Finished Projects: Easy Striped Baby Blanket

I started knitting this blanket when I was pregnant. I more or less lost my creative mojo when I was pregnant, but I saw this pattern and it inspired me to make something for my new arrival. I had been wanting to use up some teal coloured cotton yarn I bought for something else, plus some other yarns in my stash. The teal green, navy and silver worked really well together, a very similar colour scheme I saw in Kmart, so I'm totally #ontrend! 

Oh Hello! Introducing my new arrival :) He makes a pretty good photography prop!

Luckily for me I managed to finish the blanket before my little guy arrived! I also managed to get some matching booties done.

Matching booties to warm little feet! 

You can find the free pattern for this blanket here. It's surprisingly easy- if you can knit and purl you can make this! The pattern is from the fabulous Debbie Bliss knitting book "60 Quick Baby Knits". This is a really great book, although I don't own it (wishlist) I have borrowed it from the library before. 

The fancy looking border is actually just a simple seed stitch design- alternating rows of knit/purl then purl/knit creating a textured look. 

If you're interested in finding other patterns I like, feel free to follow my Crochet, Knitting & Yarn Pinterest board! I've also saved a few tips and tricks there too. 

Nothing cosier than a mummy made blanket to snuggle under!

Yarns used for this project:

Teal Green: 4 Seasons "Flinders" 100% Cotton 8 Ply Colour 80337207 

Silver: Panda "Dianella" 100% Viscose derived from Bamboo  Colour Shooting Star

Navy: 4 Seasons "Superwash Merino" 100% Merino 4 Ply

All purchased from Spotlight Stores 

Happy making x

Finished Projects: Weekend in Stockholm Blanket

What seems like a lifetime ago, I started this blanket. While it has been finished for a few weeks, it always takes a long time to go from finished object to on the blog! In reality I started in mid-January this year, and finished at the beginning of June. It's definitely a project I've done while making other things, picked up and put down again. I have made a few pairs of booties and other bits and pieces in between! (Which you may have already seen if you're following me on Instagram or Facebook ;) )

I like the overall finished blanket but I do find myself questioning the colours. Some days I like the orange, some days I think it's too much. I wonder if I may have liked it better if I chose I light grey instead of the orange?? Well it's too late now and even if I don't like the colours as much as I thought I would, it's certainly a warm and snuggly blanket. My cat especially loved to sleep on it! 

So here are photos of the finished blanket. I have to preface these pictures by saying it is quite difficult to photograph a blanket, it always looks crooked and wrinkly. It is more or less a square shape. Also the colours are tricky to get right too. I took these pictures in some late afternoon Winter sunshine, so they are possibly not exactly true to life. One day I might master my DSLR and work it so it picks up what I see!

It's also interesting how different the colours look in daylight and sunshine. The sunlight makes the orange a lot more muted and more orange. Inside the orange takes on more red pigments. When I was arranging the squares to join them altogether, I found it tricky to arrange in such a way that there wasn't too much orange all bunched up together. A friend told me to take a photo in black and white and then see if it looks right. This was actually a really good tip as I could see areas that contrasted too much. The overall layout is completely random however!

I do really like the pattern of each of the individual granny block squares. It looks quite intricate yet simple at the same time. I'd be interested to see how it looks in other colours, but I'm not quite keen enough to do another one just yet!

If you would like to make this blanket, you can find the original FREE pattern here.

Happy Making!

Baby Bear Boots

So lately with the weather being a bit cooler and wetter I've felt like getting out my knitting needles. That and having a lot of friends having babies or due to have babies in the next few months. Is there anything cuter than a newborn all snuggled up in hand knits?? 

You may remember (if you've been reading my blog for a little while) that I made a LOT of stuff for the Thorndon Fair which was almost a complete disaster. Anyway, you live and learn...One of the things I really loved making which did get snaffled up by a dear friend was these ridiculously cute Baby Bear Boots. You might remember seeing these as I have previously posted about them. I had another pair half finished in my project bag, the intention was two have more than one pair to sell at the fair. A week or so ago after feeling a bit over my Weekend in Stockholm Blanket, I got the unfinished boots out and finished them off. I had forgotten how quick and easy these boots are to make up. I posted a pic on my Facebook page and within a couple of hours I had sold them, plus requests for 2 more! This kind of confirms the fact that they are totally a genius idea! 

I'm happy to share the idea for the bear face, but as I am not the designer of the pattern you will need to source your own copy here or here. I think the pattern is around $5USD, which is totally affordable and honestly the best pattern I have used. I'm sure if you google baby boots pattern you'd be able to find a free pattern, but this is the one I have used, so I know it works. The best guide for size is a measurement of the baby's foot, the pattern supplies Newborn, 3 month and 6 month size. I have quite tight tension but use a bigger size needle than suggested. 

