New Lines

I have been working when time allowed this week on some new lines for my craft stall

 I got this bag done yesterday, its made from leatherette vinyl, the squares were all embroidered separately then stitched together to make the panels, its all been lined. 

 I have done these today, adult and child size fleece hats

 I have just done this second design

 

and another hat done on the knitting loom, I enjoy doing these hats in the evening on the loom, they knit up really quick.

That's my crafting this week back in the cabin tomorrow :-)

I Am Crafting

I have managed to get some crafting done in the evening

 Firstly some little knitted booties that were in need

 Just made out of oddments of multi coloured sock wool.

 next up was hats, I had these hat wools left over from shop stock, they were designed for knitting hats and the yarn comes with a pom pom to match the hat.

I am doing them on the knitting loom, this one is all in camouflage colours,

 I thought I would get hats made up and pop them on my stall.

I have started making these up on the sewing machine, imitation leather bracelets I am waiting for the stud fasteners to arrive to finish them off. 

Also waiting to be sewn up is this 

A little tinsel hedgehog, I got the yarn on Saturday when I was out with Bovey Belle all his bits are knitted just needing to stuff and finish this one.

Got a WIP finished

Tube spiral socks all done and off the pins.

 

 

A Knitting WIP

Another WIP this time a knitting project, It hasn't been sitting round as long as some others but still waiting in the wings to be picked up, its a lace scarf done with a very fine fingering yarn.

It was a free kit that came with a magazine.

I have been knitting a few rows an evening so its going to take some time, but I will keep nibbling away at it :-)

Needle Felting WIP

I have got back to work on another WIP

Its a needle felted picture, it was started a few years ago I hope to have it finished in a couple of evenings.

I have got something finished yippee

A simple hat knitted with my first skein of home spun Alpaca yarn. 

As it is my first attempt of spinning Alpaca and only my second attempt of spinning I am pleased with it, the yarn wasn't perfect it was in various thicknesses, but I don't care its knitted a lovely hat and adds to the character of it, all home produced from one of my own Alpacas :-)

Bags Hats and Socks

Today has been a day of crafting, 

In the book a year of crafting that I showed yesterday, I was taken with the first project in the book

A bag for carrying logs, I didn't want it for logs I wanted a heavy duty bag for kindling and paper

The bag in the book was made from a recycled hessian coffee bags, I had some heavy duty upholstery hessian so used that, when it came to the handles they used upholstery webbing, again I dint have any but I had an idea

I had a stack of leather off cuts, I found some bits suitable to make handles

I did some stitching down the edges in a gold thread 

I stitched the handles on and did some reinforced stitching 

I now have a good heavy duty bag for the kindling and papers for the log burner

I have also been having a play with Loom Knitting using this book

I did a hat last night using some chunky wool

very quick and easy to do

I am now doing some ribbed socks 

I am doing these in Aran and want them long enough to wear with my wellies, the socks done on the loom will have a proper turned heel, there is some great projects in the book.

Using the loom is a great and I would recommend loom knitting to anyone who struggles knitting with needles.

Spiral Socks

I cant remember who but some-one mentioned spiral socks, 

well I found a pattern on line for free from here Spiral Socks

I thought I should have a go at knitting them myself

I am doing them in a double knit yarn, Visions from Stylecraft, I have always liked this colour combination of yarn, the colours remind me of Neapolitan ice cream.

The socks are fairly easy to do, nothing complicated they just seem to be growing very slowly.

This year I am making a real effort to finish lots of those projects that have been hanging about, I wont be starting any new knitted projects until I have completed several that are sitting on pins these socks are included in that, I did start them a couple of months ago.
I have now added the pattern after a panic of following the link back to do the toes and finding the site was gone after a couple of hours searching managed to find it else were so have copied it here so I can find it again. 
The Pattern
Cast on 72 sts, divide them on 3 (or 4) needles, join and work in ribbing of k 2, p 2, for 4 inches.
SPIRAL PATTERN-- K 4, p 4, alternately, for 4 rounds. * At beginning of next round k 5 just once, then p 4, k 4, alternately, to end of round, ending with p 3; p 1 st from next needle, then k 4, p 4, alternately, for 3 more rounds. Repeat from *, thus moving the pattern 1 st to the left every 4 rounds, until the sock measures 22 inches. At this point try sock on foot, to determine the exact length required before toe; work more if a longer sock is required.
TOE-- K 1 round plain.
1st decreasing round: * k 6, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round (9 decreases). K 3 rounds even.
2nd decreasing round: * k 5, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 3 rounds even.
3rd decreasing round: * k 4, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 3 rounds even.
4th decreasing round: * k 3, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 2 rounds even.
5th decreasing round: * k 2, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 1 round even.
6th decreasing round: * k 1, k 2 tog, repeat from * to end of round. K 2 sts tog, continually, until 8 sts remain. Break off, leaving an end. Draw end through all 8 sts, twice, tighten and darn in end.

The Two Needle Sock and More

I have been crafting this week,

 I have been making Christmas gifts for friends and as some follow my blogs I cant show you the gifts.

I can show you the first sock finished 

The seam runs up the side 

it will be on the inside side you knit right and left socks, this one is a right sock.

On another crafting note I picked up a copy of Craft Stamper today when I was in town

I used to buy this every month without fail, with packing and moving its been a good 6 months since I bought a copy, I think I will have to set up a subscription as getting to town isn't as easy as it used to be.

There is a choice of subscription gifts

There is a Mixed Media DVD or a book Lasting Impressions, the other bonus with subscribing I would save £25 on the cover price. 

