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