Flaky Fingers Wednesday 30.11.10

With both the mega cold winter and the tiling I've been doing lately, my hands are all dry and chapped.

It makes knitting the babies blanket a non-starter for the moment, which is a shame as I'm a third of the way up it and can see the finished article in my minds' eye. Don't worry ....

I'LL BE BACK!!

Knitty Group Meets Up Tuesday 9.11.10

Went knitting tonight and REALISED

I haven't posted this new creation. I know it doesn't look like much, but it should turn into a lovely little blanket with a gentle yellow border all the way around.

Baby Blanket Saturday 30.7.10

At Last, 

IT'S FINISHED!

The next task is to get it to the lucky recipient.

It's not as bad as I thought,

but not that good either.

Baby Blanket Wednesday 20.7.10

On the road journey back from the Hebrides I got to grips with the baby blanket.

I didn't finish sewing it together, but it did get half done.

AT LAST, LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

ETHNICCRAFTS.CO.UK!!

You've got to check out this web site. Looky looky:-






  
Banaras / 100 gm
£2.99





Recycled Sari Silk yarn / 100 gm
£2.80





Banana Silk Yarn / Hand Dyed /100gm
£2.90 


I could find a dozen uses for this Banana Pink yarn.  I think I'm in love!


AND there's loads more yarns on their website - and, NO, I don't have shares in the company :) 


Click below.  I dare you to avoid temptation!!


http://www.ethniccrafts.co.uk/

Bagging A New Image - Tuesday 25.5.10

Ever since I made the lovely felt bag at Brenda Marshalls studio at the Jinney Ring, I've had doubts about the 'pennants' around the flap. Why?

• They shouted too loud, drawing the eye away from the bag itself.
• The colours didn't blend well' were too much of a contrast.
• They looked too young for an old bird like me.
• They had to go .....

I cut them off and removed the strap.

It's a good thing to do tonight at the knitting Group, as I can talk and work, which I can't always do if  I'm counting stitches. 


Once the pennants were off, there was no real way back! Phoebe gladly took on the pennants for a project she's working on. I got on with my struggle to personalize my bag.

I sewed the strap around the edge of the flap, forming it into a beading edge. The excess formed a new, shorter strap.

It's a more pared down, discrete, now; a perfect foil for the bag. Rather like me. We're made for each other!

GORGEOUS 

Square Eyes - Sunday 23.5.10

At last, a decent pile of squares for Williams' blanket.
I've been going square eyed knitting it!

Laid out, it's plenty for a cot blanket etc. Especially as the Beige hearts were given to me by a member of the Knitting group who's pattern I'm using. 

EVERY LITTLE HELPS!

The dark blue ones, the second colour up in the pile above, were not up to scratch. They'll have to be redone. 

SOB!!


Then, and only then, can I assemble it.


BETTER CRACK ON

Ever Felt Like A Bag?!!

I went off to my very good friend, Brendas' ( Link) (Link ) to learn how to make FELT BAGS  like this one.

We began at 11am, or in my case, 11.30am. Should've got up earlier!!

THAT'LL BE THE DAY

SO, HOW DO WE MAKE A FELT BAG? 

We had to lay small chunks of felt onto a fabric backing.

Having ripped them from the long skeins, we placed them with great care.

This rather wobbly shot shows the other student's work.

We layered on the 'tufts'.

We took great care over this. Ending up with a piece of 'fun fur'.

This is MINE !

Brenda laid out this jazzed up one. We all had to embellish the top layer with scraps of yarn and fabric.

A CHANCE TO PLAY - 

To do your own thing - 

To EXPRESS YOURSELF - 

To show off your inner HAPPY HIPPY.

Mine was worryingly formal. 

WHAT DO OUR DESIGNS SAY  ABOUT US?????

Once we're at this stage, we cover up and wet our work, then we RUB. 

The best bit about this was using the Maharajahs soap, no less.

After much massaging and rolling, my piece of felt was folded into a bag and a fringe added to the flap.

Brenda was clearly under some pressure at this late stage of the day, as demonstrated by her need to slam my beautiful, proto bag down on the table; several times.

My bag looked a bit startled, but lovely, after it's abuse.

To be honest, I think the back is almost better than the front!

We now had bags, trouble is,  we didn't  have handles/straps. 

OFF WE GO AGAIN ..... 

We laid out long skeins of colours and yarns, wetted them and rolled them a few times..

This one's mine and has been rolled and is ready to be hand finished.

After all this, at about 5.30pm, I had this.....

Even though the handle isn't attached, and the bag, unwashed, my bag looks fab ..... IN MY OPINION!!

At home I followed the special, Brenda, washing instructions and then, hung it out to drip dry.

THEN IT RAINED

So I popped my bag, and its' strap, under our little veranda to dry; a vision in pink. 

GET YOURSELF TO BRENDAS' WORKSHOP AT JINNEY RING FOR A FANTASTICLY CREATIVE, AND CHATTY, DAY OUT.

If you attended this course and would like to use any of these pictures, you may do so. You may not 'sell them on'. All copyright laws otherwise apply.

Knitters R Us

Tuesday 13.4.10

Off  Sue and I go. Bags stuffed to the gunnels with wool, needles and hope.

Rhona had brought along yet another naff pattern. Cute baby, gotta be at least 50 now. Like the rest of us in the group. Well apart from the younguns, of course.

Knitting socks using the amazingly clever sock wool!

 See how fast they work those needles!

Caroline in soft focus working a play blanket in fleece.

Making a play blanket in giant patchwork felt.

Knitting Charts

Found this web site that has software to help us create our own Knitting Charts go to http://knitting.about.com/od/reviews/gr/chartmagic.htm 


Thought you might find it handy.

Knitty Tuesday

Knitting group tonight. Can't knit there, too chatty to count stitches. Took along the big red 'sheet'. It's being worked in stocking stitched mohair taken from a huge cone,  which I picked up for a quid from the wonderful Emaus. Eventually it'll be shrunk to felt and made into something ... hopefully a jacket, probably a purse! Feels like my life's work. It's into its' third year, having been my travelling entertainment in the motorhome.

Lucy had 10  large balls of Arran thickness, Marino wool. Her latest charity shop purchase. We were all gobsmacked. Must be a tenner a ball on the 'high street'. Pale purple.



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