Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Charity Knitting


This afghan is basically the same as the last one except there are stadium stripes placed in the rows.
This one was knit for a larger person and required more yarn, not sure how much as it has been a while ago that these were knit. I know that the needles were 100 cross and that the yarns were light grey ragg and a deep burgundy. This was also crochet edged in grey.

Charity Knitting


This is a very simple stadium style child's blanket.
ISM machine knit keyplate 3.5 or 5.
Materials - 3 - 100 gram balls of main colour.
3 - 100 gram balls of contrasting colour.
Crochet hook sized 4.50 for crochet edging as above.
Cast on 100 stitches using waste yarn. Knit 6 rows.
Add main colour and knit for ten rows.
Change to contrasting colour and knit for ten rows.
Continue until afghan is the length that you prefer on it this case 150 rows.
Edge with single crochet. Work 3 single crochets in each corner and then work half double crochet around to finish.

Charity Knitting

Here are several charity blankets that I have knit on the ISM knitting machine, but they can also be done by hand, and have edged with crochet.

Charity Knitting


Here are several charity blankets that I have knit on the ISM knitting machine, but they can also be done by hand, and have edged with crochet.


ISM Knitting machine on Keyplate 3.5 or 4. Hand knitting needles would be metric 5.5 or us 6.
Materials - 3 - 100 gram balls solid colour ( navy )
3 - 100 gram balls verigated colour ( blues )
Crochet hook sized "F" or 4.5 or knit in garter stitch.
Knit four panels, joining as you go or they can be hand joined later by slip stitch or crochet.
Using waste yarn cast on 45 stitches..
Knit 6 rows.
Change to navy and knit 50 rows.
Change to verigated and knit 50 rows.
Continue in the above manner until you have a total of 6 squares. Cast off loosely.
Make a second strip identical to the first.
Make two more strips but start with the verigated navy and then change to navy.
You will have knit a total of six panels. Either join as you go on the machine and or slip stitch
the seams together, matching the squares.
Edge around with a single crochet and work 3 single crochets in each corner. Repeat round with a double crochet, and finish with one more row of single crochet. This keeps all of the sides flat.
Block and allow to set.
Enjoy............ This is a great scrap yarn project.........as you can change each time you run out of yarn and make a very colourful lap afghan or childs blanket.
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Threads of Love

Threads of Love


A little off centre, as the base of the leaves should point down, but it is getting there. I have had to sketch and resketch using the purple fad out pen as I went along as I did not want to use a permanent marker or pencil as I have a habit of changing directions mid stream.

This is in a six inch hoop and the actual line of the circle runs where the leaves are on the bottom in to the base of the crystallized ribbon and to the tops of the ribbon stamens and down the side. I am not sure if I will fill in or not or just let the beauty of the fabric show through. I love the way the petals jump off the background, and in this one I did use a metallic polish to tone down the colour on the centre but it is a reminder of a beautiful face cab from a beautiful friend.

I hope to work all in cabs, and may leave this one once the leaves are done and start on a smaller scale until I decide whether to mat or frame this one as the front cover. I chose the lily as it is the only flower I have ever been able to grow in my garden. I now have sketches done for pansies, roses, daffodils etc., but want to lean in a different direction white on white. and pendant sized using the same chain on each pendant, same swage so that when closed the book would look like a bookmark and each page would be a different medallion that would fit into the tassel beaded fringe and match the beaded chain. Oh, well, that is for today anyway.

Atkins Challenge









Finally taking some time to get ideas on the blog. This is the sketch that I drew to bring out a different type of crativity in the type of work that I do. Normally, I am very structured when it comes to beadwork, plan it out and have a plan before I start, and keep it simple.



My first thought on a journal was to keep it in the round, and seeing as I had some cd's lying around decided to see what I could do to take advantage of these. First I sketched the tiger lily in on the right hand side as I remembered how many times I had cut one out in sane quilting, so the sketching for this one was simplified. I then added a small face that was a gift from my special friend " Leslie Ehrlich ", hope it is spelled correctly this time, she is from pinyoncreek blog. I just loved it.




I then remembered reading about coloured pencils and crayones being used to do in backgrounds for a general idea on colours, so off I went for some orange, green and darker tones of green and then the inspiration for the visual leaves came into play. I had already decided on a ribbon that would float across the design, under the lily and then end as falling from beneath it onto a smaller crystal and using some french beading techniques.



In my case more is better so I added more leaves than I thought I needed and knew that somehow I was going to have to figure out how to make the petals stand out three dimensional.






I had just finished doing a few pieces from a Ruth Wilson book and in it she used a water lily with three dimensional petals as well as the outline stitch in a two to three bead drop, I loved it. I then knew how the stamens would be added.

On my first try it was all on white and no matter how hard I tried it did not jump out at me, so I pulled all of the beads off and decided to use some overdyed orange to pink silk as a top fabric and the pattern as a liner with some linen as a backing and I am pleased.





I have the face on, beaded around, all of the ribbon and crystals done, and leaves done as well. I just finished adding the petals and now I am working into what I want to do with this shape.....leave it round, or turn it into another shape, and that won't be determined until I decide for sure what size my next project will be as this could always be my journal cover.........and the next ones could be made smaller. I think this is probably the hardest part of the creating, trying to be original and keeping on track.