Winter Fuel

Hubby has finished cutting our winter 2013/14 fuel today. We have a muli-fuel stove that burns wood and peat which is what he has been working with for the last week. When it has dried a bit, it will be time to raise it into small stacks and let the air get to it to continue drying.

Some pictures:

John's footprints immortalised in peat!

Loki

What a weekend!

Hubby and I went south for the weekend to Glenrothes to meet up with other Loving Hands members at a knitting show. We had such good fun, meeting new friends and old - most of whom we only know through the Loving Hands forum.

I didn't buy any yarn at the show - I thought I was doing very well having bought 2 handmade crochet hooks instead, then I won 600g in the raffle! As Linda said, "It was meant to be!" The photos are here: Photo Album - knitting show Below is a photo of myself wearing Jean's topical Loving Hands titfer:

A further twist in the Magnus hat pattern was developed while travelling to Glenrothes. I made a hat for Arla who was born last Sunday - a girly version with a brim and a flower.

47g

 Kirsty, my daughter, has also been busting my stash - or her free yarn store! - with making hats and tortoises. These are the latest 2 which I am including in my stashbusting - as it is my stash being used!

56g

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 2150g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  454g, April: 319g, May: 216g     Total: 3195g
Yarn given away: 400g

Yarn in stash: 29,589g

Bubble Blanket

My daughter was asked to make a baby blanket, hat and toy for a friend's sister. So ... here is the blanket I have made. A great stashbuster as it is done with 2 strands of DK and an 8mm hook. The pattern is from Ravelry: bubbles-baby-blanket. This has been made to be the right size for using with a car seat. It is thick and warm and I love the pattern, a one row repeat that gives texture to any yarn.

316g

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 1550g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  454g, April: 319g, May: 376g     

Total: 3355g
Yarn given away: 400g

Yarn in stash: 28,829g

Magnus' Hat

What do you do when you're fed up trying to follow other people's patterns to get the right size hat? Make up your own!

This is Magnus' hat, made for a new baby born yesterday. I hope someone will try the pattern and let me know if it makes sense. The stitches are UK terms.

25g of DK

Magnus’ Hat 

Made in DK with 4.5mm hook. Finished size 14" around the bottom. bigger sizes can easily be made by adding more stitches to round 1 and extra rows as required.

3ch make ring

Round 1: 2ch, 14tr, join with sl st (15st)

Round 2: 2ch, tr in same space, 2 tr in each st, join with sl st (30st)

Round 3: 2ch,( fptr around next st, tr in next) around, join with sl st (30st)

Round 4: 2ch, tr in same space, ( fptr around next st, 2tr in next) to last st fptr around next st, join with sl st (45st)

Round 5 -16 : 2ch, tr in next st ( fptr around next st, tr in next 2), join with sl st around (45st)

Sew in ends and add pom pom.

Edited 8/5/13 to correct end of Round 4.

Green/ yellow/ white hat made with 4mm hook and one less stitch in first round to make hat smaller for a tiny baby. Stopped at 15th row.

 Lilac hat with white pom pom made to pattern except last tr row replaced with 2 rows of dc.

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 1550g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  454g, April: 319g, May: 60g     Total: 3039g
Yarn given away: 400g

Yarn in stash: 29,145g

Catching up!

How on earth did I manage a month with no posting? Well, 2 weeks were on a fab holiday in Majorca, just what we needed - sunshine, relaxation and a chance to unwind. This is our fab hotel in Puerto Pollensa, the Hotel Miramar:

Loving Hands Shetland has moved on, we now have a Facebook page: LovingHandsShetland. We also have an offer to deliver blanket squares and hats to Turkey for the Syrian refugee children on our behalf by a driver in the Mongol Rally - which will save postage and should actually get delivered! (long story!) Dianne still needs people to knit or crochet blanket squares, she and her group are doing such a great job supplying some handmade love to the kids in the refugee camps, her blog and the details are here: love-in-the-language-of-yarn Next weekend in the Scotland Knitting Show and I am going to be taking charity items with me for distribution to Greenfields Africa and Operation Orphan. Folk all over Shetland are contributing to the pile of hats and squares in the corner of my bedroom, one lady alone donated over 80 hats!

On my own stashbusting progress, I have been playing with the yarn I bought before I went on holiday. I am making a sampler granny square blanket so it's still a wip and can't be counted as stash busted yet. What do you think of this possible layout? - a lot more to make yet!

I have made a hat for a friend's niece (first time auntie!) which weighed a mighty 35g. The white yarn has a bit of sparkle in it which I like.

I have also been adding borders to previously crocheted granny squares to make them 8", a total of 319g so far.

It's not yarn stashbusting, but I've also made 4 patchwork cushions from my fabric stash!

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 1550g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  454g, April: 319g, May: 35g     Total: 3014g
Yarn given away: 400g

Yarn in stash: 29,170g

I confess!

I have succumbed to temptation and bought yarn! (For the first time this year!) I have the book 200 crochet blocks  by Jan Eaton and have bought 4 plain colours and one self patterning yarn to make a sampler blanket. I intended it to be my holiday project (off to Majorca on Tuesday) but have started already and made my first 3 blocks.

45g

All is not lost though as I joined a new craft group and gave 100g of yarn to someone I taught to crochet granny squares!

I have made another heart square, this time for one of our Loving Hands members who is ill  in hospital. We are contributing a square or 2 each towards a blanket to brighten up her days.

22g

This week Loving Hands (Shetland) has posted 2 boxes of hats and blanket squares to Turkey for the Syrian Refugees - a full 27kg of knitting and crochet, a box of mixed items to Lou and a box to Operation Orphan full of scarves and blankets. We also have a brand new page on Facebook so folks can keep up with what is going on. http://www.facebook.com/LovingHandsShetland

54g

 This wee bunny blankie is destined for the Western Isles for a special bump due soon.

Well, I'm off to Majorca -see you on the other side and Happy Crafting!

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 1550g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  454g     Total: 2660g
Yarn given away: 300g

Yarn in stash: 29,624g

Many a mickle ....

... maks a muckle. Or so they say! (Lots of small things make a big thing) Having a slow month stashbusting wise with small amounts of yarn being used here and there. I've sewn together the school blanket for Syria and edged it tonight thinking that would use up some yarn - it did, but only 41g!

All the squares have been knitted by pupils (age 5-12), former pupils, staff or former staff (with one by my mum!). Some are a bit misshapen but all made with a purpose - to keep a refugee child warm by our efforts.

I have also made a blanket square for Niaomh, 7 year old sister of Aoife who I mentioned in my last post. We at Loving Hands are making a comfort blanket for Niaomh who will also have her life disrupted while Aoife is in hospital and deserves some TLC too.

This is the same pattern I used for Aoife's square which was done in purple and lilac, this one is pink and sparkly white. The pattern is here. Well, that took care of another 20g! Many a mickle ...

Stash Busting Progress:

Yarn at start of year: 31,034g

Yarn gained: 450g
Yarn busted: Jan: 1049g, Feb: 1157g, March:  333g     Total: 2539g
Yarn given away: 200g

Yarn in stash: 28,745g