Inbetween Big Projects

I don't feel like I have much to talk about at the moment.  I'm doing lots of little things.  After spending a week concentrating fully on the Minerva Crafts Tee, I've ground to a halt.  After sewing it up and weaving in the million ends that are the result of a striped tee, I realised my mistake.

I forgot to ask for buttons!  After checking my button jar and coming up empty I went to ebay, my favourite button finding venue and found some buttons I liked.  I went on to order them and realised that the ebay store was for Minerva Crafts!  I didn't realise they had an ebay presence.  I decided to email my contact at Minerva Crafts and very kindly offered to put the buttons I wanted in the post.  So, while I wait for my buttons to arrive I feel like I'm flitting from project to project.

I don't want to start anything big because the Crafting Library KAL is due to start in a couple of weeks, and when that starts I want to be able to concentrate on that, so I've been doing little things like making stitch markers.

These are lovely little light stitch markers that glint when you slide them along your needle.  Then I couldn't resist using two beads that I've kept to one side for a long time.  I decided I was never going to make them into earrings, so I may as well use them as stitch markers and actually get to enjoy looking at them.

I have also been spending more time getting to grips with my Tibetan spindle.  I have been working my way through my Fibreholics package.  If you are in the UK and haven't heard of Fibreholics I shall let you in on the secret.  Fibreholics are a group of indie dyers in the UK who collectively put out a sample pack, every two months.  It costs a very reasonable sum and you can order either 100g or 200g of either yarn or fibre. The samples are usually around 20g or so, to give a good representation of the quality of either fibre or yarn. I decided that as I know so little about fibre dyers in the UK getting a fibre pack would be really useful to me.  I ordered the pack and got a good selection of different fibres from different dyers.

The samples are, from top to bottom, left to right;

Hilltop Cloud (this wasn't included in the Fibreholics Package, I got it with my last purchase)
Colourful Designs (which seems to be on hiatus)
Knitterscarlet
Mandacrafts
Porpoise Fur
Lime Green Jelly

With these samples I'm simply spinning them on my Tibetan to improve my technique, to try different fibres and different dyers.  I'm enjoying spinning for fun rather than to produce a yarn that will be used.  It makes me feel more free and less worried about making it perfect.  I still haven't tried plying on my spindle yet, I'm scared to try.  I will do it eventually, but at the moment I'm simply spinning singles and storing them on drinking straws!

I am doing some knitting.  I decided to visit my queue and cast on Pogona by Stephen West.  This pattern has been in my library and queue for some time.  I even had the yarn from stash waiting to go.  I pulled out my skein of Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin in the We're Different range.  I bought this from a destash for a reasonable sum (ie cost plus p&p), so I'm not quite sure of the colour.  I think it is Gruenfink. Essentially it is a gorgeous zingy apple green.  This is the first Wollmeise I've used and I can see why people rave about it so much.  The stitch definition is amazing and the colour is incredibly saturated (my favourite).

I had read, that because Wollmeise Sockenwolle is a larger skein than usual, the Pogona is a much bigger size when finished, as it is an easily adjustable pattern.

This semi-solid colourway is showing up a treat in this pattern and I'm enjoying knitting it, using my new stitch markers!  I think this will be a lovely scarf type shawl that will brighten up my dark grey Winter coat when it is finished.  I can't wait to see it done!

I'm quite enjoying being between big projects.  Whipping up some smaller things makes me feel like there is no pressure and I am getting lots accomplished.  To see other works in progress, click the button.

Stitch Markers

Is it me, or does anyone else never have enough stitch markers?  I know that there are dozens down the back of my sofa, because I keep finding them.  There are probably several on the floor of the car, under the seat.  I'm guessing there are also lots embedded in projects that are on a time out.  Whatever the reason, I know that I have a shortage of good stitch markers.

I decided to buy some a while ago, but they were split ring based, and the split of the split ring kept catching in my yarn.  So goodbye split ring stitch markers, you look pretty, but I cannot use you.  So in a fit of enthusiasm, I dug out my jewellery making supplies and whipped up these little beauties.

I used up all the odds and ends of beads that I have left over from various projects.  I like that they are all different.

I used tiger tail which, for those who have never used beads for anything other than knitting, is metal wire that is coated in plastic.  It is flexible, strong and doesn't tarnish.  It really is very useful for things like stitch markers.

They are very simply made, these little stitch markers.  Each one only took; some tiger tail, a pretty bead, two small seed beads and two crimps.  I essentially followed exactly the same process as KnottyGal did in her tutorial, which is similar to the technique I have developed for making stitch markers, except I added the seed beads between the crimps and the big bead. 

I've just realised that I never shared my previous stitch markers with you, or at least I can't find the blog post if I did!  I made them in March, and I think they got swallowed up with KniCroBlo 2011 and the preoccupation of the approaching surgery.  (That feels so long ago now!).  As you can see, the design is a little different with these older ones. 

