Knitted Blankets

Here are two brightly coloured blankets, made from knitted strips donated by a knitting group from MAST.  My task was to colour coordinate and arrange the strips in the most varied pattern as possible.  I tried to avoid having same coloured sections next to each other.  I have done quite well.  I used a crochet hook and red wool to double crochet the strips together and the same stich to edge each blanket.

This one would be suitable to lay on a single bed or as a knee shrug or wrap-around.  The wool is very soft and feels lovely and snuggly.

This one would lay over the top of a double bed quite happily.  They are both rather bright especially the orange/red one.

Infact either of these blankets might be good for someone who may benefit from the stimulating colours.

They both took quite a few hours of work just putting them together, never mind the time spent by others in the knitting.

Cyril the Caterpillar

I got the idea for Cyril the Caterpillar from a magazine, but the owner of the magazine took it with them, so I made it up from the visual memory. 

He's very simple to make.  Just casting on 30 stitches and knitting around 20 rows for each colour.  Each section of his body was done in a different stitch pattern. 

Knitting straight until all eight sections were complete.  I stitched him up like a sausage, only stopping at each change of colour to stuff and pull in to produce the shaping.  I used old buttons for eyes and nose and crocheted on a tonge.  I could have stitched on a smile instead.  However, I like the cheeky look.  I found a load of white dufflecoat toggles and used these for his feet.  He feels good to hold and is quite floppy.  His feet clatter about on hard surfaces.  I have made a few more which have sold on our craft stall.

I do like Cyril, but don't really know what I will do with him.  He is currently crawling along the top and over the edge of my wardrobe, while watching me type this blog right now!

Mobile Phone Cosies

Trying to use up small odds of left-over wool. These are going on our stall next week and I hope at least one goes. I have made 3 so far. They're really simple, just 34 stitches in rib for 4 or 5 rows, then garter or stocking stitch until the right length for my mobile phone. I have reduced the stitches before casting off to give it a slightly rounded finish to the bottom, instead of pointie corners. I included a row of holes on mine, but it's not necessary. I could have used ribbon to thread through, but chose to twist some wool into a rope and make a bow of it.

You could follow a baby mittens pattern, and just make sure big enough for your mobile. You would really need to experiment, depending on wool and needles used.

Fluted Tea Cosy 1

I'm please with this knit, as it is the first cosy I have made for many years. I bought the wool in a charity shop in Buxton last year, not knowing quite what I was going to do with it. I though about making a bag and matching hat at one time. Then we had our kitchen refitted and the colours seemed to match, so a Tea Cosy it became. I made another similar for the sales stall and have yet another half done. I know the colours are not bright, but not everyone wants bright colours in their kitchen, do they? I would like to do some more in this pattern and will probably go for wacky colours then.....

On Wed 7 May; my tea cosy sold on our craft stall. I'm rather chuffed.

The 2 Year Scarf!

I knitted this scarf in the mid 1980's and it took me around 2 years to complete! It is a basic knit 3, pearl 3 using whole balls of wool for each block of colour, with a bit of fringing. Dead simple, but one of those pick me up; put me down jobs. Put down more than anything else. I think it was meant to be a great big long scarf, like the one Dr Who was wearing around that time, but I got fed up. So there you have it. I have worn this scarf quite a lot over the years and I hold on to it in case it comes in to fashion again!