Happen I'll make a yoked cardi...

At last, cast on, on the Knitmaste, for the Hap Yoke Cardi. Did the back yesterday, and the two fronts today. The row number is a bit odd, a mish-mash for two previous jumpers and mis-reading sleeve length for body length! I expect it will all fit together okay, they usually do when I trust my own patterns. Have also scanned all the pages of the Harrison V-bed manual and made the discovery that the first entries in the handwritten notebook are 1890. This is quite a find - 138 years old, wow! The machine is now moving, but have not tried any yarn again yet. Plan now is to write up more about it, make a new "manual" of ring binder with scanned pages as the original is so fragile, and do comparisons with modern flatbed/double bed knitting. Will keep the machine here all winter then is can go to museum via Sock Machine Event at Kegworth in March The original practice sock pattern given is for an e-wrap start, no welt, shapings along back seam, heel flap and gusset (bit of a surprise, that). Toes finished down to 6 or so stitches then latched off from one bed to the other, not k2tog fashion. May try this method out on the Knitmaster.

Bagging it up

All Christmas presents now knitted. I am particularly pleased with the coat hangers, but definitely need to get the stitch count down from 41 start. Inevitably made more diamonds, as they are too easy, but blankets are proliferating. Thought I might make a tote bag along the lines of the cushion. Initial plan was 3x3. Needed to do a straight edge for the top, but sides and based can be folded round. In the search for straps came across pyjama girdles in Rowells (along with nice spotted fabric for lining). This would be better as single strap. Note that Rowells also have curtain rings and D rings sold singly. As shop is up for sale and will most probably close down, must get back there quick if idea works out.

The prophetic mouse

The day after finishing Noelle Mouse, went into the attic to get items for show on Sunday. We've got mice! First time in this house, and we've been here 35 years. Bait and trap put down, but will have to do major overhaul of all woolly items up thee. Plus they have nibbled away at a couple of polystyrene Christmas ornaments. Perhaps I ought to knit a cat next.

Mouse with gout

Donlt ask about the V-bed. Have finished knitting gloves, just to sew lasst pair up in company now. Made a mouse from a small kit found in charity shop, but no pattern. Not easy to reverse engineer on this small scale! Feet too big and why they are sticking out sideways, goodness knows. But know E will love it for the tree when I take it down next week. Going to a show this weekend. Battered the organiser to let the musem have a stand and they have responded by letting us have a free one AND allowing us to sell. So have made 20 pairs of handwarmers, 20 pairs of socks and have got 8 of Helen's delightful rabbits. Matt taking his Griswold to demonstrate. Stall layout has shown that fewer than half the exhibitors from last year are coming back after the debacle of loading and security, one whole area of the venue is not being used. Crickey - I just hope everbody does not compare it unfavourably with last time, we are still lucky to have something like this in Nottingham and accessible by bus for me.

Marking Time

The only progress on the V-bed has been to buy a bottle of white spirit to clean it. It is presently mounted on the B&D workbench, (thanks David R!) but one of the horizontal pieces of the work bench is preventing the arm from turning fully. I will have to do some careful measuring to see if I can a) pull the worktop in the utility room froward a bit and (b) if the opening area of the clamps is enough to go over this. In other news ... the museum has been offered a stand at Nottingham Yarn Expo on Sunday 11th November. I am going to see if I can find some information about socks and WWI suitable to put on a display board. Also working like mad to produce minimum of 20 pairs handwarmers and 20 pairs socks for the stand. As I will be going by bus, have to see if it will all fit in a case to wheel up (bearing in mind all uphill from the bus stop! Christmas present making going well, two out of main three totally completed.

Still haven't a clue

Lots of other things have got in the way of sorting the V-bed. For a start, all the needles are seized and WD40 isn't helping. Watch this space (there may be a lot of space)

Excitement!

Today I took delivery of an antique Harrison Vbed machine to play with before selling it on to help museum funds. Not a clue how it works!