I do enjoying stamping and now have a few ideas for Christmas cards, I shall in a few weeks have more time for doing crafts.

Saturday 22nd of November is the day my craft shop closes in Milton Keynes it has been running for just over 5 years,

 I actually moved into these premises 21st of November 2009, this shop was my third premises.

 It has been a difficult decision to make, but I am looking forward to the closure now, time for a new chapter.

This week I have been phoning our many suppliers and closing accounts, that was sad these companies have supported me well with my shop through the recession the reps have become friends  some-one to have a cuppa, I knew many of them before the shop when I worked on the trade side of crafting and worked the show circuit, I am keeping on a few of the suppliers as I have ideas and plans for next year.

Until then I will carry on crafting as always.

Turning The Heel

Well knitting socks on the straight is really easy compared to knitting on the round, its a lot easy to keep your place and of course you don't have so many needles to play with.

The heel has now been turned on my first sock, I couldn't understand how it was going to be done on just two needles, but it worked great, I am now on the home straight with knitting the foot, then it will be toe shaping. 

then sock number two.

Many years ago when knitting socks on the round I came across a method for knitting both socks at once on the same set of needles, you knit one sock inside the other, the same method can be used for knitting sleeves.

Here is a link to the original site I found it 

Magic socks

Have a go it is fun and very intriguing to other knitters when they see what your doing.

Socks Socks and More Socks

Yes its all about socks, I love hand knitted socks, they are warm and cosy, hard wearing and fun.

I have always knitted socks on the round using double ended needles, when I was visiting a friend the other month she showed me some socks she had just finished and they were knitted on the straight, intrigued I ordered the book she had knitted them from and got started with a pair last night 

I am knitting them in King Cole Riot, its some yarn I had left over from another project. 

While browsing on Amazon for the book I came across another 3 sock books that I just had to have 

I will have to give crochet socks a go there is some really interesting designs in these books.

Back to knitting socks on the straight, the instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and the book is spiral bound great for staying open were you want it, there is some lovely designs in the book and some great tips on joining seams. 

Right must get back to finishing my socks.

Fingerless Gloves Pt 2

I thought I posted this the other evening but it seems I didn't, I finished my mitts in Aran they are lovely and chunky, ideal for me to wear out and about in the garden and dealing with the livestock.

The pattern I posted a link to has a few errors, there are too many knit rows and it should all be in stocking stitch apart from the rib at the start and finish.

I am going to knit some more in double knit  and make the finger covering longer, this pair I have stitch together between the fingers to stop them riding down my hands. 

They are lovely and warm. 

Fingerless Gloves.

I am in the process of knitting myself some fingerless gloves to give my stiff joints a bit of warmth through the winter.

The pattern says knit in 2 hours, with stiff painful fingers I don't think so.

Its a nice easy pattern on two needles I am doing these in some Aran wool I had left over, so they will be nice and chunky.

Here is a link to the pattern Fingerless gloves 

I need to get some more socks knitted up as well, I am happy to knit on 4 needles and have a very good pattern I use time and again for 4ply socks and a different pattern for chunky socks, when I was visiting a friend the other week she had been knitting socks on two needles they were really lovely the book she was knitting them from was called Knit Your Socks On The Straight by Alice Curtis, I have ordered the book and waiting for it to come should be here tomorrow. 

Back to my mitts hopefully have them finished for tomorrow.

Autumn Has Arrived

Its a great feeling finishing a project, 

Yes its up on the wall, I wasn't looking forward to the joining together but bit the bullet and got it done this morning, it was really painless and went nice and smoothly.

Here is a few more autumn things I have now put out

Mr Pumpkin Man he is from an Alan Dart pattern and was knitted about 7 years ago.

Quilted Sunflowers, this was done about 3-4 years ago, you cant really see the bead detail on it, and the edging was blanket stitched with a variegated thread.

Knitted Mr Prickles another Alan Dart pattern,

 Mr Prickles is heading off to hibernation with his hot water bottle again he was knitted about 4 years ago.

The pumpkins I have shown before, there is a little crochet one, the denim one and the small fabric one I made the other week.

I fancy doing some cushion covers now and a table runner, I have purchased some embroidery designs and as the weather is predicted to be rotten over the next few days I might just get some done.

Keeping Time

Earlier in the year I bought a couple of cheap wall clocks from Ikea, with the plan to jazz them up with some embroidery, I had seen some designs on the web site I get my machine embroidery designs from.

I think the clocks were about £1.80 each 

First I had to take it all apart

They come apart really easy, there is three little plastic tabs that you push in and then the front cover comes off the hands just unclip from the mechanism that then just comes out. 

I measured up the face of the clock so I could get the right design size. 

I decided to embroider onto some denim, I had an old pair of hubby's jeans to hand so cut a piece from the leg big enough for the design and fit into the hoop, 

Once I had the fabric hooped up and the thread colours sorted I made a start

I never tire of watching the machine work away 

Once the design was done I took it out of the hoop

 and marked the middle on the back of the design

I then used the original clock face as a template

Cut round it and made a little hole in the middle for the mechanism to go through

There one new clock face, I used a spray adhesive to fasten it to the original cardboard clock face 

Then assembled it all back together 

There a nice clock for my work room. 

After finishing this project I thought I should give the machine a good clean, its something I usually do fairly frequent, I am glad I did.

When I was sewing the other day a needle broke and I couldn't find the bit that broke off, here it was under the bobbin housing along with loads of fluff. 

Its all nice and clean now ready to go again.

I did get the Basic Cable Block finished for the shop last night 

Just needs a press.

I have to get some crochet ghost coasters done tonight then I am up to date with samples.

TTFN.