Band-Robin.

For some months I have been working on a piece of embroidery for the Stitching Sisters group.

It is part of the Band-Robin we have been working on for some time. This particular sampler belongs to Jenny. She did the wonderful Hardanger work you can see. This is now just waiting until I know who will be the next person to work on it.

For further details, please see my post on the Stitching Sisters Blog.
http://www.sistersstitching.blogspot.com/

I have started Liz's new pullover, the second to be knitted to the Elizabeth Zimmermann "Open-collar design"

Apart from this, I have completed a Christmas Challenge. This was set by the Knots and Needles Group. A stitchers group, we were challenged at the Christmas meeting to decorate a bag each. These were supplied by the committee. The bags were basic shopping bags from Hobby craft. This is how mine looks now it is completed.

This is the side I think of as the front. The applique cats picture is also a pocket. This design was originally used for my cat quilt - sadly still languishing in my WISPs pile. It only needs quilting, but I still can't think how to quilt it.......... I must finish it this year.

This is the back. Ooops! I've just remembered that I forgot to blog about the bits and pieces I did over Christmas. The paw prints above were an experiment in printing. More in my next post.

I don't think I shall use it as a shopping bag, but it will come in handy as an additional project bag.

Today, I am working to finish a bag lining. The bag belongs to a friend of mine. She rather liked the lining I had added to my own bags, so I offered to add a lining to her bag. As you can see, the original lining is beginning to fail. There is also another bag here, which started off in a rather worse state.

I was rather lucky in that I went into the local Help the Aged charity shop. They had this gorgeous pair of curtains.

These will make a superb lining, just the right weight of fabric. I do have some other furnishing weight fabric in my stash, but could not find any of it when I first got hold of Sheila's bag. Its in there somewhere.........

Whilst in town, I also picked up the latest copy of Sew Hip.

Inside, it suggests getting fabric from charity shops! There is also a rather good "Vintage Cloth Holdall" which I shall definitely be making. There is a very nice "Joli Cube Bag" pattern too. Then theres Henrietta the Hippo. Now who can resist ! I know I can't She will look wonderful in the curtain fabric. Yes, I know I do not have any young children at home........... She will be a friendly addition to the menagerie in my workroom. I already have a pottery cat, a miniature teddy bear I made some years ago, and my daughter's toy bat.

I was also lucky to find these.

Aren't they fun! They are supposed to be the weights to hold down table cloths when used outside. One of my friends, Hilary, was clever in using this type of weight to hold down the bottom edge of a long hanging she made recently. It looks fantastic. I just couldn't resist these when I saw them.

Well, I am as old as I feel, and that's not as old as my age might lead anyone to suspect! I refuse to grow old gracefully........................ Life is for having fun and making things in any spare moments.

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.

Ice Queen and yarn buying.

Hello again! I've been a bit naughty this week, buying more yarn and beads.










From top left to right - Malabrigo lace weight yarn - violetas, two tubs of beads to match; Lana Grossa Cotton Fun, sock weight yarn; Fyberspates sock yarn in Toffee and Banana. These will keep me out of mischief for a while.











This is a better view of the Malabrigo yarn with the two tubs of beads. The beads are Gutermann Rocailles 9/o colours 6655 and6690. These are intended for a second Ice Queen, the Knitty design. The next photo shows where I've got up to with my first Ice Queen.











The following photos show the Band RR which I mentioned last week. It is now completed and will be in the post in the morning.











For further details on this project, please go to the Stitching Sisters Blog.
The inspiration for this was a wonderful book I found in a Charity Shop. It is so full of exciting photos and illustrations, just perfect for any textile artist.





The photo beneath is one of those I used to base my design on:







The last two show my original design, which got rather altered by the time it was stitched, and a close up of the finished band.

A happily creative 2008 to all!

I hope you have all had a creative start to this new year.

The orchid shown above was given to me as a Christmas present by one of my pupils. A truly delightful, and much appreciated thought. I love flowers.

This holiday from school has been a very creative one for me. I've been very busy with the Band-Robin. The stitching is now getting close to completion. I started the Ice Queen cowl, but have now ripped that back since I really wasn't happy with the way I had knit the pattern. It really wasn't quite right. So I shall start that again once I have got the stitching completed for the Band-Robin. (Photos for this will have to wait until after the sampler has found its way on to the next participant.)

I have also ripped back the Naive socks which I had also started knitting. The wool I was using, although wonderful to knit with, was really too dark to show off the subtle cabling of the design. The yarn will be great for a plainer pair of socks.

