What are you making just now?

Graces7

I am knitting long, baggy cabled legwarmers, a request from my canadian family who sell there. Black today but also purple or cream. No pattem, just freelance

Would love to hear what others are creating?

Graces7

More legwarmers.. simplest things... Aran weight yarn, 6 mm needles. 50 stitches and work about 20 inches in whatever stitches or patterns take your fancy... ...varying and changing when you feel inspired..

wmpdd3

5 Christmas jumpers for a TV show!

em_cat

Day of the week baby socks with a colour pop heel. Niece expecting in August and they live in a part of the states that often has white winters. Knitting a hat & mittens as well just haven’t decided what pattern to use for the wee hat.

Using hand dyed sock yarn, Merino with nylon, 2/2.5 mm dpns.

Deja Boo

Think I shall start practicing my calligraphy again. Maybe just Christmas card envelopes to start.

It's been more than a few years - need to get back what limited skills I lost, and eventually refine them to wedding invitation quality (if at all possible).

stop animal cruelty

Deja Boo

Can u recommend a YouTube video or book for beginners?

Deja Boo

Hi stop animal cruelty,

I am not a fine calligrapher of Copperplate writing, but as for learning basics of handlettering, I like font-rich books like Super Simple Handlettering by Kylie Bennett - a youtube review of her book is here. Books like that offer alot of creativity and modern calligraphy styles (less rigid I would add). For a calligraphy tutorial, I like the vid series from the Happy Ever Crafter, here.

There are some good (and reasonably priced) basic pen set on the market, but the ink cartridges in sets goes remarkably fast, so I practice with a Speedball Elegant writer in 2 to 2.5 sizes (2.5 might be a bit too large a nib for your liking, but the size helps you see great results of your strokes, and I find it easier to practice large letters with larger nibs to begin.) ...then once you begin to enjoy your lettering style (I am critical of my own), when you graduate to a proper calligraphy set, you will see a much finer result with the metal nib pens. You can, of course start with a proper pen with refillable ink, but I found it rather messy as a beginner.

Cheers, hope that helps!

stop animal cruelty

Thanks a mil!

Graces7

Alternating the legwarmers with "sleevies"

A longer version of the fingerless gloves that are so popular and useful. If you can keep the back of your hand warm ,where the blood flows you are fine.

The "sleevies" reach to the elbow. for folk with cold arms.. I got the figures from ravelry patterns then added cables / a sleeve in reverse

lulu1

Starting early for the craft fairs so christmas stockings

Graces7

The cold spell saw me seeking socks in vain; they all went awol and this is, in my new totally house and island bound status, one thing I cannot yet find mail order online.

Worry not, icy feet! Needles and yarn and a ravelry pattern for 2 needle slipper socks.. I adapted it to the right size and now have two warm pairs of adult booties.
ravelry is a great resource for free patterns.

https://www.ravelry.com/

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

Starting early for the craft fairs so christmas stockings

That takes me back a few years to my long service in craft fairs and street markets. enjoy!

lulu1

Graces7 wrote: »

That takes me back a few years to my long service in craft fairs and street markets. enjoy!

every time i do one I swear it will be my last

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

every time i do one I swear it will be my last

roflol! I know the feeling!

My very last one was wonderful though. The Dingle Skellig hotel and they were so kind. Even fed me.. I sold a lot of stuff reduced to try to get stocks down which made me very popular ... I had been doing 2 a week for many years. Just too old to work a 12 hour day.

Feel aimless now and working knitted cotton hand towels ...

Graces7

My total addiction to knitting has taken over again

Cannot not knit, and especially with the cold and windy weather preventing even gardening... So I sorted out bags of oddments of the vintage mohair we were given years ago when someone who came to the stall ( Killarney Outlet Centre) offered the entire contents of her mother's closed down craft shop .

Bags and bags there were and I still have a few dozen balls of assorted mohair. Some wonderful colours and mixes.

So 77 stitches, 7 mm needles, yarn used double,, wide bands with lace insert stitching... Almost 28 inches wide and so far over 30 inches long.. Lovely and warm .... great watching youtube and fingers flying on easy work as the wind howls.

