Kathryn's Doll Finished At Last

So, I haven't posted anything in ages mainly as I haven't had the time to do anything. Our little girl is only gorgeous, 6 months old now and chats up a storm. Will try to post an updated shot of herself soon enough. Here are some photo's of the rag doll that I was making for my sister. I would literally do a little and put it away and except for the boots she was nearly complete. The boots which I finally managed to get around to today, my sister would say she's been waiting nearly a year for this doll and she's probably right. When Katy my little girl saw the finished version today, she got all excited so I know I'm going to have to make another one and hopefully it won't take me a year.




Kathryn said she's very Little House on the Prairie.

Old Projects

Well I have attempted over the past week or so to post anything up here but Katy seems to sense when I'm on the PC and not lavishing attention on herself and that puts an end to that. Luckily she's asleep now and as tired as I am, I thought I better post something while I had a moment.

I'm going to have to post my older projects for now, struggling as it is to finish her crochet blanket. Though it is getting there no matter how slowly it's progressing. Like being on the computer, she seems to know when I have needles or a hook in my hands too. :)

Anyhow, once upon a time I had a Holly Hobbie doll. A really big sized one as well. She was beautiful and amazing and I loved her dearly. From her stemmed my absolute love for anything rag-doll related. To the point that I even attempted to make my own. The first attempt wasn't very good though my niece Lauryn loved her. It was the first topsy turvy doll I ever did before I ever found the knitting patterns for them and as I had no real pattern to go on for this particular doll, I do think she came out alright.






After making this one, I decided to go onto e-bay and hunt down as many rag-doll patterns or books that I could find. There was one by Jean Greenhowe, another by the Goodhouse keeping and a Holly Hobbie one. Of course me being me, couldn't just pick one pattern and settle with it. Oh, no I had to modify to create something utterly different. The head on the HH pattern was way too awkward for me and the transfer wouldn't work at all, so I winged the head from the tips in the 'goodhouse keeping' book (will get up photos of these patterns and books as soon as I possibly can) I got the hair sorted by using tips from the Jean Greenhowe book. The dress I knitted though. My youngest sisters birthday was on the way and I seriously couldn't think what to buy for her, so I made her a rag-doll.



Of course when my older sister Kathryn saw her, she wanted one as well. That poor doll I am still in the process of finishing. Knitting, the pregnancy and a whole bunch of other things kept getting in the way. Now it's just the TLC of Katy that does but as soon as this doll is finished, I'll load up some photos for you.

My own special design...

I haven't been on in a few days but have a very good excuse - truly. Had our daughter Katy 4:05am on the 18th. Left the hospital yesterday - didn't feel the need to stay in, thought I'd be able to settle her into a routine at home quicker than spending unnecessary time in the hospital. The staff were wonderful and couldn't fault them a thing. Husband Rob is extactic, as is our boys. Chuffed to bits they are. She weighed in at 7lbs 8oz, a lot smaller than what they told me she would be but I so was not complaining. She's only adorable. Here are a few pics.





This is Katy with her Nanny, she's wearing the cardigan and booties I made for her. So cute. My mom actually made her this beautiful white loopy knitted bonnet,a little on the big side just now but as soon as she fits in I'll post another picture. She loves the camera already.

Baby Booties

Considering how close it is now for number 3 to make her appearance, I thought out of all the wool scraps I have knitting a pair of booties would just be too ridiculously cute to pass up. Especially as I found the most adorable pattern from Saartje on Ravelry.

The wool I had used for the baby cardigan and hat in my very first post, had enough left over for a pair indeed two pairs of booties, so yesterday I began them and after ... just three hours of watching the Thorn Birds, they were finished. So adorable, but considering the size that the gynie thinks my baby is going to weigh in at, I don't know how long these might fit for. A day or two perhaps but they are just so cute. Will definitely be making another pair but will make them in a larger size.




I'm shocking for my wool scraps as I never have a clue exactly what type of wool or actual shade it is I am using. Will ask my mother-in-law, as she gave me the end of this wool. She had made some beautiful cardigans for my nieces with it before Christmas. Boys are off school for the week on their mid-term break but have decided that they can come along to the library tomorrow anyhow while I sit in with the knitting circle that I missed last week. They'll sit and read for a while anyhow or colour, they love that sort of thing. Must decided on which half finished project I should bring in. :)

Sock Bug

I haven't been on for a few days, mainly as I had the hospital appointment whereby they were all set to induce me if there wasn't enough fluid around the baby. Thankfully, there was enough to sink the Titanic so I get to go to term - unless of course baby has other ideas. The very thought of inducement makes me cringe, I know the last few weeks of this pregnancy have felt never ending and I've said enough times, 'I wish it were all over now and she was out' but would rather it be in babies time and not by some pushy doctor. So I've been warned to rest a bit and keep my feet up as much as possible as am beginning to swell up now. Had to remove all my rings and have what my sister terms as 'Cankles' where my calves and ankles combine... can't wait for that part to be over with.

