tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43310511508243635302024-02-19T12:31:41.197-08:00Auld FashionedKnitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.comBlogger307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-51959558383653160132017-01-31T03:13:00.002-08:002017-01-31T03:13:46.003-08:00If you can keep your head...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The world is pretty crazy right now. It looks as though things will continue to be a whole heap of crazy pants for a while to come. I've been reading quite a few articles and blogs about what individuals can and should do to help. One of the big things for me is the need to pace ourselves; to look after our minds and bodies, so that we can keep on keeping on for as long as is needed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've committed myself to taking small actions every day: writing postcards (so much quicker than a letter), writing emails, bearing witness, noticing events and reminding myself that this is not normal. Brexit was/is bad enough, but I doubt very much that DJT and his crew are suddenly going to morph into liberal minded and highly principled politicians. This is not going to pass quickly or easily. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To nurture my inner reserves I'm going to keep on knitting. I've got a scarf on the needles just now. Garter stitch oblivion. Springy and green. </span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-2018270113149240522017-01-05T07:07:00.001-08:002017-01-05T07:07:24.174-08:002017: more of the same<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Christmas has been and gone, the New Year blew in on a cold wind and things are slowly getting back to normal - work this week; school again next week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like everyone else I am starting my new year thinking about what and where we are going next. Last year we made the first steps towards moving our family to a new (different) home. This year will be about making the move itself - selling our current home and finding a new nest for our family to grow. It's no mean feat seeing as we live in about the most expensive part of Edinburgh and would really like to continue living in the same area. But, I am a firm believer in things working themselves out, so I am looking forward to it and trying not to be daunted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the moment then, my priorities are about preparing for these changes. Decluttering and tidying up unfinished projects, organising stashes and paring back my (our) belongings ready to move. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last night I sat down and tackled the mending pile: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">one skirt with a falling-down hem </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">one cardigan with a hole in the shoulder/neck seam</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">repairs to a shoddily-made RTW hat </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">knee patches for the littlest boy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a side seam split repaired in a school gym skort</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a hole in a t-shirt repaired</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had the house to myself, a stove to sit next to and an unending supply of tea and music. It was an hour or two well-spent - with things restored to cupboards and wardrobes rather than languishing in a pile. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next on my list are the unsewn Christmas projects which didn't quite cross the finish line: 3 pairs of pyjamas, 1 nightie and some zippered pouches of one type or another. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy New Year everyone! </span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-53616490126905908062016-12-14T03:19:00.000-08:002016-12-14T03:19:26.289-08:00The tale of a hat: Newhaven (FO)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm a hat knitter and a hat wearer. I'm wearing one now - sitting at our dining table, typing on my lap top - sitting inside. It's a bit chilly, and I'm going out again in a short while, so I decided just to keep my hat on when I got in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I seem to come from hat wearing stock. My dad used to wear tweed flat caps in the 1970s and 1980s when I was growing up, and my brother wears something on his head most days, usually one of the scrap hats I have made for him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To go back to the story: I wear hats a lot in the winter, and over the last few years I have made quite a lot of hats for other people. My own hat stash was wearing fairly thin. I have a green, striped scrap hat - the </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">original prototype </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and starting point for my scrap hat recipe (but the tassle fell off last year) - and a lovely red hat, knitted in a soft red yarn (Rowan Kid Classic) using a pattern from a dim and distant Rowan magazine. If it's cold I wear them both. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some time last winter I decided that I need to augment my hat collection. I wanted a blue hat to work with all of the blues in my wardrobe. I put it down on my shopping list for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, and came home with a skein of completely on-message Wollmeise DK and a copy of Ysolda Teague's <a href="https://ysolda.com/products/newhaven" target="_blank">Newhaven</a> hat pattern. Tick and tick. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also snagged a skein of Ysolda's kitten soft yarn, Blend No. 1 which I bought at the same time as the pattern. Naughty, but very nice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Obviously, as the grey yarn wasn't on my shopping list, I wound that first, and then used that to make my first Newhaven hat. The hat has short rows and charts and texture, but before you know it you are at the top and trying to work out how to turn the thing inside out for the 3 needle bind-off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once I figured that out, I put it on my head and I haven't really looked back. It's my new favourite. I can't remember if I have washed or blocked it yet (why bother?!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">I was wearing the hat the other morning when I saw Ysolda herself, having her morning coffee. I waved and pointed at my hat, and she waved back and gave me a thumbs up. Then she wrote about it on <a href="http://blog.ysolda.com/ysolda-blog/2016/12/9/jqffe0pxkqr8k5pr6qq23t6r1vg56h" target="_blank">her blog</a>. Ah. Light and love and things to cheer us up. Happy knitmas one and all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-81048546429947166582016-12-08T04:44:00.002-08:002016-12-08T04:44:51.835-08:002016: a retrospective<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2016 has been a challenging year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brexit and Trump mean it will have a lasting political impact on the world, but there are other things too. Smaller things about my own life which have been difficult and challenging and which will have ongoing and long-term effects. And, just like Brexit and Trump, these things are also changes that I do not want, that I do not support, and which I have done my best to resist. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It seems - sadly - that I will have to learn to live with them. To work round them and to rethink my future. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">To get back to the other challenges for 2016, I set myself several crafty objectives earlier in the year, and it's time to take stock. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">1. Tame the stashes </span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">I did a good job of reducing the yarn stash, and knitting from stash a wee bit (tank top or two, plus a few other accessories), and then bought a sweater's worth of lovely yarn from Skein Queen to make myself a jumper, and two skeins of yarn for hats. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I did sort the fabric stash, and move a few things around and get rid of some fabric I thought I would never use. But, that didn't shrink it much, and then I found I needed to order some more for a project or two that I had planned, so I don't think I am any further forward. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">2. Use the stash!