I not been on the computer much or doing any sewing of late but managed to finish a table runner the photo is not so great but still that me. I been doing a lot of knitting lately as i have had some sock orders to do so been busy with them I have also got some nice yarns in for sock knitting So here are some photos for you to see hope you like them
I have finished a pair of socks these are using a different make of yarn from what I usually use which is Online Yarn The socks below are done in a 4 ply yarn which is Sport- & Strumpfgarn Yarn it is 60% Superwash Virgin Wool, 25% Acrylic & 15% Polyamid this yarn while is self-patterning in that there is some patterning it more like random spots you don't have to match as there is no matching to it. I been thinking of getting some sock blockers & if anyone has an opinion on them good or bad would appreciate hearing about them, there is a site here in the UK that is doing some click here for the link to see them & say what you think of them.
If anyone would can't open the patterns in my previous post & would like a copy just e-mailme with their e-mail addy & I will send it you must be able to open a pdf file as much as I try to do it so you have access to it I am not sure you can all open both so just e-mail me
This past week I been trying to figure out several things first is my computer well it that I upgraded to Windows 7 last June when I had to get another computer & while my printer works when I scan it does images but where before I could save documents in to PDF or Word I can only do images so still trying to sort that out as it not so easy as trying to update drives. Then I have had a go at attempting to draw a applique block on EQ7 & also learn how to write a pattern to a PDF Well with help from a friend she said you need to get a program for writing it to PDF so I downloaded PDF4Free & that works. So I thought I would share the two patterns I done, the first is Ice cone I know I forgot to put in size which is 14 x 36.5 inches, the second is Broken Dishes both are table runners, below is the image then followed by the pdf file
It been a little while since posting I guess it a case of trying to get motivated after Christmas they say January & February are months that you tend not to do things so much. I done a pair of socks using the Online Emotion lll Range this is the latest range I have which I think is their latest as well in this range. The yarn is 50% Merino Wool, 25% Bamboo & 25% Polyamid it a lovely soft yarn which does knit up well. If I am to be totally honest & give the fore & against on this yarn my only moan is that it don't follow a set colour pattern so trying to match both socks up perfectly you can't but you can see that the same colours ect are used & I do like them. I use Online range a lot they have several different lines which of course Emotion which they have now at least 3 different lines under Emotion which are Emotion, Emotion ll & lll they also do Irish Colour, Canadian Colour, Wellness & Spot colour some knit up more like a fair-isle which I really like but the Emotion range is the softest range so do really like this range. I hope to if possible get some orders for socks or at least sell some but since my last orders before Christmas I haven't been lucky enough to get any. On the sewing front I am working on the table runner which I hope to finish & show you it soon so do check back
I have finally started something okay it only a cotton cloth which I have done but it a start the cloth is Darrell Waltrip Cloth I am not sure if mine is quite right compared to ones shown on here would appreciate your opinions. I done it as I believe it should be done but not fully sure
I have enjoyed doing it which I did last night while watching TV & at least I started something as I haven't touched any crafts for a while. I am wanting to start on some quilting or at least start cutting for a Table Runner but I have had a bit of a problem with my neck I think it the way I had slept so for the last few days have been taking it easy & each day it has inproved to the point it more of an ache today than pain. I enjoy my knitting in the evenings while watching TV even if I manage to work on some quilting during the day. Part of the reason no quilting also apart from just not got around to it, the last few weeks had a radiator not working in the bedroom I do my sewing so it been very cold in there it now fixed so that I can now at least go there & sew or cut without freezing lol I hope to do some projects over the coming months both quilting & knitting, I do want to do myself some more socks as I don't have a great deal of socks that I have knitted unlike my DH as I do seem to knit for him or knit for gifts & I seem to be last I bet you all are like that everyone comes first before you.
Happy New Year to All, I hope that the year is beginning well for you all. For me well I received a calendar from Sue at Quilt Times as I was lucky enough to win her give-way for this Calendar. I love the way that the Calendar has a booklet in which gives you all the instructions & patterns for each of the projects for each month & you can pull it out from the calendar so you can keep it long after you finish using it Below is the front of the calendar but if you click on this here you can see more images & details of the calendar from amazon. Thank you Sue for the calendar it great.
I haven't as yet started any projects I woke yesterday to my neck hurting when I move my head left or right or even up or down so am having to take it ease for a bit I had this before I think I seem to do it when I am a sleep in that I twist it & it takes a bit of time to ease off I also have to be careful as it can kick off my vertigo so don't want that back I will be starting a Table Runner once I sorted out the fabrics I will be doing it with some online friends from Quilt with Us the Newbie Group I suggested that we do the pattern which is Spring Tulips as they want to do some applique so this is a good start as it not too much & it will be interesting to see how we all do it with our different fabrics also some may change it a bit.
