Wrong Handed (NaBloPoMo #9)

My understanding is that most people are by nature right or left handed. It's a natural preference to use one over the other for particularly manual, dexterous  tasks. The occasional person is ambidextrous and goes both ways but that's fairly unusual.

On Tuesday I woke up with a really painful shoulder. It's kind of inside the shoulder, behind the scapula. It hurts when I do most things including typing so a short post. But knitting, using a mouse, sewing with my right hand - those all make it worse. It is gradually easing but it's bloody annoying in the meantime.

So I've moved my mouse to my left at work and tonight I tried sewing some patchwork pieces together using the needle in my left hand. It was about 1/4 the speed of my right but not actually that hard - and I've found the same thing with my mouse at work. It all has me thinking - is it worth training yourself to use both equally? Or at least to use your non-dominant hand competently.

Of course you still have to hold the fabric with your other hand so sewing with your left doesn't really help. I just can't bear sitting here doing nothing though.

TV To Knit Things By Part 2 (NaMoBloPo #8)

A few weeks ago I did this post on TV series to knit along to. It got quite a few comments and hits and there were many suggestions. I thought I'd summarise them here.

Person of Interest

I've gone from knowing nothing to addict in just a few weeks. The main character is played by Jim Caveizel (on the left above) who played Jesus in Mel Gibson's film. He is sooooooo nice to look at but, sadly, it's 0/10 for removal of shirt. He plays an ex CIA black ops guy (i.e. he killed people cleverly) and, like Minority Report but secreter, there's a machine that knows when someone is going to be involved in a crime. Loads of conspiracy stuff, excellent supporting characters. All good.

Silent Witness
I've not loved this but Becky commented to say she'd fallen back in love with it so maybe I should try again. BBC website link here. I guess this is kind of the english equivalent to CSI so if you're non UK you may want to try this.

Miss Marple
Oh yeah baby. I only left her and Poirot off because I never think of them as series. Whether it is Joan Hickson (the definitive Marple imho) or another they are all good. Got to love Marple.

The Killing (Danish version)
Tracy left a comment about this and is not the first to recommend it. I haven't got around to it but as she says "It is a bit tricky to knit to with subtitles, but you just need to make it a simple knit - completely worth it :)" I believe this is the one with 'the' jumper. Which reminds me. Lopi jumper tool anyone? This site and the accompanying Ravelry group is genius. Put in your measurements and gauge and then either adapt a standard pattern or design your own. Pure genius.

Rosemary & Thyme
Now bagqueen said Murder She Wrote was too corny for her while Ynot suggested this one. For me R&T is just too much. The two women in it are hamming it up so much - Felicity Kendal especially. I can't bear it. Give me Murder She Wrote anytime. Ahhh...Jessica

DCI Banks, Wire in the Blood and Scott & Bailey
I know nothing except they are all british.

I hope you've all enjoyed this little series and let me know if I forgot anything!

Books #42 - #46 (NaMoBloPo #7)

Knitting on the Green is up to book #95. Not that I'm in competition or anything but...hmph...

#42 Unseen Academicals
By Terry Pratchett

This is a reread since I am a total Pratchett addict and read them as soon as they come out. Whenever I want some intelligent comfort reading I turn to these and am in fact rereading another one at the moment. This story concerns the Wizards and the head of the night kitchen. You also get scenes with the Watch and the Patrician (who at one point becomes drunk and reminds me of another Alex I know). The key theme though is football and anyone who has ever stood on a terrace will recognise the rivalry and the people who weave this amazing story. These books are all well worth reading. 

#43 4.50 From Paddington

by Agatha Christie

Another comfort read and an old friend. This book was made for television three times with three different women playing Miss Marple. All have subtle differences and I'd forgotten that all differ from the book, so it was good to get back to the original. This is one of her best books with original writing and ideas. Still a very easy read though. 

#44 A Better Quality of Murder

by Ann Granger

This was a library book and the first I've read in this series. It's 1867 and a scotland yard inspector has a forward thinking wife and so they approach the crime in their own ways. For me this was initially an ordeal to read. It just took soooooo long to get going. Once it did though it was quite good but I found the way the upper class characters behaved rather irritating. I'm still not sure whether this was because they were irritating or because of the way it was written. I guess I need to try another one. 

#45 Dodger

by Terry Pratchett

This is not out in paperback for another year so I won't give much away. I hadn't done my research with this one and was expecting a Discworld book. Not least because of the illustration style on the cover. I was rather stupidly surprised then when it turned out to be a Dickens style romp. I think to use the word 'parody' would be unfair as this is a novel in its own right and the use of the name 'Dodger' (as in The Artful Dodger from Dickens' "Oliver") for the main character works well when it's explained. The way the story pans out is very dickensian and satisfactory. The writing is as good as you would expect from Pratchett and although it wasn't what I had expected I was very happy that I had bought it in error. 

