A DIY Cardigan

I had a little brain wave,  I work in a yarn store, my Mam likes yarn, perhaps she might like some yarny bits from my shop. Apparently, she would love a DIY cardigan.

King Cole Subtle Drifter in lilac was the choice we made. It's a rather lovely dusty lilac and will look great with black, navy, and white.

Wedge Scarf

Yarn: King Cole Tonal Chunky
Composition: 100% Acrylic
Colour: Quicksilver
Yarn: King Cole Tonal Chunky
Composition: 100% Acrylic
Colour: Humbug
Pattern: Wedge Scarf
Size: adult
Needles: 6mm
Amount used:
Started: 10th Nov 2019
Finished:

Cast on 3 sts.
1. Kfb, k to end.
2. K2tog, k to last stitch, kfb.

Repeat these two rows until the scarf is long enough.

To add a bit of interest, I decided to make every fifth ridge in the darker colour.

An Ironclad Memory

A memory came up on facebook, and it made me smile.

----

I was sitting down, getting ready to do some patchwork and quilting. Then I realised there was a 'hole' where something should be. What was missing?! A few head scratches later I came to the realisation that the iron disappeared!

Puzzled was I! Puzzled indeed. Eventually I asked my trusty side kick, Celeste Jeni Ketteridge. Pondering for a few moments, the response came back, "I think I saw Dad ironing a shirt a few days ago." What a dastardly thing to do! That man swiped my crafting equipment! And he didn't replace it!

The iron is now back in its correct location - beside the sewing machine and cutting mats. The miscreant is now serving his penance in the kitchen. All will be forgiven when a couple of bacon sandwiches appear, along with a mug of Earl Grey tea.

No Pattern

Whilst thinking about Blame Dunderknit, I decided to knit a scarf for myself. When I finally settled on yarn and a pattern I realise the pattern I had chosen was for DK weigh, and I had Chunky. Rather than working out how to resize the pattern I decided to do my own thing. (Quelle surprise!)

I started work on my interpretation of the scarf, and dutifully began to write a pattern. Then it struck me, I don't have to write a pattern. I don't have to plan. I can swing it instead. I don't owe it to anyone to write patterns. They can be written as and when I want to!

Blame Dunderknit

Dunderknit is a Scottish YouTuber who lives in London. She has given me permission, well, everyone really, to make something just for me(ourselves). She explains often at this time of year we are so caught up in creating for other people that we forget to make beautiful things for ourselves.

The yarn can come out, and work can begin, and if anyone asks any questions, we can blame Dunderknit. I've just cast on a shawl for myself. It's in a chunky yarn, and won't take long to make, but it's for me.

Fabrics Bought for QAL

At work today, I decided to buy the next metre of fabric, and I couldn't remember which ones I had already bought!  I obviously need to keep track of them. The ones with an asterisk have been bought.

Row 1: Dark Red  R64 20 cm
*Row 2: Red  R06 42.5 cm
Row 3: Orange  N47 30 cm
*Row 4: Orange-Yellow Y06 30 cm
Row 5: Yellow  Y05 30 cm
*Row 6: Lime Green  G45 37.5 cm
Row 7: Teal  G46 37.5 cm
*Row 8: Turquoise  T78 32.5 cm
Row 9: Blue  B58 35 cm
Row 10: Indigo  L07 27.5 cm
Row 11: Violet  L65 30 cm
Row 12: Pink  P87 30 cm

Background:  White   5.25 m
*Accent:   Grey  37.5 cm

Mini Christmas Stockings

A customer came into the shop yesterday. She wanted to show me the progress she has made on her mini Christmas Stocking.

She brought out the red and white stocking we had been making in the workshop, and it looked good. Then she brought out the pink and white one. This one had been made at home, by herself, and it looks good! At home there's a second pink and white sock, and it looks even better than the one pictured. And, it seems the pattern I wrote is excellent for size 4-5 in a child's shoe, which just so happens to be the size her daughter takes. The little one pointed at the pink sock and said 'My sock'.

She bought yarn for two more pairs of socks!

More Fabric!

I was not totally convinced by the solid grey for the accent fabric. I felt it was a trifle 'flat'.  Instead, I have gone with  'linen look' by Makower, in the colour 'Storm'. 

This was ordered at the weekend, and has arrived already!  Excellent service, Doughty!

Pinterest Wins

While setting up a new Pinterest board for the guest room, I came across this quilt.  It is beautifully simple, and would make a fantastic backing for the Sugaridoo one. I will be able to use up little bits and pieces of fabric leftover from the top.

