How did THAT even happen?!?!

Ha! Blogging with my left hand whilst breastfeeding Baby Bean! Winning at life lol

That awkward moment when you think you've finished the amazing glittery shawl you've been doing these past two days, you lay it out and realise you've made a bit of a booboo in your over-tired medicated state... Tried to unravel it to fix it but the sequins make it impossible. It's fixable but it's gonna be a pain in the arse! GAH!

I find this very appropriate in this situation...

How did THAT even happen?!?!

Unfinished Business

My current projects on the hook! Of course it would probably make sense to finish one before starting another... especially when I now have 4 on the go at the same time (not counting ones still packed away in boxes from the move!) whoops! You know how it is ;)
This one you might have seen in yesterday's blog post... my chunky thick rainbow ripple throw in progress... this one has been great for hooking! The thicker yarn means it works up like a dream! The variegated yarn makes the ripple pattern hard to see BUT I do love the different texture and colour pattern than if it had just been a DC back and forth design.



Whilst I was in Albury I actually started working on hexagon 'squares' for an afghan. I've never actually made an afghan with squares before, I usually work them up in a one piece because the idea of joining a whole load of bits together seemed like WAY too much effort. So what do I do? Use up to 3 colours per hexagon so now I have a whole load of tails to sew in as well! I'm not too worried though, my desire to see how it will look once completed is fuelling my persistence with this project... for the time being anyway ;) 

The project on the lounge beside me is a new one I only started this morning. I had about seven 50gm balls of this lovely soft green yarn with sequins and I thought, how gorgeous would this look made into a shawl? Well I couldn't help myself, I started right away! I've only gotten a little way into it so far, I got distracted by watching Calendar Girls.

The last of the 4 projects I started right after we moved here. You see, our Christmas tree and all the decorations we'd collected over the past few years are actually in a shed back in Armidale. I thought it might be nice to make up a few decorations for our new tree (once we get one that is) myself. Our family Christmas tree back at the parent's house has decorations that belonged to great aunts and grandmothers, so it's important to me that as we lead into celebrating our first family Christmas with the hubby and Baby Bean, there are handmade ornaments on the tree.

It's hard to say whether I'll actually finish any of these, I would sure like to for a change! To feel like I'm actually achieving some little goals seems like something I'd really benefit from at the moment :)

It's a gorgeous windy overcast day outside today, with the air conditioner on in here it's reminding me of Armidale and I'm finding that very comforting. I wish I could adjust to living here faster!

Hookin' up a storm! Just recently...

I've made a whole bunch of hats for Baby Shmoogle Bean including this baby heffalump beanie (click here for free pattern)

This baby bird beanie (pattern adapted from my own Baby Bird Beanie, free pattern here!)

This adorable little pom pom hat made with scrap yarn

A few simple blue and grey baby beanies (free patterns here)

This simple baby froggie hat

A sweet and simple bumble bee beanie

But it hasn't just been hats I've been hooking! I've also made a few little cardis and jumpers including this super simple striped number (still needs buttons). The pattern is super easy to follow and free! Find it at Deb's Crafts!

I also came across the most adorable little newborn jumper pattern (click here for pattern!) and found I couldn't stop! I've so far completed these two, (well ok so I still need to weave in the ends on one but shhhhhh) and plan to make a couple more in some larger sizes when I can. 

There has also been a bit of charity crochet going on, with a little stash of hats being donated to St Vinnies for the winter. 

I started knitting a random scarf... I'm not sure I really know where I'm going with it but here's hoping it works out alright in the end! 

Then there is this deep plum beanie and scarf set I finished last week

And this rather spunky coloured crochet scarf....

And this crazy coloured scraps crochet scarf...

And this burgundy one....

And after all these crochet scarves there's this completed knitted one...

I also have this completed Bavarian Stitch/Catherine Wheel/Yarn Eater Blanket I finished last month...it's not very big as I ran out of the yarn I was using and couldn't afford to get more but it still looks lovely nonetheless! 

