December goal reached!

 My one monthly goal for December was to finish knitting this cardigan:

 

The wool is Drops DK merino and isn't quite black, but anthracite. The pattern is "Seaside pleated cardigan" by Marie Greene at Oliveknits.com from her book "Seamless sweaters in two weeks". 

It has taken me considerably longer than two weeks to make; I knitted sweaters for grandchildren, and several pairs of socks in the meantime. My own cardigan got shelved. Now finally finished in time for the next really cold spell.

I'm linking up to:

 Click op de badge for more December finishes.

A happy New Year to you all

Happy sewing

Marly.

Fireworks sweater: August finish

My goal for August was to finish my Fireworks sweater, the subject of this year's four day knit-along at Olive Knits. Four days was way too optimistic for me, and I knew that at the beginning, but that's never a reason not to start. Having started on 1 July, and finished on 30 August, this sweater has taken two months, minus one day. That's probably the shortest time I've spent on a sweater ever, and the fireworks stitch isn't the easiest (that's it on the yoke and also on the sleeves and on each side). I made it with 100% merino double knitting wool.

Fireworks pattern by Marie Greene of Olive Knits

Not sewing but knitting this month. I did manage some secret sewing for a bee project, and some for the Dutch MQG's contribution to the MQG Community Outreach project.

I'm linking this post to

 

Click on the button to see more goals achieved this month - mostly quilting goals.

 Stay safe and healthy.

Happy sewing (and knitting, crochet and whatever!)

Marly.

One monthly goal in August: Fireworks

My goal this month is not a quilty one, but knitting. I aim to finish my Fireworks sweater, which I started on 1 July. This pattern is by Marie Greene of Olive Knits, and has been the subject of her summer 4-day (!) KAL  this year. 

This project is a learning experience, and during the first week of July I did a fair amount of backward knitting in the process of learning new techniques. Once I had mastered the stitch sequence  I was able to move on more quickly.

After 10 days

 

But then I had a forced two week break while waiting for the rest of my wool order to arrive so the self-imposed deadline of 31 July was out of the question. 

In the last week I've got to this (plus 10 cm.):

Let's hope I will have finished the rest of the body and the sleeves by the end of August.

I'm linking to

Click on the button to see more goals for this month.

Happy crafting

Marly.

Monthly goal for March - not reached

unsuccessful fabric trials

My goal for March was to work on a WIP, and I did, and I tried to create a background for my gypsy dancer collage, but have absolutely nothing permanent to show for it.  

Despite working on it I'm no further than I was at the beginning of the month. I failed to create a suitable background.

After about a week of frustration I turned my attention elsewhere in the hope that moving away from the problem would free my mind to find a solution. 

I sewed strings for an Ad Hoc Improv Quilters challenge:

I sewed trees for the Table Scraps challenge:

I practised free motion quilting in Lori Kennedy's QAL:

(definitely more practice needed!)

Together with friends at a distance I sewed some I-spy blocks for a secret baby quilt (secret! 😀):

Practice block

 

I even knitted the greater part of a sock:

Unfortunately, none of them helped, and the background to my gypsy dancer is still empty!

I shan't be spending any more time on it until the lockdown is lifted and the second part of this workshop (originally scheduled for April last year) can take place. I've come to the conclusion that I can't go it alone, and need some support from an expert.

So my goal for next month will not be the same as this month, although it may be one of these projects above. Whatever it will be, I hope to achieve more towards reaching my goal than this month.

I'm linking, even though I finished nothing, to

  

Click on the button to see other people's achievements this month.

Stay healthy and safe.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Hand-knitted sweater

 

 

        

This is my finish for the two link-up's above. Click on the images (OMG at the end of December, and FAL at the beginning of January) for my goal-setting posts.

Finally all the ends have been darned in (there were a lot!) and my husband's sweater is finished!

The pattern is Evo, by Natasja Hornby of Moonstruck Knits. The sweater is knitted in one piece from top to bottom. There are no seams, and only the stitches for the neck ribbing were picked up right at the end. All that then remained was to darn in the ends. I am trying to use up my wool stash, and this wool was bought by my mother in the UK more than 50 years ago! In those days wool was sold in 1 ounce (oz) balls (roughly 30 g) and there's not much yardage in 30 grams! My mother was always afraid of running out of wool so I've still got loads left. I wonder if my husband would like a matching hat (just plain; no cables!).

The front and back panels are done in a twisted cable. I'm OK with straightforward cables but this was a new stitch combination for me, and I'm sure there must be an easier way. Nevertheless I persevered, and it's now finished, about six months later than I expected. (We just went out for a walk and he assured me that it is very warm: those cables serve their purpose!) The upside of the pattern is that while the side panels and sleeves are in reverse stocking stitch (all purl), the pattern included instructions for turning the work inside out for the sleeves, which were then knitted in stocking stitch (all plain) which I can do much more quickly. This made no difference to their appearance.

I shall be linking up to:

when they come online in the next week or so.

With my best wishes for Christmas and 2020,

Happy sewing

Marly.

