Christmas Gift

I went up to the attic the other day to take down the Christmas decorations. There is relatively little up there - only a few other dustbin bags of stuff - and out of curiosity I opened one. Oh wow.

I had forgotten all about this stash, which has probably been there since we moved eleven years ago. I seem to have like PINK!
I think some of the wool was from my brother who also gave me his knitting machine. Anyway, I found an intriguing ball of darkish blue (with hints of yellow, green and purple) acrylic 4 ply, so worked out the tension for a pull on hat with a rim and am knitting it. I will probably give it to the Apostleship of Sea who always want hats for sailors.

Oops!

Too many blogs! Well, I have been quite busy. I knit a cowl for a friend for Christmas. I forgot to take a photo, but it's like my blue wispy one, only in slightly thicker wool and in a browny blend, as that's what suits Trudie.
I have also just finished a pair of booties for a friend in my secret FaceBook group, Brian's Bar. It's a great group. we all studied English Literature with the OU and got on so well that we kept together. Well, about 35 of us did. It's called Brian's Bar as someone made a typo once and said her brian had gone to sleep. So ever after that we are the Beeps from Brian's Bar.
The booties are for a premature baby. The mum is young and this baby is her fourth. I've met her at our weekend in a Bunk House, and she's really lovely. As were everyone I met.
And here are the booties. They're red as the family support Manchester United.

and another seventeen weeks.

Oops. Too many blogs. Not enough time.
I will have to see what I've been doing.
One thing I remember is Olivia's crochet hat. I learnt all about Pi to to the maths, and designed this cloche hat for her. I say designed - it's a circle, and I looked at other patterns to see how to make the brim. And the flower.
The history behind this item is - my WI are putting on an exhibition with the theme of picnic (it had to be a meal) and the colour of blue.  I volunteered for the craft project, as I knew I could give it to Olivia at a later stage. I did ask DIL for Olivia's head measurements, but she didn't get round to giving them to me (just moved in to new house) so I guessed, and it's a tad too big for her. Better than being too small.

Seven weeks later

I have neglected this blog, but that's because I've been creating. I don't know if I told you (can't be arsed to look back) but I've designed a sleeveless jacket. I'm a bit off it for a number of reasons.

• I think the waist decreases are too sudden
• It's been hanging around for too long
• The cat peed on it

The last point should have been second, but I put it last for dramatic effect.

Anyhoo, I've gone back to sewing. Twenty years ago I made three bridesmaid dresses for Martin and Fiona. Well, for their bridesmaids really. Fiona gave me the top of one pattern and wanted the bottom of another, so it was a bit tricky, and of course there was a lot at stake. I mean, who was I to give them grounds for divorce before they were even married. By the time I had finished the dresses I was a bit off sewing. Not consciously in particular, but I just stopped. I think school might have got very busy too. Not sure what I was doing in 1994.

Well, my sewing machine was a really good one. A Pfaff something with ALL THE EMBROIDERY OPTIONS. But bits had fallen off and were bandaged back on with elastoplast. When I did odd bits of mending I found other bits wrong. 

After The Great British Sewing Bee on TV I rediscovered my love of sewing. So did one of my OU friends. She actually made a coat last month. And I made a sleeveless top.

It's too tight across the bust, which was a little bit deliberate, as I thought it would be an incentive to lose weight. I was pleased the armholes didn't show most of my bra though.

Then I started looking for sewing forums/sites similar to Ravelry, and on my perusals I found something called FBA. Any sewist (sounds better than sewer) worth his/her salt knows that FBA stands for Full Bust Adjustment. Apparently, nearly all patterns are made with B cups in mind, and if you have anything larger than this, like my 36 H cup, you need to add material around the bust. If you just cut out a bigger size the shoulders will droop and the armholes will be too big. So. Cue my next attempt, with my first FBA.

 I thought I liked it until I saw how big the pattern made me look.

Actually, I lied. That wasn't my second attempt. I made another one before that. It was in an irregular blue and black slightly shiny stripe, and I really liked it until it was made up. I look like I'm playing in the World Cup.

