tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10885225882311615592024-03-18T06:07:14.750+00:00The Button ShipAll I ask is take me to the seaAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-10529836944435489012018-04-14T22:16:00.002+01:002018-04-14T22:16:40.566+01:00Postcards from Sweden: crochet versionI am so excited to show you my latest creation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6ZVM3lz0e0/WtJkA-kpkiI/AAAAAAAAGYs/gCLLKQ85-vkZGmCHQ1F-IgH7qELyFyhggCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180405_195437488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S6ZVM3lz0e0/WtJkA-kpkiI/AAAAAAAAGYs/gCLLKQ85-vkZGmCHQ1F-IgH7qELyFyhggCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20180405_195437488.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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YAAAAAAAY!!! When I saw the Postcards from Sweden quilt pattern from Jeliquilts <a href="http://jeliquilts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/postcard-from-sweden-aka-ikea-hst-quilt.html" target="_blank">here</a>, it was love at first sight. However, I couldn't afford to quilt it, because this would tie me in to making 2 quilts plus a crochet blanket. You see, one boy has a crochet blanket so the other was clearly owed one. I didn't dare add quilting debts to this. So I had to make the Postcards from Sweden as a crochet blanket for the smallest boy.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EcqWHBaDRw/WtJkIBESjgI/AAAAAAAAGYw/Dlg2uLKahP40wCtqrKY3hk82O5OQJf9pwCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180405_202611_979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="1456" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EcqWHBaDRw/WtJkIBESjgI/AAAAAAAAGYw/Dlg2uLKahP40wCtqrKY3hk82O5OQJf9pwCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180405_202611_979.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because I cannot step away from the day job, I matched the yarn colours to the original Kona fabrics by writing a python script. What else would you do?!<br />
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The very lovely Kelly has kindly agreed that I can share my colour list with you so you can recreate her work in yarn too! You'll need to head on over <a href="https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/-postcard-from-sweden-quilt-pattern/204345" target="_blank">here</a> to download her free pattern, but really you only need to print pages 6 and 7 which describe her layout. From there, you can write in the yarn colours in to her handy chart and then it's a crochet-by-numbers exercise, and a very lovely one it is too.<br />
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Here's the yarn colours I used, numbered to match the original quilt scheme:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Tomato</li>
<li>Matador</li>
<li>Lulk *</li>
<li>Pomegranate</li>
<li>Sage</li>
<li>Green</li>
<li>Pistachio</li>
<li>Leuven *</li>
<li>Citron</li>
<li>Apricot</li>
<li>Saffron</li>
<li>Spice</li>
<li>Pistachio</li>
<li>Kelly Green</li>
<li>Aspen</li>
<li>Cloud Blue</li>
<li>Denim</li>
<li>Turquoise</li>
<li>Empire</li>
<li>Lapis</li>
<li>Sherbet</li>
<li>Wisteria</li>
<li>Magenta</li>
<li>Amstelveen *</li>
<li>Amstelveen *</li>
<li>Lavender</li>
<li>Lipstick</li>
<li>Amersfoort *</li>
<li>Lulk *</li>
<li>Clematis</li>
<li>Fondant</li>
<li>Fondant</li>
<li>Knokke *</li>
<li>Spice</li>
<li>Sunshine</li>
<li>Spring Green</li>
</ol>
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All colours are Stylecraft Special DK, except those marked with an asterisk which are Scheepjes Colour Crafter. That's 31 distinct colours, I used less than 100g of each colour.<br />
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The border is made up of three additional Stylecraft colours:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Grey</li>
<li>Graphite</li>
<li>Cream</li>
</ol>
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In terms of the blocks, they're a solid granny square of UK treble crochet worked in two colours at once, which is achieved by reversing the work direction. I bring you a diagram:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ne-FYaxg94/WtJqOZ4hbjI/AAAAAAAAGZQ/vqmCgQE-1OwUG4YZiohTc85rsBOJB2uigCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180414_215116015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ne-FYaxg94/WtJqOZ4hbjI/AAAAAAAAGZQ/vqmCgQE-1OwUG4YZiohTc85rsBOJB2uigCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20180414_215116015.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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I worked 6 rounds for each block. The only non-standard bit is where you reverse direction - after 2 ch, slst into the start of the round, then turn the work and slst back over the ch and then get ready to ch 3 to act as your first tr and you're away again.<br />
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Don't worry if the diagram is opaque - I made some video tutorials, so hopefully the diagram will be a good reminder once you have watched them.<br />
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There are three parts to the videos:<br />
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<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26dM9INx5Mg" target="_blank">Round 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXbikm2GoQ&t=336s" target="_blank">Round 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF72jTI3n9w" target="_blank">Round 3</a></li>
</ol>
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For the border, I used 5 rounds of linen stitch from the Attic24 blog <a href="http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/linen-stitch-edging.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The colour order is Grey, Cream, Graphite, Cream, Grey. Again, I was just trying to mimic my favourite quilt binding I've seen on the postcards quilt!<br />
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I found it important to keep track of all the squares by storing them on stitch markers as I made them to keep them in order. Scrap yarn through a square corner would do just as well.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvpAECZ2dNA/WtJqJ0zrlXI/AAAAAAAAGZM/dBK0eP-9nCoQ5wRXIrd3XMpTdrUER1e1gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20171230_223712527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvpAECZ2dNA/WtJqJ0zrlXI/AAAAAAAAGZM/dBK0eP-9nCoQ5wRXIrd3XMpTdrUER1e1gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20171230_223712527.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's like a rainbow slug on my floor.</td></tr>
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My squares curled, as you can see in the image above. It was necessary to block them to 5"x5". The most painless way is a blocking board - slip them over the pegs and shoot steam at them from above with a hot steam iron - it's enough to relax the synthetic fibres. <br />
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There's no need to fork out for a posh blocking board as long as you've got access to an electric drill and some MDF. I've heard some people suggest 3mm DPNs as good blocking pegs, but you can save your pennies - 3mm stainless steel rod is widely used in remote control hobby aircraft, so grab yourself some cheap on eBay. I bought mine too long and owe thanks to my Dad who chopped them up with his grinder. Sorry Dad. Then just drill yourself some holes and pop the pegs in.<br />
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The blocks are whip-stitched together (I didn't want a visible seam - I wanted to match the quilt look as close as I could).<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWNL7ZvfCUE/WtJkIBtSvCI/AAAAAAAAGYw/6yWnE4XQA24PusoElFKNBWnX9uch7c4AgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG-20180405-WA0000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TWNL7ZvfCUE/WtJkIBtSvCI/AAAAAAAAGYw/6yWnE4XQA24PusoElFKNBWnX9uch7c4AgCKgBGAs/s320/IMG-20180405-WA0000.jpeg" width="179" /></a></div>
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My little boy now has his own blanket which will doubtless get trashed in den building (as it should be, of course). If you have kids and are not sure if the blanket is needed - it always is. Did I mention they look as good as new after a machine wash and tumble dry?!<br />
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In my gauge the blocks are 5" square and the blanket comes out approximately double bed sided. For scale, a real human on the blanket:<br />
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Once again, huge thanks to Jeliquilts for offering her quilt pattern to us all for free. I can honestly say I enjoyed every single stitch I made to re-create her work in yarn.</div>
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You might be interested to know that I have started a crochet blanket for me now. There's no pulling the wool over the kid's eyes (no matter how rainbow coloured) and they've spotted I already made myself a quilt, so have placed their own quilt orders accordingly. I'd have got away with it if it weren't for those pesky kids...</div>
Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-58145489185667338662016-03-15T15:49:00.000+00:002016-03-15T15:49:59.535+00:00Turning lace patterns upside downThis post isn't news to the knitting world, but since there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about it on forums when you google "knit lace pattern upside down" or somesuch, I thought it was worth a post.<br />
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Lets say (like me) you want to knit a seamless cardigan from the top down, but you want to include an all-over lace pattern. Most lace charts are written bottom-up, at least in the stitch-dictionary on my shelf. Maybe instead you are knitting a lace scarf and don't want to knit two shorter ones with a graft in the middle. What to do?<br />
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<strike>Some</strike> A lot of posts on forums breezily suggest "just turn the chart upside down and replace decreases by increases!" <b>Don't listen to them, my friends.</b> While this may work for some lace patterns, it won't work for all. And it may well look different from the lace knitted right-way-up, so I wouldn't try to match the two.<br />
