The Knitters Thread

mioliere

Well done, Bella, on selling all those cards! Right now, I'm sorting out my craft stuff and trying to get it more organised. I keep it in the spare bedroom but, as I speak, it is all over the bed! I'm making a Mother's Day card and got fed up with rummaging about in drawers and boxes so I decided today was the day to sort it out. I shall have to make the card later.

As far as knitting goes, I need to finish a handbag I knitted (from a pattern in a Let's Knit magazine), put the face on two dolls, 'knit' a lovely necklace from a pattern found on Ravelry (hopefully, in time to put it in with the Mother's Day pressies) as well as a bookmark; I aim to get all that done by tomorrow afternoon and then decide on my next project (which I think will be a lovely 18" doll with clothes from a Jean Greenhowe book, for my DGD) and, after that, a handbag for my DS2's bride-to-be's birthday in March. The thing is there are so many lovely patterns on the internet that I seem to spend more time downloading them than knitting them! I also want to get into the habit of taking photos of all the things I make - so much to do, so little time!

It's quite easy to put photos on here - if you sign up to something like Photobucket or Flickr (just google the names); the instructions will be on the websites. Would love to see you projects!

Happy Knitting (and Cardmaking!)

KathyXX

hev_2

Wow Bella, you are making a hobby pay, that's wonderful.

Last week was the Christening of DS, and I had Dad with me for a week. The house has been a little hectic... okay, it's been bedlam on rollerskates!

So this week I believe I am entitled to extra knitting time as therapy. I am on the second sleeve of the easy quick knit tunic, and fingers crossed I actually finish it and then work out how to post a pic.

Trouble is, my imagination knits faster than my fingers, so I have loads of ideas of what I want to knit (and nothing straight forward like a scarf of course, I can't make it easy) and any day now the switch is going to flick and I will be back on the cross stitch.

Daren't even think of taking up a new hobby.

Better get knitting while the going is good!

bellaquidsin

Hello knitters everywhere.

meoliere - thanks for the tip on posting pictures, I think you may have supplied the missing link. I knew about photobucket but didn't realise I could just google it. Will have a try later. Your knitting sounds really interesting, are we going to see a picture of the bag when it's done?

hev - yes I am so pleased to be making a bit of money on my cardmaking. I only charge £1.00 but I'd rather them sell than languish in a box at home. Since I started making cards about two year's ago I have asked, cajoled, nagged DH to take them into work but I couldn't persuade him, then last week a chance comment he made at work prompted someone to tell him to take them in and they are selling:D at last. It is not a cheap hobby and I was beginning to wonder if I could keep it up although I have lots of stock at the moment. I used to have a patch in a local shop but it was poached so I am really pleased to be in business again.

I am trying to fit in some knitting as well but as we all know only too well there are never enough hours, and I think we all suffer from very productive heads, it's another thing making the fingers catch up.

Enjoy your knitting therapy, we all need therapy.

Bella.

mioliere

Hev and Bella - I'm glad I'm not the only one whose imagination is way ahead of her hands! I'm trying to make myself list forthcoming projects in a book because I end up with more than one thing on the go. Besides the knitting I already need to get finished, I am also experimenting with things for the wedding favours I am making for DS2's wedding in August (for AT LEAST 100 guests!). I shall do the usual sweets (well, I decided on Love Hearts) wrapped in white organdie and gold net and tied with hot pink ribbon but I want to add things to the outsides so I have decided to crochet little wedding rings (2 for each favour) and, also, tiny little knitted hearts (one for each) that I have found a pattern for. They need felting which I've never tried before so I will make half a dozen and see how they turn out. My DH said 'just wrap the sweets up' but I really want them to look special and individual. I also need to find a way of making tiny tags to hang on them with the bride's and groom's names and the date of the wedding (08.08.08!) written on them. I have six months in which to get them done but I would like to get them ready by June - I don't want to panic! In fact, I feel quite panicked already; it feels like a huge responsibility!

When I've finished my current batch of knitting I shall take pics and upload them on here.