Graces7

Now at 35 inches.... looking very good my blanket Keeps me snug as I work on it

lulu1

Graces7 wrote: »

My total addiction to knitting has taken over again

Cannot not knit, and especially with the cold and windy weather preventing even gardening... So I sorted out bags of oddments of the vintage mohair we were given years ago when someone who came to the stall ( Killarney Outlet Centre) offered the entire contents of her mother's closed down craft shop .

Bags and bags there were and I still have a few dozen balls of assorted mohair. Some wonderful colours and mixes.

So 77 stitches, 7 mm needles, yarn used double,, wide bands with lace insert stitching... Almost 28 inches wide and so far over 30 inches long.. Lovely and warm .... great watching youtube and fingers flying on easy work as the wind howls.

I wish I could knit Maybe if i kept at it i would get the hang of it

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

I wish I could knit Maybe if i kept at it i would get the hang of it

Of course you would. Try? great occupation.. . Try something very simple?

Graces7

"the creation " smoothed out sideways to 34 inches and is now 46 inches long and very heavy!

The best proportions for rugs etc seems to be 1x 1 1/2 half so if my arithmetic is right that will take it to.... ) wheels whirring in head) to 51 inches?

One more wide stripe after this one then I will lay it out and see... abundant yarn left..

Oh and I now have a rather fine camera so ..

Maybe when I have this fine new rug in place the weather will get warm! Worth a try

stop animal cruelty

Graces7 could you post a pic of your blanket? I'd love to see it

Graces7

stop animal cruelty wrote: »

Graces7 could you post a pic of your blanket? I'd love to see it

as they say, watch this space! I am still getting used to having a camera again after some years without... and thank you!

Graces7

Been trying to get a decent photo but the size .... all the stripes are the same width..

will try for a better one later..
It was not intended it be so big...

Deja Boo

It's quite beautiful Graces, what talent you have! Looks ever so warm, lovely!

stop animal cruelty

Beautiful piece!

Jellybaby1

Looks very cosy Grace! Lovely colours too.

lulu1

Looks class Grace

I have just stared to make buntings for a friends birthday party

Graces7

Thanks everyone. I am perforce off my feet so much and cannot bear being idle. When I was trading I had plenty to do and am often at a loose end.

That is not the first blanket made either! I have several more!

PS am available for work ! Knitting I mean!

Graces7

Back to sleevies.. aran with cables... aiming to have a good number along with the baggy cabled legwarmers to send to Canada in the autumn.... May also do some more oddment big granny squares for the cats..

Graces7

There is something totally.... cannot find the word... perfect.. about sitting outside in warm sun with a sweet breeze on your skin, knitting gently amid wildflowers with the cats gathering round and birds singing.. Just.... magical... ah bliss!

lulu1

Too warm to do any sewing today

Too warm to do anything

Felt I needed to sew but tomorrow is another day.

Grace do you ever knit for the hospital maternity units

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

Too warm to do any sewing today

Too warm to do anything

Felt I needed to sew but tomorrow is another day.

Grace do you ever knit for the hospital maternity units

Ah no. My extended faith-family work in India and Nepal with babies they rescue from dustbins, rubbish heaps, ditches, drains. So many newborn girls dumped. All I knit is sold and every cent goes there. They tell me what the latest fashion is in handknits and I add cables as "knitted on an Irish island" is a selling line in Canada . Just now sleevies with matching very wide headbands.

lulu1

New born girls dumped

OMG dosen't bear thinking about

I have just taken on a project making angel gowns and angel wraps for babies born too soon

Jellybaby1

lulu1 wrote: »

New born girls dumped

OMG dosen't bear thinking about

I have just taken on a project making angel gowns and angel wraps for babies born too soon

Would you like to add this charity to another thread I started a while ago here, 'Knitting/Crafting for Charity", its a sticky at the top of the forum.

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

New born girls dumped

OMG dosen't bear thinking about

I know. will not depress you with the reasons. I used to tell folk when I was trading at markets that I am too old and too ill to go and help out there, BUT I CAN KNIT!