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It is true you can expend a lot of brainpower and swatching time to devise an upside-down chart that retains most of the design features of the original pattern, but it might well not look the same in some key features. There's a reason to graft your scarf in the middle!<br />
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Here comes an example:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wAPbM4w4v1c/VugjuK4iX8I/AAAAAAAABfc/58CV-GdlELAM7Hz5sOlGTSCR_OVMLaFqA/s1600/flwr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wAPbM4w4v1c/VugjuK4iX8I/AAAAAAAABfc/58CV-GdlELAM7Hz5sOlGTSCR_OVMLaFqA/s320/flwr.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This cute pattern of three holes is called "little flowers" in my stitch dictionary, or perhaps it's really little hearts. Either way, it's cuter this way up than inverted ("little stack of bowling balls"?) The chart is thusly:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5imYmfG_2U/VugjRLpshkI/AAAAAAAABfQ/2dLSsQRfDag92tVxXdQ3ZNKScrz9FWNKA/s1600/dia1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k5imYmfG_2U/VugjRLpshkI/AAAAAAAABfQ/2dLSsQRfDag92tVxXdQ3ZNKScrz9FWNKA/s320/dia1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Knitted bottom-up, you make the middle yarn-over (yo) on row 1, then the two yo on the next knit row 3.<br />
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Now turn the chart upside down. You will make the two yo as your first pattern row - you can either make the decreases outside them, or switch to one centred double decrease in the middle. By the issue comes when it's time to stack that last yo symmetrically on top of and between the lower pair. There's a single stitch where we want our yo to go. Where to put it?<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CwlphZ6bAzA/VugjPUdacGI/AAAAAAAABfM/82_O_Euu7D4gv2G75PmuB9iuDtfnskobg/s1600/dia2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CwlphZ6bAzA/VugjPUdacGI/AAAAAAAABfM/82_O_Euu7D4gv2G75PmuB9iuDtfnskobg/s320/dia2.JPG" width="320" /></a>
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The most obvious is to k2tog before the yo, or else yo then ssk. Both
these options lead to a "fat" bit between two of the holes, one side or
the other, depending on which side you "got rid" of that central stitch
to. For clearer diagrams of this effect and how you can use it to make
deliberate lace patterns, see <a href="http://eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/03/majoring_in_lace_part_iii.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Here's my swatch: <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fw4_tSEbe4/VugjRCFLuQI/AAAAAAAABfU/fOHdU66US58o_cuLXHRn1Tv34COm3w-vg/s1600/IMG_5828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fw4_tSEbe4/VugjRCFLuQI/AAAAAAAABfU/fOHdU66US58o_cuLXHRn1Tv34COm3w-vg/s320/IMG_5828.JPG" width="161" /></a></div>
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Looking at the swatch above, the lowest motif is the original lace pattern worked from bottom up. The next one up is the chart knitted upside down with a centred double decrease between the two yarn-overs. Note that the pattern is no longer symmetrical - there's a fat bit between the bottom right hole and the central hole on top, due to the ssk before the last yo on row 3.<br />
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How do we get rid of the fat bit? I tried two options. The top motif in my swatch is the following chart:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkgi1xkB2TU/VugjTeONRVI/AAAAAAAABfg/uhQ6hMq-ETcdU8DPM-BXl7VpYCZmAl3rg/s1600/dia3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkgi1xkB2TU/VugjTeONRVI/AAAAAAAABfg/uhQ6hMq-ETcdU8DPM-BXl7VpYCZmAl3rg/s320/dia3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I make one extra stitch on the purl row 2 by purling into the front and back of the central stitch, then I get rid of it again by doing symmetrical decreases around my top yo on row 3. Symmetry is restored, but the pattern is less delicate - instead of a little yarn twist between the holes, there are fat bits on both sides where stitches have been knitted together leaning in both directions.<br />
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The second motif down is a bizarre non-standard variation on this theme, where the top hole is created by making the central stitch on the purl row very loose*, then on row 3 knitting into both sides and the top to pull it open. I don't recommend it, and it looks much the same as my other symmetrical option which is easier to describe and execute.<br />
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* Insert needle into stitch to be knitted, yarn round needle twice, pull through stitch. Like making a yo part way through the stitch.<br />
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The essential difference is that stitches are shifted by 1/2 stitch knitting top-down relative to bottom-up. Think about the shift in the peaks vs troughs in a wave, or the number of fingers on your hand vs. gaps between them. So, there's no easy way I can think of to <b>exactly</b> replicate the effect of knitting bottom-up while knitting top down.<br />
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In summary, I will be knitting my lace cardigan bottom-up with the original chart.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-41206955891793205882016-03-11T12:37:00.001+00:002016-03-11T12:37:15.661+00:00Socksssss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1pvlFpCiy0/VokrxCakjpI/AAAAAAAABb8/tmgumAnFnQ8/s1600/CIMG8844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1pvlFpCiy0/VokrxCakjpI/AAAAAAAABb8/tmgumAnFnQ8/s320/CIMG8844.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Going back in time a little bit here, because I never posted the BEST SOCKS EVAR (capslock totally necessary). Knitted toe-up, two at a time with Trailing Clouds Nimbus Self Striping Sock, in colourway "Mind the Gap". Ravelry project page <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/vanilla-socks-toe-up--afterthought-heel" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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There is nothing better than socks in the colour of the London Tube lines. This yarn is the BEST.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-72071831087540147652016-03-08T16:57:00.002+00:002016-03-08T16:57:41.167+00:00Advent Calendars in March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2JjjFvz6Jg/Vt8Dz7J-w1I/AAAAAAAABe8/bp2S4I3ZhHU/s1600/IMG_5759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2JjjFvz6Jg/Vt8Dz7J-w1I/AAAAAAAABe8/bp2S4I3ZhHU/s320/IMG_5759.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Patting myself on the back for this one - I finished the second Advent Calendar (<a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/advent-calendar-what-was-i-thinking.html" target="_blank">see here for the first one</a>), even though I totally didn't want to. But I wouldn't want to do it any the more for leaving it until November so YAY me - made room in the diary for more Christmas Crafting later in 2016!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-3329704724146525602016-02-29T14:03:00.000+00:002016-02-29T14:03:39.429+00:00Inside NellieDisclaimer: <br />
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I don't know how much terminology is common between knitting machines, and I don't know how much terminology is familiar to machine knitters. However, I hope this post might be useful to you if you are sitting with a Toyota Elena Auto 7 (Toyota K747) knitting machine and you're thinking of taking it apart. Sorry if the terminology is odd or unfamiliar, I only know what words are in the <a href="http://www.kellbot.com/2011/11/toyota-k747-knitting-machine-instruction-and-service-manuals/" target="_blank">service manual</a>. I have never machine knitted in my life yet (I had to fix my machine before I could begin), so sorry if I am aiming the technical talk too high or low.<br />
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<h3>
Getting to the mechanisms</h3>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNwOH_2Q5f0/VtFSoJHY7PI/AAAAAAAABdc/EIUHX9cDEzM/s1600/CIMG8933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BNwOH_2Q5f0/VtFSoJHY7PI/AAAAAAAABdc/EIUHX9cDEzM/s400/CIMG8933.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main body of machine lifted out of casing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The first thing we did was take the sponge bar out, ready to later strip and replace the sponge with two layers of 9mm draft excluder (thanks ebay) and a layer of fusible interfacing (better sponge/interfacing combo yet to be purchased).<br />
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Then we removed the screws in the blue casing (as indicated in service manual) and eased the main machine out of the casing. You can see this stage in the above picture - the casing is sitting behind the bottle of Meths and has become a dumping ground for space screws and notes. The refurbished sponge bar is sitting in front of the machine.<br />
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The next stage was to remove the rest of the blue/cream plastic casing from the top of the machine. The service manual gives screw locations for this, some of which are hidden underneath the knobs if I remember correctly.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlO7YuA3k58/VtFUz84wx_I/AAAAAAAABdo/C4okITkaYF4/s1600/CIMG8928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KlO7YuA3k58/VtFUz84wx_I/AAAAAAAABdo/C4okITkaYF4/s400/CIMG8928.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needle selection mechanism</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The needle selection mechanism is revealed. The blue "S" levers can be actuated by hand or by punch-card, and the red "J" lever can be used to choose between these options or reset the S levers. More of this later. There are some white cogs visible around where the knobs were - the leftmost winds the punch-card in, and the right "zig-zag" knob sets the position of the 12-stitch pattern relative to the central needle. Rotating this moves the entire top mechanism (pattern board?) along relative to the needle bed.<br />