 

December's Goal

I'm linking this post to Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal.

Pattern: Evo by Natasja Hornby of Moonstruck Knits.

This sweater for my DH could have been finished three months ago, but wasn't!

All I have had to do is darn in the ends which are everywhere, and not just the two visible in the photo. The others are all on the inside, but nevertheless need to be finished off. The problem is I absolutely loathe darning in the tails in knitting: I've tried three techniques and they all give fiercely ugly results.  I'm sure when I was a teenager I got better results, but maybe I was just less critical! If anyone can point me to a foolproof tutorial I'd be so grateful.

I'm linking this to:

in the hope that DH will be wearing this before the end of the month.

Click on the button to see more goals for December.

Happy sewing

Marly.

 

Finish Along 2019 Q4

This is my list for the Finish along in the fourth quarter of 2019. As usual rather optimistic, but several items are nearing completion.

1.   Overlapping Octagons - for the UandUQAL hosted by Sujata Shah. The challenge is to reproduce a quilt from a photo in Roderick Kiracofe's book, "Unconventional and Unexpected, American Quilts under the radar". I have about one quarter of the quilting done.

2.   Pullover - The sleeves and neckline are done; I'm now weaving in the threads.

3.   Bow ties - inspired by a pattern in "Make Modern". My 2019 project for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge
(The mistake below has now been corrected!)

4.    For the Boys - pattern by Jen Kingwell, published in her book "Quilt Lovely". This I will start as soon as the Overlapping Octagons and the Bow Ties are finished.


5.   Dwellings - appliqué wall hanging - pattern by  bjdesignsandpatterns.com

I'm linking to Sandra at Studio Sew of Course:

 

Click on the button to see more projected finishes.

 Happy sewing

Marly.

Finish Along 2019 Q3

My list for the FAL in the third quarter is:

1. Crocheted cuddle cloths 

 This looks finished, but only one arm is attached. And then there is the one for her twin brother!

2. Sweater for DH 

 Just needs sleeves and the neck ribbing

3. Clam-up pouch

 I only have to sew a binding down on the inside.

4. Sewing machine cover

using these blocks:

5. Cats and Dogs wall hanging

 - secret sewing -

6. Overlapping Octagons

All the vertical columns are joined, as are columns 3 and 4 to one another. Here is a detail from columns 3 and 4:

I'm linking up to Sandra Jansen at Studio Sew of Course for the FAL Q3 planned finishes link up.

Happy sewing

Marly.

Beekeeper cardigan finished

 

This is my second finish in the first quarter FAL of 2019.

Beekeeper cardigan: pattern by Marie Green of Olive Knits on Ravelry

This pattern was presented in the summer of 2018 as a Knit Along. I didn't see it until the first finishes appeared on Instagram. After I bought some Double Knitting wool in the sale at Ribbles in Leiden I decided to buy the pattern. By then the KAL was long finished.

It looks like a complicated pattern but once I'd knitted the swatch I had the pattern in my fingers and it was plain sailing. The wonderful thing about knitting top down is that once you've finished knitting all that's left to do is block it and wear it! No sewing parts together, which, although not difficult, is a bit of a let down after the euphoria of finally casting off!

I actually finished about ten days ago, but forgot to post! (again!)

I'm linking up to Wendy's Quilts and more for the Peacock party

and shall link up to 

at the beginning of April

Happy sewing

Marly.

Finished: my Secret Grove mitts

 

A couple of weeks ago I finished my mitts from the "Secret Grove" pattern by Pauliina Karru, which I bought via Ravelry. This is my first finish for the Finish Along fourth quarter.

They have been knitted from Tuku fingering weight wool on 4 dpns size 2.5 mm. This style has a long gauntlet which works to bridge the gap between sweater and wrist, and has open fingers, so that using a keyboard in the winter doesn't mean completely cold hands. I can imagine wearing these under ski mitts. I have already used one on my left hand while knitting; I removed the right-hand mitt quite quickly as my hand movements were being restricted.

I shall be linking this post to:

 at the beginning of January. 

Happy crafting

Marly

Finish Along 2018 Q4 list

 With some degree of optimism, here is my list:

1. Play mat - already a top, but needs decision on final size, then adding borders and quilting.

   

   Play mat top, folded: it's almost all there, but for now a secret.

2. Knitting fingerless gloves from the pattern "Secret Grove" by Linaknits on Ravelry. 
   
3. Lap quilt from RSC sampler blocks, "Squared Away". The last block pattern has just been released so I need to get cutting to make it, and then put the lot together. I'm thinking of making it on point, something like this,
   
   but with two dark blue, two dark green added, and another purple, to make up the numbers!
4. Baby beanies from discarded T-shirts, from a pattern to be found at www.thelittleststudio.com.
   
   
   I'm making them for a pair of yet-to-be-born family members, but they're so simple I shall probably continue sewing them for the local maternity unit. We have enough T-shirts waiting to be cut up and repurposed.

 I'm linking to 

 

Click on the button to see more projected finishes in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Happy sewing

Marly.