So I managed to sit down for a while and get some knitting done over the past few days. As I had promised Ben a pair of socks, thought that would be the easiest way forward and if I got annoyed or bored with them could easily just put them aside and get on with something else. As it was they were just so easy to knit up, it was the sewing of the seams afterwards that aggravated me a bit. But presented him this morning with his new socks and for the first four hours of this morning he wore them religiously. Gushing about how great they were and how comfortable. Of course he's only going to use them as slipper socks as they are so thick and cosy.

Knitted Sock

Am absolutely livid now, I have so much spare wool around the house that of course I thought I would have plenty for socks. I would have of course if I was knitting socks for children. As it was I attempted my first sock and flew through it, it took me two days in total. Being pregnant does help with knitting, my husband harps on at me to put my legs up at the weekends and not to overdo it. So I pick up my knitting needles and wonder what I can finish or start. This weekend it had been slouchy socks. I was fascinated by all the beautiful socks I saw on so many blogs and really wanted to know what the thrill was. Besides being very fast and easy enough to knit up, the finished result was great - well, once they were on anyhow. I finished one sock and passed it to my eldest son Ryan to try on. He loved the feel of it and chalked it down as the most comfortable sock he had ever worn. Immediately I got an order from Rob, my DH and Ben my youngest son for socks too. I got straight into doing the second sock and much to my annoyance soon discovered that I wouldn't have enough to finish it. So, I unravelled it and began knitting up a smaller version which Ben could use, all the time glaring at the first finished sock knowing that I would have to unravel it and do a smaller one.




Ben of course is completely thrilled that he gets to have the first pair of socks. But will definitely make sure from now on that I have enough wool. This pattern is from Sublime and though I didn't use the exact wool specified, the wool I did use was so snuggly and as the others testified cosy that I must rummage through my various wool boxes to see if I have any more of it in different shades. I think I've gotten the 'sock bug' :).

Peter Rabbit theme

Well on ths same theme more or less as yesterday, I had also decided to attempt to knit some of the characters myself. The patterns I did find on e-bay were mainly of the frog and other male characters, I specifically wanted Mrs. Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail and Jemima Puddleduck as well as Peter of course but the only pattern I managed to find was a really large one of Jemima. So I decided to do what I normally would do and wing it myself.

If you notice at the top of my blog page in my banner, there is what looks for all the world like an odd brown shaped head with a blueish top and brown body end. Well this was basically the finished body part for Mrs. Rabbit, I set it aside trying to figure out the ears and dress end and apron, while I also got on with other projects. As I had excruciating heartburn again last night, I didn't mind in the slightest knitting up the rest of her and this morning stitching her together. Hopefully the baby will like it. Though I do think I went a bit long in the arms. At least I'll know better for the next one... if there is a next one. The girl rabbits and Peter shouldn't be any trouble I hope, it's the thought now of making up a pattern for Jemima. Heaven help me! :)

Other projects

Well as our baby is due shortly, I decided it was time to get the room ready. I had settled for some reason on a Peter Rabbit / Beatrix Potter theme but discovered soon enough that any stores here in Cork did not sell any thing of this nature. Winnie the Pooh, no problem, Dora the Explorer and tons of other stuff but no Beatrix Potter. So I went on e-bay and online to a dozen other sites, which exasperated me more. I got shunted from site to site and soon discovered that these sites were like search engines and didn't actually sell anything. The stuff on ebay was alright I guess but not want I was looking for at all.

So after mulling it over, decided as the walls in the babies room were a nice creamy colour anyhow, I would not bother attempting to find a freize or border but to draw one around the wall instead and then paint it. I decided to do a square canvas water colour of a Peter Rabbit scene as a trial run and though not a work of art, it looked fine. So am itching now to get on with my border. Of course hubby is all, "you should be resting and not painting rooms" type of thing but honestly, there's only so much rest I can actually stand.



I downloaded a black and white picture to get the outline and then a coloured version, so I would have the colours somewhat right. I kept Peter out of the finished picture as I wanted to just see how I could manage the others first. There was no point in me going over the top on it. Of course now that it is finished, I might do another one or two just to hang up around the wall a lot higher up than the border that will be positioned around the center of walls.

