My Universe is Complete

Hello my friends.  Do you like the title of my post?  Haha, a play on words.  My Sophie's Universe blanket is finally completed! It's new home will be in Turkey.

You may remember that I began this project back in July of 2017.  I diligently worked on it every day until I left for Turkey and when I returned home, it kind of sat in a bag in the closet.

But, like many of you, I hate to have unfinished projects.  So, since the middle of January I have been working to get this blanket completed.  I added my own design for the border (starts with the green leaves shown above), as I loved doing the red roses and wanted to incorporate it the edging. It's such an intricate designed blanket that I felt it needed a little more pizazz for a border.

Here's the little bag of yarn leftovers from this project.  I must say, this blanket is a yarn eater!  Originally, I purchased 15 shades of yarn but ended up using 13 skeins.  I had purchased this yarn to make another Attic24 coastal ripple blanket in a different color combination. But, after working on it awhile, I frogged it.  My inspiration for this blanket was Kate over at Kate's Adventures; look at her gorgeous blanket she made! Isn't it amazing with that additional border? I ran out of energy and yarn to make my blanket any larger. . .  

I completed my Vintage Fairy Lights socks.  This was a fun and easy knit from talented designer Helen Stewart.  I'm now awaiting to begin The Handmade Sock Society.  My new DPNs and sock yarn are ready! 

It's Saturday night here and my little grandchildren just left.  My dear children pictured above, took off for a short 3 day cruise.  So, I and my dear son-in-law along with my dear husband, took care of the little ones.  It was a fun time for all.  We will all be cruising together later in the summer.  

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and I know absolutely nothing about football.  But, we will celebrate on this day nonetheless.

Take care my dear friends and thank you again for all your great advice regarding my new bed.  The bed arrived a week ago, is all put together and now I'm waiting on the new mattress.  Patience. . .

With my best wishes,

Pat  

I'm so Excited . . . and I just Can't Hide it . . .

Hello my dear friends.  I'm back again to share with you something that has taken over my life!  It's Sophie's Universe.  A beautiful crocheted blanket that was designed by the very talented Dedri Uys.  Dedri started this pattern back in 2015 as a CAL that ran for a total of 20 weeks. The pattern is still available on her blog.  It seems as though I'm always behind in joining in with these fun activities.

 

I discovered this amazing pattern from my friend Kate, who recently finished her beautiful blanket.  Since I didn't want to download/print the pattern, I decided to order the book online from Wool Warehouse and it's the best money I've ever spent on a pattern.  

I had sixteen skeins of Stylecraft DK yarn that I had purchase and started to use to make a ripple blanket.  As you can see from the photo above, the colors were not "happening".  This project had sat in my craft closet for over a year unfinished.

I had wanted to mimic the coast ripple blanket I had made from Lucy and Attic 24.  Lucy is such an amazing, talented fiber arts artist.  Her sense of color combinations are unlike anything I've ever seen.  I had a great time making the coast blanket but unfortunately, when I tried to make my own interpretation of this blanket, I was bored stiff with the dull colors and repeats.

Voila!  That all changed when I received my Sophie's Universe pattern book.  My colors are now starting to come together (I think).  It might look very dark right now, but there's going to be a lot of creamy white borders around this blanket as it grows up.  I'm hoping it will measure 70" x 70" when I'm all done with it.

There are over 5,000 people on Ravelry doing this project!  Wow, that's a lot of yarn.  If you are new to crochet (I've been crocheting for 41 years), don't be worried about the complexity of this project.  The book is designed as follows:  each page of the book contains one row of the pattern along with detailed instructions and very detailed photos.  Dedri shows you exactly what your stitches should look like.  And, best of all, the color scheme can be whatever suits you.  And, you weave end the yarn ends as you go along so when you are all done, you are completely finished; no more yarn ends to deal with!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my latest obsession!  Please feel free to share what you've been up to this week.  And, thank you again for visiting Lilly My Cat.

Best wishes,

Pat

Drama, Knitting and Crocheting

Hello my friends.  It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post.  I hope everyone is having a great start to the soon to be summer season?  I was going to write earlier about a situation that made me upset and sad.  I personally experienced the effects of reverse discrimination.  But, it was a blessing in disguise and it made me even stronger.  Enough said.

