Jute

 

 I was given a ball of jute yarn. I thought I'd use it to try out a crochet waffle stitch that has been on my to-do list for some time. I used Chip Flory's pattern for a Waffle Crochet Dishcloth. It was very easy, and the jute shows the waffle pattern up well. But it is stiff and harsh to the touch, more a pot scourer than a dishcloth perhaps. I wonder what the person who gave me the jute originally intended to do with it? 

Variations

 

I started by crocheting a sample, following a pattern. I wasn't really sure about it, so I canvassed opinion. I got thumbs down, but my daughter said she liked the combination of colours. So I used the same colours in simple bias stripes to make a necklace:

It's long enough to go over my head, so I did an invisible join instead of using a press stud. It has a circumference of 7 beads. While I was working on it, I thought I could add another white bead between turquoise and gold to make it a circumference of 8.

It looks fine, so I made a bracelet :

Thank You

Thank you to all those who read my blog during 2023 and a bigger thank you to those who commented. I wish everyone all the best in 2024, may there be plenty of stitches and not too much frogging or untatting (I don't think frogging works for tatting, you can't rip it!)

Do Over Done

 

I've reknitted the second glove so that it matches the first one, the thumb gussets starting at the same spot! The pattern is Alder Fingerless Mitts by Agnes Zombory. The pattern has much longer cuffs, but I wanted these to be similar to the other ones on my market stall, so I shortened them. I like the pattern. It requires some concentration to get all the knits and purls in the right places, but is worth the effort. 

Yup, A Mistake

 

You know that feeling when you think you've made a mistake but aren't absolutely sure? And continue until it's obvious that you did, indeed, make a mistake. I'm knitting Alder Fingerless Mitts by Agnes Zombory. The pattern is very clearly written, but complicated. To make things easier for myself, I've been marking the pattern as I go:

There was quite a gap between knitting the first and second mitts and I couldn't remember - did I mark the original sequence, or only the repeats? Turns out I chose the wrong option, but it was difficult to be sure of that until I got right to the top. I could have undone the second mitt just to the start of the thumb gusset, but in the end decided to just start afresh. At least knitting is easy to unravel! 

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate Christmas. 

Sewing For The House

 

I bought this fabric some time ago, with the idea of making cushions for the veranda chairs. But I never got around to it. In truth, I put the fabric away and forgot about it. I'd find it every now and then, when I was busy with something else! So I got it out the other day and left it next to my sewing machine. And finally made the cushions.