Branching Out

I know I haven't posted for ages, but I've still been knitting, as well as sewing. So I'm going to try and bring you up to date.

First off here is a photo of my finished Nicole from Rowan mag no. 39.


nicole pattern rowan mag#39 

I had to rip the stitch pattern out on the back a few times, but once I got the hang of it, it came out really well. It took a while to find the buttons, but I'm glad I kept looking, I think it finishes it off well.

For some reason I've been making a lot of bags lately, previously not being that much of a bag person.


abyssus nauta(hello sailor) bag 


ribbon bag 

The basic bag pattern came from Stitch n' Bitch Handbook, then I just added the ribbons.

My mum used to make clothes for my sister and I when we were little, so when I decided to give something a bit more complicated a whirl I asked for her help. I'd been looking around that shop for a summer dress but I didn't see one that I liked, so I came the the conclusion that is what I should make. I found a pattern and fabric at a shop in Leeds and, with the help of my mum, I got to work.


summer dress 
It's a Simplicity design from the New Lookrange.

It actually worked out a lot better than I expected. The body side seams and the skirt side seams don't quite match up, but I don't think it's too bad for my first item of clothing. I had to cut about 5in of the bottom so that I didn't look like I was standing in a hole, but on the hole I'm really pleased with the result.

It was my birthday at the end of May, and for my birthday my parents got me Kit in a Tin. It's made with Rowan Holiday and Summer Tweed, I don't know if you've seen rowan holiday, but it's quite a weird yarn to knit with.

knit tin bag 

I decided to condence my photos with Mosaic Maker so that the post isn't really long, but if you want see a bigger photo of the things I finished you can look in my Flickr Gallery.

Sorry

It's been so long since I've blogged that I'm having trouble remembering what I've done since I last wrote.

I had 2 knitting projects on the go last time I posted. I've finished the After Bertha Socks that I was making for my sister, I used Opal Uni 4ply leftover from the socks that I made her last year, so again she mismatched socks.



Pattern After Bertha from Socks, Socks, Socks.
Yarn Opal Uni 4ply.

And I've very nearly finished Nichole. Not before I ripped out the patter detail a few times though. There are lost of yarn forwards and lifting stitches over other stitches in the pattern, not to mention that you are decreasing at 1 st at each edge at the same time, I got so sick of counting stitches to make sure that I hadn't lost any when I shouldn't have!


nicole front 

Since I took that photo I've sewn the sides together. I just need to sew the straps to the back and find 4 buttons for the front, so far I haven't seen any that I like, but there are one or two more shops I can try.

I'll post again soon with my current projects, knitting and sewing - I'm diversifying :D

Do you remember...

this?


first fingerless glove 

Well the second glove hasn't been in the bottom of my knitting bag waiting to be finished, it's been in my coat pocket along with the other one where they're used every time I go out.


finished pair of fingerless gloves 

I finished them before Christmas, but I put them straight into my coat pockets and kept forgetting to get them out to take a photo of them.
If you would like to make these fabulous fingerless glove you can find the pattern on Kimberlys Blog

Since coming back from holiday I've been feeling crafty again. I've finished my After Bertha socks made with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn.


finished After Bertha socks 

I've made a row counter bracelet. I first saw row counter bracelets on a Australian web site called The Wool Shack and thought they were a bit expensive, then a few months agoKimberly put a photo of one that she had made herself on her blog. So I was inspired to have a go at making one.


my row counter bracelet 

As for things that I'm making at the moment I have 2 projects. Project 1, more socks for my sister. She liked my After Bertha socks and asked if I would make her some, I still had some Opal socks yarn left from the other socks that I made her so that's what I'm using.


project 1 

Project 2 is Nicole from Rowan Magazine #39


project 2 

There isn't much I can say about it at the moment. I think the fun will really start when it comes to shaping the neck!


nicole vest top so far  

Holiday Snaps

I got back from my holiday in Gran Canaria last Monday, I had a really nice time, Gran Canaria is beautiful and I will definitely go back again.
I thought I'd share some of my holiday with you.


view from the bungalow where I stayed. 


I saw a few different types of lizard, but this was the only photo I took. 


mountains seen from maspalomas. 


view over maspalomas 


I can't remember where this church is, but although it looks really old it was only actually finished about 20 years ago.  


this was taken on a day trip through the mountains  


also taken on day trip through the mountains 

Secret Socks

I've been keeping something from you, I made 2 more Christmas gifts than I've been letting on. My sister asked me if I would make some socks for her friends Faye & Jonathan, and me bring the fabulous sister that I am, I said yes.
I email her some photos of the different types of Opal sock yarn that she could choose from, she picked Opal Prisam.


sock yarn 

The reason I didn't tell you I was making them is that Faye sometimes looks at my blog, so I didn't want to give the game away!
For Fayes socks I used the same pattern I used for both mine and my sisters socks.
For Jonothans, we didn't know what size feet were, so I used the After Bertha pattern from Socks Socks Socks, it's a heelless sock so I could keep knitting until thought it was long enough.
I forgot to take a photo of the socks before they got wrapped up, so I asked Faye if she could take some photographs for me.


Fayes socks(I do a very good job of matching the stripes) 


Jonathans socks(quite a good match, more though luck than management!) 


Faye & Jonathans socks together. 

There hasn't been much knitting happening lately, I'm in a bit of a slump. But I'm going on holiday on Monday for 2 weeks and I'm going to take some knitting with me, hopefully knitting in the sun will get my knitting groove back.

Christmas Gifts

This year I got my first knitting related Christmas gifts, my lovely family got me a pair of beautiful beaded knitting needles, a Chocolate Bite stitch marker and a sewing Needle Case, all from The Wool Shack.


needles 

I also got 2 books, The Pleasures of Knitting by Ann McCauley and Quilted Bags in a Weekend by Ellen Kharade. My sister got me the Quilted Bags book, I think she only got it so I'll make her lots of bags, or it could have been because it was on my Amazon wish list:D


christmas gifts 

After Christmas, when Get Knitted reopened I they had some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Iris Garden was on sale, so I decided to treat myself to a couple of hanks.


treat for myself 

I also bought January's Simply Knitting magazine, which had some free labels that can be sewn onto what you've made, and some Clover coil knitting needle holders.
Here is the Lorna's Laces so far.


lorna's laces sock so far 

The pattern is After Bertha from Socks Socks Socks, it's a heelless pattern so I won't waste any Lorna's Laces yarn.

The Christmas gifts I made were well received. Emily(cousins daughter) loved Fifi and my Nana was really pleased with her Hotwater Bottle Cover.