Silence is golden :)

I know I said that I would finish the Debbie Bliss collar, well I did!

I discovered that the only way to get it done was to sit in solemn silence and mouth the pattern.  I am so pleased with the finished result and hope that the recipient likes it too.

So as I couldn't knit this on the train, I finished a pair of bed socks for a friend of a friend, they were a joy to knit as they were made in alpaca.

The tutorial will be along later this week... I had what you might call a technical hitch... I would call it an unmitigated disaster which means I am having a re-think and will get my tutorial out later in the week.  And yes, I do have evidence of this but do you think I will let you see the mess... well not yet, until I figure it out...

And finally, thought you might like to see this pic I took of the fishermen's nets drying on the wharf, I love the way the colours which should really clash work so well together.

So now go and take a look at Handmade Monday and take a look at how Wendy met up with Theo Paphitis.

PS - I have seen another pattern in the book, what do you think, should I go for it?

And So to Bed... with an Hour to Spare

The Alpaca bed socks for my friend are now finished... she has tiny size 3 feet which will be very snug this Winter, added to which this multi-coloured wool is in her colours, turquoise, mauve and purple.  It is actually a combination of two sock patterns and what I really love about it is the name of one of the stitches used on the heel - eye of partridge - isn't that a lovely romantic name for a stitch? *  It creates a thicker piece of knitting around the heel so that it does not rub through.

And by this time next week I will have finished this dress from October's copy of Making Magazine, which I am making for my friend Alissa.  We went to choose the material  from Belle Fabrics and I think she will look great in it, she is size 8, pretty and nice... don't you just hate young people  :)

Hmmm... can you imagine the background being a tad more
purple... cos my auto-correct can't!

Now did you know that currently doing something that 8.3 million people still can't do - yep, 8.3 million people have never accessed the internet.  Think about it, never sent an email, tweeted, read or posted a blog, skyped, IM'd, bought a book online, paid a bill online or downloaded music for an i-pod... not sure about you but currently I don't go a day without doing at least one of the above.  

On Friday, I met someone from Race Online 2012 which is an organisation set up to try and encourage even more people to go online by the end of 2012.  Later this year they have a campaign to make us use the extra hour when the clocks go forward called Go on Give an Hour which asks you to introduce someone new to the internet.  Now working on the principle, that you are all busy people so you will do it, why not consider signing up to do this as a Digital Champion?  

So I am making up a list of half a dozen websites that I would show someone who is new to the internet:

1stuniquegifts and Handmade Monday because Wendy's site is a great read and a brilliant portal to other crafters

Ravelry - A knitters paradise with patterns, advice and yarn sources

BBC - I love news, I love the BBC and I love being able catch up with viewing and listening

Google - A website which became a verb and is like having an Encyclopedia Britannica by your side without lugging round all 26 volumes

Hotmail - My form of email communication

UK Governors - I have been a school governor for over 20 years and this group always have the answer no matter what the question and unlike other services there is someone around to give an opinion even at weekends.

Now I have told you mine, share yours with me in your comments... naturally all your blogs and websites are a given!

*Eye of Partridge worked over four rows

Row 1 - Knit

Row 2 -  Purl

Row 3 - K1, Slip 1, repeat to the end of the row K1

Row 4 - Purl 1

A little bit of luxury - Alpaca Wrist Warmers

I have finally had the chance to write up the pattern for the wrist warmers... as you may remember they came about because a sample ball was sent to the LYS and I got to play with it.

The Pattern


Set of size 3.25 Double Ended needles (set of 5)
Set of size 4 Double Ended needles (set of 5)
1 Ball of Alpaca - 4ply (109m in length) - I used Alpaca Dreams which was the lovely sample sent to Roses and Rue
Crochet hook size 2.5


Abbreviations
K1 - Knit 1
P1 - Purl 1
K2 tog - Knit two stitches together


Left Hand Wrist Warmer
Cast on 45 stitches divided equally between the four needles - so N1 = 11 sts, N2 = 11 sts, N3 = 11sts and N4 = 12 sts
First row -  Check that your sts are not twisted and slip the last st on N4 onto N1 and K2 tog - this will give you a really smooth join, then K1 P1 to form your rib (44 sts)


Work 8 rows in rib (including 1st row)


Change to size 4 needles, work in garter stitch for 10 rows.


