knitting and crochet, nattering and sharing

Anyone else knitting the WI Corgis as part of the Jubilee celebrations? ???

The suggestion is to make them, tag them, and leave them about for people to find. The pattern comes with the explanatory tag. Installation art? I'm making a couple and my little grandson and I will hide them - hopefully to be found!

www.thewi.org.uk/education-and-training/education/activities/get-creative/projects/wheres-winnie-craft-competition

I hadn’t heard of this, but probably won’t be making any, since I already have a few projects on the go - including a very big one I’m itching to finish.

Sounds fun, though - I’m sure you’ll enjoy making them, and your little Gds will enjoy helping you find places for hiding them! Do you attach anything to say what they’re for - in case anyone thinks they’re a child’s lost toy?

Hi Witzend yes there is a label to print to attach explaining what it's all about . The WI that started it will be hiding one with a golden tag - and for which there is a prize for the finder.

Or should I say tag, (label sounds big). I've nearly finished the first one, will post a pic when it's done.

Yes, do please post a pic!
Maybe I’ll give one a go after all - I’ve got plenty of corgi-coloured oddments to use up.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-460545-wheres-winnie-tag.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-377119-20220330-105449.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202203/medium-266740-20220330-105011.jpg

First one completed, pics attached! Also pic of the label. It is a fun knit, so I'll do more.

That corgi is amazing. So clever. I love it.

Thank you. ?

Very sweet! Someone is going to be very happy to find it!

I must say that I have been plodding away, just a few rows a day, it is the approaching summer, I seem to lose my knitting mojo after winter. The pattern is breslin, which is a gansey using falklands 4 ply merino. It is beautiful and easy. I want to finish it and then put it into a moth proof bag for summer.

The knitting love does not go away forever, I made a pair of soacks the other week, easy and quick and familiar but the love does get dormant.

My aim is to just keep my jumpers topped up over time and to do some very satisfying knitting. I bought a new knitting book today with 20 beautiful patterns. Called strands of joy. The patterns are really nice and having a quick look at rav reviews, are getting 5 stars. The cheapest was from wild and woolly, in their sale. It ends up at £25 instead of £35, that includes p and p. I shall enjoy browsing and to be fair, it is cheap per pattern

I need not have worried about the amount of yarn wrt breslin, I am going to have at least a full skein over and can add that to my other wool 4 plys. I can just use those random colours in an odd job stripe sequence to make a breslin without the pattern, if I like the fit on me

I hope you are all good and well and looking forward to summer

Lovely thread! I enjoy knitting when watching television with my group. I also crochet. I love to see what others are making and I have 2 sweaters on the go right now.

I am knitting a gansey after finishing a chunky cable v neck for one of the grandchildren in Australia. I just posted scarves to them too. For Easter I enjoyed crocheting a lamb, bunny, basket and eggs. I have attended a library group, but ideally I’d love to have a weekly knitting group in my house. I have made a dress and a child’s apron using the sewing machine, but it is much more effort for me! These crafts definitely have helped when missing family and feeling low. I retired 5 years ago and have missed the camaraderie at work.

Totally trivial I know but...
On BBC Breakfast, reporter in Stockport looking at crocheted Jubilee post-box-topper tells us that it was 'knitted by locals'! Aargh
DGD when she was 3 would call crochet 'knitting with one stick'. Two years later when I quoted it back to her, I got the reply that it wasn't knitting. And she rarely sees either being done.
Is it so difficult to tell the 2 apart?

I’m pleased with my 2nd mega stash buster* blanket so far - size 8 circular needle and a strand of chunky plus one of DK. It’s obviously growing much faster than the other and feels very cosy.

*Though not strictly a stashbuster, since I’ve had to buy chunky. One 100g ball (used with different colours of DK) is only lasting for about 4 inches.
190 sts - it was supposed to be 180 but I evidently wasn’t concentrating!

I’m hoping that this time, since it’s going to a charity, it’ll be finished in time for the approach of winter - the other wasn’t finished until the daffodils were out. ?

Does anyone know which wool I should buy to knit womens winter socks ?

Hi, I quite like using square knitting needles. They look strange but I find them quite comfy to use. I'm a really tight knitter and these seem to improve my tension without needing to change to a different size . I've got a few pairs of quite expensive wooden needles but tbh I'm not really a big fan and although I think I already have most sizes, if I ever do need to buy new needles I don't think I'd go for wooden again. I tend to stick to plain-ish patterns that I can knit in front of the tv.

Hi Hiraeth I have forgotten the name of a very good quality sock yarn I used a few years ago, I think it's a German make, mainly wool, and a ball went for miles. I didn't make socks but have bought it since for other hard wearing items. Comes in both plain and patterned yarn.

Hiraeth

Does anyone know which wool I should buy to knit womens winter socks ?

I use Opal, West Yorkshire Spinners (WYS) , independent yarn dyers on Etsy - I have a sizeable stash!
Ideally you would use 75% wool/25% nylon for durability. Super wash yarn is best ?
I’m addicted to knitting socks, I’ve probably made more than 40 pairs now!

Thanks ladies for the quick response

One of my craft group posted this on our site. Thought you crafty ladies would like it.

oh I do like that very much whiff

Hand crafting, well it does make the world slow down, to be in that moment. I am soon going into knit mode again, for autumn, I just want to clear the UFOs that I have cut out for sewing. Tidy sewing room, will be enticing next spring

Meantime I sleep with my crocheted blanket on my bed, just natural devon sheep, hand spun and lightweight. It is like being in a hug when I go up and who doesn`t need a hug

I am still on my breslin jumper but I can only concentrate on a few rows, the last sleeve, the pattern bit. It will be lovely and the colour is a lovely rose pink. Messy pattern in parts, not one of those well written ones and I have to use 2 row counters. The next knit will have to be socks, I have lots of stash and will need them for winter

Karmalady some of my craft group love knitting socks they favour the toe up method.

Still doing my cross stitch. Been making Christmas decorations the last 2 months..It's a slow craft but I love it.

My sister in law crochets and needle felting. The picture is her latest one .

One of my decorations.

I made this Hawaiian skirt from the left over yarn I had for my 4 year old Granddaughter it is Hawaiian Day at her preschool today. Quite pleased with the result and I scrunched up coloured tissue paper and threaded cotton yarn through for a Lei

I like knitting socks in a nice 3 or 4 ply. Quick and good for using odds and ends of left over wool.