The Kat's Scratch Pad

Watson my head?

2012-01-29T12:20:00.001-08:00

What do you do when your bloke says he wants a deerstalker? Crochet one, of course!!
Clearly we’ve been watching a lot of Sherlock……

I can't wait for the next series, just can't get enough of the Cumberbatch!
Needless to say, Rob hasn't taken this off yet - I think it's a winner :) xx

Anyone for Prawn Cocktail?

2012-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's a little wacky; but I've been seriously into crocheting food recently. After my success with a crochet burger and a box of eggs, I thought a prawn cocktail might be a bit more of a challenge; consisting as they do of many awkward shapes! I'm thrilled with how it came out, I drool every time I walk past it in the kitchen so it can't be far off the real deal! What to do next? A friend has pointed out the blindingly obvious transition to a sushi platter given the success of these prawns..... it would be nice to do something completely different again though. We shall see! :)

Coffee Cuddlers 'n Corsets

2011-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Alert, Coffee fanatics! Introducing my Coffee Cuddlers 'n Corsets; a reusable, eco-friendly way to not only help you hold on to your steaming hot beverage, but to funk up those boring cups at the same time! These cute little holders replace those flimsy paper sleeves, giving you a more personalised way of protecting your hands from the heat whilst helping to save the planet! :)

"Coffee Cuddlers" and "Coffee Corsets" will help keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold.

They cost £3.50 and are customisable. Chose the design you like and your favourite colours - there's even a Christmas variety which makes a lovely seasonal gift. P&P is £1.50. Paypal payments can be made to Chilekat@live.co.uk. State your choice of design and colour preferences when making payment. Alternatively, you can e-mail me to discuss :-)

"Coffee Cuddlers" and "Coffee Corsets" © Kat Williams

End of chilli season 2011.....

2011-11-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

Determined to get a head start after a pathetic crop this year (thanks to the erratic weather), I've just taken a secateurs to my babies - now they are all cut back and ready for overwintering. Fingers crossed for a good survival rate!

Hopefully I'll get a good crop of chillies earlier in the season next year, rather than waiting for a whole plant to grow from seed.....that's assuming the plants survive the winter! I've kept 1 x Orange Habanero, 1 x Jamaican Red Hot, 1 x Fatalli, 1 x Cili Goronong and 1 x Criolla Sella. I'm also keeping the 7 Pot White that didn't grow white.

Fingers crossed!!

Cap'n Kat's Craft Cabin

2011-10-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

YAY! I've created a Facebook page for all my crafty doings, most will be available for sale. I'm excited to say that with the interest I've had so far, I've decided to start taking commissions! You can follow me here at: KatsCraftCabin

I look forward to meeting some of you on the great book of faces :)

Another LOL-cat!....

2011-10-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

....courtesy of my newest addition, Miggins :)
She's a loveable little rascal!

"I'll have a 'P' please, Bob...."

2011-09-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Let me explain; it is rather amusing...

This morning, I sat at the computer with the leftovers from last night - Cheesy mash and peas. We had it with fish, but I love it just as much on it‘s own. Anyhoo, I digress.
As I sat shovelling said banquet into my face, I caught sight of the black frayed ends of my jumper sleeve through the bottom of the Tupperware container. Believing this to be a spider in my food, I screamed and threw the container up in the air, diving out of my chair and down onto my bum.
Classic. I knew the moment the food left my hand what I had really seen, but by then it was too late; the wheels were in motion... and so too was I. I’ve laughed considerably since, and though it worth sharing; especially when my mate Steve and I decided that I’d “Peed on my keyboard”...

The offending "SpiderSleeve"

The 20 Minute Easy Newborn Hat

2011-09-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

The best bit about a project for me, is getting to the end. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the creative process, I most certainly do; I just find that the most rewarding part for me is holding up the finished piece :)
This pattern is a simple hat for newborn babies that makes a great gift and only takes 20 minutes from start to finish, so it’s ideal; especially if it’s a last minute thing!

Hook Size: 5mm
Yarn Size: DK

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
dc - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
sp - space

Start by chaining 4 and join with a sl-st to form a ring.
R1: ch3 (this counts as your first dc of this round, same applies for all future rounds), 9dc into ring, join with a sl st (Join all future rows this way). - 10
R2: ch3, dc in same sp, 2dc in each sp to end - 20
R3: ch3, 2dc in next, *1dc, 2dc in next* to end - 30
R4: ch3, 1dc in next, 2dc in next sp, *1dc in each of the next 2 sp, 2dc in next* to end - 40
R5-12: ch3, dc all sp to end.

Tie off and weave in ends.

EASY PEASY!!

Handmade Chilli Necklets :)

2011-09-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

These are my latest creation after a request for a unisex chilli necklet. A classy single glass chilli, either on it's own or paired with a shiny metal or Swarovski crystal bead; hung on a crocheted chilli green cotton cord. The perfect gift for the chilli-head in your life!! £10 :)

Payment to be made via paypal to chilekat@live.co.uk (remember to include your address).

Chilekat’s Smoked Haddock & Chorizo rice!

2011-09-12T23:31:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I returned to the Upton Cheyney chilli festival and once again, it was a storming success!(Though I ducked out of the eating contest this year....)
While I was there I met Becky, giving out tasters of a splendid Garlic & Herb chorizo, by 'The Bath Pig' http://www.thebathpig.com/
The flavour was intense and lovely; I wanted to make it into a meal with ingredients that would compliment rather than take away from or clash with it; so I came up with this little beauty. The chilliheads amongst you will notice I've not added any heat! I wanted to keep it quite subtle to keep the flavour of the chorizo as the main event. If you want to add some, by all means go ahead!

Ingredients

200g Basmati rice
2 smoked haddock fillets
100g Chorizo
Vegetable stock cube
1 bay leaf
A good splash of milk
1 onion, diced
600ml water
Salt & pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, dissolve a vegetable stock cube in 600ml of water.
Add the rice and simmer until the rice has cooked and absorbed the stock - add a little water if it dries out before being completely cooked.

2. Dice the onion and cut the chorizo into small, half-moon slices.

3. Place the fish in a small pan with the bay leaf. Pour in just enough milk to cover the fish. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the fish flakes.

3. Remove the fish from the pan, flake with a fork, and set aside. Discard the milk and the bay leaf.

4. Splash some olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and the chorizo pieces. Fry for a minute or two, then add the cooked rice, and the fish.

5. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

6. Shovel into your face and enjoy the magic. ;-)

Kat x

Spiders, anyone?!

2011-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I cannot stand to be anywhere near spiders. I don't wish them any harm and I can't say I "hate" them as they've never done anything to me... I just want to run a mile at the very sight of one.
Well, today I did this:

"I'm OK.... I'm OK......"

"....JUST TAKE THE BLOODY PHOTO!"

"Ooooooooooo.....actually, he's rather cute!"

Looking at the change in me in just these 3 photos, it amazes me how quickly you can get over something if you really push to get over a hurdle in your mind. Once I'd watched it on me a few times, it really was ok.

That's not to say I'd be ready to rush over to one and pick it up again...oh no. But this is another item ticked off my "Facing Fears" list!

Hadouken!

2011-06-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

MR WILSON - This cat ain't no pussy - he's kicking some old school ass.

Mervin The Molar, now available to buy! :-)

2011-05-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

The overwhelming response I've received after designing this adorable chap has prompted me to offer people the chance to adopt a Mervin of their very own.

Each Merv comes with a signed certificate of authen-teeth-ity; something that only a genuine, hand-crafted Mervin, made by me, will have.

He's around 4.5 inches high, with a little pocket at the back for storing a tooth until the Tooth Fairy comes to switch it over for money!

Visit my Folksy store to get yours today :-) http://www.folksy.com/items/1821817-Mervin-The-Molar-The-Tooth-Fairy-s-Friend

Tooth Fairy Pouch

2011-05-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

My latest crochet design, this is a delightful little drawstring pouch that stores a tooth overnight before it gets sneakily swapped over for coinage by mum or dad whilst 'gappy' is sound asleep.

They are available to purchase here: http://www.folksy.com/items/1813581-Tooth-Fairy-Pouch

:-)

Chilli potting and er... a pond!

2011-04-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

I spent a chunk of yesterday, and a fair lump of today decorating my lawn with pots....

With 40 plants on the go, I had some serious sorting to do!
I now have 30 chilli plants in the greenhouse, all cuddled up in their final buckets:

I had 40 before I started, but just didn't have the room! I ended up giving 7 to my sister and killed 3 stragglers.

I feel a lot better now that is done. Now I can carry on with the pond that I decided to start digging!!

It all started when I picked up a copy of the RHS Encyclopedia of Gardening; I got to a page showing how to make a pond and thought "I could do that!" Moments later I was on freecycle and found a lady advertising natural stone - just what I wanted to edge the pond that half an hour previously I'd never even considered.......

We picked them up a day or so later and busted out a funky shape on the lawn:

Then I roped poor ole Rob digging:

While I began bashing up the leftovers........ FOR A WISHING WELL!!

All I have to do now is learn how to cement........

Firewalking For The Furries!!

2011-04-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

I did it!
Not that there was any chance of me backing out after raising a grand total of £268 for the furries :-)

I also knitted them a kitty hat for their raffle:

Whilst I was in training, Rob took some pics of the fire being started:

And then I was off!!!

One of the best experiences ever - not just for the walk; in the grand scheme of it, the walk itself was a passing moment, even though a very awesome passing moment; what I really got something out of was the talk beforehand. I learned so much - dare I say (at the risk of sounding like I've gone all weird) I may have even learned a bit about myself!

Go on.... laugh!