Life around here has been hectic.  My husband and I sold two of our investment properties and although we found a buyer right away, the closings have been a nightmare.  We were suppose to be in Turkey starting last month but of course that didn't happen.  All is well now.

Now, to my most beloved hobby; knitting and crocheting.  Here are some of the things I've been working on.

Last year when I went to my knitting retreat, I discovered this lovely yarn by Dale Garn Erle.  I received two skeins plus matching beads from my dear daughter and family for Christmas.  You can find all the info here on my Ravelry page. I am quite pleased the way it came out but never again will I knit with this "fuzzy" yarn.  I made up the border myself since that was not in the pattern. I received the lovely orchid pictured above from my dear daughter and family for Mother's Day.

Here's my current project; a scarf I'm knitting.  It's a popular pattern and I bought the yarn on discount at Webs. I adjusted the size according to the yarn I bought.  It's a delightful pattern and a no brainer to knit.  Behind, is the lovely vase of roses I received from my son for Mother's Day.  They lasted over 10 days!

Right now, I have two projects; the scarf above and this shawl.  The yarn was given to me as a Mother's Day gift from my son and his fiance'.  It's a soft,easy to use yarn however the color changes are quite abrupt. 

As you can see above, I've gotten a bit further along on this pattern.  I did cut the yarn in a couple of places so that the color changes match the actual pattern row.  It's a fun pattern to do since every row is different and then you repeat it all over.  If you are interested in this yarn, please take a look at Scheepjes Whirl.  It's more yardage and the color change is less abrupt.  Next time I plan to use Scheepjes Whirl and make the Edlothia shawl. 

 My little grandson was over to spend a couple of nights and he wanted a mandala for his room.  I made this free hand out of some Stylecraft DK yarn scraps.  It was fun to make up the pattern as I went along.  You should try it; you'd be amazed at what you can make.  Just make sure, you keep each row even with whatever pattern you make for that row.

I really want to finish the knitted scarf and crocheted shawl so that I can get started on this project.  It's going to be a little ruffled top for my little granddaughter.  You can find the info here.  I found this yarn on a blog site and I loved the way it makes its own pattern.  Again, lovely flowers from Mother's Day given to me by my son's fiance'.

I love reading your blogs and getting inspiration from everyone.  When I first started this blog, all my efforts were in sharing my happenings.  Now, I feel that has reversed as I enjoy reading your blogs more than I enjoy writing my own :)

We're suppose to have hot temps this Father's Day weekend.  Originally, we were off to Palm Springs but the temps there are suppose to be around 115 degrees which is way TOO hot for anyone!  So, we are staying home which will be more manageable in the 90's.  I'd love to hear from you and feel free to share what you've been working on if you wish.

With my best wishes,

Pat

lllll

2017 Easter Bunnies Have Been Born!

Hello dear friends.  Sorry that I haven't written lately; I just returned last night from a fun trip with my family.  Hopefully next week, I will share some of the photos from this get away.

Can you believe that Easter is just around the corner?  Time goes by so fast these days.  As you may know, I have two little grandchildren now and it's been my custom to make an Easter bunny for them  each year.

   

Presenting Flora and Flopsy . . . Flora is made out of a chunky acrylic yarn and Flopsy is made out of  pure wool worsted yarn held double. 

I found the pattern for the bunny here on Ravelry. 

 

I made matching Easter baskets for the bunnies.  These baskets were crocheted without any pattern.  The insert inside is a clear deli container.  You can be creative and use whatever yarn or shape you wish to make your basket.  They take little time to make.

 

I think Flora and Flopsy are excited to arrive at their new home in a few days. . .

 

They wanted me to show you their cotton tails!  Aren't they the cutest?

And, you can't forget the chocolate chicks!

This pattern is free on Ravelry and you can use whatever type of yarn you may have leftover in your stash.  It's a fun, quick project that lets you create something for your little ones.

My best to each of you,

Pat

 

...Like a Kid in a Candy Shop

Hello everyone from beautiful, green, rainy southern California!  Things has quieted down here a bit and life is getting back to a normal routine.  That includes knitting and crocheting!