Baby Bear Boots

You will need 3 colours of yarn (I generally use 8ply wool or acrylic)

- The main boot colour;

- The face and ears colour &;

- A small amount for eyes and mouth (note I would not recommend using beads for eyes due to choking hazard)

-4.5mm crochet hook

-4mm knitting needles 

Face

Following the original pattern, when you are up to the instep part which requires you to knit on the 10 centre stitches, join the face colour and knit the rows in this colour. Once you have done this, switch back to the main boot colour. Continue with the boot as per the pattern until the end, leave the final stitches on the needle until the ears and eyes and mouth are done. 

Ears

Once the boot is finished, and Using the same colour of yarn as the face colour, make a magic circle, chain 3 and make 8 double crochet into the circle. Tighten circle and slip stitch into the ch3 to make a circular ear shape. Leave a longish tail to attach to ears. Make 2 ears. To sew the ears onto the face and working on the right side, thread both tail ends from the ears to the wrong side. Secure the ears firmly by sewing through a couple of the loops at the bottom of the ear circle. Weave in yarn tails on the wrong side of your work. 

Eyes and Mouth

Using the third colour, sew eyes onto the face and a small 'X' shape for a mouth. Be careful not to leave big loops of yarn at the back which little toes could get caught on!

Now you are ready to finish of your boot. There are several ways to cast off the stitches, but I like to use a three needle cast off as its very neat, or a weaving style. There is a very good tutorial on casting off here, along with the one linked above. 

I would so love to see if anyone makes these, so please tag me on Facebook or Instagram (@itsmariemade) or post a link to your blog in the comments! 

Happy Making :D

Monogram Zipped Purse

A few weeks ago I went to a Hen Party/Bridal Shower/Bachelorette Party (pick whichever term you are comfortable with) for a very lovely friend. The theme for the party was White & Gold, and when I say theme, I mean the ENTIRE party (including all food and drinks) was part of this theme. Eating gold coloured chicken was definitely an experience!

As part of the party, we each had to bring the Bride-to-Be a jewellery gift. While I was thinking about how to wrap it, I was browsing in Pete's Emporium and found an amazing Metallic Bronze coloured vinyl. I have been making A LOT of purses and zipped pouches lately, so I thought I could make a cute purse to put the necklace in. The "wrong" side of the vinyl was super soft and almost furry, so perfect to protect jewellery or other precious treasures. 

When it comes to sewing lately, I am definitely make it up as you go type of person....I read a couple of blog tutorials about making zipped purses but to be honest I find it much easier to visualise something in my head and work it out once I actually start. The biggest challenge I thought would actually be sewing through the layers of vinyl. While it was pretty thin, I do have some concerns about the capability of my retro machine! 

Once I had made the pouch, I wanted to decorate it in some way, and thinking about the Gold & White theme, I decided to sew on some gold sequins. I practised writing out the letter "L" (my friends initial) a few times on a scrap piece and even did a proper mock up sewing on the sequins. I'm glad I did this because it meant I didn't ruin the finished purse with a letter that was too small, and I could see that it would actually look amazing once done! I wrote the L with a sharpie onto the front of the purse and then used it as my pattern to sew the sequins. A smarter person may have done this before sewing the purse together, but I only had this brainwave at the end! 

The end result was so beautiful I instantly wanted to make another! Luckily it was my sister-in-law's birthday, so I sewed one up for her too! It always amazes me how much I love to make things to give away! Anything I make for myself usually ends up half finished or takes me three times as long! Anyone else find that too?

I forgot to take many photos of the finished purse! I really just finished it in the nick of time to be given as my gift. I also only took one or two photos of the second purse! 

I'm so happy how these turned out! 

These are a few of the other things I have been sewing lately:

I must admit I have been neglecting my poor blog a little bit of late. I'm really busy at the moment with work and other commitments so have barely any time to sit down at the computer! I still manage to post a bit on Instagram, so if you'd like to keep up with what I'm doing, you can find me here, @itsmariemade

Show and Tell: Stripey Name Bunting

Show and Tell: Stripey Name Bunting

For ages now, like years even, I've been wanting to make my own fabric bunting. Ridiculous I know, considering what a beginner project this is! Now that I have a sewing machine, all my bunting dreams have come true! :D

I was able to sew this up in a matter of hours- from cutting to hanging. That is quite an achievement I have to say! 

I used a pattern for the size I wanted, you can find it here. The fabrics are from the remnants bin at Spotlight. I won't go into massive details about how I made my bunting, as I think most sewers have an idea and it's not that hard. So just quickly, my flags are double sided with a smaller piece of interfacing between; I used a zigzag stitch for everything including attaching the binding; and I used a glue gun to attach the wooden letters to the flags.

Something quick and fun to brighten up my little boy's bedroom and go with his new big boy bed. Sometimes the quickest, easiest crafts turn out to be the best!

Originally I was trying to find some black and white checkered fabric so I could go with more of the racing-car theme, but in the end, I think the blue and red colours look great. It's not over the top, blends in well with the rest of the decor, but is fun and bright at the same time.