Anyway, my feet were disgusting afterwards - lovely!:

And here I am with my certificate:

I couldn't recommend it highly enough, it was truly uplifting.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped me by sponsoring and geeing me on. Kat xxx

NOT ALL GREENS ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

2011-04-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

A mixed bag of news from the little Welsh chilli conservatory;

Here is the brood as of 5 minutes ago:

GOOD GREEN THINGS:

My Cap 253C is pushing out it's first pods already!!

BAD GREEN THINGS:

At least 7 of my plants are INFESTED with greenfly. They've been swiftly relegated to the black towel of doom....

I've got some plants that have been treated with Bayer ultimate bug killer previously, and some that haven't.... the ones that haven't are far bigger and healthier looking, if possible, I'd like to keep them that way - so I'm trying the fairy liquid method as an experiment. If I don't get any joy, I'll be getting the bayer out again!!

After googling around for the correct ratio of fairy liquid to water, I've decided there isn't one.
Therefore, I settled on the following recipe:

1 GOOD SQUIRT PER LITRE.

Before spraying, I placed the pots onto their side in an effort to prevent masses of soapy suds going into the compost - I've no idea what effect it would have, but I'd rather play it safe. Then I blasted the buggers to heck:

I'll leave them like this until they dry; I don't imagine it will do them any harm to be on their sides for an hour.

After 15 mins, if you look closely, you can see there are already little green dots on the black towel:

Scores on the door so far -

KAT 1 - GREEN GITS 0......

Taking cuttings :-)

2011-04-09T10:34:00.001-07:00

Today found me making my first serious attempt at taking cuttings from my shrubs. I say mine, the yellow Euonymus Fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold' came from my neighbour as a thank you for helping her to dig out her dandelions! Both the Euonymus Fortunei 'Silver Queen' and Pieris japonica "Flaming Silver" came from the raised bed in my front garden. My hope is that at least 2 or 3 of each variety manage to root so that I have free shrubs to plant in the back garden; a garden that up until fairly recently, has been devoid of anything; and therefore didn't really deserve the description "garden"....

Fingers crossed the little buggers make it!

My cat wants to be a drummer.......

2011-04-05T14:45:00.001-07:00

......so all we need now, is a bassist!!

Shitty Dog Owners.

2011-03-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

There are dog owners who pick up after their pets and there are those who don't. Though I prefer the former, I can kind of understand the latter; but what I cannot even begin to comprehend is the idiotic bastards in the middle.

How many times have you seen a little black poo-bag hanging in a bush or strewn by the wayside? For Christ sake what is the matter with these people? Why go to the trouble of bagging a turd, only to lob it back down on the floor or make a hideous tree ornament out of it?

At least if you just left it, nature could take it's course and eventually the smelly pet present would disappear of it's own accord, but you twits have wrapped it in a non biodegradable bag and added that to the environment. I am at a loss... you utter plonkers! Especially as you've gone to the effort of picking up the damn thing in the first place. If it were up to me, I'd make you eat it.

Kat’s Floppy Sun Hat

2011-03-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and I was in need of a hat to shield my eyes from the sun whilst out painting the fence! It went so well, I'm sharing it here.

This crochet lark is far quicker than knitting; So much so that (and I never thought I'd say it)I think I'm turning into a crochet queen rather than a knitting nutter!

Once I've typed this pattern up I'll be off out to take on the fence... it's a horrible job, but you've got to look after your wood! Besides it's an absolute stunner of a day, the daffodils are out and the birds are singing; what more could you want? Ooooo I know - a floppy sun hat!!

Ok - here's the pattern:

Abbreviations:
sts - stitches
sl st - slip Stitch
ch - chain
sc - single crochet

HAT

Using a 5.5mm (size I) hook, and DK yarn, start by making a chain of four sts and then join with a sl st.

Round 1: ch 1 and do 10 sc into the loop. If you are changing the colour for a striped effect like mine, join by adding the new colour through your first and last sc. - 10 sts.

Round 2: ch 1, do 2 sc in every st of the round and join by adding the original colour through your first and last sc. - 20 sts.

Round 3: ch 1, then sc all sts, increasing every third st by doing 2 sc in the same space. Join with alternate colour.

Round 4: ch 1, do 1 sc in each st of the round then join with alternate colour as before.

Round 5: ch 1, then sc all sts, increasing every third st by doing 2 sc in the same space. Join with alternate colour.

Round 6: ch 1, do 1 sc in each st of the round then join with alternate colour.

Round 7: ch 1, then sc all sts, increasing every third st by doing 2 sc in the same space. Join with alternate colour.

Round 8: ch 1, do 1 sc in each st of the round then join with alternate colour as before.

Round 9: ch 1, then sc all sts, increasing every third st by doing 2 sc in the same space. Join with alternate colour.

(If you want the pattern to continue as it is and have all stripes the same width, continue your colour changes as established. If you want them like mine, you now change colour on every other row, giving you a 2 row thickness.)

Round 10: ch 1, do 1 sc in each st of the round then join with alternate colour as before.

Round 11: Count your sts - we want 66, you’ll have less. ch 1, then make up the difference by increasing evenly across this row.

Round 12 - 31: ch 1, do 1 sc in each st of the round then join, remembering to colour change where required in order to obtain your desired stripe pattern.

FLOPPY BRIM

Round 32: sc every st, increasing 8 sc evenly across the round.

33 - 42: Continue to increase 8 sc on each round as established, alternating the spacing of your increases so as to avoid developing an increase line.

Final Round: working in the back loop only, sc in each st of the round and join with a sl st. Fasten off and weave in ends.

You can make the brim as big as you like….I did mine so it was just enough to shield my eyes, but you could do a huge silly one! (If you really want to.)

Right, that's me done - I'm off out in the sun.... lookk out fence, here I come!

Kat's "Magic Dust" Spice Pouch

2011-03-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest design; a crocheted pouch to hold my precious "Magic Dust" chilli powder. I put a lot of effort into growing and processing the chillies - I reckon they deserve the best treatment and that includes storage! The pouch holds an airtight shaker and is finished off with a handmade charm - for this I used a genuine Swarovski crystal bead and 2 delightful murano glass chilli peppers!

YAY! :-)

Firewalk in Memory of Mewzli x

2011-03-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

OH MY!! I've only gone and signed up for a firewalk!

I'm doing it in memory of my bestest friend Mewzli who passed away on 24th January.

We now have a new friend called Mr. Wilson who came to us via the Cats Protection adoption centre in Bridgend; I'd like to do something to aid them in their great work finding new homes for adoreable kitties that need help.
So, if you can, please help and sponsor me to do this rather mad thing!

You can sponsor me here: http://www.justgiving.com/KatWilliams

Kat xx

How to: Make your own grow light.

2011-02-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

Grow lights are an essential piece of kit if you want to get a head start on your growing season or want to be able to grow indoors all year round.

If you want to make your own light set-up, here's a how to, along with the costings and where I got my bits and pieces. (prices were correct as of 2010.)

I used:

3 x 30W Daylight bulbs £6.69 each £20.07
3 x Bulb Batten Holders £1.69 each £5.07
2 x Rolls of Aluminium foil tape £2 each from poundland £2.00
1.5mm twin and earth cable approx £1.00 per mtr in B&Q £2.00
1 x Plug from ASDA £0.36
1 x Carboard box
1 x Piece of wood I had lying about

So I spent a grand total of £29.50 bear in mind that is for 3 bulbs! If you only used 2, it would only be just over £21.00...

FAR cheaper than your shop bought stuff and lets face it - far more fun and rewarding.

Here's a link for the bulbs, and one for the holders:

BULBS: http://uk.farnell.com/pro-lite/helix-30w-es-64/lamp-daylight-es-30w-6400k/dp/1298309

BATTEN HOLDERS: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Batten-Holder/invt/710002

So.... here comes the best bit, making it!

The batten holders are screwed to the piece of wood and then wired up with the 1.5mm twin and earth cable like so:

I've drawn it onto the batten holder instructions to give you a better idea:

Make sure you put a plug on the other end that has a 3 amp fuse, and that's it done:

...and with bulbs!:

Now for the reflector and it's amazing what you can achieve with a piece of cardboard and some aluminium foil tape; here's how I did it:

I cut jagged edges where I want my ends to be - this will help when folding the card around the end pieces; I also scored along the width of the card to help it bend neatly:

Then I cut out 2 end pieces:

I folded the ends of the shade around the side pieces and stuck them down:

Then I started lining the box with aluminium foil tape - I thought this would be neater than kitchen foil. You can pick this stuff up for a few quid a roll, but I got mine from the DIY bit in poundland!!

And that's that bit done - one nice and shiny reflector:

Then I added my lights. Using a sharp blade, I cut out a slit from the reflector allowing me to put it behind the batton holders; then I screwed in my bulbs:

I've got 3 30W daylight bulbs and wow; when I switched them on, the whole room went white! - You cant really get that from the photo, but believe me it was a shocker :-)

So that's it; get on and make one for yourself, then stand back and swell with pride.

Happy lighting, folks!

Kat

Crochet Valentine's Day Card

2011-02-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to do something slightly different this year, I decided to crochet my partner’s “Valentines Day” card!

It was quite simple really, but rather effective.
He loved it; though he did say that he thought I may be a little mad…

The hearts are quick to make up and look great if you do the last row in a contrasting colour.
To make a heart, I did the following:

Abbreviations:
Ch = chain
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
hdc = half double crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
bl = back loop

ROUND 1: Ch6, join with a sl st into first ch st, to create a loop.
ch3, do 16dc into loop, join with a sl st in the top of ch3.