</span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">Knitting: I made a cowl for myself, a tank top for the bean, another scarf for myself, and a lovely hat. I used the stash to remake a hat for my brother, and knit a Christmas hat for my daughter. I made a slightly too big pair of socks that ended up going to my dad. My needles are currently clacking away on a pair of fingerless mitts for my brother's girlfriend. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Newhaven Hat by Ysolda Teague</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.48px;">knitted in Ysolda's Blend No 1 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">wee scrap hat (own design)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">modelled by little bean</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">scrap hat revisited - own design</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I made this for my brother using some frogged yarn from an old scrap hat of his, which was disintegrating from use/wear and washing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sewing: I have made myself two jersey skirts suitable for work, three very small raglan tees for a friend, two pairs of school leggings and a nightdress for the jelly bean. I also made a few upcycled projects using fabric recovered from old t-shirts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 x recess raglan tee (See Kate Sew)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">made with upcycled fabrics; the fire-engine motif was rescued from a toddler t-shirt and attached using bondaweb</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4 x upcycled dusters or polishing cloths. Made from old t-shirts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">3. Make some things to fill gaps in my wardrobe: </span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">I made a cowl, a navy jersey skirt, a lovely raspberry coloured scarf, and a grey hat. It is so satisfying to make things that fit right in to the palette and styles that I wear everyday, and which immediately go into rotation. I also made a gorgeous multi-coloured skirt which didn't really fit into my careful plans, but has been a useful me-made addition nevertheless. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Bias stripe scarf (Purl Soho)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Knit with some lovely but anonymous raspberry sock yarn from the stash, and striped with some odds and ends</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">4. Finish the UFOs</span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">There has been progress here. My WIP pile has reduced significantly. I think I just have one long-range UFO in my knitting bag, which I am eyeing up as a Christmas gift. My sewing UFO pile ebbs and flows, but I think it has reduced in size a little. </span><br style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;" /><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">5. Continue to work on mending. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.48px;">There has been a lot of mending this year. I have darned, sewn, embellished, and ironed-on patches. I even managed to do some of that with friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18.48px;">I haven't blogged much. But I have been stitching. And I made myself some things. I might not have achieved everything I planned, but I can happily tick quite a few things off the list. Hurrah for that. </span></span><br />
<br />Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-70367604223391013112016-09-20T02:26:00.001-07:002016-09-20T02:26:32.611-07:00Itchy Fingers<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah, September. Something about the shift in light and the cooler temperatures and the back to school vibe are making my fingers itchy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life has been a bit challenging here lately with one thing and another (hello chicken pox, hello full-time workload). Our University semester and first teaching block has begun and I'm setting some boundaries early on to try and keep myself sane/well. 12 weeks of teaching is exhausting - particularly as our model of teaching insists that we all work as single traders - that doesn't really suit my style of working or teaching at all well. Sigh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the middle of all that, yarns have been tumbling through my fingers and I have been eyeing up patterns here and there. There are some small projects to finish off too, and a few deadlines coming up that I'm working towards. But, the main thing that has been happening is sewing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've realised that waiting until all three children are asleep means that my evenings are fairly short. So, I have been snatching little pockets </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">of t</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ime here and there to move projects along. The other day I cut out a nightdress for the jelly bean (now 7!) while the little bean was having a bit of quiet time. Later in the afternoon I sewed it together, during the post-supper play and homework slot, and quickly did enough during bath time that she could wear it that night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A couple of days later, during another playtime lull, I rummaged in my stash for t-shirt fabrics to make up into shirts for a soon to be 1 year old friend. I cut three sets of sleeves, three backs, fronts and neck bands. Batches really are the best when you are short on time! I'd love to hear other people's strategies for sewing/crafting when time is tight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, it's September and my creative juices are flowing. I'm stitching here and there and doing my best to make in-road into my stash which is still (ahem) generously proportioned! I'll be back again soon. Promise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-92006245646955601982016-06-29T04:42:00.003-07:002016-06-29T04:43:05.344-07:00Brexit<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Although this blog is not about politics, I don't think I can avoid saying something about Brexit, given my very public support <u>for</u> the European project. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On Thursday night I stayed up to watch the results of the referendum vote. I was expecting it to be close, and hoping for a majority to remain in the EU. About 3.30am it became clear to me that it was lost, and I went to bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since then I feel as though in a daze - so much has changed, but everything remains the same. The UK government has not yet triggered the leaving process via Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. It is not clear who or how the Labour party is going to respond to this situation, and the only politician that appears to be doing anything is Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am utterly dejected by the Leave victory. It is increasingly clear that the Leave campaign was predicated on several claims that turn out to be at best misleading and at worst knowingly deceitful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Control of borders and immigration - this is unlikely in European terms because continued membership of the single market and European Economic Area requires the free movement of labour. I cant see that the UK government will get far by demanding that this changes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. The £350m per week for the NHS. A huge whopper of a lie because the contribution that the UK makes to the EU is actually much less than that, and in the context of our overall national budget, it is only buttons. And of course, there has been lots of very hasty backpedalling on that particular promise. It is unlikely that the NHS will receive any additional funding as a result of Brexit, and is likely to suffer significantly in terms of its capacity to recruit and retain excellent clinicians. