Morning, yes it has been a while. So here is what I have been up to..
These are a West Yorkshire Spinner sock yarn and it is called Rum Paradise.
I knitted a turned hem instead of a rib hem and my partner really likes it. I think I will do that again on my next pair of socks. They are quite long in the leg and he said he prefers that, especially for when it starts to get colder now and I have got use to knitting a heel flap, heel turn and gusset too. It does fit much better on his foot.
I did go through his socks recently and he has now got 31 pairs of hand knit socks, so I have knitted around 50 pairs of socks over the past few years. I made myself a few pairs and also have been making some for family members.
This photo shows you all of my partner's socks that I have made. It obviously does not include the pair that he is wearing.
I think I will have to make some Christmas pairs now because it lacks a but of festive season in that pile of socks.
I have been on the look out for some really bright, stripy Christmas colours and I have seen West Yorkshire Spinners latest Christmas colour ways but I have also seen a colour way on Stranded Dyeworks which Amy dyes and I might treat myself and my partner to a couple of skeins.
Watch this space for that!
After crocheting a big blanket for my eldest son and his partner, my niece asked me to crochet her a lap blanket similar to the one I made my son.
Here it is hanging on the washing line in a warm sunny August day. What you cannot see is that I crocheted a scallop type of edge just to give it a bit of a bling look.
The blanket is washed and tagged with my leather label and is now inside a plastic bag, in time out, because of Covid and is waiting to go to it's new home.
My niece Jade seems excited to receive it which makes it all the more worth while to make when something you have spent 8 weeks making is going to be looked after.
I hope it gives her many years of enjoyment.
Now, my final finished project is this gorgeous bag I made.
I have gone down the rabbit hole of starting embroidery and I wanted to practice some different themes on some scrap Aida. I watched a couple of Youtube videos and I am so happy with the finished project.
It then spent a few weeks waiting for me to decide what to do with it. I ordered some fabric online and when it came, I just put it away for a while till I can decide what to make. It was either going to be a little cushion or a project bag.
Well, last Sunday I decided to just get on with it and decide what to make, so I got out the sewing machine and this is what I ended up making. I have never sewn a zip in before and I wanted it on the front of the project and not on the top. That was interesting to do! I used some cotton batting and a cream coloured lining and voila! I am really happy with it and is something I would call 'unique' because you could never put a price on something like this. It has it's faults, could have been sewn a bit better but to me, it is perfect.
My partner and I were talking about what price would you put on something you have spent weeks and weeks stitching and then spent 3 hours sewing together, as well as the cost of it all. I really don't think you can put a price on something that is so time consuming. That is why I like to make 'unique' items and if I want to keep them, I will but if I want to give them as gifts to craft worthy people, then I think that is a good plan.
Works in Progress consist of a rabbit hole that I have jumped back into after many years. When my boys were little I was very much into cross stitch and on my wall I have a couple of finished projects that are at least 20 years old. My youngest son was about 18 months old when I moved into this house and he is now 26 years old and I stopped cross stitching at least 15 years ago. I even gave away my cross stitch threads and Aida stash about a year ago because I thought I would not do it anymore. Unfortunately, that was a big mistake because now I have started cross stitch up again and I forgot how much I enjoy it.
This is what I have been working on for about 6 weeks. It is a design from a William Morris book and the design is called Orange Bell Pull. It is folded in the photo and will be about 16 inches in length when it is finished.
I try to work on it every day for a couple of hours, preferably in day light and so far, it is about 3/4 done. There are 4 charts in total and I am on the 3rd chart.
I have been watching Flosstube on Youtube and that is another rabbit hole I have fallen down but I really need to curb it now.
I have knitting, spinning, crochet, cross stitch and embroidery as my hobbies. I have to discipline myself because I do not like having loads of unfinished projects so at the moment I have...
A handspun blanket that is almost done, the cross stitch bell pull in the photo and I am spinning some merino to have a go at making a pair of hand spun socks. I also started knitting a vest for myself which is my first garment since I was about 17 years ago.
I have been waiting for the weather to get a bit colder to knit some more on the hand spun blanket. I have it ready to just knit the border now and to use up the hand spun that I have for it.
Oh well, I think that is enough go make up for my absence on here. I hope that everyone is well and keeping themselves safe from Covid.
I do hope to post on here again soon, I will try and post once a week just to show any progress and maybe show some autumn photos because I love this season.
Take care...be back soon.
