Interchangeable knitting + Markers + Paws ...

I'm VERY slowly advancing with the dog fur knitting - here's the latest length of the shawl with the first stripe of the darker yarn now complete. I've gone back to the initial colour for another banding of it before introducing the darkest yarn:

Several "silly but infuriating" problems have been experienced to date:

• the interchangeable needles I started knitting the shawl with, with were not working as well as when there were fewer stitches on the needle. The interchange section kept coming undone but I don't think as a result of the needles themselves. The lace stitch pattern (ie. wool over needle part) + the increasing stitches + stitch markers were all having a tendency to get "caught up". With the increasing width, the needle & cord interchange would untwist with the result that the stitches just dropped off the needle midstream of a pattern!!!
• Changing the needle to a standard circular one cured this problem but caused another!!! As this needle was a standard but longer length, the increase in width from 100 to 200 stitches has led to the knitting being somewhat "squashed" across the needle. With the lace pattern being a series of 'yarn overs', some stitches have a tendency to 'stick' together with the problem then of stitches being lost!!!
• The initial stitch markers I was first using were changed to a 'safety pin' style one as the earlier ones just kept getting caught in the yarn/stitches (&/or dropping off) as the width of knitting began to increase.
• A few initial problems when started (see earlier blogs), led me to handwrite the original pattern in full. Although the main pattern is a repeat over a specific number of rows, the further decision to maintain the pattern re-write has been a very good one especially as a means of keeping an eye on the stitch count!!

As the knitting has developed, the lace pattern appears to resemble PAWS (see below) - rather nicely I think!!

Dog fur shawl - next colour ...

After the early problems at the start (click here for Stitcherydoodaa Studio entries), I think they are now resolved & this is where I have now got to:

Somewhere around top of shoulder level (& it's quite difficult to see exactly where), I've just begun the first colour change. It's the darker mixed fur - generally that from lower ruff & body sides. I'm not exactly sure how much of this I'll complete but envisage somewhere upper arm distance.

Dog fur knitting underway ...

 

My dog fur yarn knitting is well underway (mixed fur above) ... so far a hat (below) & the start of a lace shawl.

If you want to find out more, please follow the link to 'Projects' or follow my Stitcherydoodaa Studio blog.

Plant people originating from "Seeds from my Textile Garden" ...

With the computer out of action in December 2015, I was unable to upload images from the gardening club talk (see previous post) ... so here are some of them:

Plant people (made from lolly sticks & haberdashery)
- I'm now using these as window dressings !

Flowers (from yarn balls & doilies)

Tree decorations & bird deterrants (from sequin waste)

Fabric plants made by gardening club members

Fabric plants made by gardening club members

"Seeds from my Textile Garden" ...

This evening I'm giving a talk to a gardening club (specific details will be uploaded soon when my computer has come back from being upgraded!).

You may start to wonder what have textiles & gardening in common? My first thoughts were germinating on COLOUR (click this link to see what I mean) & secondly, what can be made using a variety of 'textiles'? Being near to Christmas, ideas were not short in appearing in my head!!! The next step was to gather existing samples together, make some examples appropriate for the evening 'project activity', decide on the 'goodies bag' contents (eg. ribbon at left) & give the evening a title. Predominantly inspirational, I decided on:

"Seeds from my Textile Garden"

Short party dress to Bridesmaid long dress ...

Several months ago I was asked to make bridesmaids dresses for 4 children ages ranging between 5 & 13 - only 1 (the eldest) living locally. Several challenges were set in the making of the skirts (full details can be found by clicking this link CiCi Designs).

Below are the first set of images together with brief details of the garments.





The wedding was to be in October & the bride had seen short 'party' dresses (see left) to buy on-line but wanted her bridesmaids to wear full-length.


To give the younger girls the opportunity of having 2 outfits as well as providing the best opportunity for a single fitting, it was decided to make separate skirts to wear over the shorter dresses.

The dresses had a separate net petticoat (see right) which consisted of 2 layers. This was wore under the short dress as a base layer for the main skirt.

The skirt was made of 2 layers, worn over the nets & to cover the waistband, a separate sash was made with velcro fastenings.

Wave curtains information here ...

One of my blog entries here is quite popular !! so I've decided to add it to my Stitcherydoing page. I've also added more information regarding WAVE CURTAINS or DRAPES & over the next few days will be adding more pix. In particular:

        Dressing a Window shows how curtains are hung to retain their folds &

        Make a Wave Curtain demonstrates & details how to make these flattering furnishings.

If you want to have a read 'in one spot', then please click Curtains to the link.