Some recent projects and...

Hi there dear reader,
I hope you are well and happy and not suffering too much from the cold weather that we're having right here in the Northern hemisphere.  Where I am it is damp, damp and more damp. And grey. I'm really missing the South African warmth and vibrant colours. But I suppose that's life.

To cheer myself up, I've been very actively Finishing Things Off. Or trying to. Here's the results:

First of all, a lovely little sausage-dog for a friend's baby. I used Debbie Bliss Eco Baby yarn and a 3 mm hook. The pattern is not one of my own this time - I used this pattern from Premier Yarns. The pattern was straightforward but if I'd have one criticism it would be the sewing together! The pattern has nine pieces that need to be sewn together which may be all right if you like sewing, but I don't... Sewing the head to the body was particularly difficult as it is means sewing two rounded shapes together, and even after all possible efforts the head was still a bit wobbly.  But the parents liked it and I think the baby did too.

 

Secondly, this rather short scarf for a friend. It's such a pity that the photo doesn't really reflect how light and soft this yarn is. It's Faerytale by Du Store Alpakka - a beautifully lightweight and incredily soft brushed Alpaca wool. I only had one 50g ball, but still decided to make this little wrap. I used a free pattern I found on  Ravelry called Airy Shells Scarf. It's an easy pattern and perfect for this kind of yarn.

And today's last project is...

A little fox brooch!  This little guy was easy but a bit fiddly to make out of felt. You need really sharp scissors to cut out the tiny pieces. I'll draw out the pattern pieces and post this up on the blog soon, if you'd like it.

Oh and I've made a promise on my facebook page that there will be a giveaway soon. I'm just waiting to get to 200 followers on the blog (there are already well over 100 likers on facebook) and I'm putting together a little selection of bits and bobs to cheer up a happy winner. More about that very soon!

 

South African safari

Hi there. When I look at my last post and this one, I'd forgive you for thinking that I'm forever travelling. But it really is an exception. Our trip to Paris was a gift for my son that he and I had been waiting for for quite a while. And my most recent trip was really special too. As part of my job I had to go to Durban, South Africa, for a ten-day conference together with several of my colleagues. This time I decided with two of my friends that we would stay behind and enjoy ourselves for a couple of days after the stress of ten days non-stop working. Unfortunately one of our friends couldn't make it so just two of us went to discover the North coast of South Africa, including the St Lucia Estuary and wetlands, and the Hluhluwe game reserve.

We really had a great time. At 6am on Saturday morning we were picked up at the hotel in Durban by our guide Sthembiso, and we had a three-hour drive up the North coast. The country is very green and beautiful. On the road we bought little peeled pineapples for 50p that we ate in the car. They were very sweet and juicy, delicious!  We went to the Emdoneni cat rehabilitation centre which houses felines that can no longer live in the wild. They have caracals, servals, African wildcats and cheetahs. Some of them are tame and we went into several of the enclosures, but the best by far was the cheetah enclosure. The two cheetahs are brothers, but one is friendlier than the other, and you can lie down and cuddle him.  It felt quite weird being just next to a wild animal, an unforgettable experience.

We then went to St. Lucia, a very small town on the St. Lucia Estuary in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, where we had lunch, then in the afternoon we went on a two-hour boat trip to see hippos and crocodiles. We also saw some lovely birds including a fishing eagle. We were told that hippos are one of the most dangerous African animals (more about that later).

That evening my friend and I had lunch at a local restaurant and went back to our guest house early because we were gong to be picked up at 6am again, this time for the safari. We were told to take a particular route to avoid meeting any hippos after dark.

Sure enough, the following morning at 6am a different driver was waiting for us in a safari vehicle. We had been advised to wear warm clothes, and soon discovered why. The canvas top of the vehicle did nothiing at all to stop the wind, and at 6am and driivng at normal speed it was pretty draughty up there. After about an hour we got to the game reserve. It is huge, 96,000 hectares. We very soon saw a couple of elephants, and as the day went on we were very lucky and saw a large variety of animals, including one rather stroppy young male elephant, who we were a bit afraid might come and knock over the car. Luckily for us he didn't. We saw four of the 'big five' : elephants, buffaloes giraffes and lions.  The lions were a long way off but I saw them using my daughter's old birdwatching binoculars. We saw loads of impalas, warthogs, zebras, nyalas, and more.