We are well in to December with 2 weeks to Christmas so if you need a quick present how about a Facial Wash Mitten. I done 2 out of one ball of cotton I cast on 64st over 4 Dps needles size 4.5mm needles then changed to 3.5mm needles & did 10 rounds of 1x1 rib then changed to 4.5mm needles again & on needles 2 & 3 I knitted those & on needles 1 & 4 I did a moss stitch but any stitch pattern to give a bit of a raised patterns will do & I knitted until the length of hand then knitted needle 1 but putting it on with stitches on needle 4 then did same with 2 & 3 so you have stitches from needles 1 & 4 on one needles & stitches from 2 &3 on another needle & then did a 3 needle cast off. I managed to get 2 from 1 ball I am showing both sides of the mitten in the photo as I don't have loads of solid colours I tried it out in the variegated yarn but think it would look better in solid colours
I have finished the single quilt I been working on I am certainly no David Bailey as I don't take great photos well the camera while a good one is old must be about 10 years old but still going strong so no new one needed. Anyway I taken 2 photos one so you can see it in full & the other a bit closer, the other problem I have for taking photos is where to put them to take it this is done on the floor in my sitting room I have used mostly Civil War Repo fabric with a bit of Thimbleberries for the cream I done stitch in the ditch or diagonal stitch on it
Here is a pair of socks I done they are 2x2 rib down to the heel, it the first time I have tried this as I thought I would try something different. The photo is not a great one seems that dark brown/chocolate colour is not great for taking a photo of but if you click on the photo it does come up larger & you may get a better view
Here is another Give-away of the AccuQuilt No I don't want you all rushing over there as I would love to win this but next to me winning I would love it to be one of my followers.
Now you be biting at the bit to find out how you can win one you go to Lavender Ridge to enter best hurry it ends on the 10th November Good Luck to All
I have been trying out some pot holders, I am not very good with hand sewing so if I can find a different method that I am happy with for the binding that also don't involve hand sewing them down I will. We all know the basic method where you do it then get your binding & sew it to the front then flip over to the back & hand sew. Well mine for some reason I feel that the binding is too wide I have bought ready done binding from sellers on eBay so it was 2.5" folded in half making 1.25" but I am not happy as if I do try to stitch in the ditch so I don't have to hand sew it don't look right. So here are 3 methods I tried & the results
1st Method is where I just stitch the 3 layers together then go over with a zig zag stitch
1st Method
2nd Method is a bag method where I sewn it then turned it to the right side which leaves a opening of course which again didn't want to hand sew so I then zig zag stitch around the edges.
2nd Method
3rd Method is where I cut some fabric 1.5" wide & folded it in half so it 3/4" & I sewn it from the back then stitched on the front.
3rd Method
I will be trying a 4th method which will be as the 3rd but sew it on the front & flip to back but then sew stitch in the ditch from the front, but I haven't as yet done it & will post that when done.
I have managed to do some sewing which I am very pleased about the first table runner is from a project which I was doing at Quilt Set which is the Quilting group I go to once a month I am very pleased I have finished it As you will see it a scrappy one but I still feel it a nice one
Scrappy Table Runner
The 2nd one is for a gift & I had asked the person what would she like for Christmas & she said a table runner for her coffee table to this is the result of it, I designed it on EQ7
Browns & Creams Coffee Table Runner
I do hope to get some more sewing/quilting done plus a single quilt I have pinned ready to quilt one of the reasons I not done that was after my fall I know that I would struggle I do a when I am not bruised so don't want to push my luck. I have ordered a long bath mat with a headrest & should have it by the end of the week my DH also says we need to get a small stool for me so it help me step in to & out of the bath, & as whether I have a bath or a shower I have to step in to the bath as the shower while not attached to the bath is a over the bath type so we will be looking for something that can take my weight but also won't slip. Thank you all for your concern over my fall I am not too bad now thank you
I agreed to go in to a postcard swap so this is my 1st attempt at doing one to send, I did one when I was at Quilting Group as Janet made me she had fetched the stuff along but this was my 1st one on my own with nothing but me to work it out & design it, now it is in the mail on it way to the USA.