I subscribe to Deramore's emails and the other day they were offering free shipping!  I'm always looking for a bargain but did I really need any more yarn/thread?  What caught my eye was this Scheepjes Maxi Bonbon thread.  At $1.49 a ball, it was very reasonable.  I believe there are something like 87 colors to choose from! That's why I feel like a kid in a candy shop. 

I only bought 7 balls of 6 different colors; snow white, bluebell, willow, rugby, old rosa, and linen (2 balls).  The thread is 100% mercerized cotton and it is a very smooth thread with no bumps.  And, it has a bit of a satin sheen.  So far, it's been quite lovely to work with.  I'm using a size 8 steel crochet hook = 1.5 mm.

I just finished a Valentine project for my grandchildren and will post it next month (I don't want their Mom to see it!)  And, I cast on this new shawl pattern, Nurmilintu, with Rowan Fine Art yarn in the kingfisher colorway. I love this yarn; it so nice to knit with and has not only a change in the colors but a little bit of sheen, too.

Maybe you're wondering about our weather and all the rain we received?  It poured on Sunday.  Being from the Seattle area, I'm used to rain but when it rains down here, it is something else.  According to the weatherman, I think it was called an atmospheric river and it came from the south Pacific.  It rained so hard that the pool overflow couldn't handle the water and the drains cold barely keep up with the water!  The pool was overflowing.  It was a bit scary but luckily, we live in an area where there are numerous storm drains/channels and we were ok.  It was quite different for the people in the fire damaged areas like northeast of Pasadena.  They had horrendous floods and mudslides.  It was so sad to see it on the TV.

On a bright note, look at how green everything is now!  We've waited so long for this rain.  It's been 7 years this month since we had this kind of moisture.

Lilly is enjoying life as normal.  Sleeping whenever she can get in a cat nap.  How I wish I could be Lilly and have her posh life!

I wish each of you all the best.  Feel free to comment and share what you've been up to.

With my best wishes,

Pat

Simple Crocheted Easter Baskets

The glorious celebration of Easter will soon be here.  There's still time to do some crafting if you wish.  I wanted to share with you an easy idea for crocheted Easter baskets.

Here are the two baskets I made for my little grandson and little granddaughter.  I crocheted a bow for one of them and a carrot for the other as embellishment.

You can use any type of yarn you wish; I had a large skein of Red Heart acrylic.  I used a size H hook.  You'll also need some type of plastic container which the basket will be crocheted around.  These clear plastic containers originally came with dried dates in them. 

I started at the bottom with single crochet in the round.  I increased the stitches as needed, measuring my work against the bottom of the plastic bin that I was using as the liner.

I then switched to double crochet for the edges, again crocheting in the round.  I inserted the liner into the crochet before starting the cluster stitch row.  To finish the top, I did a row of triple crochet cluster stitch.  The handles are single crochet and I crocheted some ears in double crochet. 

As mentioned above, I used Red Heart acrylic.  It was a large skein and you can see in the first picture how much I had left.  (I sometimes forget how crochet loves to eat yarn vs knitting :)

 

Here's the baskets all filled with their bunnies and Easter goodies ready for the grandchildren for Sunday Easter dinner.

I wish all of you a joyous holiday and I send you my best wishes, too.  Feel free to write and let me know what fun projects you may be creating.  I love hearing from you!

Blessings,

Pat

Linking with:

The Pin Junkie . . .  

Rocking Your World Friday ... 

Meet Master Finley and Miss Fiona

It was a warm August morning last year when I was sitting outside by the pool drinking coffee with my husband when I got the idea to make these cute animals.  I had my kindle with me and was reading some blogs.  I don't recall where I first saw these stuffed animals, but as soon as I saw them, I knew I wanted to make them.

Introducing Master Finley and Miss Fiona

I found the pattern on Alicia Paulson's blog Posie gets Cozy. You can purchase the digital PDF pattern directly from Alicia or you can purchase a kit with everything included.  I purchased just the pattern. 

