Purl and Seam

Fabric : Fibre : Family

Flamingo legs (and a denim jacket)

Whilst the husband, Dave, has always been a big fan of the hand-knitted sock, the rest of the family is starting to get in on the act.  Most recently, the lovely Miss Summer.

As she’s growing like a weed at the moment, I decided to go with a tube sock.  With no heel, not only are these a ridiculously simple knit, they also last longer as she grows.

These are knitted from the toe up, so although they’re simple, it was a new technique for me.  Not a difficult one at all.

And as you can see from the pictures, these are well worn.  Summer absolutely loves them and is clamouring for another pair.

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To complete the flamingo love, I embroidered the back of a store bought denim jacket for her.

I didn’t have much choice.  Whilst we were out shopping she said how much she loved the jacket, but that it would be so much better if only it had an embroidered flamingo on the back.  And that would be something I could do for her, wouldn’t it?

You can’t argue with a 10 year old!  She’s got the skills of a Hague lawyer, that one!

Project notes:

Pattern: Tube Socks For Kids by Jane Richmond
Pattern cost: Free
Yarn:    Jawoll (not sure which one)
Colourway:  Pink
Purchased at: No clue!
Yarn cost:  Who knows? Who cares? ?

A Willow Hare

This year has turned into a year of new creative adventures.

In January, my friend Julia and I went to Toft to learn to crochet.

Hubby, Dave, and I have been having dates to go and learn to make things in clay.

And today I attended a willow hare making workshop run by Joe of Creative with Nature at Cedar Farm in Mawdesley.

I’ve just got to say that I’ve never done anything like this before, but love willow sculpture and love stargazy hares.  So when Ma gave me some cash for Christmas, with the instruction to buy myself something I truly wanted, this course was it!  A day to myself, exploring a new creative outlet, with something (hopefully) lovely at the end of it.

I really appreciated the way this workshop was structured.  Joe took us step by step through the process, working with each person individually to make sure they were clear about what was required.

Slowly, slowly…step by step, the hare came into shape.

Weaving with willow is an entirely immersive and tactile experience.  It’s just you and the lengths of willow creating the shapes.   You bend and weave, unpick, and weave again.

There’s lots of tea.  And cake, of course.

And the magic happens without you even realising.

Until you step back at the end of the day, and TahDah!

A stargazy hare of your own.

If you ever get the chance to do a workshop with Joe, I’d highly recommend it.  I’m already contemplating which one to do next.  I have a thing for baskets, so maybe some bread baskets.

The hare is sat on my kitchen windowsill as I type.  I’m inordinately proud of him, and astonished how much fun I’m having stepping outside my comfort zone creatively this year.  It’s like a breath of fresh air.

Are you trying anything new this year?

LABELS ~ Craft

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Sew Me Something Imogen Top – wearable toile

The Sew Me Something Imogen Top has been on my sewing list for what seems like forever.  And as I’ve a few lengths of pretty prints in my stash that are perfect for this top, I decided to make a quick toile to see what it looks like and fits like.

Fit is still a massive challenge to me, but for this top I decided to compare the measurements to a RTW blouse that gets heavy rotation.  Although the fit on the RTW blouse isn’t perfect, it’s still good enough, and it’s one of my favourite wears.

Taking some measurements from the RTW blouse, I decided to cut a straight size 20 and added 4″ to the length.  I’ve made no other adjustments to the pattern.

As you can see, it’s come up a bit long.  I will go back at some point and chop probably a couple of inches off the length.  That’s an easy enough fix and due to me being overly cautious – you can always shorten but it’s tough to add length once you’ve cut.

The bust is the problem area.  You can see drag lines pointing clearly to the bust, indicating that although, theoretically, this top fits around the circumference, it does need a full bust adjustment (FBA) to make it hang nicely.

I like the gathered neckline and elasticated cuff.

All in all, I really like this top.  It’s an easy wear and, although it’s been very shoddily sewn, as it was intended only to be a toile, it’s had several outings and a compliment every time it’s worn.

Construction wise, it’s simple enough, apart from the placket.  I couldn’t get my head around the instructions, but that could just be user error.  I’ll let you know the next time I make it.

For the next iteration, I’ll go do an FBA and the shorter length, and see what I end up with.  If it’s half as wearable as this toile version, then I’ll be a happy sewist!