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It turns out there is a little bell underneath the zig-zag knob that rings when you've moved the needle selector (by applying wrench under front left of machine). Obviously this charming "feature" wasn't working for us until after the overhaul because the whole machine was seized. It's not working any more either, because I shoved some sponge inside the bell so that I can stealth-knit when the children are asleep.<br />
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<h3>
Underneath the machine</h3>
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Flipping the machine over, you need to be careful not to damage the needles, so best have them hanging over the edge of the table, or removed (as we did).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ9bAulfhMA/VtRL_d0YBcI/AAAAAAAABek/b2VUs_GgVSQ/s1600/CIMG8927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZ9bAulfhMA/VtRL_d0YBcI/AAAAAAAABek/b2VUs_GgVSQ/s320/CIMG8927.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
On the bottom, you can see a variety of plates which I'm going to do my best to describe. The biggest pair of plates are named "J installing boards" or somesuch (the manual refers to them by more than one name), while the next biggest pair are the "S installing boards". I think the names may derive from the shape of the linkages attached to them, if that helps you to remember while reading the manual.<br />
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Anyways, all the plates are bolted to the underside of the needle bed joint plate at the front of the machine, and have linkages with cams that work into slots on the "working board" - a metal bar that runs the length of the needle bed and moves back/forth and side to side as the needle selector is actuated. The working board has a big spring that attaches it to one side of the machine (bottom right corner of picture below).<br />
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The J installing boards have their back end bolted to one of the two long metal plates that support all the pattern selector levers and gubbins ("J feed plate" and "J pedestal plate"). The S installing boards have their back end bolted to the "S rest plate", which on the other side has a bunch of black notched plates, named "S pattern plates" or "S boards" or something (the names get a bit confusing). There are a bunch of other smaller plates to set working distances and keep it all square.<br />
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<h3>
How it works</h3>
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Here is (approximately) how it works. The needles are selected by your fingers on the blue S-levers, or by the punchcard which also flicks those blue levers. The levers have little legs underneath which sit astride some rods (the "S rods" or something). The clever stuff happens when you actuate the big "needle selection mechanism" lever with a wrench on the bottom left of the machine. When selected, the lever engages with the rod below it and flicks it to the side, which flicks up the corresponding S board (with the notches on top). The S boards are then moved toward the needles, and the ones that have been selected (moved up in their mount by the rod) push on the needles, moving them to the appropriate position. Ta-dah!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HhAKluIph-s/VtRHP7l6tHI/AAAAAAAABeY/84ht5qaGCps/s1600/CIMG8919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HhAKluIph-s/VtRHP7l6tHI/AAAAAAAABeY/84ht5qaGCps/s320/CIMG8919.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The S/J lever mechanism has been removed here, and you can see the S-rods poking through the S boards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are 23 S-rods, to account for the full range of pattern positioning (only 12 of these are aligned with the 12 S-levers at any time, dependent on the zig-zag dial setting. There are a bunch of tiny springs on half of them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4L5BYT1yYBA/VtRGBAKUHYI/AAAAAAAABeM/Cmrtm25BgRM/s1600/CIMG8932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4L5BYT1yYBA/VtRGBAKUHYI/AAAAAAAABeM/Cmrtm25BgRM/s320/CIMG8932.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S pattern plates / S boards or whatever they're called</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here follows a little sequence of images as the needle selection lever is progressively moved.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpPc4nzFMU4/VtFYC-lzB6I/AAAAAAAABd8/m06IeyPMVcE/s1600/CIMG8927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QpPc4nzFMU4/VtFYC-lzB6I/AAAAAAAABd8/m06IeyPMVcE/s320/CIMG8927.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Not yet moved</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpSk4KM9ksQ/VtFYCp6Co2I/AAAAAAAABd4/IiK1NE6bCeQ/s1600/CIMG8926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpSk4KM9ksQ/VtFYCp6Co2I/AAAAAAAABd4/IiK1NE6bCeQ/s320/CIMG8926.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. J feed plate moves forward (left hand side) and engages S levers with S rods, selecting the S boards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hEPyKOYP5u8/VtFYCZFDKmI/AAAAAAAABd0/ozedyiCBzWA/s1600/CIMG8925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hEPyKOYP5u8/VtFYCZFDKmI/AAAAAAAABd0/ozedyiCBzWA/s320/CIMG8925.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. S rest plate and all S boards move forward and select needles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Cleaning</h3>
<br />
We took apart every single thing except the black stack of S-boards and the armature pivots that had been riveted. Everything was cleaned with auto degreaser and re-lubricated with lithium grease. There are a LOT of contact surfaces, so thoroughness is key because little bits of friction can add up. If you look carefully at the photos you can see my scribblings where I used permanent marker to label the pieces with their names and mark positions. I also scribed important location marks into the metal with a knife as auto degreaser removes the pen and basically everything including all the moisture in my palms. (Dammit.)<br />
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If you use blu-tak to secure each screw you remove near the hole it came out of, then you can even get the whole thing back together again without losing a screw. Except the one that gets blu-taked to your sleeve accidentally, but don't worry, that one gets found safely on your arm when you go the computer to look for a replacement on eBay, so you never have to press "buy" ;-)<br />
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As you can imagine, most of the yarn-related fluff is under the needle bed. You can get all the needle springs out to clean in here. There are a reasonable number of screws, but it's not that tricky once you're in there. Also, the needle bed joint plate has a bunch of fluff inside, and you have to carefully peel off the needle numbers from the other side to get to the bolt-heads so you can steady them while you undo the nuts on the underside. You'll need double-sided tape when you reassemble this bit (the sinker comb is 100 individual 2-prong pieces), plus some spray-adhesive for putting the numbers back on again (for heavens sake, spray the adhesive on the number strip underside NOT onto the machine needle bed!!!)<br />
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The trickiest parts were:<br />
1. Guiding the S rods back through the S boards (start at one end, with the rods angled slightly, and align each one in turn as you bring the parts parallel again). It's a two-man job, unless you build yourself a jig like the one they have in the manual.<br />
2. Getting the little springs back on underneath the S lever mechanism. I used button-thread to pull them through and ease them on.<br />
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If you are reading this because you have your Toyota K747 in bits all over your table: good luck! I wonder if this post will prove to be as dull as I anticipate, or unexpectedly popular? After all, my most visited page on my last blog concerns repairing washing machine tachometers, and it's proved a hard post to beat in terms of viewing numbers :-SAlihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-24583604484328118502016-01-09T13:16:00.001+00:002016-01-09T13:16:56.468+00:00I promised photos of the insidesKnitting Nellie is now in bits; there must be over 1000 and we've not even tackled the carriage(s) yet. Behold: the main body of the machine is in pieces.<br />
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Mr B has cleaned all 200 needles (because he's a legend) and together we've probably made it through half of the machine insides so far. Just the J-linkage system to go (the bit with all the needle selector levers and punch card feeder). Some of the linkages we've cleaned so far have been completely seized solid - no wonder the needle selection lever wouldn't move! The old lubricants have gone solid with age and dirt and need to be cleaned away and replaced with new grease.<br />
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In this photo you can see that the sinker comb is made from 100 double-prongs stuck to the brown double-sided tape. Also, check out that fluff accumulation! No regrets about taking this to bits so far. Actually, it's pretty enjoyable. This machine is an incredible creation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aps4oz_okxU/VpEFqVp4Y0I/AAAAAAAABc8/T5j4C0KtcEM/s1600/CIMG8882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aps4oz_okxU/VpEFqVp4Y0I/AAAAAAAABc8/T5j4C0KtcEM/s320/CIMG8882.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting machine with a beard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My new double-sided carpet tape has arrived which means we can put the sinker comb back together and start putting bolting the bits back onto the needle bed! I can't wait!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-15518368507776358372016-01-03T14:52:00.001+00:002016-01-03T14:52:56.108+00:00Knitting Nellie!Father Christmas brought me something special last year! A few days before Christmas, I took the boys to collect a wonderful new toy from a very kind lady who was giving away her late mother's knitting machine. I am very grateful indeed for her kindness, and I only hope I can live up to the previous owner's skills. I have zero machine knitting experience to my name so far, but my aim is fair-isle Christmas jumpers for the boys by the end of 2016. I've got 12 months.<br />
