Pop Smear

When I was at the Autumn Home Show last month I was tempted into buying some dyed and carded polwarth fibre from Sharon of Jumbuck Carding. There was only 85 grams left of the heathered sliver (top-left), so I nabbed that, and a quantity of a solid purple.

Heathered Purple Polwarth

I didn't have a plan for them when I purchased (no surprise, I'm sure), but got spinning pretty quickly, at first on my old Traveller (now gifted to Mum), and then on my new Joy.. Soon I had 170 grams of about a sport weight yarn (plying together a single of each sliver), ready to knit. But what to knit?!

Not a scarf, or a hat, or a fraction of a jersey. So, mittens or gloves it was. I did eventually settle on a fingerless glove pattern, but given that I had no real plan before, I saw no need to stick to it. As you've probably gathered from the title of this entry, I made mittens!

One Thumb

Right Mitten

Call me a heretic, but I didn't work them in the round, preferring to use straight needles, and then seam. I do dislike rangling dpns for fingers and thumbs.

Anyway, the mittens are nice and soft, and a pretty heathere colour! I'm very pleased with both my spinning, and my knittings. And that my fingers are warm!

V-Neck Pullover

If you have a good memory, you may recall that I was working on a jersey for my Mum. Well, there were long periods of time where there was very little work happening on the jersey front. Finally, however, it is completed! And handily (but coincidentally) just in time for Mother's Day!

The pattern is from Fitted Knits, and customised to fit my Mum (and she will attest to the many phone calls I made asking her to measure from here to there, and around that).

V-Neck Pullover

The pattern has the ribbing on the arms starting above the elbow (and the body ribbing startng a little higher), but this version has the ribbing starting below. It's still one heck of a lot of ribbing! For more details, check out my project at Ravelry.

When I started (and to below the neck - top-down - the first time around), I was working with the 8 ply yarn, and modifying the stitch counts. That was a pain (as were the large numbers of stitches), and in the end I started over with the yarn double-stranded, getting closer to the pattern gauge. Unsurprisingly, it grew much more quickly (and would have been fniished a while ago had I not been distracted)!

Whenever I took this out with me to knit somewhere, people remarked on the colour, which was picked by Mum. I'd never knit with the Bendio Woollen Mills yarn before, before I'm sure I will again. While the crepe was a little "crisp" at times when knitting, it softens and bloom very nicely on washing (and this variety is machine washable). And the 200 gram balls make for less ends to weave in (especially when working with two strands at a time (from the outside and centre of a cerntre-pull ball). That's always a bonus!

Feijoa Jam and Maddy

So, it turns out that I have two feijoa trees at the end of the yarn (you can just make one out, left, in the picture above). Now, I'm still unsure how I did not notice this fact last year, but it hardly matters as I've capitalised on it this year.

Since first spotting random green things on the ground beneath them a few weeks ago, I've made two lots of Feijoa & Vodka Jam (not exactly following that recipe, but pretty close).

The verdict? Delicious! It's a little tart, a little sweet, and perfect on crumpets!

Jam making isn't all that I've been up to, either. Since my last update, I've purchased a new spinning wheel, done a little dyeing, some knitting, and been rather busy! I'm sure I'll get around to providing details for those not yet in the know about those activities, eventually. ;-)

Rose & Leaf

I'm demonstrating/teaching knitting flowers later this year, so I've been working on simple patterns to use (much easier than getting permission from designers to use and teach their designs).

Leaf

I've got a few up my sleeve so far, but so far this is the only one I've tested. So, I'm releasing it to the world!

If you would like to knit a very simple flower and leaf, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.

 (112 KB)

Any questions, let me know!

Spinning Wheel

A little over a week ago, I made what could be labelled an impulsive purchase. One I really never thought I would make. I bought a (second hand) spinning wheel.

I've maintained for several years that I would never take up spinning - rather like my assertion that I will never take up quilting (but not quite so emphatic as that one).

I'm not the most coordinated person in the world (unless you're talking matching shoes to an outfit), and in the couple of times I'd tinkered with my Mum's wheel it was plainly obvious that my usual inability to do use my hands and feet at the same time with purpose (I usually only swing one arm when walking) and complete lack of patience and dislike at not being good at not being good at things, all meant that spinning and I would not gel.

So, why do I now have a spinning wheel? I'm not really sure. But I can report that with a little perserverance, and rather a lot of swearing, I'm actually spinning yarn that looks like yarn. Knitting it, even (a cushion cover and hat, so far). I'm seeing improvement, and that's enough to keep me going!

Crochet Elephant

Well, he's not really a mammoth, he's an elephant. Or a miniature crochet interpretation of an elephant. He's fuzzy, though!