#46 The Chalk Circle Man

by Fred Vargas

I am eternally grateful to my cousin for sending me this. Vargas is a french writer and the original book is called L'homme aux Cercles Bleus which translates as The Blue Circle Man but I guess chalk is thought to be more appealing to english speakers. Perhaps because 'blue' can mean rude/porn? Anyway, completely irrelevant tangent. The Chief is a brilliant character and we get his back story here as this is the first in the series. His supporting detective is also an excellently drawn man and the people the Chief meets as he traverses Paris to solve the case are also wonderfully outlined. An author like Michael Innes, and you can hardly get a more english detective than Appleby, would spend a page and a half laboriously explaining each of their characteristics while Vargas puts them down in just a few pen strokes. Like the difference between a Stubbs and a Degas. The ending was a little bit...odd. But lovely cousin did mention this wasn't the best one in the series. If you read this I suggest bearing in mind Vargas's gender. I was astonished.

All the images in this post are Amazon affiliate links, but I'm only in it for the images. 

One More FO (NaMoBloPo #6)

I finished this at the weekend. I'd done the main ring a few weeks ago, having bought the pattern and fabric while in Somerset. The leaves, beads and a hanging loop were all that I added.

The leaves took a bit of experimentation. The instructions suggested using batting but I found this was too bulky so used a single layer of craft felt instead. One good tip - the leaves only need to have one 'nice' side so to make them I put right sides together and sewed *all* the way around. Normally you'd need to leave a gap to turn them inside out and then whip stitch the gap closed. Instead I used a seam ripper to slice lengthways along one side of the leaf and used that to turn it inside out, leaving all the edges intact.

A few riding hood red wooden beads from stash and I was done! This is a present for Mater so if you happen to see it Mumsy it will be on its way to you shortly.

If I were going to send xmas cards this year (it's not the cost of the cards that puts me off but the cost of the postage) they would have this image on.

E-cards are still a definite possibility though...

U'R Priceless Bloghop - Day One (NaMoBloPo #5)

I was very excited to get to be part of this as I've been a fan of frame purses for a few years now but had never used the 'sew-in' frames - only the glue ones. Having now completed a sewn one I think I'll be sticking with the glue in future but it was good to try.

I assembled my pieces...

I decided, perhaps rashly, to use some leather type fabric in silver which I've had in stash, just waiting for the right project. I paired it with some sewing thread fabric that I really wish I had more of (let me know if you know where I can get some). 

I got going and followed the excellent instructions our lovely hostess had provided. I wish I'd sewn the lining first as I screwed up joining the points when I did the pleather.

Getting points to meet has never been a strength for me - but then I am a bodger and would always opt to plough on instead of ripping and redoing. The second time, with the lining, it did work a tiny bit better. 

A little bit of fiddling later and...ta da!

The sewing in was interesting but pretty fiddly. Having said that, if you like to take your time you do have more control over it than the glue in frames. All I would say is use something like stranded cotton to do the sewing - anything slightly more delicate than cotton and it shreds as it passes through the holes. Guess how I know...!

I got my frames from Etsy. She's in China so what you save in money (which is a lot - her prices are excellent) you lose in how long it takes for your order to arrive. I've had a few orders from her though and the frames are good quality. Speaking of which...these are some of my previous creations. This was the first one I ever made, following a class at the Make Lounge. 

Then this is my greatest purse frame achievement.

I use both of these regularly. 

So having seen my contribution to the Bloghop I hope you'll go and visit the others for today (the full schedule can be found in the sidebar here):

Quiltin' Jenny
Hill Valley Quilter
Loopy Lou's Adventures Into Handicrafts
Just Let Me Quilt
Beaquilter
Sunshine, Handmade
Buzzing and Bumbling
Sew Much 2 Luv
ANNIEOFBLUEGABLES
Needled Mom
The Slow Quilter
A Quilting Sheep
I Have a Notion
Quilt-n-Queen

I'm not running a competition but I do have a Charm Swap you might want to sign up for. It is international (I am in the UK) and the only cost to you is the fabric (the swap is timed so you can buy it in the post-xmas sales) and postage each way. You can read more and sign up here. 

Thanks for visiting!

All Tucked Up (NaMoBloPo #4)

Remember this quilt?

Since the weather got colder I've had it on the sofa. It's great for snuggling under with my knitting.

It's the centre for a baby blanket which will have a fancy edging. I'm using James C Brett Cotton On which is  50% acrylic but minky soft, light and machine washable - all of which are essential for a summer baby. Yep - I'm getting a head start!

Seeing Stars (NaMoBloPo #3)

I was doing some digging on Flickr for english paper pieced patterns and found this Group. It combines EPP with foundation piecing so you have to pick between them but there were some lovely ones there. For example:

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

Divine.

