My Miaow Mitts

These are the cutest things ever. Go and check out tinyowl at Ravelry.

Bobby's Conglomerate Cuffs

Inspired by fanalaine's version of the elf clobber cuffs, but based pretty well on tiny owl's white rabbit wrist-ees, both ala Ravelry...

Using some vintage Op-Shop mohair (which I am erroneously going to call 4-5ply) and size 2.75mm DPN's:
Cast On 49 stitches in Main Colour
Join into round (place marker at join) and K1, P1 rib for 2 rows MC.
4 rows (all Knit rows now) MC,
3 rows Contrast Colour.
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
Change to 2.25mm needles:
7 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
9 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
11 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
3 rows MC, then:
Knit and BACK and FORTH... ala FLAT. i.e. Knit one row, purl the next and no longer in the round.
10 rows MC (making a total of 13 MC rows in this stripe),
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC, then 2 rows K1, P1 rib.
Cast Off in rib.
Join the seam for the first 15-ish mm. Re-inforce the base of the opening by either seaming a tiny bit or just going over and over the place where it splits open for your Tom Thumb.

Nuffin to it.

P.S. I can't decide whether or not to add crochet? Maybe not? Maybe next time?

This Is What I Bought Today

I hate new machinery... but this DC6030 is so intuitive, and feels kind of similar to my dear old SR2100, that I'm coping quite well. This is a work-horse, not a show pony (I believe). Not carried away with fancy extra's. A dressmaker's machine.
Dear SR2100, after 26-27 years of rampant, hearty service, you are now entering tension dementia land. I love you. I LERVE you.
I'll have to keep it for a while before I can let go.

Finished! And It's Only October!

Considering that Ruby's birthday was July... it's still pretty good going I think. The bulk of it was done then but I wouldn't let her see it and gave her some nice books (she's in love with Mark Ryden).

So, here are details of the quilting. It's with woollen thread (aurifil Lana 8402 which I Love, and used in my Bluebird embroidery amongst other things) and is coarsely worked. I used to tie them all but this style of patchwork suits quilting. HERE'S the rest of the Wagga, and if you want to look at all of them, go here.
Oh, and, this is made from an old blanket, a length of wool found at the Op-Shop, one small (blue) new length and bits and pieces from my accumulation. The back is various old tea-towells, scraps of embroidery Ruby did as a child, vintage dresses, a skirt I used to wear all of the time, Japanese fabrics etc.

We pulled a few of these out of a wall near the Ballarat Art Gallery, probably two years ago, and now they are very happy. Our little bit of Portwenn.

Got A Hankering For Some New Potholders

I like to make a little train-project, but since I've been home with the pneumonia (doing well now thanks), I've almost done them. It's been nice really, after the initial BLEH... I've managed to close-to finish Ruby's Wagga, work out some knitting projects, think, catch up on Carey Grant movies (then back to Ingmar Bergman), just generally play at a quiet, sewing/knitting/movies pace.
However, today I am determoned to vacuum! My One True is sick now too, though not too badly... But he's a boy, so it's all cold & flu tablets and tele and compulsory company. Nice too!
Obviously, you are more than welcome to use the design, and you can sell any items made (only) if it's for a charity.

Once the pencil lines are washed of (with a soap-loaeded toothbrush), the shapes are more subtle.

Hmmm... maybe I need to re-do the moustache? Make it thicker.

I'm usually very neat on the back, but something got tangled and I didn't notice and it odesn't really matter at all so it's false pride to fix it.

I just hope their little ears don't get burnt too much.

Ruby's Wagga

I just have to quilt it in the seams... shouldn't take long.

 

The long story has a place now. I was never sure what to do with it, except stitch it. Ruby wrote it when she was 8 or 9. Can you see also "Why aren't I allowed to do enything?"... found (a long time ago) written small in a notebook. Ha ha ha! The lament of the youngest child.



Her childhood nickname was Gumboots. Here also is the tea-towell made at her primary school. She's up there near the corner.

 

An early attempt at embroidery.

See there a patchwork from The Stash.

Another or Ruby's early sewing experiences.

Up on the Hill's Hoist.

The Garden Book

I bought this beautiful, hand made Italian book (from Il Papiro in Degraves Street Melbourne) for us to use as our garden record. I want to put things like, when something flowers or when to sow or fertilize etc. Plus maybe which year a certain tree was planted. Of course, like everything I do, it gets bigger than Ben Hur and I've started illuminating the pages, sort of thing.
The paper is gorgeous! Proper watercolour paper or some thing like, and the cover is hand marbled. So amazing! I took ages to choose.

This is the front piece, which I will write our names or the garden address or some such thing.