A journey of shawls

Since attaining my yarn room, I now am much more organised with my yarn and tools. Everything Is visible and accessible, which helps me to find projects quickly and complete more projects. As you may realise, I am a crafter who has multiple projects on the go all the time, across multiple crafts. I do find though, that I always try and have a simpler pattern to complete in front of the TV or when I want to just do something without counting and following a pattern too closely. In the past two years, these TV projects have almost always been a shawl, either knit or crochet.

I first made a shawl for my mum a few years ago during our first lockdown in Melbourne. It was the Grinda Shawl (I blogged about it here) and took one whirl to make. This led to an addiction to whirls, and one skein patterns for shawls. Around this time Unwind had a knit along with the pattern for “May I borrow this please” scarf, which I have also made a number of times now as it is a lovely pattern that looks so different depending on the yarn.

Then there was Crimbo limbo and the Rose that grew from concrete next (Made with gorgeous Moya cotton yarn from South Africa). I then made the Adah shawl and tried holding 2 yarns together. Next I made a Close to you with my Starry Night hand-dyed yarn from IxChel fibres and yarn, and then a wallaby shawl, also made with yarn from IxChel.

Then I wanted to make a shawl for my Aunt, and so I took the opportunity to use some Bag o day crochet tutorials and explore her fabulous shawl collections. There is a range of beautiful shawls that are a few row repeats, so easy to memorise while giving a stunning result.

Bag-o-day is a crochet channel hosted by the wonderful Crystal. She has built this crochet channel over a number of years and in addition to enabling yarn purchases with her yarn unboxings and reviews, she has created over 1,000 crochet tutorials showcasing stitches and projects including washcloths, hats, garments and shawls. She is trundling towards a million subscribers and will soon be hosting a shawl along and a huge giveaway. She is great company while crafting, and I enjoy her honest and sometimes raw content.

The images above show the range of shawls, and some progress images of some of them. Top row is Close to you shawl in IxChel Starry Night. Second row is the Adah Shawl in a hedgehog fibre held with a mohair. The third row has the Wallaby shawl, made of an IxChel wallaby blend fibre, using the free Burrow pattern from Ravelry. Next in the third row are two different colourways of the May I borrow that Please scarf, the gray is a BWM blend, and the colourful one is a hand-dyed Skein from Melissa Hughes. The next ones are Bag O day patterns, where I followed the tutorial. In the bottom row I have the Crimbo Limbo and the Rose that grew from concrete, with the final image of the latest bag o day I have recently started, called the rainbow sherbet crochet shawl pattern, which has a written pattern over at Etsy, as well as a free tutorial.

Do you find you have particular patterns you enjoy to unwind?

Until next time, happy crafting

Fiona T

Happy New Year 2024 and Yarn unboxing

Happy New Year everyone!

I haven’t had a chance to blog much over the last few weeks, but I have been crafting a storm in the background. Having full days in my craft room during my holidays has been a blessing. I have been able to get back into some old projects, spending mornings on intricate tatting and more complex patterns, while my afternoons and evenings have been spent working on less complex projects. I am preparing blogs on each of these projects to share with you soon.

At the end of November, I ordered yarn from Hobbii’s black Friday sale. Today’s blog is a ‘yarn unboxing’ of Hobbii yarn I received during December 2023. Hobbii had some deals I thought were good value on yarn I enjoy making shawls and baby blankets from. The photo captions include the yarn type included in each photo.

A large white post satchel with the Hobbii yarn logo. It is filled to bursting with yarn from their 2023 Black Friday Sale.

Top view of the Sultan Shadow cotton cakes. I love the jewelled tones.

Label view of the Sultan Shadow cotton cakes

The top view of the Black Friday cotton cake

Label view of the Black Friday cotton cake

Top view of the Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe yarn cakes

Label view of the Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe yarn cakes

Mystery bag of 20 cotton skeins. Very pleased with selection, enough repeats to make a baby blanket using the Granny Square Flair patterns from Shelley Husband.

