Knitting and cats.

Well, Liz has just taken possession of her new v-necked jumper. I finished it last week. This is the Dickinson Pullover.






Coco decided she just had to have her photo taken - she had watched me take photos of the jumper shown above. This pose is not just an invitation to tickle her tummy. She is seeking attention and admiration.






This is my new project. A rather nice fitted jacket design from Drops. It is knitted on circular needles, but not in the round. The knitting goes forward and back. A rather interesting project since I have not used circular needles in this way before. I couldn't resist the bright red.






This is another project. It was ongoing, but I ripped back the four squares I had already completed yesterday. I just wasn't happy with them. The three squares I have completed since restarting yesterday are far nicer. I rather like the curved pattern of holes I have accidentally made while increasing.






The ruler gives an idea of scale. This project is part of the Elizabeth's Year group. Its the April project from "The Knitter's Almanac" by Elizabeth Zimmermann. The original design asks for a much thicker yarn, but I decided to go for the double knitting weight instead. This will lead me to need an awful lot more squares to make it the same size as thhe project in the book. As you can see, I am using the remnants of yarn left over from Elizabeth's pullover shown at the top of this post.

Quiet times.

Well, I really thought I wouldn't have anything to post about again this week. Then I started thinking.............. Thinking is definitely a dangerous past-time.




I've been busily knitting since I last wrote. Liz's pullover is now ready for the addition of the neck. Its taken me rather a while to get to this stage. Its been one of those projects where I have had had repeatedly to rip back and reknit sections because I have made a mistake. Usually really silly mistakes, which makes it all the more irritating. Since the jumper is being knitted for someone, I find myself unwilling to put up with even minor mistakes.

I have also completed the design work for the Band Robin. I can't show you my design just yet, since I need to show photos to the Stitching Sisters group first. Its taken me rather a while to get the design finished so I do hope that Jenny, the owner, likes it. The next stage is to get on with the stitching.

Recently, I became involved with a new Quilting Group, Hartford Quilters. This is going to be a really active group. We have already started a joint project making strips for a series of lapquilts. The strips are 6 inches deep and 42 inches wide (finished size) in pastel shades. The finished lapquilts will be given to the local Hospice, who have suggested the colour scheme we are using. I have put all my pieces together, but have not settled on a design for my strip yet. I'd better get a move on with this before I get left behind.

A second group I have become involved with recently, is the Borders Knitting group meeting at Cheshire Oaks. The group meets inside Borders, the large book shop. (Thats me on the bottom right hand side of the photo.) This is the first knitting group I have ever been a part of. Its so nice to meet people with a similar interest. Its fun to sit around and chat and to learn new ideas too. I got to hear about this group through Ravelry, one of the Internet groups I belong to.

An interesting day.

This morning I woke to a really fairytale sight. Snow had fallen overnight - only a light snowfall, but everywhere looked so pretty. The photos were taken at 7am, when the light was really lovely, almost pink.

Felix was not impressed. He doesn't like getting his paws wet.

The snow was not destined to last, after only a few hours it was gone.

This afternoon, we have sleet. Not quite so pleasant. Good weather for knitting and getting on with bits and pieces, though. Here is Liz's second jumper, the Dickinson Pullover. The front is now finished and I am well over half way up the first sleeve. Aggie is looking after it for me since pinning it up like this keeps it safely out of the cats' way. (I don't fancy pulling black fur from such a pale coloured aran pattern.)

My sewing machine is back and working beautifully once more. I went back to collect it yesterday.

Playtime.

Well, I've been having a great time this week. Its the Easter Holiday here.

On Tuesday, I ended up going to the seaside with my husband. A rather blustery day, but we went for a walk along the promenade. We took this photograph of the ferry, Riverdance which went aground some months ago just off Blackpool's north beach. The local paper also has this fascinating article on local shipwrecks on this stretch of water.







The knitting on Liz's Dickinson Sweater has kept on growing. I ended up ripping it back around four inches the day before yesterday, but have managed nearly to get back to where I had previously got to. Getting the cables round the wrong way! I did the same thing with the back too. So I've just got to the point on the front where I shall be starting to decrease for the armholes and also for the v-neck in another ten rows time.

I finished the red Japanese Folded Patchwork hanging too. It is now dangling from a red stick stuck into my notice board. The stick, with its ribbon, came from the same miniature rosebush my husband bought me for Valentines Day.







My poor sewing machine will have to go in for a service this next week since I just cannot get the stitch tensioning to work. I have been so careful to follow the manual, just in cse I have forgotten to do something. I just have this uncomfortable feeling that the stitch tension has got jammed somehow.

Well, the fact that my dear old friend is no longer working properly, has made me take out my Overlocker (Serger). I bought this three years ago. Although I have used it for three or four projects, I have never really felt completely confident using it. So now, I shall just have to get on with learning how to make things with it.

I have already started making a project bag. In one of my Serging technique books - yes, I did collect two once I bought the machine - I found a rather interesting idea. This was to make fabric using narrow strips of fabric with the cut edges bound by the Overlocker. In the book, it was supposed to be the pocket of a jacket. I thought the front and back panels of a bag would be of more use to me.

I had loads of fun cutting long strips of fabric from my stash.





The working title of this project is "Pyjama Bag". Simply because most of the fabric comes from a pair of pyjamas which used to belong to my husband until he wore out the jacket button band (for the third time - there just was no more fabric I could use to reinforce the damaged area).







