roman sock

Confession!

I haven't posted on Roman Sock for rather a while - but that doesn't mean I haven't been blogging... In fact I have been working on my new other blog! I wanted to get a month's worth of posts in before I shared it with anyone.... I am so nervous!

So here goes! Its called Curiosity Cute and you can find it here: Curiosity Cute

 

I so hope everyone likes it as much as Roman Sock. I started it because I wanted somewhere that I could put some of my more alternative work (like the Soul Swans above) as well as posting about how I design something and all the techniques I try and mainly fail at.

I am not going to stop blogging here but Roman Sock will be more about cute creatures and free patterns..

This is the wee guy I have just finished working on - He is inspired by the new Alice in Wonderland film - It was my first 3D film and I was absolutely bowled over by it.

 

I used a orange mohair and yellow alpaca to get a tabby effect on the fur.

You can really see it clearly here:

He is a bit of a fat cat but definitely a cuddly one. I am also spending my time making my Rhubarb scarf thanks to Tracy! It is proving very cathartic and is such a fun pattern to work as the colors make each line look completely different. I am in love with it!

It couldn't fail to make anyone cheery! I just hope I get it finished by winter - half way through now I think! My Rhubarb scarf obsession is starting to ease - Finally!

The Four Legged Bullfrog and his Gorilla

It feels like spring is finally here (apart from the snow forecasted for the next three days) so I thought I would pop out and see what I could find in the garden. There were some very strange creatures! Not your usual Scottish garden crowd.

You can read a bit more about our garden creatures in my other half's blog LittleGreen. I am very pleased she has finally joined the blogging world - unlike crochet obsessive me she is a knitting whiz with a story or two about homicidal squirrels and is far more eloquent than I could ever be.

This little chap was the first creature that caught my eye - and unlike my usual frogs he has four legs. I have for some reason found it difficult to crochet more than two legs on a frog without ruining its innate froginess -but this little guy was different. Maybe it has something to do with his bull frog proportions. No hiding behind a daffodil for him!

 

Although for a frog he seems a little flirty - maybe he is trying to tell us he is really a prince... pucker up!

Then continuing on my journey I spotted something rather ugly and a little surprising in the undergrowth.

 

I initially thought it must be a Gorilla - but in Scotland? In April?

I am very conflicted by this little creature - I don't usually find Gorillas very cute and cute is really my inspiration. Instead this amigurumi is a bit forbidding. Not very cute at all...

I wasn't really sure about sharing these pictures, but I was also not sure that I would ever try to make a Gorilla again - and I can't see a clear path of what I would do differently so I thought I would go ahead.

The close up! Eeek.

Finally I wanted to thank everyone so much for being so nice about my book. It means so much to me that people seem to like it and that these wee creatures bring a bit of pleasure to people.

Thank you so much for bringing just so much happiness to me. I am bowled over.

The Squirrel Pattern, The Book Has Landed and a new Kitty

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for your appreciation over the years. Just to let you know I have relaunched the Roman Sock Shop and you can now find it at romansock.com.

Long post title! The first thing to say is the after much delay the Squirrel Pattern is now available! You can buy it here. I am so sorry it took so much time to get to you - its just been a very very busy time.

 

I really hope you like it - It is a very detailed step by step guide with new pictures! and beautiful graphics by my beloved.

 

In book news - Super Super Cute Crochet was released today!!! Yay!!! I have a signed copy to give away to one of my blog readers - Simply post a comment and I will pick the winner with a random generator, I would really love it if you would include an idea for a super challenging amigurumi. I am in the mood to make something impossible.

Thank you all so much for your support over the years. It means so much to me - I am completely in shock - When I actually held the book in my hands it suddenly seemed real. It's actually a real book - how bizarre!

We also have an adorable new addition to our family - a 12 week old kitten called Sweet-pea, although we can't stop calling her Little Kit. She is adorable, full of fun and all she seems to do is eat, play and poo!

She joins the Great White Betty and Boobler to make our little Kitty family.

The Great White Betty

  Sweet Baloo

An announcement and a toad pattern

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for your appreciation over the years. Just to let you know I have relaunched the Roman Sock Shop and you can now find it at romansock.com.

Thank you so much for all the kind words about the little toads you can find the pattern here: Download toad.pdf

I have been thinking about trying to get some of my patterns published for a while and I am pleased to announce the next issue of Simply Knitting...... (The UK's Biggest Knitting Magazine) will have a pattern in by me! I am excited beyond words!!! They also choose me as their Friday recommended blog which was just amazing!

