I’m knitting a hat – for Daisy???

I wasn’t joking when I said I was going to knit a bobble hat.   It’s Gabby’s fault.  I saw her sporting this hat at one of the 6 Nations rugby matches and wanted one myself, with a big fluffy feathery pompom atop.

So I got busy, found this pattern on Ravelry and a ball of Stylecraft Life DK in Mixtures Denim in the local yarn shop.

I even knitted up a gauge swatch and from this I decided I needed to go up half a needle size, cast on and started knitting.  (I did continue knitting the swatch in the larger needle size to be sure).

But it looks suspiciously small to me.

Very small indeed!  More of an ear warmer than a hat

I cajoled my knitting assistant into trying it on for me, and guess what – it fits her.  Not that she’s impressed, and neither am I for that matter.  It’s never going to stretch enough to fit my head.

I’ve double checked my gauge, and whilst row wise it’s good,  7.5 rows to the inch (not sure how you knit or measure half a row) …

… stitch (width) wise, it’s quarter of an inch smaller than it should be (5 stitches to the inch).

Now I’m wondering dear readers, when measuring swatches, should you stretch rib out a little, or measure in it’s unstretched state – I must have stretched it a little when measuring.  I did cast on more than the 5 stitches and knitted more than 7.5 rows, but I think I should have cast on twice as many stitches for the swatch than I did.

You know what I’m going to be doing this afternoon – yep unravelling and knitting another larger swatch to try and get the needle size right.   

But at least this was successful.  I made a wheat bag yesterday.  I’ve added a couple of handfuls of lavender to the wheat – it’s very comforting when warmed up in the microwave and placed against aching muscles and smells lovely.

Jane & Daisy xx

PS, someone got rewarded with a biscuit for being such a lovely patient model.

Isn’t she beautiful …

I’ve had this orchid for a couple of years now.

Somehow or other I’ve managed to persuade her to flower again.

She usually sits in the kitchen window but I’ve moved her so that I can sit and admire her beauty.

I wonder ….

… did these two live happily ever after?

I wonder where are they now?  I wonder how many years ago a young man carved a heart for his love?  Did she know or see it I wonder, or was it love from afar, a young man’s fancy?

 It’s faded message is most noticeable in the winter on a sunny day.

I wonder what she saw, what caught her attention?

I wonder, can the sky look any bluer than this?

 It was early evening when we got around to our walk – beautiful and bitterly cold. The birds were still singing heartily and the shadows were lengthening – we enjoyed ourselves – wondering.

Yawn …

… she’s got me doing this modelling thing again.

Yes, that is sunshine and blue sky you can see – it’s about time she took me walkies instead of dressing me up.   Though I look rather fetching in blue don’t you think?

Oh dear, it’s so difficult to find a good model these days, shall have to do it myself.   Yes this is the finished honey cowl in the King Cole cotton soft Saxe blue.  It had previously been knitted into a Thermis cowl which I wasn’t very happy with.

 I have made a couple of mistakes with the pattern, but was too near the end to do any more unravelling.  This particular yarn has been unravelled enough already!  I’ve finished just in time for the return of winter part 2, or is it part 3?  I can feel a bobble hat coming on next.  Looks as if I’m going to need it too!  Right, we’re off for a walk before that big yellow ball in the sky disappears!

February Collage

A few days later than planned, but here’s February’s picture collage

 

I’ve surprised myself with how much I’ve achieved this past month.

Enjoy

Jane xx

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus …

… or Happy St David’s Day.

I’m wearing my handmade Daff with pride today.

Thank you for popping by.  Jane xx

Spring …

… is coming, finally.

Pussy willow buds have appeared.

As have the snowdrops planted beneath it.

And there is an abundance of catkins dancing on the hazel trees.  Yesterday hazy sunshine finally appeared, and today we have more.  Time for our walk.

Thank you for popping in and reading.  Jane xx

Simplicity 7625

Finally, it’s taken a month to make!  (View 3)

I added pockets, but as there was not enough fabric to make the pocket bags I used some liberty that I’ve had for yonks.

It’s a lovely pure wool herringbone suiting bought from the local Hospice shop some years ago.  It must have been the last or first yard from the roll – there is hand writing in yellow along one end.

Lined with silk.  I made a facing instead of a waistband.  The pleat insertion had to be cut on the crossways grain (with the yellow writing on the wrong side) as there wasn’t enough to cut it on grain.  Having finished, I think it really needs a waistband.  I wonder if I can draft a shaped one and patch up the offcuts?  I knew all through the project it needed a waistband, but ignored the nagging wisdom of my inner seamstress.

 Finally, no post is complete without my sewing companion, Daisy!

I left my hair dry naturally today for the first time since having it cut, hence big bad hair day.

Jane & Daisy xx

A little sprucing

It must be the sunshine because I’ve been busy

 sprucing up this des res for chickens.  It’s been about 4 years since we last had chickens, and I’ve decided it’s time to sell the chicken coup.  On Sunday it had a coat of wood preservative before it finds a new home.

Yesterday afternoon I decided the shed needed a sprucing up as well

so out came the paintbrush and tin of wood preservative.  Now I need to get inside and give it a good tidy up in readiness for the gardening season.

 

I had to cut the loganberry that grows up the side of the shed right down to the ground so that I could get at the wood, but there are several nice fat pink buds ready to shoot out any time.

Now there’s a bench in a sheltered sunny spot and a cup of tea with my name on it.

Toodle pip for now.

Jane & Daisy xxx

Knitted, and unravelled …

One bow knot scarf completed

and one Thermis cowl unravelled and starting a new life as a honey cowl (fingers crossed).