Knitted Socks for the Tree

Little socks for the Christmas tree made at the workshop on Saturday at Moonstone Yarns. A lovely day sitting knitting and chatting and eating cake. What's not to like. Keep an eye on Moonstone's website for future workshops and comment if there is anything in particular you would like to learn how to do. We can probably make it happen.

Square Dance

Inspired by this I went shopping in Hobbycraft with a photo of my hearth rug for colours. I chose fourteen skeins of tapestry wools and bought an 18" by 18" piece of 10 hpi canvas. It has been years since I did any tapestry and that was all printed canvas in quite intricate designs. Doing this is so liberating as I'm obviously keeping to the 4 x 4 blocks but am choosing colours and deciding as I go along how big to make it. I think I will deviate from Jane's design by putting a border on it of several 2 row lines of the different colours. We'll see when I get there. It is going fairly quickly but as with all these projects and my rather disorganised way of working I have other projects half done which need finishing, I'm torn. I need to spend an hour on each one in turn so that things get finished.

The Climbing Vines Cardigan is the most important of these UFO's because I really want to wear it. It's going to go with so many of my clothes and I love the cabling and the colour, this photo doesn't do it justice as its a lovely shade of mustard. But, it's on fairly small needles and there is at least one use of the cable needle in every row! The cable repeat is twelve rows long and there are about eight different cable configurations. I have done the back, the fronts and am onto the sleeves so the end is nigh. I have a couple of hours this morning before I go and teach a year 4 class in Luton, so I shall knuckle down, deep joy!

Pretty Interchangeable Knitting Needle Cosy

Storing interchangeable knitting needles can be a problem, the plastic pouch I bought my set in was ugly and started splitting almost as soon as I started using it. A solution needed to be found. So I made one of these for myself a few months ago and have found it solved the problem. This is the second one I have made with modifications on the first and for a friend at Moonstone Yarns Knit Group. 

This fabric is much prettier than the one I made for myself as I was trying out and didn't want to waste lovely material if I messed up or it didn't work.

There are thin pockets for the needles, large pockets for the cables and small ones for the needle stopper and the little metal things to help attach needles to cables. The small square pockets have velcro to keep things from falling out. I'm still not happy though and want to find another method of keeping the small pockets closed. There are more than enough pockets for additional items. I keep small scissors, small tape measure, little flat box of sewing up needles, needle size gauge and row markers in the pockets and there is plenty of room in mine. Hope you like it Mandy.

Two Drawstring Bags for Two Little Girls

This tried and tested pattern has come up trumps again for these two bags for two little girls. Its a simple, versatile and sensible pattern that takes little time to make and does what it says on the tin. I hope Gracie May and Ivy May like them. I made them almost identical, just individualising them with different linings and ties to match. Just incase you haven't seen or tried this pattern, here is the link.

Sock Knitting Workshop

I love this stack of knitted socks, you too can knit some like this by joining in with the latest sock knitting workshop at Moonstone Yarns. If you can knit and purl then you can join the sock knitting community by coming along and joining in the fun.

Sock Monkey Workshop

Meet Colin. Who'd have thought you could turn a pair of socks into a cute toy. He now needs some clothes. I'm on it!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cracking Mitred Corners

The latest make for the school xmas fayre which is this Sunday! I have plastic boxes full of stuff, pencil cases, kindle cosies, glasses cases, lavendar bags, handbag tissue holders, sock knitting kits, baby bibs, pincushions, and the list goes on.  I have to say I am very proud of my corners on this quilt. I have struggled to make them  look neat and professional, these come close. This picture also shows off the backing fabric which I choose, I have to say how much I'm liking the stripe, I love the way it looks on the back with the binding in the same fabric. It pleases my eye as it goes in the same direction on two of the edges and perpendicular on the other two. 

I made a quick dash to Threads and Patches this morning so I could finish the quilt. I have two weeks off from looking after my elderly mother so I am doing supply teaching, no work today though so I thought I had better get the quilt finished as I had a free day. Good job I did as I have work tomorrow and Friday.

On Saturday I'm going to be having fun at Moonstone Yarns  making sock monkeys with Kathy and some of the rest of my knitty friends. Pictures will follow.