Happy Making! 

Finished Projects: Bucilla Felt Christmas Stocking

I did it! I finished my first Bucilla Felt Christmas Stocking Kit! And just in the nick of time! I really enjoyed this project. It was quite a challenged and I needed to learn quite a few new sewing and embroidery techniques, but overall, the instructions were fairly straightforward and I didn't have too many problems. 

Chocolate Pink Crochet Granny Blanket

As you know if you've been reading along for a little bit, I'm currently trying to make a few things to sell at the Thorndon Fair. So far I've made a few hats, several pairs of booties and a blanket. I really wanted to do another blanket and was pretty set on doing a ripple blanket. I had a few goes at the pattern over at Attic24 blog (brilliant tutorial worth checking out if you want to do a ripple blanket!), but I didn't really have enough of the right yarn to get the hang of the zigzag ripple pattern. The yarn I was using is (I think) a cotton blend, which seems to crochet up quite loosely. This made making the ripples quite tricky... 

Finished Projects: Square Circle Granny Blanket

I shared a sneak peek of this blanket a while ago here. I meant to do an update but I thought I would rather just do a proper post once it was all completed. You might notice that the original squares changed! I dropped out the purple squares as I didn't like the way they looked once I was arranging them altogether. So this is the new and updated version!

Little Boy Blue Hat & Boots

Wow haven't these school holidays flown by?! I feel like I've been busier with activities than in term time! We've had play dates, story time to kindy, swimming, Chipmunks, family dinners, birthdays, the library, playing at the park.... I think that's enough for one almost 3 year old?? 

Granny Scrap Blanket: Part Two- Joining Up

Hopefully you will have seen the previous post here in which I showed you how I started making a granny square blanket from a whole bunch of scrap yarn I had lying around. The next thing to do once you have all your squares, is to join them up!

I had in my mind, an idea of how I might like to join them. I didn't want to just sew them directly together for two reasons 1- because they looked too bright right next to each other; and 2- I am not a great sewer, and my poor skills would have been exposed in this type of project. What I was thinking about was some kind of border that linked all the squares but also created a border around the whole thing while being flat, even and uniform. 

Finished Projects: Neutrals Crochet Baby Granny Blanket

I thought I would share with you a blanket I made as a gift for a friend who is having a baby. 

Completed Project: Granny Stripe Crochet Blanket

I am so proud of myself for persevering with this blanket and finishing it off (See previous post here about my failed attempts!) While it may not be perfect, it's still very usable and (I think) looks pretty great!

If you would like to have a go at this blanket, visit Maybe Matilda and check out the pattern here. The very BEST thing about this pattern is that there are step by step photos.  I don't know how many times I had to go back and refer to the pictures to see if I was doing it right. So helpful. I really don't think I would have attempted it without the pictures (so Rachel if you read this, here is one very grateful fan!)

How to: Simple Beaded Earrings Part 2

This tutorial will show you how to make another pair of beaded earrings using slightly different materials. Hopefully you had a look at this post on basic technique and materials. If you haven't, click here to review. 

For these earrings I recycled some beads from a green necklace. I didn't like the necklace, it was too short and not really my colour, but the green glass beads individually are really beautiful!

How to: Simple Beaded Earrings

Here's a tutorial on how to make some gorgeous but deceptively simple earrings! The key is having all the materials and tools you need to create them. The other important factor is having some beautiful beads to work with! This will hide any imperfections in the finished result. You don't need to be an expert to create these, and they make really good gifts!
All the supplies can be found at The Warehouse, Spotlight or your local craft store. There are also numerous specialist bead shops around, however I have not found them to be the most cost effective way of getting beads. 

Knitting Madness: Hats, Boots and Headbands

This past week I've been inspired to get back into a bit of knitting. I haven't done any the past couple of months mainly because it's been too hot for wearing wool, and we've had nice weather so I'd rather be outdoors!

It started because I wanted a gift to give a friend who is pregnant & was feeding our cat for a few days while we were away. I've got a pattern booklet from the Australian Women's Weekly (Great Winter Knits circa 2012- I bought at our local hospice shop) and a lot of the colour ways are grey with a bright contrasting colour. As I have a whole bunch of grey wool scraps, I thought I could do "something" and just get a couple new colours of wool. At Spotlight they didn't have a light, buttery yellow that I was imagining, so I settled for bright Orange and Turquoise blue. 

The pattern I always use for my hats is from Ravelry and available for free here. I just adapt it to whatever colour or size I want. Most of my wool is DK 8ply so I use 4.0mm or 4.5mm straight needles. 

What I've been up to! Making, Baking and Creating!

Last week I was SUPER busy! We had a short week because of the holiday on Monday for Labour Day. This doesn't really affect me given that I don't work on a Monday! But it was nice to have my husband at home with us. So I didn't get much done that day as a result, being in weekend mode for an extra day!

(The view from my deck, last friday night)