the links only to find that the whole pattern was in French.   My experience of the French language ended in year 8 as I had an argument with the French teacher as to why I didn’t want to be in her class anymore.  She tried to tell me that art (which I was dropping her class for), was not a proper subject and it would never get me anywhere (I then went on to be a Secondary school Art/textiles teacher). 

So what was I going to do?  A couple of the clever ladies in my craft group suggested that I Google translate the pattern.  I tried that and I think a lot of the detail was lost in translation as it made no sense at all. I then decided to just give it a go myself, making a row, seeing if it looked right, if not undoing it and then trying again.  And here it is the finished product.  As you can see I also made a mattress, sheet and pillow to go with it.

I am so excited to be sharing these with you as I have had to keep them a secret for soooooooo  long.

Do you ever struggle keeping secret gifts a secret?

Anna

XO

A little bit of Green

I thought I’d take a little break from crafty stuff and show you something else that I have made.  Not so much wool and thread but still creative in its own way.

Of late it has seemed that everywhere I look there are terrariums here and there.  I can’t seem to go on Pinterest without seeing something up cycled into a terrarium.  The below pictures I have been drooling over.

I love the odd assortment of different size jars. Link can be found here.

I love this container! It's so different to what else is out there.
Link can be found here.

I love the simplicity of this one.  Just a jar full of moss but it's still so pretty.
Link can be found here.

So I took it as a sign and decided that I was going to give it a go, with the ever present helping hands of Little O.

I already had a fish bowl vase that I knew would be perfect, all I need was to gather some supplies.  A little soil here, some pebbles there, and a lovely little expedition trip into the garden to find plants that we could use.  In the end we decided that some moss, miniature mondo grass and baby tears would suit our little vase.

And here is the final product...

It sits in our entrance way and Little O looks at it every day proudly.  He does get very excited when it’s time to water it (which we have had to limit the amount of times we do this otherwise it truly will end up like a fish bowl full of water).

Fingers crossed we are able to keep it alive J

Anna

XO

Wyreena Goodies

Once again I have been very lucky to be able to display (and fingers crossed possibly sell) some of the things that I have made at Wyreena Community Arts Center in their gallery.  This time I have tried to mix it up a little and make some new things. A little bit of crochet, knitting, sewing and with my new love of power tools, some crochet hooks.

Here's a sneak peak at my window display.

If you are in the area please come on down and have a look (they also make the best coffee there too).


Anna
XO


Some of you might have noticed there has been a little bit of action on my side bar lately.  I have finally set up and Esme Rudy Facebook page.  Here I am, http://www.facebook.com/EsmeRudy  So if you prefer to follow things via Facebook this is now an option.  At the moment I know it looks a little messy on the side bar but hopefully soon I will get to tidying it up a little (my slightly OCD side of me is horrified at how it looks, all code like and not one bit pretty or neat, deep breaths and small steps at a time).

Hook'in Goodness

Over the past few weeks I have been making a special little project, this time not for anyone but for me.  And not for a specific purpose in mind but just to see if I can actually do it.  I have been out hunting and gathering (well maybe not so much the hunting, but definitely the gathering) and I had several attempts at it by myself but just couldn’t get it right so I had to enlist in the help of a friend.  I am very grateful to this friend as he lent me something I think most of the male species hold very dear to their heart... he lent me one of his power tools.  And as my Dad said he must trust me very much as I think men don’t even like lending their tools to other men.  So one afternoon with a bit of guidance (and Little O being babysat) I busted open this baby and had a go and I think I’m addicted.

I don’t even know what this tool is but I love it, it cut, sanded and polished all in one and the tiny little polishing tools made my life so much easier.

And here is the finished product.

I actually made my own crochet hooks (picture big smile across my face).  I am very impressed with myself that I have managed to actually make these using a power tool and have come away with all my fingers and toes still intact.  I’m the type of person who gets paper cuts from opening a book (yes that actually happened).  So now I am in two minds about whether I oil them in some way or just leave them as they are. They are made out of eucalyptus so I’m not sure what would be the best for them.  But then I do love the look of the natural wood. Decisions, decisions...