Crochet pattern book by Shelley Husband: Granny Square Flair. Purchased a while ago, and will be put into action soon with the yarn from the Hobbii cotton mystery bag.

I am really happy with this order, and look forward to making the yarn into some lovely projects over the year.

Until next blog, happy crafting

Fiona T

Reading recommendations: crafty, bookish & cosy mysteries

Aside from crafting, I also enjoy reading. When I had Covid last July (2022) I was quarantined in my room, and with little else but my phone handy I began to download books on my phone e-reader app. One of the series I dipped into through a free book was the Stitches in Crime Book 1– Crossed by Death by ACF Bookens. These books show and tell the story, without being crass or including anything too gruesome, with Paisley in the Stitches in Crime series often solving historical crimes through her antique and salvage business, chasing after her young son, and cross-stitching to relax. Paisley has relatives and friends who help her solve the mysteries, including her amazing father and step mother, her best friend Mika (who owns a yarn shop), the sheriff Santiago Shifflet, Mika’s Uncle Saul, and friends from her local church. I like the historical crime focus, with the history sensitively written and resolved. I fell in love with the characters in this book, so much that I have now purchased and read all of her books in this series and in her two other series.

ACF Booken’s two other series, have similar strong lead women living their best lives. In the St. Marin’s Cosy series, we meet the indomitable Harvey Beckett and her best friend Mart who move to St Marin’s together for new adventures. Harvey opens a bookstore and soon is solving mysteries, selling books and supporting and building a community around her. With each book in this series we learn more about Harvey, the St Marin’s community and the strong ties of friendship that can develop when working together for the betterment of everyone. Throughout the series this cast of characters has grown, and includes so many people from a variety of backgrounds who have found a friend in Harvey. There is so much to love about this series, as it really makes you feel like you are part of this extended community, perhaps sitting in the bookshop cafe with a cookie and latte on the fringes of these events.

In the Poe Baxter Book series, English professor Poe takes a chance on a new job for her Uncle’s Antique and Rare book business, appraising and acquiring folklore texts. Finally able to work with her best friend, Beattie, the two women travel the world exploring cities, antique texts and their limits. This series also manages to weave in a number of contemporary themes and subplots across each adventure. I read most of this series over my last holiday, and relished being able to have long reading sessions, but was disappointed to have read it so quickly. It just makes me eager to download the next book as soon as it is available.

ACF Bookens layers her books with history, culture, contemporary themes and endearing characters who develop as their relationships grow. In the St Marin’s series she includes book recommendations throughout each book. I took up one of her recommendations, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, as Harvey’s tattoo intrigued me in the novel Hardcover Homicide. I loved this book, too, which led me to read all of Alix E. Harrow’s offerings; Once and Future Witches, A Spindle Splintered, A Mirror Mended and some other short stories I have been able to access on my E-Reader.

All of ACF Booken’s lead characters are educated, independent, “middle-aged” women, who are a relatable and refreshing set of characters to engage with. While there are romances in these books, they are not the centre story and are sensitively written to explore the changing relationships between the characters as they grow.

Do you have a favourite cosy mystery series or favourite read? Please share below in the comments.

Until next time, happy reading, relaxing and crafting,

Fiona T

Embracing the Artistry: A Delightful Day at the Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market in Coburg, Melbourne

Today I was fortunate enough to attend the Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market in Melbourne. Yarn enthusiasts, artisans, and creative souls gathered at the Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market to immerse themselves in a world of fibres, colours, and endless possibilities. The event was a celebration of the timeless art of hand knitting, bringing together seasoned knitters, aspiring crafters, and curious visitors alike. As I stepped into the venue, I was greeted by a vibrant tapestry of yarn, and the warm embrace of a community passionate about their craft.

Ixchel silver star yarn and a Wallaby/Angora/Mulberry silk/Merino blend. So soft and beautiful. I was delighted to meet the artisans in person!

The Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market showcased an impressive array of exquisite yarns, ranging from silky smooth blends to rustic, hand-dyed fibres. Every table was a treasure trove, featuring hand-spun yarns, luxurious blends, and locally sourced materials that reflected the artisans’ dedication to their craft. I managed to bag quite a few beautiful yarns, and have wonderful conversations with store holders, artisans and patrons alike. It was lovely to meet a number of people I purchase from online, and also a few I have followed on Facebook and Instagram.

Cat and Sparrow had gorgeous colours in this Merino/Blue Faced Leicester/Silk blend. Wonderful to meet this artisan too!

Melbourne city dyeworks had a lovely selection of yarn and colour combinations.

Ozifarmer’s market yarns had some glittery goodness.

The exhibitors themselves were passionate and knowledgeable, eager to share their insights and experiences. They patiently answered questions, provided guidance on colour combinations and textures, and offered valuable tips on the best yarns for various projects. It was an interactive experience that nurtured both creativity and community.

Averley Finnsheep natural dyes and luxurious yarn.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market was the vibrant sense of community it fostered. Knitters from different backgrounds and experiences came together, bonding over their shared passion. Conversations flowed freely as people exchanged stories, admired each other’s projects, and offered words of encouragement.

Some pretty brooches were purchased from a hand knitter at the show.

A pair of fingerless mittens, purchased from another hand knitter at the show.

The Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market was a delightful celebration of the art of knitting. From the rich tapestry of yarns to the engaging workshops and the sense of community, the event provided a unique and immersive experience for all attendees. Whether you were an avid knitter, a curious beginner, or simply someone seeking inspiration, this yarn show proved to be a haven of creativity and connection.

Debra Kinsey Knits had some very clever patterns.

As I left the event, my bags laden with beautiful skeins of yarn and my heart filled with newfound inspiration, I couldn’t help but reflect on the power of handmade crafts to bring people together. The Hand Knitters Guild Yarn and Craft Market exemplified the enduring beauty of the art of knitting and the remarkable sense of community it engenders.

Until next time, happy knitting

Fiona T

Miniature knitting dolls and Easter gifts

Two sizes of minature fox, Pattern from https://www.ravelry.com/stores/esther-braithwaite-designs

The bigger, but still mini, version of the fox, wolf and deer.

A 2 x2 rib beanie (standard pattern) and two miniature eggs, one with a rabbit toy and one with a dinosaur toy from Elendan

The wind down from term 1 of 2023 led me to make some more miniature dolls in both crochet and knitted fabrics. The Forest friend’s pattern is from Esther Braithwaite designs on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/stores/esther-braithwaite-designs . I enjoy knitting these miniature toys in 4ply cotton from BWM on the addi crasy trio needles. It is a calming pattern that works up reasonably quickly in the round. The face embellishment uses duplicate stitches and the nose and eyes are very easy to place. This pattern is excellent as the arms and legs are just stitched through after you have stuffed the toy, and there is minimal sewing up. I did have to adapt the pattern slightly, as it has very clear instructions for working with Double Pointed Needles (DPNs), but is a little different on the Addi Crasy Trios, as there are live stitches on only two needles. It wasn’t too hard to work out how to set the cable in the middle of one needle, and then complete the rest of the toy. I also managed to master the Kitchener stitch to finish off these dolls at the tops of their heads. I have watched a few different you-tubes to learn this technique over the years, and the one that finally made sense to me enough that I was able to replicate it without watching the video for two of the three dolls was this one from The Chilly Dog: https://youtu.be/qwl2ob4Anog

The miniature egg toys were from a pattern from Elendan on Etsy, she is a superb miniature crafter and has designed and made-to-order a variety of whimsical dolls and houses. I love her paid patterns, which are clearly photographed and explained, so I have been able to create these as gifts. My rabbit ended up a little bigger than in the pattern, as I was using 4ply cotton yarn, not embroidery thread as recommended. I was able to purchase some 10ply Bendigo cotton from In the loop, a crocheter who makes lots of blankets etc, and had a variety of small amounts of yarn left over. It was perfect for making the right-sized eggs for these little creatures, and I am sure it will come in handy for my other miniatures too.

