I like making things: It took a lot of failures but finally I can use the loom successfully

Sunday, October 8, 2017

It took a lot of failures but finally I can use the loom successfully

Who would have thought that the pin loom would prove to be so difficult to use? I know I struggled with it many years ago but back then I didn't have the time to persevere. This time I was bound and determined to succeed.

Armed with yarn and instructions last week I sat down to give it a go. I failed........

Next day I tried again, and the next and the next. This pattern of failure was repeated for two more days.

The edges were all out of wack and this was after I had tried to fix them

Three edges were OK but the 4th went awry

Oh no, incorrect weaving and ratty edges, total failure!

A bit better but some mis weaving

Then yesterday it all fell into place and I made a good square.

Finally, a success!

Then I made some more

Phew! Thank goodness.

I am working on a baby blanket for the next baby that that comes along. My youngest son is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend, also one of my grand daughters is too with her boyfriend so with the Universe's blessing and not so long into the future, there might be a new baby. Hopefully a marriage or two first though!

I will get some blue variegated yarn too to make squares and some white to crochet them all together and put an edge all around. Maybe even back it too with some nice soft baby fleece. Got plenty of time!

6 comments:

Living Alone in Your 60'sOctober 9, 2017 at 2:23 AM
Try, try, try again and you did it. They look lovely, especially the scalloped edges.
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Carol- Beads and BirdsOctober 9, 2017 at 4:09 AM
Practice makes perfect and you met the challenge. The blocks are pretty and I'll wait to see how you crochet them together. I'd like this process too if the loom were bigger..maybe 6 inches.
xx, Carol
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KimMOctober 10, 2017 at 8:41 AM
Looks good to me!
xxx
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mamasmercantileOctober 11, 2017 at 11:21 AM
Well done for your perseverance and some beautiful squares made. How wonderful to have a plan for their use, sounds lovely. Thank you for your lovely comment I hope you will visit again and enjoy my adventures through life.
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KimOctober 25, 2017 at 7:50 AM
The progress is apparent! Good work and keep going, there is so much you can do!
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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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Sunday, October 8, 2017

It took a lot of failures but finally I can use the loom successfully

6 comments: