And the giveaway winner is…

… Lottie!

Congratulations to Lottie who writes the endearing blog Lottie Really Loves. I shall sew those buttons on asap and pop the cushion covers in the post to you. It’s been really fun hosting a giveaway, I may just have to do this again some time! I’m quite new to Lottie’s blog but enjoyed catching up and following her story of life as a newly wed whilst waiting forever for a bus recently. I suggest you pop over and say hello too!

I feel like I have a bazillion project ideas whirring around my mind at the moment and I thought that I would share a few with you here:

I want to design my own fair isle pattern

Print off and use these awesome Journal Pages (found via Oh The Cuteness)

Start a new Coco’s Bobble Dress as a present for Florence’s best friend

Make like Tiny Happy and recycle T-shirts into clothes for little ones

Learn how to crochet an oval

Dreaming about making the Proverbial Quilt

Whipping up a wee summer dress for Florence with shirring

More fair isle but this knitted tank top is wonderful!

Free pattern: crocheted baby mocs (3-6 months)

I’m not quite sure what the official name for the style of these booties but to me they feel very moccasin inspired hence ‘baby mocs.’ Again here I’ve used chunkier wool and a larger hook which gives the booties structure (and they’re quicker to make this way too!!!)

The way I crochet baby booties is somewhat unconventional as I don’t start with an oval sole but a rectangular one. The main reason for this is the oval shape is in actual fact my arch nemesis in the crochet world. I have tried and tried, believe me, I really have but for some reason I just can’t consistently produce an oval in the length and width I need. Therefore the shoe is built up in the same way that you would make a crocheted box or container, by picking up stitches around the edge. It’s really simple once you get your head round it, I promise!

Hook size: 4.5mm/ size 7.

Yarn: I used Sirdar Tweed Chunky for the sole and a similar weight for the upper. You could use an aran wool or a slimmer chunky yarn (just not super chunky)

Abbreviations: Chain- ch; slip stitch- ss; double crochet- dc (US single crochet); treble crochet- tc (US double crochet); double crochet 2 together- dc2tog (US sc2tog).

NB: This pattern assumes that your chain st and consequent slip stitch at the end of the round accounts for one whole stitch, so when working the upper in the round I will put the total stitches per round inclusive of the ch/ss. This explains why the numbers of dcs either sides of the decrease at the toe are different.

Sole

Ch9. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Row 1: Work 1 dc in 2nd ch st from hook. Then make 1 dc in each st along the row until end. Turn. (8st)

Rows 2-10: Ch1. 1 dc in each st to end. Turn.

Row 11: Ch1. dc 3 st. Then dc2tog over next 2 stitches. dc to end. (7st)

Rows 12-15: Ch1. 1 dc in each st to end of row. Turn.

Row 16: Ch3. Working to your left, work 1 tc in each space created by the rows from the previous section. You will have 39 st in total. Join to 3rd chain with ss. Break off yarn and pull end through the loop to secure.

With new yarn, make circle: ch 5, join to 1st ch with a ss. Ch 3. Tc 13 into centre of circle. Join to 3rd ch st with a ss. (14 st)  Break off yarn, pull end through loop to secure. Weave in ends.

Upper

Put hook through the middle stitch along the heel. There are 7 stitches along the back so it’s easy to spot the middle stitch. Now make a slip knot and put new yarn on hook, bring through to the front and now ch 1.

Row 1: Work 13 dcs, dc2tog, dc7, dc2tog, dc14. Join to ch st with a ss.

Row 2: Ch 1. dc 13, dc2tog, dc5, dc2tog, dc14. Join to ch st with a ss.

Row 3: Ch 1. dc 13, dc2tog, dc3, dc2tog, dc14. Join to ch st with a ss.

Row 4: Ch 1. dc 13, dc2tog, dc1, dc2tog, dc14. Join to ch st with a ss.

Row 5: Ch 1 dc 8, dc2tog, attach circle with slip stitches. Put hook first through upper, then through circle, catch yarn and bring through to create ss. This way will give a clean edge. Do this around 10 st of circle and front of shoe. Leave circle and continue to work around the edge of the upper. Dc2tog next 2 st. Dc 8 st. Join to ch st with a ss.