These older ones keep the ends of the wire inside the beads, which means there is less chance of the wire ends catching in the yarn, but it is more fiddly to make the markers this way.  So I tried KnottyGal's technique this time.

I have to say, they were a lot quicker to make this way, and they don't seem to have caught on the yarn at all yet.  I think you just have to make sure you trim the wire ends right back to the crimp.

It's so nice when you can make something pretty, that is also incredibly useful!  Thanks to KnottyGal for putting up her tutorial and prompting to get off my backside and make some more stitch makers, rather than swearing when I run out!

One Sock and some Stitch Markers

Today I have half a finished object and and a whole bunch of finished objects.  Let's start with the half finished object, shall we?  It is a whole sock - DA DA DAAAAAA! (Trumpets sound)

 

I would like to say the lumpiness in the calf area is entirely caused by wearing leggings under the sock, but it is also caused by the lumpiness in my calves.  None of the lumpiness is the sock!  I did two rounds of increasing by 6 sts as I knit the leg to prevent stretching of the sock up the calf.  This the longest sock leg I've knitted, and it certainly is an improvement, over shorter socks, for comfort and keeping the ankle warm.  I think the ribbing at the top should have been a bit longer though, maybe 2" rather than 1 1/2", but I must match the other sock.

I wasn't sure about how the shape of the toe would feel, once the sock was finished.  It is actually very comfortable and doesn't rub anywhere.  The shape of the heel is almost exactly the same, but with more rows between the increase rounds.  The shape of the heel is the best I've ever knitted.

The sock heel really cups the foot closely and doesn't bag at the back of the ankle or under the instep.  The whole foot is snugly surrounded by the sock.

As you can see there are no holes where the leg joins the foot and there is no pulling either, which some of my socks experience when on my feet.

The front of the foot is smooth and has no interruptions where the leg joins.  This will make it so easy to continue a pattern from the top of the foot up the leg.  As always, the Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, works an absolute treat in ensuring my blood continues to flow to my toes!

I can't wait to get the other sock finished so that I can wear these fabulous items on my feet.  But I also can't wait to start knitting some of the lovely patterns from Cat Bordhi's book.  The next pair I knit in this fashion, will be done two at a time on two needles, as I think this technique will work brilliantly with this type of sock.  I think the first patterned sock I try will be Seeking Sunlight.  This pattern really appeals to me with its balance and elegance.  If you don't have Ravelry membership then you can see this sock on The Textured Knitter's Blog.

Now on to my "whole bunch" of finished objects - my stitch markers.  I made myself some stitch markers last year with some really lovely beads I found at Mary Clare's.  I made the mistake of using split rings.  The split rings look like the one on this marker.

Can you see how the ring ends don't quite sit together properly.  This happens with split rings quite often.  The ends move around and either cross over, like the one above, or gape open.  When the ends of the ring cross over, the marker won't fall off the needle, but it is likely to catch on your yarn.  If there is a gap in the split ring then the marker can move to a different place or fall off the needle, especially if you use circular needles like I do.  After losing a fair amount of places, while knitting, I decided that I could change my stitch markers.  I was inspired by this:

If you have been reading my blog for a long time you may recognise this stitch marker.  It was given to me in March 2009 by Cliodhna from Ravelry, who sent them just because I said I liked them.  She has an ETSY store where you can buy pretty things, go and have a look, they are lovely.  I got four of these markers and they are my most used markers.  Because these markers have thin wires there is no stretching between stitches, and the ring is solid so there is no risk of falling off or catching yarn.

After studying the design of the above marker, I created my own version, which isn't as pretty, but I hope will be just as practical.

I've got eight of these glamorous looking stitch markers and I wrapped the ring part around an 8mm needle to get a good size ring.  It should be ok for most of my knitting at that size.

I used seed beads to anchor the main bead and also to cover up the ends of the wire, that I didn't want catching on my knitted projects.

If you look carefully at the above photograph you can see my camera reflected in the bead!  My stitch markers may not be as pretty as the ones I received from America, but I have tried using them and they work just as well.  I'm pretty pleased with "whole bunch" of stitch markers!

As usual I am hooking up to Tami's Amis for FO Friday, Fiber Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder and Fibers on Friday at Visions of Sugar Plums.  All three linky parties can be reached by clicking on the buttons below.  They are well worth visiting to see what yarny goodness is going on in the world, I am constantly inspired whenever I check them out.

Sewing for Pleasure (Part 2)

Now I have recovered (nearly) from my adventures at the NEC on Friday, here is all my beady type stuff that I bought.

The first purchase of the day was beads from a place called The Pearl Girl. The website is currently being updated so may not give you any info. The beads were lovely though!

