The odds n ends

Well it's been a wee while, I don't know where the time has gone.  But I'm glad that January is over.  It's known to me as the too many bills month as everything seems to be due then.

I was trying to  think what I had been doing with myself other than running around like a headless chicken for a couple of weeks, trying to get everything sorted for forms that landed on the doormat on the 2nd Jan.  Being a Scot I was still enjoying the remnants of Hogmanay/New Year celebrations.

 

So what was knitted?  Well I've been using up the scraps. Starting with  this layette from Lion Brand with matching bonnet.  This is the second time that I've knitted this up.  This time it was a surprise for someone who's daughter had a baby.   It's such an easy quick knit.

Then I thought I'd try my hand at gloves. I've never ever made any before. Now that I've actually made a few I'm wondering what was so intimidating about them.  But then again I never had a set of DPNs (double pointed needles).

I took the pattern from Berroco here but found that I had to alter it a little to fit, which is surprising as I always thought I had big hands....... obviously they are not as man sized as I once thought......yippee!

I've made quite a few pairs, although the 1st couple were a bit, um, messy around the fingers. with the increasing, but I sorted that later so that it was neat.

My mother, bless her, gave me some knitting stuff for Xmas including wool.  She gave me some fancy pompom netted yarn which left me scratching my head as how the heck to knit it.  All I can say is thank goodness for the internet and You Tube.

The next step was to figure out how many stitches to knit with, I ended up using 6 after a little trial and error.  I was thinking a sort of skinny style scarf.

Well at least now I understand how my cousin was knitting with spoons whilst on holiday!  ;)

This is the end result. I think I'll get similar yarn in red or purple, as I'm not a fan of navy at all.

Cast on 6sts and knit up as stated on the band, I sewed the yarn when I had to join and tied a knot in the end when I finished.

Now that I've used it once I'll have no bother in using it again.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Have a safe and fun filled festive season.

Cards

Just a few Christmas cards. I had bought 'papers' in Lidl a while back.  Only thing was it wasn't papers it was card,  so my original idea/plan went out the window.  I had made a few toppers and tags months ago and had put them away and forgotten about them.

I was looking for something else a couple of weeks ago and came across them again, so thought it was about time that I finished what I started.

Also I was reminded that a friend is having their milestone birthday this month. Just so happened that she had a newspaper article 20 years back in the national paper, which I stumbled upon last year at the bottom of my Christmas box.  

The fun starts when you have to scan it on to the computer in 4 parts - it was a 2 page spread.  Getting all as straight as possible, which is no easy task. Then stitching them together to match so that the writing and pictures are perfectly aligned..... this took quite a few attempts and rescans of certain areas before I managed.  Usually I only work with 2 pictures, which is relatively simple to join, but getting four together required patience which I was running out of.  Some things you just need to take a break and get some sleep before it all comes together.  

With that done I printed it out along with a recent photo, mounted the photo onto card with foam pads, did the same with the happy birthday.  Cut a frame out of some pretty card to mount the article onto the card. Here is the end result.

 For those of you who are curious, yes the clothes are made using paper, crepe paper backed with interfacing, hand painted, glittered, cut, stitched and sequined.

Emergency chocolate!

I found this idea on pinterest so all credit goes to the original person on this.  However I found out it wasn't so straight forward as it looked.  First I got a cheap frame from the Euro store, hunted down a slim bar of chocolate, since the frame wasn't one of those deep ones.  

I printed out the message and cut to fit.  Then I glued the chocolate to the paper with pritt stick to hold it in place. 

Now for the back you can't simply use the one that was on it because it's too small, so you have to have some backing, either sketchpad or the stuff you get on furniture backs, or some thin wood.  I had a bigger back which I had saved, so I cut that to size, drilled 2 holes for string to hang it.  

Now the metal bits that you bend to hold the back on, you have to reuse these so carefully pull them out and reposition them where your new back is going to sit, and there you have it........ one emergency bar of chocolate novelty gift ;)

Knitted Christmas gifts

OK I managed 2 whole days with out knitting........ aaargh I can't take it anymore!!  Actually I was trying to rest up a bit, cos I have what I call knitters elbow ( if there is such a thing), yes yes I know it's usually in the wrists or fingers, and normally that's what I get.  Just lately my elbow is bothering me.  I should really find a crochet project for a 'rest'.  ;o)

Anyway I've been knitting like a woman possessed lately, with 3 things on the go. 1st was the Cardigan which I've already posted, by the way I redid the button band in moss stitch, looks and fits much better.

2nd was the Baby Bunting bag. Which I had problems getting stitches per inch so had to basically do some math and kinda rewrite the pattern but keeping the design, it's all done now and ready for my friends baby due in a few weeks.  A lot of people seem to have had the same issue.

3rd was another aran cardigan for the mister, I had to write my own pattern to get the right size as again my gauge was out (becoming the norm of late!) Anyway it was this pattern that set me off. It looks exactly like it, although it was my first attempt at a shawl collar and I had more of a hood than a shawl at 1st try, but round two was much better.

Cabled Cardi for her

 I've completed the vogue patterned cardi with quite a few modifications, mainly added cables to the back and sleeve, only added lower pockets and made it longer, as well as adding shape to the body and working stocking stitch.

I've put buttons on it for now, but  think I will try and find a raspberry coloured zipper for it.

Like I said previously my gauge was way off, but I knitted the smallest size which made a UK 16, so I was lucky that way at least.

I've also been knitting a baby bunting alongside this, which is half done..... and yes my gauge was out on that too..... seems to be common place for me lately so have to mod all the patterns.

I've started another cabled aran cardigan for himself, looks ok so far and I'm hoping it turns out like this one here.  I may have to take a break from knitting as my hand is quite achy ~ not surprising after that last one!!

Recycle your Yarn

I've taken to ripping back my knitwear recently.... only the worn out stuff!  Sometimes you can knit aran up as dk or aran the second time round.  Anyway I had this very old, very oversized aran coat that I made about 9 years ago.  I decided to deconstruct it and make something new out of it and since there was 800g of it first time round I wouldn't have any shortage.

I found this great pattern in Vogue from 2004, but I'm not keen on the rib throughout the cardi..... but that's just me.  I also decided I wanted some shape to it so am modding the body part that way and making it a bit longer.  I also wanted the cables on the back like some of the others so have done that too, just because you don't see the back doesn't mean it has to be blank!

My gauge is off ...... no change there then.  So I'm making the smallest size on 4.5mm needle and it appears to be working out at the same measurements as the next size up so I'm pleased about that.

I do believe I will have painful hands before I finish these cables, but they'll be worth it........I hope!  ;)