Three-quarters-of-a-skoleppar Kindle cover

I had an idea for a bag for a skoleppar shape in rainbow stripes much earlier in the year - leaving off one of the points. Think South American shape, with the point at the bottom completed with a tassel. I abandoned it as I didn't have enough colours for the other side, but the one-sided piece looks set to be folded over into a Kindle cover, as Santa is being very kind to me this year. I can't actually sew it up to make sure it is the right size until Santa has been, but it doesn't look far off!

It's lovely when it's folded as the stripes turn two corners. I have seen lots of Kindle cover pattern on the net already, and it seems to me that if you have the opening at the top, they can all too readily slide out. I will probably sew a little piece of Velcro on for a fastening. I am really pleased not to have wasted those hours knitting!

An Angelic Christmas

Apart from my honorary twin grand-daughter appearing in her first Christmas concert as an angel, they seem to be all around me this year.

Norah's angel, a crochet one whose pattern and charming Victorian origins I learnt some years ago -- I made loads and loads of these, two hours work each in all colours of the rainbow for a couple of Craft Fairs - and not a single one sold (nor any coat hangers!) -everyone wanted sheepy handwarmers, and I actually sold out of those. So lots got given away as extra presents.

Then I came across Annemor Sundbo's angel tucked away in her book on Invisible Threads in Knitting. I'm sure it wasn't in the last time I read it! She makes a tiled square with short-row knitting, but I think I prefer my double decrease diamonds, especially as I didn't line up the silver rows very well. Ans using variegated yarn wasn't a particularly good idea. I also put an extra line of holes in the wings, just before casting off, to give a more lacy appearance. I had some Wensleydale yarn knitted up, left for a long time, then unwound which proved curly enough for craxy hair. She does have a wonderful tip in the double knitted head - to knit the stitch and slip the next one all in one. This is actually achieved when doing the last movement in a knitted stitch, catching the tip of the needle in the next one on the left hand side.

Hanging about

One of my inventions - coat hanger covers. Scoff ye may, but I love 'em - my silken blouses don't fall off like those nasty wire things (which also leave crease marks). They are made by using long tube from sock machine, sewn and cut lengthwise. Then a pair of miin-socks made as the trim. With a drop or two of lavender oil these are the same as my "smelly" socks made a couple of Christmases ago.

Plus daft hot water bottle covers - Piping Hot and Lukewarm (because pink is paler than red). The smaller one is perfect fit for sock machine tube - the larger one is two, cut and sewn together.

Autumn

Too busy to post! have been teaching some sock knitting. Interesting that the chaps of each couple picked it up quicker than the females, even though the latter had flatbed knitting experience.

Also went down for the annual Wigston Sock Ceremony - a continuance of the "peppercorn" rent they used to have to pay the local council for the museum.

Harrison moved on

No sooner had I got the Harrison up and running than I got a nasty shock at the dentists and have regretfully had to sell it to fund the treatment. I do have to confess that I found the Harrison heavier going than my Cymbal. It wa an interesting experience though to have to sort the machine out.

Making a stable table

The Harrison is a machine that is meant to have its own table or be semi-permanently fixed to a work bench with nuts and bolts. Unlike other machines, it can't merely be clamped. If only G-clamps came with a large top arch, instead of a flat top we could do this. SO, in lieu of ruining the table in my workroom, I bought a cast iron bird bath. The base was a bit titchy, so it was then turned upside down. That crown piece was removed, and the piece of chipboard we are using as a temporary table now has even more holes in it.

I still don't think it will be quite stable enough for when I start knitting at speed, plus it is rather short, so I have to find a low chair - I well remember poking myself in the eye the first time I sat down to my Cymbal, so am going to avoid that!

Sanquhar Cushion completed

Harrison Sun Circular Sock Machine

Well, look what I lgot this weekend! Beatutiful working order but SO heavy, as it sits on an extra "crown" although apparently I can take this off. When screwed to a board and clamped on a Black & Decker workmate, it threatened to topple over, so can't really do much with it yet. Plus would only be able to work with it outside in decent weather, the wrokmate is far to big to have anywhere in the house.

Sanquhar cushion front

Wanted to make one of these ever since I saw a sampler thype made by a freind in France. Hers was nine large blocks and fine wool (perhaps even her own handspun). Well, my handspun attempt at Sanquhar some years ago was hilarious and I only made the one glove.

This time, I had a lot of b&w acrylic left over from making a zebra for the twins. I had statred pat & Steve's Curve of Pursuit and abandoned it when, coindientally, it was cuhion size. Decided to make a Sanquahr cushion front the same size.

I meesed around with an Excel spreadsheet to get squares, then drew up some of the patterns. I ended up with four large blocks of 3x3 tiny patterns. These were doen in stocking stich, borders in garter stich (to match the back, but the row count is way off). I realied on row 9 of the pattern that not only would hte contrast yarn be at the wrong side of the work for the next block, but also that I could not do garter stich in black abouve a pattern block! So then I purled above those sections.

Tomorrow I will be knitting applied I-Cord to join the back and front together.

Sheepy Handwarmers

Surrounded by handwarmers - 3x1 ribs done on the circular sock machine, with hand knit thumbs. These are to go into the museum shop at Ruddington. Similar ribs on the Knitmaster with side slit for thumb. Then double thickness Fair Isle with pattern of sheep. The latter are for the Lambing Day at Long Whatton in Aprul. Dunno if many will sell, but can hope!

Colorful (sic) Cushion and Noro bag

From an American magazine, Crochet Today. USed leftover colours from the twins baby blankets, although by now have done so manyother projects I have propbably bought twice as much!.

Also Noro Kuretyon bag. Swore I would nbever attempt to handkit Noro sock yarn again. it's really tricky even re-widing it for use on the flatbed, at top tension. Still puckered and tuccked in some palces. then when it was washed it warped due to the single ply yarn.

More handwarmers

The CSM started playing up on the ribber, much to my annoyance. So I then started to replicate the handwarmers on the Knitmaster. As there had to be a seam, I let this be the thumb seam, so it is a vertical hole. And no finishing off for the thumb. The handwarmers feel a lot softer as there are fewer stitches (approx 60) and looser tension. But I am still doing the sewn backstitch bind-off as it is so easy and makes its own neat tension without effort.

Well, it's January 1st. Annual stocktake of yarns isnlt going to happen this year, think I will try and make space for more books on my shelves...