How cool is the flip side? Looks pretty neato both ways really. 

And then right at the end here I have another one I started in blues and whites for Baby Shmoogle Bean 

There you go... that's all the crochet I've been up to lately. It may seem like a lot (or a little!) but it's pretty much the only thing I'm good at. Just the way it is :) 

Playing with colour ~ weekend crochet flowers

The ripple stitch and a real bitch

I started this with odd balls from my stash way back before I even knew I was pregnant and only found it again at the beginning of last week... you ever have one of those 'found a project and have no idea what size hook I was using' moments? Yep that was me! I worked it out eventually... I found a photo here actually from when I'd first started it (click here for the post!) and ta da! The hook was in the photo *phew* Oh and in case you're wondering, I only ever got that one scarf made but I donated it all the same :o) I hope someone found it and loved it! Wow thinking back you really wonder where all that time went, I've been told pregnancies have a way of dragging but I'm finding it flying by! That might be because I feel so unprepared, I feel like I need a LOT longer to get everything sorted out but bub will come when he's ready whether I am or not :o)

I spent my weekend working on it, it was meant to be around the other way (horizontal ripples instead of vertical) but I only had the 6 balls to work with and ran out; it didn't matter in the end anyway it fits nicely the size that it is.

Today has been kinda crummy, had to have my glucose tolerance test today which involved a god-awful sugary beverage that tasted like Off! Bug Spray mixed with sugar and wait around in pathology for an hour to have blood taken. In that time I managed to make a small child cry by speaking to him (I'm gonna make a GREAT mum!). After getting home I then had to call the midwives clinic about something you don't want to know about and had a horrid experience with a bitchy-midwife-from-hell.... the way she spoke to me was bad enough but removing/replacing your knickers in front of this woman was absolutely one of the awkward moments of my life. She's a midwife! She looks at fannies all the time! What was so darn fascinating that she had to stare at me the whole time?!?!  Yeah, I know, I realise come birth I'll be half naked and surrounded by strangers but that's not the point.

But anyway... I've likely mentally scarred you now. Sorry about that!
Back to crochet..... Now I'm SURE I have another unfinished ripple blanket stuffed in a cupboard somewhere but I might just leave it there for the time being to be found and worked on another day! Oh and hey, if you did happen to read that post where I first started this project, you'll remember that lovely striped elf hat with the pom pom I'd made? Well it was absolutely perfect for the little fellow it was created for, wouldn't you agree? I sent it home with his parents as a gift :o)

 I am seriously freezing my metaphorical nuts off at the moment (could that midwife SEE my metaphorical nuts? Maybe that was what she was looking at)... it's currently 4 degrees Celsius outside and probably bloody close to that inside our apartment; the hubby, the fur balls and I are holed up in the bedroom trying to enjoy to last amounts of heat radiating from our pathetic little nearly-dead heater. Hunger is becoming a problem and I know we'll need to venture out into the kitchen to cook dinner soon. If I become an icicle and never write again, it's been nice knowing you!

Seashells Baby Jumper Free Pattern

It has been one very dark and dreary Sunday here at Shmoogle Bean H.Q today; cloudy and overcast outside and me with horrible heartburn and you-don't-want-to-know-what-else pregnancy 'side effects'...hubby was out today helping a mate on their property so I had a VERY quiet day. So there I was happily asleep last night when 4.30am hits and BAM I'm awake. And I stayed that way til 6.50am! This pattern is the brainchild of my lack of sleep and was conceived in the early hours only to be very lazily worked on throughout the day to bring you a finally completed pattern now at 5.30pm! It's hard to focus on the uncomfortable side of pregnancy when you're crocheting cute little baby things :o) I hope you'll enjoy this one! Please feel free to sell the finished product, just the usual applies to the pattern itself... i.e it's not to be copied/reproduced in part or in whole anywhere, not to be sold or redistributed, photos are property of moi, etc. 