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This is knitting Nellie!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gJYdMVlNMjw/VoksDCzElgI/AAAAAAAABcM/IlC_TuglY_I/s1600/CIMG8857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gJYdMVlNMjw/VoksDCzElgI/AAAAAAAABcM/IlC_TuglY_I/s320/CIMG8857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a Toyota K747 punch-card knitter with lace carriage, intarsia carriage, knit tracer and a bunch of manuals. Also blank punchcards! Very exciting!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5t-l4huJI9U/VoksKmVPumI/AAAAAAAABcU/Y44RkOy3JG4/s1600/CIMG8858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5t-l4huJI9U/VoksKmVPumI/AAAAAAAABcU/Y44RkOy3JG4/s320/CIMG8858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It also comes with a marvellous range of 1980s pattern books, which I am very excited to dip into and make the boys wear! Fair-isle dolly mixtures! What more can I wish for?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHpCNnc4qyY/VoksXPzDrwI/AAAAAAAABco/uyXc7ePi2PE/s1600/CIMG8861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHpCNnc4qyY/VoksXPzDrwI/AAAAAAAABco/uyXc7ePi2PE/s320/CIMG8861.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the reindeer, centre bottom. You're looking at my 2016 Christmas jumpers right there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The knitting machine has sadly seized since its last use, so needs completely cleaning and re-oiling. Fortunately both myself and my husband like to take things to bits, and this marvellous blogger has provided the <a href="http://www.kellbot.com/2011/11/toyota-k747-knitting-machine-instruction-and-service-manuals/" target="_blank">full service manual online</a>. That shortens the take-to-bits time considerably by telling us the order to take the bolts out, and giving us a preview of the guts and how they work. Mr B wants to call this a "re-build" to set expectations as to timescale (lengthy) and I suppose that's fair.<br />
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The sponge bar had degraded to such a sticky mess that the first job was to remove all 200 needles and use meths to remove the gunk stuck to them. Mr B volunteered to do the lot (what a legend) in return for me sometimes letting him do the screwdriver bits... ha ha.<br />
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Anyway, the stage we're at currently is that the main body is out of the blue casework and I've labelled all the plates using a marker pen using the terms from the manual to help us in our quest. Mr B has spent 3 hours cleaning needles and I've purchased 4 rolls of draft excluder to try as the replacement sponge. Over the next few nights we'll be taking the main body to bits to get inside the needle bed where the rest of the decayed sponge bar has disintegrated. Then we'll be exploring why the needle selector mechanism has seized. Mr B has brought the lithium grease in from his garage as a mark of his commitment to the knitting cause.<br />
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Expect very little sewing or hand-knitting progress in the meantime, and potentially many photographs of knitting machine insides. YaaaaAAAAAY!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-25904957898768553312016-01-03T14:09:00.000+00:002016-01-03T14:09:01.620+00:00Last on the listI cast on for this little jumper the night before my planned C-section for Baby B. Since I was scheduled last on the list, I figured I'd have lots of knitting time while waiting my turn and potentially being bumped for emergencies. I needed something to distract me from my rumbling hungry tummy!<br />
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Anyway, I did get lots of knitting done before and after the birth, because Baby was an easy and sleepy little mite on the postnatal ward.<br />
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The yarn is WI branded (for what that's worth) and is a acrylic 4 ply and wonderfully soft. There aren't too many acrylics I'm prepared to knit with and this is one of them. I suspect it's a cousin of Patons Smoothie?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEdVjYhVrw8/VmK5VtWQvRI/AAAAAAAABbM/rTehUiF2iXg/s1600/CIMG7889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEdVjYhVrw8/VmK5VtWQvRI/AAAAAAAABbM/rTehUiF2iXg/s320/CIMG7889.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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The pattern is "Beyond Puerperium" and my notes are <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/beyond-puerperium" target="_blank">here</a>. It ended up as a baby gift for my little niece. Hope she likes it!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-12011877609991497222016-01-03T14:02:00.000+00:002016-01-03T14:02:23.219+00:00I crocheted the saturn V and I'm ambivalent about the result<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For our WI's annual entry into the craft competition at the Fenland Fair, I was persuaded to <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/crochet-saturn-v-rocket" target="_blank">crochet the Saturn V</a>. The pattern is pretty cool and so is the subject, but nevertheless I had a bad attitude to this project, probably because of the cheap acrylic yarn in my stash that had to be used. My white yarn was so cheap that it showed the darker stranding inside it. Also, crochet stitches don't align on top of each other like knitting ones do, rather they are shifted about 1/4st to the right. Therefore, the vertical black blocks look like they are twisting clockwise around the rocket (they are). No idea how the designer avoided this fate - vigorous blocking perhaps?<br />
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Anyway, it made it back to be stuffed wonkily into Baby B's toy bucket, to look comically bent at me whenever I see it. Banana rocket. At least that bit makes me smile.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-67769138907577368122016-01-02T21:58:00.000+00:002016-01-02T21:58:41.925+00:00I knitted a jumper very quicklyThis jumper was finished in November last year, I'm behind on my posting!<br />
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In the search for yarn that's (a) cheap (b) soft (c) wears well, I recalled the Patons Smoothie DK that I remembered doing a baby jumper in. Turns out the only reason it didn't pill was that baby grew out of it before it had been washed too much. This jumper in the same yarn pilled pretty much straight away. Boo hoo.<br />
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See my ravelry notes <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/childs-placket-neck-pullover-3" target="_blank">here</a>, the pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/childs-placket-neck-pullover" target="_blank">child's placket neck pullover</a>, changed to be knitted top-down (instead of bottom up) and with a stripe pattern and colour based on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/happyscraps/lidian" target="_blank">someone else's project</a> knitted to a different sweater pattern.<br />
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I should always do a tension swatch and this jumper is why. Gah. At least <strike>toddler</strike> big boy likes it, and the actual knitting went quite fast (at least, when it wasn't languishing on a shelf). It's my third time to knit this jumper pattern, I still love it. It's so easy to knit and wear.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-35450431935038460852015-12-05T14:33:00.000+00:002015-12-05T14:33:49.435+00:00Advent calendar, what was I thinking?I was looking at the first advent calendars to hit the shops in October which were all merchandised to the max, and probably Toddler was going on for the billionth time how he'd prefer a blue Thomas the Tank Engine cake from Tesco for his birthday like last year, even though (a) He doesn't even like Thomas and he won't let me read any of the books to him and (b) The cake wasn't that nice either. I probably thought "Argh, if I buy a Peppa chocolate calendar this year, we'll always have to have Peppa calendars until eternity." I must have had low blood sugar and probably a blow to the head, because in my addled state I thought the solution to this was to make a fabric advent calendar.<br />
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I copied the idea from Purl Soho <a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/11/20/embroidered-felt-advent-calendar/" target="_blank">here</a>, but I stitched all the felt squares onto a woven fabric because honestly, even given super quality felt, how long will their calendar last before its stretched out of shape? Even when used by a careful adult and not a marauding toddler? So I bought 8 colours of felt and some cream polycotton and some other weird polycotton with fused batting on the back for the main hanging.<br />
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For scale, the larger of the felt squares is 3" across. The woven fabric for the pockets has a rolled hem along the top, and the sides are zig-zagged before being turned under. The actual shape of the polycotton is an isoceles trapezium, but it's been stitched onto a square shape on the backing so that there is some fullness at the top of the pocket to put presents in. So that's an intentional gape, not stretched felt, woo!<br />
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I transferred the digits for embroidery by the old skool method of pricking a paper stencil and brushing powdered chalk through the tiny holes.<br />
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The blue/brown colour scheme was suggested by Mr B. I wanted the red-pink-green Purl Soho combination, but Mr B rightly suggested that a second exciting colour scheme which for the other calendar might be hard to think up. The second calendar is not finished yet (baby won't notice the absence this year) so you'll have to wait to see what colours we picked for that one! I put names on the tops to stop arguments about who has which colour calendar.<br />
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I've already sewn the pockets up for the second calendar, but they don't have embroidery numbers on yet and they're not stitched to the backing yet. I'll admit I was cursing myself as I edge-stitched my 100th felt square and I'll probably swear some more as I embroider my 50th number.<br />
