Ten Years Later

 

The sheets that I sewed ten years ago have collapsed in a heap. I bought a set of sheets and pillowcases in 100% cotton. I like the idea of 100% cotton, but when I washed them, they were wrinkled and clearly in need of ironing. Hmm. My life is too short to iron sheets. So I bought polycotton fabric and sewed my own. It took a bit of time and effort, of course, but will save me both in the long run. The fabric cost about half what the bought set cost; I think that even with my labour I'm ahead financially. 

Oops, make that eleven and a half years later. 

Waffling

 I sold six puppets at the market on Saturday. I'll need to refill the puppet basket before the next market, in a month's time. I didn't sell any knitwear, which wasn't surprising because our weather is warming up rapidly. 

I finished crocheting my waffle stitch knee rug:

I really enjoyed making it, it's perfect for working at a knit'n'natter session, or at the market. So I thought I'd make another one. I bought some yarn on Friday, called Carnival, 80% acrylic and 20% wool, made in Turkey. 

It turns out to be a really bad choice for the job! The short, high contrast colour changes give a scrambled look that shows off neither the waffle stitch nor the yarn to advantage. I talked to the owner of the yarn shop at the market on Saturday and she said the yarn looks better knitted. I considered knitting a cardigan instead, but the wool is quite harsh to the touch, so I don't think it'll make a comfortable garment. I've decided to carry on regardless:

For Market

 

I've spun, dyed and wound two skeins of wool and made four puppets for Saturday's market. Monkey and crocodile are the most popular puppets, so I had to make sure I had those! I have another four puppets left in stock, so that should be alright. I'm going to be sharing a table this month, so I can afford to be a bit skimpy. 

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!