Saturday 14 March 2015

5 1/2 Hour Blanket

Some great friends of mind recently moved in together and I wanted to make them a house warming present. I really wanted to make them a lovely snugly blanket for curling up on the sofa, but with me starting a brand new job, I didn't have much time for blanket making. That was until I found this wonderful pattern!

The pattern claimed you could make this blanket in 5 and a half hours, and if I'm honest, I was a bit sceptical. But it really is that simple! 

The V stitches are really quick to do and create a lovely texture, and, by using three strands of wool at the same time, you're able to build up a really snugly thick blanket in no time at all - and can create some lovely colour combinations. 

I used 3 really big balls of wool and they managed to make a blanket big enough for 2! I chose a colour combination of deep purple, air force blue and cream, and I'm really happy with how it came out.





Thanks,

CatCat


Monday 2 March 2015

More Bears!

Rugby Success


I've had a few more orders recently so have been busy making some more little characters.  

The rugby bears had a really good response after the first weekend of the Six Nations and a few people want their own little teddy bear mascot. One in particular requested a personalised number on the back. 




Crocheting numbers was a bit new to me but I did some research and found some really good patterns by Moogly. The patterns are really easy to follow and taught me some new techniques of how to change direction cleanly whilst crocheting. So after a few practise attempts, I was able to make some adjustments to the pattern which made the perfect sized numbers I was after.

Flossie Bear


I also had an order to make a bear for some expecting a little girl. Apparently the bump is currently nicknamed Flossie, and I think this little one fits the name quite well too.



It's amazing how much of a difference the finishing touches can make to the personalities of these little bears. For example, when I first sewed the nose on this girl, she looked completely different. I thought she looked cute with a bigger nose, but possibly not quite as dainty as I'd wanted. 



Bears for Friends


One of my close friends also asked recently if I could make her a bear. However, she wanted a slightly different colour scheme. She really liked the fluffy jumper affect of the Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake Wool I'd used in the bear for my cousins new baby, but ideally wanted it in a teal colour. For the bear its self, she wanted it to be grey. 

Amazingly Sirdar have recently released a new Soft Jade colour in the Snuggly Snowflake range which worked perfectly, and I think looked really great with the grey of the fur. I then decided to use a nice contrasting mustard yellow for the bow.



My friend really loves her little bear, so another happy customer! If you'd like a bear of you're own, head on over to my Etsy shop. I have a really personalised approach to making, so if there's any particular additions or extras you'd like, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Thanks,

Catcat