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Regaining our sovereignty and reducing the burden of EU regulation - great, so now the UK can decide about glyphosate for itself. Except it probably can't because again, if we want to be part of the single market and EEA, then we will also need to play by the same rules as the rest of Europe - so it looks as though we will still need to adopt EU regulations, but we wont get to influence any of those requlations through our representatives in the European Parliament and Council of Ministers. Norway and Greenland are not part of the EU - but they are part of the single market, and as a result have to accept EU regulation and small details like allowing the EU fishing fleet to fish in their waters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Almost everything I can think of seems worse if we are outside the EU. We have already heard about UK researchers being asked to withdraw from European research projects and consortiums. Architects are losing projects. People in the finance sector are being told that their jobs will be relocating to other centres within European (Paris, Brussels etc). Incoming students from the EU and overseas are concerned or reconsidering their options and then there's the palpable rise in the confidence of the white power, far right fascism and racism. I don't need to say that I despise this and will do my best to speak up for and support everyone's right for a life without fear or discrimination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You might not have seen a very powerful and moving perspective <a href="https://storify.com/shockproofbeats/why-didnt" target="_blank">on Brexit for Northern Ireland, </a>which has a 'hard' border with the EU and faces the prospect of returning to the not very distant and troubled past that people thought they had left behind. It was little discussed in the referendum campaigns, and seems likely to remain as a marginalised side issue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, Brexit - poorly articulated and completely mis-sold to an electorate rightly concerned about jobs and housing. Carl Gardner has written <a href="https://medium.com/@carlgardner/for-britains-sake-how-we-can-solve-this-crisis-d4b20492b303#.wvmxha4iy" target="_blank">an excellent piece on this</a>, and why the UK parliamentary democracy needs to step up to resolve the situation. That does not necessarily mean overturning it, but it does mean scrutinising the options available to the country and forcing the leavers to be very clear about the path they wish us to take. </span><br />
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Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-66719202748377929532016-06-23T04:01:00.001-07:002016-06-23T04:04:36.796-07:00I'm IN<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I interrupt this blog for a partly political broadcast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's referendum day, and I'm in*. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That's all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* After 4 years of writing a PhD about Europe, its policies and ideas on territory and spatial planning, and almost 2 years of living and studying in other EU countries, I am a very firm believer in all the brilliant things that being part of the EU makes possible. I am not going to give them up in the vain hope that this will magically fix all of the 'problems' we have in the UK. It is a vain hope. I can see no rational justification for thinking that quitting the EU will solve anything. It will (in all likelihood) make a lot of things very much worse. </span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-28737174933359670812016-05-02T06:01:00.001-07:002016-05-02T06:01:45.167-07:00Mending Monday #4: Kapow<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ahoy there. Apologies for the slight delay. Work happened, or life, or something. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anywayz. It's May! Just how did that happen? One minute it's snowing, and then the sun is shining again and summer is just around the corner. Amazingly, the springiness of the weather, has also returned my sewjo, and over the weekend I blitzed my mending pile like a crazy mending ninja. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">KAPOW!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like that, I stormed through:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2 pairs of boys trousers that needed a button replacing (for those waistband elastic adjustor things, you know)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One girls frilly tutu that needed a bit of waistband stitching to be redone</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Repairs to a toddler grobag (sleeping bag thingy)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Two mummy-made girls tops that needed fixing in the under arm area</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One pair of boys trousers that needed patching and fixing </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A school cardigan that needed an under-arm repair (oh - I see a pattern here - something about that girl and her armpits!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7 dribble bibs that have been waiting for poppers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">overlocking the internal seams on dress I made in sometime in the late 1990s. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That dress I mention, I did really make it in the 1990s. Probably 1997 or 1998 when I lwas a student. It's some kind of rather loose weave viscose, which frays badly, and which I bought from the absolutely fabulous <a href="http://www.abakhan.co.uk/" target="_blank">Abakhan Fabrics</a> in Liverpool. I still have a couple of other bits of fabric in my stash from that time too! Overlockers hadn't been invented when I made the dress, and although I probably knew about finishing my raw edges, I didn't. I didn't have pinking shears until after 2003... Anyway - despite being rather see through and having a wonky hem, this dress is still in my wardrobe, still fits and is still the sort of thing I like to wear. I can't work out if that means I have timeless style, or just no style at all. Sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After that flying start, who knows what the rest of May will bring? What are you mending today?</span><br />
<br />Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-61324738428022447082016-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:002016-03-23T00:00:10.657-07:00Things I realised this week: why I like knitting<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ah spring. There you are all green and springy, making things start to grow and inspiring me to start All. The. Projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week I realised just why I like knitting so much. Sure, it takes a relatively long time to get from a ball of string yarn to a finished sweater - but: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. it's pretty portable. You can do it on the bus, on the sofa, in bed and standing up (and in most other places and positions, although please don't knit whilst driving or operating heavy machinery obvs). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. it's also highly pick up and put downable: you can do it for a few hours or a few minutes at a time. Just pick up the needles and knit a row, or two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Knitting is quiet - you can do it on your own, or in company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. knitting is easy. If you go wrong, you can tink back (or frog) and put it right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sewing on the other hand. Well, it's not quite the same. I want to sew, and to make all of the things, and I have lots of fabric. But:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Sewing requires quite a lot of preparation - getting the machine, scissors, rotary cutter, cutting mat, thread and fabric all together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Sewing has lots of stages: pattern tracing, cutting the fabric, making a toile, adjusting the toile, adjusting the pattern, cutting out the real fabric, sewing it up, adjusting it, finishing it off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Sewing often involves multiple gadgets (sewing machine, overlocker, iron, ironing board, tailors ham, tailors dummy)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Sometimes sewing requires all of those gadgets at almost the same time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Using the sewing machine and/or overlocker is not compatible with watching TV. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Cutting fabric is final - although mistakes in stitching can usually be retrieved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Note to self: if you want to finish that quilt you actually have to do some sewing. Just thinking about it does not appear to be having any actual effect on the number of blocks which have been trimmed to size and stitched together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sigh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pass my knitting bag. </span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-14948727409066327902016-03-21T09:25:00.002-07:002016-03-21T09:25:10.090-07:00Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2016<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had the briefest, fleetingest, shortest imagineable encounter with the Edinburgh Yarn Festival 2016 on Friday, and I was utterly charmed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wandered around the yarn market for an hour or so, with a stop for tea and most delicious cake part way through. It wasn't really long enough to do the place justice, or really have a good rummage and browse for the things I wanted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I spied a few well-known faces from knitterati: Tom, but no Kate, from <a href="http://katedaviesdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Kate Davies Designs</a>, <a href="http://ysolda.com/" target="_blank">Ysolda</a>, <a href="http://westknits.com/" target="_blank">Stephen West</a> - who was impossible to miss in his extraordinary outfit. I was trying to describe it to the jelly bean (age 6). She didn't believe me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I stayed mostly on-message - with some rich blue DK yarn from <a href="https://www.rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/en/" target="_blank">Wollmeise</a> to make myself a hat. That was definitely part of the plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also picked up some gorgeous DK weight yarn from </span><a href="http://www.skeinqueenyarns.co.uk/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Skein Queen</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - also part of my me-made plans. Stupidly I convinced myself that 2 skeins would be enough! It might be close, but I doubt I'll manage either of the two patterns I have at the top of my queue. And, as you can see in this photo, the two skeins I picked seem to be subtly different in tone/colour. That is probably the fault of the 'show' lighting in the Corn Exchange - I did have 4 skeins to choose from! But it's not insurmountable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The extra thing I brought home was this little haul from Ysolda - two patterns and some of her kitten-soft silvery grey undyed yarn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The other pattern is her blank slate sweater. I had to pet the yarn a little bit yesterday, and hand wound it whilst drinking tea and chatting to the little bean. It's seriously nice. Silky and soft, and a lovely pale grey. I'll be casting on for that hat as soon as I can find the right needle, and, I can see a blue version coming along just behind it. </span><br />
<br />Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-58458842602566297722016-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:002016-03-07T00:00:17.242-08:00Mending Monday 2016: #3 it's a holey-holeyday<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Way back in the mists of time, before the internet and Taylor Swift were invented, I knitted myself a cardigan. It's from Rowan magazine 21, shown on the front cover. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have always rebelled it seems, and I knitted it in a nice wool based yarn (Jaeger wool DK I think), not the cotton yarn the pattern was written for. Anywayz. I have worn it a lot - for a long time it was the sort of thing I wore to work. Then the elbows started to develop holes and I patched them up and it became a cosy old friend to wear around the house. Gradually more and more bits of it are wearing thin or coming apart, but I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to it yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before Christmas I started knitting something for the bean, and realised that the yarn was pretty much the same colour as this cardigan of mine. Last week, I sat down to do some mending and spent a little bit of time patching up the holes and frayed cuffs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Five or ten minutes, sitting in the light and stitching away. I was talking to my daughter at the same time - you can see her feet in the bottom picture - she is wearing handknitted socks that I made for her older brother a year or two back. That's the sort of housework I like!</span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-24651198475106902682016-03-02T03:14:00.000-08:002016-03-02T03:14:02.512-08:00Cowlowlowl (FO)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howsyoudoing today, people?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun is shining here, putting a spring into my step (ha, ha). It's still cold and windy though, so I'm hoping I'll get a bit of use from my newest neck adornment, this plain and simple cowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I knitted it on a circular needle, using 100g of sock yarn - Regia Highland Tweed. I used a provisional cast on, then knitted until almost the end of the yarn before grafting the two ends together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can see that it has some subtle colour gradations from purple through to pink. I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, and some pink too, so it should go well with lots of things. It was one of the projects I identified in my <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/2016-making-stuff-happen.html" target="_blank">New Year list of things to do</a>, so I consider that to be my first me-made wardrobe filler!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has been for a quick wash to help even up the tension of the grafting, and now it's ready to wear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">plain and simple cowl (no pattern)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">cast on Jan 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">completed Feb 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">yarn: Regia Highland Tweed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-35862470247544864202016-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:002016-02-29T00:00:05.596-08:00Mending Monday 2016: #2 Visible Mending<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was Kids Clothes Week last week. I did my best to fit in some kids clothing related crafting each day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On Monday night I spent a lazy hour or may be less, darning the knee in a pair of toddler trousers. The trousers are old - handed down to us, and no doubt used by several children before they came to live with us. There are worn and cosy, in a useful muddy green needlecord, with a snuggly jersey lining. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first knee went into a hole a while back, and I used some embroidery thread to patch it up. Rather than attach a patch on top of the hole, I just stitched the two layers into a place in a messy jumble of stitches. The lining fabric didn't have a hole - just the outer layer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The second knee had the misfortune of developing a hole whilst at nursery, so there was plenty of time for small fingers to enlarge the opening - but, as before, the hole was only in the worn corduroy, and not the inner lining. By the time I got them off the toddler in question, the rip was quite large. I approached this hole in the same way - using embroidery thread to anchor the two layers together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Neither repairs are neat or tidy. But, they seem to be working. The first repair is holding up well, and we are ekeing out a little bit more wear from these well worn and well-loved trousers. I think they will do until the little bean grows out of them. </span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-39229544654618591522016-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:002016-02-26T00:00:15.523-08:00Bag Lady (FO) Take #2<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yay! A finished project for February. I managed to polish off that <a href="http://auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/bag-lady-fo.html" target="_blank">fat quarter shopping bag</a> I cut out before Christmas. You know, the one I cut out wrong...