It’s June

 And has been for the past week!  We went away on holiday last month and had a week of catching up since then.  I’ll do another post about the holiday next time.  Meanwhile I seem to be working on some ‘odds and sods’, using up bits and pieces.

I sometimes get small bundles of mini skeins from dyers when I’ve been to Yarndale or ordered.  I’ve wound them a while ago and keep them in a zipped pouch.  As a patron member of the Bakery Bears podcast I am following The Summer of Stitching which started this month.  There’s a knitting project and a sewing one to follow next month. There’s knitting project is a mitred square blanket, which comes in useful for the minis in making a mini sample.  It started with the purple square in the bottom right (there is a bulb pin in that square to remind me where I started). I don’t think I could make a big blanket in this method as much prefer to crochet, but a sample for the technique is useful as I’ve never made this before.

I like that the decreases go in different directions for a zigzag look. I have also tried a square in double knitting so maybe there’s a chance of using ‘odds and sods’ of DKyarn to make a blanket out of, who knows?

I’m also doing ‘odds and sods’ of embroidery projects.  At the monthly embroidery group there was a Catch Up Day this month and I finished off a Dorset Feather Stitch sample (on the left) to put in my sample book as well as the project last month called Faces so the face made was put into the sample book too (on the right). This was a project taught by Fay Maxwell.

There is also a needle case underway, which was entitled Moon Gazing Hare, even though there are spring flowers and not a moon in sight!! Still adding stitches but I’d like to get it out of the way. Excuse the hoop lines, it will all be ironed out after it’s finished.

I’ve taken to cutting out lots of squares, having been inspired by a a few pieces of Mr Men and Little Misses fabrics, which we part of one of those Hobbycraft fat quarters bundles from a few years ago. I had used some of the fabrics a couple of years ago in book bags for my youngest grand daughters. My thought is to offset each row so that I don’t have to match up the seams. This will become a Project Linus quilt. Starting to put the squares together it seems that the characters are creating their own mischief!

This year I’m taking part in UKQU Facebook group’s Mini Quilt Swap. I know who I’m swapping with so it’ll be a case of finding out clues before I start making.  There was a post asking about quilts made in previous swaps and these where what I received in 2015 from Mary Norman, who now runs a quilting shop in Bodmin called Patchwork Dreamer.

Another in 2017 from Helen Dickson, who very skilfully made a steam engine emerging from a railway tunnel.  I must have posted a lot of heritage railway photos that year! 

In 2017 I sent a quilt but it was the second attempt as it was the wrong size so I remade it and kept the original.

I’m hoping for some inspiration for this years swap and I know one set of colour choices matches mine so that’s a start.

End of May

It’s been quite a month to get things cleared before our holiday in the latter part of May (only came back on Tuesday).  There’s been knitting and sewing done and a bit more crochet progress too. Still keeping busy!!

Anyway, during April and into the beginning of May was the mystery Gnome knit along, Professor Fungi, by Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes. I’ve taken part in gnome knit alongs previously and really enjoyed making these, so much so that I’ve now succumbed to buying her book, The Gnomes of Grimblewood from World of Books.

There’s always some new techniques to learn from these little gnomes so they are a clever make.

I also knitted a pair of socks, the original Sockalong from Winwick Mum, who recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of this pattern. Finished but still not washed are these blue socks. A slightly crinkly appearance as I knitted them with previously knitted yarn.

I started on 4 and finished on 15 May and has to be the quickest pair of socks made!! The yarn is hand dyed but seconds so it has no name but contains speckles of purple, yellow, green. 

While away on holiday I took some small knitting with me, a pair of fingerless gloves for David in a West Yorkshire Spinners yarn made for Yarndale, which I bought last year.  It’s a pattern I’ve used a lot of times before, called Fingerless or Not.  I’m on the second glove but found an error with the first (which was not quite completed so no much to take back and rectify.

As for sewing I managed to finish off a cushion cover (the appliqué and border fabric was already on) with the quilting  and backing.

Took a quilt top and quilted and backed that for Project Linus. These were odd blocks in mainly blues and the fish themed backing fabric was just the right size.

And another. The blocks were made by my Mum and the green fabric was hers too. There was just enough of the backing fabric futon finish this off.

 

So that was May and I left the blog there.  It’s now 7 June as I post this and if my few readers here have been eagerly awaiting this my apologies!! 

Onwards to June

Sock in a Week?

 Not quite, just a bit longer.  These have been finished today.

I used the Winwick Mum Sockalong Basic Sock pattern.  The Sockalong had recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.  I had aimed to make a pair of socks in a week, but in the end it took 9 days, which is still not bad.  I also chose to take photos to record the making.

