Rats...

Remember the long-sleeved top I made here? Fate seems determined I shall never get to wear it again. Got it out of the washing machine and there was a stain right in the middle of it - washed it again, and not only has the stain not gone, but a new one has turned up. Not impressed!

I'm currently sewing a grey shift dress, and am having a bit of a nightmare with the sleeves. First I put them in back to front - and had overlocked them, so unpicking was fun! Then I tacked them in the right way round - all seemed well, but once sewn in, they still pull funny at the shoulders.

Either the dress becomes sleeveless, or it goes into the circular file. I hope it's the former!

This is the dress:


In other news, I've been asked to knit some toys for a work colleague's impending arrivals in September - an anime bunny called "Totoro". I've never made amigurumi before, so it'll be a learning experience.

Weird dream last night that I discovered we'd got a second cat, a female tortie, who had somehow hidden in our house and lived on Eddie's leftovers. Bizarre! He snuggled up for the second time this morning, only a few minute on me as I lay in bed, but it's progress. Purring away too! :)

Current mood: sleepy

FO: tossed alphabet skirt

Another Lutterloh pattern, if you can call it that - it's just a simple rectangle. Belatedly posting this as it was made two weeks ago during the heatwave.





Loving sewing with jersey (especially the "no fraying" aspect) and trying to stop myself from buying more of it!

More socks need photographing, I must get a round tuit. Some lovely rainbow socks I knitted at the AGM have come out a little odd - one pools, one stripes, and the pooling one (my favourite) is noticeably shorter than its mate. Hoping there's enough yarn left to knit a third one...

Current mood: enthralled

FO: tossed alphabet top

I just love this fabric! Simple sleeveless top, a Lutterloh pattern, run up this weekend from leftovers. If I make it again I might add a little fabric to the armholes, they are a little snug for my liking.

There's also a matching skirt but the Cog reckons wearing both together would be a "bit much".

Current mood: impressed

Hot and bothered

Well, the Guild of Machine Knitters AGM went off very well. I didn't get much chance to circulate or take photos, as I was demonstrating my CSM. It was a tedious drive down there (so much for the Fosse being a straight route - pity everyone else thinks so too!), but the Premier Inn in Frome was comfortable and the food at the attached Beefeater very good too. Pity the salted caramel apple crumble was off, I really fancied that!

Anyway, a quick photo roundup:




A selection of challenge garments


Newsletter garments


Fantastic knitted doll's house, there's even a kitkat on the sofa!


Lots of cake!


Loved this punch lace garment.


Guild business in progress

We could not have asked for better weather, in fact the fashion show was curtailed as it was just too hot to move! I have a few items to post and sort out and then I'm done. It all got put back into the garage and I was just too hot to deal with it yesterday.

Having just said that, I did make another lutterloh t-shirt and finish off a skirt in leftover "tossed alphabet" fabric, so expect pictures soon. I also have some handknit socks to photograph, some CSM socks to finish and I finally pressed the pink hybrid jumper and it looks a lot better now, though I'm still not sure about the neck...

Current mood: hot

Of Facebook, and Ravelry, and cabbages, and kings

...with apologies to Lewis Carroll!

After Wednesday's little FB snit, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised I got kicked out of a knitting group (!) - the woman with the tenuous grasp of file security is also the owner/moderator of the group. The thread also got deleted which I will take as an admission of guilt. I won't hold my breath for an apology, I'll suffocate! :D So if you do happen to get a link when you buy patterns, don't assume it's for public use. The owner might just be very, very careless. Ha!

Another group suddenly got archived yesterday - not one I regularly frequented, but a lot of useful information, some of which was uploaded by a Passaper who has since passed away. Seems on FB you are at the mercy of the mood of the admin/mod. Because of the first situation I went hunting for a Facebook Moderator "Code of Practice" - and drew a blank. Yup, FB is the wild west saloon of the internet as far as I can tell. Thank goodness for Ravelry - they have proper, sensible guidelines (you'll have to be a member to access that, sorry!). One of the roles of a moderator is to quell disputes and calm drama - not start more!

It's far easier to find stuff on Rav anyhoo - I've spent about half an hour looking for a sewing pattern number I'm positive was shared on FB (because I fancied buying it myself) and no luck so far...

Made a skirt from the leftover "tossed alphabet" fabric, but managed to cut two tiny nicks near the hem. Think some crafty interfacing might be in order. Oops, and damn my sharp cutting scissors! Serves me right for rushing it... There's still enough fabric for a vest or something. Definitely a matching scrunchie too, natch!

Current mood: sad

FO: Crochet blanket, hats, hybrid sweater

A finished blanket - apols for the mess, it was a quick mad dash photo whilst himself was unloading his car this morning.


More hats, mostly made with blanket leftovers


My hybrid sweater - not too sure about the big neck though!


Slightly better shot of the Agnes top...

Elsewhere online, a seller of intarsia patterns on FB is complaining that I shared a link to her patterns (I won't give her the oxygen of publicity/drama she craves by naming her)- she didn't secure them, but apparently that's my problem not hers? Sorry, but if you are too lazy to sort out your security, you probably want to revisit your business model. Or step away from the computer, you're too daft to be let loose on the internet. 'nuff said...

Kind of like painting a rude word on the side of the police station, and then complaining when *gasp* folks actually READ it... Sigh. Some days it's not even worth chewing through the straps...

Current mood: amused

FO: Agnes top (G&G workshop)

Finished this top as part of a one-day workshop at Guthrie & Ghani in Birmingham. Didn't sew the material to the sewing machine once, unlike my first experience sewing with jersey.

We graded the neckline (size 1) to the shoulders (size 5) then out to size 7 for my hips. It's quite figure-hugging!

If I make this top again, I'll probably do the following:

• Drop the neckline a bit ( I prefer them a bit lower)
• Increase the bust gathers
• Make the sleeves 3/4 length

Got enough of the material (from Girl Charlee) to make a matching skirt, I think! Off to Lutterloh to have a look! Bought a twin stretch needle because I love the look of the simple turned-up hems. 

Current mood: enthralled