Then a search on Pinterest led me to another Flickr group where I was instantly in love with this pattern:

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

Aren't those colours divine? AND a genius in the group had created a template on A4 so you can cut out all the little bits, coat them in fabric and reassemble them. Cue my friday night (living the life chez byrne):

The fabric was just stuff I had enough of in my scrap box so not my idea of the perfect colour scheme but I rather like it. I think I might applique this and the one I made on Thursday to a cushion cover. I think overall I prefer the other one and so can see diamonds (ha) in my future.

Great Colours for Fairisle (NaMoBloPo #2)

I've been collecting cloud pictures for a few years now. They're all in this set on Flickr. My idea, apart from just loving clouds, is that eventually I'll get a shot with the right balance of colours for the *perfect* fairisle jumper. But how to distil the colours from the photo?

There are lots of free tools (and paid for ones) but I've been using a free Big Huge Labs tool. BHL have a number of different gadgets that connect with your Flickr account to make this kind of thing really easy. So it was no bother to have a play. I started with a photo from Exmoor two weeks ago. This was my favourite day of my holiday - excellent craft and clouds.

This palette is pretty good but I'd like a little more blue before it's perfect. Compare this with a shot of French countryside from the Eurostar.

Pretty beautiful but not as refined as the Exmoor one. Possibly the result of me being behind the glass of a fast moving train?! Then there is this one (I think from Haworth on a SkipNorth holiday) which has lovely blues but not enough brown.

Speaking of browns...

Some people don't need jumpers.

My New Most Favourite Thing (NaBloMoPo #1)

I have always loved paper pieced hexagons. I started making things with them when I was about 11. It has taken until today for me to try a different shape! But I'm glad I did.

Each hexagon takes 12 diamonds and mine have 1.5" sides. I had a pack of 4" charm squares and can get 3 diamonds out of each square. I can see more of these diamonds in my future! I can imagine tessalating these with large hexagons in just one fabric. I'd never thought about doing hexagons that large until I saw this quilt about a year ago.

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

Of course since the advent of Pinterest I've become aware of other hexagon variations.

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Alex on Pinterest

Source: carolinapatchworks.com via Alex on Pinterest

So many possibilities!

Patchwork Planning

I've scored two new books.

I read about the Ann Budd at the weekend and knew it had to be mine. I'm always trying to reverse engineer the Ann Budd Sweater Patterns books to be top down. An added bonus is the chapter on contiguous set in sleeves. I've been wanting to try those for ages and now I have the courage to go for it.

The other book is an old one form the sixties, but first published in the thirties. It's got lots of advice in it as well as the actual blocks, all of which seem to come out different sizes. I'd love to do a quilt that was lots of different blocks put together, but for that to work I need to decide on a range of fabrics. I'd really love to use the Moda Sew Stitchy set but the colours aren't really me.

I'd like to get it designed and work out what yardage I'll need by xmas so that I can buy fabric in the sale. In the meantime, more knitting!!!

Bag! Bag! BAG!

For an explanation of the title see this post from August. Meanwhile, I made a bag.

I am slightly in awe of it. It' so...normal looking. I used a blue bag I bought from Tie Rack about 5 years ago as the basis. I've used it constantly but wanted something slightly bigger and a bit more formal for work. I found the black cotton with the thin grey stripe at Rolls n Rems in Lewisham. It is already a light denim weight but I used some light interfacing to give it a bit more structure.

The grey on grey dot fabric I got last week was perfect for the lining. I added a pocket with one of my new labels on it.

The handles are from Etsy - this UK based shop - and arrived very quickly. I hand sewed them using 6-strand embroidery cotton.

The top of the bag had thicker interfacing added which also helps stabilise the handles and magnetic clasp. I am considering another one in this style in some sort of mental fabric with a massive bow on it. Haven't found the right stuff yet. Meanwhile I have a metre of dark grey cord waiting to become another bag. But I think I'll leave that to mature in my stash for now.

Some time ago I realised I had a need for a sewing bin. Something large enough to take scraps but small enough to sit by the sewing machine when needed. Last time the water went off I bought a 5 litre bottle and sure enough the bottom 6 inches or so of that seemed suitable. I've been using it in its naked plastic form for months now and today I finally made it decent.

I've got the green vintage stuff in my Etsy shop, but the star fabric is something someone has put on Spoonflower, although I have no doubt it is a NASA image which they do not own the copyright to. Incidentally Spoonflower is selling FQs for half price this week. I've loved the fabric since I got it but have never known quite how to do it justice. I think it works really well here.


Now for a bit more knitting. I'm back on the Minx jumper from months ago. One sleeve done and the other underway. Excellent way to spend an hour or two.