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Anyway, Toddler is enjoying opening a new pocket each day and discovering the treasures from poundland or magicked from my fabric stash. This is going to be a rod for my own back, probably worse than Peppa and her daily dairy milk.<br />
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WHY.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-74916123970207846662015-10-21T13:02:00.000+01:002015-10-21T13:02:46.220+01:00Quick trick to make shirts smallerI bring you one cunning trick to make adult shirts smaller for children!<br />
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Here's what to do:<br />
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1. Find suitable 100% cotton adult shirt. I used a men's work shirt with a 15" collar pilfered from Mr B.<br />
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2. Wash on it's own in the washing machine on a 90degC cycle with bicarb and vinegar. I used 3 tbsp of bicarb, which I put in the drum with the shirt, and 1 cup of spirit vinegar which I put in the soap drawer. This should cause the shirt to shrink a little.<br />
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3. Tumble dry on the hottest setting to make the shrinkage permanent.<br />
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4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 again until you have reached the desired size. I did about 5 repeats to make the shirt small enough for toddler - about a size 104cm (age 4-5).<br />
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After this, when you come to launder the shirt normally, just use non-bio soap powder and wash at 40degC with the rest of your laundry. Magic!<br />
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Only joking. Of course I didn't. I used <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/i-totally-made-another-ottobre-shirt.html" target="_blank">this</a>.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-68233541201335060232015-10-10T19:40:00.000+01:002015-10-10T19:41:49.978+01:00Purple trousers CAPSLOCK MOMENTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made my first pair of <b>proper</b> trousers! I'm not counting the self-drafted trousers <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/gennaker-trousers-finished.html" target="_blank">here</a> and their many shorts variation friends.<br />
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I made the "Elvis" trousers from the 1/2015 issue of Ottobre magazine, whose model displays them in turquoise thusly:<br />
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I had to make these because I love me a good pair of brightly coloured trousers on a little man, and toddler likes them too. I scored some purple twill for £2/m from St Ives bank holiday market. Although it has an inexplicable fire-retardant backing, this has softened completely in the wash. Nevertheless, these pants will only ever be metaphorically on fire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsSCWicaFgk/VhlZzHEWG-I/AAAAAAAABYQ/AJpCDcY0GTw/s1600/CIMG8567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsSCWicaFgk/VhlZzHEWG-I/AAAAAAAABYQ/AJpCDcY0GTw/s320/CIMG8567.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A red bowl of conkers was just lying around, so I kept it in shot. I'll admit it doesn't look as arty as I thought.</td></tr>
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Sadly the notions cost me more than £2, even when I skipped the zippers on the back pockets. I'm not going to count the £15 I splurged on 32 sewing machine feet from China, or the cost of the top-stitch needles, or the spotty cotton pocket facings and button from my stash. However, I ought to count the fly zipper and the red top-stitch thread (of which I used an entire spool). So maybe the trousers cost me £6 all in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5NiHi2Qaho/VhlZzt7Ah0I/AAAAAAAABYY/PlevDN0bMLs/s1600/CIMG8571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X5NiHi2Qaho/VhlZzt7Ah0I/AAAAAAAABYY/PlevDN0bMLs/s320/CIMG8571.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BOOM! Spotty cotton! Also, eagle-eyed viewers will note my top-stitch tension issues, even after unpicking 4 times... ARGH.</td></tr>
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I have a thing about red and purple together. I had SO MUCH FUN making these trousers. Fabric that doesn't fray. lustrous red thread, new machine feet... ahhhh the good times.<br />
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The pattern is lovely, although Mr B takes issue with the style detail where the side seam twists onto the front leg. Pah! I love it. They're also slim enough for Toddler B, although I am waiting on a red belt from eBay to keep them up so he can wear them now and make them last longer. That's why the bottom of the belt-loops are not stitched down yet (just in case the belt is wider than expected). Also, I ran out of topstitch thread, so you don't get red bar-tacks at the top and bottom of every belt loop. I ain't buying another spool for that malarky.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I skipped the exposed metal zippers on the back pockets to save money and my furniture.</td></tr>
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I did have a few issues with the top-stitching - my machine wouldn't get the tension right sometimes and made loops of top-stitch thread underneath the fabric, usually when sewing right on the edge of 3+ thicknesses of twill. I think because the presser-foot had uneven pressure over the bulky seam allowances and the fabric got pulled up and down by the needle. I managed to partly solve it by using a pad of rolled up twill beside the seam to make the foot press evenly.<br />
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Sometimes my machine skipped stitches when trying to top-stitch over e.g. 6 thicknesses of twill in a seam intersection. Tbh who can blame it?<br />
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Ok, so now I fess up to the mistakes. I don't know what possessed me but I didn't take into account the diagonal twill weave when I cut out. I just folded the fabric and cut double. I think. Or something. It was dark in my windowless sewing space in the evening. Anyway, the weave is not doing what I would like across the back seam (or indeed the front). Don't look too closely. Also, my top-stitching could be more even, but I'm going to allow myself some leeway on that as it's my first attempt.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Yku9OYJ8Y/VhlZworTk5I/AAAAAAAABYI/ONFI_mUnULU/s1600/CIMG8570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Yku9OYJ8Y/VhlZworTk5I/AAAAAAAABYI/ONFI_mUnULU/s320/CIMG8570.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My top stitching is not the best, but toddler will move too fast in real life for this to cause anyone visual pain.</td></tr>
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I'll be making these again! IN EVERY COLOUR ST IVES WILL SELL ME. Did you hear that, man on St Ives market stall? I WILL BUY ALL YOUR WACKY TWO QUID TWILL. I will look for new audacious colours of top-stitch thread. MAD LEGS AHOY!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JPyp1H8DxBU/VhlZ3j5u7pI/AAAAAAAABYo/U5wVcZKSH_M/s1600/CIMG8575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JPyp1H8DxBU/VhlZ3j5u7pI/AAAAAAAABYo/U5wVcZKSH_M/s320/CIMG8575.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note that the shirt is looking a bit small - not to worry, a new one is in the works.</td></tr>
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In less capslock-inducing news, I have cut up one of Mr B's old work-shirts and am in the process of transforming it into a toddler sized shirt. This is quite exciting to me (and toddler).<br />
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<br />Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-77400438887407932482015-10-02T20:04:00.000+01:002015-10-02T20:04:19.228+01:00Doctor, Doctor, I feel like a pair of curtains!So, I finally finished the last pair of curtains which I was cutting out the two days before baby arrived.<br />
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Of course, taking photos toward the window in the daytime in a room that is painted in a dark-ish colour does not yield good results with my camera in idiot mode.<br />
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Behold! The curtains with the <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/notes-on-designing-curtains-with-rings.html" target="_blank">irritatingly large pattern repeat</a> are done! A further 3m of fabric from a different bolt (so slightly different colour) were found and purchased, but I don't think you can tell that one drop is slightly different.<br />
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Also: I bring you another top tip of the blindingly obvious variety. Cheap material is... cheap. Okay, the feel and print of this fabric are fine, but the fabric had a badly wonky grain and off-grain pattern. When cutting out I had to choose between cutting perpendicular to the selvedges, cutting along the grain-line, or cutting along the pattern repeat (we chose to take an average of all three, so hopefully it would hang fine and the pattern not be too wonky). Add to this the 24" pattern repeat and you've got a headache.<br />
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Anyways, not much to say here that I didn't already say about <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/new-eyelet-curtains.html" target="_blank">these previous curtains</a> of the same design. They're interlined with blackout lining, and lined with polycotton. I still love the metal eyelets and you shouldn't mess around with those shonky plastic ones in the highstreet shops. Just go straight to <a href="http://www.eyelets.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hanolex</a> and buy the biggest hammer you'll ever own.<br />
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<i><b>Mr B:</b> "This hammer is awesome. It looks like a Thor Hammer, you know? Like the god Thor?"</i><br />
<i><b>Me: </b> "Yes, that's why it's called a Thor Hammer."</i><br />
<i><b>Mr B:</b> "Oh."</i><br />