I’m enjoying making miniature things again. Have you got any favourite small projects you enjoy?

Until next time, happy crafting

Fiona T

Crafting a creative space

For the last 15 years our spare bedroom was briefly a guest room, then it became the storage room. It was full of boxes from our move, tubs with my craft supplies and projects, exercise equipment and things waiting to be given to charity. In December my Wonderful Husband decided it was time to repaint this room and change the flooring, as it was the last room in the house with the old carpet.

First, all of the boxes and other stuff were moved into our lounge area. Then the flooring was removed and replaced. It is only when we moved everything out of the room, we could see just how much had been packed in there. The following photos show all of the things we moved, which had to be placed in four different sections of our house. It has taken a few months to donate and rehome all of the items we no longer needed, but we have our dining area back and nearly have our big lounge room back, too.

Boxes and other contents of the room placed in our lounge.

The elliptical machine, wooden chest and some more boxes.

The wooden chest and some plastic art folios.

My sewing cabinet and yet more boxes.

The empty room with new flooring, paint, my sewing cabinet and new shelving units.

The empty room from a different angle, showing my sewing cabinet and more new shelving and storage.

The room with new flooring, a coat of paint, my sewing cabinet and a few new cabinets.

My “yarn store” that you see from the hallway.

Shelving in the cupboard, my yarn display shelves and my new arm chair.

Shelving with material, my sewing womaniquin and sewing cabinet.

Sewing cabinet and shelving units with drawers and cupboards, to store thread and books out of direct sunlight.

Lots of craft books and projects in progress.

More of my craft books and projects stored on shelves built into the wardrobe.

The natural light is fantastic in this room. It is so bright throughout the day, that I can even work with black thread confidently. It is also a quiet and calm space, and I want to keep it that way, so I am ensuring I put things away and keep on top of any odds and ends.

Having enough places to store all of my supplies and projects is so great. I no longer need to remember which bag or plastic tub contains the project I was working on. It is all visible and accessible. I have also been a bit more spontaneous with some crafting for friends, as I can find the materials I need quickly, and can just sit in my chair and get started. I hope to get some skirts and dresses sewn in the near future too.

The vision that my Husband had for this room to be functional for me, and the tireless work he did to complete the facelift in under two weeks has been a wonderful gift. The joy this room brings me is immeasurable.

Do you have a space to craft in? How could you make this space into a crafting sanctuary?

Until next time, happy crafting!

Fiona T

Book review ‘Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance’

I don’t often review novels, but I loved reading this book and want to help other crafty people find books they may enjoy. I hope to do a few more posts about the cozy mystery series I enjoy reading, though many of them have been out for years and the book in this post is very new.

I recently read the newly released book ‘Tuesday Evenings with the Copeton Craft Resistance‘, by Kate Solly. (The linked book title will take you to the back cover matter.) I usually enjoy reading cozy mysteries, focusing on crafting and solving puzzles. This novel was a nice change to that genre but it still had crafting and community at its core.

The book’s characters live in a fictional outer Melbourne town called Copeton. Each of the women and men in this story have a different reason for joining the crochet group, organised by Meredith. We are introduced to Meredith first in the book, having an insight into her work life, and exploring her reasons for starting the crochet group. As we meet other characters we are drawn into the complexities of their work lives, home lives, families and perceived failings. With news that a group of refugees is to be housed in the town, tensions rise in the community. The craft resistance forms as a way of expressing solidarity with the new citizens, and forging bonds with existing citizens. I really enjoyed the characters, who were presented as three-dimensional people with their own pasts, fears and hopes. The story included a few home truths, some great plot twists, insights into the complexity of building new relationships, and some laugh-out-loud moments too. I won’t give too much else away, but I will urge you to read this book. At the end, although the ends were tied up nicely, I still wanted to read more about what happened next for the group. I hope Kate Solly writes another book soon, as it was a joy to read.