I had so much fun researching all the items needed to make these little creatures.  I found the Liberty Tana Lawn fabric on ebay but I wasn't sure if there was enough fabric for the pattern pieces.  Alicia was kind enough to send me the PDF pattern without any payment to see if the pattern would fit the fabric.  I though this was so kind of her.  It fit, and I immediately paid her for the pattern.  She was most gracious to help me.

The bodies are made from wool felt which I purchased online at Prairie Woolens. The body is made from Smokey Marble Felt PW 1121 which I bought in the 12 x 18 size.  I bought two pieces of this felt; one for Miss Fiona and one for Master Finley. 

For Master Finley's sweater, I used some fingering weight wool I had left over and followed this pattern I found at Purl Soho.  I made his pants from some sports weight wool.  I just made up the pattern myself.  I threaded some leather string around the waistband and hung this charm.

I cut out Miss Fiona's dress according to the pattern but the I finished it off a little different.  The neckline has an actual facing which I threaded the elastic thread through it.  I also added the lace trim to the hem and sleeves.

The pattern for the shawl was a simple knitted oblong shape.  I wanted a bit more flair so I crocheted her a shawl out of some leftover Noro sock yarn.  I added the buttons and finished off Miss Fiona's look with a little teddy bear necklace.

 

 The fabric was purchased from etsy seller  Miss Elany. I bought four diferent Liberty Lawn fabrics and the shipping was very reasonable at $4.50. I used one of the fabrics for the ear linings and Master Finley's tie and one for Miss Fiona's dress. I used Evergreen wool felt PW 146  in a 9 x 12 size for the boots.  One piece of felt this size will make two pairs of boots. 

 

I gave these to my grandchildren as one of their Christmas gifts.  I packaged them in a clear plastic bag and tied with a bright ribbon.  I found the long, clear pastic bags from the deli at my Persian market (they were nice enough to give me two bags).  The children won't be playing with these toys but instead they will add decor to their rooms. 

I had never made anything like this before and it was really so much fun to see these little animals take shape.  I sat at the kitchen table and stitched each evening.  I enjoy doing the blanket stitch and have it mastered but my other embroidery skills are lacking.

When I placed my order for the fabric and the wool felt, I bought enough of each to make four animals total.  I still have another set of wool felt and fabric to make  Miss Maggie Rabbit.*

To recap, here is what you will need:

1.  Wool felt (one color for body and one color for boots)

2.  Stuffing for the body

3.  Embroidery thread to match body, boots and to embroider face

4.  Liberty Tana Lawn fabric (or fabric of your choice)

5.  Yarn scraps for shawl, sweater and pants

*I purchased the pattern for Miss Maggie Rabbit and followed the directions except for the ears.  I cut out some mice ears free hand to make Master Finley and Miss Fiona

I spent about $40.00 total for the supplies to make four of these little creatures.  The bulk of the money was spent for the beautiful, fine liberty fabric.  I've never seen such fine cotton fabric.  Next time, I am going to get a new needle for my sewing machine when I make the dress.  It took me one whole afternoon to finish this dress!

On Alicia's blog she sells some fancy tongs to use to stuff the arms and legs.  I found that the handle of a small wooden spoon works great to secure the stuffing in the arms and legs.  Next time, I may make a gathered skirt for Miss Maggie topped off with a hand knitted sweater.  The fun part is that you can use your imagination and make up your own ideas on how to dress and embellish these little animals.

I'm linking up with Amy over at Five on Friday. She is having a fabulous give away, so please drop by and see her wonderful blog.  I would love to hear from you if you have a chance.  If you have made these I'd love for you to leave a link in the comment section below.  And, if you haven't made these, please feel free to comment, too.

Wishing you the best,

Pat

I'm joining in with the following link parties:

Rocking Your World Friday...  

A Stitch in Time ... 

Handmade Monday ... 

Yarn Along with Ginny...

Oh My Heartsie Girls... 

Five on Friday"ness"

We received some glorious rain this past weekend.  It was so nice to sit outside under the clouds and enjoy the weather.  But, it has been a bit humid as a result (which is not normal for us here on the west coast).  Anyway, my garden looks refreshed but we are still in need of more much needed  moisture for our parched area.

