New Magazine – Prima Makes

February 17, 2014February 17, 2014 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

I spied this little number smiling at me from the shelves of Eason in Dungarvan yesterday and was won over instantly. Containing a hefty 162 pages of things to make, knit, sew, crochet and bake what’s not to like?

Like many of the other ‘lifestyle’ magazines that are available at the moment it is a very photography heavy publication, leading you to aspire to all things quirky, vintage and floral. In addition to the numerous projects there are ‘Ideas & Inspirations’ and ‘Spring into Shopping’ sections. There’s also a great feature on craft courses and workshops and if that wasn’t enough the good people at Prima Makes have also thrown in a couple of sheets of fancy printed paper.

So I imagine you’d like to have a little look at some of my favourite little projects?

These 3 beauties are called High Flyers, Heaven Scent and Time for Tea. Soooooo pretty.

The very appropriately hat a Picture is so fantastic I’d actually like one please. The funky, patchwork laptop case ould make a great gift and Kitchen Stichin’ is for those of us that like a bit of crochet.

The pretty Tunic Top knitted in cotton has sizes from 6-12 months to 5 years and it would be hard to resist the little pairs of Baby’s First Shoes. Bobtail Bunny is a pocket sized pal worked in 4ply crochet.

Still more …..

For the bakers amongst us my 3 favourites are the Coconut Doughnuts, Shortbread Flowers and the Peppermint Marshmallows, yummy.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise to those of you that know me but Daisy Chain is my absolute favourite, isn’t it beautiful? I hope my crochet is up to it.

If you’re still in need of a little convincing, then the icing on the cake has to be that the magazine comes complete a free kit to make this little mousey pincushion.

Happy Knitting! (maybe that should be crafting?)

Guess What? It’s Stash Dash Time

February 8, 2014 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

For those of you that have been before you’ll know what it’s all about, the rest of you would probably best to read this previous post here http://knitmidleton.com/2012/07/23/everybody-keeps-asking-me/

Basically, we cover up all the shelves and lay out as many tables as we can fit into the shop; on top of these we put all the yarn we’re discontinuing. There could be whole ranges of yarn, shades of yarn and some you might not have seen before. There will be odd balls, several balls and packs of balls, no matter what, all balls are €3 each. (All sales are final, no returns)

There are things to consider: you have to book your slot if you’re coming in before 1pm. You only have 20 minutes (you’re timed), you have to prepare, dig out the patterns, check your favourites on Ravelry, make sure you know how much double knit/aran/chunky you need. There is nothing else available to purchase on the day and there isn’t usually the time to help you calculate yarn amounts, suitability, etc. You get the most out of the day if you’ve already worked out what you’re looking for.

Have a look at the post linked above if you’re not sure and make sure you book your place for the morning if you want one, quickly before they all go.

This is what you should be expecting.

Happy Knitting!

Have a Look at Wendy Duo

February 6, 2014 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

Last week in my post about Hatti the new knitting concept from Peter Pan, I mentioned that Wendy had an adult version which I was knitting up. The Yarn is available in 5 shades each with a co-ordinating pompom and is made up of 78% Acrylic, 12% Mohair &10% Polyester. Each 100g ball has approximately 200m/218yds of lightweight yarn and costs €9.95

There’s a pattern for the hat and a matching scarf on the reverse of the ball band the hat is lovely and can be worn as a slouchy hat or more like a beanie with a fold over band.

Having seen the scarf though I think it looked a bit mean, so I experimented a bit and decided a neck warmer made the best use of the yarn.

If you’ve bought a ball of Duo and you fancy knitting up the neck warmer here’s the instructions.

Be sure to make your hat first as per the instructions on the ball band, you’ll find it much easier to use a different yarn to sew up the hat and the neck warmer.

With the remaining yarn and 7mm needles cast on 52 stitches loosely and knit in 2×2 rib (Knit 2, Purl 2) until your work measures approximately 20″/50cm. Cast off stitches loosely and sew cast on edge to cast off edge using a different yarn. Sew in ends.

I used 8mm needles to cast on and cast off as it’s important to keep your stitches nice and loose for seaming.

Happy Knitting!

Peter Pan Hatti

February 1, 2014 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

Peter Pan have embraced the idea of ‘quick knits’ with their latest woolly release Hatti. (technically there is no wool, but you know what I mean)

Hatti is aimed at kids although the knitted hat fits me. Each ball comes with a free knit and crochet pattern on the ball band and one ball makes one hat complete with colour coordinating pompom for the top!

