Finally another one!

I have finally made the second 'Slip for Lippy' make-up bag (call this a pattern test if you like) and it worked! So now you have no excuses not to make one haha...

This was an attempt at a stash bust, but the bag uses up only tiny scraps of yarn... I will need to make a few more to shift all the stuff that is in too small a quantity to make much else! The pattern is the second ever post on this blog, if you haven't found it on Ravelry in pdf form

Almond Macaroons

I  have recently become very addicted to these Almond Macaroons. They are so quick to make- which means that they get eaten quickly too...

You need:

1 egg white
85g ground almonds
85g caster sugar (golden or whatever)
1/2 tsp almond extract
Some almond halves if you really want

Put your pinny on, wash your hands and get the oven on 180 C (gas mark 4..?)

1. Beat the egg white until frothy (looks like saliva mmm!)
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients
3. Squash it all up into a dough
4. Roll up about 12 little balls from the dough and put on a baking sheet
4a. Pop an almond half on top of each one, if the mood takes you
5.Bung in the oven for about 15-20 mins (until pale golden)

Try and have the patience to let them cool down before scoffing the lot with a pot of tea.

Get someone else to do the washing up :-)

Hill for PM- legalize!!

Superbear! (not to be confused with Superman, or Superted...)

Ok, so the Makka Pakka project has gone into hibernation since I was told that a certain 3 year old had outgrown such babyish things, and was now obsessed with Superman. Challenge! I have no idea how to make a person look realistic though the medium of knitting, so decided not to and made a Superbear instead. (this would also avoid having to figure out how to do hair - and that little curl on Superman's head that makes people not recognise he is Clark Kent. Stupid people)

Anyway, I had used a bear pattern before with some success, so decided to base Superbear on that. I would have made Superted, but the kids don't know who he is these days- or Spotty man or Texas Pete! The shame! I digress... Here he is:

So, I used the Bitsy Bear pattern by Yvonne Boucher, from Knitting Pattern Central (super-organised Ravelry people can go here instead). The bear is basically the same, I just used different colours for his boots and paws so he looks like he is wearing the Superman suit. I did the 'S' logo on the fly- which is probably why you need to squint a little to see it properly! I will write it out if anyone really wants it.

The ever-important 'pants on the outside' were made in the same way as the pants in the pattern, except I needed to  make them a bit shorter so they didn't cover the 'S' logo. After all that I made a rectangular cape in garter stitch, crocheted around the edges and then he was good to go! (Ravelry project page here if you want to have a further nosey).

And he can fly, by the way.

Wonky Makka Pakka

OK, so I tried making Makka Pakka. Totally improvised, wrong colour, wrong shape- basically just a brown blob. So, I made notes about what to change for the second one in the hope that it might be a pattern worth sharing!

What did my little niece do when she saw it? Jumped up and down, yelling 'MABBA BABBA!!' and then proceeded to thrust the brown blob thing in everyone's face to show them 'Mabba Babba'. I suppose she recognized it! A one year old's imagination is obviously far more active than mine... but she loves  it to bits, which is great!

I'll have a bash at mark 2 soon... here is the picture of the first one, for your entertainment!

And here is what Makka Pakka actually looks like...

A few days off soon = a new pattern or two?

I am nearly at the end of the recent batch of evil, nasty, near-impossible assignments with FAR too much maths in them, and my thoughts have turned to what nice things I can do when I have finished...
Once I get over the inevitable hangover after the last hand-in, and caught up on sleep (oooo... how I have missed it!) I might have a day or two to do something crafty...

I have made mittens and hats and gloves and scarves during the snowy period... now it has all melted, and I am wrapped in all kinds of wool, I think I will make some toys with all the left-overs and oddments (they have started to take over my wardrobe!)

I am thinking, sock puppets? With button eyes ( I seem to have a whole bag of 'spare' buttons from clothes I don't seem to have anymore...)

Or perhaps a Makka Pakka from 'In the night garden' for a 1 year old girl who is a little obsessed... I can only seem to find crochet patterns for the slightly disturbing kid's TV character, and I am utterly shit at crochet! So, watch this space and see how I get on with my rare couple of days chilling out! Lets hope the beer doesn't totally take over...

Coffee Bean Cafetiere Cosy

Coffee Bean Cafetiere Cosy


Ravelers go here for a neat and tidy PDF.

Knit flat, then seamed above and below the handle. Stitches are picked up under the handle so you can button it up. If you like, you can omit the spout hole.

This design is based on an 8 cup cafetiere. It's basically a rectangle, so adjustment for different sizes should be straightforward...

It is helpful to measure your cafetiere with a tape. You will need to know the circumference, height from base to spout, height from spout to the top of the lid (or radius of the lid) and the height from the bottom of the cafetiere to the bottom of the handle, and the top to the top of the handle. It sounds a lot, but every cafetiere is different and knowing these measurements will ensure a good fit.


