New Crochet edging?

I was making more skoleppar (shoe inserts) and dithering over which colour to use for the simple double crochet edging. I decided to use both. Not wanting to keep twisting the yarns over each other, I thought of the Fair Isle stranding technique in knitting, where the yarns are kept apart.

Attach both colours. Keep green higher, or nearer finger tip than orange. With green, work one chain. *Hook into edge of work, pick up orange, draw through, complete stitch in orange. Hook into edge of work, over orange strand to pick up green, draw through, and complete stitch in green. Repeat from *

An unexpected bonus was that the reverse of the work (the top edge in the photo) looks rather like a braid. Sample here done in dishcloth cotton. In wool, on a smaller scale and fulled in the washing machine, the stitch definition will not be so great.

Cushion finished

And doesn't it look at home?

Cushion back and front

I'm getting there! The top is the front. Now to join with 4-stitch applied I-cord. Thanks to the workshop I did with Tricia Holman last year (Elizabeth Zimmermann's niece), I now know to work this from the back and to introduce extra rows when is seems to pull in.

Skoleppar Cushion

Thought I would do a bigger skoleppar cushion before I go to France in May. Coming along nicely. Took a pix of the halfway stage. about 20 different lengths of colour hanging off it. Glad I had done smaller projects previously!

New Year's Resolution gone to pot

Well, I did get the Spring Thaw Socks finished, then got side-tracked with K's new cardi, a brimmed hat, church offering mitts, 4ply kilthose, Ten stitch patterns for a workshop, bunny blanket buddies, tea cosy with a Yorkshire theme, fingerless gloves for local wool shop ...

Details - K's cardi is Jamieson & Smith 2ply jumperweight, machine knitted.
Brimmed hat is from an old Sirdar pattern and not very good, in my opinion, as the band is too narrow and flares too much.
The socks look really odd if left to their own devices - I think this is because it is twisted rib stich with smooth stocking stitch underfoot.
Teacosy is machine knit the magic "card 2" then thrown in the washing machine.
Scarf is double crochet through backs of loops only, except for fringe ends which are crocheted through two loops as normal. I rather think it looks like a drippy waterfall.
Bunny blanket buddies are a free Lion Brand pattern, they say should be twice this size!

New Year Knitting Resolutions

I thought I really must finish work that is already on the needles before starting any new projects. Being snowed in for several days would be a help, you'd think, but the old acute tendonitis is rearing its ugly head (or left arm) again and slowing me up. However, I am now on the final leaf in the Spring Thaw socks, and should be finished tomorrow (pity the snow won't be gone by then as well). I don't think I'll want to see another twisted rib stitch for a long time after this.

The big new project for the year (and possibly going into 2011) is going to be Hughes Hues, translating a cotton fabric jacket into knitwear. The plan is for natural dyes and garter stitch and methodology from Debie New's Swirl socks and the little baby jumper she brought with her to the Guild's London AGM (in her book Unexpected Knitting). I was so afraid that people would be getting fed up of seeing me in my Dordogne Autumn Jacket - but they've asked me to do a workshop on it at this year's AGM! I might also try a sample of Hughes Hues in remnants of cotton Peaches 'n' Creme. Why the name? Because a lady called J. Hughes was wearing the original.

Update on Craft Fair

What a huge bore! So few people through the door on both days. Sold a very plain pair of gloves to next stall holder who cheekily asked me for a discount, one scissors keeper to a friend who happens to live on same street as the venue, and one sheep puppet that is so old I had to check for moth holes first. My pal sold nairy a thing until I bought her rainbow crochet elephant, so she didn't even take the cost of the stall. We certainly won't be doing that venue again!