A hat and scarf set....

Having recently started to make hats and scarves for older children and then somehow ending up making them for younger children instead, I decided to "get with the plot".  I had about 150g of Robin FX Dk yarn in a  lovely shade of oatmeal.  It was just crying out to be turned into a hat and scarf set.  

The label describes it as premium acrylic which some purists might think is a contradiction in terms.  But it was lovely to knit with, didn't have any knots and produced a perfect texture in both knitted and crocheted items.

I didn't follow any particular scarf pattern.  I simply did row after row of crochet v-stitch and really like the way it turned out.  It is reversible, doesn't curl at the edges and drapes nicely.  I will definitely make more of these.  I used a 4mm hook, chained 27 stitches, and used 110g of the yarn.  That gave me a scarf measuring 6.25 inches by 65 inches.

The rest of the yarn went towards making this simple beanie hat which should fit a teenager.  It is from the well-written Two by Two Basic Beanie pattern.  There are instructions for sizes ranging from baby to large adult and I can really recommend it.

Both these items will go off to Operation Orphan.  They are not really a matching set since the only thing they have in common is the yarn. However, they are very unlikely to stay together and that is ok as it means two teenagers will benefit....a win win situation.

More preemie items...

 

This little collection of preemie items went off to PreemiesUK.  I was really trying to use up all of my white and cream 4 ply yarn. When I finished the last two sleepsacks and weighed them, my knitting mojo rose up on its hind legs and refused to jump the last fence.  They weigh only 16g each which I think is amazing. But that left me with enough 4 ply yarn to knit another three.

• I really want (and need) to clear the decks of finished items this week
• I don't want my knitting/crochet to turn into a race or a chore
• I had the perfect size box available

So I posted these yesterday and set aside the remaining 50g of white yarn.  I already have plans for it and might actually start today.  But, for now, I am finished with preemie items.

I have previously blogged about most of these preemie patterns before.  I have never mentioned the little hat pattern but it deserves a mention.  It is one of those hat patterns that I usually avoid as it is knitted on straight needles and has a seam. But I kept the seam very small by careful sewing.  Sadly, I forgot to weigh the hats. But I know they used very little yarn.

I liked the fact that staff in a special care baby unit have actually requested this very hat pattern.  Here is the link. Scroll down and look for "Hat for premature babies (As requested by St. Mary's Special Care Baby Unit, UK)."

                                                                                                                           
PS:  I have had a request for a link to the pattern for the little sleepsack.  It can be found at the very end of the list on this Cuddles page.                                            

A lovely surprise...

Just look at the lovely journal I won recently in a giveaway hosted by Vicki of the 2bagsfull blog.  It is beautiful on the inside and on the outside with flowers and butterflies on a blue background.  

Vicki gave away several different journals and amazingly chose my favourite colour. That has been blue ever since I was about four years old and had a little blue summer dress.  I was so upset, incensed and incredulous when I outgrew it that my mother had to let down the hem to make it long enough to last another few months.  I wish I still had that dress.  I bought a very similar one when my daughter was four.  At primary school I chose blue binca material for my very first sewing project.  When I was fifteen and started a Saturday job, I bought a blue leather pencil case which I still have today.  The first party outfit I bought for myself was a blue maxi skirt and I still wear a lot of blue.  We recently had a few days away driving around Yorkshire and the Peak District.  When we were on the less scenic motorways, it was always the blue cars that caught my attention.  Did I mention that I like blue?!

I see a lot of giveaways being hosted by generous bloggers all over the world.  I usually resist entering those that are too far away because of the postage costs.  But I simply had to try to win one of these pretty journals and Vicki paid a small fortune in postage from Kentucky.  We think postage is expensive in the UK,  but it is even dearer in other countries!  Thank you, Vicki.

So when my journal arrived yesterday, I was genuinely delighted.  I will put it to good use.....maybe to record favourite books and authors.....unless I can think of something better.

Vicki's blog is well worth a visit.  She crafts for pleasure and for charity and hosts annual blog parties. You won't be disappointed!

PS: here is a photo of me wearing the famous dress.  This was in the early days of colour photography, so it doesn't really do justice to the lovely shade of sky blue.  I am on the left squinting at the sun....which probably has a lot to blame for my poor eyesight. But that is another story!  

I can actually remember this particular photo being taken.  We had just moved from a very poor part of London to a slightly more leafy area.  This was the local park.  We are standing in front of a tennis court where I used to play into my mid-twenties.  We are all dressed up, so this could even have been my birthday.

Five scarves and a hat....

A couple of years ago I bought a huge 400g ball of grey aran wool and acrylic mix.  It was one of those rare occasions when I actually go to a wool shop and pay full price!! That is probably why I made a rookie error and ended up buying the wrong shade of grey simply because I hadn't brought along the thing I was trying to match it to. Who'd have thought there are so many shades of grey?  Hey ho.  So it sat in a bag in the naughty corner.

Then I saw an appeal from Operation Orphan for scarves in shades of grey, black and navy blue.  Some of the older children prefer these colours.  I went off piste by adding eyeball-searing red.  But I made these items in sizes that will be more suitable for the younger children, so I think the bright red is going to be ok.

I managed to use up all the grey, some black oddments and most of the red.  My remaining aran yarn now fits into the palm of my hand.  I don't have any immediate plans to buy more....but I never say never!

My blog posts are very short at the moment as I am once again having an insanely busy summer.  I don't even have enough spare energy to think of clever blog post titles.  But I am still reading all my favourite blogs.  Happy August to everyone!

...and the winner is.....

Thanks to everyone who entered my Big Birthday Giveaway.  There were 36 entries including the double entries that were awarded to my followers.  I love blogging and I wish everyone could have been a winner.  But, this time, the lucky recipient is Gillian of the hookin' A yarn blog.  Gillian blogs about her crochet, knitting and quilting and peppers her posts with lovely photos.  

I know I said I would choose the winner at 9am UK time.  I'm about 2 hours early as I was woken up by a beautiful sunrise on this first day of my birthday month.  I wrote all the entries on a piece of paper and asked Hubby to close his eyes and point at it.   He happily obeyed and it was a whole ten minutes before he asked what he had just pointed at! 

 Happy August to all my readers!

(Gillian, please could you let me know your postal address.  Thanks, Una, uomalley82@yahoo.co.uk)