Anna
XO

Oh, if you are interested in having a go at making your own,I found this link on Pinterest.  http://www.livingcrafts.com/blog/woodwork/carve-crochet-hook-from-twig

A little bit of pink

I love making stuff for other people especially when I know that they really appreciate.  In the past I have mentioned that I have made a few things for a friend of mine, J.  A little while back she asked if I could make something for a little girl, something that was pink.  Now I’m not a pink kind of girl.  Growing up the only colour I wanted my bedroom to be was blue and as soon as I moved into my own house with Mr C the first thing we did was paint our bedroom blue.  So I saw this request as a bit of a challenge. There are so many different pinks out there it can be a little overwhelming.  I think I went through all my stash several times and still couldn’t decide on a pink.  In the end I did manage to find a colour that I liked (and maybe because it had a slight tinge of peach in it that I felt ok with it).  So all this talk of yarn you must be wondering what it is that I made...

... a cute little beanie and cover set.

I think the little bow just finishes it off nicely.  A nice little find in the fabric stash.

Again I seem to be having trouble with my images.  I take the photo the correct way but for some reason blogger decides to turn them when loaded and I can't figure out how to reset this, does this happen to anyone else?  So sorry for the neck pain.

I must give my friend J full credit she was able to give me good guide lines on exactly what it is that she wanted otherwise I could still be here swooning with ideas of what to make.  J was able to lead me to this pattern for the cover and the beanie pattern was found here.  Both patterns were such a breeze to follow and they really came together quite quickly (although I kind of got a little distracted watching Tru Blood while making the beanie as I managed to do 2 rounds before I realised that I had forgotten to go through the back loop only, whoops!).

I love the feeling of a finished project but I love even better the thrill of a new one, now what next?

Anna
XO

*** I was just going through my photos and found this...

A nicer way to view them, less stress on the neck :-)

A month in review...May

Just a little visual something to share with you all in this post.  I felt like I didn't achieved much in May but looking back on it now through my pictures I was a little busy.

This beanie won a prize for "Best Autumn" themed beanie over at Little Red's Craft Cupboard (which is a fantastic local craft shop run by Kate.  Kate also has a blog by the same name).

A cushion for my nephew's bed (not happy with how the iron on interfacing buckled when I ironed it on).  I told my sister in law I would re-do it and she laughed at me. In her words "he's not going to noticed, he's 5 yrs old, he's just ecstatic that he has a cushion with his name on it to show to all his friends".  Boy to be that young and made happy by the smallest things.

A special little present for a little girl moving into a big bed

(out growing the cot).

A hot water bottle cover for my Mum (a felted jumper found at an op shop).

Mum has a thing for the colour green and it suits her just perfect.

And finally a special bit of knitting for a very special little boy.  Dear Master M, may this keep your little head warm while you stay in hospital.

For the life of me I just can't get this picture to go the right way.  Every time I upload it, it wants to turn on it's side.

I love this pattern for this beanie, a great Ravelry find.  It is such an easy one to knit up, even with all the distractions a 2.5 yr old can throw in the mix.

So this was my month of May and June is looking to be a busy one too.  As busy as I get I must admit I do love every part of the creating and making, and the best part is the giving it away to someone special.

Do you have a busy creative May?

Anna

XO

A little promise

Hi everyone,

As mentioned in my last post (yes it has been a little while since I last wrote) I mentioned that I had another Star Wars inspired project in the making. Well now that it's finished and it has been passed on to it's new owner I can share it with you all...
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I made a Yoda beanie!  My little nephew B was ecstatic when he received it.  I have even heard that he wears it constantly to kinder and is held in high praise by his friends because of it. Go B! May the force be with you!