Today I'm linking up with Amy at Love Made my Home for Five on Friday.   So, here is my take on this week's Five on Friday.  And, I'm also linking to:
Handmade Monday.... 
Yarn Fanatic Party......
Yarn Along...... 

*Please take a moment to stop by the above links to meet some new people and see some great craft ideas.

Creativeness:
Awhile back I purchased one skein of Katia Jaipur mercerized cotton yarn.  I've made a couple of items, including this doily.  I like this thread as it has a little sheene to it but I had to cut the thread after doing the center medallion so that the green would start at the correct area.  It's kind of a no brain crochet project.  I'm about to start knitting a sweater for myself but I don't like having to do the measurements, swatch for gauge, etc....

If you like like the pattern, you can find it here. 

Sadness:
I follow quite a few blogs and I so enjoy reading them and learning new things.  Last year, while I was in Turkey, I was looking for a blanket pattern.   From my searching online, I discovered  A Creative Being hosted by Wink.  I always looked forward to her blog updates as they featured such beautiful patterns that she created. This past May, I almost joined in with a CAL she was hosting for a shawl.   It was with a sad heart that I heard about her demise due to depression.  I was in Turkey when I read this news, just a year since I had first discovered this very talented artist.

As a result, her Fat Bottom Bag inspired me to remake this bag I had created last year.  I know the colors are not as muted but Wink was such a talented fiber arts artist. This bag has been in my Etsy store but there were not takers.  I think I will relist it now.   May her memory be eternal.

Prettiness:
My succulent garden is doing quite well with the drought conditions we are experiencing.  Here's a picture of one of them blooming.

 

(I had to take this photo again since the first one was not clear due to the humidity in the air)

I've always heard stories about the desert blooming.  I would love to see this one day.  Our deserts here in southern California really got a drenching this past weekend.  Luckily, no one was hurt in the flash floods that occurred about 100 miles east of my area.

Contentness:
I think this picture says it all....Lilly is always content as long as she's been fed! 

 

 She loves to sit in the outdoor sitting area....

Artfulness:

You probably will think I'm a bit crazy, but I ordered a book written by my favorite TV personality, Venetia Stanley Smith.  She's a British woman* who immigrated to Japan 40 years ago and has adopted Japan as her country.  She's a very talented gardener and herbalist as well as being an accomplished artist.  This book is in Japanese (which I can't read of course) but the illustrations are all done by Venetia.  

Above are two of my watercolors taken from her drawings....

*Venetia's great great uncle was Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. She spent her early childhood years at the family's ancestral home,  Kedleston Hall.

I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse into my week.  Life is good here at Lilly my Cat.  I really have no complaints and I'm so blessed to have met such wonderful friends via this blog.  Until next time, have a wonderful weekend and my best to you.

take care,

Pat 

 

Turkish Handicrafts

Hello my friends.  I hope you had a great week and that you enjoy your weekend plans.  It's going to be a bit humid here in southern California.  Hopefully we will get some rain showers this weekend...we will have to wait and see.  It is so dry out there due to our drought conditions.

I love handmade needlework items.  I have so many of them but they just call to me...Here's a glimpse of the items I picked up while I was in Alanya, Turkey. 

These are hand knitted socks.  I love the way they are constructed.  I bought from from a little, old Turkish lady who was selling a selection of these and also regular socks.  She had made them herself and I think they are so special.....

This table runner caught my eye and I just had to get it for my collection.  I think it's a type of crochet - maybe Clones lace?  If you know the proper name, please let me know.

This is a crocheted doily made with regular crochet thread but I thought the pattern was so beautiful  Maybe I can recreate it one day.....

Speaking of recreate, I crocheted this doily almost 40 years ago. I look at it now and I don't think I could do this type of work again.  The thread is so thin and it hurts by hands now to to this.  The joys of getting older......

 

I'll leave with you a photo of the beautiful lillies I bought from my local grocery store.  They were $5.00 and lasted one week!  I always love a bargain.

 Have a wonderful weekend and it's always a joy to hear from you.

Blessings,

Pat 

Linking to the following parties:

Five on Friday with Amy ......

Friday Smiles @ A Stitch in Time.....

Handmade Monday......