Project notes

Pattern: Sew Me Something Imogen
Pattern cost: £16.00 (£9.00)
Fabric:    Blue print poly
Purchased at: Birmingham Market
Fabric Cost: £3.00 ish.  Not very much at all.
Photographs by Miss S. Jones iPhone 8

Twiglet Mitts

I’ve had some lovely red yarn in my stash for years.  Since my last visit to Yarndale, in fact.  Which was, according to this wise old blog, in 2013.

High time it was knitted up, I think.  Especially as I’m all about the stash busting this year.

I had planned to make it up into the lovely mitts in The Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible, but they called for DK, and this was most definitely 4 ply.  (In hindsight, I had enough yarn to use double, but there we go!)

So I put the Ravelry Pattern Search feature to work, and spent a happy while looking at pretty mitten patterns.  So. Many. Pretty. Mitts.  It was a dirty job but someone had to do it!

In the end, I stuck an imaginary pin in the screen and chose Twiglet Mitts by Martine Ellis. How could I resist this all over lace pattern?

It turned out to be such a good choice.

These were a joy to knit, and are equally joyful to wear.  The colour is a deep saturated burgundy red, that goes with all my coats.   They are lighter weight than the Kindling Mitts of my last post, but perfect for warmer days when you still need something on your hands.  I added a few pattern repeats to make them longer on my wrist.  An easy enough modification.

I was always rather resistant to fingerless mitts, no matter how pretty.  But as a dog walker, unless it’s so bitterly cold that you need your fingers covered so you don’t part company with them, fingerless mitts are a joy.  Clipping leads off and on (not to mention fiddling with little plastic bags when nature calls) is so much easier.  I’m a convert!

And if you knit these mitts, I think you might be too.

Project notes:

Pattern: Twiglet Mitts
Pattern cost: Free Ravelry Downlad
Yarn:    Drops Baby Alpaca Silk
Colourway:  Red
Purchased at: Yarndale
Yarn cost:  Who knows? Who cares? 😉

The Kindling Mitts of Kindness

Still harping on about the Christmas Lurgy, even though we are racing towards the end of February, but it’s all relevant to this  story with another happy ending.

Whilst I’d been really sick the week before Christmas, it was Boxing Day when the flu took hold of The Husband.  Although born in Somerset, he’s a Northern Bloke by heritage, and made of stern, manly stuff.  For him to actually take to his bed when ill is unheard of in the 12 years we’ve been together.  For him to be in bed for nearly 4 days was like stepping into the Twilight Zone.

The kids were under the weather and I was still reeling from it, so we hunkered down and worked on getting well.  After a few days of this, though, Cabin Fever struck and my cherubs morphed into obnoxious little hellions!

By the evening they’d shredded even my last nerve and I’d sent them to bed, poured a stiff drink and turned to Instagram for solace.

Kristin (@kristinm100) had posted the most adorable pair of mittens, and they hadn’t been lost in the craziness of Instagrams algorithms!  I commented and asked if she could share the pattern name.

5 minutes later my inbox pinged and there was the pattern for the mitts.

I’ll admit to being rather overwhelmed by the kindness (although it’s not the first time Kristin has done something lovely for me.)   That little pattern, sent across the miles from Canada by the magic of the interwebs, from a woman I consider a friend, but whom I’ve never met, absolutely turned a truly shitty day into a positively magical one.

I instantly set to work to source the perfect yarn, and came up with Blacker Yarns British Classic DK knitting yarn in Grey.  This is a crisp, hardy yarn, in the fashion of Shetland wool.  The colour is the perfect grey, and whilst I wouldn’t knit this as a sweater next to my skin, for mitts it is cosy, and warm, and, I suspect, will take a bit of a beating!

Now obviously I had to wait for the yarn to arrive, it being the holidays and all, but that didn’t matter.

I was making friendship mitts.  Mitts that every time I wore them I would think of Kristin and her kindness.

I’ve got other mitts like this.  My lovely Goats of Inversnaid mitts were a yarn and pattern gift from my friend Christian (who lives considerably closer than Kristin).  And the hat that goes with them has been commandeered by Miss Button, who also gets to share the love.

It strikes me as nothing short of miraculous that such a simple act of kindness and friendship can result in bonds forged in the shared love of an age old craft.  Bonds that transcend age, race, background, education, socioeconomic status and good old fashioned geography.

That a few clicks of a keyboard can lift the spirits of someone thousands of miles away.

They say that random acts of kindness can change the world.  That you never know, if you do something small, how big an impact it can have on the recipient.

