Iris, a monster

Oh look!

Another monster!

I'm on a roll, right now. I've been going through my big bin of UFO's (unfinished objects) and working on a few that caught my eye.

One of them was this little cutie. She's made of the yarn from a kid's cardigan kit I bought a few years ago that just didn't turn out as I'd hoped. So, I re-wound the yarn and used it for Iris, the Gourmet Monster (pattern by Rebecca Danger, Dangercrafts).

Settling In

I love my new house!

I love the huge windows that face the sunshine all day long. I love the soft shag carpet. I love the sauna. I love the new neighbourhood and the huge garden. I love the deer that walk around my property every day, despite the fact that they will eat my flowers in the summertime. I even love the dated wood-paneled rec room with it's fireplace.

I just love it here and am settling in comfortably. I still have a ton of boxes to unpack yet but I'll get to them ... eventually. The important things like wool, knitting needles, teapot, kitchen things and computers are unpacked.

Can't find our xmas decorations yet though! Will have to take care of that this week. Good thing my mom and auntie brought us a huge house-warming poinsetta plant.

Been getting alot of knitting and finishing done on some projects that have been sitting around awhile. My box for the TOKmas swap was mailed off to my spoilee on Monday. I finished up her Gnome Homes (for double-pointed knitting needles - or pencils!) and her Hopsalot bunny slippers.  Tracking the package shows that delivery was attempted and she should have a notification card to pick it up at the parcel depot. I'm excited and nervous! I hope she loves everything I sent her!

Also finished up a gang of Travelling Gnomes that I sent off as a gift to a fellow knittie. I forgot to take a pic so this is hers!

And... I finally finished this guy! Gort the monster (pattern from the Big Book of Knitted Monsters by Rebecca Danger). I started him at the cottage this summer but only just had the time to finish him up the past couple days.

I have a ton of Xmas knitting yet to do and cards to mail out and gifts to buy and wrap! With moving, it's all been left to the last minute... but that's ok! I work really well under pressure! ♥

Holiday Tree ornaments

I finished up a few of the felted diorama holiday tree ornaments. They go off in the mail tomorrow to the recipients. I hope they love 'em as much as I do. I know I'll definately make more of these and in fact, wish I had time this year to do so to give as gifts.

They really are much cuter in person! I had to photograph them at night, which I dislike, but they needed to be packed and I couldnt' wait for the sun to accomodate me!

I used the Snowman Diorama ornament & Tree Diorama ornament patterns by Katie Startzman.  (Ravelry link: here)

 I modified the red one to hold a mini Santa with the tree. Also made a few more mini Santas for a gift pack. They look a little fuzzy... need to pick some of those long hairs off them!

Pattern is the Teeny Tiny Mochi Mochi Santas pattern by Mochimochiland. Ya'll know I LOVE minis and these guys are perfect for the upcoming season!

Elves!

I finished the set of elves I was working on. They are surprise gifts and need to head out in the mail to the USA this week!

I have a ton of other xmas knitting I've been working on plus packing my house to move, so that's it for this week's update! Hopefully things slow down here in early December and I can post much more.

How about a photo? Aren't they adorable?! I need to make hundreds of these little guy!

The Beehive! Hexipuff Storage

Look what I found while out shopping last night!

Behold! The Beehive!

 I think it should hold about 200 puffs. Since I'm not even at 100 yet it will take me awhile to fill it!

I finished up this little guy today. He's the Molly the Traveling Turtle pattern by Jenna Krupar (ravelry link). It was very easy, very fast and makes a very cute stuffie! I modified it to knit the head and feet 'toe up' from the ends to the point they join the body rather than the other way around. I cant wait to make a few more. This pattern is perfect for those last minute gifties.

Gnome Homes & Felted Cauldrons

I did felt up those mini cauldrons last week as well as the gnome homes.

Here's a couple pics of the cauldrons. I love them! They will be perfect for my Tiny Owl Knits Xmas Swap. I'll fill them with chocolate and mini yarn skeins!

After felting, I also put the finishing touches on one of the gnome homes last Thursday since I wanted to give him away to one of the girls at knitting on Friday night. I did his face and beard according to the pattern but after a few hours of humming and hawwing over it... I found I just wasnt satisfied so I added alot more hair and am so happy with the way he turned out after that!

The first pic is the 'before modifications' shot and the other two are after.

I have 3 more of these guys in neutral colours to put the finishing touches on. They're for the swap also.

Then I had a brilliant idea. These are just so cute and adorable and really great for DPN holders or even pencil holders. I LOVE this pattern! They are highly customizable both size-wise AND theme. I already have a bunch of new plans for these in the shapes of sock monkey, giraffe, owl, bunny, bear, elephant, panda, and so many more animals Plus, MONSTERS!  They will be great for swaps of all kinds. I just need to find the time to get going on them but the hexipuffs keep sucking me in!