Back at the guesthouse we had a little nap and then went out for an early dinner, as we would be leaving the following morning. That day there was an electricity black-out, but we ate at a restaurant that had a generator. The way home was really dark, though. We had a torch but it was so dark and because it was cloudy there was no moonlight or stars either. We were nearly back when my frined suddenly stopped in her tracks and said "Oh my god, hippos!" and just ahead of us three hippos were trotting along. They had passed in front of the guest house and if we had been a minute earlier we would have met them face to face, in the pitch black. Fortunately, they just ignored us and carried on. We were a bit shaken, though.

On our last morning we had a short trip to the beach to contemplate the Indian ocean before leaving for the airport and a 10-hour overnight flight home. A very memorable holiday. I have uploaded more photos to flickr, if you would like to see them.

My trip to Paris

Yesterday I came back from a short but intense trip to Paris. The last time I'd been was a long, long time ago. I went with my husband when we were still just the two of us.  This time I went with the youngest of our children, my 15-year-old son. But Paris hardly changes. We had a great time. Would you like to see some pictures?

No trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower. I love it. And it was only a 10-minute walk from our flat, so we went to see it several times. I'll never tire of looking at this Iron Lady. So elegant, like all the Parisiennes!

Here's another famous Parisian tower, the Tour Montparnasse. This one is over 200 metres high, and the lift to the 56th floor takes only 38 seconds!  The view from the top is, I find, the best view of Paris. We were there at dusk, and this is what we could see:

Isn't that view something?

This is the courtyard of the Louvre. We didn't actually visit the museum because the queues were so long, and I'd read that you really need to plan to spend a whole day there. So we'll have to go back again, won't we? In the meantime, I just wanted to have an idea of the size of the place. It is huge (210 000 m2), beautiful and very impressive.

This is, for me, the symbol of French luxury. This huge Swarovski xmas tree is in the famous store Galeries Lafayette, famous for its luxurious French goods. Most of the items for sale are too pricey for me, but looking doesn't cost anything! And quite honestly, the architecture is so gorgeous, all the fancy goods just pale into insignificance. The different galleries are built around the central part, and just look up above - each arch is beautifully sculpted and decorated. Above the sculpture there are stained glass windows, and to top it all the most beautiful glass dome.  Here's the dome in all its glory:

Unbelievable!

And yes! I did find a yarn store! And not just any old yarn store.  La Droguerie is hidden behind the church in the Halles area of Paris. It is an absolute jewel of a shop, all wooden drawers and jars of buttons and beads.  The yarn is sold by weight, so you can have 50 g or 100g or, if you prefer, 32g or 456g...  All the yarn is exclusive and only sold by La Droguerie.  I picked up some gorgeous dusty pink 4-ply wool to make a shawl for my lovely Mum. It's the one just two skeins away from this lady's hand. I could have bought the whole shop! I met two fellow Ravellers in the shop and we chatted while we were waiting to be served. Each customer's order is dealt with individually so yes, you do have to wait, but it's worth it. A highlight of my holiday.

Before I go here's another photo of my Parisian friend. This time she's wearing her glittery robe. Gorgeous.

Crocheting for charity

Hi there! Look what I've been making :) Squares, squares and squares (and a hat, but I've not got a photo of  that here).

This all started a while ago when a friend of mine sent me a link to a Norwegian charity that sends knitted blankets and baby clothes to Tanzania. Hmm, I thought, I like the sound of crocheting for charity, I wonder what I can do to help? I'll be going to South Africa for work at the end of this month and it seemed a good idea to look for a charity there, with the idea that I'll be able to bring anything I make along with me and post it from within the country, saving both time and postage costs.

So to cut a long story short, a quick look around t'Internet brought me to www.knit-a-square.com.