ROUND 2: ch3, dc in the same space, 2DC in next 2 sts, hdc in next 4 sts,
3dc in next st, hdc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next 2 sts, 1dc in next st, Ch3, sl st in same space, sl st in next 2 sts.

ROUND 3: Ch1, sc in bl of every st until you get to the bottom "pointy bit" of the heart; in that st, do 2ch, then continue with a sc into the bl of the remaining sts, binding off with a sl st at the end.

It's round 3 that I did in contrasting colours!

I did some hearts with chunky wool and a 5mm hook and some in DK with a 3.5mm hook, but try whatever you like.

For the card bit, all I did was crochet a rectangle 20 stitches wide, and single crocheted every stitch until I got the required length. Once I was happy it was card sized, I tied off and sewed in the ends.

That's all the bits done!

I cut a piece of card to the same size as the crocheted rectangle and glued it to it - placing a heavy book on top whilst it dried, to make sure it stayed flat.

Once it was sufficiently dry, I glued on the hearts with some overlapping and again, I placed the book on top in order for them to dry flat.

So simple! I bet there are so many other occasions that a crocheted card would be just perfect for - I know I'll certainly be doing more :-)

Happy hooking!

Brain Sucking Rainbowfish Hat!

2011-02-20T05:23:00.000-08:00

I've just finished my "Brain Sucking Rainbowfish Hat"...

....and now it's trying to finish me!! AAARRRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I reckon I'll be getting some looks in Asda later!! Loving it x

LOL Cats :-)

2011-02-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Surely everyone has seen a LOL Cat picture or two by now...
Well, love them or hate them; I don't think they are going away any time soon! Personally, I think they are brill and I was ever so grateful to my kitty today when he offered me a photo opportunity just right to make a Lol Cat picture of my very own:

Thank you, Mr Wilson xx

Making Music Again :-)

2011-02-12T01:34:00.000-08:00

Rob and I are finally getting around to making music again after having made our back room into a bit of a studio! The plan is to get gigging again so it's back to the practicing stage for us, though we are also recording at the same time and it's great fun; It's nice to be getting a feeling of accomplishment again!

This is the first track we've finished, it's not bad quality for being recorded in what is effectively a study.

Loops, loops everywhere!! :-)

2011-01-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

Today's visit to the propagator found loops popping up all over the place!

As a consequence, the prop has now been moved under the lights - no leggy seedlings in this house if you please......

So the scores on the doors so far:

Orange Hab - (loved them last season and still have a freezer full!) 0/2
Peruvian White Hab 1/2
Yellow Pointed Hab 2/2 (Possibly not if this is a rogue seed!)
Chocolate Hab 0/2
Fatalii 0/2
Yellow Scorpion 0/2
Jamaican Red Hot 0/2
Jamaican Mini Bonnet 0/2
7 Pot White 0/2
7 Pot Brain 1/2
Dorset Naga 0/2
Bhut Jolokia 0/2
Bonda Ma Jackques 0/2
Turbo Pube 0/2
Cili Goronong Yellow 0/2
Bulgarian Carrot 1/1
CAP 253 C 0/2
Black Scorpion Tongue 1/2
SuperChilli 0/2
Limo 2/2
Baby Sweet 1/2

Not a bad start at all! :-)

Kat's "Two-Sticks" Easy Cable Hat

2011-01-11T03:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I've knitted so many of the "Two-Sticks" Ear-Flat hats, I decided it was time I moved on a little! I've always feared cabling, but discovered it can be really easy and I've made a pattern that gives a really nice continuous design around the hat. Again, this hat is knit up on two needles, no circulars required :-)

Where I have put "C6F" all you have to do is slip the next 3 stitches onto a spare needle and hold them forward (to the front of the work) then knit the 3 stitches that follow those. Once you've done that, knit the 3 from the spare needle so in effect, they are crossing over the previous stitches.

ABBREVIATIONS:
K = knit
P = purl
K2tog = knit 2 together
P2tog = Purl 2 together
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
St-St = Stockinette
sts = stitch(es)

YOU WILL NEED:
5mm Needles.
Chunky yarn in whatever 2 colours you would like. I used a variegated yarn for my main colour so the finished hat has more colours in it.

METHOD:
Cast on 98 sts in the colour you'd like for the band.
ROW 1: (K2, P2) to end
ROW 2: (P2, K2) to end
ROW 3: (K2, P2) to end
Row 4: (P2, K2) to end

Continue in established pattern until you have 20 rows, ending on a WS row.
Changing to the main colour and St-St 2 rows.
Now it's time to start the cabling.

CABLE PATTERN:
ROW 1: K1, (K2, C6F, K2, P2, K2, P2) 6 times, K1
ROW 2: P1, (K2, P2, K2, P10) 6 times, P1
ROW 3: K1, (K10, P2, K2, P2) 6 times, K1
ROW 4: P1, (K2, P2, K2, P10) 6 times, P1

Repeat the above 4 rows another 3 times.
Knit Row 1 & 2 once more.

REDUCE FOR TOP
Now it's time to start reducing for the top of the hat.
K1, (K10, K2tog) 8 times, K1 - 90
Purl Row
K7, K2tog to end - 80
Purl Row
K6, K2tog to end - 70
Purl Row
K5, K2tog to end - 60
Purl Row
K4, K2tog to end - 50
Purl Row
K3, K2tog to end - 40
Purl Row
K2, K2tog to end - 30
Purl Row
K1, K2tog to end - 20
Purl Row
K2tog to end - 10
P2 tog to end - 5

Cut the yarn, leaving a good length tail; enough to sew down the seam. Thread the tail through remaining sts and pull tightly together to secure.
Sew down the row ends (using mattress stitch if you can, but not essential).

Sew in any ends (or worms as my other half likes to call them) and you are finished!
If you'd like, you can add something like a button or a knitted flower - Put the finished hat on your head, position the accessory in front of a mirror so it is where you like it and then sew it down; preferably, take it off your head first or your accessory may be a tad more permanent than you'd like!

You should end up with something like these lovely hats:

It's germination time again!

2011-01-10T08:25:00.002-08:00

I can't believe it! It's come around already and, (pardon the cliche) it seems like only yesterday I was nervously popping seeds into soil for the first time...

But here we are, once again; and without further ado, let me introduce you to this year's brood (Planted on 5 Jan):

Burried in there we have the following varieties:

Orange Habanero - (I loved them last season and still have a freezer full!)
Peruvian White Habanero
Yellow Pointed Habanero
Chocolate Habanero
Fatalii
Yellow Scorpion
Jamaican Red Hot
Jamaican Mini Bonnet
7 Pot White
7 Pot Brain
Dorset Naga
Bhut Jolokia
Bonda Ma Jackques
Turbo Pube
Cili Goronong Yellow
Bulgarian Carrot
CAP 253 C
Black Scorpion Tongue
SuperChilli
Limo
Baby Sweet

And if that wasn't enough to be getting on with, I still have my purple Bonsai and a Chocolate Jolokia Bhut clone - otherwise known as the "Turd Plant" (Thanks Dave!)

I made the bonsai from a C. Chinense/C.Annuum Cross. It's my first bonsai and I have to say it is doing wonderfully and it's so pretty:

It also has buds, though I assume it's very early for them to turn into pods.... we shall see!

The Chocolate Jolokia Bhut clone was sent to me by a friend called Dave who I know through a chilli grower's forum - It is also looking healthy.

Though not much was happening in terms of growth, I took the lack of wilt or signs of turning brown to mean that it was surviving; now it has just begun to grow a new leaf - happy confirmation that we are A-OK! (New leaf circled):

So all in all, a good start; what we want now is for some seedlings to sprout!
I shall update when they start to break through :-)

Chilli

2011-01-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

DR WHO Style Fingerless Gloves

2010-12-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

I recently knitted 2 Dr Who Scarves; one for a dear friend called Phill who now lives in Canada and mini version for Rob, aka him indoors :-)
It seemed only right to design a pattern for matching gloves, so here it is and here's what they look like:

The pattern is as follows:

YOU WILL NEED:

3mm needles and DK wool in the following colours: GREEN, YELLOW, RED, PURPLE, GREY, TAN & BROWN.

METHOD:

Cast on 46 sts

Using your first colour, K1 P1 Rib for 10 rows, then change colour and St-St 38 rows, making sure to change colours to get your stripes - I did: 8 Yellow, 6 Red, 4 Purple, 10 grey, 4 tan, 8 brown. Then K2 P2 rib for 30 rows, I did this in the green. You can do the stripes whatever thickness and in whatever order you like. Just keep in mind that the first rib is 10 rows, the finishing off rib is 30 rows and the st-st in the middle is 38 rows of whatever you like. Cast off loosely, (I use a larger needle) this helps keep the glove entrance wide enough to push your hand through.

MAKING UP:

sew up the seam from both the bottom and top, leaving a hole for your thumb to go through - that's it! Simple ;-)

Rob loves 'em!

How to Make a Raised Bed!

2010-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to grow garlic after my success with the chillies, but wasn't too keen on using pots; I've also been tempted to dig up my lawn here and there to make it more interesting, so I decided the best thing would be to make a raised bed for garlic, chives and whatever else I can squeeze into it!

I'm putting this little tutorial here for anyone who wants to try it the way I did it.

I used:

2 x 2.4m Gravel boards
1 x 2.4m length of timber to be sectioned off for steaks (see photo)
1 Pack of 3 inch nails
1 Roll of Weed Control matting
3 -4 Bags of Topsoil
2-3 Bags of compost
1 Measuring tape
A Hammer
A Saw
A biro

If like me, you want to put your bed on the lawn; you don't have to remove the grass, but it's worth digging it and turning it over - it will improve the drainage of the soil that'll be pretty compacted after years of being walked on. The grass will break down over time and provide the soil with nutrients...Double Bubble!!

