What you can get with $100 at Spotlight

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I won a $100 gift card from Spotlight a while ago. So, I've made a trip to Spotlight twice in the short span of a single month and have spent all the money in my gift card. (T_T)

You can't blame me for buying stuff at Spotlight today because it was Sewing Saturday and they had great offers in store! So... I thought some of you may be interested in what I got at Spotlight.

60's inspired retro prints fabric and white cotton fabric for lining (I know, the white bit on the left looks like the table, but it's not!)

I love how this print looks like the tiled kitchen floor/wall of the 60's. I'll be wearing kitchen tiles on my body!!! I don't care if people think that I look silly.

Printed pears jersey fabric and white polyester interlock for lining

Yes, I bought linings for both fabrics because they are not very opaque and I already have plans to make dresses out of them! (No, not using the following patterns)


I think I should really start making the dress using the pears fabric soon because I might get too old for such a cute print on a dress.

Hee hee hee, you have no idea how excited I am about using these patterns! I selected dress patterns that highly resemble a lot of ASOS.com dresses that I like. I'll do a blog post on that soon! Also, I'm a sucker for vintage dressmaking patterns. I actually have a number that I thrifted over the past 2 years.

Pinking shears

Other random stuff: zipper for current shorts that I am currently sewing, sequins, embroidery threads and nylon thread

I can't wait to finish the pair of shorts that I am currently sewing. I started making it in February (2011, of course), but have not had the time to continue with it because of uni T_T. Somehow, knitting and crochet just seem to take less time than sewing!

Speaking of crochet, I am currently crocheting this bag for my friend's birthday. I should get it done by next weekend. Well, I HAVE to. So, expect updates again next weekend!

P.S.: Excuse the poorly taken photos. I did this in a rush!

DIY: Knitted Panda Hat

This is it. This is one of the most amazing things that I have knitted so far. Well, I started this about a month ago. Unfortunately, I started it on a whim after seeing soooo many knitted panda hats in shops like Sportsgirl and equip in Sydney, and also on ASOS.com. As a result, I didn't consider some things thoroughly. For example, I didn't think about choosing between intarsia and fair isle method. I didn't even think about what I would do for the ears when I started this. And if you follow my blog, you should know that one of my plastic DPNs broke while I was knitting the hat. Thankfully, things didn't get any worse than that and I was able to replace the broken DPN with another metal DPN (of unknown but possibly similar size >_<). Right, I should also add that the DPNs that I used were not of the same size... because I am a poor uni student who thrifts for DPNs and other knitting needles... Boo...

Although everything came out all right, I'm still a little peeved about how the inside of the hat looks.

This is every knitter's nightmare. But I've tidied it up.

And now it looks like this on the inside...

Enough ranting. Here comes the pattern!!! I'm really nervous about this because this is the first second time that I am writing a knitting pattern. I will try to be as descriptive wherever I can.

For more advanced knitters, you simply need the chart and insert the face into your favourite beanie pattern. But for knitters who've only just begun to learn how to knit, I've got the pattern written out for you :)

Please be kind to me. If you find any errors, just email me!

THE KNITTED PANDA HAT! 

(why buy one from the shops when you can knit one yourself?)


Note: A lot of people have been telling me that this panda is too big for them. Please try measuring your head and calculating the number of stitches to cast on!

Needles: 3.5mm DPNs

Yarn: 1 ball of 8 ply white acrylic yarn (MC), 1 ball of 8 ply black 100% wool yarn (CC)

Gauge: What? I don't have time to do swatches. I am an average knitter; I don't knit too tightly or loosely.

Size: 63 cm in circumference unstretched. It fits my head loosely, which measures about 52cm with the tape across the middle of my forehead. I like a loose beanie because my face/head looks weird in one that fits snugly.

Pattern:

MC: White

CC: Black (stitches that are to be knitted in CC are BOLDED)

CO 152 using MC

Place a stitch marker before you begin to indicate the beginning of a round!

Row 1: K1, P1 (repeat to end)
Row 1: K1, P2 (repeat to end)

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 until you have a 1x1 ribbed edge of about 1 inch long.

Round 3: Knit all in MC

Round 4: Knit all in MC

Nose and curly smile:

Round 5: K20, K2, K6, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 6: K19, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 7: K18, K1, K4, K1, K2, K1, K4, K1, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 8: K24, K2, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 9: K23, K4, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 10: K22, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 11: K21, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 12: K20, K10, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 13: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 14: K19, K12, knit the remaining sts in MC

Eyes:

Round 15: K7, K7, K22, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 16: K6, K9, K20, K9, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 17: K5, K11, K18, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 18: K4, K13, K16, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 19: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 20: K4, K14, K14, K14, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 21: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 22: K4, K15, K12, K15, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 23: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 24: K4, K8, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 25: K5, K7, K3, K4, K12, K4, K3, K7, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 26: K6, K13, K12, K13, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 27: K7, K11, K14, K11, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 28: K9, K8, K16, K8, knit the remaining sts in MC

Round 29: K10, K6, K18, K6, knit the remaining sts in MC

Knit in MC for 8 rounds

Begin decrease:

Round 30: K17, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 31: K16, K2tog (repeat to end)

Round 32: K15, K2tog (repeat to end)

... continue in a similar fashion until you have 8 stitches left on your needles.

Then, cut the yarn from the ball. Draw the remaining yarn through the 8 stitches and pull tight. 


Weave all ends in. 

Ears:

Make 2 black pom poms and use hot glue gun to glue them to the sides.

That's all for now. I'm going back to my cave. I'll emerge again... but my next blog post should NOT be a knitting post... 

And I shall try to figure out how to post my pattern on Ravelry... hmm...