Heart pattern


Row 11: K 11, P1, K to the end of the row
Row 12: K 10, P3, K to the end of the row
Row 13: K 9, P5, K to the end of the row
Row 14: K8, P7, K to the end of the row
Row 15: K 7, P9, K to the end of the row
Row 16: K6, P11, K to the end of the row
Row 17: K6, P11, K to the end of the row
Row 18: K6, P11, K to the end of the row
Row 19: K6, P11, K to the end of the row
Row 20: K6, P5, K1, P5, K to the end of the row
Row 21: K7 P4, K3, P4, K to the end of the row
Row 21: K7 P4, K3, P4, K to the end of the row
Row 22: K8 P2, K5, P2, K to the end of the row
Row 23: K 9, P1, K5, P1, K to the end of the row

Knit 5 rows
At the end of the fourth needle, turn (this is going to be the start of your thumb opening, so yes there is meant to be a hole!) K1 and P to the last st, K1.
Next row, Turn and K to the end.
Repeat last two rows, three more times.
Now continue to knit in the round for 6 rows - in order to keep the tension tight around the top of the thumb hole, I slip the first two stitches on N1 onto N4 for a few rows, before slipping the sts back onto the correct needle.


Picot edging cast off

Cast off 2 sts, *slip the st on your right hand needle back on the left needle, cast on 2 sts, then cast off 5sts* Continue until you have 2 sts left, slip the st on your right hand needle onto R hand needle, cast on 2 sts, now cast off the remaining stitches.

Take your crochet hook and double crochet (single crochet if you are in the US) around the thumb hole, use the stitch at the end of each row as your chain stitch and slip stitch together when you have completed the thumb.

Sew in your loose ends.  Now take a piece of velvet ribbon (about 1/4" width x 18 inches long) and starting above your heart, thread the ribbon through the holes created by your picot edging and tie into a bow.

Right Hand Wrist Warmer

Work as for Left side until ** Knit across the first two needles and turn, now continue as for the left wrist warmer until the end of the pattern.

And now because I think they are very cute, here is a Sunday smiling Alpaca... 

Now, over you go and take a look at this week's Handmade Monday hosted by the VW Campervan Diva - Wendy.  I never cease to be amazed by the diversity of crafts which are posted up there.

Housework - Phooey, I'm too busy playing!

Firstly I have to welcome some new followers, Ola to the lovely ladies from Brazil who found me through Minha Casa Meu Mundo, Goeiendag/Bonjour to Roziemie from Belgium and finally G'day to Carmel who is a friend of my sister from Oz - and Carmel, I know Annette has told you that she taught me everything that I know, but this is wrong, she could never make the mess that I make when I am working!


Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just don't know where to turn cos you want to do everything?


Well, here are a pair of pure Alpaca handwarmers which I designed, Sharon at Roses and Rue had received a sample ball of just 100m, so after we had finished stroking it, I got to take it home and knit it up, hence designing a pair of handwarmers with a little heart motif and a picot edging tied with a narrow black velvet ribbon.  Let me know if you would like me to publish the pattern on the blog?

Sharon has also asked me to do some classes at the shop, so I am going to do a flower workshop - as you will know I can manage Kanzashi flowers, so I thought I should also master some other sorts of flowers which can be made into fridge magnets, so I have been playing with some handsewn flowers, including yoyos - yep I even have a yoyo maker - and I have been deconstructing a felt flower that a friend has which I think may join the fray (no pun intended as it will be in felt!).  I feel a set of mega flower-making tutorial coming up.  Do you think we could make five different flowers in two hours... I bet we could!

Then I popped into the shop on Saturday and Sharon was on a mission, she was going to master freestyle machine embroidery, so armed with the Poppy Treffry's book she was off.  I had to run back home to find some  embroidery hoops and then I got started too.  We really went for it, down went the running dogs (the little teeth you find on the plate under the foot) and then with no regard for our own safety off came the foot.  It was really liberating - the only way I can explain it is to say you move the fabric and not the needle... but it is such fun playing and so different from classic applique where you do not see any raw edges.

Please note the classic machinist - ironing board on in the background,
coffee by her right hand and book open in front of her.

And this was her very first time, sans dogs and sans feet,
I love the smoke coming out of the chimney

I am still working on my piece which is called hearts and flowers, it is a freehand picture of a bunch of flowers and hearts in a vase, I promise to post it up during the week so you can see what you think.

Now as tomorrow is Monday, go take a look at Handmade Monday on Wendy's 1st Unique to see what everyone has been up to... she is also the Queen of Camper Vans as you will find out when you read it :)


Finally can I take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my blog, this weekend, I went through the 10,000 hits mark, it still amazes me that so many of your read my meanderings in so many places.  Thank you everyone :) 


And because it made me smile when I went past yesterday, this is the school allotment for North Street Primary School, which is just around the corner from where I live - I love the huge scarecrows, they are super!

... BTW, you should have seen me with my camera thrust through the fence taking my snaps but the sight was too lovely to miss.