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Having made this pattern three times already meant I had a vague idea of what I was doing. It was still a bit fiddly sewing and pressing and turning and top-stitching - but the result was rather pleasing. IBecause I ended up with an extra (centre) seam owing to my cutting mishap, the facings were slightly out of whack. I just added a little pleat/fold to the facing when I pinned it in place. I am mistress of the lazy way. It worked pretty well, so, a worthwhile fudge, and I like the fact that each side of the bag shows two fabrics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are some <strike>awful phone</strike> pics. It was dark and late when I remembered to take a photo (note to self: neither of those things makes for good photos). It's gone off to live with my brother, along with the other green one I made earlier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-2993485308690339332016-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:002016-02-24T00:00:09.802-08:00In the interests of transparency: quilt festival haul<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Despite my feelings about spending lots of ££ on fabric, I did come home from the Quilt Festival with a few fat quarters in my bag. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Most are destined for some Christmas projects, and were all reasonably priced at £1 per FQ. Dontcha just love those penguins?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then there were a few fillers/neutrals (also £1 per FQ)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And finally, I splashed out on some half-metre cuts from <a href="http://www.kalquilts.com/" target="_blank">Kaleidoscope Fabrics</a> for a special project I am planning. These cost a bit more...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They go perfectly (as I hoped) with these jelly roll strips. The project will be for our bedroom. One day. </span></div>
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Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-70822816546713236002016-02-22T05:03:00.000-08:002016-02-22T05:07:09.043-08:00Things I realised this week: about quilting<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On Friday last week, my mother-in-law suggested that I spend the afternoon at the Spring Quilt Festival being held on the outskirts of Edinburgh. She went in the morning with the ladies from her sewing group, and came over afterwards to look after little bean while I skipped off for the afternoon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had never been to a quilt show before. I've read a lot about QuiltCon and those mind-blowing American quilt shows with millions of breathtaking quilts and booths and yeah, and I've seen all the lovely pictures of the Quilt Show at Malvern and places. But, it was nothing like any of that, and it was not at all what I expected. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were lots of forbidding signs saying that you Must Not Take Photographs, and Dont Touch the Quilts. And then the exhibition itself was slightly underwhelming. There were some small pieces displayed downstairs, and some full-size quilts upstairs. Some of it was very lovely and impressive, but there just wasn't very much of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Above all, the festival seemed to be about the stalls. Crammed with fat quarters and quilters gadgets and bolts of fabric in every colour under the sun. Fat quarters were this price on one table and that price on another, and there were Frozen fabrics and Star Wars fabrics and Japanese fabrics and batik and flannel and prints and solids and cottons and tweeds. There was some very lovely stuff. I'd show you some photographs, but all those forbidding signs put me off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was rather overwhelmed. I looked at the quilts. There were lots I didn't really care for. There were some I admired (wow, you collected 205 colours of silk, and appliqued them with invisible thread; you quilted that amazing design with a regular sewing machine: respect) but none that really made me want to study the colours and techniques and patterns and then rip it off the wall to take it home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I wandered round and round looking at this and that, I had a few thoughts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. It seems <strike>vaguely</strike> completely ridiculous to me to spend many many ££ on fabric to make a quilt, when I have oodles of fabric scraps and old clothes which could be repurposed into equally beautiful quilt tops. And, it seems completely ridiculous to spend many ££ on fabric to make quilts when there is so much textile waste in our society. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. I love the bright and modern and clean looks of modern quilts. I like quilts with space. I don't like the traditional flowery and busy designs involving lots of piecing. I also like improv quilting and quilts which are given meaning because of the fabrics included in them: uniforms from soldiers lost in conflict; clothes from people we love - the things children wore when they were small; a life time of scraps from a grandparents house. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. I have one quilt top in progress (and not finished yet), so what do I know?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Of course, I didn't let the opportunity pass me by, and came home with a few fat quarters in my bag. I managed to resist the sparkly Frozen fabrics, and the cool Star Wars prints, but bought a few Christmas sorts of things to make something festive. There's nothing like long-range project planning is there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-85558646047459392682016-02-15T08:56:00.002-08:002016-02-15T09:02:19.187-08:00Making Stuff Happen: Feb update<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4;">It's bright and crispy outside, and I've been working hard on that 2016 to-do list. I thought I might do a little Feb update to record progress. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. Tame the stashes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Progress: after halving the yarn stash, I have done a bit of fabric organising. It's in a new place. It's more accessible. I've also bought some more fabric for very specific projects. The fabric stash cull is yet to come, but sewing plans are being made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. Use the stash!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Progress: I'm doing really well with the yarn - and several new WIPs on the needles which all come from the stash: some new socks; a cowl and a tank top for the bean. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. Make some things to fill gaps in my wardrobe: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After ordering a pattern, I have now ordered and received some blue jersey to make a navy skirt. <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/comfort-knitting.html" target="_blank">The cowl</a> I planned to make is all but finished, it just needs grafting.... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4. Finish the UFOs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Progress: <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/making-monday-2016-1.html" target="_blank">one pair of socks</a> has been repaired, and the <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/bag-lady-fo.html" target="_blank">fourth (and final) fabric bag</a> has been sewn. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5. Continue to work on mending, exploring different techniques and making mending a social thing too by doing it with friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Progress: the invitation to come and mend still stands, but we haven't managed to find an agreeable date! Meanwhile the mending pile keeps on growing...</span></div>
Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-84150781441854869432016-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-26T00:00:03.773-08:009<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's the bean's birthday! Happy Birthday to you, sunshine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My how you've grown!</span><br />
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Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-26383085739063874672016-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-22T00:00:16.659-08:00Comfort knitting<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's cold out, and grey and damp (we had some snow for a day or two, but now it's gone), and I need something to sustain myself through these short January days. So I've got me a bit of comfort knitting, i</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">t's very plain and simple. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm going round and round on a circular needle, with 100g of sock yarn. It's meditative and sort of slow, because you can't see it growing. Before you ask, it's that famous brand can't remember, in the colourway no idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm knitting a loooong tube - and will just keep going until I run out of yarn (I weighed things this morning, there was still 46g of yarn left in the ball). When I do run out, I'll graft the two ends of the tube together to make a soft and purpley cowl. Yum. </span></div>
