dreaming away the weekend

I'm exactly halfway through 'Jemima' and 'Nouveau', I've been sketching some ideas for a pair of cabled mittens based on the Liberty (of London) fabric prints, started 'dashings' in gentle pink, and my first lace project - the 'branching out' scarf from Knitty, but much shorter and turned into a headband (a fantastic idea by Another Shopgirl).

books need bookmarks

Tried to teach my homely hero to crochet. Disastrous, he got as far as the foundation chain and through a lot of obscenities, and gave up. He might not be very dexterous with needle, yarn or hook, but he can play the piano, really play. So I turned the chain into a bookmark for all those music theory books he has lying around. The quickest fo ever.

nouveau

I'm having so much fun with Weaverknits's 'Nouveau Sack Hat', close up its a really sophisticated design, I love how the circles are slightly 'filled in' in one corner, and a different corner on each row of circles. Just like the circles on 'Neiman'. One day she's going to write a book - "20 fresh and original designs from the imagination of Weaverknits' - and I'm going to buy it. I'm planning to make it several more times in different colourways.

I should maybe explain also that the pattern is written in the round, but not having the right circulars and not being on speaking terms with dpns, I'm doing it back and forth, and will seam up the sides with mattress stitch (as it happens its easy to do this due to the way the pattern is written), and, I have a slightly larger head than average (please, no jokes) so I added a repeat, especially as seven (repeats) is my lucky number.

I'm also doing a pair of 'dashings' in the same yarn, but that's another post... Incidentally the yarn I'm using is Hayfield bonus dk (99p for 100g) and Sirdar bonus dk (99p for 100g) from Sew and Sew in the Guildhall market in Bath, in blue and green. Surprisingly soft and the best value I've ever seen.

I haven't found the right fabric yet for Ailish but I have frogged back a few inches of the front flap, removed the buttons and button holes, and added a band of crochet the same depth as the strap instead. I think I should have done this in the first place, as its consistent with the overall 'design' of the bag, I was so in love with the buttons I overlooked the overall effect. I'm thinking of using the buttons on 'Jemima', I'll see.

I ran out of wool 3 stitches from the end, so I used some blueish rowan country to finish, and part of me quite likes it as a monument to the whole process.

making ailish

This weekend I almost finished making Ailish. All the knitting, crochet, sewing up, buttons, blocking and finishing is done. All thats left is a fabric lining to give it some stiffness and structure.

The buttons arrived from Lithuania at four in the afternoon, and at 11pm I was still knitting the flap, having already sewn the back-piece part of it onto the bag. As the wool began to run out I knit faster and faster, managing to just finish the front flap with two rows of double crochet, even using some off cuts to finish the last inch. Lucky I had already done all the sewing up before I actually cast off. The buttons I sewed on this morning after blocking the front flap overnight. Although its all stocking stitch the blocking was quite successful and it doesn't curl in. The lining fabric, stiffened, will give the bag some shape. In some ways the bag looks better with the front flap tucked inside.

I just wanted to say thanks to Carol, also, for her encouraging comments : )

actual knitting