The other day I bought myself three huge balls of aran weight yarn (400g x 3!). Its not such an expensive purchase since the yarn is a mix of acrylic and wool. I needed some bright colours to lift my mood. The red is destined for a cardigan and the blue for a warm cowl to go with my blue jacket on windy days. Yes, I do have a scarf. But this is such a nuisance when it is windy, since I really can't keep it warmly and comfortably round my neck.

Amongst all this activity, I completed Hazel. Yes, it is too cold here in the Northern Hemisphere, to wear it just now. I really enjoyed making it though. The cables are such fun to do. I have plans for a cardigan/jacket to go with it.

I also decided this week, to sort out my fabric stash. I'd had to live with such a lot of it blocking access to a cupboard for rather too many months. The cupboard housed my collection of books and a number of other textile bits and pieces. So I spent a useful day sorting it all out. The books now reside in a bookcase in my workroom, just where I can use them. Wonderful! The pile of fabric has also gone, it is now sitting inside a large box in my cupboard and the fancier fabrics also sorted into the relevant drawers and shelves in my workroom. All my stash of fleecy fabric is together at last, sitting on the shelf under my sewing table. I have plans for a couple of new jackets.............

Amongst it all I found this

An unfinished aran jumper that I had completely forgotten all about. I must have left it partly because I was using metal needles at the time. I find I can no longer use these - they make my wrist and fingers ache far too much. Nowadays I use the reinforced plastic needles or bamboo. So much nicer. Now, I am not certain whether to rip this back and use the yarn for something else, or to finish it. I shall wait for a few days. I don't wear jumpers very often, so I could turn the design into a cardigan...................... but a jumper is so cosy when going out on a walk...........

Have fun!

Knitting, stitching and such.

Its been rather a long time since I last posted to my Blog. Work got in the way, and my much-loved sewing machine decided to break down, but I still managed to get rather a lot of knitting done.

I've started two pairs of socks - useful mobile knitting. The first design is "Firestarter" by Yarnissima. This interesting design can be found at http://www.yarnissima.com/.

The second design is "Naive Socks" by Spillyjane. This is a delightful cabled sock design and can be found at http://spillyjane.blogspot.com/.

The third project is using up the Jaeger Trinity yarn I have had in my stash for some time. This poor yarn has been used for two previous projects which I really did not enjoy knitting and so ripped them back. This seems to be third time lucky. The design is Hazel from the Jaeger book JB34. This is another beautifully cabled design which I really enjoy knitting. This is getting on far faster than the socks at the moment. I have already finished the back and have started the front.

Here is the promised photo of the Mocassin Socks. Coco wanted to have her photo taken, so we compromised I took a photo as she posed with my socks. This was not an Elizabeth's Year project I really enjoyed, but I shall use these socks. I think what puts me off is the seam underneath the foot - something that I personally find uncomfortable to walk in. They will prove useful as house socks on chilly days.

The last project waiting to be started is the beautiful "Ice Queen" from Knitty.com. I have managed to get myself involved in yet another knittalong to knit this.The group calls itself Ice_Queen and is a Yahoo group.

As well as all this, I have now finished the design work on the Band Robin. This will be shown after I know it has arrived with the next person on the list. The design was based on a wonderful carved stone design from the 12th Century which I found in a gorgeous book. I shall tell you more another time, but I can tell you that the book was a lucky find. I found it in a Charity shop!

Happy Christmas everyone!

For those who don't share Christmas, may I wish you some very happy, uninterrupted time with your own textile projects.

Sewing again

Well, I have been busily knitting again this week - sorry no photos. I have been working on the Moccasin Socks for the Elizabeth's Year group. My first sock is almost complete and I have knitted the sock cuff on the second. I shall post photos when I have finished them.











I have now completed my recorder bag. As you can see, the recorder fits snggly inside with a pocket free for small bits and pieces like a soft drying / cleaning cloth. I shall let you know how it gets on with the wear and tear of regular use.









The next piece, or should I say pieces have been stuck in my "what am I going to do with this" pile for some time. You may recognise the circular motif, "Leaves".









The background piece is made up of a collection of accidentally dyed "Colour Catchers". These are the remarkable pieces of what feels like a paper-based fabric which you can buy to put in with your washing whenever there is a danger of a piece of the load leaching dye onto anything else. (One of those red sock turning a white load of washing pink times.)


The ones I am able to get hold of can only be used once, but the colours that come out are wonderful! This was an attempt to use them. I only got as far as sewing them on to a piece of sheet I had dyed. I was not sure what to do next.


The other day, I took it out to look at it, added "Leaves" and left it on my wall. More needs to be added, but I need to stop and think about it first.



