Too Whit Too Woo

 

Is it my imagination or are there owls everywhere! We seem to have gone from birds to owls.... Mmmm that sounds all wrong, I mean an owl is a bird right? Are you getting me, or thinking I am being a nut job again! Right on with the today's ramblings.....

I have always loved owls, they are cute, those huge doleful eyes are just gorgeous, they are quiet, you hardly ever see them except for the crafty net at the moment! They are every where as I have mentioned.... I have been wanting to make an owl for ages but the right pattern has jut never been around and to be honest.... Buying a pattern on Esty, that is probably a of copy of a copy.... just doesn't do it for me!  Do you remember me chatting a few posts ago - here - about wanting to create my own patterns!  You do?

Well I am  proud to say that although it is a very small pattern , I FINALLY sat down and wrote a pattern!  A tiny little owl pattern! Now I cannot lie and say this is my idea - but it is my pattern. I saw a picture of this item on a beautiful blog called Repeat Crafter Me! I was going to go back for her pattern but decided the time was right for me to try on my own! I am very excited because although it was difficult ,I muddled through,  it was time consuming, very time consuming... I had to write everything down as I had did it, if I didn't I would  simply forget what I had done, and have to pull it all out and start again!

Let me also tell you that I made this little baby toy, because I am surrounded by friends all popping out little bundles of joy! I would love to have made them all baby blanket however time is a little bit of an issue when they all due round about the same month!(And you all know I take ages to finish blankets - being as I am very easily distracted!) So a small something was in order - a baby toy!

So if you can wait and not scroll down to the bottom to see my big old TA DAH!!! Here is my first ever pattern!

BABY OWL RATTLE TOY!
You will need:

A Wooden Curtain Ring
Brown Wool
Scraps Wool
Stuffing
Bells
Buttons

Abbreviations:(I have use UK crochet speak)
 Slip Stitch - sl st
Double Crochet - dc
Half treble - htr
Treble  - tr

For the Ring
1. Measured out about 10 meters of brown wool then doubled it up!
2.Tie the wool firmly to the ring with a knot(as in the picture below)

3.Double  crochet around the ring(see picture below)

4. Continue all the way around, make the dc stitches tight around the ring, so that there are no gaps.
5.When you have gone all the way around, sl st into the first dc stitch, then cut off and weave the thread into the ring! Set aside

 

Baby Owl Body
Row 1.  Chain 2
Row 2.  dc 6 stitches into the second chain from the hook
Row 3.  2 dc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Row 4.  1 dc crochet into the first stitch, 2 dc into the next stitch, repeat (18 stitches)
Row 5.  2 dc into the next 2 stitches, 2 dc into the next stitch, repeat ( 24 stitches)
Row 6.  Row 6 - 11 dc around all 24  stitches(here is where you can make your owl bigger)
Row 7.  2 dc into the next 2 stitches then dc 2 tog repeat ( 18 stitches)
Row 8.  1 dc into the next stitch then crochet 2 tog (12 stitches) End here with a sl st - leave a long tail
Row 9.  Stuff firmly
Row 10.Sew the top of head closed, sew 3 or 4 stitches on each end of the owl to create pointy ears(see  3rd picture below)

Owl Body

End Off and Stuff

Sew Long Stitches to Create Ears

Wings(make 2)
Chain 2 , 2 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook, the 4 tr into the same stitch

A Tiny Wing

Eyes(make 2)
Row 1.Chain 2,
Row 2. 6 dc into the 2nd stitch from the hook.
Row 3. Slip stitch around the entire eye, end and sew end in in

Tummy(make1)
Row 1. Chain 2
Row 2. 5 dc into the 2nd chain from the hook
Row 3. 2dc into each stitch(10 stitches)

Leaves 
(Large)
Chain 7
Work around the chain - 2x dc, 2x htr,2x tr, 4 tr into the last chain, now back down the other side 2x trb,2xhtb, 2xdc, sl st to end
(Small)
Chain 5
Work around the chain - 2xdc, 2x htr, 4xtr into the last chain, now back down the other side 2x htr 2x dc ,sl st to end

To make up

1 .Sew the eyes on - quite close together(mine just touched each other) with a little black yarn create   the owls pupils.

2. With some yellow yarn sew a tiny beak onto the owl, I just sewed a small triangle touching the bottom of the eyes

3. Sew the wings on either side of the owls body, stretch the point of the wing out a little to create a longer wing.

4. Sew on the tummy

5. Sew the owl to the ring that you created in the beginning, use brown yarn and pass the yarn under the ring, sew it very firmly.

5. Sew the leaves on where you want them, I was going to put a crochet flower on, however I used these gorgeous flower buttons, I first sewed them on then glued them on(it is for a baby after all)

6.Lastly I added a small bell to the side of the owl, just a tiny little noise for a tiny baby toy!

 

DONE!! TA DAH!!!!