BELLA - I'm glad your DH is finally taking your cards in to work. The workplace is usually a brilliant market place and will lead to more orders from the friends and families of his colleagues, once they have seen your cards - you may even get some commissions. Good luck with it. £1 sounds very good value for a unique handmade card. I'm sure you'll do very well.

zombiecazz

I love looking at pics. So please post pics of your finished objects (FO).
A friend the other day mentioned that she needed loads of Mother's day cards, but hated all the soppy shop bought ones.
So I offered to get some made for her.
I made two and got two other friends to make two each aswell.

These are my efforts. I had some fun, but just used what I had in my house already.

mioliere

ZOMBIECAZZ - they're lovely cards and very individual. Well done. I should have taken a picture of the one I made my Mum. I have decided to start photographing all my knitted projects but didn't think about other things I make. I'm not very good at cards - I think I'm too impatient and always end up having to do them in a hurry while I'm cooking the dinner. I must organise myself a bit better. It should be easier now I've sorted out all my craft stuff. I found some things I'd forgotten I had, so it does good going through it all now and again.

I was telling my Mum on the phone last night about the wedding favours I am doing for DS2's wedding in August and today I received a package from her that contained loads of organdie circles, gold, silver and white net, ribbons and a huge roll of organdie and lots of other bits and pieces which gives me a lot to work with. It was lovely going through it all!

Well, I'm off to do some knitting!

bellaquidsin

Hi Everyone

mioliere - you're going to be so busy with your favours but it all sounds so much fun.

zombiecazz - your cards are super, very artistic.

My card making cottage industry has really taken off this week and I have made £35 so far with a bit more to come in tomorrow and possibly on Friday.
I have tidied all my stuff away tonight and reclaimed my dining room, it looks quite nice when it's not submerged in paper. At the moment it's back to the knitting to try to get ahead with that, at least I can read these threads while I knit - lap top balanced on lap. Card making cuts me off from the world - not a bad thing sometimes- I didn't even have the radio on today and didn't realise there had been an earthquake until my daughter phoned.

Well, back to the knitting - just keep at it girls and we'll get there in the end.

Bella

hev_2

Zombiecazz - the cards look so lovely. The lettering is superb. I have to print or stitch or stencil any lettering I do.

Bella - my gran used to knit a complicated pattern (usually from Woman's Weekly) while reading a book and listening to the radio - and she could answer any questions on the book or the radio and finished on average an adult size cardi or sweater a week! I can just about manage to knit with the TV on (last night managed a load on my knitting when listening about sex and the Ancient Egyptians - you live and learn). Sounds like you can manage the same sort of thing as my gran.

My great aunt was the best knitter in the family. She was a little old lady that had a mind like a razor. She could take different parts of patterns and put them all together - she could take the fit from one pattern, the cable from another and the bobble from a third and just slot them together. She passed away about fifteen years ago and I miss her sometimes.

bellaquidsin

hev - no I'm nowhere near up to your gran's standard but I can take more in of what I'm listening to or reading if my fingers are occupied. If I tried to just read a book I would bite my finger nails up to my elbows, so knitting and reading have always been the way forward for me. Now it is easier to have the lap-top on my lap than to try to balance a book.

A whole garment in a week - oh how I wish. That way I might even get to the bottom of my stash by the end of the year!!

Bella

hev_2

My Gran loved her knitting, but she didn't have any other hobbies (apart from shopping) so just used to sit and knit every night. Everyone got sweaters or cardis whether they wanted them or not - it was compulsory!

Just bought Knit Today magazine because I had seen a trailer for what looked like a lovely cowl neck sweater - hah! It's a normal neck but a separate cowl/hood which is not what I wanted at all and the magazine was in a plastic wrapper so you couldn't check and all the pics showed what looked like a cowl neck... :mad:

I keep swearing that I will never get another magazine but it's like an addiction. It is so much money. Mind you, there is a cute little sweater for DS... like I'll have time before he grows out of it.

Does anyone know, what weight is Wendy Narvik? There is a man's sweater in the magazine but I would need around 15 balls at around £2.50 each :eek: I just wondered if I got some cheaper chunky or aran. Normally you can guess when you see the tension but this is knitted on 9mm needles so it's anyone's guess.