It’s made from 80% Acrylic / 20% Polyester and there’s aapproximately 95m / 104 yds in each 50g ball. The knitted hat uses 5mm needles and I had it made within a couple of hours. It’s a lovely simple pattern just 2×2 rib with no shaping.

Hatti is available in 4 shades and is €7.15 per ball.

There’s another similar yarn and pompom knit called Duo which I’m knitting up at the moment. I’ll post about it as soon as I’m done.

Happy Knitting!

Notes From Week Ending 25th January 2014

January 27, 2014 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

Wow! January will be over in a few days, how did that happen? I need to catch up quickly, does anyone have a magic ‘get everything done’ potion I could buy?

Rushing quickly on.

There were several deliveries last week most of which was restock although there were a few new goodies. Unfortunately, in my haste to unpack them I forgot to take photos of most of them although I did manage a quick snap of the new Candyfloss yarn from Robin.

Sadly, there’s one shade missing, if memory serves me correctly it’s a bright pink mix. Candyfloss is being sold as a super chunky with a recommended needle size of 10mm’s but it’s most definitely not. You could probably use up to an 8mm for scarves and neck warmers but for garments and hats I’d treat it as a standard chunky yarn and use 6.5mm needles. I hope to get a sample of the yarn knitted up for the shop so you can see what it’s like as there are no designs to go with the yarn.

The bright colours make it an obvious choice for children and it’s 100% acrylic so it’s easily washable. The 200g ball has approximately 280 metres/306 yards and costs €6.95.

Included in this delivery there was also 4 shades of the mohair yarn ‘Air’ from Wendy which is made up of 70% Kid Mohair, 30% Nylon and knits to a tension of 18-24sts x 23-34 rows depending on your chosen pattern. The 25g ball has approxamitley 200m in it and it’s €7.25 a ball.

It would be an ideal yarn to use for my Easy Lace Scarf

I’ve already started to knit a little communion bolero sample for the shop, it only takes 2 balls so I am aiming to have it finished by the end of the week.

One last thing before I go, with all of the controversy surrounding all things charity at the moment I thought I’d share the receipts and card we received for money collected from the bags of buttons on sale in the shop for St. Vincent de Paul. As promised the full price of the sale goes to the charity. (sorry for the bad photo)

Happy Knitting!

New Year – Time For Change?

January 2, 2014 LeftFootDaisy4 Comments

Two days in to 2014 already and my brain has been working overtime on things to do in the coming year. I’m not a New Year Resolutions kinda girl, so whilst I’ve made a mental note to quit the indulgences of the past couple of weeks, get back on my anti-inflammation diet and try to do more exercise in the coming year I’m not going to be too upset if I fall off the wagon, so to speak.

There are however, things I am going to try to alter in the hope that some little changes will allow me a little more time to do some of the more important things like, dare I say it – Exercise more 😦

Top of my list is to get more organised, already I can hear my family groaning. I do try really hard to set myself deadlines, but it’s sticking to them that’s the problem. My head gets so full of ideas for the shop, designs, kids crafts, etc that I easily get distracted. So I’m going to get better at writing things down, that way hopefully, I won’t be constantly running through my ‘list of possibilities’ in my head.

I’m also extending this writing it down thingy to my ongoing projects too, as I’ve been slack with posting them onto Ravelry and have wasted at least a couple of hours mentally running through what I made in 2013.

From what I can remember I made the following, but I know I’ve missed some things.

1 cardigan for me

1 jumper for Dina

2 waistcoats (1 for the shop, 1 for me)

2 pairs of socks and 2 single socks (need to make a 2nd lace one and I’m now half way through the other 2nd sock, see below)

12 hats

8 scarves/cowls

Moody Blanket (must do icord border)

Poncho

Wrap

3 – tea cosies

6 Crochet bunting triangles

5 knitted/crochet brooches

Christmas Angel

4 Baby Cardigans

sample squares for the shop

Blanket squares for charity

Innocent Smoothie hats

If I’m honest, it doesn’t seem like a lot of knitting, must try harder. As a little extra note to self “should also knit from my stash a little more”.

Starting as I mean to go on here’s my last/first project of 2013/2014. I’m just about to start the heel flap so it should be finished by the weekend.

I’m also going to start another Il Grande Favorito with some beautiful Sirdar Connemara from my stash.