Seashells Baby Jumper ~ Size newborn to 3 months

You will need: 

4.5mm hook

5.5.mm hook

8ply yarn in white

8ply variegated yarn 

yarn needle

Using 4.5mm hook and first colour. 

Chain 52

Row 1: Dc in 4th chain from hook. Dc in next 5 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in next 9 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in next 14 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in next 9 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in next 7 sts. Ch 3 (chain 3 counts as a st now and throughout), turn. 58 sts 

Row 2: Dc in each st across working 3 dc into middle st of previous 3 dc on last row.  66 sts 

Rows 3-6: Repeat row 2. 98 total stitches at end of row 6

What your work should look like at the end of row 6.

How to fold work to assemble sleeves.

Row 7: Dc in next 13 sts, fold work as shown to create first sleeve as shown lining up the middle sts of each 3 dc cluster. Dc through middle sts on both sides of work to create first armhole. Turn work, dc in next 26 sts. Fold second sleeve down as before, lining up middle sts of each 3 dc cluster and dc through both sides to form second armhole. Turn work, dc in next 13 sts to end. Join with a slip st to top of chain 3 at beginning of row. Finish off. 

Front view after completing row 7

Back view after completing row 7

Using 5.5mm hook and second colour...

Round 8: Join second colour yarn in sl st space of previous row.
Ch 3, 2 dc in same st, skip next 2 sts, sc in next, skip 2 sts *5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in next st, skip 2 sts* around to beginning. 2 dc in beginning sl st to complete first shell, sl st to top of ch 3 to join. Ch 1. 

Round 9: Sc in ch 1 space, skip 2 sts, 5 dc in next sc, skip 2 sts, sc in top of shell of last row, skip 2 sts *5 dc in next st, skip 2 sts, sc in next, skip 2 sts, 5 dc in next st* around to beginning. Sl st to first sc to join. Ch 3.

Round 10: Repeat round 8

Round 11: Repeat round 9
Round 12: Repeat round 8

Round 13: Repeat round 9

Round 14: Repeat round 8

Round 15: Repeat round 9. Finish off. 

What you should have at the end of round 15

Round 16: Join first colour in sl st space, repeat round 8. Finish off. 

Using 4.5mm hook and first colour...

Flip work over and join yarn in bottom of left side of opening, sc up the side, around neckline, and down right side. Finish off.

Join yarn in armpit of first sleeve, ch 1, sc around opening and join with sl st. Finish off. Repeat for second sleeve. Weave in all the ends and sew two buttons to one side of the opening on the back to complete the project. 

Please enjoy and happy crocheting as always :o) 

Sweet as Cupcakes!

The oven in our lovely little rental is currently not working *insert extremely unimpressed face* and whilst we wait for the new one I can't actually bake anything. So I made amigurumi fibre art cupcakes instead! Ok so they're not NEARLY as tasty as the real thing but heck they sure are cute! I stumbled across the adorable little pattern at Bitter Sweet, it's free and fabulously easy to follow.... the cherries were my addition but working in rounds it's a simple magic circle, 6 sc in ring, 2 sc in each st around, 1 sc in each stitch around, 1 sc 1 scdec around, stuff, scdec around and the for the stem simple make a chain of 5, sew onto your cherry and sew the whole thing onto your cupcake :o) And to think just yesterday I was complaining about how much I disliked making amigurumi after creating Boris and now look at me! Hooked ;) 

Say g'day to Boris the Dragon/Dinosaur!

RAWR! Meet my adorable new little friend, Boris. I've always thought Boris is a good name for a reptile. I whipped him up last week as a toy for Baby Shmoogle Bean and I have to say I'm pretty darn proud of him! He's put together like a tank so there's zero chance of little fingers pulling him apart ;) I keep saying how much I love amigurumi.... and I do I do! I like LOOKING at it... making it myself is a whole new kettle of popcorn (I'm not a huge fan of single crochet... I'm also very lazy *wink) but TA DA I made something! He stands nearly 30cm high and took me a full day to finish completely as I SUCK at sewing bits together but I managed ;)