August Auguries

After a very hot and dry July, at last, enough overnight rain to wet the ground. I can now start to think about putting autumn plants in without using a pickaxe. August is when I traditionally start to think about knitting for Crimble - if I don't start now, they don't get finished. Thanks to flicking quickly through a modular knitting book, my eye fixed on two images and fused them into one. So I am covering coat hangers with mitered diamonds. Each one takes seven - could just use normal size, but better to go down to a 39 st start, all knit including edge stitches,, sl1,k2tog over central 3 sts every other row. Got some black satin hangers for a very reasonable price, none of black should show through on these, although they could look dramatic covered with white lace. Will finish off with tiny two-diamond lavender bag. Also thought I would have a go once more at the "Heathered" lace gloves from the Fair Isle Gloves & Mittens book by Carol Noble, but in same sock yarn as hangers rather than different shades of Shetland. Cuffs and fingers on the Knitmaster, lace pattern knitted flat by hand Took a bit of jiggling about until I remembered I had to split the central 3 st decrease spine. On machine, 1x1 rib is over 61 sts. These need to be increased to 69 to fit pattern in, plus a seam. Resultant glove looks long and thin. Colours worked out really well on first glove, but second one had three knots in a relatively short space so is a mess colourwise and of course does not match above cuff. Hey ho.

Gloves galore

When making things on the CSM, I have always numbered the handwarmers and socks. As the gloves from leftovers are made on the Knitmaster, I haven't bothered, but thought I would now start to do so. I trawled through my Delivery Note book and since June 2013 I have sent no fewer than 85 pairs over to the museum! There weren't all sock yarn, some were Shetland with Fair Isle motifs, but even so, that is an average of one and a half pairs per month, which has quite surprised me. July and August 2016 seemed to have a run on them - not a cold summer, so a mystery, but perhaps it was the "group" effect (when one person in a group visit buys something, there is nearly always another one or two who buy the same item...). Despite the current heatwave, I have been labouring away on the machine while I can. Here is the latest batch.

Granny cake and mobcap

As a change from gardening, and as it is 28 degrees is is far too hot anyway, tried out an old Victorian recipe from Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum for Granny cake "crusty exterior, lovely soft centre". Thoughts meandered to the proposed Tea Party end of August and on the spur of the moment found material to make a mobcap. Made Philadelphia Sticky Buns for the 4th July, when I was on shop duty and we put the Stars and Stripes out, just as Hannah Parker did, from 1870 up to 1933 we think. Recipe only differs from Chelsea buns in that my school recipe was raisins, Hannah's used currants - but on this occasion I used sultanas! I am next on shop duty end of July, for which I am planning Brownies. I thought this was a recent American invention but Hannah was born in 1849, married in 1866 over there, and I presume that is when and where she got the recipe. The Internet states the first written use of the word "brownie" is the 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book - must find out if Hannah dated her recipes!

More garden photos

Peonies and Apothecaries rose (rosa mundi) in my own garden, plus, if it works, a video of the Knitted Garden day at Ruddington Framework Knittters Museum.

Knitting and/or gardening

Knitting takes a bit of a back seat to gardening in the warmer months. Trying out my new camera. The view through the side gate may just show a tad of knitting! The roses are Blue for You (shrub) and Handel (climber).

End of May

Went away on hols and stuff still doesn't seem to have grown much while we were away! This week has seen a couple of bouts of torrential rain, so it least it saves watering. Spent a huge amount at two nurseries. On holiday finished log cabin mitts, some crochet Christmas trees for bunting and U-turn socks. They were made with long line up middle back working both sides of provisional cast-n, the turn made the heel. Then front made sides to side joining in, and gusset and foot more conventional. Very enjoyable. Went on to some Japanese cherry blossom socks from heel out, in lace, need to concentrate. Also messes around with Aran weight jacket which will probably take most of summer to do - if summer ever really comes.

May or may not be Spring

Stuff still isn't growing in the garden after the few days of warmth. The stevia, fenugreek have been nibbled and the tarragon has been eaten completely. The sugarsnap peas have lost their lower leaves as well, don't know if they will survive. even new courgette in greenhouse lost half a leaf day after it sprouted! Can't be slug in there, can it? Gloves made on machine for friend M - she really loves purple! and self-indulgent ones for me with luxury silky and yak yarn, bought as a treat at the Kegworth event, gorgeous Celtic knot pattern on back. Original pattern handknit in the round, I made them flat, handknit to finish of thumb shaping then bunged them on the machine for upper hand and fiddly fingers. I don't mind seams. Gearing up for usual French hols, projects will include U-turn socks, Sakura (lace) socks, Shetland Aran jacket, sunflower filet crochet curtain.

Squaring up to warm weather!

Warmest April day since 1949. Lovely. Got pergola painted "faded green", and planted loads of new herbs in garden - stevia, samphire, fenugreek, French tarragon, a couple more thymes, pink and white hyssops. Finished green Square Socks. Very interesting shaping, weird off the foot! Plus square cushions, filled with duck feathers. Glad I didn't have to pluck the duck.