All sounds very good so far, but I have a small confession ……..

Whilst waiting for the photos for this post to upload I decided to clear up my email inbox a little and now I’ve become distracted by this lovely DIY Fair Isle Hat deigned by Meg Myers for Classic Elite Yarns.

Which yarn would work best now?

Happy Knitting in 2014

xxx

Some Of The New Stuff (items of the woolly persuasion)

October 2, 2013 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

As I mentioned on Facebook last week we’ve had so many deliveries arriving that I’ve found it a little difficult to keep up with everything of late. Those of you that know me, know I struggle with organization at the best of times 🙂

Like everyone that knits or crochets I still get excited at the prospect of new yarn, it hasn’t stopped just because I own a shop, if anything it’s worse. When i open the boxes the sense of desperation to get playing with the new goodies is a bit overwhelming. I tend to select a display garment pattern when choosing the yarn and will often order an extra pack to knit it in. At this time of year I find myself a bit bogged down with things to knit and my number of WIP’s increases alarmingly.

So in order to get back to some bookwork and knitting here are some of last weeks arrivals and I’ll pop some more on a second post. Another bag has already arrived this morning to be unpacked too – woolly heaven? Most of the time, anyway.

Happy Knitting!

2013-09-28 17.54.48 — Sirdar Faroe Chunky

A Wee Willie Winky hat shop sample in the new Baby Crofter

Wendy Mode Chunky (love the colours especially the blue)

Week Ending 7th September

September 10, 2013 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

Wow! We had an amazing amount of squares and blankets handed in last week and at this rate we’ll easily make our new target of 83 blankets.

Last weeks donations include squares and blankets from the following people-

Noreen handed in 3 blankets, 2 of which Lucy joined to make 1

Linda = 2

Kirstie = 18

Cati = 1

Elizabeth = 1

Betty Holland = 16

Breeda Ryan = 35

Martina = 35

Mary Donnelly = 4

Mary Mac = 12

Lise = 32

Joan = 4

Lucy = 4

Total 164 squares and 2 blankets

Keep em coming please.

Happy Knitting!

Stash Dash Time

August 17, 2013 LeftFootDaisy2 Comments

There are things to consider: you have to book your slot, you only have 20 minutes (you’re timed), you have to prepare, dig out the patterns, check your favourites on Ravelry, make sure you know how much double knit/aran/chunky you need. Have a look at the post linked above if you’re not sure and make sure you book your place quickly before they all go.

This is what you should be expecting.

Happy Knitting!

Here’s Another Idea For The Blanket Squares

May 23, 2013June 27, 2013 LeftFootDaisyLeave a comment

Some of you may recall we knitted 14″ blankets for the maternity hospital a couple of years ago now and the pattern many of us used was knit on the diagonal.

20cms/8" or there abouts — 20cms/8″ or there about

The beauty of the pattern was that you started with 1 stitch and increased by 1 stitch on every row until you’d reached your desired size. You then knit one row plain and begin decreasing 1 stitch every row until they’re all gone.

Easy peasy!

8inch/20cm Charity Blanket Square

Materials

Any weight of yarn

Appropriate size needles for yarn

Eg: Double knit yarn = 4mm,

Aran weight = 5mm

Chunky yarn = 6.5mm

Super chunky weight = 10mm

Abbreviations

K – Knit

KFB – Knit into the front and the back of the next stitch

K2Tog – Knit the next 2 stitches together

Instructions

Cast on 1 stitch

1^st Row – Knit into the front and the back of the stitch, (2 stitches).

2^nd Row – K1, KFB, (3 Stitches)

3^rd Row – K1, KFB, K to end, (4 Stitches).

You can see that by increasing in every second stitch a decorative border is produced. Repeat row 3 until either of the sides is approximately 8”/20cm (please note you are working on the diagonal).

Next work one row in knit without any increase.

To decrease K1, K2tog, K to end.

Repeat this decreasing 1 stitch on every row until only 2 stitches remain, K2Tog

Cast off final stitch and sew in ends.

Confessions of a Fibre Strumpet

Tag: Wendy

New Magazine – Prima Makes

Guess What? It’s Stash Dash Time

Have a Look at Wendy Duo

Peter Pan Hatti

Notes From Week Ending 25th January 2014

New Year – Time For Change?

Some Of The New Stuff (items of the woolly persuasion)

Week Ending 7th September

Stash Dash Time

Here’s Another Idea For The Blanket Squares

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