Nanna Wrap

A few weeks ago my Nanna sent all her knitting needles, a few patterns, and a bag of assorted acrylic up to me, which was rather special. Especially the needles, which I'll definitely hang on to. She's nearly 91, and still living independently!


As a thank you, I've just knitted her a wrapy scarfy thing from a lovely rich blue & purple mohair, which I'll post off today after taking photos.

For the record : The Nanna Wrap : 20 stitches on 8mm needles, with 1 ball of Sunbeam Paris Mohair (81% mohair, 11% wool, 8% nylon). Shade 1213. Feather and fan all the way. About 105 cm long, and 16 cm wide. Too itchy for my liking, but hopefully she'll like it!

Fated

It was meant to be. I have fallen (hopefully only mildly, and briefly) off the Use What You Have bandwagon...

I was dropping past our local post office to check my mail box - when who should I bump into but Tapophile! Hugs all round :) Now, if she's just leaving the Salvos shop, I'm safe, but if she's about to go in, I've had it....

She went in. With her mother and me in tow. I knew she was leading me astray, but how could I resist? There were BAGS, yes, multiple bags of yarn... We looked - just looking - we opened bags, took out the bits that we wanted to buy that looked good. Some Cleckheaton Merino Bambino in a luscious buttery yellow. A ball of blue Patonyle. Five balls of a fine Villawool boulcé, in grey and cream. Oooh, a huge amount of gorgeous soft green 5ply - well over 200g... I was crumbling. A set of 2.75mm DPNs, and I was sunk. There was talk of "If I buy this and then give it to you, and then later on you decide to give me some money as a gift, that's not cheating, is it?"

Get me out before I disgraced myself even more! A good haul for $5... but the real victory was Tapophile's, in getting me to break the UWYH strictures ;) LOL! Only a week to go, I shall not stray again - as long as I stay away from Tapophile at op shops!

Knit a Haggis!

Here are the instructions on how to knit your very own cute wild haggis, and only because Sheep Rustler asked :)
They are from Jean Greenhowe's MacScarecrow Clan - The Scottish Scarecrow Family. Printed in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1991. There's even a story at the end (Wee Sproot meets the Monster).

Use 8 ply fawn-coloured yarn - acrylic will do - and 3 mm needles.

Cast on 8 stitches loosely. Beginning with a P row, stocking stitch 3 rows.

Next row - Inc K-wise into every stitch (I think she means K-fb, where you knit into the front and back of the stitch) - 16 stitches. St-st 13 rows.

Next row - (K2tog) to end - 8 stitches.
St-st 3 rows. Cast off loosely.

Noting that P side of st-st is right side, oversew row ends together. Turn right side out. Use fawn yarn to gather round the third row from cast off edge, pull up tightly and fasten off. Stuff firmly through open cast on edge, then gather round third row from this edge in same way as before.

Use black yarn for facial features. Note that seam will run underneath haggis. Work a small vertical stitch for each eye, then work another stitch on top of each of the first stitches to make eyes larger. Work a small V-shape for mouth. Expressions can be varied, as shown in the photo.

Cute Progress

This frightfully sweet little pup is from a book from my Nanna, and my second Finished Object from UWYH month. Nanna passed on all her knitting needles, a bag of acrylic bits and pieces, and a few patterns to me, so I used the cream acrylic and a pair of her needles to make this, as well as the pattern. The pattern book is worthy of "VAGUE magazine"... it's a whole Scottish clan, complete with baby, mum, dad, grandpa, kiddies, knitted bagpipes, knitted knitting bag and knitting needles (I kid you not), and little knitted haggis things. With smiley faces on them. The grandpa apparently shepherds haggis. Or has a serious drinking problem. Or both. The dog was the best bit!



Aaaaaw, so cute! This is destined to my 2-year-old nephew, whose birthday I just missed.



So Taph - do you reckon it's a Westie?

Cozy Progress

This is my first completed thing from "Use What You Have Month" - any guesses as to what it is? I didn't even know these things existed until a week ago, when Taphophile enlightened me, and I knew it was the perfect gift for my mother-in-law (and, no it's not a gag, and she's nice, so there)...

It's made with half a ball of 3ply baby nylon, in a fairly drab pale yellow, which I picked up from our SnB swaps basket in January. The pinker bit is where I've knitted in some fine knitting elastic which I found at Salvos some months ago. So total cost for materials was about 50¢, and obtained before April. Plus I haven't bought anything crafty this month (yet).

OK - I know it's not obvious, plus it's awaiting its pair - it's a knee warmer. My MIL has very bad arthritis in one of her knees, and I'm hoping this will help ease the pains during the upcoming coastal winter. I *think* it will fit her, as (despite appearances) it's very stretchy and fit my leg, at least...

3 days and counting

Well, it's started - Use What You Have Month. Hubby has joined me in this mad endeavour (curbing his electronics hobby purchases). This is a Good Thing TM.

I got the last minute purchases of some blue mohair (possibly for my Blue Hat Project hat), some blue thread (for the same), buttons to finish my cardy (yay!), and some ribbon for Othlon's lace-up gloves. If said dotter isn't doing said UWYHM, then I can buy stuff for HER, can't I? And then she can give lend it to ME. And then.. OK, OK, it's cheating, I know... Sigh.

I dinna know if we can take it, Cap'n!