Since moving to an e-reader for most of my books, I have found that I am reading so much more. One reason for the shift was that book prices and shipping times of many of the cozy mysteries I used to get from the US are too expensive now. Another reason is that I can adjust the brightness and font sizes for reading in any setting. Having books on my phone means I don’t do quite as much facebook scrolling, and have much more incidental reading time with a few minutes here and there, as well as evenings. I have also found some old favourite authors and some new ones too, and hope to blog about them soon.

Until next time

Happy crafting

Fiona T

Miniature clothes for Barbie

Welcome to another blog post. My last few crafting posts have shared items I made in 2022, and never got around to blogging. This year I am trying to get my blog organised, and document more of my crafting life. During 2022 I delved into more miniature knitting. I decided to make some clothes for my Neice’s Barbie dolls, as a birthday gift. I really enjoyed the process, from hunting down vintage pattern books on eBay and Etsy, locating patterns for top-down jumpers on Ravelry and making these items on my Addi crasy trio needles, and chiagoo miniature lace needles. I also got to dive into my Bendigo Wool Mills 4ply cotton stash, which I bought specifically for making dolls, toys and accessories.

A Barbie Ball dress from a vintage pattern in BWM 4ply cotton. I added some tatted snowflakes and trim. This whole piece took about 30 hours to make.

A Barbie ball dress in plain purple, BWM 4ply cotton. This piece took about 12 hours to make.

Two barbie sized jumpers, knitted top down in the round using BWM 4ply cotton. These were from a miniature jumper pattern I found on Ravelry. Each jumper took about 12 hours to make.

A barbie sized cable cardigan and hat, from a vintage knitting pattern book, made in 8ply wool with straight needles. The sleeves were set in later, and it was very fiddly to put together. This took around 15 hours to make.

The following photos are captioned to outline some of the creative processes, and problems, I encountered.

Measuring up the tatted trim as it was being made, against the base of the blue ball gown.

Connecting the tatted trim to the base of the Blue ball gown.

Miniature snowflakes to attach to the blue ball gown.

Blue ball dress with bottom lace trim complete, and the snowflakes being placed to attach.

Sewing together the cable cardigan. Definitely a labour of love. Construction of this item was very fiddly. As I am used to top-down construction, it took a few tries, some youtube tutorials and chats with my Mum and Mother in Law to figure out how to place and sew the set-in sleeves. This item made me grateful for the top-down and bottom-up construction pieces we have access to today.

Front of the cable cardigan.

The back of the cable cardigan.

Orange jumper in progress, body complete and about to move back to the sleeves.

Orange jumper. Whoops- I somehow reversed the sleeve stitches to make a purl row. a bit of tinking (Backwards knitting) was needed to go back and fix this.

The orange jumper complete. So cute!

My barbie modelling the first jumper I made, it was a little short in the sleeve, so the green jumper I made with slightly longer sleeves.

Green jumper before the sleeves were separated.

Green jumper on Miniature cable needles. This view shows the sleeve increase points by using the tiny stitch markers.

Top-down knitting in action. The green jumper with sleeves separated and body nearly complete.

I did enjoy making these items, and my niece and family were enthralled with the detail and work put into them. I learned a lot about jumper construction, which has built my confidence to get back to my own top-down knitted jumper in possum blend that I began a while ago. More about that jumper another time.

Happy crafting

Fiona T

A window project

Over our Summer holidays we enjoyed watching the new series “Wednesday”. As soon as I saw the stained glass window, I could see it as a doily and knew I had to tat it. It could also be a crocheted doily, but that is a project for another day.

I found that I had some appropriately coloured threads for this in my stash, and so I set to developing a pattern. I ended up using a lot of split rings, both single shuttle and using two shuttles. There were a couple of stumbling blocks, when things didn’t quite line up, or went a bit out of shape.

