My filing cabinet

I got my knitting mojo back a couple of weeks back. Here’s the result…

I wanted a Japanese knot bag so I simplified the Square Cake pattern found at knitty.com.

2 significant changes:

1. Making 1 handle shorter.
2. Closing the seam the other way round so that the shorter handle is in front of the longer handle.

I lined it with a handkerchief given to me by someone from a long time ago. Since I don’t use handkerchiefs anymore, it felt right to recycle it. Here’s the interior of the bag and the lining.

I was pleasantly surprised that the pastel blue and small floral print went so well with the earthy brown.

I thought the lining was going to be difficult to do. It is my first attempt. I went through the process in my head step by step and it was, again a pleasant surprise, quite easy.

View from the front

View from the back

I’m using it as a lunch tote at the moment.

I stitched an animal in front of the bag. I know it is hard to tell from the pictures but can guess what it is?  (^_^)

hint: hail from downunder

This is my Guinan hat. Pattern instructions at www.yarnabuse.com/guinan. It is my second attempt. The first one was so big there is still space after I cover my entire head.

It took 2 evenings of knitting in front of the television set. A testimony to how easy it is. I used a pure wool yarn and 3.25mm circular needles.

I like the design because the “ribbing” is in concentric circles, not like the typical beanie. I have high cheekbones and a slightly broad face. When I wear a typical beanie, I feel like a cone-head.

Guinan provides stretchability and looks like a beret.

Why am I making a woollen hat when I live in tropical Singapore?

Because I am going to Korea on Friday!! I’m climbing Mt Halla at Jeju Island and admiring the autumn foliage at … hmm, I forgot the name of the national park. A lot of outdoor activities and I reckoned I need a nice warm hat.

That’s the beauty of hand knitting. I can make things that suit me. Not only that, the yarn only cost me about S$1.50. Time, well, I’m watching TV anyway.

This is the 2nd time I am knitting the French Market bag. The 1st time I used a non-feltable yarn ;p. That bag is somewhere in the house. I wonder if I should throw it away.This time round, I used the Kauni 100% wool. I’m not quite sure which one as I bought the hank from a friend and it didn’t come with a label. It is very cheap though.

I knitted it longer than stated as I thought the original is a tad shallow for me. Also, I have a lot of yarn to play with.

It is supposed to be felted but I haven’t done it yet. It will be my first time and I’m feeling a bit hesitant. What if it turns out horrible.

But I have a deadline. The next knit out is coming soon and I promised to show the finished product.

Hmmm, a knit out is good for procrastination.

The yarn has a variegated colorway. I like how the color transit. It is really a very nice warm color combination.

I casted on like 15 times before I got the hang of casting on 8 stitches and handling 2 stitches per dpn. But I am pleased with the result although I won’t see much of it after felting.

I started crocheting amigurumi (crochet toys) a couple of weeks ago. The first was Bunny, a simple white rabbit.

My 2nd one is a blessing bear I called Cathy. I did not make her with anyone in mind. But she finally went to a colleague for her birthday.

Bunny
Originally uploaded by springorchid

I learnt how to crochet when I was young. My grandmother was very good with her hands and I picked it up from her.

Crocheting fell out of favor with me because a lot of the patterns back then were very dated and un-attractive.

Recently, I came across some Japanese craft books on amigurumi which is a general name given to small crochet toys. They are so cute and lovely.

I decided to pick up crocheting again. Anyway, I have this acrylic yarn stash that is not suitable for making clothes or anything that have to be worn on the body. They are ideal for toys.

Bunny is my first attempt. It was small and there were step by step instructions in the craft book I borrowed from the library.

I did not notice the instructions on how to position the ears . So, Bunny’s ears are a little lopsided. Still, it is not possible to be perfect with handmade stuff. So, I’m not too worried about it.

Hi there, my name is Aaron.

My creator and the blogmaster of this blog asked me to say a few words at her blog. So here goes.

I’m a hand knitted bear using 100% wool. I’m baby pink in color … I think.

The blogmaster made me according to the George pattern in Sandra Polley’s The Knitted Teddy Bear.

She said the instructions were easier than Debbie Bliss’ 25 Irresistible Designs for Knitted Bears. Especially when the rows were clearly marked out so she could keep track of her progress quite easily.

At first, I didn’t know why clear instructions were so important. The blogmaster explained that clear instructions means a well-proportioned and handsome looking bear. Well, that I can understand. I’m all for easy and clear instructions then.

Also, half of my body and head were knitted in 1 piece. So I was in 2 separate halves before making up. Phew, the blogmaster forgot to take pictures of that.

Again, I didn’t really get why that was important. But she said that this means she doesn’t have to meddle with my neck and risk a floppy head. That’s good too … right?

All in all, I like the way I look. My limbs could be firmer and more muscular but one mustn’t be too greedy. I spend most of my time at the desk anyway. You see, I’m an intellectual.

Last but not least, I want to mention my shirt. It was made according to the pattern in the book.

I thought it looks a tad old fashioned and girly with the opening at the back. So, I wore the opening in front. Don’t I look smart?

I asked blogmaster whether she could add a nice collar for me but she refused. She said she is busy.

I don’t really believe her. She just want to move on to Annie, my twin sister. Whatever for! Shouldn’t I be enough?! She is just so greedy … not like me.

Oops! I forgot, this is her blog.

Okay, time to wrap up. I have to get back to my work too. So long!

I finished Wendy the polar bear. She is named after my colleague whom this knitted teddy bear is made for.

My colleague bought the Vera Mode Jessica acrylic mohair blend in snowy white. One look and I know I want to do a polar bear.

I used the Rugby bear pattern from Debbie Bliss’ 25 Irresistible Teddy bears to knit the basic bear. Instead of the rugby jersey, I merely knitted a short red scarf. North-pole-ish enough?

Of course it took a lot less time to complete since I don’t have to do the jersey.

This particular pattern requires a lot of making up and sewing. There are also some awkward instructions. For example, the shaping of the feet requires additional stitching. I thought if simple decreases could have achieved the same effect?

Besides threading the limbs through the body, I also stitched around them to attach the limbs firmly to the body. I didn’t want them to flop around.

As this knitted toy is for an adult, I substituted yarn with plastic black beads for the eyes. I have to remember to tell Wendy not to let her young nephews and nieces play with it.

Her face is a little lopsided as one eye is higher than the other. It is not so obvious in the photos. I should have used a marker to draw up the expression first. I tried to make the bear smile. I believe all knitted toys should have a happy expression.

I hope Wendy (my colleague) likes her.

I encountered quite a bit of abbreviations at Ravelry.com and knitting blogs which I am not familiar with.

It is quite frustrating not being able to totally understand someone. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found a short list in

Not Tonight Darling, I’m knitting by Betsy Hosegood

FO – finished object

KAT – Knitting against time

KIP – knitting in public

LYS – local yarn shop

NQBE – not quite big enough

SEX – stash enrichment expedition (shopping for yarn)

YAQ – yarn acquisition quest (a variation on SEX)

SNB – stitch n bitch

TOAD – trashed object, abandoned in disgust

UFO – unfinished object

USO – unstarted object

WCZ – wool-contaminated zone (yarn stash)

WIP – work in progress