Knit a square collects crocheted and knitted squares (20 cm - 8 inches square) to make into blankets for orphans in South Africa. Most of the children are AIDS orphans and they need the warmth and comfort that a hand-made blanket can bring. Knit a square also needs hats, rain capes and warm vests for the children. They also need cash donations to help with collection, delivery and other costs. 

Please consider making a donation or sending some squares or other crochet/knit items to South Africa. Knit a square also has a facebook page and an active group on Ravelry. Join in the giving!

Teddy rattle free pattern

Thank you so much for your interest in my little teddy rattle. Here, at last, is the pattern.

As usual, please do not sell this pattern. Do not post this pattern to any website, but link directly to my blog. No file sharing of this pattern. Please respect my rights as the designer of this pattern, so that I can keep on sharing my patterns for free.

(A word on lining: I line the head with cotton fabric so as to be sure that none of the polyfill will come out. I consider this is especially important when making toys for babies. If you want to do the same, when you get to row 18 of the head, draw around it on a piece of paper and use this as a pattern to cut out two pieces of soft cotton fabric. stitch close to the edge, leaving a gap for stuffing that is also big enough for the rattle insert. Now turn inside out and place it inside the head. Now stuff it and add the rattle insert, sewing it closed by hand.)

For this photo, I stuffed the cotton "bag" before putting it in the head. It's easier to place the empty "bag" in the head before adding the rattle and stuffing it, and then sew the gap closed.

Another solution would be to user a smaller hook, so that your stitches are really very tight. I prefer to line.

For now, though, let's get on with the actual pattern.

(Please note that the pattern has not been properly tested, so there might be some mistakes. If you find any, or if any of it is difficult to understand, please tell me in the comments section and I will update/respond to the best of my ability.)


You will need:

A small amount of sportsweight yarn in two colours (I used Debbie Bliss eco baby)
Contrasting yarn or embroidery thread for the face
A 3 mm crochet hook
A rattle insert
Stuffing

Start with the ears (make 2)

Using colour A make a magic ring

rnd 1 - 6 sc into magic ring
rnd 2 - 2 sc in each st around (12 sts)
rnd 3-4 - sc around (12 sts)
rnd 5 - [sc2tog, 1 sc], rep to end (8 sts)
rnd 6 - working through both thicknesses, 4 sc.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew the ears to the head.


Now make the little arms (make 2)

Using colour B make a magic ring

rnd 1 - 6 sc into magic ring
rnd 2 - [1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] twice (8 sts)
rnd 3 - sc around (8 sts)
Change to colour A
rnd 4-10 sc around (8 sts)

Fasten off.

Head 

Using colour A make a magic ring

rnd 1 - 6 sc into magic ring
rnd 2 - 2 sc in each st around (12 sts)
rnd 3 - [2 sc in next st, 1 sc] rep around (18 sts)
rnd 4 - [2 sc in next st, 2 sc] rep around (24 sts)
rnd 5 - [2 sc in next st, 3 sc] rep around (30 sts)
rnd 6 - [2 sc in next st, 4 sc] rep around (36 sts)
rnd 7-9 - sc around (36 sts)
rnd 10 - [2 sc in next st] three times, sc in next 15 sts, [2 sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 15 sts (42 sts)
rnd 11-13 - sc around (42 sts)
Carry on sc to just below the middle inc stitch of row 10. (If you look carefully, you'll notice that the increases of rnd 10 are visible as three larger stitches on each side of the head. Use those stitches as a guide of where the sides of the head are) Change to colour B.  (see photo)

Can you see the larger stitches?

rnd 14-16 - sc around (42 sts)

rnd 17 - [1sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog] rep around (36 sts)
rnd 18 - sc around (36 sts)

Now is a good time to sew on the ears and embroider the eyes, nose and mouth with contrasting yarn or embroidery thread. To place them, flatten the face, making sure that the increases of rnd 9 are on the edge of the head, giving it the right shape.  Sew the ears on between rows 4 and 7. Embroider the nose in the middle of the face, on rnd 12. Space the eyes evenly in relation to the nose, then add the cheeky smile. Now stuff the head. (See notes above re lining the head before stuffing)

rnd 19 - [1sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog] rep around (30 sts)
rnd 20 - sc around (30 sts)

rnd 21 - [1sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog] rep around (24 sts)
Change to colour A
rnd 22 - sc around (24 sts)

Join in one of the arms by crocheting through both thicknesses together with the rest of rnd 23.