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If you're interested, the wall colour is "Soft Cinnebar 3" by Dulux. For the first time in my life, I copied a "Get the Look!" article in the National Trust Magazine. Except it's cheaper to get a Dulux colour mixed than go to <a href="https://www.firedearth.com/" target="_blank">Fired Wallet</a> or wherever they were suggesting.<br />
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I am finally rid of the horrid brown and tan pairs of suede-effect unlined curtains that came with the house! But, bad news: Mr B wants them to be re-sewn into covers for his mower and his vice (to protect them from belt sander dust). I don't know if I can bear to touch them... eugh.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-70398541643327785132015-09-19T14:45:00.000+01:002015-09-19T14:45:00.485+01:00Little gifts for a little girlI have lots of pink quilting fabric left over, so sorry if you're having a little girl!<br />
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Baby Isla gets three dribble bibs with fleece backing (design as road-tested on the current Baby Button). She also gets a taggy blanket, where the design (incorporating crinkly noises) has been shamefully ripped off from my lovely friend who made one for Baby Button. He adores his! Sorry for copying, lovely friend... :-)<br />
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Toddler Button cut the ribbons for me. There's a long ribbon with velcro on, so baby Isla can have it on her pram or car-seat or whatever.<br />
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Baby Isla's name is a felt appliqué, using double-sided fusible and top-stitching.<br />
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This was lots of fun to make! It felt like such a treat to ignore the curtains and make baby things. Awwwwh babies...Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-41631071779986916262015-09-18T14:29:00.000+01:002015-09-18T14:29:40.528+01:00Cushions, three years lateWhile waiting for my first little <strike>tyrant</strike> baby to arrive, <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/cushions-tutorial-fest.html" target="_blank">I made a lot of cushions</a>. I also bought the fabric, piping cord, sponge etc. for several more which never got done. Until now, because Mr B <strike>made</strike> encouraged me finish them.<br />
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For baby Button's room (which is now occupied by a different baby than the original), there is a big square cushion.<br />
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Check out the awesome piping made from leftover fabric from <a href="http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/dotty-day-dress" target="_blank">this dress</a>. I am very excited to say that I can now wear it again (the dress, not the cushion, ha ha), because DIET.<br />
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There is a button back, so I can wash the baby sick out. If the cushion was not so plump and bulging, I'll have you know that the bunting pattern actually matches perfectly! If you want to know the pattern for this cover, you can find <span id="goog_2016324355"></span>my tutorials<span id="goog_2016324356"></span> <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/cushions-tutorial-fest.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I also made a foam seat pad for the Lloyd loom chair in baby's room, with a box cover. Mr B cut the foam with a kitchen knife because I'm too chicken.<br />
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There is a lapped zipper, again for baby sick washing purposes. I went back and forward about how to place the pattern around the pad edges, and ended up going for a bunting string at the top, with the tips of boat masts pointing into it.<br />
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I have to show you this shot of the edge, because you HAVE to know how well the pattern matching went across the zip insertion! LOOK I BISECTED THE WIND-VANE ON THE LIGHTHOUSE PERFECTLY! LOOK! It totally calls for capslock because, let's be honest, this pattern win doesn't happen much. Mostly my pattern matching is poor on a good day, even when I'm trying super hard. This happened when I wasn't even caring too much! Maybe that is the key?!<br />
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There's also another seat cushion for the downstairs Lloyd loom chair, which would look more lovely if the chair was not usually covered in blanket-fort blankets and used to prop up 200 plastic play balls and a lurid play pit. Don't look too close at the stripe matching at the front edge of the seat because the fabric crept and now it doesn't-quite-match which I think we can all agree is the worst sort of matching. Now you can understand why I needed capslock about the above wind-vane.<br />
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<span id="goog_1994917437">I'll be honest, I had a pretty bad attitude about doing these, but I'm pretty happy with my job in the end. Too bad I didn't do them 3 years ago.</span>Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-82553331679655530972015-08-30T20:34:00.000+01:002015-08-30T20:34:22.361+01:00Don't show this post to Toddler ButtonShhhh... don't tell Toddler Button, but his Daddy just finished a toy for him this Christmas.<br />
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I saw a picture of a wooden toy sewing machine online, and showed it to Mr B. He made it from the picture in under 2 days, because he is an absolute LEGEND. Also, it was basically free because he hoards wood in his garage den retrieved (with permission) from skips he sees on his lunchtime walks. When you crank the handle, the needle goes up and down. Isn't that the cutest?!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-37161082636071218382015-08-24T18:41:00.000+01:002015-08-24T18:41:00.049+01:00Pretty cardigans for meeee!I <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/hetty" target="_blank">knitted a pretty cardigan</a> for meeeee!<br />
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The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hetty-4" target="_blank">Hetty</a>, a super-duper all-over lace cardigan, knitted in the round with set-in sleeves in a cropped length. I've been admiring the pattern for a while and finally bought it. Because I am my mother's daughter, I used the same colour yarn as the designer. You can't improve on perfection!<br />
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The yarn I bought from that stall at the London Knitting and Stitching Show. You know, the one where they just have a big old pile of yarn packets on the floor and you literally just wade in and pull out a bargain. If you've been, you'll know the one I mean. Black Sheep Yarns, I think.<br />
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It's Rowan Softknit Cotton Aran, which is a braided yarn. It was such a pleasure to knit with as it can't split at all. I probably have half the packet yet, so if you're expecting a baby, also expect to receive a green knitted item... ha ha.<br />
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It's not supposed to go with this spotty dress, but it's the best I can do for now. The cardigan is so snuggly and warm and soft in the thick aran yarn. I had to take it off right after the photos because it's August and not actually raining today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the buttons on that!</td></tr>
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Eugh you can <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/never-leave-project-un-finished-to-too.html" target="_blank">see what I meant</a> about the neckline on the dress - bad bad bad. It would also look better lower, but for now I can't because sad nursing bra peep-age. But enough about the crappy dress, CHECK OUT THE CARDIE.<br />
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I procrastinated for too long about the buttons but then I hit the jackpot on Ebay - £2 for 10 painted wooden buttons that look like little clocks! In 5 different designs! I have died and gone to cardigan heaven.<br />
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I think I need:<br />
(a) More of these cardigans in every colour<br />
(b) More novelty wooden buttons in my life (There are bicycle ones! Bicycles!)<br />
(c) More of these dresses in darker and less obnoxious fabrics, with a nicer neckline<br />
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I also need another entire lifetime to make all these things. Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-80187364858818578792015-08-21T16:14:00.002+01:002015-08-21T16:14:29.058+01:00Never leave a project un-finished to too longI have learned that leaving a project incomplete for too long does affect your satisfaction on completing it. Or maybe it's because this garment has too many niggley errors. Or <i>maybe</i> the errors crept in because of all the start-stop and distractions, and by the end I was all "Who cares, gerrit DONE."<br />
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A few months ago, I started this blue and white spotty dress. The fabric was bought on my honeymoon, which was before I got a job/house/two children (so clearly a looooong time ago). The pattern is self-drafted and closely related to my <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-ruffle-dress-some-happy-statistics.html" target="_blank">ruffle dress</a>, but I couldn't be bothered to do much more than remove the ruffle and centre-front pleat. I wanted my new dress FAST. (Although, not so fast that it took less than almost 3 months, it turns out.) <br />
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I got most of the major seams done quite fast, and then my overlocker failed. The clonking noise became unbearable, the tension went ape and I couldn't get a seam to look half decent. Maddening! I just wanted to finish that dress!<br />
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I fixed the overlocker. Then the 2015 outfit-along started (see <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/a-little-catch-up.html" target="_blank">this post</a>) and I started knitting. Needless to say the outfit-along was not completed by the deadline, because I later decided to stop knitting and make the <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/i-got-distracted-and-made-baby-sling.html" target="_blank">baby carrier</a>. Then I went back to my knitting, which had started to take me 3 nights to do a 12-row sleeve cuff because the children <i>would not</i> sleep with the light evenings and heat. And I started a crochet space-rocket for a WI competition.<br />