They look like sweeties. The red beads are to go with some pretty beads I picked up at Mary Clare after my jewellery course. I fell in love with some and knew I needed to get some more to go with them, as nearly all my other beads are in the blue and green spectrum of colours. I have NO idea what to do with the purple beads, I just really liked them. Each string was on a couple of pounds each so I think I got a relatively good bargain.

My next stop was The Button Lady. If you have ever been to a craft exhibition you have probably seen her stall. It is amazing. She has such pretty buttons and clasps that can completely transform an outfit. She does have a mail order side to the business but it is really hard to choose from her gorgeous collection based on a printed catalogue. Her website is not great, but I can understand her reluctance to photograph every button she sells, as she would never leave the house. If you do go to a show where she is exhibiting, it is well worth seeking her out as she has lovely items you won't find anywhere else in the UK. I bought two sets of buttons from her. I got 6 of these paua shell buttons.

Each button is different because of the nature of the material, but they are so gorgeous and will transform a quite ordinary outfit into something special. Now all I have to do is choose the project to show them off! The other set of buttons I got was a bit different. I only bought 4 of these celtic beauties.

Aren't they striking? I could have bought so many more things from this stall, so I had to be strict with myself and walk away while my friend Linda browsed. This was a mistake as I faced another beads stall and ended up buying this:

I shall probably just string this on a pretty ribbon, as I don't think it needs anything else. I love dichroic glass and I think this is a particularly pretty example. I didn't get the name of the stall as I was so giddy with my find.

My final bead splurge of the day was at Spell Bound Bead. I had passed this stall once and didn't look at it because there were too many people crowded round. I knew I wouldn't get my wheelchair anywhere near to check if I would be interested. Our second trip round the stalls meant I caught a glimpse of a corner of a display and nosed myself in. I am so pleased that I did! Look at my haul!

Aren't they fab! These beads were the only thing I put on my debit card as I had around £2 less in my purse than I needed. I also got some headpins to take me up to the minimum £10 card spend, but they were good value and they will get used. Here is a slightly less confusing picture.

Here are the red ones to add to my growing red collection.

I am pretty sure that I will buying from this website again. The beads and findings are all reasonably priced and they are good quality. I shall look forward to playing with these in the near future. I can't wait to see what they will become!

So that is it. The tale of my purchases at the Sewing for Pleasure Show 2010 at the NEC. The pretty pictures tell only part of the tale as there were so many other amazing stalls where I couldn't buy things. The purchases also don't tell you about how friendly all the people at the show where, both the vendors and the attendees. Everyone was really helpful and allowed me space (where possible) to get my wheelchair in close to the stands.

Big thanks also goes out to the NEC who not only provide free undercover parking for the disabled close to the location, but they also have lots of mobility scooters you can use. I find wheelchairs better at exhibitions as you can get closer to the stalls, but I know if I didn't have someone to push me around (thank you Linda) I would have really welcomed a scooter. It was also free for Linda to get in to the show as she was the woman who was helping me get to the show and pushing me around.

My only complaint about the NEC is the signposting to get out of the complex and on to the correct motorway - who knows which direction on the M42 takes you the right way???? Other than the problems getting home, it was a great day out and I have been filled with inspiration and good memories. Now all I have to do is work out where to start!

Beaded Bracelet

Today I finished a project that I started a few weeks ago. I decided randomly one day that I really should use some of my stock of seed beads. I bought my beads when I was at college and starting to learn to knit. I only needed to buy one pot of beads for the course, but I sort of went a bit mad in the shop and bought a few more than I needed. Since I left college I've not used many of these beads at all. So I decided to use some of these beads for a knitting project. The only problem with this bright idea was I had forgotten how to knit with beads. I had a complete brain freeze and I couldn't find my college notes. At this point I probably should have given up, except I had spent around 10 hours stringing beads onto some crochet thread. I couldn't give up after spending all those hours threading, now could I?

So I hunted round the net and found a video on YouTube (the source of so much knitterly goodness).

This video was short and sweet, with no narration but I think it was one of the clearest instructions I could find.

Using this video I cast on and knit stocking stitch while adding beads for some time and came up with this:

I decided that this silk I got at a show a while ago would work well with my little band of beads and I managed to track down some ribbon that matched it really well.

I took the silk and ironed on some interfacing before cutting out two pieces to be sewn together and then turned the band right side out. I then stitched on the knitted band and got this:

I sealed the cut ends of the ribbon by holding a lit match close to the edge until they melted slightly.

I tied the ribbon into a double bow so that it would stay fastened. I decided that slipping the band over the hand would be easier than trying to tie a pretty bow one handed.

