I have not covered any crafts for some time.  Sorting through my photos I came across this one.

This is exactly like the very first sewing machine I ever used. I was a young school girl at the time and staying with my aunt, daddies eldest sister. I was still quite short in stature then and found it difficult to get my feet going into a steady rhythm while concentrating on the actual sewing and keeping my fingers from going under the needle.

I saw this particular machine in the window of a dry cleaners and menders, at Royal Avenue in Belfast. Typical me I had to go in and ask for permission to take a photo.  The lady in charge offered to take a photo of me sitting at the machine, and sure why not make the most of the opportunity.  I didn’t have an unused handkerchief in my pocket so my ever present gloves had to come to the rescue to make it look like I was actually sewing! 😉

You have seen the blue jumper before, both in the making and again when it was completed.  The waist band, cuffs and collar were knit in single rib the remainder was crocheted in shell stitch. Please don’t ask for a pattern as I didn’t actually have one and would need to go back and count the stitches. Did I mention last time that I crocheted the pieces together when it was finished instead of the usual needle and thread method?  It gave a neat finish and you can see I worked the seam on the outside across the shoulders. I will use that method again!

Since then the experiment in pink above, again without a proper pattern, this time knitted mostly in the round, is completed.

A long tunic to wear in the winter over trousers. I call it the tea cosy stitch, since it was the stitch my mother favoured for knitting a tea cosy when I was young and about the only item I enjoyed knitting back then. I think the correct name for the stitch is fisherman’s rib.  The pattern is worked over multiples of four stitches plus one.  The tea cosy had 39 stitches for each side.  Each row is the same and as mammy would chant it – One right. Two wrong, two right – to the end of the row. In other words it was knit one, (purl 2, knit 2)* for the remainder of the row.  By the time you have four rows completed you can see the pattern and stop chanting! 😉 It is an easy pattern to work and builds up well.

So what am I at now?

You saw the pink scarf made from ruffle yarn when I finished it. A quick project that I managed to complete in a day.  It was worked over eight stitches. As you can see I made one in green but this time I worked it over fourteen stitches.  It is shorter, but has more body. The navy/grey/white ruffle yarn was made up over eight stitches, but I disliked it and ripped it back, washed, pressed  and rolled the yarn over card, I hope the pressing will make the job of re-knitting with more stitches much quicker and easier.

Finally we come to the green raspberries.

It is my next project. Something I saw on the internet, but was unable to find the pattern so I am making it up as I go along.  I am almost half way there at the moment. The Raspberry stitch is worked over four rows in multiple of four stitches plus one.

I am hoping to have it and at least one other cardigan finished before the winter. So the fingers will be busy… either clicking the keys or clicking the knitting needles!