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Whatevs, I had to finish the dress which by now only needed the lining hand-stitching around the zip, and a hem. I finished up, and wore it for a morning before the gape at the neckline irritated me so much I took it off before lunch. It then languished for a few more weeks (plus family holiday) before I unpicked and re-inserted the zipper. I finally made it!!!<br />
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It's fully lined, except the sleeves which just have a tiny rolled hem. There is a concealed zipper in the centre-front (breastfeeding necessity), and in-seam side pockets! Yay pockets!<br />
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Bad things:<br />
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The neckline still does not sit flat against my chest. Maybe this is a pattern error disguised by the floppy fabric and ruffles the last time I made this pattern, or maybe I over-stretched it when putting the zip in (I ought to have stay-stitched, hands up.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toddler channelling my dress-hate for this make.</td></tr>
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One bust dart is inexplicably higher than the other by almost an inch, and I only just noticed (now I can't get to it to unpick). HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! I swear gnomes came and did this error, I am usually so careful and this has never happened before.<br />
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The bust darts in general finish a little bit too high and close to my bust point. I ought to change the pattern. It's entirely possible my anatomy has changed ;-)<br />
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Is the bodice over-fitted? I read in my <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dress-Fitting-Natalie-Bray/dp/0632064994/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1BW8XXM88JRRMV9R86VX" target="_blank">new fitting book</a> that this is a thing. Should it be less fitted? Or is it just that ready-to-wear are not correctly made for my bust size? (Hee hee, busts!)<br />
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I forgot to stabilise around the neckline, zipper and especially pockets with fusible interfacing, so soon these areas may be as saggy as I am. ;-) I forgot to overlock the pocket edges and side-seams before I inserted them. The bodge is not pretty so don't look too closely inside.<br />
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Most irritatingly, while it was hanging on my dress form waiting for the bias to drop before hemming, I realised that I don't like my grain/pattern positioning. Not at all. I tried to have central dots running up/down the centre-front and back, and matching the pattern over the seams here but but didn't work very well in my rush. And it also looks rubbish. I should have the straight grain running down the centre of each panel in the 4-gore skirt. This is going to annoy me forever.<br />
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Finally, the lining rolled hem got mangled by overlocker which was up to it's old knocking-noise tricks for some inexplicable reason. (I think it was a combination of bent needle needle, fine fabric and poor quality thread or something.) I also couldn't be bothered to do make bias binding to try a nicer hem on the outside fabric than the old fold-fold-machine stitch. Even though a faced hem would have been better.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"More photos mummy! Mummy I want to see!" </td></tr>
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On the plus side, sash! It's the selvedge of my (still-not-finished) curtain lining in white polyester. Excited about having a sash to cover my post-baby tummy and poor pattern matching. Also makes a cheap rubbishy dress look a bit too posh for playgroup. But it was for free. So there's that.<br />
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Sorry 'bout the naff kitchen photos. I have to use a self-timer on the worktop because I am too cheap to buy a camera tripod, and my toddler HAS to be in the photos shouting stuff. Ahhh.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-6670398638694409532015-08-19T14:12:00.000+01:002015-08-19T14:12:00.539+01:00Henry the HooverToddler Button is obsessed with Henry the Hoover, the Numatic Vacuum cleaner. No, he doesn't have his own TV show, but we do have an example in our garage. We also have to peruse the range for sale in the supermarket each visit, and it's important to be familiar with the whole range of names and colours of this device.<br />
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To keep him quiet on a <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/busy-cube-for-little-fingers.html" target="_blank">super long car journey</a>, I made a cuddly Henry. If you've found this page by googling for "Henry Hoover Sewing Pattern", then welcome! I googled that too! I couldn't find a pattern, so I made up the pattern myself using the magic of geometry. I think I used <a href="http://stickyfingersdecals.com/ourshop/prod_2140268-Henry-Hoover.html" target="_blank">this image</a> as a basis.<br />
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Henry is made from felt (because that's what I had to hand). He's about 6" diameter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check me wheels.</td></tr>
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Henry's cheeky face is more felt appliquéd to the front. I correctly predicted that Toddler would immediately enquire about where Henry's tube nose was, but too bad because (a) I couldn't think of a way to make one look good and (b) I ran out of black felt.<br />
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I secretly made him in the evenings and I totally had to hide his iconic little face during the day so Toddler didn't clock him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fiddly letters are such a pain.</td></tr>
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Henry's front wheels turned out to be such a fiddle that they had to be stitched entirely by hand, and I'm not a fan of hand-stitching. Also, I ran out of time before we left for the journey so they were attached during a traffic jam on the M4 when the road was closed and toddler happened to nod off.<br />
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Henry also has an appliquéd top winder wheel and hand-sewn knob thing. But no on-off switches because I didn't have any green felt to hand. Shame.<br />
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I'm pleased to note that Henry has been promoted to bed-time companion alongside Doggy and Ted.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-83703248579262236252015-08-17T13:53:00.000+01:002015-08-17T13:53:25.296+01:00Busy cube for little fingersOur family holiday this year was a lovely trip to stay with my parents at their home on the coast. However, it's 6 hours away by car (this does not include any stops or traffic jams, so you can reckon on a whole day in the car). With a baby and a noisy toddler. In a small 10 year old Corsa with an enormous roof-box stuffed to the brim.<br />
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We don't own a tablet or anything, so videos cannot be deployed. Therefore, Mr Button and I got down to a little crafting to keep toddler entertained. He made some lovely wooden lacing boards and wooden beads. I made a glitter bottle to watch. I also did a little preparatory sewing.<br />
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Not sure what this toy ought to be called, as it's the product of my fevered imagination at 3am. I guess "busy cube"? If there is interest I can share a pattern, but essentially it's a 6" sided cube with doors on each side, shut by every different fastening I had to hand. Toddler likes to play with fastenings.<br />
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Sides as follows:<br />
1. Eyelets with ribbon lacing<br />
2. Side release buckle<br />
3. Giant button<br />
4. Four small buttons<br />
5. Four poppers<br />
6. Zipper<br />
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...plus added tag with a clip thing on because I have 9 left over from my <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/i-got-distracted-and-made-baby-sling.html" target="_blank">baby sling</a>. <br />
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The lacing ribbon is stitched on at one point so it can't get lost.<br />
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A different fabric hides behind each door.<br />
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The whole point was the small buttons so Toddler could practice buttoning his own clothes.<br />
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<br />You could perhaps keep treasures in the zipped pocket?<br />
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I had to have a little bit of Toddler's favourite colour fabric in here somewhere!<br />
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I had a cute idea to put little clear pvc pockets on the cube faces behind each door, and slip photographs of favourite family members or characters in. But I had just a few evenings to make this thing plus all the other stuff we'd planned, so it didn't happen.<br />
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This toy ended up being presented at Granny's house instead, as we
thought he might be a bit young for some of the activities on it and the
screams of frustration in the car with nobody to help might be a bit
much for us to bear! However, calmer or older children might get on better.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-86561208435656199132015-08-02T16:51:00.000+01:002015-08-02T16:51:09.832+01:00Exciting new pressing tools!I have some new tools! This is MOST exciting and is going to take my stitching to the NEXT LEVEL. I absolutely must use CAPSLOCK because I am that excited. Geeks ahoy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pressing ALL THE CURVES.</td></tr>
