J's Big Little Hat

So my gorgeous nephew has recently turned four.  He's growing up fast and becoming a big boy.

But for him, it seems to be going a bit fast ...

I had a phone call back in February one evening from my brother with my nephew sobbing .  He was really upset that he was growing up too fast and in particular was upset that a certain hat no longer fitted him and, to this little lad, this was the end of the world.  They were phoning to see if Auntie Lucy would be able to knit him a bigger version of this hat.

How could I resist that request?

In the top photo is the original hat and the photo that I worked from.  I had the green shade in a Patons yarn which I thought matched pretty well, but lacked the black and gold, so any excuse for new yarn - I ordered them in from Wool Warehouse's Paton Yarn.

I found a child's hat pattern and judged how that would fit in comparison to the original hat and started knitting.  I knitted the brim in a folded over rib as that was what the original hat had from what I could see in the photo.

I then had to judge how far about the stripes were.

And get my son to model it for me so that I could send the photo to J to see what he thought and to show him that it was made and would be on it's way to him very soon.

And within a week or so of being asked to knit the bigger version of the little hat J had received it and - I think - he looks very happy!

Below is J with the new hat and his brother wearing the original.  Not a bad match, eh?!

I have enough yarn left over so I'm wondering if I make him the next size up ... or perhaps one for Mummy and Daddy too ...?

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#nephewlove #craftyphoenixlady #thecraftyphoenixlady #newhat  #ravelryknitter #knittingismyyoga #AuntieLucy 

Sock it to me!

I have, for several years now, been wanting to knit up some socks.

I started some, again several years ago, but didn't get beyond finishing the first one.

However, a spark ignited when I saw that Louise from Louise Tillbrook Designs was going to run a Sock Knit-A-Long using a new pattern of hers named Precious Metals.  Where this little spark of determination came from I cannot tell you, but I was GOING to knit these socks!

I chose my yarn.  Not a particularly good choice as it would have been better to have been one colour or just tonal rather than varigated.  However, I chose this yarn as it was already in two 50g skeins (Sprightly Sock Yarn from Devon Sun Yarns  - I forget the colourway name) and I had decided to knit the socks two at a time!  

Eeek!  

Mad, I know.  

There was, however, method in my madness as I decided that if I knitted them at the same time then I wouldn't get to the same stage I had with my previous sock attempt and not finish even one.  I also figured that if I learnt this way - then it would be a cinch next time I knitted socks!  And if I didn't like it, at least I would have one finished pair of socks!

So I religiously stuck to printing out the clues each week and religiously ploughed knitted through them ...

Posting photos regularly on instagram so that it would give me the incentive, the encouragement, whatever to keep on knitting!  I thought perhaps if I announced to the World (or at least my little part of it) that I was knitting these socks ... then I would just HAVE to finish them!

And what do you know?!  I finished them!

Not a brilliantly smooth finish with bagginess in places ... 

but I had FINISHED MY FIRST PAIR OF SOCKS!

And I am so pleased with myself!  This was such a huge accomplishment in my (knitting) book!

I managed to knit mini cables and follow the pattern (ticking off each row as I knitted them (twice - once on each sock!) and knitted two heels!  

Now ... to find another sock pattern ....  sometime soon ....

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#craftyphoenixlady #thecraftyphoenixlady #louisetillbrookdesigns #preciousmetals #preciousmetalsocks #preciousmetalsockskal #firstknittedsocks #iamarealknitter #louisetillbrook #knittersofravelry #knittersofinstagram #ravelryknitter #knitterslife #devonsunyarns #sprightlysockyarn

Long time, no post

I've not been keeping up on here at all and I do feel sad that I haven't had the time or inclination to do so.  It's really that I couldn't have posted, I could have - if I'd put aside a little time for doing so!

I know!  So many promises of writing regularly on here ... and I've been missing in action!

Let's see if I can amend that and start again from now.

There are so many projects that I have made that I think should be recorded for me, if for no-one else!  At least that way I know I haven't wasted all this time!

So ... I'll be back very soon with lots of photos of my projects!

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When the shine is taken off ...

I had my sales report from The Emporium, Yeovil yesterday and was soooo happy!  

I had sold five of my knitted jumpers/cardigans and one of my mum's knitted cardigans last week.  So six in total.  SIX!!!  Absolutely fantastic!

Today, my youngest and I went in to stock up a little with the newest knits I've made this past week.

I then tidied up my little unit a bit; rearranged a couple of things; and then I discovered a price tag tucked in with some prints that are displayed in a basket.

This price tag came from one of the jumpers that has sold ...

Now I sell my knitwear at a very very cheap price.  If I was to sell them all in my Etsy store I could easily ask double of what I am charging in my Crafty Phoenix Lady unit.  There is no way in this world that I am receiving the true price.  In fact it mainly covers the cost of the yarn (which in the majority of cases is acrylic or acrylic mix).  The time I spend knitting these little garments is not recompensed within the price.  In short - I am underpricing my time.

I am (sadly) pricing to sell within the environment they are being sold.

However this particular price tag belonged to one of the jumpers that has been sold.  But this particular jumper was knitted using a yarn that was 100% wool and cost a fair bit more than the usual acrylic/acrylic mixes.  About seven times more!  Seriously - good yarn costs - and it costs because it is usually pure wool and in many cases made by an indie dyer running their own little business.

 So I had charged this jumper at a higher price to take into account that the yarn cost me more.   I also included a note to say as such on the jumper, along with the yarn label showing the wool content and  care instructions etc.