So first of all I marked out my work area, giving enough space for the bed and a border around the edge. My Bed measures 1m x 1.4m, to make best use of the wood I've chosen.

I marked it out using skewers into the ground and then using string between them as a guide, I cut a line out of the lawn:
Then using a fork, I dug up the lawn and turned it upside down:

Now to cut the wood:
Measure and mark 1 meter along one of the gravel boards and cut across it horizontally, giving you two pieces; 1 measuring 1.4m and one 1m. This is one front piece and one side - repeat this process to get your other 2 pieces! Simple.

Then we need some steaks - Take your thinner piece of wood and make 4 pieces 11 or 12 inches long, cutting one end of each into a point:

Now the fun of knocking it all about with some nails!....My granddad would be so proud ;-)
Take one of your side pieces and attach a steak to one end:

Obviously the steak in the above pic isn't lined up with the side, make sure yours is!
Repeat this at the other end. Now attach the remaining 2 steaks to the other side piece.

Take your longer pieces of wood and nail them to the sides of the shorter pieces:

And Hey Presto! One raised bed, simple but effective (and clearly upside down, but don't worry about that for now....):

So, back to the soil, and we need to put a layer of matting over the area where the border will be to stop any weeds coming through:

Position the bed over the matting (the right way up this time!) and hammer it into the ground. I made holes in the matting so the steaks would go in easier; once it's hammered down and level, pull the matting within the frame up and over as we don't want the matting to be in the bed, only around it:

Now fill it up with the good stuff!!:

Get in there!!!:
....that's the mucky stuff over which is a bit sad really; I kinda liked it!

Using some kind of decorative stone, cover the matting around your new raised bed:

And that's it!! I finished mine off with a few ornamental odds and sods, but again; that's up to you.... mine will look nicer again once the grass around it has recovered, right now it's all trodden down and covered in mud!

I'm thrilled with my new raised bed - now I'm off to plant my bulbs!! Happy growing :-)

MAN V. FOOD

2010-08-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

How brilliant is this show? If you ask me, it's mouthwateringly good and thoroughly entertaining (and that's just Adam Richman!) we just can't get enough of it at our house!
So much so, that we decided to make a tribute to the show by frying up some heaven-sent burger delights of our own.

Obviously I reigned it in a little as I'd hate to waste a huge pile of food, but our tasty face sized treats were still mega enough to be a challenge; each containing 2 burgers, 2 sausages 4 rashers of bacon, Monterey Jack Cheese, beautiful sun-dried tomatoes, rings of fresh red onion and a beef tomato slice; all served in a frizbee sized floured bap. I went for garlic mayonnaise and a homemade chilli relish that will melt your face - Rob went for nachos :-)

Under construction:

MINE

ROB'S

It's H U G E!!

Where the heck to start?!

That's it....

Get it in! Lovely, big, fat, juicy, flavoursome goodness in a convenient hand held package:

I'm happy to report that we did it! Well.... I say we; Rob did every last morsel but I left a bit of bread :-( Heck, it was either that or Rob would be scraping bits of me from the walls and ceiling for the next week. A most enjoyable meal that should see me right for a month....

Kitty-Kat's Scrummy Chilli Recipe

2010-07-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

So here it is; a picture by picture demonstration of how I cook my chilli - no beans involved as proper texan chilli doesn't have beans apparently! It's not supposed to have tomatoes either, but I put them in because I prefer it.

YOU WILL NEED:

1kg Stewing Steak
2 Bottles of San Miguel/Dos Equis or similar
5 Garlic Cloves
2 or 3 Sticks of Celery
2 Large onions
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon of freeze dried (instant) coffee
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
50ml Balsamic Vinegar
1 Jar of Jalepenos
1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Coarsely Ground Pepper
3 Teaspoons of Chilli powder if not using fresh chillies. (For this recipe I used 8 fresh Cayenne and 2 Jamaican Red Hot peppers, straight from the plant. Firey!

Start by cubing the beef:

Here's my chilles!:

Chop the chillies, celery and onions. Chop both red and green bell peppers into short thin strips.

Heat a little oil in your pot and then fry the beef until it has browned:

Add your onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes:

Then it's time for your Celery, Chopped Chillies, Bell Peppers, Ground Cumin, Brown Sugar, Instant Coffee, A tablespoon of both Salt and Ground Pepper and the jar of Jalepenos - all in, liquid too! - You don't waste that lovely spicy juice :

Now put in your 2 bottles of beer - leave a bit in the bottom of the second bottle in case you need to add a bit more later; alternatively you could drink it!:

Bring it all to the boil for a few minutes:

And then add it to your slow cooker (Alternatively leave it on a low simmering heat on the stove)

How long you leave this is up to you, but I guarantee you that the longer you leave it, the better it will be; I give mine at least 5 or 6 hours....
By the time it's served up, the meat just falls to bits in your mouth, it really is divine!

Before serving, I blitz 2 or 3 ladlefuls in a bowl with a heaped tablespoon of flour. I then add this back into the chilli and it helps to thicken the sauce.

When the glorious time comes, Serve with rice and a lovely great dollop of soured cream:

You will spot that I have beans on my plate - that's because my fella won't eat it with beans in, he can't stand the texture. I think it's nicer with them, even if there aren't actually meant to be any in an authentic chilli! Heck.... I'll eat what I like :-)

Caerphilly Cheese Festival 2010 - Fireworks!

2010-07-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

On the last weekend in July, Caerphilly holds it's annual "Big Cheese" event which you really can't miss if you are in the area! Attracting over 70,000 people last year, families flock from all over the country to enjoy the fun that the festival has to offer. There's the funfair, reenactment displays, craft stalls selling all manner of goodies, falconry, music tents pumping out offerings from the local bands, food & drink marquees where Welsh producers gather to sell more delicious food than you can eat in a lifetime - "cakes, wine, liquers, sweets, chocolate, cheese, pickles and much more"; and of course....BEER!

However; with all that on offer, my favourite will remain the fireworks display on the opening night. Fireworks are pure magic and I'll never tire of them!

So without further ado, here are my photographic offerings for this year, made all the more entertaining by the fisher-folk who not only became my unintentional models for the evening, but also roped Rob into helping them land a monster carp!

Rob holding the net:

The girl on the right was taking a photo of the fish that her partner had just landed - The small light from her camera-phone lit the forground detail just beautifully:

I'm very happy indeed with the results and once again, a superb display by the fireworks team - Bravo!!

Nothing much....

2010-07-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

With nothing much to write about during a time when a lot of things have gone wrong, and it seems no bugger is prepared to help us, with some people even making things far worse than they could have been.... I will simply borrow the words from a quote I found today:

"Just remember, there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything and the wrong way is to keep trying to make everybody else do it the right way." ~ M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter.

....we'll just stick 2 fingers up to the bastards and remember that whatever doesn't kill us will make us stronger.... we're past caring. We'll be fine so long as we have each other.

My First Habanero Chilli

2010-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I knocked a Mustard Habanero from the plant earlier and as it seemed ripe enough, I decided to munch it. WOW. I've never experienced anything like it and am unsure of whether I'd like to do so ever again! I captured it on webcam - seemed like the right thing to do at the time!

The latest over in Chileville!

2010-07-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted an update on my chillies so here comes a virtual amble around my babies....

The wonderfully hairy Alberto’s Locoto Rocoto are in position ready to take over my patio, sprawling out like great green spiders :-) I think they are going to be my favourite this year. Also in the picture, one of the Cayennes to the right and a poorly tom middle back:

I had a bit of a disaster with my tomato plants; I think they got too damn hot in the greenhouse so I've evicted them!
Still, the tomatoes loss is the chillies gain and now they have more room to...well... grow into - I can't really say move!

MUSTARD HABANERO:

ORANGE HABANERO:

JAMAICAN RED HOT:

CORNO DI TORO ROSSO: (refusing to redden up just yet and has no new buds)

The same with the WORLD BEATER:

The purple unknown variety seem to have stopped growing any larger and the freaky fruit is reddening up:

The BULGARIAN CARROT also seems to have stalled, one or 2 pods are now going orange:

I'm sure they are fine and I'm just impatient, but it really does feel like the growth has slowed considerably.

My SANTE FE GRANDE is doing far better now it's been moved to the greenhouse:

The PRAIRIE FIRE is covered in teeny pods that look like teeth:

The ADORNO is in a similar state, though what pods are on is seem so very small - but I've nothing to compare to as no one I know is growing them; so I have to assume that whatever they are doing is right:

So that's the bulk of it, all is going well so far! I've eaten quite a few things from the garden now - the cucumbers are coming thick and fast and I've had a handful or more Cayenne peppers to cook with. I have to say it's marvelous to taste something you've grown yourself; there really isn't anything like it! I've not however, eaten any of the real hot chillis..... They'll be a while yet before they ripen. But when they do, I reckon it's going to be a trip to pain city!!

GET IN.

Beaded Bracelets

2010-06-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Not having knitted anything for a while, I decided to pick my sticks up the other day and have a go at making a bracelet I’d seen on Ravelry. A really simple concept, you just knit an I-cord on 2 small double pointed needles and add beads as you go!

My first attempt involved a mixture of glass beads and came out rather nicely:

The joy of this is that you don't have to be too precise, just sling the beads on randomly and they come out nice and funky feeling.
You have to knit a bit of chord without beads first and again at the end so that you have a nice tie to secure the bracelet around your wrist.