My 1st Postcard
Last night I got in the bath & don't ask how as I am not even sure but I got in & was standing ready to sit & I slipped & fell out, I managed to knock the plastic edging off the shower screen DH made & not sure if it was on that or what but I cut my elbow or just under it & have badly bruised it with it feeling like I have bruises elsewhere. DH heard me & came rushing in so had to say don't or he would have whacked my head as we have a bathroom that you can't swing a cat in lol Anyway he starts to get angry saying I have to wait for him to get in the bath ect he only got bad because he was worried & scared I done some real damage, he did ask if I had come over dizzy & said no it was slipping in the bath Anyway I am well padded as my mum would say so no damage done nothing broken just sore & hurts like mad when I move my arm so having to take it easy, why is it that when I want to sew something else happens lol
I have used the Online yarn again & for the first time I been disappointed, as I had nearly finished the 1st sock which is the one on the bottom out of the 2. I had a join in the yarn it was when i was on the green it had a little of the washed out pink bit then went back to green so cut out that bit & joined it so it be all green & finished the sock which wasn't that much more anyway. Go to try to get to the start for the 2nd sock & it was out of order the yellow came after the green not before so had to undo the whole ball & re-wind it so it now in correct order. But for those who have a keen eye will notice a slight difference with the yellow it has much more green in it so it not quite the same as the first so I am not a very happy bunny. The socks were done in Online Yarn Canadian Colour 4 ply yarn On a happier note I got some sewing done yesterday I managed to do a table runner top so now have 2 table runners & a single quilt to quilt which I hope to do this week. I was looking for some labels I have well it took a good hour I thought I knew where they were so I looked & looked in all the places I have fabric & I finally found them yes you guessed it where I thought they were they were hiding under some FQs looking like FQs lol As you may have guessed I am feeling better than I have been I still have to watch what I do no sudden head movements & if I have to look up or down I have to be careful but am better than I have been Thank You all for your kind thoughts, prayers & concern.
Letting you all know that there is a give-away for the AccuQuilt at Irish Muses Blog now don't everyone rush over there as I have entered & would love to win this but if you do good luck I am sure that once you visited the blog you will return even after the Give-Away is finished which is on 5th November which also happens to be Guy Fawkes Day here in the UK the day some guy tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in 1605 so may be I will have my own explosion with me winning the AccuQuilt lol You can read more about the AccuQuilt at their website
I have felt better this week in as much as the room not spinning but do still feel as I am on the edge of it starting as if I move my head too quick I don't feel great even turning in bed can make me feel a bit off. I haven't done any sewing well seeing a needle going up & down won't help I know you don't actually look at but as you are watching your work it is in the eye line. I been knitting so finished a pair of socks I used Online 4 ply yarn the Emotion Range these are for a gift so will be put aside to be given for Christmas. I didn't go to my Quilting Group on Saturday & I have to finish the table runner that we started last month well no sewing since then. I do hope to attempt some sewing this week as I really want to sew plus I have a fair bit I need to get done in time for Christmas which is getting closer Well the socks I mention are below
Not done much in the way of crafts I still not been too good, I been to the doctors this morning who try to see if she can move the crystals back which this is what she saying is causing the problem with the dizziness. I now can't bend my head low or look up high plus have to sleep nearly upright for a few days. I done a pair of socks which is for my DH for Christmas they are done in Regia 4 ply yarn in a dark brown colour I must say I do prefer to do knitting with the yarns that are self-patterning as while it mindless knitting when you are doing knit it changes as you go along so it not so boring plus being such a dark brown was harder to work with. Here in the UK the clocks will be going back by an hour on the week-end 30/31st I always say it on the Saturday which is the 30th but officially it 2am on Sunday 31st I wonder will that make it that my son who's birthday is on the 31st get a extra hour for his birthday lol
It been a funny week what with me not being great with the vertigo, I have stopped taking the tablets for it now & will see how I do without them well need to know if it cleared up off medications & not just while I am on medication for it. I have finished a pair of socks these are for a order in the UK I used the Online Make the Emotion Colour range this is from the 1st of the 3 different colour ranges in the emotion colour as there is emotion II, & III each having 8 different colours in their range it made from 50% merino wool, 25% bamboo & 25% Polyamide the same make up is in all of the Emotion colour ranges. Well below is the socks I finished, I will taking a break to start a couple of books I want to read so won't be starting anything new for a few days or a week depends on how much reading time I can get in.
Well it been a week where I am not well I have in the past had bouts of Labyrinthitis which is a sort of vertigo well the room started to spin on Tuesday, & was in bed, & while it not as bad as I have had as I took some tablets I have I still felt rough so Thursday went to the doctors who says I have Imbalance Vertigo & gave me some different tablets she thinks they are better. Well I am still rough I find when I am in bed & go to move or turn over it worst during the day it a case of not moving too quickly so am not doing much or going anywhere can't even do any sewing as I can't take the needle going up & down & of course watching where I am sewing I have managed to do my knitting so finished the 2nd hat so that is the 2 hats for the order done & have them packed up & ready to go in to the Mail. You see by the photo below it the same as the one on the previous post just a different colour. The size looks different but it the colour that makes it look like that as I did the same amount of rows for the rib then for the body so it goes to show that colours can make things look different.
Saturday was my Quilting Group that I go to Well Janet who runs it is also on my online quilting group & she been hosting a postcard swap, which I have said no way am I doing one plus don't know how to do it. Well she had fetched the stuff & got me doing one myself I think it okay nothing to write home about (for give the pun lol) but there again as everyone says you never think your own work is as good as others. I also have finished the 1st hat of a 2 hat order I will be doing the 2nd in the same yarn just different colour the yarn is Online Spot Colour range