I started on 4 May. I find 2.5 mm needles as recommended too loose for me so I used 2.25mm needles and 64 stitch count. The main needle used is a short circular needle, which took a bit of getting used to after always using magic loop with a longer circular. Along with the short circular I also had some double pointed needles to take the extra stitches around the heel and instep. I used a long tail, thumb cast on method and as per instructions I knitted the first 2, 2x2 rib straight before joining in the round.  I found that worked really well with no twisted stitches. 

The yarn is some blue yarn that I purchased at Yarndale a few years ago and used this previously for a jumper and I was going for different blues to make a jumper with a ‘fade’ but I didn’t like it.  I didn’t wash the yarn after unraveling, which is why it looks crinkly.

After 16 rows of rib is was onto the stocking stitch leg. Below shows my progress the next day.

The day after I did the heel flap and turn and at that point I picked up stitches to do the gusset for the instep,

By Thursday 8th I had a finished sock! And the second sock on the needle.

Most of the leg on the second one was done by Friday

Saturday saw the sock getting to the gusset stage.  I didn’t take any photos on Sunday or Monday but this morning I took a photo about halfway along the foot and as you can see below the socks were finished this evening.

I enjoyed making these socks and it was useful to know how long it takes to knit basic socks. 

Professor Fungi

 Last month I took part in a Gnome mystery knit along but I couldn’t show until 9 May. So here is the gnome, Professor Fungi, complete with basket for collecting mushrooms.

Above is the header for the mystery gnome

And here is Professor Fungi

And here’s the Professor with the others in my small gnome family.  These were from previous mysteries. I enjoy learning new techniques to knit these characters.

The pattern is by Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes.  She has also released a book, so the gnome family may be getting bigger. I ordered the book yesterday from World of Books, with will arrive later this week.  

May

I chose a photo from Kingston Lacy’s Japanese Garden and the new bright green leaves of an acer against the bright blue sky.

 The first weekend of May is a bank Holiday weekend and some of this weekend has been spent sewing and another quilt had been finished. The quilt top has been made from squares made by my Mum.  From some of the fabrics that I have in my stash I was able to make the larger green blocks.  The dark green fabric was enough not only to make the border and also the binding. This quilt is 37” square.

I had enough of a multicoloured fabric to back the quilt

Last week I’d quilted a cushion top and today I went of to make the cushion back and attach to the cushion front, so that will go back to Bourne Quilters. The cushion cover was an appliqué project from before the pandemic but never made into anything and as cushion covers they will go to the housing association where the group meets.

I’ve started a new sock, this time on short circular needles.  I’ve had this yarn, which I bought at Yarndale about 4 years ago, had used in a jumper that frogged earlier this year.  It doesn’t have a name but it’s blue with pops of darker blue, yellow and purple and it looks pretty and delicate.

This is the state on Bank Holiday Monday evening (5 May) with the heel flap and turn done.

That day also saw another quilt top layered, quilted and with binding sewn on (though not slip stitched down).

I had just enough of the fishy backing fabric and I added a couple of fish themed appliqué pieces onto the top right and bottom left of the quilt.  This will be another quilt to go to Project Linus and another quilt soon to be completed.  

But it’s not all about the sewing and knitting.  It was a somewhat chilly Bank Holiday Monday morning that I went out to Poole Park and a little beyond for a walk (my bad knee suffered after, though) and spotted this lovely mermaid tail, which is a sculpture trail through places in Poole and Bournemouth. It’s not the first one I’ve seen and I may share on here any photos that I take in a future post.

I hope you had a good first weekend of May.

End of April

 April seems to have gone by in a flash and there have been finishes, together with donations, a secret finish that I can’t reveal yet, a start that I’ve not progressed and an almost finish 🙃.  Let’s go on and see where I get to.

First finish is the jumper for my granddaughter in Stylecraft Colourburst.  Really lovely soft yarn to work with in soft colours that suit her. I added a pattern to the front. More detail in my previous post.

I finished a gnome that is still a mystery, but I have finished mine and can’t yet show for  another week.  The character is Professor Fungi, pattern by Sarah Scherer of Imagined Landscapes .  I enjoy the mysteries as they teach some techniques on a small scale and the characters come out as they are knitted,

An almost finish is my purple jumper, which is a pattern by JST Desgins, called Seashore Stroll, which I started earlier this year. The purple yarn is by Attic Spin Dye.  I’m at the point of the pattern at the bottom of the body. After then I’ll pick up the stitches at the arm holes for the sleeves.  I’m pleased how good it looks as I’ve tried it on along the way.