I had a bracelet that I bought in Prague - it was amber chips on stretchy chord; I broke it a while ago but have never brought myself to throw it away...
I'm glad of that now, as for my second attempt at the bracelet, I used golds and browns and added the chips of amber - proper job indeed!

Yes, a thumbs up for this project!

I got the idea from here:
http://slippedstitch.blogspot.com/2006/04/anti-pattern.html

Growing madness.....

2010-04-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the day that the chilli plants had their first taste of the outdoors. I must say, I think they rather liked it!

A lot has happened since my last blog and one of the brilliant bits of news is that I am now the proud owner of a greenhouse! I've been working on the assumption that the conservatory would be my only covered growing space (along with any free window-sill!) I didn't think I'd be able to get a greenhouse this year, however; It seems I was wrong and here it is:

Possibly one of the most awkward projects I've had, it was a bugger to build!
But I got there, even if I was a little dead afterwards.....

I still have 29 chilli plants, though I've started to locate new homes for a couple to free up some space. I won't be giving them away until they are in their final pots though; I want them to have the best start, wherever they end up! I also bought a hygrometer/thermometer - set it to work keeping track of the overnight readings in the conservatory.
At the lowest point, the temperature currently goes down to around 5 degrees. Not bad, but still a bit chilly to leave the plants overnight. Having said that, I really dont think it will be long!

So 29 chilli plants, 8 tomato plants:

12 cucumber plants:

And numerous flower seeds sewn.....
Busy, busy, busy!

I dread to think how much I've spent on compost... it's dirt! Fancy dirt, I'll give you that, but still dirt! It'll be worth it though. I'm going to start collecting recipes for sauces. It seems I may end up with far more chilli pods than I could ever use as I'm going along and I cant think of anything worse than just picking them off and binning them! I rather love the idea of making up batches of sauce, though I fear this is going to lead me down a path of even more projects.... There must be more to sauce making than just shoving it in a jar - I bet there's all manner of processes for making it safe and hygenic.

But the idea is in there now; no sense in resisting :-)

Chilli Update and new plants!

2010-03-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

Time for the latest on my plants! They've had a dilute feed of 'Chilli Focus' and now live in the conservatory for most of the day. It's not warm enough for them to stay in there permanently yet, so they have a little routine - under the lights in the spare room from 7am until the conservatory warms up by about 10am, then they go back under the lights for a few hours in the evening once they've been returned to the side room at about 5pm.

It's a bit of a faff, but I'm sure it'll all be worth it when I take my first bite out of the crop!!

I've also decided to plants some other bits and pieces now that I've been well and truly bitten by the growing bug; first there's the 'Tumbling Toms'- a tomato that's grown in hanging baskets and pots due to it's growing habit and has a wonderful shape:

I've plated enough for a few baskets so they can be given away to family.

Also, I decided to grow some cucumbers. I've chosen the 'Bush Champion' variety:

....not because it's a rude name, though it is rather funny, but because they have a compact habit and produce many fruits whilst living quite hapilly in pots.

So it's 'all grow' here!
::groan:: sorry about that.

:-)

Prop Off!

2010-03-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

A quick update on my plants - today found me switching off the propagator! They'll be staying under the artificial light for now, but I'll be gradually introducing them to the sun for an hour or two a day until they are ready to move to their permanent home.

I did have a bit of a situation yesterday when they suddenly went all limp! I gave them a good drenching and they are as right as rain today... hence my decision to switch off the propagator now. The heat is drying them out, especially as they are taking in water far more now than they did when they were seedlings.

I am always amazed by how well these plants bounce back after something like this, they really are quite hardy; They can be practically lying on their side and all shrivelled up - but with a good drenching and a few hours recuperation, they'll be standing tall and proud again. Now that's my kind of plant... ;-)

Kat :-) xx

I'm 29 tomorrow.....

2010-03-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Wherever did those years go.
I remember it as clear as a bell; on my 18th birthday, my father said to me: "Just wait till you hit twenty one - they'll fly by then...."
I laughed; I had no concept of how it feels when time seems to go so much quicker because you have less of it....

But there you go - you can't stop it, you just have to enjoy the ride!

I'm off out for a meal with my brother and sister, I'm not sure where yet; it'll be nice though, whatever we end up doing. The evening will be spent cuddled up on the sofa with a bottle of something nice and a good film or a few episodes of Scrubs or 'Black Books' -Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey & Tamsin Greig have to be the funniest mix ever!

I strongly urge anyone who hasn't see it to get a copy - you'll laugh your socks off, I promise you.

This will be my first birthday for a long time as a non smoker - I haven't touched a cigarette since Halloween last year.... over 4 months now, I must confess to being more than a little pleased with myself!

I'm surprised at how much healthier I don't feel though; I expected to have so much more energy, I guess maybe I wasn't so unhealthy in the first place! Though giving up does still have it's advantages - everything smells nice in the house, I don't have to go ouside if it's raining just to get a crappy fix and it is rather nice to kiss someone without worrying about how I taste...

...I leave that to the garlic now ;-)
So - 29, feeling fine, happy with my lot, that's for sure. Looking forward to many more healthy and happy birthdays!! I'm off out for a run. Bye! x

Chilli Mania!

2010-02-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had far greater success on the chilli seedling front than I had expected. Only 7 out of the 51 seeds I planted failed to germinate; leaving me with 44 seedlings!

As they were coming up to re-potting time and my propagator will take 30 small pots nicely, I made the decision to cull 14 of them. Let's be fair, 30 plants is still overkill so I won't miss the ones I've gotten rid of.

These were taken just after re-potting:

And these more recent photographs shows their current status:

The Cayennes are the biggest:

The Alberto's Locoto Rocoto are looking lovely:

How pretty is this 'Adorno' variety?!:

So it's all going well here.
Also, I suffered a case of The 'JUST....GOTTA.... PLANT IT' phenomenon.

There I was a few nights ago, making a curry - quite happily, minding my own business.....

.....that's when it got me.
It was around the time I was chopping up my chillies; first a nice green one, then a nice fat juicy red one... all of a sudden I was ramming seeds into damp kitchen roll and into the airing cupboard before I could say Jack Robinson.

I DO NOT NEED any more plants; but the urge was irresistible.

So my grow list might 'grow' again.... :-)

Thank you, Dorothy and Rob x

2010-02-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

I read something today:

"If something anticipated arrives too late it finds us numb, wrung out from waiting, and we feel - nothing at all. The best things arrive on time." ~ Dorothy Gilman, A New Kind of Country, 1978

It's perfect.

It puts into words so succinctly, something that I've been struggling to do as simply.... and without essay. At first it may seem a sombre statement, but it's so far from a sad realisation for me; It is an enlightenment that I can barely keep in. It's a confirmation that what I've felt so strongly and raged about - actually makes perfect sense.

I don't know Dorothy Gilman, but I love her for that quote. It seems anger and frustration have been the theme for so many events that have occurred in my life over the last few years. There have been long periods where I've struggled to make myself heard - verbally bashing my head against a brick wall in an attempt to be understood, to be appreciated; to be respected.

Have you ever got to that point when you realise that you've pushed so hard for something that, when it finally threatens to happen, you realise you no longer want it. It's not being spoilt, or that you don't know what you really want or that you can never be satisfied; it's that the continual fight to achieve something leaves the end result tainted. The pain, frustration and eventual exhaustion were just not worth it - the balance wasn't fair; the effort unjustified.

I have stood at the bottom of the mountain looking up; I tried my best to get to the top. At first, full of naive hope and positivity; slowly turning into a bitterness and anger that eventually gave way to indifference... and then I cried as I turned my back on what I saw was up there waiting for me... the realisation that this was someone else's mountain.

It's the pits. And what makes it worse is the paranoia that those around you believe that not only did you never make it to the top - but you didn't even try, didn't give it your all.
Well what good is giving your all when you end up spent and wasted with nothing left - there's being selfless and then there's plain stupidity. You HAVE to keep a bit for yourself otherwise what is left for somebody else to love?

The last part of Dorothy's quote also holds great weight for me.

It's true that the best things arrive on time and after all the sadness and disappointment, I realise now that I wouldn't change a thing if I could. If I'd not started that climb, I never would have experienced the view - I wouldn't have met the person I did on the way back down.

Now, there's no mountain.

Rob and I become closer after both going through divorces; we helped each other through the inevitable hardships that come with break-ups and the like, only to discover whilst doing so that actually, we are perfect for each other.

Perfect on so many levels. Ok, so there's the obvious one being we both love music and plan to start making music together,** though that is but a dusting on the already huge cake..... We're both creative, passionate and enthusiastic about the things we like; we love to talk well into the small hours about anything and everything.
**No rudeness intended; though yeah, there’s that as well ;-)

We go for walks along beaches and countryside, we drive to the shops just to nose around with no intention of buying anything.
Rob knows I love to make things, and always encourages my interests and hobbies, just as I try to bring out the things that make him tick (However; there's only so much Gary Moore I can take before I feel the need to start killing people).

We both love our food, particularly Italian, and find there’s nothing better than to share a lovely meal together with a nice bottle of something whilst watching crappy outtake television, Scrubs, Holby City, Blackadder, Red Dwarf, or one of the other many shows that we both share an appreciation of. We go on adventures… sometimes without even having to go past the front door.

But most of all, we laugh. I love a good giggle and have never spent so much time holding my stomach in pain from laughing so much. I feel comfortable in my own skin, utterly free to be myself. I don’t have to prove anything.

There is a whole new world opening up for me and I am so incredibly lucky.

There's an ocean of possibilities, let's go the whole cheesy hog and say that it's a field of dreams! I don't care, I'll crack open the bag of naff metaphors if that's what it takes to get it across; I am truly blessed.