If anyone is interested I may write this little project up as a tutorial and include the sewing pattern piece as it is knocking around at the moment. If no one shows any interest, I'll probably consign it to the depths of the rubbish bin and forget about doing this again. For the moment it has served as an excellent little exercise in knitting with beads.

Handbag Charm

I am currently knitting away on projects that I have already mentioned. These projects aren't very photo worthy, at the moment. So instead I present, for your delectation, gratuitous photos of my pretty handbag charm.

I made the charm using a clip bought from Mary Clare and beads from MIL's birthday gift. The bead set is made up of mainly brown and gold colours and this lent itself well to being made into a charm for my suede handbag.

I am really pleased with this little project and may make more in the future, to go with my other handbags, though I will need different colours. To be honest, I'll take any excuse to buy pretty coloured beads, so it is a win/win situation.

Had to show just one last shot!

New Necklace

I made a necklace yesterday. It didn't take very long, but I am rather pleased with it. A few months ago I saw a beautiful agate stone bead. It was around 2" in diameter and the colour was a lovely warm yellow/orange/red.

I loved the bead and couldn't stop holding it as it was beautifully warm and tactile. This lovely bead has sat unused since it's purchase but I knew that one day I would find a use for it.

On Thursday I was at my favourite store, Mary Clare, and saw a fabulous ribbon with necklace clasp. It looked perfect with my agate so bought it there and then.

I then used a few little bits and pieces from my birthday bead set and voila, a new necklace for the princely sum of £4.00.

I was especially pleased with my first attempt at using crimping beads to hold everything in place. I think it looks very neat, and I will definitely use them again.

I couldn't have asked for better beads to contrast with the agate bead. I am so tempted to get cracking with some matching earrings.

Watch this space for more jewellery, it is very addictive.

Birthday weekend of eating, drinking and crafting

I have had such a lovely birthday weekend. My brother and his partner came to visit us on Friday. They bought with them presents YAY!! The first present I laid my sticky mitts on was a marvellous box. It was hand-made by my Dad.

Isn't it beautiful. In the spirit of being green and thrify it was made from my brother's old dining table! The lighter part of the box says this on it.....

This inscription was done by a friend of my brother's who does engravings and now has a spanking new machine that works on pretty much anything. Isn't it great. It also gives a VERY big clue as to the contents of the box.

When assembled, the contents of the box make this...

.... yes a very happy CraftyCripple! That, and a beautiful swift.

My partner and my guests looked at me in a very bemused fashion when I got giddy and excited at the bits of wood in a box. They were all very impressed with the box, but the swift just confused them. So I had to give them a demo.

First step assemble the swift and place the adjustable legs in the right position.

Second wind a handy hank of wool onto the swift (if you don't have an un-balled skein handy, which I didn't).

Then wind the yarn from the swift onto the ball winder, watching with awe as it spins freely.

Weeeee look at it go!

It's as simple as that! After my swift demo everyone was as in awe as I was at the cleverness of the design and my Dad's handiwork.

I'm pretty sure if anyone wanted one of these marvellous creations I could persuade my Dad to get crafting again for a reasonable fee. How else would you get a personalised swift in it's own box???

After calming down from my swift giddiness, I opened my other gifts. I got,

• some cash from my Mum and brother to buy a subscription to Yarn Forward, my favourite knitting magazine.
• cash from my in-laws (which bought my new specs) and a lovely bead jewellery making kit. Added to my growing bead collection I am sure I could produce something wearable, eventually. This will help my embryonic beading skills.
  

• A book from my friends, based on their knowledge of my growing sock addiction. They know me so well. This book is rather wonderful and will certainly help with any socks I decide to make in the future, which lets face it, is going to be many.
  

I love how my family and friends understand my passion for crafts, it probably makes it easier to buy gifts. Maybe I will have to get Dad working on making a spinning wheel next, I wonder if he could get it done by Christmas?

My sister-in-law (SIL) has recently taken to doing patchwork and she bought quite a lot of fat quarters at Mary Clare this weekend. She also bought some other quilting bits and bobs after falling in love with my favourite shop. She had enough to start her patchworking whilst on her visit. It was fascinating stuff. I am so very tempted to try my hand at patchwork, but I know that once I start I will end up with a fabric stash that rivals my yarn stash.

To ease my longing to sew I found a dress that I had half finished before I got very ill a couple of years ago. My SIL helped me to work out where the darts should go and I intend to get it finished by the time the sun comes back, as it is a lovely summer dress. I have also got enough material left to have a go at making a wrap that was shown in Sew Hip magazine last month. I am determined to become a sewer. There are so many lovely fabrics about, it is impossible to ignore them. So there may be more fabric on the blog in weeks to come.... watch this space.

So all in all, it was a lovely birthday weekend with presents, craft, shopping and all rounded off with a lovely meal out and cocktails with my friends. What more could a girl ask for?