I have a pair of hand-knitted mittens that are testament to the veracity of that sentiment.

They are a happy blessing indeed.

Project notes

As an aside, this pattern is so beautifully written.  Every row is clearly detailed, so even an relatively inexperienced knitter could make these.  Those of us with a few yards of yarn under our belts can whip these up in no time, but still feel a happy sense of accomplishment.

Pattern: Kindling Mitts
Pattern cost: £3.90
Yarn:    Blacker Yarns British Classic DK
Colourway:  Grey
Purchased at: Blacker Yarns
Yarn cost:  £4.80

Stash Stories – February 2018 : A Year of Finished Projects

After spending so much time last year building a beautiful sewing room, clearing down my stash and cataloguing the remaining fabric, this year is all about Getting Things Done!

I have a pile of beautiful fabric, a smaller collection of beautiful yarn, and a surprising number of more crafty projects, all waiting to be turned into finished items.

This year I’d like to get at least 50% of stuff in my stash turned into garments, gifts or beautiful things for the home.

To do that I need to be a bit more organised, or it’s all going to be far too overwhelming.  And I do love a good plan!

The first thing I did was download the lovely, and free, Sewing Calendar from Sew DIY.

I’m sure you’ve already come across these planning pages, but if you haven’t, they’re just the prettiest, and simplest way, to get some order for your sewing plans for the coming year.

These have been cut out and pasted into my sewing notebook…a cheap, spiral bound artists sketchbook.  The thicker paper means you reduce the risk of bleed through if using coloured pens, and you can sketch, make notes and add swatches to your hearts content, without the restrictions of someone else’s ideas of what you need to note.

Next I made a list of outstanding knitting/crochet/craft plans.

It’s longer than I’d expected.

I’ve already added the current UFO, plus the dance wear that’s needed by the 18th March to the planner.

Next up….sheep.

I’ve had a tapestry cushion on the frame for forever now.  I’ve had the kit for at least a year….possibly even 2?  That’s not good.  Last year I only completed two squares.

Sheep are herd animals.

These lovely ladies don’t even stand next to each other.  I’m sure they’re lonely.  I need to crack on.

So every month this year I shall complete 1 square of the sheep tapestry, so that by the end of the year this one will be ready to turn into a cushion for my snuggler!    Already this month I’m half way through the third sheepy square!

So…it’s a start.

It would be way too ambitious to think I’ll get the whole of the stash cleared this year, but it would be really nice to halve it.

This month is time pressured as I’d like knitted mice and a crocheted pug for Easter gifts.  I also need to sew a new dance shirt for the wee boy and a dance outfit for me, as I’ve been roped into a dance competition!!!

Wish me luck!?

Embroidered Squirrels

Over Christmas I simply couldn’t have knitted or sewn to save my life.

The whole family was down with a flu bug, and whilst we all rallied for The Day long enough to open gifts, cook the delicious meal cooked by The Hubby, and sip a therapeutic glass of prosecco or 2 (or 3!), the rest of the holidays was spent doing some very serious lounging about and recuperating.

Thankfully, I’d recently purchased a delightful embroidery kit from Jenny Blair on Etsy.

I can’t even remember where I first stumbled across Jenny, but when I saw this design I was entranced.  The two squirrels that live at the bottom of our garden (whom we’ve named Fred and Ginger, of course!), are an endless source of glee, and this just seemed the perfect project for our home.

Jenny was a joy to purchase from.  The design is screen printed onto fabric, all ready to sew, but the colours she had on her site didn’t go with our decor.  A quick convo and she’d found the perfect fabric and we were good to go.

Shipping was so prompt and I had embroidery thread and a hoop in my stash.

So I was all ready to go when the lurgy hit, and a little quiet stitching was all I could muster.

This design in done in four simple, basic embroidery stitches and is easy to make up, even if you’re a beginner.

Once completed I just re-stretched the fabric in the hoop, secured with magic tape, and taped a circle of felt to the back, ready to hang.

It’s so sweet and I’m really pleased with the result.

LABELS ~ Craft

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Zauberball Socks

Just when you thought it was safe to peep over the parapet…here are more unblogged socks from last year.

I promise this is the last of the pairs I made for the hubby, but Miss Minx has agreed to pose for photos at the weekend if we can squeeze it in.  Her socks are much cuter!

However, these aren’t too shabby, if we squint and ignore the mismatching.  This was the last ball of sock yarn in my stash and I swear I’m only buying either plain or matching stripes going forwards.