Approximately April

Rain, rain, rain, more rain, bit less rain, rain. Garden waterlogged back and front. Got carried away with diamonds for blanket, made a cushion with 28 extras, plus four triangles. Like the way they are fully stretched. Also trying a machine knit cushion in sock yarn leftovers, "thirds" method i.e. make a strip one third of cushion width to size of cushion. Turn 90 degrees, pick up sts and knit sideways. As it needs to be done twice, the first strip is actually double width with a missing stitch in middle, and second part will be done double length with loose row in middle, to define sides.

Several items finished

Determined to get things sorted before starting more big projects. Museum handwarmers not counted they are always ongoing, as is the sock yarn blanket, although blanket #3 is probably ready for finishing off now if I have enough grey yarn for the top border. First, that entrelac shawl. Made a few flower brooches from the yarn remains. Second, Handspun mittens to old pattern found in Juskavarkki church. As usual, my handspun has stretched after washing. https://www.ravelry.com/projects/MarytheKnit/jukkasjarvi-church-mittens-variation Third, some allegedly cashmere yarn made into gloves for Keith. Sort of tweedy with bits, two strands necessary, and broke easily under strain, so I don't think they will last long. Water very dark on washing, some is machine oil The original firm they came from sells their men's gloves at £39! Have abandoned the yellow crochet socks, which had not got very far anyway. Crochet sunflower curtain for kitchen will be ongoing for a very long time.

Encountered

Well, Encounter 18 is now behind me. I am so pleased and proud to have raised £600 for the museum, but oh it was so hard physically this time. Seven machines from the sock factory to load and unload besides normal event stuff. Only tiny niggles during the event, easily sorted or brushed off. Some people will complain about anything (lack of biscuits in room? as if I care?). One of the machines from the sock factory proved to be very different indeed, with an extra yarn carrier. Possibly used for adding a splicing yarn, and certainly no-one among the 60 there had seen anything like if-t before, but then I think we all have domestic machines.

March

Computer out of action for nine days. Very frustration so close to Event, but did a bit of printing of forms from Toshiba despite keys missing. When I got the Lenovo back, had to change yellow ink cartridge and it is not working and all attempt to download proper driver just to be able to clean nozzle have failed. So back to the shop they will both go - after the Event. Also need to record here my irritation of people cancelling after the food orders went in. The hotel was Not Pleased - so need to avoid that next time - if there is a next time. Also too much correspondence with individuals, it has taken over my life It snowed! About three inches in all. As forecast, so food supplies okay, and logs. It was mighty cold though. The yarn store had a further reduction on the yarn I wanted, so ordered Cloud - which came out pale blue. Luckily only a few days afterwards, somebody on Ravelry spotted it and bought it off me. Have ressurected entrelac shawl first st=tarted July 2013!

Flippin' Feb

... and today the computer has crashed. I have a draft master plan of all delegates printed out, and their dinner choices, but the last time I backed up my files onto memory stick appears to be 3rd December. I blame the flu. Computer now in the shop, I am sitting here with fingers crossed and twiddling my thumbs (you try it). If all my files are lost after 3rd December, it is going to be a long hard slog trying to work out all the updates. I have resurrected the never ending entrelac shawl Am attacking it by knitting at least one square a day before I allow myself to do other knitting. When I am at the end of this row, It will be slotting in triangles to straighten off the top edge and finish the darn thing. Have had to abandon the idea of a cable cardi - the beige yarn I ordered looks mid-brown. Yuk.

February Fever

I don't know why I thought organising a second Sock Machine Event would be easier than the first. The bare bones might have been, but oh! the details. And all the silly little queries and chasing up of people who says "they'll get back to me" and don't. List now full at 60 people, and, a full four weeks before the event, no doubt there will be more nit-picking stuff to deal with. In hand knitting, had a bit of fun with sample log cabin mitts (why had non-one thought of these before?), and Jukkasjarvi mittens from handpsun Shetland humbug.

Brimming over

At last, the flu has gone. Finished cable brim hat.

Justifying January

Woke up on New Year's Day with flu. Taking me a long time to get over it. Have finished Windflower Mitts Mk II, a better match for the jumper. Also thought about Rutavotten and punched card for it. Will take some concentrating as yarn changes are after odd number rows. Will have to wait.