Lottie’s blog

Ridiculous Glubs

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:09:22 -0700

So I'm making these typing glubs for Bash, and I'm sure you'll agree, they've gotten a bit ridiculous.

On the other hand, the pattern (which is can be found for free here) says it's for two circular needles, but can be knit with DPNs. This photo has eight DPNs in it! Fortunately, I've tried it on and the ribbing makes it very snug, the natural vegetable-dyed fibres from Greenfibres make it very warm (and dye your hands), and I'm very pleased with it so far...

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Sock-recycling trials and tribulations

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:38:03 -0700

Andy's sock, unraveled

So, I am recycling some socks. Apparently, this is what people used to do, Back In The Day when it was the norm to make your own clothes, make do and mend, spend a hefty amount of money when someone else had made them. Unraveling woolly things, and then turning them into something new and better, is something I love to do.

Andy's socks are lovely, they're all soft and cuddly and warm! Unfortunately, they have some very big holes in the heel. Despite me telling him that the socks would be smaller, he kindly agreed to let me play with them.

Andy's sock, partly done

I have finished one sock, and it's sort of like those tiny ladies' socks that finish just below the ankle bone. Once again it's that free toe-up DK sock pattern, but adapted for thinner yarn and needles. I loved knitting it because I had to use little thin needles, so the work is very fine. I even used ribbing for the first time in a sock - trying to do good work for other people is what makes me get better at what I do, in general. I really like it for these reasons, but I am having a bit of trouble with it, I'm not quite satisfied.

The fuzzy wool itself is quite weak in patches, where they were not-quite-worn-through before. Although it was easy to unravel, when knitting it sometimes it just *pffffff* pulls apart and snaps. It's not a problem to fix, but it can get a bit tiring. The top of the sock, because it's so close to the heel, is quite loose. So I decided to sew in some of the elastic from its previous incarnation, but it's really fiddly to get the tension right; I'm still faffing about with it now. I think for the next one I will add the elastic as I go.

But other than those two weeny things, I am very pleased with it!

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I made a cell phone sock!

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:16:57 -0700

Not that I've gone all American, but it's an American pattern and it sounds better than mobile phone sock!

I made it for Cat, on double-pointed needles, and a crochet hook for the button hole thingy. The original free pattern can be found here.

I also finished Shven's green and black socks, also on DPNs - he has big feet, so it took ages. The free pattern can be found here.

Both of these can be found on my Ravelry notebook, woo!

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Inclement weather!

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:37:22 -0700

So, around lunch time, just when it was starting to get busy, Swansea Show was cancelled and evacuated due to inclement weather! This makes sense, as the rain was a bit scary and the wind was causing rather large branches to fall from the trees. I heard a rumour that one boy was hit by a falling branch, and an ambulance was called.

On the bright side, I sold one set of stationery yesterday (well, Liz sold it when I had wandered off). It was so quiet yesterday, and it was a bit busier today but I didn't sell anything at all. Oh well, maybe next time!

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A craft fair, and Ravelry.com

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Tue, 13 May 2008 04:11:44 -0700

So, I will be sharing a stand with someone at the Swansea Show in Singleton Park on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th of May, the bank holiday! I will be spending much time making stationery like a crazy thing, and I might try and sell some knitted things too, because the more the merrier.

On a more internet-based note, I received my invite to Ravelry.com a couple of days ago and I'm just now adding my projects - two in progress, and about four in the queue. I've even contributed a couple of patterns, though they're not viewable right now. It'd be really cool if other people started knitting them. You can find my profile here and my "notebook" (projects) here. How exciting!

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Sustainable stationery

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Sun, 04 May 2008 07:54:22 -0700

Magazine stationery

A lot of people don't realise that the phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" is written in order of priority. Making stationery from recycled paper is a fabulous thing, but reusing papery things to make other papery things is better, environment-wise.

Chemistry paper stationery

Today, I've been making sustainable stationery for my Etsy shop (or possibly my personal use) from Permaculture magazine. I think the editors would be proud. I've also been known to make envelope sets from out-of-date chemistry exam papers and world-record books, which are fun! The chemistry ones have been most popular.

They have the open part on a shorter edge, which I've always preferred, and I put them in sets of 6 with 12 sheets of paper, tied up with a nice reused ribbon.

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So, what am I doing here?

nobody@vox.com(Lottie) — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:00:44 -0700

I thought a blog would be a cool place to display my crafty gubbins, give links to free patterns where possible and generally keep track of my progress! I guess it also means that my friends and some random strangers can check out what I'm making and join in where applicable; maybe one day I'll be good enough to be The Blog to see fun crafty projects!...

Wool Monster Socks

So, to start the whole process off, I'd like to share a couple of pieces I've made recently that I'm proud of. The first is a pair of socks (free pattern here) that I knitted for a friend from all the endy bits of wool that accumulated - I am of the opinion that they look like they were thrown up by a wool monster.

Crocheted Lens Cap

The second is more beautiful, a crocheted lens cap for Bash's camera; I just took the measurements, crocheted a circle and then stopped adding stitches for the rim. The result is a rasta hat with an elasticated rim and a co-ordinated cord to attach it to the camera! So fun and speedy to make, and Bash tells me people have asked where to get them from...!

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