I had hoped to make a bigger doily, but with size 40 thread in the right colours (Black is Milford mercerised and the colourful one is Summer Rainbow from AlenaLea designs on Etsy) and me just wanting to get the idea down and try it, I think this has made a pretty coaster or suncatcher. I may write up a pattern, but it was reasonably fiddly to make and I’m not sure how to explain it all easily on paper (yet). The photos below show key points in my construction of this pretty window.

The first idea for the outer rings as single shuttle split rings, which didn’t work as there were joins to the main arms. I ended up winding an additional shuttle and just making normal split rings.

A close up of where I had to admit defeat, when the single shuttle split ring could not close. I realised there were too many small peices and ends to sew in. Time to cut away and start over.

Using split rings for the rainbow outside window border, much faster and neater progress here.

The window is complete here, but looks a bit wobbly. Time to block it!

Lots of pins to block this small peice. I wanted to make sure the chains curved the right way to look like a web.

The final piece looks much neater, and pretty too. This is now a coaster size, and I think it could be adapted to make a smaller pendant.

I started designing this about a month ago, and am pleased that I now have a finished peice to then tweak this pattern further. If there is enough interest, I will try and write up the pattern, too.

Until next time, happy tatting

Fiona T

Make it so! Amigurumi crochet and a few other gifts

At the end of 2022 a few of my work colleagues moved on to different schools. Some of these people had become my close friends during the last three years, and I took the time to handmade some gifts. There was also a birthday and a new baby, so lots of gifts to make.

I was particularly eager to make this amigurumi Star trek Picard for one colleague, who had many nerdy chats about Star Trek with me. I did tat a tardis for him, but then rethought it as he really loves Captain Picard, so made that instead. I enjoyed making this item, and the simplicity as it was all made in one piece. The pattern was from: https://daisyandstorm.com/2018/08/22/free-star-trek-captain-picard-amigurumi-pattern-crochet/ He really loved it!

Captain Picard Amigurumi

Captain Picard Amigurumi, made in 4 ply cotton.

I found this lovely Paton’s sierra at Unwind Craft Cafe when I went shopping with my sister-in-law. The colours are so beautiful and reminded me of the colours another colleague would often wear to work. I used a cowl pattern that Unwind had paired with this yarn, and was really happy with how this simple knit played out.

A knitted cowl made in Patons Sierra.

For my colleague who ran academic book clubs for us to stay connected during lock-down, I tatted one of my favourite bookmarks, Julie Patterson’s Petals Variation pattern. The thread is AlenAlea Design’s size 40 in summer rainbow.

OneMadTatter.wordpress.com

All of my crafting was not focused on those leaving work. I also tatted a golden dragon from Anne Bruvold’s pattern for one of my Son’s friend’s birthdays near the end of the year. This is Altin Basak size 50 thread, and the metallic thread in it usually annoyed me, so it was in a naughty drawer and only used for Angelina trimmings. However, I quite enjoyed making this little dragon, even though I had to keep a close eye on my tension so as to be able to close the rings and not break the thread.

Another dear colleague became a Grandmother near the end of the year, and so I brought in a few items I had on hand, as well as finishing off another Bakewell blanket for her to gift to her new grandchild. The blanket is made in a Schepjees whirl, Lemon cassis cream colourway, one of my favourites. Recent increases in shipping costs will likely make Scheepjes yarn difficult to source in Australia soon, so my little stash of whirls is going to be used sparingly. The other clothes and booties are assorted bamboo, cotton and acrylics, which I prefer to use for baby items as they are less likely to trigger an allergy.

A Bakewell blanket laid out, the same blanket wrapped for gifting, and assorted baby cardigans, hats and booties in a variety of yarn types.

So, that is a summary of some of the gifts I made in the last few months of 2022. Other gifts included knitting miniature doll clothes for another birthday, and I will post about that soon.

What have been your favourite items to craft and gift?

Until next time, happy crafting

Fiona T