Progress (or What I Could Have Achieved If I'd Stitched More Last Year!)

The photo above was taken on 9 April, the one below on 8 May.

Over the last month I have made the temperature project my main crafty project from dinnertime on Friday to dinner on Sunday, and its really paid off.

Surpringly, even to me, I have not spent every waking hour of those weekends stitching. I've been out and about, Saturday evenings have been for eating and drinking and I even spent the best part of one weekend on holiday. I did sew over the long Easter weekend when not doing other things. I'm so pleased there's only one row of houses to go (and not a full one at that) and then titles and key. It will be so tempting to work on this on Friday evening rather than my planned project ...we'll see how it goes.

 

Trying New Things

 (With no reference to aging canines!)

In my knitting I actively look to try out new to me techniques and tools, within reason as I obviously can't afford to buy every new, this will make your knitting better gizmo. So far this year I've tried more complex brioche and cabling without a cable needle - both something I will do again (actually no choice with the cabling as I've still got a lot of pullover to knit!). I'd also like to get a steeking attempt in this year.

With my sock knitting a lot of my eperimentation currently is around needles - which method works better for me and which brand. WIth my latest sock I've decided to knit the whole item on a small circular.

I've done sock legs on a small circ previously, but switched to another method for the heel onwards. This sock has a heel flap and I thought that may prove too difficult but as you can, sort of see, I managed it. I actually kept all the stitches on the small needle while working the flap and it wasn't too awkward. I'm not 100% sold on the small circulars, they will probaly not become my go to sock knitting needle, but I will more than likely use them again, And for info the needles I am using are knit pro zing short circulars (purchased by me) and the beautiful yarn is from Yarn Pixie, bought several years ago and has finally been paired with the perfect sock pattern.

As a new garment sewist most techniques and tools are new to me. I became aware of the use of sewing weights to hold patterns in place through the Great British Sewing Bee and my sister kindly bought me a beatiful glass tile set for my birthday.

I had to cut out some small curved pieces from some chunky cord and wasn't having a great time pinning them so this seems the ideal time to try patterns weights and a rotary cutter. I think it was pretty sucessful; I love the flatness of the weights, the rotary cutter follwed the pattern piece neatly, i just need to figure out how you transfer marking and notches (I managed it but I suspect there's a better way).

All in all I'm pleased with my latest experiments. 

Long Weekend FNSI

 This month's FNSI took advantage of the long Easter weekend (four days in the UK) which meant that I had plenty of opportunity to join in with the fun over the weekend, when I thought I would miss April's FNSI.

A random selection of crafts were undertaken...

Serious progress has been made on the temperature cross stitch, byt the end of the weekend I was only a day or two off November which means I have less than 70 motifs to go (still sounds like a lot but definitely decreasing). I'd like to get this finished soon so I can start on one of my other cross stitch projects - for a non-cross stitcher there is quite a queue of projects appearing!

I put some time in on my Tree Tram Tro slipover. I'm using this to practice cabling without a cable needle which is working well until I need to undo a mistake and then things get very fiddly (and usually require a cable needle.

And I even managed to fit in some block sewing prep.

These are destined to become a mini Sparkle Pow quilt (designed by Elizabeth Hartmann), hopefully they acieve their destiny faster than the fabric I cut out for my first Sparkle Pow quilt!

Finished, Finished, Started

 Yesterday was definitely a good knitting day.

Firstly I got all the ends sewn in on my Foxtails Wrap (WestKnits design). It's confirmed a couple of things - firstly, I enjoy brioche knitting so the brioche sweater I was considering will be a good idea (barring the high possibility of snagging the finished item) - secondly, I don't enjoy knitting long repetitive designs. The pink yarn, from North Shire Yarns, which included silk and cashmere in the mix was wonderful to work with. The grey brushed alpaca from Drops acted as the perfect counterpoint.

The next finish was my third Snuggle Is Real cowl designed by Max the Knitter, this one's for me and given the sudden appearance of warm temperatures (for the UK) next week somewhat seasonally inappropriate. THe body of the cowl was knitted in two limited edition yarns from Giddy Aunt Yarns, lovely to work with I will definitely be ordering more from them. The cowl is lined with yet more Drops Brushed Alpaca.

I enjoyed the Giddy Aunt yarn so much that I used the leftovers in my new project. A pair of two at a time mittens using the World's Simplest Mittens Pattern which is free from Tin Can Knits. Ive been wanting to try two at a time socks for a bit but I thought these mittens might be a easier project to start with.

So all in all a good knitting day.

