I’ve wanted a circular sock knitting machine for ages. So back in November 2017 I had a clear out and spent a couple of months selling stuff! on ebay to get together some funds for… More
Latest Craft Fair
Took part in the latest craft fair at the Catholic Hall in Swanage. the weather was a bit odd, lot of rolling sea mist but the footfall was good.
First time on display for my Noro (wool & Silk) Flower granny blanket. It received a lot of attention, mainly due to the lovely colours.
I have invested in a sock display and the socks looked great. I have also made some new labels for the socks. I also used my wooden blocks.
I also took the opportunity to display my shawls in a different way.
Had a good amount of sales and had some sock commissions as well.
Looking forward to the next one on the 12th May
Baby bootee recipe – 84 Cylinder
My version of a felted baby sock/bootee.
Cranked on an 84 cylinder with 4 ply yarn.
Only 7 gms per sock. that’s a lot of socks out of one ball….yah
Using 100% Hand Wash wool. Super wash wool will not shrink.
The wool I used was cascade yarns – cascade 220 http://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/…/cascade-220-fingering…
Tension 1 stop looser than normal.
Leg
Cast on with every 3rd needle.
Knit 32 rows.
Heel
Knit heel as normal until 6 stitches left.
Foot
Knit 12 rows for foot.
Toe
Knit Toe as normal until 6 stitches left.
Finish
Cast off.
Kitchener Toe.
Crochet slip stitch top leg.
Wash on 1 hour wash at 60 degrees.
Roll top, pull into shape whilst Damp
Voila!!
Notes
Make in the normal way, finish toe and top of leg. Pull into shape before washing. Before washing size will depend on yarn, tension etc as will felted size and how it is washed.
Don’t be put off by the stringy sock you end up with before washing. Its like knitting a string bag.
Fingerless glove – 84 cylinder
Recipe for a Fingerless Glove – 84 cylinder using 4 ply sock wool
(Regia, Opal, Stylecraft, Drops Fabel, Scheepjes Invicta Extra etc.)
Th
is glove has a hand knitted thumb and knitted cast off.
Will give an average glove, to make it smaller add Lycra.
Left glove without Lycra.
Cuff
Selvage 1st row ribber in, 2nd and 3rd row ribber out.
20 – 30 rows 1 x 1 rib depending on length of cuff required
Lower hand
30 rows 3 x 1 rib
Thumb waste stitches
Stop machine at 3.00 o’clock change yarn to waste yarn, Knit 12 Stitches, change back to glove yarn.
Upper Hand
24 rows 3 x 1
Top Cuff
10 rows 1 x 1
Hand Knit the following
Before removing the waste yarn I use a sewing needle to sew a running thread through all the stitches that are about to be exposed by removing the waste yarn. This will
stop the stitches running. Not very clear to see, orange thread has been used
As you remove the running thread pick up each stitch.
Pick up 12 stitches from lower hand , make 1 stitch in body of glove immediately before the waste yarn started knitting, 12 stitches from the top hand, make 1 stitch in body of glove immediately after the waste yarn was knit. (26 stitches)
Knit at least 12 rows of 1 x 1 rib, knit more rows if you want more of the thumb covered.
Cast off in 1 x 1 rib.
Hand Finish the Top Cuff
Sew a running thread around the last 1 x 1 knit row before waste yarn
As you remove the running thread pick up each stitch.
Pick up all stitches, remove running thread.
Standard knitted cast off in 1 x 1 rib.
Enjoy
version 1
Recipe for a mans sock size UK 8
Recipe for a mans sock size UK 8 using 4 ply sock wool
(Regia, Opal, Stylecraft, Drops Fabel, Scheepjes Invicta Extra etc.)
On my machine 5 rows will change the size by one sock size e.g. size 9 will be plus 5 rows in the foot.
Cuff
Selvage 1st row ribber in, 2nd and 3rd row ribber out.
20 rows 1 x 1 rib
Leg
55 rows 3 x 1 rib
Pre heel
Replace all needles on half of cylinder where heel is to be made
15 rows
Heel
Short row heel of your choice
Foot
75 rows
Pre Toe
Replace all needles
4 Rows
Toe
Short row toe of your choice
Enjoy
Home spun and dyed shawl
I was gifted a large cake of home spun and home dyed yarn as a thank you for a lift to a craft exhibition. The yarn was probably 3 ply, with speckles of dye in it. As soon as I saw it I knew it would become a shawl.
The pattern is Holden available on Ravelry.
It made a gorgeous shawl, once blocked it looked great but I must admit before hand it looked like a dish rag.
CSM stool
Yarn enhanced drum stool
I’m getting together items so I can transport and demonstrate my sock knitting machines a craft fairs and crank ins.
Over the weekend I obtained a stool meant for drumming. It needs new feet which I have ordered from Ebay. It also had a boring black plastic top which called out for some fibre enhancement.
Using some stash Aran cotton I crocheted a granny cover.
No pattern just winged it.
Crochet Mystery CAL Midday Mandala
Just finished this years mystery CAL from Julie Yeager.
What a great project this was, Midday Mandala was a great fun project to work on.
Find it here on Ravelry
Used Aran weight cotton which gave great stitch definition. Full details on my Ravelry project page
Lovely colour palette .
CSM fingerless gloves
Been asked to make some childrens fingerless gloves.
I normally make these.
So I made the pattern but added Lycra and reduced the tension by 1 setting.
This is the result, a very stretch smaller pair of fingerless gloves.
Pattern
On a 84 cylinder, tension 6 for larger glove 5 for smaller glove (plus Lycra)
20 rows 1 x 1 rib ( 2 row selvedge)
30 rows 3 x 1
row 31 scrap yarn for 8 stitches (thumb hole)
20 rows 3 x 1
10 rows 1 x 1
Pick up cast off stitches and knit a rib bind off.
Pick up top and bottom stitches from scrap yarn 8 stitches, pick up 1 stich for smaller glove or 2 for larger glove either end giving 18 or 20 stitches. Knit with needles 1 x 1 rib for 10 rows. Cast off in rib.
Birthday gift for a friend
A recent crochet gift made for a special birthday.
Made with stash wool….yah
The pattern can be found here.
Crochet Motif Cardigan
I came across this picture of a crochet motif cardigan a couple of years ago on a blog and fell in love with the cardigan but I had no idea where the pattern came from so I could not get hold of the actual pattern.
Every now and then I would search for it but without any luck until one day I came across it on Google picture search and this pointed to Ravelry, only to find out it is a Japanese pattern (no problem) but it was in a Japanese book (no problem), I could not seem to purchase anywhere (problem). Having purchased Japanese books many times from this great etsy shop Pomadour24
I messaged them to ask if they could get it and guess what – they could. She has managed to get a couple of books for me previously just by supplying a picture of the front cover.
I duly started my cardigan but knew it would have to be a background task as making that many motifs would be a long hard slog. I had chosen after a lot of deliberation to use Sirdar Heart and sole for the coloured part of the motif as it was quite hard to get co-ordinating colours. I didn’t use the blue colourway. For the joining I used Rowan fine lace doubled (from stash – yaah).
Before I started assembling the cardigan I used wooden skewers to hold each row of motifs in the correct order so I didn’t have to find the next one I just slid it off the skewer
To join all the motifs together I used a Join As You Go method of assembly which is great as you only get a couple of ends instead of two for each motif.
The cardigan is now blocked and is looking good, all I have to do is sew in all the coloured ends (yuk)
I’m so please with this even though its taken a year as a background task