The pattern for the beanie part is not my design, it comes from Knitted Critters for kids to wear.  I really love this as it's such a quick design to knit and it fits so well.  The pattern for the ears I was able to design myself and as a little gift to everyone I am going to share it with you.  My nephew can not be the only Star Wars fan out there and I am sure there are many people who would appreciate a Yoda beanie :)

Now this is the first time that I have ever written a pattern to share.  I have many at home (usually scribbled down on pieces of paper that only I seem able to decipher on a good day), so I hope that it reads right for you. 

Yoda Knitted Ears

Glossary:             M1 - make 1 stitch knit wise (knit into front & back of stitch)

                           K2 tog – knit 2 stitches together (put needle through back loop of both stitches),    
                              yarn over, pull though, then push both stitches off needle.

 Using a pair of 4mm needles & 8 ply wool, cast on 20 sts (leaving 30cm tail to sew onto beanie with).

Row 1: K 20

Row2:  P4, K12, P4 (20 sts)
Row 3: M1, K18, M1 (22 sts)
Row 4: P5, K12, P5 (22 sts)
Row 5: M1, K20, M1,  (24 sts)
Row 6: P4, K16, P4 (24 sts)
Row 7: K24
Row 8: M1, P3, K16, P3, M1 (26 sts)
Row 9: K26
Row 10: P4, K18, P4 (26 sts)
Row 11-20: Alternate between row 9 & 10, starting on row 9, ending on row 10
Row 21: K2tog, K22, K2tog (24 sts)
Row 22: P4, K16, P4 (24 sts)
Row 23: K2tog, K20, K2tog (22 sts)
Row 24: P4, K14, P4 (22 sts)
Row 25: K2tog, K18, K2tog (20 sts)
Row 26: P4, K12, P4 (20 sts)
Row 27: K2tog, K16, K2tog (18 sts)
Row 28: P4, K10, P4 (18 sts)
Row 29: K2tog, K14, K2tog (16 sts)
Row 30: P4, K8, P4 (16 sts)
Row 31: K2tog, K12, K2tog (14 sts)
Row 32: P4, K6, P4 (14 sts)
Row 33: K2tog, K10, K2tog (12 sts)
Row 34: P4, K4, P4 (12 sts)
Row 35: K2tog, K8, K2tog (10 sts)
Row 36: P10 (10 sts)
Row 37: K2tog, K6, K2tog (8 sts)
Row 38: P8 (8 sts)
Row 39: K2tog, K4, K2tog (6 sts)
Row 40: P6 (6 sts)
Row 41: K2tog, K2, K2tog (4 sts)
Row 42: P4 (4 sts)
Row 43: K2tog twice (2 sts)
Row 44: P2 (2 sts)
Row 45: K2tog

Fasten off and weave in end.  Once the ear is finished weave cast on edge thread along edge and bring out in the middle of the ear.  Fold ear in half (right sides facing) and slip stitch along edge for about 4-5 rows to form a crease. Take thread back to centre of ear, and with remaining thread sew ear onto beanie.

Repeat pattern for other ear.

A close up of the ear.

I hope that I have written this so that it is easy to follow but if you have any questions please let me know.

Enjoy!

Anna
XO

Happy Belated Easter Everyone

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter time whatever it was that you were doing or where ever you were. Did you go away or spend time with family and friends or just have a nice quiet relaxing time at home?  Myself, I did all 3.  I had a night away to my all time favourite holiday spot, I spent some quality time with family and finally I managed to spend some time potting around in the garden and of course a little bit of some hooky goodness thrown in the mix.

You may have noticed that I have been away for a little while.  I seem to have a problem with balancing my time between blogging and making things, and I am finding that the joy I have in making things seems to be winning.

So let me update you all on where I have been through a little project timeline.

The first thing I need to show you is one little project that I have previously hinted at but wasn’t able to get everyone together for a group shot.  After delivering them to a very sweet little boy, they all decided that a group photo was worth the wait.  So here they all are...my pond friends.

Mr Frog, Mr Dragonfly, Mr Beetle bug and finally Mr Bee.  They love nothing more than to catch up around the ponds edge and have a chat.  Now don’t be confused about Mr Beetle bug.   I made the mistake of calling him Ms Ladybird, and he got awfully offended and proceeded to tell me exactly what his name was.