Thankfully the colours in this yarn are so lovely all is forgiven.

The fact that it makes the most perfect stitches also helps!

It now feels rather odd not to be knitting socks.  Hubby had so many that over Christmas he went all Marie Kondo on his sock drawer.  It’s now only full of socks that spark joy.  Thankfully there are plenty, which leaves me free to knit other things.

So I’m swatching for a sweater for me.

And casting on these little beauties for Miss Minx for Easter.

If you’ve never come across Little Cotton Rabbits’ delightful animals before, go, check them out.  They are just beautiful!

Project notes

Pattern: Regia 4ply sock pattern
Pattern cost: Free
Yarn:    Zauberball
Colourway:  Not a clue!
Purchased at: Deep stash!
Yarn cost:  Who knows?  Who cares? 😉

 

His Simple (Christmas) Socks

Phew.  A New Year is upon us and I’m glad.  Christmas Chez Stitches was immensely quiet, mainly due to us all contracting flu (including the grandparents) and after opening gifts and eating the feast, we all retreated to our beds.

I didn’t even have the energy to knit, so spent the time between coughing and nursing everyone, curled up on the snuggler with George and some simple embroidery.  It’s been most therapeutic and I can’t wait to share with you soon.

However, first up is the only Christmas gift I made last year.  Another pair of His Simple Socks by Elizabeth Seidle.  I love this pattern so much.

This time, although I used the same 3 ply yarn as the last pair, I knitted on 2.75mm needles, and am so happy with the result.  The fabric is soft and elastic and just all round much nicer that before.

The colours are much more subdued too. But these are for Grandad, and he has more traditional taste than Hubs!

Although, to be honest, if he hadn’t liked them as much as he did, I think they’d have had a home here, subdued colours or no!

Project notes

Pattern: His Simple Socks by Elizabeth Seidle
Pattern cost:  £3.50
Yarn:    Bergere De France Goomy 50
Colourway:  Bleu
Purchased at: John Lewis, Liverpool
Yarn cost:  £4.50/ball

 

The Most Wonderful Socks of the Year

Oooooh it’s nearly Christmas.  And whilst I’ve all but avoided the madness of making lots of gifts, I have finished all the sock yarn in my stash. More on those later, because my treat to myself for achieving this was to, finally, knit the Mind the Gap yarn from Trailing Clouds over on Etsy.

I bought this yarn at the beginning of August, following a tip from my lovely friend, Julia, who is happy to enable all the stripy sock knitting Chez Stitches.  Within minutes of her text arriving with a link to the yarn, it had been ordered.  And it’s been sitting patiently in a drawer until all less exciting yarns had been converted into socks.

I haven’t been so patient about wanting to knit it. But, it was well worth the wait!

The yarn is just delicious.  Its 75% British Blue Faced Leicester, 25% Nylon.  Crisp enough to get really nice stitch definition, yet squooshy enough to feel lovely in the hand.  It’s not remotely splitty, and slips off the needles at just the right rate (I knitted these on KnitPro Symfonie DPNs).

The colours…..oh, the colours are deeply saturated and sublime, and represent each of the colours of the different lines on the London Underground. The name of the yarn is a reference to signage and announcements on the London Underground, which extoll you to “mind the gap” between the train and the platform, and therefore avoid untimely mutilation, or worse!

Thankfully, the yarn is dyed in such a way that you get perfectly matching stripes all the way through.  Joy!

This is the first project in a long time that I was sad to finish.  I really wished that Trailing Clouds did other, equally luscious, colourways, because I’d be sure to purchase more yarn from her then.

If you like a stripy sock then I cannot recommend this yarn highly enough.  It’s just wonderful.

Hubby is overjoyed that they’re finished (to be fair, I did make him wait!).  I’m trying to get him to save them till Christmas.  I’m not sure I’ll succeed!

And speaking of Christmas…this time next week it will all be over.  So I’m ducking out until the new year.  2017 has been a bear!  Whilst we have much to be grateful for, and many blessings to count as the year bimbles to it’s close, there have been trials and tribulations this year that I am glad are behind us.

So for the rest of the month I shall be spending family time, chilling out with my loved ones, and edging slowly into a new year that I am hopeful will be gentler and lacking in drama.

Let me take this opportunity, then, to wish you and yours a peaceful and joyful Christmas, and a new year filled with happy adventures and dreams come true.

I’ll see you there!

 

 

 

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