Row 6: Ch 1. Dc 8, dc2tog (2nd st you will dc2tog will be a ss made from last round), ss 4 across circle, dc2tog along upper (1st st will be a ss made from last round). Dc 7 st to end. Join to 1st ch st with ss.

FOR FLAT EDGE AT TOE

Row 7: Ch 1. Ss 10 to circle. Ss through top loop only across circle. Ss through both loops per stitch when back at the upper and ss round to end. Join to ch 1 with a ss.

FOR WAVY EDGE AT TOE

Row 7: Ch 1. Ss 9. Start wavy edge: *Ch 2, 1 htc in next st, ss next st*. Repeat from * to * two times. When working around the circle, ss through top loop only to give a nice edge to the circle. When back to the upper ss in the normal way. Ss 6 to end, join to ch 1 with ss.

Break off yarn, pull end through loop and secure. Weave in ends.

Free pattern: Tiny Tam (1-2 years)

And so here I share with with you the first of two free patterns to celebrate Baby and Wool’s 1st birthday. This pattern uses chunky wool which when teamed with a large hook gives you a hat in an evening, making it a brilliant pattern for a last minute gift.

Hook size: 8mm (size L/11).

Yarn: I used some spare Wendy Pampas yarn I had in my stash but an equivalent chunky wool would be Rowan Big Wool. Basically the chunkiest wool you can find on the market!

Abbreviations: Chain- ch; slip stitch- ss; double crochet- dc (US single crochet); treble crochet- tc (US double crochet); double crochet 2 together- dc2tog (US sc2tog).

NB: This pattern assumes that your chain st and consequent slip stitch at the end of the round accounts for one whole stitch, so for example when I say *dc2 in next st, dc 7*, repeat *to* to end, the last set of repeats will always have one less dc stitch, here you’d dc 6 stitches and then ss the last, creating the seventh.

Hat

Ch5. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Ch3. Work 14 tcs into the centre of the newly formed circle to create one big circle. Join to 3rd ch st made at the start with a ss. (15 st)

Row 1: Start increase. Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, Work 1 dc in each st space created by the tcs from the previous round for 2 sts.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (20 st)

Row 2: Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, then dc 3.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (25 st)

Row 3: Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, then dc 4.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (30 st)

Row 4: Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, then dc 5.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (35 st)

Row 5: Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, then dc 6.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (40 st)

Row 6: Ch 1. *Dc 2 in next st, then dc 7.* Repeat * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss. (45 st)

Row 7: Ch 1. 1 Dc in each st to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Row 8: Ch 3. 1 Tc in each st to end. Join to 3rd ch st with a ss.

Row 9: Ch 1. Dc in each st to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Row 10: Ch 3. 1 Tc in each st to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Row 11: Start decrease. Ch 1. *dc2tog, dc 7.* Repeat from * to * to end. Join to 1st

Row 12: Ch 1. *dc2tog, dc 6.* Repeat from * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Row 13: Ch 1. *dc2tog, dc5.* Repeat from * to * to end. Join to 1st ch st with a ss.

Break off yarn. Attatch pom pom to the top of the hat and secure tightly. Weave in ends. Pin out hat and cover with a damp cloth. When dry, pull into shape. Hurrah, you’re done!

Baby and Wool is 1 Today!

Hurrah for babies and hurrah for wool!

To celebrate a whole year of existence and to thank you lovely and supportive readers I am hosting a wee giveaway. I have made up two of my doily cushions with my favourite crocheted doilies and I would love to send them to one lucky person, selected at random, from a computer generator or perhaps even from a hat?! To enter, please leave a comment below by Sunday 20th March, at 7pm GMT and I shall announce the winner on Monday 21st.

For ease of postage I’ll send the covers only. That way you won’t have to wait in for Mr. Postie. I’ll make sure the cushion covers have buttons on them too by then as they’re currently just pinned!

To complete the celebrations I have two free patterns to share with you that I will post over the next two days, one being a beret and the other for baby mocassins.

Thank you all so much for reading my blog and encouraging me with my handmade endeavors. It really does mean a lot to me

Fay x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Four Projects, three patterns, two needles, one hook

The blog has been quiet but it’s been anything but in the Baby and Wool house. The internet has been painfully slow all week, so much so that I had to abandon it and just keep in touch via my mobile. But, as predicted, when the husband came home yesterday he fixed it. He’s been working away these last five weeks and home just at the weekends but he’s home now for the next six weeks.