 

I am pretty darn impressed with myself, to say the least! I know it works because I crocheted it again twice and am soon going to be making yet more......Because the stork has been ultra busy here is the fishing village,  more babies are on their way! I had better getting crocheting......xxx 

 

The Workings

 

PS: Please remember that the idea was not mine, however the pattern is. If you try it and find any mistakes PLEASE forgive me, but please let me know!
PSS :       For all you US peeps -  UK dc = US sc
                                                      UK htr = US hdc
                                                      UK tr   = US dc

What-A-lot-I-Got....

 

Biscuits are my down fall...... I really have a serious passion for them! I can eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea and midnight snacks.... Well anytime really! What sort of biscuits, well ANY sort, oaty, ginger, spicy, shortbread, chocolaty(yummy) I REALLY like crunchies(all those oats, nuts, coconut) Oooo it's enough to send me scurrying to the kitchen instead of typing this post!

 

So it follows that there are always ALWAYS biscuits in my home......Well almost always.... Over the last week or 3 I cannot seem to keep my biscuit jar full, you see I have discovered the yummiest recipe, and to be honest it is not me dipping my grubby little paws into the jar...... No not me - my voluptuous rear end has expanded ever so slightly (yet) again and I am trying hard to ignore the pleas of 'eat me, eat me' as  I pass by the cookie jar..... The culprit is LSO(  my long suffering husband!) Yes indeedy , LSO!

 

Apparently they are very good and very moreish!  I call them the What-A-Lot-I-Got Cookies. So called because you have to use Smarties(lots and lots and LOTS of Smarties) Smarties are the sort of equal to M&M's, only better in my opinion! Years ago the marketing for said Smarties was 'What I lot I got!' It should have been what I lot I had.....I can devour them really fast... hence the had not got! Oh gosh this is getting complicated!

 

The recipe I hear you all cry...... With pleasure......

   

Smarties

What A Lot I got Cookies

1 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White sugar
1 cup Butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
2 3/4 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Smarties

* Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
* Mix the brown, white sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla essence until well mixed in a large bowl
* Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the Smarties last
* Roll into balls and flatten slightly with a spoon.(makes about 30 small cookies)
* Bake for 8-10 minutes( my next batch I baked for longer to give a bit more colour)
* Remove from the baking tray immediately - allow to stand(if you can)

And the  - APPLY TO MOUTH!!!

Adding The Smarities

Before being Baked

After Baking

And so another cookie recipe has been added to my already burgeoning cook book! I was thinking, I really should write a recipe book, well a Cookie Book! When ever I think I have found the ultimate cookie recipe.... BOOM!  Yet another one pops ups! Another recipe that sends me scurrying to the kitchen in pursuit of the ultimate and final cookie recipe.......Oh dear ,so many Cookies, so little time... xxx

Applying To Mouth!  

PS: Yu can use an electric mixer for the first part of the mixing, however combine the last bit by hand. It becomes a lovely thick dough

Magical Kingdom

When Little Madame was born, I said to LSO, I really want to take her to Disneyworld. I mean really can you imagine being little and seeing all the princess's and prince's, the wonderful characters that you dream about as a little person....Since Little Madame was very little (1 or 2) she has loved Ariel the Mermaid, sung the songs from Snow White and pretended to be a different princess every week!

It was our biggest wish and dream, as parents to take her to this special and magical kingdom.....

 

So when LSO was told that he was to attend a training course in the USA, we were on it like white on rice! We visited Theresa our trusty travel person and tickets and accommodation to this Magic Kingdom were duly booked!

 

Now I am going to let the pictures do the talking again, to try and put into words, what this incredible and wonderful trip was like..... Well I just would not do it justice, I have also done many collages because I took over 2000 pictures..... And we have discussed other peoples boring holiday photo's before,  have we not.....

 

So here goes..... 

 

 

* Magical Bus Tickets, First Look at Our Resort and 1st Visit Badge

 

* Electric Parade 

 

 

* A Happy Little Madame with a Magical Wand on our first night! 

 

 

 

* Minnie And Friends  

 

* The Beautiful Corondo Spring Resort ( Little Madame's Mickey Mouse Waffle's)

*The Disney Show!

* Beauty and The Beast

* The Picture of our Trip - Little Madame on seeing Belle!

* The Little Mermaid

* Tinkerbell was my Favourite!! she was so Friendly and Happy!

*Beautiful Princess's making Little Madame's dreams come true!

*Circus Fun - Winni the Lady clown loved Little Madame!

* The Wicked Step Mother and Ugly sisters were a laugh a minute!

* Fabulous rides and general park fun!

*Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy!

 

*Jasmine and  Aladdin and Agar bar

 

  

 

*Wonderful Fantastic Parades!  

 

 

*Finding a quiet street to have a bit of time out! (With ice cream of course)

 

*Meeting the person who started it all - the iconic MICKEY MOUSE!

The above picture is of us leaving all the magic behind! Although we were dog tired, we were sad to leave! Disneyworld is a truly MAGICAL place! I am going to say that again- IT IS MAGICAL! I don't think you have to be a child to enjoy it, LSO and I were as swept away in all the fun and magic as Little Madame was! I walked around with Minnie ears on, screamed on the rides, ate ice cream(lots of it - ask my jeans!) and cheered during the parades!

Would we return? IN A HEART BEAT, because making Little Madames dreams come true was worth all the money in the world! xxx