Getting Crafty in London

I haven't, for obvious reasons, been to London in two years. Although realistically I only went once or twice a year before that - so many other places to visit - but the big city always offers lots of entertainment and interest.

Last weekend The Stitch Festival (previously The Knitting and Stiching Show I think) took place in Islington and my sister and I got ourselves organised enough to visit for the day.

Once we'd worked our way through the hoards of Scouts and Guides (so many of them no idea why) and had a Google Maps fail at finding the entrance rather than following the signpost we made it to the Business Design Centre (a more interesting and attractive venue than it sounded but I still think Alexandra Palace would've been nicer...).

This show was very interesting with sewing, knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, and many more - excellent for the multi-crafter and immensely tempting. 

I went with the aim of finding a pattern to go with some fabric I impulse bought and to take the opportunity of seeing some online retailers and their products in the flesh so to speak.

I'd call this a success, the smock should work with my fabric and otherwise I didn't go too mad and add to my crafting queue. Although I did pick up a heap of retailers cards so when I need to lengthen the queue I'm ready.

Whilst in Islington we paid a quick visit to Loop London to squish some yarn. I was unbelievably restrained there and left empty handed. Lovely shop, just a little busy and I didnt want to carry a bag of yarn around for the rest of the day.

As is traditional for London in the evening I visted a couple of lovely pubs, where I completed avoided the craft beer!

Bits and Pieces

 

- I've swatched for my next knitting project, Tree Tram Tro by Kate Davies (not a Ravelry link), with West Yorkshire Spinners BFL DK. I think I've got gauge though I'm not too sure that the fabric is quite as I like it, it seems a little loose.

- I have seven skeins of the BFL so I probably either need to start liking the fabric or come up with an alternative pattern for it.

- Either way I'm fighting the urge to take the yarn and pattern with me on my work trip next week. I'm sure I should take one or two of the things I have in progress. I'm trying to figure out if I am someone who can have five WIPs.

- I also made cookies, NYC Cookies from the Jane's Patisserie book. SO glad for a well stocked baking cupboard as they were a spur of the moment decision. Very tasty and large. Rather than baking all eight I just cooked two and froze the remainign dought as they can be cooked from frozen. The only thing I would change is to squash them flatter prior to cooking.

- I finished the remaining Meadowland Quilt blocks last night and I think I've decided on a layout. I love the finished look of this but I think I'm definitely a person who prefers a squarer quilt.

- Hopefully the planned backing fabric (which I have had for years) is big enough, probably should check that along with ordering some batting.

- I wish Blogger had a spell checker, although I am glad it doesn't have an auto-correct!

Reverse Yarn Chicken

I understood brioche knitting to be a yarn eater, but now I'm not so sure.

 Five days ago I had the small ball of pink yarn left, I had my next cake of yarn ready to go, but didn't want to have too much of the original skein leftover.  So I worked on paying close attention to the amount of yarn left as I want to join the new yarn in at the start of a row.

Last night, and 28 rows (full two pass brioche rows, so 28 using the pink) I had the small ball of yarn above left. I then managed 2 more rows before finally losing my nerve and joing the new yarn. Wish the grey yarn would take a leaf out the pink yarn's book, it has no staying power and I've had to buy another ball of it as I know my original four won't make it to the end!

FNSI - February 22

 It has just taken me too many attempts to write this blog title - I really need to buy myself a calendar!

Wendy of Sugarlane Designs has once again kindly hosted the Friday Night Sew In, a virtual gathering of sewists around the world via blog and Facebook group.

For rthis FNSI I went old school and worked on some quilt blocks. I have been sewing the block for my Meadowland Quilt together individually , and while this has been satisfying I did wonder how long it would take. Yesterday I decided to give batch piecing the remaining 9 a try. 

 I feel its working, though after 3 hours I don't have any finished blocks to show (and the making process isn't particularly photogenic) but I am at the final press and sew stage on all of them. Only one moment of slight panic when I was pressing and decided to put the Flying Geese bits with their respective centres and spent a few minutes thinking I'd sew the wrong bits together, but I'd just paired them up incorrectly so simply solved.

I'd taken the day off work yesterday as I had to spend the morning driving back from a Dinner I'd attended on Thursday night so I had plenty of time around sewing the blocks together to work on a few more (colourful) projects.

I'm playing catch up with last year's temperature cross-stitch but I am determined that this will be the second cross-stitch ever that I fully finish (my sister will probably be glad to hear that as she inherited the last project I lost interest in and it's fundamental counting error!).

I when it was too late to trust myself to sew correctly I moved onto some knitting for a while.