Below is a sneaky peak of the item... I hope you like it - its an old fashioned Christmas pud, that doubles up as a handy work bag.

 

To keep up to date with things that I have going on...you could join my mailing list - I have now added a link to the top of the right hand side bar. I will email when new patterns are published, there are any give aways or anything exciting happens - but not too often.

Is this too much attitude from a bird?

Does he make me a fully paid up member of the pink club? I think he shows pink can be cool - in context ;-)

he is a very cheeky chappy

with a penchant for posing

and lots of attitude!

I do love birds!

Lucky Happy Panda Cub

Finally I have had a little time to crochet! At last!! Meet my new little sweetie.

crawling along

smiling

chowing down

and just being cute

I was very lucky to live in China during the early 80's when I was a little kid. China was heavily communist and there were very few westerners, we were often the first white people locals had ever seen. When we went to the market (After a couple of hours on a bus) hundreds of people would queue up to touch my brothers hair (which is bright red - especially lucky!).

I am reading the book Getting Rich First in a Changing China, it makes me sad to realise how many old treasures are lost. But innovation always shines through. I remember drinking a bottle of coke cola in little shack bar in the middle of communist China in early 80's, now that is ingenuity - the bar was made of found bits and pieces! How the coke got there I will never know.

Teeny weeny

I have been snowed at work so have had no time to do anything! But as ever my fingers have been itching to crochet, but it had to be tiny and quick! So these teeny weeny cupcakes were born.

and just to show how tiny, a magic balancing shot!

the lone cupcake a delectable little bite

and just for fun the group shot!

I had a interesting experince the other night. I went to see the Merchant of Venice in the Botanic Gardens. It sounded lovely, Shakespeare a balmy night... the magic of dusk. The reality was starkly different, Scotland is never balmy and the play was long - very long. My bum was frozen.

This pic sums it up perfectly!

 

A very British frog

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for your appreciation over the years. Just to let you know I have relaunched the Roman Sock Shop and you can now find it at romansock.com.

This is a very British frog, inspired by the Cumbrian countryside and Elisabeth The Golden Age (Hmmm Elisabeth, tenuous link! But made be proud to be a British - it's amazing the things our ancestors did to protect theses shores)

He is just the Tree Frog body with the Frog Pin Cushion legs! Super quick and super cute.

I also went to Woolfest!! It was super - It took about two hours to get down there, but well worth it! Lots of adorable sheep!! But these little darlings were my favorite!

and if you have ever wondered why there is so much straw in yarn, here is your answer!

and finally the obligatory beauty shot!

Elephants - cute and practical!

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for your appreciation over the years. Just to let you know I have relaunched the Roman Sock Shop and you can now find it at romansock.com.

In the spirit of practical amigurumi, and there is nothing more delightful than something cute and practical, I thought I would solve my annoying problem of the moment with a little bit of crochet.

If I wear my ring at night, I end up scratching myself or my other half, but if I put it on my bedside table I lose it! .... What to do? Ahhh crochet....

I made this mini version of my pocket elephant pattern. I used Jaeger Silk so he is lovely and soft, but gave him a heavy weight inside so he wouldn't run away. He is teeny weeny and my ring just slips on him!

He makes a friendly additon to my bedside table

 

and like all elephants loves nosing about...

I hope this post is readable as typepad seems to have gone bonkers! I am off to email them to see what's up!

Little Acorn Pattern and a Plea

Hi everyone, Thank you so much for your appreciation over the years. Just to let you know I have relaunched the Roman Sock Shop and you can now find it at romansock.com.

Thank you again for all the wonderful comments about the Little Acorn for Sock Knitters!!! How chuffed am I!!! The pattern is now available to download here: Download little_acorn.pdf

Some of you have kindly told me you would pay for it!! Which is just amazing but I have kinda been planning to keep my patterns free, so maybe one day if I am very lucky and get to write the crochet book of my dreams you would prehaps buy that instead...

But this time, if you like the pattern there is something you could do. My friend Bri from Figs with Bri has been diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, some of her friends have gathered together to start a fundraiser beacuse her medical insurance does not cover all the treatments she would like to have. You can read more about it here. They are trying to raise $12000 dollars, I would really apreciate it if you could possibly spare a few dollars that you would donate to Bri instead.

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,  and all my love goes out to you Bri!

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I have been having some fun with the pattern and came up with this alternative

Its strawberrytastic!! But could easily be adapted to other fruits and who knows what else!!

Have fun!!