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Handknitted Socks For Any Season
Hand-knitted socks are very warm and very snuggly, keeping toes warm and stopping legs from freezing in the cold weather. My daughter decided she would like a pair of socks after I mentioned I was going to make myself some. So, onto the net I go and look up a few patterns, settling on a pair that have celtic twisted cables front and back. This is a lady who has never knitted socks before – ever – attempting to work these complicated designs. I have knitted quite a few cable patterns but none as tricky as this one. The socks were worked on five 2.5mm needles – matchsticks I call…
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Living with Alpacas
Alpacas are one of the most adorable farm animals you will ever come across. They are environmentally friendly, meaning their feet do not damage the ground, they eat only the tips of the grass and not pull it out at the root, they’re easy to train and love being around children. Being easy to halter train gives children the opportunity to lead them around and be up close and personal with them. If you only have a few of them, and because of their nature, they tend to become part if the family and will follow you around, nuzzling your hands for that extra bit of feed. My experience with…
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Latest Project – Knitted Cable Jumper
As its impossible for me not to knit or spin, I decided to create a jumper for my partner. But, not being satisfied with simple stocking stitch, I thought I would create something a little different – A V-neck long-sleeve jumper with cables and pattern front and back. The fleece is a pale grey and spun as double knit. Then came the patterns – a trip to the library and I came back with at least three books of stitch designs. After much procrastinating I decided on a wide cable – Twisted and Crossed Cable, narrow four stitch cable and a middle block Little Cable Fabric , which I scanned…
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Dyeing Wool with Food Colouring
There is nothing quite like experimenting with new ways of doing something. I recently promised a new baby blanket to a member of the family; they are having their first baby early December. She asked for a green blanket as they chose not to know the sex of the child before birth. When I realised what I had promised, the thought patterns went into action… Not liking commercial wool too much, and being a spinner, I decided to make one – from scratch. Searching through my fleeces, I found a suitable white one I could dye. That presented another challenge. Not being at home, one cannot use any old dyestuff…
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Precious Needlework – Creative Tapestry
If one is looking for a lifetime hobby that is easily portable, Needlework fills the criteria very nicely. From ancient times to modern day, needlework has played a big role in society. Many pieces of art are still adorning the walls of homes around the world, many hundreds of years after their creation. Needlework covers aspects of handcrafting from needlepoint, embroidery, bargello, cross-stitch to needle-lace to name just a few. There are many more avenues to be explored. It can be carried around in a bag and stitched in the most unlikely places. The label ‘Tapestry’, although now mistakenly associated with canvas-work, is better known as being woven on a…