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Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-3957483470326572032016-01-18T02:57:00.000-08:002016-01-19T04:22:23.355-08:00Mending Monday 2016 #1<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hello chaps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The new year has heightened my desire to mend stuff. Or, maybe it's just that I'm in tidying up mode and have been sorting things out like a demon. Anywayz, sometime in the Christmas melee, I got my sock needlez out and rummaged in the darkest corners of my knitting bag for a pair of socks that needed repairz. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(Sorry about the z thing, I'll stop now. Promize)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here they are in all their newly knitted glory sometime ago (2011 I think!). But they were getting dangerously thin on the ball of the foot, and needed some repairs. Of course, I decided not to darn the darn things, but rather to reknit a goodly portion of the foot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I chose the spot, snipped a single stitch and then carefully picked up the live stitches with my needles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As the original socks are striped using two yarns, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I picked out two sympathetic yarn colours from the stash and got to work. They aren't a perfect match, but hey, these dudes will be on my feet and unless I am at home, they will be inside my shoes and Noone Will Ever Know. Okay? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This time I alternated the colours stitch by stitch rather than round by round to give a thicker and more durable fabric. I did this before with my <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/socksperimental-socks-fo.html" target="_blank">socksperimental socks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and the <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/man-socks-fo-with-squidgy-toe.html" target="_blank">man socks with a squidgy toe</a>. Scientists have not yet reported on the outcomes of these important sock trials; an independent commission has been established to examine the reasons for the non-reporting. It is expected that resignations will follow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Where was I? Oh yes, re-socking: a surpisingly short time later (silent witness anyone?) the blighters were done and on my feet. Hurrah for mending. Hurrah for hand-knitted socks. Hurrah for extensive sock yarn collections. Hurrah for me! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ahem. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My reward for mending these socks is to make myself a cowlowlowlowl. Not sure about the pattern yet, but have picked out the yarn...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-10042923680712533402016-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-15T00:00:21.397-08:00Bag Lady (FO)<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Christmas was a bit of a crafting disaster this year. I don't think any of the craft projects I planned actually came to anything, so the only things that got made were fudge and peppermint bark (which were both excellent by the way).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No-one noticed about the crafty stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sniff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Even if I didn't finish anything in time for Christmas, I did start a few things, and one afternoon - before the big day - I cut out a wee pile of these <a href="http://www.stitchedbycrystal.com/2011/09/tutorial-fat-quarter-reusable-grocery.html" target="_blank">fat-quarter shopping bags</a>. I was given some fat quarters by my MIL a year or two back, and this seemed like a perfect project for those particular bits of fabric. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last week I summoned up the effort to get the sewing machine out and start stitching. For something so simple, there seemed to be a lot of sewing to do, and it took me two whole evenings to progress from a pile of fabric shapes to three finished bags!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's just go through the details then. These bags have a handle facing, which is finished at the raw edge (2 seams), attached to the bag fabric (6 seams), then joined at the handles (2 seams), and top stitched (3 seams). After that the sides and bottom of the bag are finished with French seams (6 seams) and the corners bagged out, again with French seams (4 seams). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Add to that pressing, turning inside/outside and pinning (where required). All together it's a lot of small seams to stitch and restitch, and takes a bit of time. A 20 minute tote this ain't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I cut out </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4 bags</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, but because I am </span><strike style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">very stupid</strike><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> a design visionary, on the first one I omitted to place the fold of the pattern piece on the fold of the fabric and ended up with some different shaped pieces. I decided to leave my hacked version to last, and made up the other three as per the instructions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I say that as if I followed the instructions to the letter, but I didn't. We'll just gloss over the other mistake I made with the French seams shall we, oh, and the fact that I completely forgot about the elastic loops too? Ye-es. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, here they are: three pretty cute bags. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbcmYcFvnQqiUOkmTEvXAFrzR6AC5Uqhtmz9_t-FjukpmSN27-kJIpOakWLUvOig5aFaFW-kvgeoo8KD8BUe6TjEBKBpDHtl42HQYaDrWGf7uW3DwIPK50mSvM4YHTp08AA1Uv8IpIqk/s1600/IMG_1369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbcmYcFvnQqiUOkmTEvXAFrzR6AC5Uqhtmz9_t-FjukpmSN27-kJIpOakWLUvOig5aFaFW-kvgeoo8KD8BUe6TjEBKBpDHtl42HQYaDrWGf7uW3DwIPK50mSvM4YHTp08AA1Uv8IpIqk/s320/IMG_1369.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The flowery ones have been sent off to live with my parents. The green one is for my brother, and should soon be joined by the design hacked alter-ego version (when I get off my a*se to sew it up, ahem). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, my overall verdict: a nice project to do if you don't mind spending a bit of time sewing seams, and you have some fat quarters to 'use' up. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Things might go a bit quicker with the overlocker perhaps, so I might try that for bag four. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> (I did pink all my raw edges, just because). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I like the integral handles and the handle facing - because, well I might be over those webbing or self-fabric handles that most shopping bags have and which inevitably break/wear through. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I guess the bottom will fall out of these first...</span><br />
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<br />Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-89289120803350269062016-01-12T03:13:00.002-08:002016-01-12T03:13:20.836-08:00Stash. Bust. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some kind of crazy tidying and organising bug got me over the holidays, and e</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ven before the New Year bells rang, I began whittling away at the accumulations of things around me, those little drifts of stuff that collect here and there, in a drawer, on a window ledge, above a fire. Then when the rain stopped long enough for me to sprint across the garden to the shed, I tackled a stash. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[Side note: not The stash, but A stash - more specifically my stash of yarn.]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last year, we remodelled our bedroom and substituted a gargantuan built-in wardrobe for something slightly smaller. While all of that was happening, my stash of yarn - organised into 4 clear plastic boxes - was sent to the shed to await repatriation. Over the summer my knitting mojo has been fairly elusive and not much has happened (see <a href="http://www.auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/fo-twisted-rib-socks.html" target="_blank">this </a>if you don't believe me), but with Christmas and all, I picked up my needles again and the mojo was back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kondo's approach to tidying/decluttering is to discard first and then organise. She advocates gathering things into one place, and handling everything as you decide whether to keep or not. Her test involves asking yourself if something gives you joy. For the stash I used a 'do I want to knit with this?' test. