Feels like I haven’t talked about anything crafty in a long time! I have been busy though, but I didn’t have anything finished to show. Well, I still don’t have anything finished, but I thought that I should share what I am working on at the moment and the progress being made.
You remember the Madli? It has been progressing since my last post. I’m getting near the end of my first skein of Malabrigo Lace and still have another one to go. I am in love with it all. The yarn, the pattern. Everything! It is absolutely beautiful and I’m very happy I decided to not do the nupps on the main body part. It looks so much better this way, I think. It’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it!
Madli
I can’t wait to block it. It is going to look amazing. It’s almost a shame I will have to let it go… The pattern repeats are mindless enough. I’ve got it in my fingers, which allow my brain to focus on other stuff, like watching the telly or thinking about other patterns. Patterns that I should be writing…
It’s during this mindless knitting that I came up with an idea for mittens and fingerless gloves. I became so obsessed with it that I decided to stop thinking about it and WORK on it. So I got some graph paper and started charted the patterns. Once I got the patterns right, I cast on. The first fingerless glove is done and I’ve just cast on for the second one. Then I will be working on larger versions (I’ve got teeny tiny hands and wrists) and on the mittens. I am quite pleased with my design. It might not be the most original one, but I haven’t seen anything like that yet (I did a little bit of research).
Created by Lilysunshine
I am pretty pleased with that. The pattern is spiraling around the gloves without any interruptions. Pretty nifty.
I am using a yarn by Gedifra, called Riana (Ravelry link). I got a bag of 10 for a fiver (that is £5, for non English people) from Kemps. I didn’t know what I was getting, it was one of their grab bags they do from time to time. At first, I didn’t like the colour, but now I’m pretty taken with it. It’s a shame this wool is a no-no for me to wear next to my skin. It’s got plenty of fuzz and it’s giving me the itch (remember eczema?). Ah well, I’ll make meself some more in a non itchy wool!
When I am done with all my test knitting, sizing, etc… I will write down the pattern. It will be my first time doing that so it’s a bit scary. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to give it away for free or not. It is my first pattern, so I would be tempted to think that I should not sell it because I’m new to it… But I’m also spending a LOT of time on it, with all the different versions and sizes. And if I sell it, I might sell it for a couple of pounds tops. What do you people think? Do you think it is good enough to be sold to the public? Should I just be giving it away for free? Have you seen the exact same pattern elsewhere? If so, please please let me know! I wouldn’t want someone to think I stole their work!…
Finally, the last thing I’m working on is a toy for the wee boy. He seems to really enjoy the dragon I made for him, so I thought I would make him some more handcrafted toys. My husband is a keen fisherman so I thought a fisherman toy would be a sweet idea for him and the baby to play together. I haven’t made a lot of progress on it so far, just a leg!
Fisherman’s leg
I’m following the generic doll pattern from World of Knitted toys (Ravelry link). I am not utterly convinced by it, finding it a bit fiddly. I also wonder why it is not being worked in the round. After all, this leg should be like a stuffed sock, right? Instead, it is worked flat, seamed and bent to create the foot…
That’s all for now. I’ve got another idea for a pattern to work on, but I’m going to finish this first one first. I’m also waiting for some Madelinetosh Sock I won on eBay (less than £14, including shipping) for my second idea. I’m also on a serious yarn diet for the next couple of months, as we need to save a little bit of money (err, pay some credit cards debt, more like…). But that’s ok, I should have enough yarn to keep me going for a while!!
