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...

Handwarmers

I had been wanting to make mittens on the CSM. In stocking stich they came out far too wide, and the sides of the gusset were very difficult to pick up. I considered a 1x3 rib and them closing it up with smocking, like Jenny Deters socks. However, I got a pleasant surpirse that 1x3 rib on its own closes up considerably. The top edge is backstich bind off, much neater and stretchier than I though it was going to be (so I am quite addicted to it now! Needs to be done in a good light though). For the thumb, I used EZ's "afterthought" principle, snipping a stich and unravelling to give 20 all round. Hand knit rib for 8 rows, and there you go. Thumb generally starts at the half way point, it's just slightly off in the stripey colour ones.

Yarnmaker mag

Must be my Autumn - my onion skin dyeing artcle has been picked up by Dot for Issue 2 of Yarnmaker mag.

Grant's Kilthose

Got the kilthose finished at last. How many months have I been struggling? Basis was Cat Bordhi's Personal Footprints, working from the toe up. DId a bit on one, then a bit on the other, so they grew together.

They were a bit tight round Grant's ankles getting them on. The extra length was no problem for this tall chappie, but I had to put quite a lot of extra stitches in for his 17 inch calves (mine are 14 inches). Only just found out he swims 50 lengths every monring before going to work, which explains a lot! I took the calf shaping in a bit before starting the hidden rib.


Then I spent a couple of days deciding on the cable pattern for the turnovers. I ended up with woven lattice. I knew that most cables needed an extra 10% of stiches, but a sample showed it drew in rather a lot, so I added about 20% and forged ahead. I finished with four rows of rib and tow rows of tubular rib to do a Kitchener bind-off - quite pleased with this. But when I tried the first one on my own leg, the lattice was horribly tight. I am now waiting with heart in mouth for Grant to come round and try them on, with not much hope of them being right.

They definitely look better on a leg than off, as they don't want to lie flat on a sock blocker.

October already?

And my birthday month. Got the best present of all - my other half back out of hospital after breaking his leg (neck of femur) whilst we were in holiday in Malta. It was just too hot there to do any knitting while hanging around waiting for the air ambulance, and been far too busy since we came back with visiting, filling in insurance forms, answering all the queries, rearranging our lives...

I have started several projects back home though. Picked up a pattern in Malta, in a lesser known magazine called Knit & Crochet Style (it has an English price tag, but I haven't seen it over here - may be linked to Sandra magazine, all yarns are Stoeller and Stahl). Very intrigued to find a pattern like my Dordogne Authmn Cardi, for kids, but starting with casting on all stitches. A much neater bottom edge. Worked in the round, no side seams. Absolutely made for a long colour repeating yarn as the yarn is not cut at the end of each diamond module, but stitches picked up down the side then left there until the next round, almost like entrelac. So picked up James Brett's baby Bliss in the LYS, blues for M and pinks for S. I have completed three rounds of modules and now need to catch one of them to see if it is going to fit! They both started walking last week. Now the fun begins.

Christmas is coming - the tins of Quality Street are already in my local Co-op. I think it may be another year of tokens and mini-garments - see the pix.