Making fine things that people enjoy wearing or dressing their little ones in is deeply fulfilling in so many ways. Knowing it will feed babies... So I knit ! Not helpless!

lulu1

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Would you like to add this charity to another thread I started a while ago here, 'Knitting/Crafting for Charity", its a sticky at the top of the forum.

Yes add please

Graces7

Getting an attack of monotony I keep varying the cabling etc but.... the big blanket was a welcome distraction so.... we will see..

Graces7

lulu1 wrote: »

New born girls dumped

OMG dosen't bear thinking about

I have just taken on a project making angel gowns and angel wraps for babies born too soon

Beauty of the kind you are creating with love heals ... wondrously..

Graces7

Need a change and health has nosedived with the weather, so have here a small bag of cotton oddments too small to use else and they will become dishcloths, face cloths, hand towels while i recline and watch youtube abed!

I have appealed to our old friends at Spingwools who keep large boxes in their shop to donate to worthy causes who are knitting for charity.. amazing the sheer variety , yarns I could never afford to buy or access..

Happy knitting all!

Graces7

Got diverted by the glorious weather and my garden needing a lot of work! Not many days we can get out there! Tomorrow is another day..

Graces7

Still knitting legwarmers and sleevies... Interspersed with oddment granny squares , cushion cover size, and the cats now have mats to sit on and love them.

Getting low on yarn stocks though... we shall see... Am totally and utterly addicted to knitting and so much abed these days so a perfect occupation. Happy days! Knitting and youtube... bliss, as the wind howls out there and the rain batters the windows.. cat keeping my feet warm..

Graces7

On my 5th new set of aran cabled sleevies and wide headband.

all the cats now " sit on the mat" as there are knitted rug "tiles" around. They are very happy!

Graces7

Not that I have been idle this year but am delighted to get a firm and urgent request for sales items for Canada... the wide cables headbands, hats.... they love that they are hand knitted on an Irish island!

Needles at the ready! Off we go!

Anyone else involved in seasonal crafting?

New Home

Mod: threads merged.

Graces7

I had a request in for baby hats for the little ones we rescue there; they wanted them colourful

So I gathered in all the small scraps of yarn always left after work is finished.
Lovely occupation in dark winter days.

Made 19 so far; here are some of them

em_cat

I try not to get into seasonal knitting as such simply don’t have the time or skill. My OH gave me a rigid heddle loom, fibre and a couple of drop spindles for Christmas so I’m attempting to learn to spin. Just something I’ve always admired so I thought I'd have a go.

I did manage to knit a simple chunky cable hat for myself only to realise the cables went the wrong way, as I knit from left to right instead of right to left so forgot to switch hold in back vs hold in front. So I’m redoing it but it’s a nice easy knit & I really like knitting cables and hate knitting lace, I prefer to weave it instead.

So ATM I’ve, 1.5 socks on dpns, a nearly finished cardi for my OH on circs, 2 hats 1 for me & one for my mum who is in Canada for work, a beginning cardi for me on straights & a lace warp almost finished on the loom, this is for a friends wedding gift.

Graces7

Cables can go any way YOU choose. I zigzag them when I get bored! Add indivuality .. But I never use patterns any more, and all I earn goes to our work rescuing newborns . so much abed these days that knitting is a blessing and a boon.

Had a spinning wheel once and 2 Jacobs sheep... but need to produce as much work as I can; it is for me a job as much as a sheer pleasure.

Never use anything but ordinary needles. Very traditional! Used to knit Arans for the export industry then kept my big market stall supplied with a variety for 12 years.

em_cat wrote: »

I try not to get into seasonal knitting as such simply don’t have the time or skill. My OH gave me a rigid heddle loom, fibre and a couple of drop spindles for Christmas so I’m attempting to learn to spin. Just something I’ve always admired so I thought I'd have a go.

I did manage to knit a simple chunky cable hat for myself only to realise the cables went the wrong way, as I knit from left to right instead of right to left so forgot to switch hold in back vs hold in front. So I’m redoing it but it’s a nice easy knit & I really like knitting cables and hate knitting lace, I prefer to weave it instead.

