Knitting - Saffire Shrug

Safire (Ravelry Link)

A retro style shrug knitted top down with raglan sleeves.

Yarn: Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK (0196)
Needle: 4.5mm, 4mm for ribbing



Mods: I didn't knit the cuffs on the arms for as long as the pattern suggested, so the arms end at the bend of my arm.

Verdict: I think this might convert quite nicely to a full-length sweater, just by joining after the neck shaping and then working it a bit longer.
If I were to make it again, I’d increase the arms a bit more - they fit fine, but I might like them a bit looser, especially if I made them longer.

Knitting - Jayne Hat

Jayne Hat (Ravelry Link)

In preparation for York's inaugural comicon, I knitted the Jayne Cobb hat for my husband's costume. It's a basic earflap hat with specific colours to match the hat from the TV show Firefly.

Yarn: Sirdar Supersoft Aran (913, 861, 824)
Needles: 8mm



Mods: I changed the decreases for the crown slightly, and made the earflaps wider

Verdict: Pretty good, though I think I'd probably knit it a bit looser still, and maybe do more rounds before the crown shaping. I'd consider working top-down to get a better fit.

Knitting - Baby Hat

Basic Baby Hat by Heather Tucker

This is my go-to baby hat pattern when I want to make a quick hat for a new baby. For me it's probably about 4 hours to knit the smaller sizes, though a faster knitter could probably make one of these in just a couple of hours. I generally have a stash of appropriate double knit, and only a small amount is needed for each hat.

Yarn: King Cole Bamboo Cotton Solids (531) approx 15g
Needle: 4mm
Size made: Preemie



Mods: None
Verdict: As I said above, this is my go-to quick baby hat pattern. it fits nicely and the brim can be turned up or worn down depending on how big the baby's head is. I'll definitely make more of these.

Crochet - Glam Girl Shrug

Glam Girl Shrug from Ball Hank n' Skein

This is a simple little shrug, as written it is worked in one piece from side to side and then joined to make the armholes. 

It's a great project for working in front of the TV or when you don't have much concentration!

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock
Hook: 5.5mm (US size I)



Verdict: It's a nice little shoulder warmer. It worked well with the Noro yarn too, though I hope it will soften up a little on washing.

Mods: Because I was using Noro I started in the middle and worked to one sleeve, then picked up in the middle and worked to the other, this meant I could get the colour repeats to (sort of) match up.

Sewing - Oliver + S reversible bucket hat

Oliver + S offer their bucket hat pattern for free, so I printed it out and made it!

I found some fab dinosaur fat quarters in my local Hobbycraft and I knew I wanted to make something fun for my daughter.
This is a printable pattern, and some pieces have to be taped together as they're larger than A4. The instructions for this, and for cutting the fabric are all clear and simple.

I made the smallest size, which the pattern says should be 6-12mo, 18" circumference. I think it might run a little small, but it's possible that my printouts were a little smaller than they should have been. The pattern is written with very generous ½inch seam allowances, which are then trimmed; I'd prefer ¼inch seam allowances personally.

I also changed the method a little, as I am not a fan of hand sewing. Instead of hand sewing the second crown on, I machine sewed it inside out, and turned through a small gap which I then hand-sewed. I also had a few tension issues with my machine so I didn't do multiple rows of stitching around the brim.

Crochet - Sweet Eleanor Scarf

The Sweet Eleanor Scarf is a reasonably simple crochet scarf which can be made in a variety of weights of yarn. I chose to use Noro Silk Garden Sock, as I had a second skein to hand if I needed to make it bigger.

The pattern is pretty well written, and it's easy enough to work without the pattern once you get going.

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock
Hook: 5.5mm (US size I)



Verdict: I like it. It's a bit of a crazy shape, you have to be careful or it looks like a ruff! but it drapes nicely (using that big hook was important for that) and post-bath the Noro has softened up a great deal.

I originally cast on with a 4.5mm hook, but the fabric was like steel! It wouldn't have been wearable. I also made two extra repeats of the pattern which made it longer. I have about 5g of the first ball of Noro left (I used the other ball for a mini-shrug) and it's plenty big enough as a scarf. I'm not sure it would translate that well into a shawl because of the odd shape, I think it would become unwieldy.

All in all, it's a nice pattern!

Sewing - Simplicity 2414 - Shorts

More sewing! I found some really nice plaid fabric in my local Boyes and knew it was perfect for Simplicity 2414.

This pattern describes itself as "Misses Skirt & Pants; Misses' 1 Hour sewing pattern. Pants in a variety of lengths and tiered skirt in two lengths." I opted for view C, shorts.
Because I'd bought plaid, the pattern matching took ages. It took me a couple of hours just to cut out the pieces! However, once I got going the sewing was a bit quicker.

Closeup of the shorts, you can just see the pocket at the corner there, I'm so pleased with the pattern matching!

I'm afraid I don't have a modelled shot, the weather here hasn't been warm enough for these thin casual shorts yet. I'll update this post once I do get chance to wear them.

The finished shorts, just need the weather for them now!

I enjoyed making this pattern, it was actually easier to match the seams with the patterned fabric, and the lightweight cotton was a joy to work with.

Modifications
I didn't use cord for the waist ties, I made a tie from the fabric. It catches a little but it works well enough.

Things I'd change 
If I make these again, or if I make the other items on the pattern, I'm probably going to put some elastic in the waist instead of the ties, or possibly as well as the ties. As you can see from the picture they're pretty boxy. That works in this light fabric, but I wouldn't use a heavy linen or denim for this as it would be too stiff at the waist.
In hindsight I probably should have done french seams or similar. As I don't have an overlocker my seams inside are unfinished which might reduce the life expectancy of this garment.

I think this pattern would look great with contrast pockets, or with a contrast top to the pockets. The pockets blend in really well on my plaid though, which is nice!