As snazzy as the layout is here at Vox, the editing is a bugger. So, I've managed to get over to Dreamwidth!
My new blog address is http://lottie.dreamwidth.org and I've been up to quite a lot of stuff, so come and have a look. :)
I've had a lot of stuff on, I think - plus a few commissions, which made me really happy!
I've had a custom order of price tags with website address printed on them, they turned out like this:
I feel a general life update is in order!
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I love Coriandr. My "seedling", above, shows some stuff I have for sale in my shop. I've sold a couple of things, which is impressive because it's not that well-known. Also I have bought lots. Today I received a custom order - I posted a request in the forums and someone told me that his wife at Ruby Spirit Designs could come to my rescue. Two days later, I have gorgeous stitch markers, exactly as I wanted them, at a very reasonable price! I am so impressed.
- I have started a project for myself! Unusual and much needed. It's going to be a jumper, with cables. Normally I think cables look old-fashioned, but I'm knitting Baby Cables and Big Ones Too (Ravelry link) and I love the way they decrease as they go. It's classy, modern and traditional! Here's a photo of what I've got so far.
- I have a disgusting cold! I can't breathe through my nose at all, and my face feels like it's full of painful concrete. I thought you'd like to know about that.
I finished these socks for Tye today! They only took me four days because I knitted with two sock yarns together, and did two at a time on one long circular needle. They went by a lot faster - 15 hours, compared to 27 hours! - and they're really thick and warm. This is good, because Tye had asked for winter socks and I only had skinny sock yarn. Two threads together makes good wintry socks. :)
So here is the Ravelry page, and I've included a photo for your enjoyment.
Hello again!
I just thought I'd let you all know about Folksy.com, a relatively baby UK craft-selling site. Like Etsy, but without all the annoying listing/viewing of currency in $USD. Also, small and community-ish and not too bad with the prices.
Come along and buy something or sell something! There's loads of fascinating stuff. :) My shop can be found here.
I finished some of Saartje's Booties recently - I made a pair to test out whether I'd like to make some for the various babbies that are popping up all over the place suddenly. I wasn't happy with the seams, though I'm sure a newborn wouldn't mind. I've decided to just make weeny socks instead. Frances loved the first one so much that I gave it to her, and I'll be posting the second one to Sheffield to be united with its twin. :)
Not strictly speaking knitting, I know. But.
I'm taking part in a Round Robin on the PostCrossing forums, and that means I have to send four people a postcard on the given theme. I'll then get a postcard from each of them. My theme is All About Women, and my cards must be handmade, too. So I sent one off yesterday, and here are the last three I made today. :)
(For those of you who aren't addicted yet, PostCrossing is a website for people who like to send and receive postcards - each postcard has a random recipient and a tracking number so you know it's reached its destination. Lots of fun! Sort of like my other hobby, BookCrossing.)
I printed some pictures I liked onto photopaper, then layered tissue paper and thin strips of coloured card around the edges to hide the white borders. Then, because I was worried that the glue wouldn't hold out through international mail, I used a needle and thread to overstitch the borders. I am quite pleased with the result, hence the blog post!
Steve got home and saw them and said they were very professional! Yay! Mind you, he is a builder... ;)
As the people close to me now know through the ongoing whining etc, I have a new knitting injury that is forcing me to take a break from my favourite thing - I has RSI! DOOOOOOM!
I have strange inner sharp achy pains inside my right upper arm and shoulder. Not very good at all. On the other hand, until it goes away, I can do things like write letters and cook! Hurrah! :P
I am dying to finish Paul's scarf though, I've only just started. Ravelry link.
This scarf is stretchy, cuddly, warm, and looks the same on both sides. It has a pleasing diagonal twisty pattern. It looks good in all kinds of yarn. Tip: Use needles one or two sizes up from your usual for the chosen yarn. As far as I know, this can only be done "throwing" style (with the yarn in your right hand).
This scarf pattern isn't really a pattern, so much as a stitch instruction.
Ready... steady...
Take some delicious DK yarn, and some size 4.5mm straight needles. Cast on 40 stitches for about 7 inches wide.
- Slip the first stitch of each row knitwise.
- Insert the needle into the next stitch knitwise. Wrap the yarn around both needles. At this point, it will look a bit like knit-two-together (k2tog) because you will have two "stitches" to knit into one.
- Continue as if it's a normal knit stitch - lay the yarn between the needles, pull it through with the right hand needle, slip the old stitch off the left needle.
- Do as many rows as you like and cast off with a stretchy technique.
Credits!
I learned this stitch from my ex-boyfriend's grandmother, Celia. She was using it to make dishcloths, for which this stitch is ideal. I'm not sure why it's called cabbage stitch, but I imagine that the rows look like a field full of tidy rows of cabbages. I have since learned that the actual stitch is very similar to twisted drop stitch!
As you can see, I have finished the cardi - and you'll be thrilled to know I weaved the last end in at two minutes to midnight on Christmas Eve!
I've started some socks for Becka and a scarf for Paul. I've also finished Grace's wrist-warmers, and I'll try to post a photo if I can.
Exciting news! I got a set of Knitpicks Interchangeables! I am using them for everything, because I can!
I think I'll write up a pattern for Paul's scarf, but I'll check it doesn't already exist...
on Cabbage Stitch Scarf Pattern