Variation

 

I spun and dyed two skeins for fingerless gloves. I didn't want to make the pairs identical, so I used a pattern, Leaves by Valknitting, for the second pair. The stitch numbers are the same as the previous pair, but there is a pattern on the back of these ones.

Preparing For Market

 I finished all my orders and have delivered them all. The jewelry lady doesn't need bags this week. Which is just as well because I only have a week to prepare for the monthly market. I began by whipping up an easy pair of fingerless gloves

The weather is warming up rapidly, so I'm not expecting many sales, but I don't want to go along with an empty basket. I need to make more puppets, as well as more woollen things, so this week will be busy. 

Ticking Them Off

 I'm getting through my list. The socks are not quite finished, but I can do that tomorrow at the knit 'n' natter meeting. The jewelry bags are done and ready to be delivered tomorrow. The tea cosy and peg bag are done:

I'll have to make sure the tea cosy fits the teapot when I deliver it. I couldn't find mine to use as a pattern, so I had to wing it, and am not convinced it's correct. 

Just as I was seeing progress on my list, I had a  call from someone needing a cover for a salad bowl, with a beaded edge, before Saturday. Right. Here we go:

I've done the job, but it meant I've left it late to start preparing for tomorrow's craft group. Our plan was to paste pictures onto vinegar bottles to turn them into plant pots. But this morning I realised that I don't have enough suitable pictures for the job. I was thinking of using old calendars, but the pictures are much too big. Panic, panic. Plan B needed. 

I wrapped the cut off bottle in bubble wrap, and painted the dots. I hope that will work. Jack has chilli plants for us to plant in them.

Getting Through My To-do List

 

 The tatted lavender is parcelled up, ready for delivery. This is the second half of the order.

Yesterday, I made a small batch of piccalilli, using another cauliflower from the garden:

The bottles still need to be labelled.

I started knitting socks for an order at the knit'n'natter session on Friday. I made progress on sock 1 yesterday evening, but it's still a WIP:

This morning I'm working on the next batch of 30 jewelry bags, after a week off.

Next on the to-do list are orders for a teacosy and a peg bag. I do like the variety! 

Another Pair

 

I've finished knitting the second pair of gloves, Alder Fingerless Mitts by Agnes Zombori. I shortened the cuff length of this pair and the one shown in the previous post; the pattern shows a much longer cuff. I shortened them to make them conform with the other fingerless gloves I make. 

Alder

 

 I've finished the first pair of fingerless gloves for an order. The colour is a bit darker than it appears on my computer, a charcoal colour. The pattern is Alder Fingerless Mitts by Agnes Zombory. I'm a bit locked into the pattern at the moment because someone sees a pair and says, oh, I want some like that. The jeweler doesn't need me to sew bags this week, so I can get on with the second pair for the order immediately. 

Getting There

 I am making progress. I delivered five tatted lavender, still have to tat another five. I've finished the 30 bags to be delivered tomorrow:

I've spun and dyed wool for two pairs of fingerless gloves:

Yesterday I baked a batch of  biscuits (cookies) for the craft group to decorate. Today I must mix up icing in different colours and do some samples.

My flow was briefly interrupted on Tuesday when a friend asked me to help her with her knitting. She had asked me to help her pick up the stitches for the neckband, but before we really got going, she mentioned that the pullover seemed much too big to fit her grandson. Hmm. Turns out that she was using size 4 needles rather than 4mm needles. UK size 4 is 6mm, so no wonder her pullover was much too big. I explained that needles can be sized in three ways - UK sizing, US sizing and metric. I also told her how to do a tension square so that she can find if she's way off before she's knitted the whole garment! She went away to unravel and reknit it, but I promised to help her with the neck when the time comes. 

Still Juggling

 The morning market went pretty well on Saturday, though I think I sold fewer items than last month. The Nalu gloves sold within minutes of the market opening. I still have the wristlets though. I have orders for two more pairs of fingerless gloves and a pair of socks. 

It turns out that the jeweler needs still more bags. I'm working on 15 at the moment and will do another 15 tomorrow. I also want to tat two more lavender bunches today so that I can deliver five tomorrow, which is half the order. 

Luckily, my sewing pupil isn't coming today, so it should be doable. 

Order is Done

 

I have finished knitting a pair fingerless gloves for an order, so I'm pleased about that. I promised to deliver them at the next market, which is on Saturday. The pattern is Alder Fingerless Mitts, by Agnes Zombory. It  uses knits and purls and slipped stitches to create the pattern. The gloves fit well because of the ribbed structure. 

Another 30

 

I've sewn another thirty jewelry bags. I think the jeweler is reaching saturation point, so I may be able to go back to our usual system of sewing 30 bags in the last week of each month. Unless Anne gets another big order of course. 

Left Overs

 

I had two grey skeins left over from the cowl. Last week I thought I'd use them to whip up a couple of pairs of fingerless gloves before I worked on the order for gloves. Mmm.  They took much longer than I expected, even though I used a pattern I'm familiar with, Nalu by Sparrowhawk. Now the deadline for the order is looming and I still haven't finished the wrist warmers. I've avoided wristlets until now, but a number of people have told me how marvelous they are, so I thought I'd give them a go. I also need to make more jewelry bags and tatted lavender, so I had better go and get on with it.