Showing posts with label 2020 craft resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2020 craft resolutions. Show all posts

Friday, 14 February 2020

The Loki Low Down

I have finished my Loki Sweater. I say sweater, the more observant of you will notice it doesn't have sleeves, shall we settle on round-necked tank top and I will tell you all about it...



I was stranded on Sleeve Island with not enough wool to get home. I thought it might happen when I started but I was willing to take the risk. I did try and knit 3/4 length sleeves but it didn't look at ease with a northern wintery pattern on the body.



I tried adding some of the cream wool to the cuff of said sleeve but it was more than a cuff really and I knew it wasn't right. It looked like what it was: a woman who had ran out of wool and knitted too much of the sleeve in the wrong yarn. Cream cuffs don't really have a place in my lifestyle either: cooking, dog walking, teaching children; they wouldn't be cream for long. 



So one night I asked Bloke what he thought. Maybe someone who knew nothing about knitting could come up with an idea that I hadn't even thought of but he said, "Why don't you try and get some  more of that wool?" Oh if only. I bought it in an end of line sale bin at Wonderwool last year. I don't even know what it is! To me it was a a great big skein of wool for £10.







Anyway, I decided to add ribbed sleeve facings and turn it into a tank top. I can wear a thin jumper, a long sleeved T-shirt or in this case a shirt underneath. I love the body shaping, length and width so I can use this pattern shape again if I want to and add the sleeves when I have more generous amounts of yarn.



 I also liked a new technique I learnt which was a three needle bind off on the shoulders. Here you cast off the two ends of live stitches together which makes for a really smooth finish and a seam that won't stretch out. It is like adding stay tape to the shoulders (if you sew you will know what I mean). It would have really come into its own if I had the weight of long sleeves hanging off the dropped shoulders but alas I didn't. Still, a good skill to learn.






Some you win, some you lose. I will never stop taking knitting and crochet risks - where would the fun be then? Jo xxx

Tuesday, 31 December 2019

Crafting Resolutions 2020

A trawl through my 2019 blog posts reveals that I did make most of my crafting resolutions in 2019.


First up I wanted to crochet a blanket to bust some stash. I had a lot of acrylic yarn that had been given to me by various people over the years and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. There were so many colours, I knew a Spice for Life blanket would be the perfect pattern.




This is my favourite sofa blanket for winter nights.

I also made lots of other smaller blankets using more pastel collections which were gifted to new babies.






In sewing, I really wanted to crack learning how to sew Roman blind for our new house. 


I finally mastered it and have made three this year. They are all packed away in carpet tubes to keep them clean until we move house.

I wanted to knit something from my ravelry favourites queue that had been there for more than two years! The Lady Kina pattern jumped to the top of my wish list.





I have worn the Lady Kina a lot but the acrylic has stretched to a bigger size, I gifted it to my friend in November. The colourwork sweater called prairie Fairy has been a triumph. I was even contacted by Drops to give permission for them to use my photos. Much Kudos!

Finally, I wanted to complete my postage stamp quilt of 5 x 5 cm squares. I am nearly there with this one. The topper is finished and I just need an afternoon to be in the mood to sandwich it all together on my knees! Maybe when the Christmas tree comes down I will have the space. A big reveal is imminent.


For 2020 I have some more ideas:

1) To knit a sweater in 4ply yarn to use some mystery wool I bought at Wonderwool this year.

2)To sew a pattern from my pattern box that is unopened. I tend to use the same patterns and alter them.

3) To crochet more of my acrylic stash for gifting.


Well that is more than enough for any crafter I think. There will of course be more making everyday depending on what I intuitively fancy. So I hope you will join me in 2020.


Happy New Year!
Love from all here. xxxx