knits and knots and natters

The other day I went looking for a bag of green flecked wool that I knew I had but couldn't remember where I'd put. I searched high and then I searched low and found it under my bed with a bunch of other bits and pieces of the woolly persuasion including the start of a granny hottie that I hooked up last year. Fancy that! I fully remember making that red one but I wonder why I started and then stopped this green one. I'd better finish it off don't you think.


After I found the green wool I cast on some Emerald Fingerless Mittens to swap with a potter for some beakers. It feels a bit funny to be making something for someone I've never even met in real life but a bit fun all the same. I hope she likes them.


In the middle of all this I turned around in my desk chair one day and contemplated the stacks of vintage sheets that I have been collecting but neglecting for years. Piles of them all neatly folded and colour coded. I thought about cutting out and sewing a dress for someone but it's not really sundress weather. So I pulled some down, tore off some 3cm lengths, found a 10mm hook, crocheted a 26 chain stitches and started a rag rug.

The beginning was quick and fun but then it started hurting my hands and curling up at the edges so I took a break. It's so cold and there's so much knitting to be done that I can't really afford to hurt myself right now. Or ever. I think I've got a 15mm hook around here somewhere that might help  to make it looser and easier.

If you were an oversized crochet hook where would you hide from me?


The minute before I put my rag rug aside to rest it occurred to me that my time would probably be better spent making something woolly and wearable. In these crazy cold days something that protects against the chilliness must be valued higher than something pretty, every single time.

So I systematically searched through my stash, found three bandless balls of something that looked 12plyish, found a pattern on Ravelry, swatched and cast on. And despite the fact that Indi said I would never wear that colour, I knitted on.

It was a quick knit and after about two nights I found myself nearing the end of the first ball which in turn made me happy and then concerned. Happy because I could imagine myself wearing my thick, cuddly cardi by the end of the week. And then concerned because there was no way I was a third of the way into the knit and yet here I was a third of the way into my wool.

That's when I realised I had underestimated the amount of yarn I would need. And I got out the kitchen scales and weighed it all up and realised that I was right, I was way under. Oops. I'm so used to knitting 8ply that I had forgotten that the same weight of 12ply would give me less length. And being wool from the Bendigo Woollen Mills back-room I knew there wasn't much chance of getting any more. Bum!


After that I knitted up some Small Fry Fingerless gloves for Pepper. Look at her cute little meditation hands.


Next up is socks. Wish me luck.

Or maybe I'll have to put all that on hold to knit with the smooshiest yarn ever that just arrived in Jodie's Jellywares Winter yarn club. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Decisions. Decisions.

So that's me all caught up creatively.
How about you? What've you been up to?

I hope you're feeling inspired and creative. I hope you've got a fun project on the go.

Ciao!

xx

Old tee-shirts - new rug

It's a funny time of year, isn't it? Neither here nor there, but in between somewhere.

We haven't left the farm for days.

We've been doing jobs, reading books, making pom-poms, gardening, creating yummy things to eat and spending hours and hours cooking elaborate tea parties in the cubby-house.

And I've finally started my rag rug.

A few weeks ago I spied a bag full of old colourful tee-shirts in the hall-way at my farmer boy's folks house. I quickly intercepted their path to the shed to become rags, by claiming they were exactly what I needed for my next craft project.

So for the past few weeks we've had a bag full of old tees outside the doorway of our bedroom. Waiting.

I must admit, I do have other bags and piles of future craft project materials stashed around the house. At one stage I had such great intentions for all of them. Mostly I'm still hopeful for some of them. But time marches on and new crafty plans are hatched along the way.

But this bag of tees called out to me each time I passed. And I found myself looking longingly back at it as if to reassure it and myself that I hadn't forgotten. I was just waiting for the perfect chunk of time.

Yesterday was that time.

Yesterday I dragged a big old quilt outside under the shade of the oak tree and started cutting. I knew that if I began looking through books or online tutorials that I'd get distracted and the moment would be lost. So I cut what looked like one inch strips and using a 10mm hook, I started crocheting around and around. Increasing six stitches each round.

To be honest, I'm not certain at this stage that I even like the look of it. I've spent so many hours staring at it that I can't even see it anymore. But I like doing it. I like the rhythm of it. I like the thought of giving something old a new life. I like how Jo Jo the dog keeps me company on my quilt. And I really like how quiet my mind is as my hands are busily  hooking around in circles. It's fun.

And in the end, if I like it I'll bring it inside, and if I don't, the girls can have it for the cubby. Win-win!

So how are you anyway?
What have you been busily creating?

See you next year!

Love Kate xx