Creating

18 March 2015



I am getting near to the birthday season, I need to make lots of presents between now and the end of May.  Perhaps I should rephrase that I don't need to, I could buy them, but homemade presents are so much better don't you think?  May feels like a very long time away, not least because I am hoping that the temperatures outside will be considerably warmer than they are now.  The last birthday is in fact 72 days away, I know this because it is Alice's and she asks me almost every day how many days............

So, I was hoping that I would have some sewing to show you this week but most of it is work in progress, either in my head or as a paper pattern.  I find that my making and finishing always comes in fits and starts.  It always has to fit round everything else I do, I am under no illusion on that one, but when I have lots to make it feels like it won't happen in time.  Then suddenly it all comes together and it's all done.

So I have lots of part finished projects including some knitting for Alice.  I decided I wanted to knit her a cardigan for her birthday and remembered that I had some yarn left over from a project I knitted her a few years ago.  I didn't have that much yarn left and struggled to find a pattern I liked which used such a small amount of yarn.  I realised that I didn't really have enough for a cardigan but when I found a pattern for a fairisle jacket in a book in the local library I knew that I had found the solution.  I don't have enough yarn for full length sleeves, in fact I am not even sure I have enough yarn for any kind of sleeve but I am sure I can sort something out.........

I had lots of ends of balls leftover from other projects which all match together perfectly, don't you think?  The downside of this pattern is it is knitted in the flat which is not really my favourite, all that sewing up at the end.  But given that this is my first fairisle knit I didn't think it would be wise to try and convert this to a knit in the round pattern, one thing at a time, eh?

I have been reading a history of astronomy trilogy which was a fascinating read, the science was easy to understand and I loved the social history interwoven into the story.  I can thoroughly recommend all three books.  I am sticking with history for my next read, I am rather liking this genre at the moment and they are easy to find in my library, they helpfully have a small sticker of a castellated tower on the spine.  I have just started this book so I have yet to decided whether I like it or not but I do love this period of history so I am hoping I will.  Set in the 1400s it follows the lives of two remarkable women, both called Margaret who are pulling at the strings of succession during the War of the Roses.  I am a few chapters in and am making good use of the helpful list of key characters at the front of the book.


16 comments:

  1. The cardigan is going to be cute, sleeves or not. I didn't know you can knit Fair Isle flat! I am struggling to get my head around that one, the stranding and all. Your stitches are so very neat!

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  2. Beautiful job on the fair isle! One knitting skill I never mastered.

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  3. Its beautiful. Love the sweet pink and the colors you chose- perfection for a little girl.

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  4. Yes, homemade presents are much better, at least I think so. They carry a certain feeling of love, thoughtfulness, and care that a store bought present can't possibly measure up to. The cardigan looks lovely, can't wait to see the finished product.

    Have the most wonderful day, hope the sun is shining on you :)

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  5. This is one of the reasons I prefer paper books to electronic readers, it is easy to flick back through to check dialogue, plot details, or, as this case, key characters X

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  6. Lovely colourwork. Very pretty!

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  7. Gorgeous knitting, such neat stitches
    Caz xx

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  8. That is a beautiful piece of knitting! And everything does all come together in the end, doesn't it?

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  9. Oooh that knitting looks absolutely beautiful and very well done :)

    Lluisa xoxo

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  10. Your knitting is so pretty. I love the colors in it. Our birthday season is late summer through fall, and I feel like you are now when it rolls around. Succession looks excellent and just like something I'd enjoy; I'll see if the library has it. Thank you for the suggestion.

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  11. It is lovely and a perfect use of all those extra bits of yarn. I do think that knitting fair isle in the round is easier than knitting it flat, but I use two hands to work the colors, so that may make the difference. I look forward to watching your progress!

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  12. It's going to be so pretty. Fairisle is something I've never had a go at myself, it looks daunting.

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  13. Oh, the sweater looks so pretty. My little babe would love all of that pretty pink!

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  14. Love that sweater! And I agree, homemade presents are the very best.

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  15. Wow, for your first Fairisle project that is looking pretty amazing!
    Sx

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