Tangling in the Wash

Sounds like the next village to Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, doesn't it? I was making a load of skoleppar scissors keepers for Crimble. (See entry for 2nd June) Instead of ribbon this time, I thought I would crochet braids, leave the ends unsewn until after fulling in the washing machine. If the ends are threaded through the keeper as well as the scissors, then they don't keep parting company. The piccy shows what happened when I put eleven in the wash at the same time! They did a complete tourniquet act round the sleeve of one of my silk blouses. Undoing them was like reverse bobbin lace making. I only had to break one thread though.

I reckon this size is good for memory sticks for the males in the family - for the boys, I am going to put a couple of very old pix of themselves on them.

A larger "keeper" has worked out well as a specs case. Not quite as big as underfoot skoleppar, and still with the opening of one angled section. Evidently Keith's bright yellow and orange one caused a lot of comments at his Luncheon Club today. Because both sides aren't seen at once, different patterns were used - stripes on one side, 2x2 blocks on the other. I'll leave the reader to guess which was the easier side to knit.

Next project for Crimble is huggie muggies - still in the wash, pix to follow.

Local Exhibition

The local museum has a craft exhibition every other year (it's Art in between). I went along with a pile of goodies and also demonstrated on the sock machine over two weekends. Sold one pair of gloves, profit over exhibition fee and sales deduction £3.50 which was a lot better than some other people did!

From the left - basket of spun and dyed Wensleydale and some spinning tools, Sockrates and Heelitrope enjoying the outing, basket of gloves, socks and hats. In front of spinning basket is my scarf of 29 natural dyes, a bag made from Wilko's lustre yarn. I also put the three-and-a-half seasons shawls on display.

The Big Sweat finished

At last, the Big Sweat for little K. is finished, sewn up and posted off. Designing at 140 miles distance drove me to doing a sleeve shaping which is narrow in the forearm part, with internal tabs and external buttons so the sleeves can be shortened by rolling up. Piccy shows short left sleeve, full length right one.

Ican now get on with mini-skoleppar for Christmas!

Baby Blankets

I finished the crochet baby blankets. Strange effect when working on the second one was that the background(return row) colour completely altered my perception of the colours and which to pick next, even though they were in exactly the same order as on the first. Electric light didn't help. Even in the photo you can see that allt he colours seem darker.

Decadent Dazee

I got the companion flower finished at last. In Val Pierce's original pattern for a snail there was a daisy with white petals. I made the pot, stalk and flower on the sock machine, and decided to be clever and make a fringe on the flatbed for hair. Didn't realise what flimsy yarn I had picked up, so she definitely looks as if she is having a Bad Hair Day.

But anyway, Helen at Ruddington Framework Knitters'Museum says she won't alter a thing, and Dazee is here pictured outside the cottages. Last seen in the tea room, obviosly too lazee a dazee to move into the Griswold Sock Room where she truly belongs!

Read all about me in French!

My pals in the Spinners and Weavers of South West France have just refreshed their website. You can find it here http://spinandweaveswfrance.fr/mai09_maryhawkins.html

I must have been talking a lot on that day as I do not remember so many photos being taken and I am still staggered that I managed to get all that lot AND clothes and books for a fortnight in my 15kg allowance with Ryanair!

Soma Cube

Finished it yesterday. Load of fun, but bits of foam everywhere from trying to make curvy bath sponges fit a box shape.