Knitting By The Sea

Chrochet basket of veggies

Sugar n cream have published a great free crochet pattern for an assortment of vegetables and even the basket to put them in.

Mini knitted hats

I've only just heard about The Big Knit by innocent drinks. I don't shop at Sainsbury's, I can't face the Lancaster traffic, and so have never stumbled across an innocent bottle wearing a knitted hat. Basically, people knit little hats, send them to Innocent who put them on innocent bottles to be sold in Sainsbury's and for each one sold they donate 50p to age concern.

 

There are some little hat patterns on Innocent's site but people have fun inventing their own as well.

Completed String Bag

My Daughter says that my completed string bag is far too small, but I am happy enough with my first attempt.

Crochet Sring Bag

At last I have found some patterns for the type of string bag I remember as being stuffed into pockets and bags when I was a kid. This pattern is from 1933,   way before my time but it's interesting to see how fashions come around again and again. There is another pattern here for an Crocheted eco-friendly carryall. Lidl are selling big balls of chrochet cotton for £5.99. I joined the scrum yesterday and got one, the one I got has a slight metallic tint running through it.

Scarf Style

I've been adding a few more books to GoodReads. I've only added a small fraction so far, the latest being Scarf Style, simply because it was close to hand. Clicking the picture should take you to the reviews.

The Last Knit

A knitting video with a difference.

Knitted Christmas Decorations

Little Cotton Rabbits has a knitting pattern for these gorgeous decorative Christmas stockings. Hard to choose just one design, so best I knit them all.

 

 

I don't think I will ever have a tree with as many home made decorations, whether knitted or stitched, as this amazing tree full of knitted decorations.

I haven't been doing much knitting recently, what with my GoodReads obsession, where I am top reviewer and top 6 user this week as I have been on it that much, and my discovery of Richard Bertinet's method of bread making, I only see my knitting when I am rummaging about in drawers. I did manage an hour or so stitching, mainly to test out my new led light and magnifier, and I did get my latest cross stitch washed and pressed but, alas, it has been languishing awaiting framing for at least a month.

I seem to have abandoned both the crochet and knitted string bags that I started. I did have fond ideas of being able to pop one into the bottom of my handbag and thus never be without a re-usable shopping bag but, whether I chose the wrong crochet cotton or was just deluded, I have come to realise that it would take up too much room in even my most capacious handbag. Pulling it out would probably result in the shop being peppered with the general handbag detritus that is bound to cling to it and become enmeshed in it.

Talking of handbags, I 've become aware of the Fake-a-Gamo, a bag based on a designer bag by Salvatore Ferragamo, which retails at over one and a half thousand dollars. You can request the pattern at Knitlit's blog and admire it on Flickr. I have resisted asking for the pattern as I have far too many half finished projects on the go, but it looks fabulous. What a good job she's made of it.

Shopping Bag Knitted from carrier Bags

I've been having a go at knitting a string bag, using this pattern, and I've made a bit of a mess of it. It won't matter, hec, once it's got shopping in it you won't be able to tell that I went wrong here and there. I realise now that I should have crocheted the bag, goodness knows crochet is all about fashioning holes together. Note that the instructions are U.S. not U.K. I made a right mess of the start of the bag by not remembering the difference between uk and US versions. It is stated on the pattern that it is U.S. but in my hurry to start I did not notice.

I fancy having a go at knitting a bag using old carrier bags but, ironically, find that I don't have any carrier bags. How quickly we have adapted to taking re-usable bags shopping. There's a good "how to" article at Crafty Crafty for a crotchet version.