2 at a time lounge socks

I haven't been here for a while, but I have now left my (very) full time job and so I now have plenty more time to make wonderful things.  Something I've been wanting to have a go at for ages is 2 at a time socks. I've always thought it looked very complicated though so was a bit scared to start off with.  Thankfully I found this amazing video which helped me no end.  A pattern can be bought to go along with the video from verypink.com too, I highly recommend using both the video and the pattern together.  I used two 4.5mm 80cm circular needles and 100g of Patons Wool Blend Aran yarn.

So the first step, and what I thought was the hardest step, was casting on.  If you get this right then you will be sorted for the rest of the socks I think.  It took me 4 attempts to get it right, but then there was actually that EUREKA! moment.  I was overwhelmed by pride!  :) 

So I happily knitted away at the cuff.  As you can see, these are rather chunky socks not really suitable for wearing with shoes, this is why I have called them lounge socks, good for lounging around in your PJs on a Sunday (or whatever day for that matter).  The next thing I had to do was knit the heel flap, which is done in the same way you would normally knit a heel flap.  Then I got scared as the next step was to turn the heel.  Duh, duh, DUHHHHH!

However, if you follow the pattern and the video carefully and calmly, and don't do anything until you are 100% sure of what you are meant to be doing, then this step is also quite simple.  It can feel a bit tight because there are so many stitches on the needles, but at this point you will start to decrease the number of stitches anyway, so again things start to feel easier.  When I turned the heel I just sat there and stared at them for a while as I was in awe of myself and kept thinking I had made the most amazing things.

So you just decrease as you would with a normal 1 at a time sock and then knit straight for as long as you need the foot to be.  These socks were for my daughter so they were quite diddy.  You may have noticed that I haven't used any stitch markers on these socks at all, that's because they're not needed.  You then decrease at the toe, like a normal 1 at a time sock and then you use Kitchener stitch to cast off.

This is the finished article!  Fabulous, fabulous socks.

To be honest 99% of this project I have found to be far, far simpler than knitting one sock at a time.  I just need to master the cast on and I will be very happy.  There is no second sock syndrome and you can be 100% sure that both socks are the same.  I will definitely be doing this again with the lighter weight yarn and 2.5mm needles.  However I am now doing something very simple as a break and making some lovely face cloths to go in my shop on Folksy.  See you all soon!

Craft corner

First of all I would like to apologise for neglecting my blog.  Work has been extremely hectic and I have been very busy making my first proper quilt.  Update to follow.  However, craft corner is finally here!  I had been thinking about doing this for months and months.  I had all the plans in my head and I would figure out measurements and how to do it as I was falling asleep.  Summer holidays, drum lessons for my daughter and general life expenses meant I kept putting it off.  But finally my daughter told me I had to sort it out.  So one afternoon I took a trip to B&Q with my sister.

In the end all the materials I needed came to a grand total of £50 and as I had been preparing this in my head for months and months it took no time whatsoever to actually put everything together.  A grand total of about 4-5 hours for all of the shelving.  First of all I put some batoning up 800mm from the floor as that was how long the legs were.

Then the living room needed to be painted.  It hadn't been done for quite some time and was looking a bit old.  Time for a nice fresh cream colour.

 Then I attached the shelves to the batoning and attached the legs too.  Thankfully my daughter was there to hold things when needed and in no time craft corner was here.

As I had somewhere to cut and sew I thought I should make some pretty things for the 'girlie' end of the room.  Bunting was called for! 

But now I am working very hard on a cot quilt for my second cousin who is having a baby soon.  As I said earlier, this is a first for me.  The patchwork has been machine sewn but I am actually quilting by hand.  It's a slow process, but I think I will be able to show you the finished article soon.  Until then, see you later!

Carding

I got my carders the other day and have slowly started to card my fleece.  This process not only makes the fleece ready for spinning but you can all get any unwanted grass that is still left in there out.  It is very simple, you catch some fleece onto one carders bristles, you then brush the other carder onto the first. 

  This gets all the fibres running in the same direction.

 Once you've finished carding you roll the fibre off the carders and this creates a rolag which is ready to spin

Here you can see the before and after carding.

Next I get to actually spin this stuff! 

Practise run

Been having a go at making some bags.  Watched a video on Craftsy and off I went.

This is my first bag

This is the inside of my first bag

A little pencil case/make-up bag

The two together

Over the weekend I shall be having a go at some other styles, but the tote bag is really nice.  Very spacious and comfy in the hand.  I gave the pencil case to a friend who is about to start college and she loves it.

Having a trip to an amazing looking fabric shop in a couple of weeks so watch this space.  It could end up full of bags!