Continue sc until you are at the centre front of the head, then skip 12 sts and sc in the next st. From now on, you will be working only in the remaining 12 sts. Work several rows in colour A, and then add colour B and work in a spiral, changing colour every 12 sts (leaving the yarn to one side every time you change colour - don't cut the yarn!) If you prefer, you can also make the handle in a single colour.

Here you can see how the handle is constructed.

Continue the tube, stuffing as you go. As this part is too narrow to line, I use a very old woollen felted blanket, cut into little shreds, to stuff the handle. Continue until the handle measures approx 19 cm (7 1/2 inches), finishing with colour A, and work the same number of rounds in colour as you did at the beginning of the handle. Join in the second arm, on the same side as the first one (see photo). Finish off the rnd on the opposite side to the arm and finish off, leaving a long thread for sewing.

Now make sure you have stuffed the handle enough, then very carefully sew the open part of the handle to the remaining 12 sts of the head.

Don't hesitate pulling on it to make sure your stitches are strong enough. Safety is an issue here! When you're satisfied that the handle is securely sewn, fasten off and hide the ends inside the head.

And there you have a cute little teddy rattle!

Toys for sale!

Hello there!

Well the organic market has been and gone, and unfortunately I did not obtain the right to sell my items due to the complicated French bureaucracy. The market is not considered as a craft fair, it is for professional sellers, of which I am not, so for insurance reasons I couldn't sell anything there. So my goods are still for sale! Some friends have already expressed their interest (for example the little duck rattle in my previous post has already been snatched up!). But if you're interested in any of my goods, do let me know. You can see the whole lot on the Is it a toy crochet facebook page. And to keep your appetite up, here's a small selection of what's available.

For more, nip over to our facebook page now! And if you don't have access to facebook, send me a message and I'll give you all the information you might need. I look forward to hearing from you!

Busy as a bee!

And here's just one of the things I've been doing. I'm very pleased with these new rattle toys but as I commented on the previous post, I'm just too busy to write up the pattern.

What am I doing? Well, lots of things. This week I have to finish off the items for a swap I'm doing on Ravelry. Next week we have the huge yearly car boot sale in our little town. I won't be selling anything this year, but it's something to look forward to. The following week, I may be holding my first official stall on our local organic market! I'm just wondering when I'll find out... I sent in my application but haven't heard anything back yet and it's in two weeks' time! In any case, I have to crochet, crochet, crochet so that I'll have enough stock, and I suppose that if I don't get a place, I'll just have to sell my items elsewhere or wait until the Spring sale in May. I've ordered some more organic yarn from the UK, including some Alpaca wool  that I'm trying out for the first time. I thought it would be nice for cosy winter hats. It's already getting a bit chilly around here.

On with my list... early November I'm organising a short trip to Paris with my son. Last time I went to Paris was almost thirty years ago! We're really looking forward to it. We've booked an apartment near to the Eiffel tower, and we'll probably visit the usual tourist places. I'd also like to go to the Cité des Sciences, and to visit the new Islamic art section in the Louvre. Then there's Montmartre, le Marais, the Arc de Triomphe, and my son wants to go and see Jim Morrison's grave at the Père Lachaise cemetry. If you know any other spots in Paris we absolutely have to visit, please let me know in the comments :)

Then towards the end of November I'm off to South Africa! It's a trip for work, where we'll be holding a conference. Once it's over, I'm going on safari with two of my friends. We all agreed that it was a pity to go so far without seeing some of the country. So we've organised a short trip to the beautiful countryside, with a trip both to a land safari and a day in the nearby wetlands. I can't wait!

When it was my birthday, I wrote up a list of 50 things I would like to do before my next birthday, a kind of bucket list but with a time limit. Visiting Paris is just one of them, as is holding my first real sale of my crochet goods. It feels good!