I used some ‘fluffy’ yarn around the base of the cafetiere, but normal yarn will do just as well.

With 4mm needles, cast on 80 stitches. (or adjust to your size of circumference measurement , just keep it an even number. NB, the coffee bean pattern is a multiple of 10 stitches) If you are using fluffy yarn, you may need to cast on fewer stitches and then increase to 80 when you switch to normal yarn, if the fluffy yarn is a lot thicker.

Work 2 cm in K2, P2 rib, ending with a WS row.

Work about 7cm in st. st. Stripe however you like.

Starting with a RS row, attach 2 different yarns (A and B) to begin coffee bean pattern. (Alternatively, continue striping for 11 rows)

NB diagram available on Ravelry pattern- not sure how to put it on here sorry!

Coffee bean pattern:-

Row 1: *K12A, K12B* repeat 3 times more, to the end of the row

Row 2: * P4A, P2B, P4A, P4B, P2A, P4B* repeat 3 times more

Row 3: *K3A, K1B, K1A, K2B, K3A, K3B, K1A, K1B, K2A, K3B* repeat 3 times more

Row 4: *P2A, P2B, P2A, P2B, P2A, P2B, P2A, P2B, P2A, P2B* repeat 3 times more

Row 5: *K1A, K3B, K1A, K4B, K1A, K1B, K3A, K1B, K4A, K1B* repeat 3 times more

Row 6: *P1A, K3B, K2A, K3B, K1A, K1B, K3A, K2B, K3A, K1B* repeat 3 times more

Row 7: *K2A, K3B, K2A, K1B, K2A, K2B, K3A, K2B, K1A, K2B* repeat 3 times more

Row 8: *P2A, P1B, P2A, P3B, P2A, P2B, P1A, P2B, P3A, P2B* repeat 3 times more

Row 9: *K3A, K1B, K2A, K1B, K3A, K3B, K1A, K2B, K1A, K3B* repeat 3 times more

Row 10: *P4A, P1B, P5A, P4B, P1A, P5B* repeat 3 times more

Row 11: *K12A, K12B* repeat 3 times more, to the end of the row


Tricky bit done!

Work another 2 or 3 cm in st. st. stripes (this should be to the bottom of the spout)

To shape for spout:

With a RS row: K40, cast off 1,turn

Next and every alternate row: Purl all stitches to end, turn.

- K18, cast off 2 stitches, turn

- K16, cast off 2 stitches, turn

- K14, cast off 3 stitches, turn

- Purl to end of row, cut yarn and slip stitches onto a stitch holder

Attach yarn at the other end of the row, cast off 1 stitch, knit to end of row

Next and every alternate row: Purl all stitches on needle, turn

- Cast off 2 stitches, knit to end of row

- Cast off 2 stitches, knit to end of row

- Cast off 3 stitches, knit to end of row

- Purl all stitches on needle, cut yarn

Slip stitches on holder back onto the needle, attach yarn at beginning of the row.

Knit to the spout shaping, cast on 16, knit to end of row.

Work about 2 cm in st. st. stripes , to reach the top of the cafetiere (bottom of the lid).



Shape for top:

*K18, K2tog* repeat to end of row

Purl all stitches on every purl row

*K17, K2tog* repeat to end of row

Continue shaping evenly in this way for about 5 or 6cm. (This is the radius of the top of the cafetiere, reduce/increase this length as necessary)

Next Row: *K2tog* repeat to end of row

Next Row: Purl all stitches

Eyelet row: *K4, yf K2tog* repeat to end of row.

Work another 2cm in st. st. stripes. Cast off.

For the finishing touches, it is helpful to have the cafetiere to hand as you can ‘try it on’ and make as much ribbing as you need. If you aren’t the lucky owner of said cafetiere, the following instructions should do the trick anyway...

With 3 dpns, pick up and knit 10 stitches on either side of the spout opening, and 16 stitches across the top. Work 4 or 5 rows in K2, P2 rib. Cast off.

Sew up seam from the top of the cosy to about where the top of your handle begins (anywhere between 2 and 10 cms!)

Sew up seam from the bottom of the cosy to about where the bottom of your handle begins (around 2-4 cm)

Pick up and knit around the handle with 4 dpns (4 stitches top and bottom, about 30 stitches at the sides)

Work 3 rows in K2, P2 rib.

Keeping to rib pattern, create button hole in the centre of one of the sides by *yf, K2tog*

Work another couple of rows in rib (enough to join up with button under your handle) Cast off.

Sew on a nice, shiny button.

Knit a 3 stitch I-chord to fit through the eyelets. (knot at each end to stop it falling out)

Get the kettle on! (and a cake.. you deserve it after all that hard work :-) )