Tag Archives: Knitting

aaaand another one

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Guess what, Elaine is not alone!

As my children needed new hats, I have also been busy knitting hats. As every previous year it was a bit of trial and error, as I couldn’t find any useful information in my ravelry notes about hats from previous years. Just pictures but nothing about stitch numbers, yarn or needle size used.  So, I meant to do it slightly differently this year. And I wrote down all numbers. And made a chart. Only to discover sort of a pattern. And as the kick in the derriere I had already mentioned in my Elaine post was still fresh, I decided to write down this pattern, too and extend it to a range of sizes, one of them I even test knitted for a small baby head. I was too lazy to look for someone older to verify the missing bigger sizes.

Anyway, here comes Frederick – a not so glamorous but warm woolly hat with ear flaps. Just right for the ending season.

You’ll find the pattern on ravelry. It might be a little late for this season but the next winter will be coming at some point so you better get ready soon.

What you all have been waiting for. Or haven’t you?

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Right, this is a knitting blog, remember? No? Well, at least I do remember. When I spent my 4 weeks no sewing machine detox rehab  I started a new knitting project, a scarf for my mum.  As I had high ambitions, I meant to write down everything I did to release a new pattern. Well, I started writing everything down from about the middle so I meant to think hard and write down everything I had done from the beginning to the middle at a later stage. And I can proudly say, the scarf is still not handed over. Finished and blocked since Christmas but still not handed over. Because I meant to write down everything, remember. And even more proudly I can tell you that I finally got the a kick in the derriere to sit down and think and calculate and reknit the beginning and wonder about funny numbers in the original half written down pattern and recalculate and say “i knew that can’t be right” and type up everything and add some wise and clever thoughts and really rubbish pictures and voila, here it is, the latest addition to my wide range of easy patterns.

Elaine – a simple scarf with a slip stitch selvedge edge and eyelets for a touch of glamour.

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If you want to knit this scarf too, hop over to ravelry and download the pattern for free.

And you know what, this is not the only thing I have been up to.

 

Scrap Sunday: Small tissue issue

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Small tissue issue means there will be a big tissue issue post too, I just don’t get much time for crafting or blogging these days. It is all about decluttering and phone calls. Speaking of decluttering (I know, I am already getting off the track in line 3), I realised that the best way to declutter is to transform clutter into gifts for dear friends. Imagine, you are giving someone a pot and this person will then always remember you when she or he uses that pot to cook a delicious meal for family and friends (it is a big pot). Or when you give away some precious yarn instead of a knitted item. That way people can remember you not only when they are wearing or using whatever you knitted for them (which would be very time consuming for you) but you are also giving them the pleasure of creating something with their own hands. Of course I wouldn’t recommend giving someone hand dyed silk/merino if that person needs … say… two years for a tiny knitted square.

Anyway, back to Scrap Sunday and the tissue issue.

In my last knitting class, when we were celebrating the most outstanding projects people had finished over the course of a couple of weeks, months or even years, I realised that whilst I had helped many people to fall in love with knitting, I seem to personally have moved on. I rarely find the time to knit and focus much more on the sewing recently (or not so recently). In fact I am slightly jealous of my own students who have progressed so well and achieved so much whilst I am not able – for whatever reason – to stretch myself knittingwise.

So I decided to get started with a new and cool project soon, there is no point now just before moving and in the meantime to knit at least a little something for a friend who has patiently been waiting for a promised birthday gift since…. well, a while.

I came across a pattern for a tissue cozy (I guess a mobile phone would fit too) and made one using some left over pink Rowan Purelife Revive that I had used for a dress for my friend’s daughter and some green Stylecraft Cotton Classique.

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I added a bow because the little girl is always wearing cute hair clips. Well until she looses them.  I am so pleased to finally have used my knitting needles again, I even took the time to put it on ravelry.

 

 

 

 

Me Made May or Oh dear, oh dear

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Yesterday, I read a blog post about Me Made May, a challenge just perfect for me as I often make things for others but not for me. Initially I wanted to participate next year but then I thought, better now and half hearted than forgetting about it (which is what would happen in the deep darkness of my brain, lets face it). It just made me pick up a few things (and thoughts) that I had lost in the piles of work.

So I pledged to sort out my wardrobe (which is still blocked by pregnancy clothes), to continue certain projects and to actually wear my me made stuff three times a week. So lets have a look at some of the things that I have actually made for myself (as part of the sorting out the wardrobe pledge)

This is actually one of the first items I have sewn for myself (not counting some experiments as a teenager, for example the christmas tree outfit for carnival). I had used a Burda pattern, following my measurements and it turned out to be about three sizes too big. I wanted to donate it to a charity shop and make a new one but my lovely sewing teacher showed me a few tricks, most importantly making that little pleat in the neckline to bring the front in.

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at the back, we made the darts longer, basically up to the neckline which was far too wide for my narrow shoulders.IMG_4867

I am pleased I had altered the initial one rather than making a new one and I would definitely still wear it but breastfeedingwise it is not quite  ideal 🙂

I would also love to wear the next one, but again, not exactly ideal for breastfeeding. This is the same pattern but modified to fit me (still needed to add that little pleat though).

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A couple of skirts which definitely don’t interfere with the feeding:

A super comfy one, using a pattydoo pattern:

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Recognise the fabric? Great idea but never really fitted.

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Another pattydoo skirt. Might make another one.

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A pleated skirt made for my nieces baptism, when I was a little bit pregnant.

IMG_3598 Maternity Rock blau orangeThe aim is to turn it into a non-maternity skirt…. it actually still fits as I made it to be worn under the bump. But there was a pleat mistake on the side so I will have to redo it definitely. Or maybe turn it into a dress. I liked the fabric so much that I had bought the remnant piece when I saw it. It might be enough for a bodice.

And one pregnancy top. That one might actually still fit, it is just a bit long.

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And then there is the fashion course dress. Not technically for me but also not for anybody else. But anyway, wool and too hot for now.

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And the coat, lets not forget the coat:

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Obviously too warm for now.

Let’s not forget about the knits:

3-in-1 by alfa design, still amazing, a bit tight these days but too hot anyway.

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A summer top. This could actually work. Just not suitable for baby vomit as difficult to wash.

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And then a handful of accessories:

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Oh dear, oh dear, what have I been thinking. How will I be able to wear a me made item three times a week? I actually own more than I thought I would. I just didn’t realise how unsuitable they are (one of the big points of me made items… usually). I guess, I’ll have to move to the north pole for the rest of the month and start bottle feeding.