I’m plodding along with 2 lap blankets to get ahead of (“ahem”) Christmas.  These are using the Canalboat pattern, designed by Lucy of Attic 24 and Stylecraft yarn pack from Wool Warehouse. 

I was able to finish a quilt for Project Linus, which was from a kit supplied by the group.  It was fun putting these assorted charm squares together. This went to the last meeting.

I’m now working on this Dolly Dress up Quilt. I’ve put borders around the squares and quilting them.  I found some flying geese blocks which I’ve put together. 

I’ve got to work out how I put this quilt together and if I need more blocks to make a decent size quilt. This will be put together in the quilt as you go method.

Another long term project is another quilt ad you go using the Daisy May 2.5” hexagon set.  So far I have 31 hexagons and growing. A nice little project to pick up as and when.

The project at Dorset Creative Embroiderers is this needle cast (can’t have too many) with a hare in the flowers.  This is where I’ve got to so far. 

I took part in the ATC swap and the theme was Easter.  I had some spring flowery fabric which I glued onto card and decorated with padded stickers from Easter last year.

And lastly, I indulged in a bit of fabric shopping as I went to the Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta.  I am trying to make the most of my stash, but sometimes it has to be done.

A magnetic needle minder, printed sheep to embroider, quilting fabric - the yellow will be border fabric for the Dolly quilt (see above), blue fabrics to make a project bag and some linen fabric. 

So that was April. Plenty to keep me busy in May! 

Mid-ish April

 I started this post last week, so a bit of catching up to do….

April is flying by and Easter is over. I’ve been keeping busy with some starts and finishes and one start I’ve been working on is a mystery gnome.  This is from Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes, who has declared this year the Year of Gnomes. I’ve done a few of her gnome mysteries before and this one has been enjoyable (though I can’t show here until the end of the month). I’ve just finished Professor Fungi and it really has been a lot of fun.

I have a finished and gifted jumper, which I’ve written about before, the school jumper pattern with a cable and bobble pattern in Stylecraft Colourburst and my granddaughter is really pleased with it.

Above is the back view with the smidgeons of yarn that I had left when finished. I think I said it was touch and go whether I’d get it out of two balls of yarn! 

I’ve sewn 2 bed runners to give to the housing association along with the first one I made last month.  I backed with fleece which gives a bit of grip and won’t slide off the bedding. So they will go at the end of this week. They are 18” high x 50” wide.  They were from a quilt top I made years ago that was never made into a quilt and I think they look really jazzy on plain bed linen.

I looked out another project to work on and I came across these Dolly Dress Up squares.  I’ve made a quilt previously using these squares. Somehow I never labelled the quilt or photographed it. So I’ve taken a photo today.

I bought these a long time ago at one of the quilt shows, possibly Sandown and I shared the panels with my Mum, who was quilting at the time.  She never made a quilt from these so I got these to make another quilt. There was also some pink and peach fabrics and a few flying geese, so I made those into two blocks to use all bar one of those flying geese. 

It turned out to be an enjoyable way of spending a rainy Good Friday.

Over the Easter weekend I’ve been cutting out hexagons, large ones, and layering up and hand sewing..

The pile above is just a few as I have over 25 of them.  Goodness knows how big the quilt will be.  I’ve got a Daisy and Grace 2.5” hexagon set and just got going with them.  The set is the smaller hexagon for the inside shapes and wadding, with a larger frame template for the backing fabric to fold over and provide a frame for the top fabric.

On Wednesday last week was my youngest son’s 40th birthday and on the Thursday got together for a family celebration. It’s hard to believe that all three of my children are in their 40’s!  Ah well, can’t stop the march of time. He and his wife have been on holiday this week in Majorca, after their short cruise was cancelled at short notice. There’s been some lovely pictures and wishing we were on holiday, but it’s not long now.

I’ve been writing through the month and today is now Saturday 26 April and I think I ought to wrap up this blog post.  I have been working on layering up the Dolly Dress Up blocks with backings, wadding (as I bought some wadding yesterday) and the tops ready to quilt. They will be quilted as individual blocks and joined together.  After the Bourne Quilters meeting yesterday I gained a cushion cover to quilt and put together (I offered to take one home with me) so that is now being quilted and will be completed next week. More hexagons have gone together and the pile has grown bigger - 31 hexies!! 

 

As for knitting and crochet, I have got out my purple jumper, which has been knitted in a top down, all in one pattern.  I tried it on this morning and have got to the length where I can do a patterned border to finish the body of jumper.   It’s good to know that I’m making progress with this. The yarn is from Attic Spin Dye (on Etsy) and the pattern is by JST Designs.

As you can see, although the blog seems quiet I am still keeping busy.