I never thought I'd want to get married again. I thought that it should be a one time deal and who needs marriage anyway....
And now, here I am engaged to be married, doe eyed and with more vision of hope and promise than I did the first time around!! Oh no.... no tentative cynicism for me; no holding back. I'm gonna give it everything I have. Just because it wasn't right before, doesn't mean I should never be allowed to experience how it should be - in fact, after everything that has happened, I deserve a little happiness (The fact that I am now overwhelmed with it is not my fault, I don't mean to be greedy; it's just how it's turned out!!) and after all, as Dorothy said - the best things arrive on time; and now is my time.... our time.

I love him with every breath.
I just hope he knows it, and will spend the rest of my life making sure he does.

Kat - soppy, happy and overwhelmingly lucky xxx

Chilli Growing...again!

2010-01-31T02:24:00.000-08:00

Nearly a month between posts - that shall never do!
I've been rather busy as I recenlty decided to have another crack at growing chilli plants. I've tried this once before, but had rather a poor result; by poor result, I mean I killed them all.

This time, I'm determined to get some plants; I'd love to eat something that I have grown myself, I imagine that the sense of achievement must be immense. My mother and grandfather were keen growers and often, most of what was on the dinner table had come from their gardens. Obviously being a kid, I never fully appreciated the brilliance of that; I would now... but isn't that always the way? Well, it's never too late - I'm going to have a go at this home growing and experience the joy for myself!

However, I'd better not get carried away just yet - I have to grow some plants before I can even entertain eating any fruit...
So, here's the story so far:

I have the following seeds on my grow list:

Adorno
Alberto's Locoto
Apache F1 Hybrid
Bulgarian Carrot
Cayenne
Corno Di Torro Rosso
Jamaican Red Hot
Mustard Habanero
Orange Habanero
Prairie Fire
Sante Fe Grante
Worldbeater

This morning I awoke to find we have some Cayenne seedlings coming up!!:

I also have 2 loops in the 'Adorno' variety:

...both of these types were planted a few days before the other seeds so they've had a head start. I have a little while to wait before any of the other varieties show their faces.

Whilst waiting for the seedlings I've been building a lighting rig for them - they'll have more chance of success if I ply them with as much daylight as possible! I've made a holder for 3 artificial daylight bulbs - these mimic the spectrum of light given off by natural sunlight and will help to make the plants shoot up!

I just have to build a reflector now; that will hang over the light fitting. This will bounce the light down over the plants making sure they get the full benefit of the bulbs instead of the light merely lighting the whole room.

On another note, I will also have to knit a chilly toy - it only seems right to mix the two hobbies at some point!

Kat xx

2010 is here...

2010-01-01T01:59:00.000-08:00

...and if it's going to be anything like 2009 it can jolly well naff off. Actually, that's not totally fair; after all, 2009 had it's good times. Some couldn't possibly be more so and for those moments I thank my super fiancee, Rob; that's one of the year's highlights - On bended knee in my favourite Italian restaurant, the whole place (albeit 6 people) erupting into a cheer....

That was about the best and will remain so. There was also being back in my beloved Wales, closer to my friends and loved ones; happy to be back where I belong even if my being here was brought about by the failure of a doomed marriage. Sometimes, with the best will in the world it doesn't matter how hard you try. Ultimately, if it's wrong, then you chose to move on or burn yourself out trying to repair something that is un-fixable.
Unsurprisingly, in the end, the latter was more attractive to me.

There have been other trials too. 2009 found me wrapped up in unnecessary court proceedings, but I'll leave that one there..... suffice to say that I'm left standing and my conscience is clear. Also we had to say goodbye to a friend of ours in the April; he no longer wanted to stay on this earth and decided to help himself shuffle from the mortal coil. I will miss him and will never be able to watch "My name is Earl" or "The New Statesman" without a melancholy smile.....

On a lighter note, 2009 was the year of TV Burp and my birthday found me in Teddington Studios watching it being filmed!! What a cracking day; that man is so funny!!

It was also the year I became a complete knitting nutter - my super sister and I have spent so many hours sat clicketty-clacketting all manner of wonderful and sometimes quite frankly odd creations. It was also the year of the Jag, with Rob finally getting his hands on the car of his dreams. I've seen my oldest nephew run for Wales and have sat in the great hall of Caerphilly castle listening to my mother singing her heart out along with the rest of Caerphilly ladies choir.

So I suppose you could say a thoroughly mixed bag; Some life changing moments for good and for bad. (See what I did there? I made a little rhyme...)
As for new year's resolutions, I'm not making any. The only change that was important to me was to pack in the smoking, but I've already done it - I smoked my last on Halloween, so I've been free for two months already.

I won't pray for a better year ahead, for if it wasn't for some of the crud, the good stuff could never have happened. No, what I would really like for this upcoming year is 12 lovely months of astounding un-eventfulness. A period of settling; a nice pleasant drive on a long straight road; as opposed to the finger-biting-white-knuckle-stop-the-ride-I-want-to-get-off agony of last year's roller coaster.

Good luck for 2010 - may it be whatever you wish. xx

Dr Who's Tardis Spotted on Caerphilly Castle

2009-12-09T00:58:00.000-08:00

No, you're eyes do not deceive you; The Tardis is indeed parked on top of Caerphilly Castle. You can imagine my surprise when spotting this as I was strolling past, minding my own business. I've done a spot of 'googleing' this morning, but alas; no information as to what the dear Doctor is doing in my hometown. Still, it made a great shot - even if I did risk my gear as I stood there praying that the heavens would put off bucketting down on me. Lets just hope that's all he's brought here mind; I've had one hell of a year and right now I would prefer not to be caught up in some inter-dimentional battle between a bunch of planet stealing, other-world nutters... Mr Who - You may have survived all manner of nasties and made it to a whopping 903 years old, but if you want to see you 904th birthday I suggest you make sure I get a peaceful christmas.

Kitty-Kat's Kitty Hat!!

2009-11-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

It was always going to happen; a Kitty-Kat needs a kitty hat! I think this may be the last of the hats, but then I said that last time.... Once again, it's the same pattern for the basic hat shape, which can be found here: http://photokat22.blogspot.com/2009/11/kats-two-sticks-ear-flap-ski-hat.html Only this time I've added some cunning kitty ears!

You could also put on some eyes and a nose if you felt so inclined; I've decided to leave it as it is for now until I'm bored and then I may add more bits and pieces. I think it' super cute as it is :-)

For the ears you'll need to follow this simple pattern.

EARS (Make 2, unless you're a freak cat!)

Cast on 14 sts in your main colour - in my case black.

St-st 10 rows

Ssk, k10, k2tog - 12

Purl row

Ssk, k8, K2tog - 10

Purl row

Ssk, k6, k2tog - 8

Purl row

Ssk, k4, k2tog 6

Purl row

Ssk, k2, k2tog -4

Purl row

Ssk, k2tog -2

B&T tightly

Now with a groovy pink for the inner ear make 2 of the following:

Cast on 10

St-st 8 rows

Ssk, k6, k2tog -8

Purl row

Ssk, k4, k2tog -6

Purl row

Ssk, k2, k2tog -4

Purl row

Ssk, k2tog -2

B&T Tightly.

Now you have to sew one black piece to one pink.

Place a pink section on top of a black one with the right sides facing each other and oversew around the row edges making sure that the cast on edges stay in line and do not get oversewn - this is where we shall add stuffing. You will find that when you turn this inside out you will have the excess black around the edge of the pink creating a border around the top and sides of the ear.

Add a little stuffing and then place where you'd like on the hat. I put mine quite far back as they seemed to sit better, but it's really up to you. You're best bet is to put the hat on and look in a mirror; try holding the ears in different positions until you like what you see and then pin them down carefuly. Remove the hat and sew the ears down permanently.

Now... doesn't that look the cat's whiskers?! MEOW!!!

Wounded!

2009-11-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

A knitters worst nightmare...

Yesterday, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to try and hack off my index finger whilst doing the washing up. Had I remembered that I'd wanted to finish a hat project today, I would have tried for a less inconvenient appendage; such as a toe or an ear.

It didn't feel like much at the time. I felt a rough pain as I washed out what I've since discovered to be a cracked mug, however; I thought I'd failed to mutilate myself. It was only the spurting that followed as I grasped a plate from the bowl (the finger curling action opening the gash, forcing blood to pour out like ketchup) that had me grabbing for a tea-towel.

So now I sit here forced to play Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook for hours; I just can't help it - is it not the most addictive thing ever? Oh no... sorry; that would be crack.

Kat's Devilish Ear Flap Ski Hat "Two Sticks"

2009-11-25T00:28:00.000-08:00

For you little devils out there, I've added some groovy horns to my ear flap hat - If you wanna make a statement then this works! I must confess I rather enjoyed the smiles I got whilst wandering around the supermarket with this on my noggin!

So how's it done? Well, follow my pattern for the basic hat: http://photokat22.blogspot.com/2009/11/kats-two-sticks-ear-flap-ski-hat.html - this is done with just 2 straight needles; no DPNs and no circulars (I know.... I'm good to you.)

You'll need a gorgeous red chunky (bulky) wool, and a bit of stuffing for the horns to make them stay nice and upright.
Once you've made your hat, it's time to make the horns!

Cast on 3 sts
Row 1: Increase all stitches (Kf&b to end) - 6
Row 2: Purl row
Row 3:Increase all stitches (Kf&b to end) - 12
Row 4: Purl row
Row 5: Increase 1st and last st of row - 14
Beginning with a purl row, st-st 6 rows
Cast off
Repeat for your second horn.