Also waiting for me to start work is this beautiful piece of stitching. It is the Band Robin from the Stitching Sisters group. It rests on my ideas board. I have a two inch deep section to add either to the top or the bottom of this piece. The talent of the stitchers in the group is awe-inspiring.

Getting things done - slowly.

Well, I've been busy, knitting and completing my shopping bag repair.

The photos above show all four sides of my newly completed bag. I just don't have the heart to use it as a shopping bag any more. Well, not everyday. I shall probably have to use it for a little while since my second bag now needs a lining. I shall be adding a big pocket inside this second bag, as well as the zipped pocket and a small open pocket for my mobile phone. I always seem to lose mine somewhere deep down at the bottom......... Why do they always ring just when its impossible to find them?


The original lining on my third bag is also beginning to go, so I shall have to find some suitable fabric for that one too.


The lining I am using for the second bag used to be the cushion cover for a large oblong beanbag. Its now washed and ready to hang out on the washing line to dry. The old zip which fastened the cover is now sitting with the rest of my zips ready for a new use. Sadly, it was far too big to use for the lining I am planning to make.



As you can see from the next photo, I have finally reached the stage of adding the knitted on border to the shawl. Its been a little bit of a struggle since I regularly get myself into a dreadful tangle with the wool, needles and dropped stitches. Still, I'm getting there and it seems to be getting a little easier - oh dear, should I have said that?











The edging looks as if it has been knitted using a darker yarn. I am still using the variegated yarn I have used all along. This part seems to be one of the darker lengths. It looks better when seen as part of the whole shawl. The wooden needles to the left are the ones that I am working the border with. The circular needle to the right is just holding the invisible cast on stitches.





The shawl is being knitted as part of the Elizabeth's Year group knitalong. Its such fun to be part of such a large and friendly group. Many of us are knitting the shawl his month. I have found the project a steep learning curve, finding so many new techniques that I have needed to learn - invisible cast-on, knitting on a border to name but two. It certainly helped being able to learn from the others in the group.

When reading through other Blogs this morning, I visited Christine's Blog. She is another member of the Stitching Sisters group - we are working on a Band Robin project together.
In her excellent Blog, Christine mentioned the Blog without obligation site. I have added the link to the side of this Blog. The basic idea is not to feel guilty about blogging - especially those times when life gets in the way and the Blog doesn't get added to regularly......... Its so nice to be encouraged to give myself permission not to feel guilty.
Do visit Christine's Blog - its delightful. She also has a costume Blog too. Christine is one of those talented people - she makes the most amazing period costumes.

Still here

Its been a while since the last posting - its been a busy, but not terribly creative time!


Firstly, this is a photograph of the Band Robin which I completed for my friend Ktj:



Its just arrived, I'm relieved to say. Its always a heart-stopping moment when a piece of work is passed on to Bob at the Post Office. He is very kind, but it is nerve-wracking especially when it usually takes around two weeks to get to the USA from here.
The next photo shows a detail of the section I did - its the lowest one on the photo. Here is a close-up.



The section above mine is the most enchanting design I've ever seen. Its based on a knot garden. This was stitched by Margaret.
I was blown away by Margaret's design when I received this. It took me some time to catch my breath and explore ideas. Luckily, the cherry blossom was just coming into flower in the gardens around my house..,. Hence the design. I kept it simple. The sketch below is the one I used for the Band Robin.






The other photos are ones I took as references. First, the flowers:



Now the bark:



I really love the texture of the bark, so used french knots and bullion knots to try to imitate this.
At present everything else is continuing quite slowly. I still have not finished the shopping bag. It is sitting next to me, the side seams are all stitched, with the bindings pinned. These need to be handstitched in place.
Why is it that I always prevaricate with the last bits of anything I work on? It seems to happen with everything I make. Whatever it is, it sits there for at least a couple of days before I get around to finishing off the last touches. How silly..........
Oh yes, the new piece of knitting is carrying on. I have ripped it back three times so far. I kept on misreading the instructions! Its been far too many years since I last knitted lace.

Band Robin

I promised a couple of weeks ago that I would post photos of some stitching I recently completed. This is for a Round Robin.





The piece you see here is Margaret's Band Robin. She has stitched the glorious tulips which are at the top. I have added the amaryllis design beneath. You may recall the photos of the amaryllis from an earlier entry to the Blog.

This second photograph shows some of the detail of the stitching and the beading. The threads I have used are YLI silk, whilst the beads are Mill Hill small bugle beads. The colours are more accurate in the top picture.

The following pictures show my own Band, currently in the USA. I have used YLI Jeans Stitch on 28 count fabric. The background is a mottled blue. The fabric was purchased rather than dyed by myself... perhaps something else to try one day. The booklet is travelling round with my embroidery.