This is not my pattern so if you’re thinking it might be nice to have your own little pond friend gathering, the pattern can be found here.

A project that came up at the last minute and one that completely took my sole focus for 3 weeks is one that I don’t have photos of.  This one I decided not to take photos of due to its personal nature.   The general manager at my work was leaving to have her baby after being there for over 20 years.   As a farewell and good luck gift I was asked to put together a scrapbook/signature book of her time with the organisation.

      I work for an organisation that helps support families who have children and young adults with disabilities and a lot of the content that I was putting into this book included photos and stories of her time with them.  I came to the decision that as I won’t put photos of my own Little O on my blog (as I feel that when he is older he may not want his photos splashed around out in cyber space), I don’t think it is fair to do the same to others. 
      Have you ever played the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon game?  Well the disability world where I live is kind of like this but maybe only 2-3 degrees.  It seems that everyone knows everyone or knows someone who knows them.  

What I can tell you about the scrapbook was that I used Kaisers Bubblegum Hills range and absolutely loved it.  I added crochet, ribbons, brads, all sorts of textured paper and even took to sewing some of the pages with my sewing machine.   For me it was another way to enjoy being creative.


My next project came in the form of my nephews 5^th Birthday present.  With the theme of his party being Star Wars how could I not make something?  I must tell you that although I love the Star Wars movies (especially number IV, V, and VI) the original Star Wars movie and I have a little bad history together.  I still to this day have a little dig at my parents for abandoning me in the hospital (being only 2 days old) for them to go on a date night and see Star Wars at the movie theatre.  Now apparently when I was born it wasn’t that uncommon for the hospital to give a night leave pass for couples to go and do this.  But really I was ONLY 2 DAYS OLD! Ok clearly I still have issues about this that need to be dealt with. 

Anyway back to the point of my ramblings, I decided that with the cold weather approaching a Star Wars themed beanie was in order.  So based on the beanie pattern that I used for Little O’s dinosaur beanie, I made it a bit larger and then added the detail.  And this is what I came up with...

Yes.... it is an R2D2 beanie! 

As I was limited for time I made all the colour parts individually and sewed them on which took forever.  If I ever do this again I think I might try and incorporate them into the main knitted body and then added the extra crochet bits for a bit of 3D.  Although I look at it now and think things could be a little better here and there at least I have one very excited, ecstatic little nephew who is completely in love with his present.  And isn’t this the reason why we make things for others.  To know that it is something that they will love and treasure and truly appreciate it.

(I do have in the pipes another beanie along the Stars Wars theme so when I have finished this I will share some photos).

I do hope that at this point you are still with me as I know it’s been a long show and tell but I do still have a few more things to share.

For all those mine craft fans out there what goes sssshhhhhhh......BOOM!!!

A Creeper!

  Baby L you will be the only one in your Mothers group that has your own creeper.

And two thumbs up to my brother who took it upon himself to find the pattern which can be found here.  If you are big into computer games or know someone who is there are some excellent patterns on here.

And another little present for Baby L on behalf of my parents...

....his own little pair of All Stars. 

I have had this pattern for a while and wanted to make a pair for Little O but just never got around to it.  Baby L you are going to be one cool little dude.  The pattern for these can be found here.

But my most favourite, absolute most enjoyable project I have done over the last few weeks  was when Little O and I sat down and created his own Easter egg basket for the egg hunt on Sunday morning. 

Yes I am one very proud Mumma bear.  These are the things that I used to dream
about doing when having children of my own.

We painted, drew, coloured in and even did a little cut and pasting to create that most beautiful basket I have ever seen.  And what a joy it was to see him on Sunday morning so excited to be using it running around our back yard picking up all the little chocolate eggs that the Easter bunny had left behind.   His basket is now sitting upon our Easter shelf in pride of place. 

This would have to have been my best creative moment.

Anna

XO