Monthly Archives: August 2015

Finished!

Hello All

Glad to say ITS FINISHED! That little Rowan waistcoat has had the stitches picked up, its borders garter stitched and the seams sewn. Voilà

done.

Time for a new little person project and now we know its a girl I am afraid I am going to have a pink moment ….

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Here are the beginnings of a little pattern gleaned from this handy book by Candi Jenson.

Knit in a Day

Crammed with simple, easy to follow items to knit for babies from 3 to 24 months it is perfect for finding a quick knit  when time is of the essence. But what am I making?

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let’s wait and see.

Until next we meet, Moke x

Beaten by the clock

Hello All

A quick  post today as time has gotten the better of me. I was hoping to unveil a finished project (for once, I hear you chorus) but I hadn’t realised the magnitude of the task I was setting myself. It was ever thus.

I have been working on a small person garment from the ‘Little Rowan’ pattern-book. I have got as far as this

two sides and the back of a moss stitch and cable waistcoat.

At this point I confess I had pithered about as I wasn’t looking forward to the next bit of the pattern. But today I planned to complete my knitting and show you the whole garment made up and ready to wear. I was right to pither ….

First I made the classic mistake (or is it only me for whom this is a classic mistake?) of sewing together the wrong sides. Aaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhh. How come if I had wanted a seam to hold together it would have fallen open at the first  snip but when I want my stitching to undo I have sewn firmly enough to withstand a tug of war between two teams of super heroes?!

However after (only) an hour of unpicking I was ready to re-sew. The work of minutes. Then … groan …. another hour was ‘happily’ spent wresting with the task of lifting sufficient stitches on to the needle. And here they are sitting snuggly on my 2.75mm needle awaiting the garter stitch to come:

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But by now the afternoon had worn on and while I have managed to get some actual knitting done (oh the joy),

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I am nowhere near finishing.

I am sorry but the dog is crossing his legs and our stomachs are grumbling for tea-time. So short rations today … never fear I’ll be back to finish the story of the trickiest little waistcoat in the West very soon.

Until next we meet, Moke x

Build Me Up Buttercup

Hello All

When a friend at work mentioned that there was a local charity project to raise money by the sale of wool crafts I decided that I must find a way to beat the bus sickness blues.

Much as I love the stunning landscape and its changing nuances it is a long daily journey to work and while I am fine looking out of the window I struggle with anything that means bending my head. That has meant reading and crafts are out …. oh woe is me.

Then an inkling of an idea. If I stick to crafting simple patterns on the ‘straight’ (the Romans didn’t touch these roads or were defeated by our mountainous topography), less lumpy-bumpy, bits of the road I might manage the odd brooch or two.

Practice first. I turned to an old favourite for inspiration,

With so much choice what to do? Start at the beginning with the easy crochet patterns and work my way through. Off we go.

First the lovely Hellebore,

A very satisfying make but with three colours fiddly. A certain recipe for a stomach churning journey. Next!

Let’s build up a buttercup ….

Pretty little thing. But while small is beautiful it is also a tad tricky for someone with fingers a bunch of bananas would be proud of. Lest this go the way of Goldilocks and the Three Bears … too fiddly …. too tricky …. shall we move on to ‘just right’ …

…. the madness of the Chrysanthemum.

Flamboyant yet simplest to do. Yippee. Despite its woolly wildness it makes a striking corsage brooch. Any suggestions as to yarns and methods to make it fit any occasion gratefully received.

Now I have a pattern I can replicate on the bus AND three little contributions for the charity sale.

Reading on the bus next …..

Before I go. My good friend JH came over for cake and a cuppa yesterday. We are both to become grandmothers within weeks of each other so you can imagine we had a lot to talk about and look what she made for No1 Daughter ….

Woof-ely and beautiful. Needless to say both No1 Daughter and I were very very grateful for such a wonderful handmade pair of baby bootees. Thank you JH.

Until next we meet, Moke x

This Cumbria Life

Hello All

As you know little things please me. Something that is definitely not little however is monthly magazine Cumbria Life,

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You may remember that I have talked about this super periodical before. We are very lucky to have such a high quality magazine celebrating our beautiful county. No surprise that I am a regular reader.

In July I took a trip to Leeds to visit No 1 Daughter and No 1 Son. I carried with me the latest Cumbria Life to keep me entertained and to share with my offspring. One of the articles took us on a merry stroll down memory lane as we recalled the No1s younger days at Kendal Calling music festival. So much mud!

Anyhoo I thought that I would regale the editorial team with my latest outing accompanied by their glossy magazine. And hey! what’s this on their letters page?

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My name!!!

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OK its not a Pullitzer. I did say little things please me.

Until next we meet, Moke x

P.S. Oops… the spots on that last picture are Cumbrian raindrops that decided to fall just as I was taking the photo.

Wind the Bobbin Up

Hello All

In the words of the nursery rhyme it is time for me to wind the bobbin up ….

Winding the Bobbin Up

and bobbin suitably wound time to start on a new project. I have in my cloth stash a beautiful few yards of batik fabric that has been crying (sobbing, even weeping) to be made up. I also have a pattern (no cross and dot scaling required) for a top that is right up my street.

Batik Fabric and Simplicity Sewing Pattern

Scissors ready? Eeeeeek.

Cutting out the pattern

Phew. Cutting done. Its time for a bit of  sewing

Basting

and of course pressing,

Pressing and Sewing

I’d hoped to get finished today but I had one little job that needed to be done and that called me away from sewing my new top. But it’s almost there. Only sleeves … and (gulp) buttonholes to go.

That little job? One of my colleagues is leaving us soon to have a baby. As she knows she is having a boy chance for me to make a pair of little crochet bootees in Baby Boy Blue.

Hope she likes them.

Until next we meet, Moke x