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...

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.