Janemactats
An account of the craftwork I get up to, tatting, spinning, knitting, sewing, whatever
Monday, June 16, 2025
Back To Knitting
Monday, June 9, 2025
MIA
Sorry to be missing in action. We're in the process of moving house, so crafting is on hold. I did go to the market on Saturday. I finished knitting a pair of fingerless gloves while I sat at my stall, and sold them before I was done!
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Stash Buster Cardigan Is Done
I combined two yarns from a friend's stash to make this cardigan for myself. I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method, found in Knitting Without Tears, which is more a method than a pattern. I think it would have been difficult to find a pattern to use the two yarns. The percentage system also helps create a well fitting garment:
Winter is definitely here now, so the cardigan will be put to good use.
Monday, May 26, 2025
Deciding The Way Forward
I've finished round 16 of the Spring Doily. I've run out of thread and time (I'm about to move house) so the sensible thing would be to take a leaf from muskaan's book and Stop Tatting. But I really like those last two rounds, and the way they enhance the scallop outline. A friend suggested I use a completely different thread to do the outer rounds. I'm a bit worried that would draw the eye away from the overall design, but it's a possibility. I also have a different brand of size 40 white thread. It doesn't match - there's white and there's white. But I'm going to try tatting round 17 with it and see how it looks. If it doesn't look good, I can try working with completely different thread colour. Or colours. I thought of using green with a different colour for the 'flowers'. Decisions, decisions....
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Sewing
I've been sewing jewelry bags again. I had to make extra this month, 30 tiny ones and the usual 15 small ones. Anne, the silversmith, is doing well.
The tatted doily in the picture is the Spring Doily from 2020. I have made some progress on this year's doily, I'm now just over half way on round 16.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Little Hats
I've finished two little beanies to go with the gloves shown in the previous post, to make two sets:
I underestimated how much wool would be needed. I had to dye some more wool for the second hat. The wool is rather thicker than the wool I spun for the gloves and first hat. I had it lying around after I spun it for an order that didn't work out, so this was a good way to use it up. The patterns are from The Ashford Book of Spinning, by Anne Field. The fingerless gloves are actually a mitten pattern, which was easily adapted.
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Little Gloves
I need to prepare for tomorrow's craft meeting in a retirement home, so the beanies and other projects will have to be put on hold. I'd love to be able to sit and tat (the last round of the Spring doily came out today) but I don't think I'll have time to tat.