New Start: Ophelia Reading Shawl

 

So a few years back I made a homebody sweater with a cheap acrylic yarn and I still wear that one today. I bought this yarn to make another version with a nicer yarn, but for some reason it just didn't work up right. I actually think the yarn wasn't quite boxy enough and ended up being too drapey and it didn't suit this style of boxy sweater. So I asked my mum to help me because after putting a month into this project I didn't want to see it. My mum is awesome and the other week I got the yarn back from hers all balled up ready to be used :D

 

Mums are great aren't they?!

 I wanted a fairly easy shawl that didn't look boring but would keep me warm when sitting at my desk whether at home or at work. I love shawls more than jumpers. So I was browsing online and found this one and I knew it was the one I wanted to do. Outside the awesome name I just loved the shape and simplicity.

 

This shawl is the Reading Shawl from Ophelia Talks. (I did buy the pattern) It is a half hexagon shawl and follows a simple two row pattern. I am using a 5.5mm crochet hook and the 8 ply Stellar Yarn in the Amethyst Colourway from Bendigo Woollen Mills. At the time of this post the yarn unfortunately has been discontinued. I don't know if they will bring it back or not :( but I've used it for a few projects and  love how they all turned out and the yarn is just beautiful. 

So I have only done a few rows so far. I am loving how this yarn is working up and the pattern is really easy and simple and is just looking stunning. 

The great thing about crochet over knitting is that you can stop mid row a lot easier than you can with knitting. So this is a great project for me to carry with me at the moment onto the train and work on there. I look forward to sharing more updates with this project and I'm hoping it isn't a multi year project like the stormy sky shawl that I just finished!! Hannah is a bit older so I can generally stop her from being too disruptive with the yarn so I shouldn't have to hide it from her at least!

Happy Stitching, 

Caitlin

Finished - Stormy Sky Shawl

 For the first time in a while I have a finish that isn't one of my designs! Honestly to make my life a lot easier I have actually outsourced the test stitching on my cross stitch designs because it was stressing me out. Instead I've actually been enjoying picking up my crochet and knitting. BUT before I could get started on a couple of projects I wanted to work on I needed to get this project out of my WIP list. 

I know my WIP list is WAAAAY too long but I try to keep it contained particularly with cross stitch being the main one. I try not to have too many other projects half finished. So only a couple of knitting and crochet projects on the go. 

 So 2 years ago I posted for the first time about this project on Instagram/on the blog here. I don't have an exact date as to when I started this project but that's good enough. I worked on it at a lot at first because as with most knitting projects it's quick at first. But it is a triangle shawl. So it starts small and gets longer as you go. 

At first this project was fun to work on but with knitting you can't put it down easily mid row like you can with crochet. And I had a little helper who liked to be a part of anything I was doing....

She is so cute.... 

 

That face is just so hard to resist even if she is making a mess of my yarn!!!

 

So the project went away into a drawer more often than not. That was two years ago....

Now ...  she still wants to help and it doesn't always end up in the best way but she is still super cute.

The colours are just stunning and this pattern was lovely to work on. I am tempted to do this pattern again with a less busy yarn. And more yarn so that I can actually make it bigger. 

 

 

I love the changing lace patterns. 

 

Little feet helping me take the photos :D

 

 

I am in love with this project, despite not loving this yarn and I won't be going out of my way to find anymore, (it has been discontinued so....) I will absolutely love this shawl and use it all the time. 

Happy Stitching, 

Caitlin

Charm on Wheels: Whimsical Cross Stitch Bus Pattern

When tasked with creating a design for the smalls/ biscornu issue of Down The Rabbit Hole, I found myself pondering various ideas. Should I revisit a floral motif like last year, or venture into new territory? Inspiration struck once again while I was commuting on the bus or train, my sketchbook in hand. As I mulled over ideas, I couldn't help but notice the lacklustre appearance of modern trains – just dreary grey boxes on tracks. However, our buses exuded charm with their vibrant designs. Basically they were more colourful and I could do something with that!

 

Do you find yourself frequently travelling on public transport? Like me, perhaps you rely on it daily. Here, our bus and train system utilizes cards called go cards for fare payment. I couldn't bear to leave mine in its plain plastic sleeve, so I decided to give it a makeover. Transforming it into its own miniature bus seemed fitting – mirroring the cheerful decorations adorning buses in our city.