So ATM I’ve, 1.5 socks on dpns, a nearly finished cardi for my OH on circs, 2 hats 1 for me & one for my mum who is in Canada for work, a beginning cardi for me on straights & a lace warp almost finished on the loom, this is for a friends wedding gift.

em_cat

I still use patterns at times as I only learned garment construction techniques recently. I also have a fair few friends that design and write them as their income, so I like to support them in that way.

I recently been reading some articles about different cable histories, obvs inc Aran, and I find it very interesting. I suppose it’s quite true that knitting is an addiction to some because all of a sudden I could wait anywhere as long as I can knit. I’m enjoying the weaving now that I’m comfortable with warping but some days, like today, all I want to do is knit...

It’s lovely that you can help to support a charity the way you do, I do a few things but for rescue as I’m not fast enough to knit for humans, even little ones. I do crochet the little octopuses for the NICU unit in the rotunda and like you, I get a supply of the yarn from a wool shop for it. I usually put aside a couple of hours on a Sunday morning for doing them. It’s about the time it’s relatively quite around here so I can tune out and go round & round...

Graces7

Different lives! No family here to care for and no job. So I have acres of time.I need to knit to feel I am doing SOMETHING when I can do almost nothing. The work with the babies etc is my family and my life. The Christening dress I put on photos was in that spirit. Giving beauty to give life. Any hand craft is beauty. Given.
Colour. shape...
My range is limited but the head of family is an inspired lady who does not knit! She has an idea and knows what sells so she tells me the idea and I work out how to make it.
One winter I knitted, off my own bat, over 100 pairs of assorted mittens as that was the number of children in one feeding programme. She loved the mittens. sold them for $9 a pair, to buy boots AND pound shop mittens!

em_cat wrote: »

I still use patterns at times as I only learned garment construction techniques recently. I also have a fair few friends that design and write them as their income, so I like to support them in that way.

I recently been reading some articles about different cable histories, obvs inc Aran, and I find it very interesting. I suppose it’s quite true that knitting is an addiction to some because all of a sudden I could wait anywhere as long as I can knit. I’m enjoying the weaving now that I’m comfortable with warping but some days, like today, all I want to do is knit...

It’s lovely that you can help to support a charity the way you do, I do a few things but for rescue as I’m not fast enough to knit for humans, even little ones. I do crochet the little octopuses for the NICU unit in the rotunda and like you, I get a supply of the yarn from a wool shop for it. I usually put aside a couple of hours on a Sunday morning for doing them. It’s about the time it’s relatively quite around here so I can tune out and go round & round...

lulu1

Got a present last night from my sister in law of a beautiful knitted santa clause. Was meant to be for xmas but she ran a bit late.
was in her house before xmas and counter 8 items that I had made her over the years so I must be doing something right.

Still cant knit of crochet but its on my to do list

em_cat

lulu1 wrote: »

Got a present last night from my sister in law of a beautiful knitted santa clause. Was meant to be for xmas but she ran a bit late.
was in her house before xmas and counter 8 items that I had made her over the years so I must be doing something right.

Still cant knit of crochet but its on my to do list

Yes you must be knit worthy people are far & few between. I’d say learn to knit before crocheting, but a lot of people think the opposite, I find if I’m doing anything other a double crochet stitch (single in the US) I just get too confused but with knitting I can feel the stitches without looking.

Graces7

I knit as I am reading or watching youtube. Could never crochet while doing that.
And yes I know folk who cannot knit but are skilled at crochet.

Could never just read or watch; a well channelled nervous twitch

I have a full size crocheted blanket atop my bed that I made years ago. 2 more knitted ones! And the cats sleep on hand knitted squares...

Seriously addicted!

em_cat wrote: »

Yes you must be knit worthy people are far & few between. I’d say learn to knit before crocheting, but a lot of people think the opposite, I find if I’m doing anything other a double crochet stitch (single in the US) I just get too confused but with knitting I can feel the stitches without looking.