Owl Puffs & felting gnome homes

Today was turkey leftover day and recover from too much turkey day! I got alot of knitting done!

Whipped this cute little Owl Puff up in no time at all.

He's the Owl Puff pattern by Jenna Krupar (aka RetroLemon on Ravelry). Only uses about 25 yards of yarn, a set of 12 mm safety eyes, some felt and a teensy bit or 'beak' yarn. Really fast, really easy, really cute!


Finished up the knitting on my 4 Gnome Homes and 2 Tiny Cauldrons (both patterns by Stephanie Dosen aka Tiny Owl Knits), and between a combo of hand and machine -- got them all felted. They're drying now. Tomorrow I need to pick up shirring elastic and then I can put all the finishing touches on.

I've also been working on a little hoodie for a friend's baby using the Kira's Hooded Vest pattern by Yumiko Sukarai and I have learned that I suck at seaming. Truly. Even after looking at videos online my attempts are atrocious. I'm going to ask for some help at Threads tomorrow afternoon when I go to knit for the afternoon.

Here's the yarn I'm using. It's superwash and supersoft merino wool.

FOs: Sausage Dogs!

So, I finished up my swap package for the Dancing Dog Dyeworks' First Anniversary Puppy Secret swap! It went out in the mail to Lily-Lemon on Ravelry last week and arrived yesterday. She sent me a message saying she loved everything in the package and that it was one of the best swap packages she'd ever gotten! Awww! *blush*

I sent her the 5-pak of Sausage dogs, each done in a different DDD colourway. I used Anna Hrachovec's Sausage Dog pattern from Mochimochiland. They turned out fantastic! I also knit her doggie Tuffy a little bandana out of Zombie BBQ yarn. I made the pattern up as I went along -- the idea behind it is that it has a sleeve at the top to slide onto Tuffy's collar rather than tying it around her neck. I also sent some gummi candies and a small Fox themed bag and cards I found on Etsy. Also, since she'll be making a Beekeeper Quilt eventually too I sent her a couple mini yarn skeins -- all of yarns from or dyed in Canada. I'm glad she loved her package!

Now, pics!

 



FOs: Bump in the Night Swap monsters!

Oh I can't believe I forgot to post pics of the monsters I made and sent off to my swap partner for the Dangercrafts group's Bump in the Night swap!

I came up with an idea for a monster in a costume and improvised my way from there! I used the Angus the Attic Monster pattern from Rebecca's Big Book of Knitted Monsters and his body shape worked very well with my plan for a pumpkin costume. I used Malabrigo Rios, a superwash wool for this project and wow, it is the softest yarn ever! I loved knitting with it. I also used up the leftovers to make a few "Pumpkin Chunks" by fiddling a bit with the Monster Chunks pattern (free pattern on Ravelry or her website) too. I'll leave my notes at the end of this post on the Chunks. I may write up my pattern for his costume too later. Maybe I'll work on an Xmas themed costume too! who knows!

I also sent her some pretty post its, tea, sour patch kid and warhead candies, chocolate eyeballs and pumpkins, a pumpkin candle, Halloween and monster stickers, Halloween pencils and some mini yarn skeins for her Beekeeper Quilt.

Now, onto the pics!

Monster Chunk modifications were as follows:

She writes it to start with 36 stitches and knit to the top then to pick up 36 stitches from the cast on row and knit down to the bottom. I just did it all in one piece:

1. cast on 6 sts, join to work in the round
2. kfb all sts
3. (k1, kfb)around (18 sts)
4. (k2, kfb) around (24 sts)
5. (k3, kfb) around (30 sts)
6. (k4, kfb) around (36 sts) Rows 7-22. knit even
7. (k4, k2tog) around (30 sts) Add some stuffing and your safety eyes now before closing top.
8. (k3, k2tog) around (24 sts)
9. (k2, k2tog) around (18 sts)
10. (k1, k2tog) around 12 sts
11. (k2tog) around (6 sts) Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches.

Making the stem on top was an afterthought for me so I made a little 5 stitch icord and sewed it on afterwards. If I do them again I will just change to green wool at row 28 and do the icord for a few rows there, THEN break the yarn and pull through.

FO: Harold the Two'th

I finished Harold number 2 for hubby.

Aren't those little toes and thumbs adorable!? I think he's become my new favourite Dangercrafts pattern! I must make a whole gang of them.

This guy was made of the leftovers from one of my shipments of the Dancing Dog Dyeworks Monster Mania yarn club shipments -- Waltz Worsted in the Monster in a Lemon Tree colourway.