Each major city in Australia now boasts its own mini bus, capturing the unique colouring and character of its public transportation. Though I empathise with Hobart, where the buses are simply plain white!

Ensuring accuracy in colour representation was crucial, albeit challenging. I scoured online sources for reference photos, striving to faithfully recreate each city's distinct bus design. Of course they are not perfect but they are cute :D Can you tell I'm trying to be a bit over the top right now? I tried to be accurate but it wasn't always easy. 

Now where can you find these designs?

The set of designs is available from Down The Rabbit Hole's Patreon. 

You can sign up for a subscription or just buy the individual magazines. 

I hope you enjoy this little design. 

Happy Stitching, 

Caitlin

 

 

Crochet flower fairy

I needed to do something that wasn't cross stitch for a bit when something came across my ads on Facebook. It was a sunflower fairy that was reversible. So could be both a flower and a doll. I didn't end up getting that one I ended up down an Etsy rabbit hole. And picked up a reversible tulip fairy from ChibisCraft 

I didn't end up adding the wings but using Bendigo Woollen Mills cotton 8ply I made this purple tulip. I love how it turned out and Hannah loves her 'fower'.

I also picked up two new Crochet books. These ones are to make some Crochet dolls. I'm really excited to try these out. 

I love all the little outfits. I'm looking forward to creating little dolls with changeable outfits.

These books are so cute and all the photoshoots they did are so awesome!

I'm lost as which to begin with. They both look absolutely gorgeous!

so many cute ideas

I will have to make a decision soon because she really loves looking through these two books. And I think she will love the doll when it's there to be played with. 

Happy stitching,

Caitlin

Realising how much time keeps passing

Everytime I turn around I find that so much time has passed I'm not actually sure what I have and haven't shared here anymore! Life has been very busy. I started a new job in December which is what I was doing but a little bit more but it's about learning all the new systems, which they do everything differently!!! Then my Grandpa passed away in mid December so that was On top of that my partner ended up cutting half the index finger off his left hand. That made for an interesting January and then time just kept passing really quickly. 

I have been stitching, though it seems I only have time to stitch my own designs. My grandma gave me some money for christmas so I spent it on some fancy metallic watercolours and OMG I am having sooooo much fun painting!!! I've then been turning some of those paintings into cross stitch patterns. I can't share a lot of them but I will share what I can. More about them at the end of the post!

I made this cute little Easter dragon for the autumn edition of down the rabbit hole. I called it Easter Surprise because you don't expect to find a dragon in your carefully decorated Easter egg :D

All this from a quick little sketch I did. I didn't even add colour to the sketch I just fell in love with it.

 

I also created some cute little dancing girls for the latest smalls magazine. These little cuties just make me happy. I finished them with a felt backing glued onto a magnet and they are currently on my fridge. They just make me happy looking at them each day.   

I'm also working on the winter design but of course I can't show that one yet because the magazine isn't out yet. So I also can't show the painting I did to inspire it. But there is a lot of white which you would expect in a winter design.

Hannah is growing up fast she has just turned 2 and it's like a tiny cyclone has hit our house every day! She is into everything but she also just loves to help. We have what's called a learning tower which is essentially a stool with a wooden cage area for her to stand up in so she can't fall backwards. But every night when I'm cooking dinner she will climb up there and help me to cook. She can't do much but she likes to feel like she is helping. 

Here are some of the pictures I've done while playing with my watercolours. The colours are from Chelsea Venz Art a lady on the gold coast who makes handmade watercolours. I am so in love with the effects these give a piece of art.

I think I will turn this father's day owl into a cross stitch eventually but not sure when. Let me know if you want it sooner rather than later. It won't be going to a magazine. So would go straight onto my etsy. 

This sea monster while cute as ... is too much like the character from the drawing book to be able to be used in my cross stitch but I will see if I can do a variation like I did with the dragon that I can turn into cross stitch.

Here is a photo of the lovely watercolours. I want to get more of her stuff but that will have to wait. 

So Happy Stitching Everyone, 

Caitlin

p.s. I hope it's not too long before my next update but this is me and life is busy!