I haven't really crocheted anything other than blankets, scarves, or trims before, so I was a bit apprehensive about trying to follow a pattern (particulary as the US patterns use a different terminology to the English ones that I learned with). Still, a couple of imperfections aside, I'm really please with out he turned out.

The pattern is a free one from Lion Brand, and he's the Amigurumi Elephant (I'd link to the pattern, but you need to register - for free - to see it). If you're on Ravelry, you can check out the pattern (and other examples made) here. My project is right here.

The yarn I used is a merino/angora blend, from Naturally Yarns.

Plain Slipper

Flowery Slipper

If you too would like plain or flowery slippers, and are prepared to knit them, you can download my pattern in PDF format, here or at Ravelry.

 (161 KB)

Any questions, let me know!

NOTE: If you downloaded the file 'plain-or-flowery-slippers.pdf', please note that an updated file, 'plain-or-flowery-slippers-0708.pdf', has been uploaded which correct some issues with row numbers. Please download the new file. 

50 Baby Bootees to Knit

When I want to make booties, I seem to go straight to this book, 50 Baby Bootees to Knit. While I haven't made anywhere near fifty pairs, I do find the patterns in this book very quick and simple, and easy to adapt.

So, in addition to the booties I made for my niece(s) offspring, and the two pairs for baby Penelope, this book has now been the source for two more pairs!

These green and brown slip-on style booties are for Helen, a friend who is due late February, early March. She's having a boy, so I figured I used up some of the green wool I ordered from Bendigo Woollen Mills last year for no apparent reason (or at least a reason that I can recall). Of course, two little slippers don't make much of a dent in a 200 gram ball of yarn, so I might have to make some adult-sized slippers for me! The undyed brown yarn is an NZ merino, from Naturally Yarns.

If you want more nerdy knitter details (and are one of the almost 76,000 registered members), you can check out the Starry Slippers and Harmonly Slip-Ons in my Ravelry projects!

Big Bird

There are little birds. There are medium-sized birds. And then there are big birds.

Karen, a Ravelry friend has tagged me for a 7 Random Facts Meme!

I'm not usually that much into memes (and there are probably enough random facts about me floating around here), but I'm in a somewhat obliging mood, and figure this is as good an excuse as any to link to a few other people!

Here, then, are 7 bizarre/random/weird facts about me:

1. I love that being crafty gives me a chance to bond with my Mum. My mother became closer in my later teens, and after I moved back home - it's really nice having crafty stuff to talk about, and that we can inspire each other.
2. I am always surprised when I have the patience and perserverance to finish something; and not at all shocked when I fail to do so! I get bored and distracted easily, but have little or no guilt about that. Know your limits, I say.
3. I hate knick-knacks around the house, but have no problem with useless knitted or sewn objects.
4. I am terrible at finishing (that is, sewing, seaming, tidying) objects and garments. Not so much because I lack the skills, but because I lose focus and want to move on to the next thing.
5. I have a tendency towrds clumsiness, and slow reactions. I've considered spinning as a craft endeavour, but I fear I am too uncoordinated to work both hands and feet together - when I walk along the street it's hard enough to swing both arms (something I share with my paternal grandmother, I'm told).
6. When I was 12/13 I would go to the Art Society in town and do oil painting with a bunch of old women! I'd like to get back into painting (though maybe acrylics this time).
7. I collect paper and paper craft supplies. This was much cheaper before scrapbooking because big business!

Note that I've given my 'facts' a crafty/arty slant; this isn't part of the meme's rules, but as most of the peopel who read this blog of mine do so for crafty updates (or are otherwise frequently disappointed and annoyed), I thought I'd throw that aspect in. Each of the people I'm linking to I know, or know of, in a crafting way.

These seven random (as random as people I know/know of can be) people, I tag:

1. JustJussi (Ravelry profile), who knows and shares so much!
2. Kristine (Ravelry profile), who I kind of work with.
3. Daisie (Ravelry profile), who was my awesome scarf exchange pal!
4. Catherynne (Ravelry profile), who does the papercrafty stuff I should start doing!
5. Sairy (Ravelry profile), who has some Koigu socks I must copy!
6. EnnaVic (Ravelry profile), who reads all the books I make no time for!
7. Majorie (Ravelry profile), with her cute little art dolls!

Because order is good, here are the rules (they must be posted on your site):

• Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
• List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
• Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs (shoot me for putting mine in the middle :-P).
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog and also so they can look at your blog and not tag the same people all over again!
• Let the fun begin!

If you're not into meme's, don't sweat it; nobody is going to chase you down if you don't tag anyone, or reply yourself. :-) This is *not* a chain letter!