I like making things: Back to the knitting needles and a little soul searching.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Back to the knitting needles and a little soul searching.

We really need to simplify our lives, my husband and I, but we don't seem willing to do it. We live on 20 acres which takes a lot of tending to. Our house needs working on. My husband's computer has been playing up. His internet radio station takes a lot of work. His health isn't good so we spend a lot of time going back and forth to hospitals and doctors. He is also diabetic so he has to eat frequently. I am getting really stiff and achey. Putting it bluntly, we are getting old and really don't need to be here anymore. But neither of us wants to leave. So we keep going and doing what we can, when we can.

This means I don't get the time I would like to spend on my sewing and knitting machines. Does this sound whiney? Yes it does. Does it sound selfish? Yes it does. So I am trying to compromise.

We recently found out our new grandbaby who is due in a couple of weeks is going to be a girl. So I bought some really pretty pink baby yarn and dug deep into my patterns stash and found the knitting pattern I used to hand knit a baby jacket for their eldest daughter which they really liked and got a lot of wear out of. Hand knitting is much more flexible. I can pick it up when I have any free time and put it down at anytime.

I really love the colour of this yarn, It is a huge hank. It says you can draw from the centre but I couldn't find the loose end. It was like cleaning out a turkey lol. I had my hand inside feeling around for a loose end but to no avail. So I am unwinding from the outside.

I got started on it yesterday. I am using circular needles as you knit the two fronts and back in one piece. Already I have made mistakes. The first one when I forgot to turn the knitting and knitted the whole row before I realised. When I got to the end it was joined to the beginning!!!!!!! I plead starting the first row of the quite complicated pattern so that I didn't notice I was working on the wrong side. Sounds better than silly old lady getting it wrong.

The second mistake was on the third row of the pattern which involves doing cables and also a lot of knitting 4 tog and yarn over needles. I forgot some of the yon's. Of course I didn't realise this until I was doing the fourth row and didn't have the right amount of stitches. Arrgghh!!!! I cheated and picked up loops from the previous row. Not sure if that will work, time will tell on that one. I may end up starting all over again yet.

1 comment:

maureenlthompsonApril 14, 2015 at 8:11 PM
I undid it back to the stocking stitch border. I didn't want to start off with a mistake. I have knitted 7 rows now which includes two rows of the pattern that has the k4tog and all the slip stitches and I know where I went wrong before so should be OK from here on.
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As in the words of Thumper: If you can't say 'nuffin nice don't say 'nuffin at all.

Glad you stopped by

I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Monday, April 13, 2015

Back to the knitting needles and a little soul searching.

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