Since the name of my blog/shop is pixelated mushroom, I thought it was about time I actually made a mushroom!



This is a crochet amigurumi mushroom - as you can see, there are some gaps between the stitches and the white thread shows through where it shouldn't.



My Doctor Whos have stalled a little, I'm so busy that i haven't had time to sort out what I need to take on the train to complete them. I have been working on patterns and there should be one finished this week however :)

Oh, and the favourite Doctor Who poll over on the right there ends in 2 days - it has been quite interesting. Christopher is lagging far behind (which surprises me) and Peter Davison and Tom Baker are catching up to David Tennant :)

I had a nice weekend away, although didn't get through most of the things I had hoped to find time to do. Daylesford was much as I remembered, although the second-hand book shop now has a coffee shop inside it (think Black Books :p) and there was a particularly tasty bakery in the main street.

The B&B (which was missing the second B) was ok. It was also a little odd in that the owners could rarely be found (when we arrived, and even when we were going to pay them for our stay)

On our trip I made a start on some new fingerless gloves, this time inventing a fair isle pattern of a tree to go on the back of the hand.



Recording the pattern on a chart is hurting my brain, and I just realised I have written some of it wrongly, but I hope to at least finish one glove this week.



Oh, and we also visited the Chocolate Mill near Daylesford where we got these cute chocolates - om nom nom!

I'm taking a little bit of time off work this friday and monday to get away for the weekend and have some rest. We're going to drive to Daylesford and wander around there a bit - I hope it won't rain!

I hope to get the world's most awesome slurpie/ice drink on the way there! (Granita from Coles Express :p - flavours include flavours Apple Blast, Citrus Twist, Tropical Splash, and Strawberry Bliss) I love slurpies!!

Oh, and I finally gave in and got this from DELiciousDesignz last night :) Del also has an Etsy Shop here with more lovely things.

This is what I am currently up to :)
Doesn't look very pretty yet but the squares are portable and I just don't have time to sort out different projects to pack in my bag each day.



Hoping that before I get bored I will make enough of them to sew together and make something pretty



This is my made-up square pattern in case anyone is interested.

Abreviations
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
hdc = half-double-crochet
sk = skip over one stitch in the base row before inserting hook

Pattern
1) Magic circle 12

2) Chain 1 to raise row height,
sc1, hdc-inc, x 4
slip1 to connect to row beginning = 16

3) Chain 2 to raise row height,
hdc2, ch3, x4
hdc1
slip1 to connect to row beginning = 28

4) Chain 2 to raise row height,
hdc4, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc8, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc8, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc8, ch3 returning to same st, hdc3
slip1 to connect to row beginning = 44

5) Chain 2 to raise row height,
hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch3 returning to same st,
hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch1, sk1 & hdc1, ch1, sk1 & hdc2, ch3 returning to same st, hdc to end of row,
slip1 to connect to row beginning = 60

6) Chain 2 to raise row height,
hdc9, (ch1, hdc1, ch1) into one st,
hdc16, (ch1, hdc1, ch1) into one st,
hdc16, (ch1, hdc1, ch1) into one st,
hdc16, (ch1, hdc1, ch1) into one st, hdc to the end of the row
slip1 to connect to row beginning

7) Chain 1 to raise the row height,
sc10, sc3 into one stitch,
sc18, sc3 into one stitch,
sc18, sc3 into one stitch,
sc18, sc3 into one stitch, sc to the end of the row
slip1 to connect to row beginning

I love knitting fingerless gloves :) These blue ones are the first thing I have knitted using 4 needles - they were quite difficult to get used to, but no sewing is required afterwards which is wonderful.







Definitely time for bed now, it's been a rather lame week :s

Download this pattern now from the pattern page
--
Even though I made this little guy first I only just got around to finishing his pattern instructions the other night.

I have now added the pattern to my Ravelry designer page also.

I think I'll do the patterns for Tom or David next :) Sneak peak of Tom:

__________

See all posts about Doctor Who
__________

Just wanted to say how much I am enjoying Ravelry at the moment :)

It's a beautifully designed site/community that provides a place for knitters and crocheters to add their personal projects, patterns, and future (queued) plans - as well as join in with groups and a network of favourited projects.

I love the way everything is linked together on Ravelry (projects, blog posts, images (from flickr or other sources), patterns, groups etc.) And the layout really shows everyone's work as beautiful!

I have added my list of projects to my profile and I really love how colourful my page looks and how happy all my creations look together on display:
(click the image for a closeup)



And also added my patterns for sale through the Ravelry downloader which seems to be a great system so far. It allows you to upload the PDFs so that anyone buying will pay through paypal and then immediately be able to download the file :)



If you're on Ravelry too, add me as a friend, I'd love to see your projects page :)

Time for bed now - trivia tomorrow night then juggling the next night - lots of late nights zzzzz

Well I'm back from Juggling Camp and am completely exhausted - it was quite fun, I really enjoyed the first day and used my new cathedral wick fire poi for the first time :D and they turned out awesomely :D


They are much bigger than my last pair (which I lost on a train :( ), and I think they will make some nice photos. Didn't get any great photos this time around, but hopefully next time.


Found the last day of camp a bit too exhausting and walked into the bush to get some quiet time - sitting in the middle of the trees and doing some crochet for most of the morning - listening to lots of bird sounds :)

Have been writing up lots of procedures (which I love doing) at work for the new people who are starting this/next week, so not sure how much pattern instruction I'll feel like doing - but hopefully I can get another doctor done by the end of the week.

I'm going to see UP in 3d tonight :) looking forward to it