Home Knits - my own

I mentioned before that I attempt to design my own stuff on occasion. The reason being sometimes is that I just can't find what I want anywhere. My youngest son Ben has been a mad Thomas the Tank Engine fan since he was 2yrs old (now nearly 6)and for the life of me, I couldn't find a knitting pattern anywhere for a Thomas jumper, I couldn't even find a sweater in the shops - at least not until after I had finished my version of a Thomas jumper. The design part itself was easy, the measuring and trying to get tension right was something else but eventually I began work on it and it only took me a week. Of course this is a week, staying up until ungodly hours until the front was done. The back, sleeves and hood were easy to do of course. Up until last year, he was still getting use out of it and when I suggested we give it to a charity shop so another child could have it, he nearly passed out with shock. He is more than happy for the new baby to get it (when she turns 3!)





I attempted a Henry jumper as well the following year for his third birthday but I don't think it is a patch on the first one. I've done various silly things like this but the most recent I suppose was the 'Big C' jumper I knitted for my 3 week old godson and nephew Callum. I don't think it will fit him for a while yet as he is tiny, even though I managed to knit it to fit 0 - 6 months. At least the hat should be ok. Another project I'm working on is a knitted version of Mrs Rabbit, I couldn't find any in the shops or on e-bay. So I decided to wing it myself and hoped to goodness it would turn out fine. Mrs. Rabbit as in Peter, Cottontail, Mopsy and Flopsy's mother. I was going to do the full set but will wait and see how this one turns out. When its done I will post up a photograph. If its not too embarressing an attempt. :)

Christening robes and blankets

I was up until the wee small hours of the morning again suffering from more heart burn, I really thought I had come to the end of it but this little one likes keeping Mammy up until all hours. Getting me used to it for when she arrives I suppose. So I decided to trawl through the miriad of knitting, crocheting, crafty blogs out there and I was put to shame a thousand times over. Whoever said the art of knitting was dead, has obviously never been blogging. The pieces I witnessed were amazing. To tell you the truth, I have never been an adventerous knitter. I keep to the basics, venturing on occasion to create my own designs or to mingle someone elses with something else, to get a particular look that I want.

The hats, scarves, socks and gloves I saw last night were wonderful, the colours, textures and designs. Nothing I would have ever considered doing until now. I know I have kept to my baby knits and dolls which to me is probably a safe place to stay but after seeing the work on all those other sites, it has really inspired me to get up and try at least. My local library has begun a knitting and crocheting circle every Tuesday morning, so am going to go along to that and a brand new woolen store has also opened up in Midleton and will be hosting a knitting circle the first Thursday of every month. Though this months one is on the 19th. I'm excited about it all. Of course as soon as the baby comes, am going to have to revise these knitting circles a little but until then...

Today I decided to take photo's of the beautiful christening robes my sister and close friend Kathryn did for both my boys. I commissioned her to do one for both of them, so that they would each have their own to keep for their own families someday. She's in the middle of doing a beautifully intricate one at the moment for baby number 3 and really going to town on it. Mainly as she's the godmother. :) Each one is so different and the detail is wonderful. She like my mother are the adventerous knitters, they can read patterns way better than I can and more to the point follow them.

Of course not to be outdone, I did attempt to crochet a blanket for Ben's christening. I didn't even contemplate if for Ryans. Hadn't put in enough practise I guess. I only learnt to crochet while working at a nursing home, so can only do the square blankets. But went to my local library the other day and got a crochet book out and hopefully will attempt some pieces from it but like I said, it's following an actual pattern at times can stump me.

I've begun one for this baby, using the wool my mother got me as part of my Christmas present this year. It's delicate and beautiful but I fear it will take me forever to crochet any big enough blanket. Thankfully the christening won't be for a while anyhow, which should give me plenty of time and if I manage to disregard some of the other projects that I have on the go... lol, that isn't very likely to happen, now is it?

Knitivity and Topsy Turvy Cinderella Doll

I love knitting dolls, really I do. I've done a fair few from Jean Greenhowe's collections I suppose my favourites are the topsy turvy dolls and the 'knitivity' dolls as my sister Aisling christened them. I had knit a topsy turvy doll for each of my nieces and for my neighbours three daughters when it began to draw close to Christmas and I realised that some of my ceramic crib pieces were chipped and one was missing. I figured having two boys running amock about the house would only lead to more of the same so dug out a pattern I had of Jean Greenhowe's. It took a while but it was so worth it. This year was our second with our wonderful 'knitivity', my husband Rob even went and made a crib for us to stand them in. I must say it was worth staying up till 1am some nights finishing off certain characters. I've loaded up a picture of the book that has both the 'knitivity' patterns and the topsy turvy cinderella doll pattern inside. There's lots of other wonderful patterns in their too.

I had apparently sent the photos to Mom of the knitted cinderella doll, she had them posted on her blog a while back, so thankfully she still had them and sent them on to me. I really have to take better care storing my photographs.