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was surprisingly easy to part with a lot of stuff: novelty bobbly yarns; squeaky acrylic; single balls of chunky yarn; half a pack of green wool yarn - I used the other half to knit a nice cardigan, but couldn't imagine making anything else in that colour; a whole pile of slubbed cotton yarn in bright pink, and something similar in black which I've had since the 1990s, Habu paper yarn which I've had for about 5 years but never worked out what I would do with...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also let go of two very lovely handknit Aran sweaters that my maternal grandmother made. They were made for my dad, and I have had them for at least 10 years. I tried them on (again). They still made me look like a lumpy sausage. My husband tried them on too. They made him look like a badly dressed schoolboy, wearing a too small hand me down. I hope they find good new homes with people that they fit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Other things were definitely on the keep pile - all of my nice hand dyed sock yarn, and plain 4 ply for baby things, small piles of nice DK yarn, some odds and ends of mohair, and some cones of grey and teal yarn that I have distant plans for. I managed to hunt out all the little project bags concealed around the house and gather them together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The end result was a big pile of things </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Away.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D5k11O42kLPiQeS8SWZZ0JMsIhnfm665oafDRscKxpbqzCa4hiYCZCx9uiDiVVsyu8PHtCmKxF6aiOTcxG3z691lxJiQlPNUnnjdTZ9lYr5J6UABdzyPg3InbrDJl4zhD4HrsCq63qE/s1600/IMG_1344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D5k11O42kLPiQeS8SWZZ0JMsIhnfm665oafDRscKxpbqzCa4hiYCZCx9uiDiVVsyu8PHtCmKxF6aiOTcxG3z691lxJiQlPNUnnjdTZ9lYr5J6UABdzyPg3InbrDJl4zhD4HrsCq63qE/s320/IMG_1344.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We donated it to a local charity shop later that day (the Bethany Shop next to Summerhall in case you are interested). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And, the rest of the yarn was organised into 2 clear plastic boxes, and stowed without drama in the wardrobe. Tada! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIvtTXUkqFmzM5UhwzZppbtdmzSVOuiC39HL4lOxTUb0uKSC3ePvTh2c59QyVYZ0jpJUn37WGHQK6z06yxwX1qQ1miQ5SiWDs_lS6GASnKj4IDBZ10val95pwU10kIE4pO4Rzl564kfI/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIvtTXUkqFmzM5UhwzZppbtdmzSVOuiC39HL4lOxTUb0uKSC3ePvTh2c59QyVYZ0jpJUn37WGHQK6z06yxwX1qQ1miQ5SiWDs_lS6GASnKj4IDBZ10val95pwU10kIE4pO4Rzl564kfI/s320/IMG_1345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One box is mostly DK or heavier weight yarn, and the other is 4 ply, sock yarn, lace weight and other special skeins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's nice having my yarn nearby again, so I can squish it whenever I want. It feels like a good to be clearing out and clarifying like this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My next target is books, and then after that </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will have to take on </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">fabric </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">stash. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cue scary music. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-51897395651832404312016-01-09T16:41:00.000-08:002016-01-12T03:15:48.136-08:002016: making stuff happen<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The theme for this year is making stuff happen. It's easy to make plans, but this year is about really doing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are a few big things that we are trying to do which will affect the whole family (to do with where we live), and there are lots of crafty goals too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the crafty list (believe me, you don't want to see the Other List - it's very long and very dull):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Tame the stashes (yarn and fabric, oh and patterns and craft books)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Progress: The yarn stash has already been halved; fabric is up next...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Use the stash!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Progress: one knitted WIP</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Make some things to fill gaps in my wardrobe: 2 jersey skirts for work, one black, one blue; make a cowl and a new hat; use some of the jersey in the stash to make some tops for work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Progress: pattern for skirt ordered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Finish the UFOs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Progress: currently working on some sock repairs and some sewing that was cut out before Christmas but not completed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Continue to work on mending, exploring different techniques and making mending a social thing too by doing it with friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Progress: have invited a friend to come over for a mending session after she complained about holes in the knees of her son's trousers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-78639711825207115422015-12-07T04:42:00.000-08:002015-12-07T04:42:17.306-08:00Scrap Hat Recipe (free pattern for a stashbusting hat)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dearest knitters, verily I say unto you, 'tis the season for elving. And, because of that I thought I would share my recipe for my scrap hats. This is not really a pattern - it has not been tested by test knitters, or tech-edited or checked for mistakes - it's just a loose set of instructions. The extra bonus is that you don't need to buy any yarn for this, just use your scraps!!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i-fehe2Y-FWaJ5NPRSQNUgZPEm242l_DuG8LW90aqAqCseqmgzQwa-kMHubPinCbSlbUHaQYxpMqU0MAmd6k2wQ0yybmJi3hHIKmiSnWKrZXQRcbzLsskQalnbbLdcJOEi0Q0oWIg9I/s1600/IMG_3483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i-fehe2Y-FWaJ5NPRSQNUgZPEm242l_DuG8LW90aqAqCseqmgzQwa-kMHubPinCbSlbUHaQYxpMqU0MAmd6k2wQ0yybmJi3hHIKmiSnWKrZXQRcbzLsskQalnbbLdcJOEi0Q0oWIg9I/s400/IMG_3483.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'gill sans mt', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'gill sans mt', sans-serif;">Size</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">This
is a one-size hat for a man or woman. Actual hat size is in the region of
58cm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Yarn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">You
will need approximately 75g of double knit yarn in colours of your choosing. I
find it easiest to group together like colours (e.g. shades of blue, or shades
of green) with one or two contrasting colours for interest. If you want to add a knitted lining, you will need more yarn. I usually make my linings in one colour - just choose something that will be comfortable to wear next to the skin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , sans-serif;">As the hat is textured, it is also possible to include heavier and lighter yarns.</span><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , sans-serif;">I find knitting with 2 strands of 4 ply yarn works well, although one strand can be tolerated in small doses. Chunky or aran weight yarns can be similarly tolerated in small doses.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyPcF5l1HQR1IWYPLVafjRd2BZFZWcymGVimc1MJqjvUviYmMfN-0rYXJUhurOx9q2H8LKV5xZgyR22g2d_ywdfPtAyVfB07Q99ll04-C0dkSNIVbW3UV1E2WYwUicV3MqjVjn9XOF2s/s1600/IMG_0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyPcF5l1HQR1IWYPLVafjRd2BZFZWcymGVimc1MJqjvUviYmMfN-0rYXJUhurOx9q2H8LKV5xZgyR22g2d_ywdfPtAyVfB07Q99ll04-C0dkSNIVbW3UV1E2WYwUicV3MqjVjn9XOF2s/s320/IMG_0271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Gauge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">something like 18 stitches
to 10cm worked in st st in the round on 3.75mm needles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'gill sans mt', sans-serif;">Instructions</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Cast
