Azkaban challenge 1

This is the first of a new feature that will be on the blog every other month. Its a creative budget challenge that is run by Abakhan fabrics website. Every other months I get to pick lovely items from their amazing online shop that stocks all the fabrics, haberdashery, yarn and craft supplies that a craft shopaholic like me could hope to fine. I get a budget of £15 and then I will share with you what I have been able to make from my budget bundle.

For my first challenge I was in heaven picking craft supplies from the vast amount an Abakhans website. I was happy to see they stocked Jame C Brett Cotton on yarn. This is one of my favourite yarns for making amigurumi so I could resist getting a few balls. I chose a fresh pale green, duck egg blue and a lovely warm beige. I had a few ideas for what I wanted to make so I added some felt squares in similar colours and some buttons. With penny's still in my shopping budget I chose some gingham fabric on a bit of a whim :)

 This was the lovely bundle of goodies that arrived a few days later.

The first thing I wanted to make was something that used a bit of everything I'd ordered. I wanted to make a pencil case. Using the simple random stripe pattern that worked so well on my crochet vases, I made a simple small bag. This is the same pattern as the owl bag just made longer and shorter. When that was finished I deiced to contract the stripes with circles of layered up felt and a button on top hand sewn onto one side of the case.

For the lining I used the gingham fabric and found a zip from my craft stash as I hadn't thought to add one to my order.

 I hand sewed the zip and lining into place but you could just as easily use a sewing machine. Mine is currently somewhere behind a wall of boxes :(

The finished design is simple but modern. I'm really pleased. I did intend it to be a pencil case but my crochet hooks seem to have found there way inside and they seem very happy and cosy so I think I'll leave them there for now :)

With this project complete and hardly any of of craft bundle gone I decided to do what I do best and make an amigurumi. It Chinese new year so I thought I'd stick with tradition and make a snake.

The pattern for this snake I'm writing up at the mo and he's going to be a free pattern that I'll post on here later today or tomorrow at the latest.

Isn't he a sweetie. He is such a simple pattern and I'm sure you'll all enjoy making him. I really can't recommend the James C Brett Yarn enough for amis it is slightly thicker than normal DK weight yarn so you don't get any stuffing showing through your amis.

Even after making the snake there was still loads of stuff left from my craft bundle so I've started making granny squares. I'm not sure what I'm going to turn these into maybe a bag or a hot water bottle cover but I'll keep you posted. I might even get a few more projects out of this bundle so I'll do another round up of what I made at the end of the month.

I'm linking in with handmade Monday this may be the last one I get to join in with before the move so I'm gonna enjoy having broadband while I still do and have a read of what all my fellow crafters have been up to this week