Whilst he’s been away I have been working on some new patterns for baby shoes. I’ve refined my granny booties (brown pair), made a fail-proof pattern for my version of baby moccasins (the stripy ones), worked out a summer sandal style baby shoe with an ankle strap (navy blue) and for a change made a pair of knitted t-bar shoes (blue). It’s my blog’s first birthday next week so as a treat for you my lovely readers I will post some patterns and also am working on a wee giveaway, so please watch this space!

I’ve been writing this with the BBC website open in another window, listening to the news about the Japan earthquake and tsunami. It is very surreal, being on the other side of the world thinking about knitting getting ready to meet a friend for coffee. I just hope that the warnings help people on the coast to get inland. Argh, it’s just terrifying.

Handwoven rag rug

Or, as I’ve endearingly called it, the “bane of my craft life” rug.

This simple project has taken me three whole weeks. I am so pleased it’s now finished. I started off crocheting the fabric strips into a circle but felt like my 10mm hook wasn’t large enough for it to be a rug. So I unravelled that and started plaiting the fabric strips together. After I had a good length (19 metres at my first, and last, count) I started to sew the plait together in a spiral to make a circular rug. This is the look I was going for, as I wanted a large circular rug for the nursery floorboards. But as I sewed I just wasn’t happy. The rug didn’t feel thick enough to be a rug. I believe now that the strips just weren’t thick enough. So if I ever undertake such a project again I’ll make nice fat strips to braid together.

Unravelled and stuck, I thought that I’d have a go at hand weaving the thing together. Without a loom. Or any idea what I was actually doing.

It started by hanging off the cot bars, then I created a frame from dowelling bound together with string at the corners. But what I really needed was the husband to have been home during the week and not working away to make me a loom using these very helpful directions from Autonopedia. The majority of the weaving was done with the dowling held between chair legs and me sitting on the woven part to keep the tension. It’s clear now as to why this really rather simple project took me flipping ages!

I’m a huge fan of stash busting and really like to have regular clear outs so this project was perfect for my fabric hoards. What’s really sweet about this particular project is that, having discovered my old stash from my creative endeavors as a teenager I could include sentimental pieces. Like the vintage duvet cover and pillow cases that I made flare inserts for my jeans with (yes. I did that. To more than one pair of jeans. And a skirt… OK two skirts…), my old science lab coat, fabric left over from a costume I made for drama GCSE to name but a few.

The rag rug is just much, much smaller than I wanted it to be. And it pretty much drained my fabric odds and ends so I can’t make it any bigger just now. But it actually fits Flo’s cotside perfectly. And it’s rather cosy to sit on as it’s thick and squashy. Plus there is much potential for it to be added too as my fabric stash grows in the future.

Teeny tiny shoes for tiny feet

I’ve updated my Folksy shop with these shoes for tiny feet, newborn 0-1 months.

These shoes are so cute they make me broody just looking at them. It hasn’t helped that my sister and her friend have both just announced their pregnancies. With the baby now 13 months this must be a classic time for the broodiness to set in as now she’s not really so much a baby any more as growing into a toddler. And I’m sure she’s had a growth spurt recently, she seems to have these really long legs!

Layout changes

I’m not sure what I’ve done, bear with me and hopefully it’ll all come together.

Crocheted Beauties

I spent my lunch money on doilies….

… so I made another thrifty cushion for my friend Katie’s birthday.

13 Months

I’ve been rather quiet here at Baby and Wool but I have been posting a fair bit on my other blog, Dreaming of an Aga. I seem to have about six projects on the go all at once so have not got much to show on here yet. So just to tide you over here is an absolutely gorgeous photo of the little girl at 13 months.

She loves music and whenever she hears any being played she’ll stop what she’s doing and will have a little dance. She loves to do the action to a few nursery rhyme songs too, like ‘wind the bobin up’ and ‘row, row, row your boat’ including screaming at the appropriate time. She can say a handful of words now, most of which start with ‘B’- perhaps it’s the easiest or maybe it’s coincidence, who knows?! She adores the dog and will chase him and then run to find refuge by clinging onto my legs, laughing uncontrollably when he starts to follow her instead.