Sugaridoo QAL - Fabrics

I was umming and ahhing over fabrics for the Sugaridoo Quilt-A-Long. The fabrics in the shop didn't make a good enough rainbow, and I was wondering whether I would need to go shopping next time I was in the UK. But, then a new delivery of fabrics arrived, and all of the colours I needed appeared.

Booties

A customer came into the shop last week. They were having a very hard job making a pair of bootees. I looked at the pattern, and didn't find it terribly clear. Instead, I wrote my own pattern. She was delighted.

Using 3.5mm needles, cast on 30sts.
Work 18 rows of k1, p1 rib.
Row 19: Kfb, p1, (k1, p1) to end.
Row 20: K1, (yo, k2tog).
Row 21: Purl
Change to 4mm needles. Knit 1 row and purl the next.

Shaping the top of the bootee
1: Knit
2: P21, turn
3: K11, turn
Working with these 11 stitches:
4: Purl
5: Knit
6: Purl
7: Knit
8: Purl
9: Knit
10: Purl

Decrease rows
11: Ssk, knit to the last 2 stitches K2tog (9sts)
12: Purl
13: Ssk, knit to the last 2 stitches K2tog (7sts)
14: P7, then with the wrong side facing. pick up 10 stitches along the top of foot of the bootee, purlwise, and then purl to the end.
15: K27, then pick up 10 sts from the top of the foot, and knit to end. (47sts)
16: Purl
17: Knit
18: Purl
19: Knit
20: Purl

Shape foot
1:K1, ssk, k15, k2tog, k7, k2togtbl, k15, k1. (43sts)
2: Knit
3:K1, ssk, k14, k2tog, k5, k2togtbl, k14, k1. (39sts)
4: Knit
5: K1, ssk, k13, k2tog, k3, k2togtbl, k13, k1. (35sts)
6: Knit
7: K1, ssk, k12, k2tog, k1, k2togtbl, k12, k1. (31sts)
8: Knit
Cast off

To make up join the foot and back seam reversing when you get to the rib and join on the right side so that you can't see the seam once you have turned the top down.

Thread ribbon through the eyelets.

Sock Tutorial

It was rather weird teaching again. I do love it, especially when you see the 'lightbulb moment' when the person gets the idea.

We've been talking about having a regular 'Improvers' Knitting Class' at work, and that sounds like a great deal of fun.

Glorious Red Acer

This morning whilst walking with Ava, I spotted a fantastically beautiful red Acer. The rain was falling in many, many soft, but persistent droplets. Despite the damp, I had to stop to take in the beauty of the tree.

The result was a wet dog, a happy heart, and curls revived by the misting of rain.

November Goals

1. have a thankful and grateful month
2. finish the Duck quilt
3. display the Christmas Tree for Refugees
4. make healthier food choices

UFO Challenge

I'm rather excited. I've just joined my very first quilting UFO Challenge.

Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts has started a facebook group for people who have multiple UnFinished Objects and want to do something about it. Over the last few months I've been trying to work on a schedule of finish two projects, and then I can start a new, little one.

Hopefully this will mean my stack of UFOs will decrease!

Today, I've been working on my Muppet Babies quilt.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, David and Ben.

This year's cake has two tiers. The pink top one is luscious lemon, and the white bottom layer is a rich, dark fruitcake. The lemon layer has lemon cream cheese icing, and the fruitcake has been marzipan-ed. Both have been covered in fondant, and the cake decorated with licorice allsorts.

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

150g butter 150g cream cheese
600g icing sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Beat the butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and half of the icing sugar in a bowl. Reduce the speed of the mixer, and then incorporate 1 tablespoon of icing sugar at a time until the correct consistency has been reached.

Use the icing to decorate cakes.

The icing can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Christmas Stockings

They are finished! For a second time!

I had not realised when I made them last year there was to be a flap with names embroidered on. But, it's not a problem, and they are truly finished.

Mini Christmas Stockings

Two mini Christmas stockings have been made for work, and I've been asked to teach a workshop on how to make them.

A pattern will follow in due time.

Sugaridoo QAL

I'm in. I'm going to take part in my very first Quiltalong!

It doesn't start until later in November, but by that point I will have finished the Christmas Tree for Refugees. The QAL is broken into monthly parts, and will run for a year. There will be new techniques and methods of piecing. I'm so looking forward to it.