December - end of the year

There's a lot of things need finishing here. Pink mittens, pink poncho, leftovers jumper, endless handwarmers and socks for the museum. Time to look back and reflect on the good things this year. Brilliant event in March. four figure donation to the museum. Extra event in September, quieter, but still a contribution. Invitation to the Old Bailey on the back of my success. Knitting in public. Visiting sock factories, lecture about Smedley's archives plus small exhibition. Tour of Nottingham's historic Lace market. After teaching the rudiments of circular sock knitting to two modern day apprentices, Matt and I made a return visit to Urgo in Shepshed, who make bespoke medical hosiery for diabetics etc. I was really impressed that the order contains the customer's name at every stage, and the order number is knitted in sideways. It is finally packed by a real person, and can get back to the customer within 7 days of ordering. Even the warp knitted bandages (allegedly on a "crochet knitting machine")with 800 threads were fascinating to behold. Matt made a video and slowed it down to a speed one could actually see. No wonder they wanted the apprentices to see knitting at our speed! The Christmas event at the museum was as good as ever, and the chestnuts were back! I toasted some crumpets in the cottage with my mob cap on. I've never been 100% happy with my head gear for my Victorian costume, but had a brainwave mid-afternoon, and put my Shetland shoulder shawl over my head, securing it with a fine paintbrush grabbed from the teashop. It stayed on the rest of the day. The frameshop was candle-lit for the last couple hours, it was really wonderful. We experimented with optimum distances for candles and globes, and the amount of light that could be had was amazing.

November

Made a mini jumper with Rudolph on the front for advent calendar pockets- but you have to be told it is a reindeer. Back plain,, knit tight, front far too loose. Need to address that if making more, perhaps different size needles, Whole thing bloomin' fiddly anyway, thinking about adapting pattern to kit all in one (but top of sleeves are shaped. Sigh.) Had been using Drops Flora wool/alpaca mix for handwarmers, four pairs. Enough left over to use all four shades to make a fifth pair, which will keep because it is so soft and warm. Drops is such an economical buy. These are pair no. 546 - isn't that remarkable? Had another stocktake from the museum today, sales going really well in all areas.

It's all go in Nottingham

Did Nottingham Yarn Expo on Sunday with the trusty team of Matt and Anne. Getting the big case there on the bus is no joke, I'll swear the street up the side of Debenhams gets steeper. All in all a good show, nice and steady, talked to a lot of people, handed out even more museum leaflets. Sold five of my items and two books, and Matt sold his very first pair of socks. With some museum shawls and Santa egg cosies, took about £200, of which I think £150 goes to the museum. Sent the rest of my handwarmers and heel-less socks off to the museum to catch the Christmas trade, and now I can can a short break from thrashing around making HW and HL for a bit. Celebrating 235 years of knitwear, John Smedleys put on a lecture at the Uni. Next Monday we are off to a visit to G H Hurts Shawl Factory in Chilwell, organised by Matt. At home, finished third of second batch of "retro" fluted tea cosies, and started on gloves using scraps. So long since I did any I had forgotten parts of the pattern!

First Frost

First frost this morning, along with some fog. Brrr! Made a long Victorian style nightdress with crochet trims. The wider trim is an elongated bookmark, the narrow trim is a treble foundation cast on with the same cream edging as the wider one.

Baa Humbug

What an easy-peasy pattern this is. On the circular machine, 60 rows, taking care to end a quarter of the way round. Then Kitchener grafting one end the usual way, the other end inside out to about three-quarters (because I prefer that!) then turning, stuffing and working out how to do grafting from the right side. Add a head and am I-cord or similar scarf and that's it. In other knitting/crochet news, I am sewing a nightdress which calls for a ribbon-threaded lace trim. Found a good crochet pattern on Rav, just got to work out how many stitches to start with as it's made lengthways. My tension is rubbishy slack as always, but it won't matter as it will be sewn down. In getting the cutting board down from the attic, decided to investigate the contents of three bags up there. One has produced a few items for the museum tombola, another bag is full with stuff for local jumble sale, the third was sorted and has gone in the bin. Is there any more up there? What do you think! I've saved a few pieces which might eventually make it into my knitted bunting, similar to the one I saw at Yaradale. It doesn't all have to be Fair Isle.

Bunnies everywhere

Using Skip the N=Bunny pattern after the Kegworth event.

After September Socks & Yarndale

September Socks a very peaceful event. Everyone loved the lack of pressure. All the newbies made progress, some astonishing, from a non-working machine at the beginning of the weekend, to a pair of socks by the end. Matt and I both tried the Noughts & Crosses pattern. But involving 4 needles in crosses on a CSM, while JUST possible, was a tad too far, and we don't want to take this experiment any further! The lovely Jill gave me enough yarn to make 32 pairs of handwarmers for the museum shop The following weekend I went up to Yarndale by coach. What a long haul. Total of 7 hours spent in travelling compared with 6 hours actually there. But it was good. Met up with some very, very, old friends, who had stands. Bought enough yarn to make another 22 pairs of handwarmers, new needles with better points for finishing the socks, and some deep violet dye, as I can never seem to get enough purple. Purple always goes first in the shop. Planning to do some spot dyeing on skeins instead of messing about with sock blanks, as I found the dyeing of these less than satisfactory last time. Only things I bought for myself were Christmas cards and a Herdy mug. I wold have liked to have been inspired by a kit for something colourful, but it was not to be. Vastly impressed by bunting made from Fair Isle on one stand, and will now dig out all my old machine knitting samples and see what I can do.