handmade gifts for christmas and celebrations 2011

newmrslockwood

Youngoldlady Mine is Model LS-2125. http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUK362&q=brother+ls-2125+sewing+machine&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=582138848518075032&ei=Xi04TZCjOIqKhQeq-dyWCg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q8wIwAA# this one
I'm sure it wasn't so expensive tho, because it was a gift.

dizzytina

Youngold lady mine is a Brother too. I find them so easy. i am actually on my second this one is computerised and cost more but my first was similar to newmrslockwoods. def find Brother easy to use and i am a novice and didn't even have to read the manual to do basics. Got your pm and i'll send the file tonight :-) Realised my old e-mail address must be on the blog so no wonder i didn't get it must work out how to change that!

Here is my latest make for my hubby for Valentines day. Meet jeremy the love monkey....

housewifeintraining

Hi youngoldlady this is the machine I have. I got it from argos it is the brother x5 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4602318/Trail/searchtext%3EBROTHER+SEWING+MACHINE.htm

Seems that Brother is a good make judging by how many people have them - I remember using Brother machines at school so was confident it would be a reliable machine.

PootleFlump_3

I would recommend Brother too. I have a Brother Innovis 20 and its absolutely fab. Pretty much does everything you need. x

CT19720

Fabulous makes ladies, thanks for all the inspirations. I had a crafty weekend making my first sock monkey 'Dotty'



Think she turned out quite well for my first attempt, just got to figure out how to do her mouth. The kids and OH weren't impressed buy what I was doing, when I was making her, but now she is made they are very impressed. My kids now want one - the oldest wants a black one with lots of jewellery on it and the little one a WWE wrestler with different coloured legs and lots of tattoos - not sure what an earth I am going to find for that one.

Cuddles we must have had the same idea, as I knitted a mug hug on Monday. Haven't knitted for about 30 years since I was a kid, so wanted to do something simple ish. Really pleased with it and the fact I managed to read the pattern



Not sure if my mugs are particularly small, but to me the mug hug looks a little too big, and therefore if you used it you would be 'sipping' fluff :rotfl:.

Cuddles when you knitted yours, did you knit a few less rows as your one looks perfect in size. I've got the mug hug book, so want to try a couple of others, I see you have made a cable one, is it easy to do for a novice knitter?

esmer

Welldone on your makes ladies, Im waiting to do mine, I had a mad rush on at xmas and need a break. Going to do the mug hugs, and crayon rolls, knitting needle rolls, tote bags, and some Soap........ still got bathbomb stuff, but want to make strawberry or raspberry Then I will do choccies closer to the time.

housewifeintraining

I'm really loving the 'mug hugs' but can't knit to save my life - does anyone know if there is a crocheted version I could try??

CT19720

housewifeintraining wrote: »

I'm really loving the 'mug hugs' but can't knit to save my life - does anyone know if there is a crocheted version I could try??

Just did a google search for you and came up with this site, that may be quite useful.

HTH

cuddles123

CT19720 wrote: »

Fabulous makes ladies, thanks for all the inspirations. I had a crafty weekend making my first sock monkey 'Dotty'



Think she turned out quite well for my first attempt, just got to figure out how to do her mouth. The kids and OH weren't impressed buy what I was doing, when I was making her, but now she is made they are very impressed. My kids now want one - the oldest wants a black one with lots of jewellery on it and the little one a WWE wrestler with different coloured legs and lots of tattoos - not sure what an earth I am going to find for that one.

Cuddles we must have had the same idea, as I knitted a mug hug on Monday. Haven't knitted for about 30 years since I was a kid, so wanted to do something simple ish. Really pleased with it and the fact I managed to read the pattern



Not sure if my mugs are particularly small, but to me the mug hug looks a little too big, and therefore if you used it you would be 'sipping' fluff :rotfl:.

Cuddles when you knitted yours, did you knit a few less rows as your one looks perfect in size. I've got the mug hug book, so want to try a couple of others, I see you have made a cable one, is it easy to do for a novice knitter?

Hi Caroline,

I know exactly what you mean.
My blue Mug Cosy is almost as wide as the mug, and I was going to make the second one a few stitches narrower, but the wool was slightly thinner and knit up smaller.

Which book do you have? Is it the Alison Howard one? I am after some patterns from that one and tried to get it from the Library, but it was going to be £2.50, so I may buy the book. Is it worth it?

I have posted the pattern for the Cable Mug Cosy on the Knitters Thread if you want it

CT19720

cuddles123 wrote: »

Hi Caroline,

I know exactly what you mean.
My blue Mug Cosy is almost as wide as the mug, and I was going to make the second one a few stitches narrower, but the wool was slightly thinner and knit up smaller.

Which book do you have? Is it the Alison Howard one? I am after some patterns from that one and tried to get it from the Library, but it was going to be £2.50, so I may buy the book. Is it worth it?

I have posted the pattern for the Cable Mug Cosy on the Knitters Thread if you want it

Hi Cuddles,

The one I have is the Val Pierce one, and was recommended by (Helen) FlyingPig. Ordered this on Friday, and it came Saturday from Amazon, so was really impressed with that.

There are lots of lovely mug hugs in this book, but being a novice knitter I have stuck to the ones that are nice and simple. They have a cable one in this book, but it looked complicated! They have quite a few that you knit the main section and then cast off, and then you have to pick up stitches at the ends of the piece you have casted off, and I have failed miserably at trying to pick up the stitches to knit in the other direction. Tried to look on you tube at how to do it, but didn't find the videos that easy to understand, and have no-one that I know who knits to ask, so until I can suss it there are about 16 patterns in the book that I can't do.

Think this book is good value for money if you are a competent knitter and not a novice like me.

Off to have a look at the cable mug hug, as I think they look fab, and will give it a go, so thanks for putting the instructions up on the other thread.

When I knit my second square one, i'll buy thinner wool and see how that goes, thanks for the tip.