Finger puppets. I now have to make up a story around Goldilocks and the One Bear, the 'armless wizard and his black cat, a boy in over-sized dungarees, a very long-eared (but not floppy) bunny, a snowman and a pirate with an eye patch. Good luck with that, Mary!
In a single day, some of my ideas for sale were rejected - but they will make Christmas Gifts. And I was sent a huge bag of yarn, some of which cannot be used on the CSM - so I am handknitting some socks. The added bonus of this one is trying out a pattern for tabbed socks which a fellow cranker has adapted from the original CSM pattern to handknit, both toe up and cuff down. It should be quicker than normal a) because they are shorter, b) because the yarn is thicker. Will also incorporate the "no wrap, no turn heel" - once I re-work the maths!
Plus a clearout of desk drawers revealed ancient 3 and 5 inch floppy discs and re-writeable dvds. The latter gave me a storage lid and a device for centering circular labels, both of which are perfect sizes for coveing the top of CSMs. Not so much to keep dust out as to protect my sleeves from the needles when I reach over them to get into cupboards.
Next thing to try out is integral pockets. Plan is to lift all needles out of work except 12, knit on those for 20-30 rows, knit all round again. Finishing edge will have to be done by hand. The intention is for socks with teddy pockets. Then to make mini teddies on the Knitmaster.
I have some brown tweedy yarn, rather stiff, so has to be washed before sewing up. The handknit pattern has to be adapted. Due to the small scale of the arms, I decided to knit them wider and roll instead of stuffing them.
I was looking for another circular sock machine project and came across these little clown purses in an 1989 magazine. Althought I had done "full size" clowns before, I hadn't made these disembodied ones. They were done on the Knitmaster, based on 40 sts. Although they seem small, they would be too gi-normous on a circular I think, even the 60 cylinder. However, ideal size for Christmas bauble, and as I had still got some of the lavender acrylic that B gave me , instantly thought of lavender bags. An empty one will hold chocolate coins nicely, and then doesn't look too emaciated to hang back on the tree. Dark green ones will have some spices and dried lemon verbena in.
So hot, even first thing, My left anle swells up in the daytime, so I try to keep it elevated. This means looking for something useful to do in this position. Normally when I do Russian joins of my scraps, I wind onto a crochet cotton centre, as it is such rigid cardboard it doesn't collapse like kitchen roll. Please, no toilet rolls- ugh!. Then I use the ball winder. This time I have an empty cone, so am trying direct on that. A standard length of scrap is 50 times round - obviously this will vary.
Later observations after three cones wound - try not to get a beehive shape. Although it looks very pretty, it doesn't knit off easily at speed!
