Feb 20 Photo ~ Annon’s Crochet

Annon

I borrowed a knitting book from the library (looking for sock patterns other than mine) & Annon found a crochet pattern in it that she liked & wanted to try.  This is the result.  It’s all her own work ~ I just provided the yarn!

 

Feb 4 Photo ~ Annon’s SnowDog

Annon's Snowdog

Annon can’t get to school, so has been amusing herself

 

Jan 10 Photo ~ Wrist Warmers

Wrist Warmers

Wrist Warmers

I made these for me, but made a similar pair for Vix for Christesmas.  Each colour is used for 3 rows in rotation & the pattern is the same as that for Jade’s version, but the row counts are top to thumb hole = 18; thumb hole to cuff = 36 for mine &  45 for Vix’s .  I also used 36 stitches in total instead of  28 as we have adult, working hands & the Sirdar Click isn’t as stretchy as the Sirdar Peru I used for bem & Annon’s.

As you can see, I hadn’t sewn the ends in before taking the pictures

 

Wrist Warmers ~ Version for Jade

Wist Warmers for Jade

Materials:

1 ball Sirdar Click 50g (approx. 81 yards/75m)

1 set 5mm double-pointed sock needles

Abbreviations:

K = Knit

P = Purl

st = stitch(es)

Directions:

Cast on 10 st on 1st needle, 10 st on 2nd needle, 8 stitches on 3rd needle (28st)

Work 18 rows in K1P1 rib, marking the end of each round.

Work 4 rows back & forth in K1P1 rib for thumb hole, BUT on last row join back up into a tube again & count this as row 1.

Work another 37 rows in K1P1 rib.

Cast off.

Work 2nd wrist warmer the same.

Sew in ends.

NB there is only just enough yarn to make 2 wrist warmers in this ball of yarn. What I did was to unwind the remains of the ball & start with the other end, so if the worst came to the worst I could undo a couple of rounds so each wrist warmer ended up the same length (I had to do this ~ the 1st started out at 42 rows after the thumb hole…)

These were knitted for the sister of friend of Annon’s who saw hers & wanted a pair in pink.  She gave me a book for them

 

Wrist Warmers ~ version for bem

Materials
1 set 5mm sock needles
1 ball Sirdar Peru Alpaca 50g (98 yds/90m)

Abbreviations
K = Knit
P = Purl
st = stitches

Directions
Cast 10 st onto 1st needle, 10 st onto 2nd needle, 8 st onto 3rd needle (28 st).
Work 12 rows in K1P1 rib, marking ends of rows (I have a piece of thin contrasting yarn with a long tail & slip knot that I place after last stitch & slip on top the needle at the end of every row ~ do NOT work this extra “stitch” into the work! I move yarn in front of marker on odd rows & behind on even to make it easier to count rows)

At the end of the 12th row, turn & work 4 rows K1P1 rib back & forth to make the thumb hole.

At the end of the 4th row continue ribbing as a tube, marking that join as the 1st row of the next counting.
Work 48 rows.
Cast off ribwise.

Thumb (I’m not happy with the way these turned out & may remove them)
1st needle : pick up & K strand between 1st & last st on last joined row before the thumb hole, pick up & K 4 st up thumbhole
2nd needle : pick up & K strand between 1st & last st on next joined row, pick up & K 4 st down thumbhole (10 st)
Work 10 rows K1P1 rib.
Cast off ribwise.
Sew in all ends.

Repeat to make 2nd wrist warmer

 

Pattern ~ Leg Warmers for Daughters

Materials

Set of 5mm double pointed (sock) needles
3 Balls of Sirdar Peru Alpaca Wool (approx. 7wpi)

Abbreviations

K = Knit
P = Purl
st = stitches

Directions

Cast 14 st onto 1st needle, 16, st onto 2nd needle, 14st onto 3rd needle. Mark end of rows.
Work in K1P1 rib (single rib) until the tube measures approx. 27 1/2″.
Cast off ribwise.
Sew in ends

bem's leg warmers

 

Header pictures

No post yesterday as we had a power cut, probably due to the rains that fell all day.

I thought I’d say something about the pictures used in my header ~ they’re all by me & use coloured pencil, pen & ink or encaustic. The 2 pictures that occur at the ends are designs for an embroidery. They are, in fact, 4 pictures showing traditional Gypsy themes or symbols & one day will be embroidered on a 6′ long red silk waist sash. I drew these pictures whilst on a part-time course at college to get my BTec in Forest School Skills when I had waiting time. On the left hand side there is a Reading Vardo at the top (mine is a Bow-Top) & a fiddle & bow, neckerchief, & knife in the lower picture. On the right at the top is the picture that I think of as Marzhenzha or Smelka. Marzhenzha is a Russian Gypsy song that tells of a Gypsy maid in love with dancing & not the swain that dresses in his finest to try to woo her. Smelka is the family’s name of 1 of the most famous contemporary Russian Gypsy dancers; it is also the title of a piece of music written to celebrate her by 1 of her relatives & a friend of mine. It also celebrates the wild freedom I get from the dancing which is where my name comes from. (My mother was a dancer & my younger daughter is continuing the tradition). The bottom picture is the centre design & is the fire ~ the heart of every camp, not just the Gypsy camp.

Inside of these designs in coloured pencil are 2 of the Stations: 1 from the 1999 set (the right hand 1) & 1 from the 2007-8 version. These are drawn using pen & ink & as most of my arty-crafty stuff is still buried in a 20′ container my poor parents received a frantic email asking for help in acquiring dip pen & nibs & black ink ~ things that was I unable to source in this area ~ so I could fulfill my commission.

On the left side next to the Station is a card I drew/painted for my “hen-lady” ~ my wonderful source of henniness that I found & who befriended me just as we were both leaving Othery. I used encaustic for it, but mainly drew using a heated stylus instead of the more usual iron to soften & apply the wax.

On the right hand side is my latest offering ~ a special picture for a very special lady. I’m a member of the Walker Tracker community online & have met some interesting people on this site. We have a frienfdly rivalry going concerning how far we walk each day. I sent Christesmas cards to some of my friends there, but hadn’t got Debby’s address. She said that she’d love a card, no matter how long it took to reach her. Debby was diagnosed with breast cancer & had to travel routinely from her Norwegian island to the mainland for treatment. As Christesmas had been & gone I wanted to do a Debby card, but needed to finish my commission first, so that pushed it further away from Christesmas. The idea came suddenly & I had to draw it there & then or I’d be plagued until it was drawn. The pencil sketch was made months before the inking started & once again had I to source inks. I just bought whatever colours I could find as soon as I spotted them lurking in shops. Paul who commissioned the Stations brought me over a marvellous present of drawing inks when he came over to Ireland to collect the pictures. I’d asked him for a bottle of yellow ink & received a set. Throughout her treatment, Debby kept walking, often putting me to shame with what she was doing. Her treatment is over & successful, now there’s no stopping her. She truly is an inspiration to the rest of us.

The central picture was made using encaustic wax & an iron. The initial swirling shapes suggested the detail ~ waves with horses forming out of them. The original of this picture went to a friend in Greece..