Bit hard to tell but this is destined to become the first half of a pair of fingerless mittens.

If you want to see what everyone else got up to visit the FNSI post on Wendy's Blog.

Some Actual Quilt Progress

 I have some garment works in progress and a long list of things I want to make. But after moving my fabric into a new cabinet I've become enthuastic about make some of my lovely colllection into a quilt or two (or...).

First quilt to be made is a Meadowland Quilt as designed by Then Came June (you've probably seen one or two of them on social media).

I had a bundle of fairly recently purchased Cat Tales fabric earmarked for this.

It is so gorgeous and detailed and the colours should go well in my sewing room.

Cutting out took a while. I mistakenly thought that this was the first quilt I'd made from a vairiety of different sized fabrics and then I remebered the pumpkin quilt and the basketball quilt. 

Next step was deciding which fabrics to use in each block, I took the don't over think it approach to this and hopefullt each combo is unique but if not life's too short to worry.

Three bloks complete so far and I'm liking how they look.

I especially like this block above as all the black cats in the diamond are miraculously the right way up.

Just 9 more blocks to go.

A Quick Finish

 I had some leftovers of 4 ply and kidsilk mohair from my mum's Susurrus sweater, so a hat seemed the thing to do.

As a quick leftovers project I didn't want it to be too complex and I fould the pattern on the Drops website - it's from the Crimson Crush set. I really enjoyed the quick aspect of this project - all done in less than two weeks - I didn't love the 1x1 rib (although I'll probably make something similar if circumstances arise!).

Knitting Class

 I took part in my first ever Zoom knitting class yesterday organised by Tangled Yarn. The class was an explanation and practice of the colourwork techniques in the Scout shawl by the designer Florence Spurling.

I don't know if you've come across the Scout shawl but it looks like a patchwork of fairisle blocks and its knitted flat, not in the round and steeked which is more common for fairisle.

We started off with the basics of intarsia, followed by stranded colourwork (which turns out not to be too tricky worked on the wrong side).

We then moved onto combining the two techniques into a swatch for the shawl. This is where the fun began - six balls of yarn with the need to twist them (intarsia) at the beginning of each new block. One of the main challenges seems to be keeping the yarns untangled.

Only a small sample but I think I've got the hang of the technique. I feel more confident with starting the Scout shawl. I need to decide on my yarn colours and then find a suitable quiet period in which to start as this will take concentration and yarn tangling skills!

What about the KALs?

 I posted last Autumn that I was going to join in with Joji Locatelli's Fall KAL and also with Stephen West's Mystery KAL. Joji's had a six week window in which to complete a Joji designed item; the MKAL was being released over 4 weeks but with no completion deadline.

So how did I do?

Well both items have been finished, but not until last week.

As I was knitting a Susurrus sweater, by Joji, for my mum for Xmas I decided to make that my entry for the Joji KAL.

 I was able to give my mum the sweater to open on Xmas day (without a waistband as we needed to check it for length) but I was nowhere near the KAL deadline.

The MKAL took second place to the sweater, for obvious reasons, but that was finished apart from the blocking, on 6 Jan and even though the Mystery aspect makes me nervous I love the finished item...but I am definitely not taking part in the 2022 MKAL, too many other things I want to knit.

And I still have the KAL bug as I am now taking part in the Yarniacs Self Indulgent KAL - more about that soon.

2021 Plan - The Outcome

I think that the main outcome of my 2021 plan is that I shouldn't plan my makes (or at least not as many of them) as I get distracted by new and shinys or the need to make a gift.

The list as of end of June:

1 Aran squares x 3 (WIP) 
2 Xmas Stars (WIP) 
3 Wedding quilt (WIP) 
4 Jessa trousers
5 Grace 2/ Marguerite 
6 Lovenote sweater (WIP) 

7 Jonie
8 Xmas mini
9 Socks x 7 (WIP) 

10 Jessa shorts
11 Snowflake quilt
12 Billie dress
13 Billie top
14 Hitofude
15 Bird quilt 

16 Cross stitch bookmark (MIA) 
17 Rainbow quilt (WIP) 
18 Xmas Lucy's Terrace

19 Cat quilt 
20 Jumping dots
21 Bag

All I can add from June is that the Jessa trousers are cut out and a different cat quilt is now planned.

I finished a Jonie dress...

...and some socks...

(two and a half pairs if anyone's counting!).

But I did make plenty not on my list...

...and another Susurrus sweater and several toiles for pyjamas.

All in all I'm happy with what I've made and I'm pretty certain I'm just going freestyle in 2022!