Now I'm on my to the best ever top ever seen on anyone ever. I will finish it today, hopefully, and post a dazzling photo.

WATCH THIS SPACE.

May Day catchup

Well, I finished my first ever top designed from scratch. A blue sleeveless V-neck.

 I can't believe how well it turned out.

 I'll get John to photo it on me one of these days. I'm now designing a waistcoat. It's similar to the top but has drop shoulders, so no decreasing there, and a shawl collar, so no decreasing there either. (I believe). So it's actually easier. Only problem so far, I changed the measurements slightly as the apex of my bust is lower than I thought, and I now thing I've increased for bust too quickly. I don't want to frog it, so I'm pressing on, and hope the rib  pattern will mean measurements don't have to be too accurate. (Pattern is a 12 row staggered rib - K2, P2 rib for 6 rows, then P2, K2 for the next 6 rows).
I have also taken up sewing again, after watching the Great British Sewing Bee. The last serious sewing I did was 3 bridesmaid dresses for M & F's wedding in 1994. The strain, arthritis and what I now recognise as poor lighting, put me off sewing for twenty years. However, I found the arthritis isn't a problem, and I have now made this top. Three more swatches of material lined up for more tops.

It's a bit tight across the bust, but that's deliberate. My new blue V-neck is tight too. I am just so determined to lose at least half a stone, and making too tight clothes is my incentive.

Braveheart

I'm no longer a coward. I've bought some cotton blend yarn and designed a sleeveless top for myself for the summer. It's going to be a bit tight for me at the moment, but just wait until I've lost all those pounds! Pics to follow.

Cowardy cowardy custard

I'm such a coward. I decided to crochet some shopping bags. What could be easier than designing my own. Gauge isn't too important, mistakes don't matter. Just two oblongs would have been fine if I didn't want to try making something like a large hat. But no, I searched for patterns and chose this one.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/econo-shopper-mesh-bag

I got some bright cotton yarns (rico essentials dk) and have started already.

In Other News

I still haven't finished that frilly scarf with the novelty wool. It's easy to do but you have to pay attention, and it's boring.
I have just bought some Debbie Bliss mohair wool.

Two balls, and I am going to design another rectangle. This time with large circular needles so I have another cowl. I'm going to twist it, so it's an infinity scarf. I ordered the wool and needles at 4pm yesterday, from Deramores, and it arrived in the post this morning. Fantastic service. I also got free P & P as I added some split ring stitch markers, and this took me over the £30 needed for free P & P.

Neckerchief

I think it's called a neckerchief! I had a ball of wool left over from hat for grand-daughter, and decided to do my very own design. I made a triangle. Hey, I have to start somewhere. The last design was a rectangle!  In fact, it took a big of frogging (rip it) before I got it right. I knew edges can curl, so decided to do an edge of 5 stitches seed stitch all the way up, and at the top and bottom. (I started at the bottom and thought I'd knit until I ran out of wool. The body of the neckerchief would be stocking stitch.

I followed the tension stated on the wrapper and thought this would be ideal, but it was getting too long, so for the last 10 rows I increased on every row. (On the rest of it I increased on every right side row)I'm quite pleased with the result and will post a pic when I get some make-up on. Full instructions will be on the 'Cowboy Scarf page.

Little Lottie

My brother's daughter as had a baby. That makes me a great aunt, I believe. Anyway, I found a pattern for some unusual and adorable booties, and made these:

I'm confined to the house at the moment as my knee has given way, but kind neighbour posted the booties off this morning.

I bought some unusual wool the other day.I just loved the colours, grey, with subtle reds and pinks running through. Just my colours.

 I was going to design something with it (got two balls) but this wool is like a ribbon, and you pick up along the edge of it, and knit new stitches by picking up the edge. It makes a frilly scarf. I'll post a pic when it's finished. Probably tonight, as it's very quick to work up.

Busy Bee

Well since Christmas I've been busy. I've finished my birding cowl (see Cowl page) and I've almost finished some lovely little booties for 4 day old Lottie. Will post a pic when I finish, probably tomorrow.