on 100 stitches using a 3.75mm circular needle (or DPNs) and using DK yarn. If I do add on a few stitches for a bigger hat/head then I make sure I use a multiple of 4 - just to make working out the decreases a lot easier!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Knit until
work measures 5 cm. This will make the roll up brim of the hat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">On the
next round begin your first purl band, and purl for at least 2 rounds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Knit a
few rounds, and then purl again as your fancy takes you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Continue
to alternate between knit bands and purl bands. I tend to make my purl bands between one round and 3 rounds and my knit bands a bit more than
that. I don’t count the rounds between bands, but alternate by eye. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Change
colour whenever you feel the urge or your current scrap of yarn comes to an
end. Since the whole point of this hat is to use up yarn then there is no need
to count stitches, rounds or master the jogless join. When changing colours you can either employ
your usual yarn joining technique and weaving in ends as you go or do what I do
and knit the old yarn with the new yarn for a few stitches. This might be seen
as slovenly, but in a project like this perfection is not necessary and I like
the variegation you get when you knit two yarns together. Do what you have to… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAvCGfCsq_EC7bjRHyqYKcJc5YkZS_ATVYmwrTlXFyluefmBg_I46HWf78XjUHsRLIwqdSIWPzdAVVMXSPebRYbaVTyR_CVzmUd2Gp6PMAjkmOekld8t5W4CkERyfE6Nkf_YjSjXczaU/s1600/IMG_0782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAvCGfCsq_EC7bjRHyqYKcJc5YkZS_ATVYmwrTlXFyluefmBg_I46HWf78XjUHsRLIwqdSIWPzdAVVMXSPebRYbaVTyR_CVzmUd2Gp6PMAjkmOekld8t5W4CkERyfE6Nkf_YjSjXczaU/s320/IMG_0782.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Continue
until the work measures approximately 18cm finishing with a purl band of 3
rounds (roughly). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">On the
next knit round, begin to shape the crown as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">*k2tog
tbl, k21, k2tog , rep from * until end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Next alt round: *k2 tog tbl, K19, k2tog rep from * until end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Next altround: *k2 tog tbl, k17, k2 tog rep from * until end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Keeping
pattern correct, work crown decreases until… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">For a flat
topped hat suitable for a bobble<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">… only
8 stitches remain, then break yarn, run tail through stitches and pull tight,
sewing in end firmly to secure the top of the hat. A bobble if desired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">For a
hat with a stalk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">… work
until 4 stitches remain then knit a few cm of i-cord before casting off. I like
to tie a knot in my i-cord stalks, so I normally make the stalk about 10cm or
so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">For a
hat with a tassle, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">… work
crown decreases until only 2 stitches remain then work 15cm of i-cord, cast off
and attach a suitable tassel to the end of your i-cord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Weave in ends, wash hat gently, shape and dry.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">If you want to add a knitted lining, then it's fairly straightforward: pick up stitches inside the brim of the hat. The round where the outer hat changes from stocking stitch to reverse stocking stitch provides a useful place to pick up these inner stitches. Knit the lining using your preferred rib pattern - I use either 2x2 rib or 2x1 rib, just depending on my mood. Knit until the lining reaches the start of the crown shaping on the outer hat, then work crown decreases. I usually work these as follows:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;">round 1: *knit 2bl, knit 8 , repeat from * to end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;">round 2: work in pattern</span><br />
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;">round 3: *knit 2tbl, knit 7, repeat from * to end. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;">round 4: work in pattern..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;">Keep this going until you have only 3 stitches between decreases, then decrease every round. when there are only 8 or so stitches left, then break yarn, pull through and close up. It should look something like this.... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tm52qoJ4KL-dNeaEQfQO4jo5Pl9hOMjGeKrOsNsAT9NqcRvFqUZ5rlM-LkEEo4EXockhNo4W4ynTz9-FrSyFTN39um4ZtosNPPA4e8kicncIisra7sLnjj-l47ak6aql8nj4YWv0PJg/s1600/IMG_1299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tm52qoJ4KL-dNeaEQfQO4jo5Pl9hOMjGeKrOsNsAT9NqcRvFqUZ5rlM-LkEEo4EXockhNo4W4ynTz9-FrSyFTN39um4ZtosNPPA4e8kicncIisra7sLnjj-l47ak6aql8nj4YWv0PJg/s320/IMG_1299.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: gill sans mt, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "gill sans mt" , "sans-serif";">Happy knitting folks! I'd love to hear about any scrap hats that you make.... </span></div>
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Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4331051150824363530.post-70941350214873139752015-11-26T02:28:00.001-08:002015-11-26T02:28:02.477-08:00FO: Twisted Rib socks<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Way back some time early in the spring, I cast on for a new pair of socks. I decided to do something a little different, and unvented a little twisted rib pattern (k2 p2 rib, with a little twist on alt rounds*). I got things set up and started to knit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I knit the cuff and the leg and the heel flap and the heel and then everything </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">s t o p p e d. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don't really know what or why, but my sock knitting mojo got up and left. In September I decided to just Get On With It and finish the darn thing. I think I told you about the <a href="http://auldfashioned.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/knitting-0-little-bean-1.html" target="_blank">incident with little bean </a>- you know when I was almost ready to kitchener the toe and then he found it and discovered frogging and how to tangle yarn really effectively. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT-RYcYP7FukDZVM9A19Grz_yz4ok7hukTbNNKzT5K8GGdji3eLnJkkeaN7DgGIAa8S_9XhbraaPPJgvv6juTo43zp7SqNQm8EQfFZH0DaDNNVizEsxFCQiTeHKHeUQFUR8YZyKGsFoQ/s1600/IMG_1304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLT-RYcYP7FukDZVM9A19Grz_yz4ok7hukTbNNKzT5K8GGdji3eLnJkkeaN7DgGIAa8S_9XhbraaPPJgvv6juTo43zp7SqNQm8EQfFZH0DaDNNVizEsxFCQiTeHKHeUQFUR8YZyKGsFoQ/s320/IMG_1304.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recovered my equilibrium after a few weeks of ignoring the socky mess stuffed into my knitting bag. When I got the first sock finished that seemed to break the spell and the second sock flew off my needles. It was helped enormously by spending a day at a conference, with rail journeys to and from the venue and children at home with their dad (thanks dear). In the morning I was at the heel flap, and on the train home I finished the toe. Job done! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pattern: top-down socks with a twisted rib</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yarn: I can't remember (Regia maybe)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Started: Spring 2015 Finished: November 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">* twist detail was worked as follows: k into back of second stitch on </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">LH needle, and then front of first stitch. Slip both stitches onto RH needle at the same time. Work all knit stitches in this way, keeping 2x2 rib pattern correct.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's such a long time since I had an FO to blog. It feels amazing and I have concluded (wait for it: here comes the profound truth) that the best way of experiencing this is to FINISH some of the WIPs cluttering up my life house knitting basket. I'm on a roll, people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On a R O L L</span>Knitlasshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10694849211711608460noreply@blogger.com1