What makes me very sad and upset is that on my sales report none of the items of knitwear sold showed up at this price.  They were all the prices I charge for the acrylic/acrylic mix jumpers and cardigans.  

All I can think is that the customer really liked the jumper but didn't like the price ... and sadly tore (and it was torn at the punched hole) the label off and hid it in the basket of prints.  Surely if it had come off "normally" it would have been on the floor below the rail.

I'm not sure what I am supposed to do with this.  

Do I put up a sign above my knitted garments explaining all of this?  

Do I stop selling my garments there?

Or do I put up my prices and put them at a more realistic price for my time and effort?

Please help!  

All I know is that I feel upset about this and it has taken off the shine from the original joy at having sold so many.

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Conscious in Apricot and Plum

I hate anything going to waste and feel a real sense of achievement if I can use something and have minimal waste.







I bought a ball of yarn from The Wool Warehouse (along with several others!) and this 100g ball of yarn ... King Cole "Splash" in Apricot ... isn't it lovely?  It's actually even prettier in person.


My first pattern was my go-to Beyond Puerperium by Kelly van Niekerk of Pekapeka Design Studio.  I love this pattern and could almost do it blindfold now!  It is such a gorgeous pattern with that little twist of having a side button band which just makes it so quirky and different.  My sister-in-law loves this pattern and has received several for her sons (my gorgeous nephews).

So here is my latest Beyond Puerperium which I think I'll name Apricot Splash Beyond Puerperium.

 Really pretty and effective, isn't it?

 After much rummaging through my (ahem three) button tin(s) ... 

I decided to go with three orange buttons and two purple. 

So, with making a 3 month size cardigan I had some of my 100g ball left.  

As I said earlier I hate to waste anything and I thought I'd like to try another pattern.  

After much deliberation I decided to go for Conscious, another pattern by Kelly van Niekerk.  

This is a little jumper that goes from newborn to ten years.  

It is a pattern that is designed to make the most of lovely gradient-style dyed yarns.  These yarns carry a higher price tag as they are a labour intensive process for indie dyers.  Using like this you can keep the cost down by using a neutral to team it with.  Hence the name "Conscious"!

Another confession - my Apricot Splash is not dyed by an indie dyer and hence not so expensive.  But I felt that it made the most of the pattern of the yarn - 

and I wanted to see how the pattern knitted up.

I decided to go for the 0-3 months size as I wasn't sure how far the Apricot Splash yarn would go.  

 

I teamed it with a part ball of a plum coloured double knitting yarn 

(I confess I've lost the ball band and am not sure which brand this is ... oops)

as I thought it would bring out the heathery plum colour in the Splash yarn.

What do you think?

I personally love it!  I think it makes for a very pretty little sweater 

... and it used up most of what was left of that 100g ball of yarn!

I've also crocheted a little Barbie skirt and still a little left for perhaps another one!

See how far one pretty100g ball of yarn can go!

PS Both items will be in The Emporium, Princes Street, Yeovil on Thursday!

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#craftyphoenixlady #thecraftyphoenixlady #beyondpuerperium #conscious #kellyvanniekerk #Pekapeka #me1ske11 #theemporiumyeovil #KingColeSplash #Woolwarehouse

Happy Sundays

I recently started a new blanket ... which may take some time 

as it is supposed to be worked on once a week - on a Sunday.

I joined a little club to receive a wonderfully happy parcel of little bags every month.  

These little bags contain two brightly dyed mini-skeins of Cuddlebums yarn to be 

knitted up every Sunday into a "Happy Blanket".  

(Check out the facebook page for Cuddlebums).

I decided to knit mitred squares as in the Sock Yarn Blankie pattern.

I cast on 47 stitches for my square.  

It makes up a nice size square and means that I can join-as-I-go known as JAG (anything for an easy life!) 

I also decided to alternate with a darker coloured yarn to make the bright happy colours really POP!

You can see my project page  here

It is so much fun and makes me smile every time I add to it!

PS There are leftovers from each mini-skein so these are being knitted up into another scrappy blanket!

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#CraftyPhoenxLady #thecraftyphoenix lady #Cuddlebums #HappyBlanket #sockyarnblankie #mitredsquare

Prettiness in the Wilderness

We're not gardeners!  

Isn't that an awful confession to make?!  

Well it is on my part as my parents are - and are really really into their garden!  

I think they sigh and shake their heads when they see what we attempt to call "our garden"!

I tend to potter.

I like to pot up the hanging baskets and the wire window boxes and have them looking pretty.  

I have lots of pots with nice flowers in.  

But the rest of the garden has been kind of let go of!  The lawn has sprouted so many weeds I'm not sure there is any grass there at all.  

We are slowly getting round to clearing some of it - and when I say slowly - I mean slower than a snail's pace!  (It is a bit like the sorting out of the house - it all takes time!  Sadly not helped by my lack of energy levels at times and with J being away at work for most weeks.)

I went out to the car yesterday to go and pick up my youngest from school 

and noticed this glorious flash of red ... and it was this gorgeous poppy.  I love poppies. 

 I got out the handy mobile phone and photographed it.

Along with this bright yellow iris 

Isn't it the most stunning yellow?  I have always loved irises too.  

I had to draw a vase of irises for my 'O' Level Art and always have fond memories of that!

And these hollyhocks ...

Aren't they pretty?

They always remind me of Beatrix Potter's Jemima Puddleduck.

Notice the crafty shooting of these photos?  You can't really see the wilderness from these, can you?!

#craftyphoenixlady #thecraftyphoenixlady #prettyflowers #thewilderness #lucy.mclaurin

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