I have an idea to quilt the sides to make them more sturdy, though this will be done by hand unless the repair to my sewing machine takes much less than the last time the repairers took it in hand. (They had it for three weeks!)







Here are the handles I plan to use. The plait is made from some more of the pyjama material. I shall need to make another plait. These, when cut, will act as the holders linking the handles to the main body of the bag.

Storage solutions, sewing and knitting.

I saw my elder daughter Liz a couple of days ago and was able to hand her the first of the two sweaters she asked me to knit. It was duly worn, admired, and when she left, a few short hours later, she was still wearing it. Now, what more can a loving mum hope for? To knit something for someone and for it to be appreciated............

I'm working steadily on the second sweater. This is the Dickinson Pullover by Kathy Zimmerman from the Fall 2007 edition of Interweave Knits. This is such a nice design to knit, that I find it rather compulsive knitting. Just as well, since I've had to rip it back a few inches or so. I made such a silly error in placing the cables, then compounded it by making a different error when I sarted that section again. It got ripped back around four inches the first time, but only around a couple of rows or so the remaining times. Never mind, the back is now completed, though I have not cast off the stitches. I've placed these on a stitch holder.




Here you see the ever helpful Aggie modelling the back. On the shoulder of my tailor's dummy, you can also see the work completed so far for the front.





I decided to add to my storage containers again this week. I went into "The Works", which is a very cheap stationers/booksellers/artist's supplies shop. I bought a couple of their large paintbrush holders. I bought two some months ago as an experiment - wanting to find some way of keeping my knitting needles neat and tidy. I needed two more to contain my many circular needles. The nice thing about these holders is that they can stand upright when you fold them, useful when doing a series of tension (gauge) swatches.



As you can see, the folders look really neat and tidy on the shelves above my desk. The next thing I must do is sew on some labels. The folders are all fabric covered.

Whilst in "The Works", I also found a really cheap book about Japan. It is beautifully illustrated. Especially useful since I shall be returning to the annual "Arts Week" in school after the Easter break. My topic this year is "Japan". The children will find the photos in this book really helpful.




One other item I have been working on is the Japanese folded hanging which I started some time ago.



The photos show the completed bottom half. This now has a purchased tassel as well as beading and some tiny bells. The red heart came from the miniature rose my husband bought me for Valentines Day.
I am intending the hanging to be hollow, though I might change my mind when it comes closer to completion. This shows the inside.



Recently, I got the next part of the Band Robin in the post. This gorgeous piece now hangs on my board ready for me to start work. Did you see the deilghtful little card sitting on my shelf beside the hanging? The card arrived with the Band Robin. The stitched design is printed on the reverse......



I am looking forward to getting on with this one. For further information about this project, please visit the Stitching Sisters Blog.

Knitting and not enough sewing.

Well, I completed my aran jumper during the week. Its really quite heavy, but very warm to wear. It will be perfect for a Springtime walk. Cosy.




Then I started the second of the two jumpers for my daughter Liz. This is the "Dickinson Pullover" from the Fall edition of Interweave Knits. I'm using an acrylic yarn since this will be the most practical for Liz to wash.




Its knitting up nicely and I am really enjoying the cabled design. The colour is a lovely warm shade of cream. The lower photo is nearest to the actual shade.



I may not have manaaged to get any sewing done, but I really enjoyed getting more of my fabric stash stowed away into my sewing room. This particular collection is that of the heavier fabrics - upholstery, corduroy and canvas as well as some suiting.



It might sound silly, but it so nice to have it where I can actually see and feel it. I might even start to use some of it in different projects. I had forgotten just how much furnishing weight fabric I had collected.
Perfect for making bags..............
Now, that's a thought. I could really do with a small rucksack to take with me when I get my bike out................
Did I tell you that I had bought myself a new cycle helmet?
I'm going to have fun.

Fibre heaven.

Well, its been quite a time over the last week or so. I have been merrily knitting, but sadly have got no further with my little red box.

I have just finished the first of the jumpers - the Placed Cable sweater.

The second one, the aran jumper has had a little bit of a setback - I found when I started sewing it together, that the second sleeve had the cables reversed on the sleeve edging. Ah well, the sleeve has now been ripped back to the start of the shaping. It should not take too long to rebuild.

I went into Aldi the other day and found rather interesting furry yarn. I shall not be knitting the boa scarf pattern that came with the wool. However, those interesting needles got me thinking.

They would make really good bag handles. They are a little short, but it would be such fun to make a bag with knitting needle handles. I did see a rather gorgeous knitted bag some time ago using knitting needles in this way.

The yarn would make a really interesting textural detail on a bag too.....

Yesterday I replaced the cover on my ironing board. I found myself unable to throw out the old ones. (I had put my last cover over the previous one to give it a bit of thickness.)

So, I cut off the damaged fabric, stripped off the foam backing and gave both pieces a good wash. These will probably become the linings to my knitting needle bags.

Going to a local Quilting group, I was delighted to find that a bag of fabric scraps was to be shared out. The plain fabrics above and the Liberty fabrics below were the pieces I chose. Most of these are quite small, but all quite useable.

I shall enjoy putting a scrap Liberty quilt together.

All in all a fibre-enthusiasts idea of heaven. Thank you to the wonderful person (anonymous) who donated the fabric to the group. Please be assured the fabric all went to delighted and eager hands.