Now sew down row edges to make the horn shape and stuff firmly. Placing your ski hat on your head, have great fun working out the best placement for your horns! You can have them sticking out of the top like mine, or they also look nifty coming from your forehead; it's up to you though! Once you've decided, pin them down (being careful not to skewer your scalp) then remove your hat and sew the horns onto the hat.

Voila! One horny ear flap hat! Great fun :-)

For the record, I have no idea what is going on with my eye in this photo; it must be that hat....... it's evil!!!

Kat's Kiddies "Two-Sticks" Ear Flap Ski Hat

2009-11-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

My goodness, what a mouthful!

But that's what it is; a mini version of the Ear Flap Ski Hat, but this one is just for kids!!

Again, this little beauty only needs 2 needles, no Circular needles and definately no dreaded DPNs!!

I've put the size as 1-2 years old, but it's quite stretchy so it is a rough guide. The picture gives you an idea - my gorgeous little model is Tom; a big thanks to him and to his parents for allowing me to publish this picture of him showing off his new hat!!

SIZE: Child 1-2 years Finished Circumference approx 18 inches.

MATERIALS
5MM Needles
Aran/Chunky Wool. I prefer chunky (Bulky) because the hat comes out thicker and therefore warmer!

GAUGE:
16 sts and 24 rows = 4 inches

ABBREVIATIONS:

k = knit
p = purl
beg = begin
k2tog = knit 2 together
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
sl = slip
St st = Stockinette
sts = stitch(es)WS = wrong side

YOU WILL NEED:
5mm Needles. Yup, that's it; just 1 pair of 5mm needles - can you believe it?!!!Chunky wool in whatever colour you would like.
The pattern is written as if it's all one colour - just change wool wherever you would like to add stripes of colour. The design also works in Aran with no need to change size, though it makes a thinner hat.

Earflaps (make 2)
Cast on 3 sts. Work in k1, p1 rib until you have a 7 inch length for the tie.

******K1, p1 rib is just knitting one then purling one then knitting one again, then purling one again and so on until you reach the end, then doing the same on the wrong side.***********

Row 1: inc1, K1, inc1 – 5 sts.

Row 2: Knit row

Row 3: inc1, K3, inc1 – 7 sts.

Row 4: Knit row

Row 5: inc1, K5, inc1 – 9 sts.

Row 6: Knit row

Row 7: inc1, K7, inc1 – 11 sts.

Row 8: Knit row

Continue as established, increasing 2 sts of each row until there are 23 sts; ending on a WS row.Slip stitches onto a spare needle or holder. Make a second Earflap the same, adding this to the spare needle/stitch holder.

Joining it all up:

Cast on 5 sts then knit across 23 earflap sts. Then cast on another 16 sts, knit across 23 stitches of second earflap and then cast on another 5 sts – 72 sts.Work even in St st until piece measures 4.5 inches above joining row, end with a RS row.

Next Row: P16, P2tog, P36, P2tog, P16 - 70 sts

Decrease for hat top:

Row 1: *K5, k2tog; rep from * across row – 60 sts.

Row 2: Purl row

Row 3: *K4, k2tog; rep from * across row – 50 sts.

Row 4: Purl row

Row 5: *K3, k2tog; rep from * across row – 40 sts.

Row 6: Purl row

Row 7: *K2, k2tog; rep from * across row – 30 sts.

Row 8: Purl row

Row 9: *K1, k2tog; rep from * across row – 20 sts.

Row 11: K2tog across – 10 sts.

Row 13: K2tog across - 5 sts.

And finally:
Cut the wool, leaving a good length tail; enough to sew down the seam. Thread the tail through remaining sts and pull tightly together to secure.
And there you have it; a cute and cuddly ski hat for the little one :-)

Kat xx

Kat's "Two-Sticks" Ear Flap Ski Hat

2009-11-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

At last!!!!! If like me, you have spent ages trawling the net for a hat pattern that does not require circular needles or the dreaded DPNs (yanking out clumps of your hair in the process) then you have come to the right place!

I have taken all the best bits from the patterns I have found and made the ultimate - only two sticks required - hat complete with ear flaps! It seems only fair to share it and hope that it saves others like me any further hair loss.

Well what are you waiting for?! Get on with it.......
ABBREVIATIONS:
k = knit

p = purl

beg = begin

k2tog = knit 2 together

RS = right side

WS = wrong side

sl = slip

St st = Stockinette

sts = stitch(es)
WS = wrong side

SIZE: Small, Medium, Large.

Finished Circumference 19¼ (20¼, 22¼) inches.

Note: The numbers in brackets are for the bigger sizes! Where you see one number, it applies to all sizes.

YOU WILL NEED:

5mm Needles. Yup, that's it; just 1 pair of 5mm needles - can you believe it?!!!
Chunky wool in whatever colour you would like. The pattern is written as if it's all one colour - just change wool wherever you would like to add stripes of colour.

The design also works in Aran with no need to change size, though it makes a thinner hat.

Earflaps (make 2)
Cast on 3 sts. Work in k1, p1 rib until you have an 8 inch length for the tie.

******K1, p1 rib is just knitting one then purling one then knitting one again, then purling one again and so on until you reach the end, then doing the same on the wrong side.***********

Row 1: inc1, K1, inc1 – 5 sts.
Row 2: Knit row
Row 3: inc1, K3, inc1 – 7 sts.
Row 4: Knit row
Row 5: inc1, K5, inc1 – 9 sts.
Row 6: Knit row
Row 7: inc1, K7, inc1 – 11 sts.
Row 8: Knit row

Continue as established, increasing 2 sts of each row until there are 23 sts; ending on a WS row.
Slip stitches onto a spare needle or holder.
Make a second Earflap the same, adding this to the spare needle/stitch holder.

Joining it all up:
Cast on 6 (8, 10) sts then knit across 23 earflap sts. Then cast on another 19 (19, 23) sts, knit across 23 stitches of second earflap and then cast on 6 (8, 10) sts – 77 (81, 89) sts.
Work even in St st until piece measures 5 (5½, 6) inches above joining row, end with a RS row.

Next Row: Purl, decrease 5 (1, 1) sts evenly across row – 72 (80, 88) sts.

Decrease for top:
Row 1 (RS): *K6, k2tog; rep from * across row – 63 (70, 77) sts.
Row 2 and WS rows: Purl.
Row 3: *K5, k2tog; rep from * across row – 54 (60, 66) sts.
Row 5: *K4, k2tog; rep from * across row – 45 (50, 55) sts.
Row 7: *K3, k2tog; rep from * across row – 36 (40, 44) sts.
Row 9: *K2, k2tog; rep from * across row – 27 (30, 33) sts.
Row 11: *K1, k2tog; rep from * across row – 18 (20, 22) sts.
Row 13: K2tog across – 9 (10, 11) sts.
Row 15: K2tog across, end k1 (0, 1) – 5 (5, 6) sts.

And finally:

Cut the wool, leaving a good length tail; enough to sew down the seam. Thread the tail through remaining sts and pull tightly together to secure.

Sew him up and slap him on yer head!!!!!!!!!!! Beautiful.

Kat xx

Light Painting Photography - A quick 'How-to'.

2009-10-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

It's extremely fun and you can be as creative as you like; everyone should do this at least once!

This is how it's done:

Wait till it gets dark. Put your camera on a tripod and set it for a long exposure. You don't need your flash if you just want the writing to show up. Press the shutter release and then, standing in front of the camera, draw something in the air with a small LED torch or a sparkler.

*****Remember: if you are writing words, you'll need to do it backwards so that it's the right way around in the shot!*****

Ok, up till now it's been dark so the only thing that will show on the image so far is the light writing/drawing, nothing of you moving around -unless you've shone your light onto yourself at any point or happen to be doing this near a street light. I prefer to do it in total darkness so I have more control over the light. To get myself in the shot and consequently some of the background also, I do everything as I have described above, but then before the shutter closes I pose and fire the flash to put myself onto the image.

That's it!!! Experimentation is key - make loads and just enjoy it :-)

Kat xx

Dramatic Michel Roux Jnr

2009-10-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help myself......
During Masterchef on Monday, we were treated to yet another dramatic face, this time from the talented Mr Roux! Anyone who hasn't seen the 'Dramatic Chipmunk' video on Youtube must think I'm off my rocker. Still I had to make a new vid for the occasion.

Enjoy, Drama lovers!
Kat xx

Dramatic Gregg Wallace

2009-10-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

I just love the 'Dramatic Chipmunk' video on you tube. If you've not seen it, it's a rather funny bit of footage of a chipmunk turning around and giving the camera a rather dramatic stare, with the theme tune to 'Young Frankenstein' played over the top; most enjoyable. As Rob and I were sat watching 'Masterchef' last night, Gregg Wallace pulled the most amazing face whilst sampling the delights from one of the contestant's plates. Thanks to Sky +, we must have watched it over 20 times, crying with laughter. I knocked up this video to go onto 'Youtube', it was just too funny an opportunity to miss! Enjoy :-)

Dr Who Scarf

2009-10-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

I've started a Dr Who scarf for my mate Phil who recently moved from England to Canada. I was amazed to find a website dedicated to the scarf, offering free patterns for each of the various scarf monstrosities that adorned Mr Baker during his time as the doctor: http://www.doctorwhoscarf.com/

Apparently, The original scarf, last worn by Tom in 'Shada', was auctioned off in 2005. The winner was a porcelain collector from Long Island, New York, called Richard Cohen. So there.. I bet you would have died had I not furnished you with that particular snippet of information.

So, here are some pictures of how I'm doing; I hope I don't run out of steam, the damn this is going to be more than twice my height! I don't think I'll be repeating this project....

