First Furtle of 2024

 My blog has been a bit quiet this month, but I have managed to keep busy.  I have a finish, which you have to take my word for, because it’s been gifted and I never took a photo!  This a a cardigan for my daughter Sarah.  She wanted the same pink as the cardigan I made for Flo, my granddaughter, last year.  It’s also the similar pink as the picture of the pattern below (pattern by Stylecraft) but the yarn is King Cole Pricewise yarn.

Another knit that’s taking shape is a pair of socks for my friend.  The first one fits well and as at today I’ve reached the heel flap of the second sock (which was after I took the photo earlier today) . Plain vanilla socks using yarn by Kosy Kitchen Fibres. 

Next for the knitted projects is the clown, Mr Fortywinks .  If you look at my last post, here, I’ve finished the body and now onto the fiddly bits - hat brim, hands (2 parts for each hand) .

I’ve also been enjoying the evenings crocheting a blanket.  I’ve nearly reached the end point for the lap sized blanket and will continue on the second blanket.  There will be instructions on the CAL later for the borders. The picture below shows the beginning of the second blanket on top of the first.

This shows the blanket at colour 49.

The pattern is by Lucy of Attic 24 and is called the Sungold blanket.  The second blanket is using the same colour changes but using the Dahlia blanket stitch pattern, also designed by Lucy.  I’ve made several of her blanket designs around the house and given to others.

I almost had a neglected sewing machine, which I’ve not used since well before Christmas, but it got an airing last week.  I found a patchwork pattern in Love Patchwork and Quilting on my Readly app.  It’s called Simply Scrappy, to make these L-shaped blocks and before I knew it I made several of these.

I used coloured scraps, but had to raid my stash of low volume fabrics for the white/cream fabrics. 

And I’ve also done some hand stitching this month.  I started stitching this butterfly after tuition from Fay Maxwell at Dorset Creative Embroiderers. (I have progress this following this picture.

And I’ve also made a start on my my stitch book.  This page is dedicated to running stitch, back stitch and variations of outline stitches.

One of the sources for the stitch book is an old book from way back in the 1970’s and it only cost 6p which I’ve had since new.  I’ve been dipping in and out of embroidery for many years and it seems like almost 50 years! 

Coming up for February is more crochet, more embroidery with just a chance of clowning around! 

Joining in with Little Archie’s January Furtle Around the Blogosphere