How to knit a very quick scarf.

So it was more out of boredom than anything else, and the fact that I wanted to use the super bright orange yarn I had, that I made this scarf last night! (yes, that is my toilet behind me... sooo maybe I haven't quite got this whole blog photo-taking thing down just yet...)

It honestly didn't take me more than a couple of hours, but I think that was mostly due to the video tutorial that I watched to learn it. So here it is!

(Huge thanks to CyberSeams for posting the tutorial, it's so clear and easy to follow!)

If you are a knitter, it can be a little un-nerving dropping the stitches off the needle (well it was for me anyway). But once you get going it is so easy, I hadn't even realised when I had finished it, and almost made it too long.

I think it looks really great in neon colours, but I bet it would look amazing in dark or pastels as well.

Like I said, it was mostly boredom that prompted me to do this, and since Summer is in full swing here I don't imagine I'll be wearing it anytime soon. But at least it's something to look forward to in my Winter wardrobe :)

Childrens Cartoon Animation

This is a little transitional clip that I animated for a children's show, it was really fun to make. (p.s. the audio is rough)

And here are some of the sketches if anyone's interested... :)

Crochet Kitchen Floor Rug

My flat doesn't have a separate kitchen area, so when I cook quite a bit of mess gets on the carpet..... We decided that we needed a rug, but instead of going out and buying one like a normal person, I decided to try and crochet one.

After spending days looking around the net for a pattern I liked, I chose to wing it and see what I could do! The basic idea was to make a chain about 40 chains long, and then crochet around and around, with increases at each end.

It took a while, and a few un-do's before it began to lay flat, but I got there in the end. If you make too many increases, your rug or circle will become wavy, and if you make too few, it will begin to form a basket. 

I'm really very pleased with how it turned out. If I could do it again, I'd probably make it out of a tougher yarn, as it is really very soft and I usually don't even realise I'm standing on it!

This is the yarn I used, it's an 8 ply with variegated browns, grays and tans. I doubled it up with a black 8 ply acrylic and used a 5mm Size H hook.

All in all it didn't take long to make (if you don't count the un-do's and re-starts :/) and I'd love to make a bigger one in the future. Definitely cooler than just going out any buying one... and cheaper too :)

Chilli Progress!

Photo progress of my Chilli seeds.. (this a been a seriously fun learning experience!)


Sown 9th Jan 2014:

They sprouted on the 17th of Jan but I didn't get a picture.

Tall leggy seedlings on 27th Jan. They had been left by a sunny window under a plastic bag for a week or so while I went on holiday..... Bad I know.. But they survived!

I re-potted them on the 29th Jan into plastic cups with holes in the bottom, and I buried them as deep as possible to counteract the legginess.

And now on the 3rd Feb they seem to be loving the new arrangement!

I've been experimenting with putting them under a lamp at night....

But I can't tell if it's making a difference, or they are just growing faster since they were re-potted... Either way they seem to be happy. I lost a few of the seedlings that struggled more due to the mold that developed when they were under the plastic, lesson learnt for next time.... AIR FLOW!!!

All in all pretty happy with them, now to just wait a few more weeks and they should be ready for their bigger pots.