I've had great fun with my sister searching out some lovely colours for it -

I tried to match them as close as I could to the picture of the original, but I've found that it's only now as I knit them that I realise just how different they become. Not to worry, I think this has a lovely feel to it and I'm sure Phil will be pleased. If not there'll be trouble; this thing ain't exactly a quick-knit!

I'm off to get some more done. Keep knitting!

Kat :-)

Nibbles the Mouse - Free Knitting Pattern

2009-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to make a mouse, for no other reason than I just wanted one!!
He's started off with an i-chord for a tail with the most amazingly pink wool I have ever seen; knitting with it nearly made my eyes bleed!

Abbreviations:

Inc Increase

K Knit

P Purl

St-st Stocking stitch

K2tog Knit 2 together

B&T tightly Break off yarn leaving a long end for sewing up later, thread it through the stitches on the needle, pull to gather tightly and fasten off.

Materials required:

3mm [no 11, USA 2] knitting needles, stuffing, 2 shades of pink and one white DK, [ 8 ply]

3mm DPNs for knitting the i-chord.

1 Pair of 7.5mm eyes.

Knit an I-chord for the length of tail you’d like; mine is 5 inches long.

Change to white and knit 1 row, increasing at the beginning and end. - 5

Next Row: inc1 K1 inc1 K1 inc1 - 8
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: inc all sts - 16
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: inc all sts - 32
Next Row: St-st 9 rows
Next Row: K7, K2tog, K14, K2tog, K7 - 30
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K7, K2 tog, K12, K2tog, K7 -28
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K7, K2tog, K10, K2tog, K7 - 26
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K7, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K7 - 24
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K7 K2tog, K6, K2tog, K7 - 22
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K3, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K4, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K3 - 18
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2 - 14
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K2 - 11
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: (K2tog) twice, K3, (K2tog) twice - 7
Next Row: Purl
Next Row: K1, K2tog, K1, K2tog, K1 - 5
B&T Tightly.

Using mattress stitch, start at the tail end and begin sewing up your mousey. The seam runs along the top of the mouse, hence using mattress stitch to hide it. Leave a gap for the filling, see below:

At this point, you'll need to decide where you'd like your eyes. Place these before adding your remaining stuffing:

Once you are happy, add your remaining stuffing and close up mousey.

Next, he'll need to be able to hear.....

How he survived this one I'll never know!!

Ears:
Make two alike:

Cast on 10 stitches with pink
Next Row: Knit
Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread this end through the stitches on needle, draw up tightly and fasten off.

Place the ears where you'd like them on the mouse, mine are placed 3 rows behind the eyes, but it's up to you; move them about until you get the face you like :-) Once you are happy, sew them down.

Super! - All he needs now is a little nose so he can find the cheese, I used a lighter pink wool than the ears and just sewed up and down to create a little nose.

And there you have it! One super-sweet, super-cute mousey!

Bring on the mices!!!!

Kat x

Ocean Photo Frame - Free Pattern

2009-07-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

My Boyfriend came home the other day and said he'd like a photo of me in a little frame to sit on his desk at work. I looked everywhere for a small one, but found nothing; then I decided it would be even better if I made one anyway! I'm putting this up as a knitting pattern as the main decoration is made up of knitted I-cords, though you'll also need:

Some card, if you can get a piece with a square or circle cut out of the middle, great; if not, you'll need to cut this out yourself (I used a photo mount)

Oddments of wool (2 different blues and a green work lovely!)

Glue

Paintbrush

Blue paint - I used metallic acrylic

Shells

Wool needle

Get your piece of card and cut a circle out of the middle, unless your lucky enough to have a photo mount hanging around like me :-)

Then paint your card so that you don't get nasty white bits showing through your wool.

Now the knitting bit, first of all you need to knit quite a long I-cord; this is no exact science, mine was about 22 inches long and I did it in the darkest colour. Once I had my cord, I glued it around the edge of the frame first:

I allowed time for the first bit to dry before continuing around the next part of the frame, then again I let that dry; it's a slower process, but its worth it - otherwise it starts to get a bit messy later! So I took my I-cord arount the edge of the frame, then once I'd got to where I had started, I folded the cord in and then followed the line of the hole in the card; again, no exact science, if you want one like mine then just follow the picture, if not go mad and create your own swirly loveliness :-) In total, I used the big I-cord that went around the outside of the frame and aperture, plus 2 lighter blue ones about 3 inches long and 2 green ones about 2 inches long.

I used the lighter blue and green smaller chords to block in the gaps, gluing them down in a swirly manner where possible:

Using the wool needle, I took the thread ends form the I-cords and pulled them through the surrounding chords to bury and hide them; this also helped to keep them in place whilst waiting for the glue to dry:

Then it's a case of grabbing your shells and gluing them down where you see fit - it looks rather good if you cradle shells in the swirls:

Glue around 3 edges of a new piece of card, cut to the same size as your frame.
Place this on the back, the non-glued edge being the side you will insert your picture so I put the dry edge at the top. Then cut a piece for a stand, glue down the first half an inch, then bend outwards to create a stand. Paint the back with your choice of paint; I used a metallic blue acrylic and an old scratchy brush which i used in circles to get a kind of brushed metal effect:

Allow to dry and then insert the photograph of your choice!!

Whilst typing this blog, I received a text from the other half: "Your photo now has pride of place on my desk. Thanks love xx"

My work here is done.

Mervin the Molar - Knitting Pattern.

2009-07-19T23:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I've joined Ravely.com. For the uninitiated, it's a community for knitters and crocheters; you can display your work and view the work of others, search patterns...etc. Whilst pottering around the site looking for something to knit from the hundreds of free patterns, I came across a few designs for a tooth fairy pillow; a little tooth shaped stuffed toy that stores a tooth overnight before it gets sneakily swapped over for coinage by mum or dad whilst 'gappy' is sound asleep. I loved the idea but wasn't so confident about knitting any of them as the patterns all looked awkward, most needing circular needles or the dreaded set of dpn's. I set myself a challenge; this was to be the first thing I would knit from scratch, no pattern....just me, my size 3mms, a ball of white and a pen and paper to write it all down if I got lucky!! Needless to say, I'm over the moon with the result hence it's apperance here. I hope you enjoy the pattern! - Please let me know if you use it - I'd love to see the results :-)

Mervin the Molar ~ The Tooth Fairy’s Friend.

Abbreviations:
Inc Increase
K Knit
P Purl
St-st Stocking stitch
K2tog Knit 2 together
B&T tightly Break off yarn leaving a long end for sewing up later, thread it through the stitches on the needle, pull to gather tightly and fasten off.

**Where you see a hyphon foll0wed by a number at the end of a row, eg) -44, it's telling you how many stitches you should have after carrying out the instructions for that row**

Materials required:
3mm [no 11, USA 2] knitting needles, stuffing, white DK [ 8 ply]
Spare needle or stitch holder

Roots
You will be making 2 the same.
Beginning at the lower end of the first root, cast on 6 sts (using white unless you are making a rotten tooth!)

1st Row - Inc Knit wise into every stitch - 12
2nd Row - Purl 1 row
3rd Row - Inc Knit wise in first and last stitch - 14

Repeat rows 2 & 3 until you have 22 sts.

Next Row - Purl 1 Row
Next Row - Beginning with a Knit row, st-st 6 rows

Break off yarn and leave the stitches on a spare needle or stitch holder. Repeat the above steps for a second root.
Once you finish your second root, do not break off yarn. Knit across the 22 stitches you have on the knitting needle and then across the 22 stitches on the spare needle - 44

Next Row - Beginning with a Purl row, st-st 3 rows
Next Row - K1 inc1 to end -66
Next Row - Beginning with a Purl row, st-st 3 rows
Next Row - K8, inc1, K16, inc1, K14, inc1, K16, inc1, K8 -70
Next Row - Beginning with a Purl row, st-st 17 rows
Next Row - K34, K2tog, K34 -69
Next Row - Purl 1 row
Next Row - K33, inc1, K1, inc1, K33 -71
Next Row - Purl 1 row
Next Row - (K2tog) 17 times, K3tog, (K2tog) 17 times -35
Next Row - Purl 1 row
Next Row - K2tog, K14, K3tog, K14, K2tog - 31
Next Row - Purl 1 row
Next Row - K2tog to end
B & T tightly.

To make up
Join row ends of each root starting from the tip upwards. With the right side of your work facing outwards, stuff roots firmly. Add your eyes to the front side of your tooth, wherever you feel it looks the cutest! Using a new piece of yarn, mattress stitch the row ends from the top of the tooth downwards, leaving a gap in the piece for stuffing. I say a new piece of yarn as you need to keep the existing piece of yarn (the one that you left when you B&T’d) for use a bit later on. Be sure to keep this earlier thread on the outside of the work and not stuff it into the toy. Now stuff your tooth firmly, padding out all the lumps and bumps until it looks suitably crown like. Once this is done, close the remaining seam with mattress stitch. Now go back to the thread protruding from the top centre of the tooth; using a needle, take this thread back down through the centre of the toy and out between the two roots, pull to indent the top of the tooth, then sew into place when happy. Bury the remaining thread back into the toy.
Now you can add a pocket to the back of your toy to place any teeth that are awaiting collection by the tooth fairy. You have a few options here, you can either keep it simple and st-st a small rectangle which you can then sew to the back, or you can do what I did;
I picked up 15 stitches where I wanted the bottom of my pocket to start and st-st’d 14 rows, giving me a flap which I've then sewn down on each side with mattress stitch. The first option is easier and far less fussy, but I prefer the neatness of the latter method.

That’s it!!

Enjoy knitting up Mervin the Molar :-)

Kat x