Hexi Puff check in, week 5 !

Week 5 = 61 hexi puffs!

Those ones with the safety pins on them are waiting for pictures to be duplicate stitched on them. I like to do that before I stuff 'em.

 

This week, my favourites are the sparkly ones made of yarn received in a swap, plus the fuzzy ones made of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and the rustic, textured ones made of Noro Silk Garden sock yarn.

I've recalculated the Puff-Math, also.

Pattern says I will need 384 Hexipuffs to make a 3x4 foot quilt but I'm thinking I'd like something in the range of 6x6 or 7x7 feet. I laid out my puffs and fit 30 into a 1 foot square. So, apparently after calculating the puff-math, I will need 1,470.

I think this will take me about 5 years to make!!

I joined the Tiny Owl Knits Xmas swap and plan on joining the Dangercrafts Xmas swap, plus I have a bunch of baby knitting and xmas knitting to do --- so Puffing will definately slow down for a bit, besides what I can do on coffee breaks at work.

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.

Swap - Dangercrafts Bump in the Night

I am utterly spoiled!

I received an AWESOME swap package from LoveOfWool on Ravelry. The swap was in the Dangercrafts group on Ravelry and the theme was "Things that go Bump in the Night".

She sent me the greatest Black Swan themed monster made of wool she dyed herself! She has her own crown and great costume! Check out her mask! Reminds me of awesome cat-eye glasses from the '50s! She also sent me a skein of yarn she also dyed, a whole bunch of mini yarn balls for hexipuffing, a notebook and stickers, chocolates, tea and teabags and a cute card.

I cant wait to pick which monster to use that yarn for!

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.

Hexi Puff Swap

I joined a Hexi Puff swap in the Tiny Owl Knits group on Ravelry. I volunteered to have a couple partners.

I received my package from Petra in Germany!

She spoiled me -- 3 hexipuffs plus enough yarn to make probably 4-5 more, 3 pretty stitch markers, tea and chocolate which was consumed before I had a chance to take the pic!

I can't wait for mine to reach her. I hope it doesnt take too long!

Hexipuff check in! Week 4

I'm up to 43 puffs this week.

My plan is to make a giant blanket about 6x8 feet big. Maybe 6x6. According to the pattern, I'll need somewhere around 700-800 puffs. I figured about a year to make them all but when I actually calculate it .... if I make about 5 puffs a week, it will take me almost 3 years to make enough for a blanket that big!!  I'm sure there may be weeks I don't knit a single puff ---- I DO have other things to do with my time too, you know.. and other things to knit on. But, there may be weeks I make more than that. It's ok though ..... I *was* planning on this being a long term knit.

So, on with the progress photos!