Flagging it up

My first experiment at a log cabin blankie - and I'm not completely convinced. First, I overestimated how many stitches to pick up - major distortion, so I unpicked the middle and picked up on four dpns to knit a red centre. This kind of sorted it - until I noticed that I'd picked up the wrong side. I waited to see if I could live with it, but I couldn't, so out it came.

Then I found it took twice the red yarn the second time. Something wrong there, but I'm not sure what. Still quite distorted because it is hard to pick up and cast off at exactly the right tension to avoid this.

However, it's quite a startling effect, and I got the yarn at a giveaway price, so I was not wrecking good yarn in the experiment.

Innocent Hats

For some reason the charity knitting theme has taken hold. Perhaps it's the sense of making something from nothing, or the idea of community activity.
These are destined for Amelia's drive for hats for Innocent Smoothies. Yes, it's a marketing or image-building ploy, but 50p to Age Concern is a generous contribution for the results of twenty minute's knitting while watching tele.
First, some candy coloured offerings.








Next, a series representing different knitting traditions: Aran, Sanquhar, Fair Isle and Tyrolean. I can see this becoming a test of ingenuity.

Surprise.

Now what can this be? While knitting this for the first time it holds the attention although only garter stitch is used. This must be because you don't really know where you are on the garment until quite a late stage. Thus, the placing of stripes is a shot in the dark.


Eventually you reach a point where buttonholes are placed so it all starts to clarify. The section where you knit on the central 90 stitches for a while is mysterious. But the final mitreing of the front corners is not immediately clear. At last you have the whole piece off the needles...


And you have the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. I've wanted to knit this for some time, and I'm really pleased with the result.

Knitting for Kisiizi

Two little knits for Brigid's appeal. Rummaging through the bottom of a wardrobe I came across a cache of baby yarn. Not just yarn but all the pieces for one jumper and the back and one sleeve of the other - with the pattern. This meant a satisfyingly quick result. And to think that the bag had been there these eight years. All that was needed was the motivation.








I wonder how many other stalled projects I could dig out if I felt there was a need...under the bed, in the loft, in the other wardrobe, the dining-room.....

Charity Knitting

Knitting for charity.

Busy weekend made purposeful by the notion of joining in worthwhile schemes.

First, four squares for the Rebuilding Greensburg Block by Block project. Can it really be that those devastated by tornado damage are most in need of an afghan or knitted blanket? But the idea is compelling – if only we could resolve the world's big problems by knitting squares.

As my husband pointed out: anything which reduces the scrap yarn stash in our house has to be good news. And these were knitted from just some of the pale neutrals I used to knit the Pompei jacket all those years ago. So we have a way to go.

 

Next, some little hats for the hospital in Uganda supported by Brigid. I wasn't clear on the bonnets issue when I started these. Again these are just leftovers from previous projects. I never seem to have just little ends left.

Now, I learn from reading Rabbitch that mittens are needed on the Cheyenne reservation. There's a thought to fire the imagination: mittens, possibly inspired by the Latvians, on their way to support Native Americans. Did the Sioux Indians knit? And if so, with what? Buffalo fibre?

Another Aran cushion

Aran cushion in a pattern taken from an Aran jumper pattern. Just the front done in the complex pattern while the back is in double moss stitch. Two buttonhole loops and some neutral buttons and it's done.