End of the year

Boredom leads to creativity. Since Christmas have made two pairs of gloves and one pair of mittens largely on the machine. Looking back on the year, I see I upheld my resolve not to do so many events - wasn't invited to so mamy anyway! It will be the year of the machine visits though - Leicester, Shima Seika and Swifts. What a contrast. And resolutions for 2018? Just to chug along, I suppose.

The 19th of December

Yesterday will go down as one of the highlights of 2017. I visited J Alex Swift's sock factory in Hathern. Too much to write here, but the best thing was being able to bring away three different types of Argyle socks. Handcranked on a Griswold, machine made on English Charnwood machine and Italian Sangicomo. Pix show inside and outside. Heaven.

Dear me, it's December

As I write this, I am waiting for the Big Snow. I am knitting yet another pair of top down mittens, this time with a smaller 1 over 1 twist cable. It should have been a wide cable sideways knitted cuff, but I decided there was no way I could join that on neatly. Finished up with an applied I-cord bind-off. Hmm, if I can do I-cord sideways, why can't I knit sideways? Christmas Event at Rudd last weekend was their most successful ever. Nice to be a part of it. Only knitted seven Christmas scarves with visitors, but toasted many more crumpets over the fire. On 1st December released details about Going Round in Circles in Kegworth Sock Machine Extravaganza Encounter Eighteen. Bookings already up to 22 - my break-even point is 21.37, so hurrah! Later - had about three inches of snow on the Sunday. Lasted through Monday. So made footstool cover on the machine. The bag of sock yarn leftovers is at last going down.

Galloping on

Another flurry of mittens - yet I can't wear them for driving! Green ones from freebie at London Yarn Crawl. Double cuff, embrpidered afterwards Because I thought with this style and extra needed for cuff I might run out of yarn, mused about knitting from tip down. Ridiculously easy, and so easy to mark the thumbline - shall certainly so some this way again! The cables at the wrist naturally draw it in. Red ones using the "alpaca" from Stylecraft (20% alpaca, 80% acrylic - how are they allowed to call is just Alpaca?). Used leftovers from Erika's cardi to make her puppet mitts from French pattern which just happened to be almost the same colours. I have now just abut run out of inspiration, so going back to museum handwarmers for a bit. Happy to report I have raised over £1000 for the museum this year, with handwarmer sales, teaching on CSM, the Event in March and French pattern translation for Teresa. CD Museum had craft exhibition over two weekends. I reduced gloves etc to £5 and sold four pieces. After entry fee and commission, made a mere £6 - not much money for a lot of effort, and I really thought some kinchaku bags would go. Hey ho, six of them have now been used to "wrap" Christmas presents.

A cushion for Bobbie

My dearest friend Bobbie was christened Euphemia. She switched to Bobbie aged about 20, then when she went in a Nursing Home aged 84 changed back to Effie - even she doesn’t know why! She has insipred me in the past to do tea cosies and other designs. I love her to bits. She always sits in the same chair, and asked me to adjust her back cushion the other day, so that’s when I got the idea - a cushion with both Bobbie and Effie on it. Bought cushion interior first. 16 inch square from local shop, duck feathers She used to keep ducks when she and Dick lived in France, so she will appreciate this. All sock yarn remnants, back done first, 112 sts x 160 rows to get size, yarn changed approx every 10 rows or when it ran out. Punched a card with Bobbie and Effie. had to make letters smaller than normal to fit. Turned Effie upside down. Four strips of 30 sts, sewn after. All lettering same shade of yellow/gold. I cord of 5 sts in yellow. The pile of sock yarn has gone down a bit, but need to work harder as I bought these goodies at the Nottingham Yarn Expo on Saturday:

Apples, apples, and yet more apples

Our James Grieve apple tree is not very big - I keep it to the height of the trellis, six foot, But it is prolific. When cooked, it does not "mush" down like a Bramley, but keeps some of its shape. It hardly needs any added sugar. Block after block has gone in the freezer, one pot of "compote" is in the fridge, cakes have been made (and eaten). When I France I came across a jam recipe meant for Granny Smith, works equally as well here, but next time I think I will use Calvados instead of vodka Twice as much fruit as sugar. Peeled, chopped. No water. Usual jam set test then throw in a slug of vodka. One variety of apple cake is a spnge mix, topped with sliced unpeeled fruit. Another variety is with chopped peeled fruit inside it (from old Preserves book). We like micnemeat tart that has a thick layer of apple under the mincemeat, then a lattice of pastry on top. All this is taking me away from my knitting! But have completed John's kilt hose and a cardi for Erika. Plus Donegal tweed mitts

Oh October

Today I have achieved my three score years and ten. Do I look it?