8-3-14 Catching Up

Last week I was away in London on a training course and had time to wander around Oxford Street and Soho with a few friends.  I had another chance to visit a cupcake shop  I went to last time I was there (The Hummingbird Bakery) and get more tasty cakes.

It wasn't as wild as when I was there last time with a friend and we went to King's Cross station and Platform 9 3/4.

With going away this week I didn't mention that I went to an indoor ski slope the week before and had my first beginner ski lesson to prepare for my ski holiday to Val d'Isere in a few weeks time.  I'm going with 2 of my closest work friends and luckily one of them is a beginner too.

The ski lesson was actually ok and helped me to relax a bit about the holiday.  

This Week (and Happy Pi Day)

This week has been hectic due to a coursework deadline (today) but I'm glad that is out of the way.  I more essay for next week then I finish uni for 3 weeks of Easter.

Last Saturday was my Mum's birthday so we went out for a nice meal together just me, Mum and Dad.  Although I have not had much time to crochet recently, with uni work and revision, I decided that Mum needed a little crocheted present so I made her some daffodils after seeing the pattern on Attic24 only a few days earlier.

They turned out really well and Mum was pleased as she loves daffs.

Daffodils:

• Craft: Crochet
• Pattern: Daffodil by Lucy of Attic24
• Yarn: Stash DK
• Weight: DK
• Hook Size: 3mm
• Ravelry Project Page

Here is the fun birthday card I made for Mum:

The rest of the week has pretty much been spent on the coursework but I did get a chance to make something that has been in my head to make for a while.  I'm sure by now you all know me to be silly, well, I loved my stripey granny bag so much that I decided my teddy bear needed the matching one - you agree it makes sense?  Anyway she looks great.

Stripey Bag for Teddy:

• Craft: Crochet
• Pattern: 29-210-44 Striped Bag by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd)
• Yarn: Stash DK
• Weight: DK
• Hook Size: 3mm
• Ravelry Project Page

Last weekend I also realised I had enough scrap cut-offs of yarn to make something I saw on Pinterest a long time ago - this yarn bowl.  It turns out that one jam jar full of scraps is enough to make one the size of my fruit bowl.  I love how simple it is to make - yarn + paper mache paste (flour+water).

The worst bit was waiting for it to dry - I just wanted to use it! 

And finally, to link to the second part of the title.  Today's date the American way is 3/14 so it is known as Pi day.  I have been waiting for an excuse to make a crocheted Pi and decided that today would be perfect.

Amigurumi Pi:

• Craft: Crochet
• Pattern: Amigurumi Pi 
• Yarn: Stash DK 
• Weight: DK
• Hook Size: 3mm
• Ravelry Project Page

FO’s 2013 = 14+3 =17

WIP’s = 10

Queued = 12 +1 = 13

Decorative Electronics

We recently bought spare phone chargers so we can keep one in our uni bags or for when we travel.  As we ordered the same chargers we had no way of telling them apart - cue my large collection of nail polish.  I decorated it with lots of different colours and it looks pretty good.

I'm tempted to paint more of my electronics chargers now!

My Final Year Project for University

I'm studying electrical engineering and electronics at university and, like most other engineering subjects we undertake a project in the final year (or in my case final 2 years as it is a 4 year course).  One of the popular ways of showing off the projects is to make a blog and write about your progress - I had to help a friend set up a blog the other day as I am considered 'an expert'.

Last year I worked in a group to make an augmented reality phone application with the following blog:

http://arlivuni.blogspot.co.uk/

which was mostly kept up-to-date but a lot was filled in at the end of the project.

This year, however, I am working on my own and developing a radio telescope similar to NASA's Radio Jove Project which they run with schools.  The project was run last year so I am taking over from where they left off and then hopefully improving it but at the moment it seems like there is a lot to do and I will have to be very disciplined with my work.  The blog I will be taking over soon is:

http://liverpoolradioastronomy.blogspot.co.uk/

I can't wait to get started on this project!  On my 11th birthday (I think it was) I visited the radio telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory - I wanted to be an astronomer when I was growing up so getting to make a telescope is rather exciting.   Today, my supervisor asked me if I have an optical telescope - of course I do! so I'm hoping my Mum knows where our telescope is.  If I do one of the possible options for developing the project it could mean staying up all night at uni (hopefully not on my own) and observing pulsars.

FO Friday - Tetris Blanket

I really can't believe it is all done but I finished crocheting the border this morning.

I started it on the 28th of January and my predicted finishing date was the 14th of August (based on 1 a day) but as I was crocheting a lot more towards the end I managed to bring the date forward.

200 squares later this is how it looks:

I'm thrilled by how it looks and it was good fun working on such a large project.  Also it did require the best spreadsheet in the world to keep it organised but I love Excel so it was ok.

Getting back to blogging and Happy Star Wars Day!

It's been a while since I've blogged because I had to write my project thesis to hand in yesterday. It's done now so that project is completely finished.


Last weekend my Mum took me to my first craft fair (Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts - Liverpool) and it was really good.  A bit overwhelming though, especially when it came to choosing the wool at the Black Sheep Wool stall - a whole pile of packs of yarn that I had to wade into in order to get wool that Mum and I wanted.

 This is a photo of the wool I bought.  10 x 50g balls of red Sirdar Escape Chunky, 500g of grey DK, and a 50g ball of Sirdar Snuggly Kisses DK.


I didn't do much crafting while I was away from blogging, and absolutely NO crochet! Anyone who saw my Mum's blog post the other day will know that we sat together crafting as she taught me how to make I-cords and how to use double pointed needles and since then I haven't wanted to do anything else other than knit in the round.


I've known about the adorable Mochimochi Land patterns for quite a long time but, not knowing how to make them, I didn't really think much more about it. However now I can knit in the round I've started making lots of Tiny Baby Bunnies.  So far I've got 5 - the little green one I made with Mum and 4 little white and blue-ish ones I made with the Sirdar Snuggly Kisses wool from the craft fair.

They're so quick to make and are only about an inch long (I'm using DK wool and 3.25mm dpns).  No doubt they will keep multiplying!  I'm thinking of putting the book Teeny-Tiny-Mochimochi on my birthday present list even though it is still months away.


The other exciting thing that happened this week was that my crochet bracelet arrived.  It is not an ordinary bracelet, it is handmade by a lovely boy called Eli who likes to crochet.  You can find out the story behind the bracelets from Strumpet's Crumpets blog post.  It came with my name written by Eli on the envelope

I made an apple pie last night for The Boy and myself which we're cooking and eating tonight:

Should be very nice.  Also, on the subject of Boy, he's doing a 10k run on Sunday so I've been out jogging with him after uni.  I'm sure he'll be fine for the run.  I think I'll be going along to watch and cheer him on.


Finally, it's Star Wars Day today (May the Fourth be with you!) so I just had to make something Star-Wars-related.  I chose to make this chapstick cosy which (surprise surprise) is knitted in the round - I assume the novelty will wear off soon.

I did check that purple lightsabers really exist first!

Oops I meant to add:

FO’s 2012 = 25 + 2 = 27

WIP’s =  9

Queued =10

Still Here!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I was at a wedding over the weekend and I've got project deadlines coming up next week.

Not much to report in terms of crafts.  I was having a geeky day the other day so I sat and watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and made myself a bracelet:

That's my diary/ planner in the second photo (with all the colourful robots on it)

I'll try and blog again soon!