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My father-in-law and husband are absolute legends and between them they have cooked me up some super pressing tools. I bring you:<br />
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"The Clapper" and "The Super-Duper-Tailoring-Pressing-Tool" (not sure what it's supposed to be called, a "Tailor Board" perhaps?) that looks like an alien spaceship in certain orientations.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beep beep! Take me to your leader!</td></tr>
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My husband got a belt sander for his birthday (a joint gift from several people and including advance pennies for Christmas 2015). He agreed to do the shaping. My father-in-law used to be a joiner and has a massive supply of ex-stock woods and knows all that is worth knowing about these sorts of things. His workshop and industrial tools and extraction system* are the source of endless fascination and monologues from Toddler Button. He very kindly selected and donated the appropriate light-coloured non-staining hardwood (Ramin, apparently).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A clapper. Not a banger.</td></tr>
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Father-in-law made this epic Clapper, I think it's from a bit of handrail or something. He says it's a "Banger" where he comes from and he knows a lady who battered her ironing board out of shape with one he made before. So it comes with a warning on that front. My seams will be so flat, even if my ironing board isn't!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aww it's like a mini ironing board in this orientation.</td></tr>
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The super-duper-tool was roughly cut by my father-in-law on his industrial tools, and shaped and finished by my husband. I can press every curve! WOO HOO!<br />
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Also, these tools look beautiful.<br />
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*Granddad's 'NORMOUS hoover! Really 'normous BIG!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-35532171109842531922015-07-15T20:22:00.000+01:002015-07-15T20:22:33.374+01:00A little gift for a little ladyMy clever crafty friend had another little girl! I made her a few things.<br />
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Firstly a little cotton cardigan with vintage buttons, details <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TeaAndCakey/in-threes-a-baby-cardigan-2" target="_blank">here</a>:<br />
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Also, I got excited and made her a little sign to hang in her room. I found fabric in my stash! It's got roses and rose-buds on it! I thought I was being really clever, but probably everyone else has had this thought also so she'll be inundated with floral stuff. Hey ho, sorry Rose.<br />
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The letters are fabric appliquéd on to a felt background. I attached the fabric with double-sided fusible and stitched with a zig-zag for good measure. The letters are hand-sewn to a ribbon with buttons on the ends. <br />
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Welcome to the world, little Rose!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-76339178502434859132015-06-20T20:25:00.001+01:002015-06-20T20:25:37.794+01:00I got distracted and made a baby slingI got distracted from my true purpose which ought to be finishing that spotty dress I mentioned, or at the very least continuing my efforts in the outfit along.<br />
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I decided that Baby Button has reached an age where he can no longer be relied upon to sleep through toddler group (although he's basically slept most of today, so maybe I'm wrong about that). I need a nice new sling so I can hold him while I chop 20 toddler bowls of fruit*! One that is quicker to put on than my current one, and because I can't <i>really</i> justify a new sling, one that is preferably free.<br />
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I remembered the <a href="http://www.sewmamasew.com/2010/10/october-12-the-pea-pod-hip-carrier-tutorial-the-red-pistachio-giveaway/" target="_blank">Pea Pod Hip Carrier</a>! It's an awesome free pattern! (The instructions are very clear and complete too, especially if you're a photo-tutorial sort of person.)<br />
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I did a dive into my upholstery fabric remnant collection and found the remaining fabric from my kitchen chair cushions. I also found some double-sided fusible and a cheap tesco fleece blanket which served as the "fusible fleece" the pattern calls for. I also added some firm iron-on interfacing on all pieces. Finally, I used the double-sided fusible and a remnant of matching pink silk from my collection to line the inside of the long shoulder strap, which would otherwise have looked odd as my fabric is only printed on one side. (Yes, it will probably bubble apart in the middle as it's tugged through the buckle but who cares, it won't actually come away from the strap as it's stitched at the edges.) I even found the rest of the matching thread spool!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check it. Matching lining like a PRO. (Matches better in real life than this dodgy photo.)</td></tr>
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The sling didn't end up completely free. I wanted to use a salvaged side-release buckle that Mr B had saved, but he said to buy new ones instead because "baby". He's probably right. So I paid £3 for some new buckles, and I splashed out a totally unnecessary £2 for 10 matching clips so I can add the clip for my keys. What should I do with the remaining 9 clips? (Ideas please!) So, the sling cost me a fiver.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookie! Adorable matching key clip on a little tag!</td></tr>
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Anyway, long story short, it's very comfortable and it's hard to take photos of baby in it when he wants to grab the camera. But I hope you don't come to this blog for the photography.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby said "chhhhhhh" (90s modem sound) which translates as: "Look! A baby over there with a lady who looks like Mummy! I'll smile at him!"</td></tr>
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* When toddler Button was this age, he sat in a baby walker at toddler group and watched the chaos. It was all good until his friend decided to feed him crayons. I cannot use the baby walker this time around, because toddler and his friends like to get in it themselves and push each other up and down the hall as fast as they can. It's pretty hilarious, but not if baby is the passenger.Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088522588231161559.post-70667137638863421502015-05-30T15:09:00.001+01:002015-05-30T15:09:34.809+01:00A little catch-up<h4>
On my sewing table</h4>
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I've been making a new summer dress out of some spotty blue and white cotton I bought on my honeymoon (so it's only been in my stash 7 years). I was holding off on making clothes for me for ages because I'm breastfeeding, but then I read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gertie-Sews-Vintage-Casual-Sportswear/dp/1617690740" target="_blank">Gertie Sews Vintage Casual</a> and I thought: centre-front zipper! Hel-looooo baby!<br />
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I'm using my own self-drafted pattern and it would have gone together really quickly were it not for a hiccup with the overlocker which ceased to proceed. More of which later.<br />
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Since it's not done yet and there are no photos, I'll save more waffle on this for later. Hold on to your horses, I bet you can't wait. ;-)<br />
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<h4>
On my needles</h4>
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Lots of lovely people I know are having babies soon! There's a bunch in June/July, and another bunch in Nov/Dec. I must knit faster! Some items have been completed already, and some are still planned in my head, but of course I can't post anything until the babies have their gifts. So there will be a bunch of knitting posts through the rest of the year about projects I'd finished 6 months previously.<br />
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I treated myself to a set of ChiaoGoo Red Lace interchangeables with my birthday/Christmas money plus some proceeds from the sale of 20m of my mum's pink upholstery velvet (thanks, Ebay and Mum). It's very decadent to spend that much on needles, but as my entire family say: "You never regret a quality tool purchase." I think that might be a family motto.<br />
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<h4>
Out of my toolbox</h4>
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So, half-way through the summer dress my overlocker (US translation: serger) started to make noises even more alarming than usual. If I put my foot down, it said CLUNK CLUNK BANG and then the threads snapped. It was already pretty noisy, as toddler pointed out: "Mummy, use that 'chine: Uh-uh uh-uh UH-UH!" It finally got to the point where no tension settings worked to make a nice finish. I couldn't pretend any longer that it didn't need a service.<br />
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It's surprisingly easy to take a Baby Lock Prestige 750DS to pieces. Much easier than <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/disassembly-instructions-for-janome-423s.html" target="_blank">my sewing machine</a>. Instead of stupid plastic lugs everywhere that must be carefully eased apart, the Baby Lock is just screwed together neatly. The main carcass is metal and all components are easily accessible when the plastic casing is removed. As usual, the cure-all was just a thorough dust, clean and oil. The quantity of fluff was amazing, but probably unsurprising after the amount of fluffy nappy-related fabric that has been put through it. Here I must thank my unendingly patient husband who volunteered to do the cleaning and oiling of the actual joints on the basis that he's more patient and methodical than I am. I cleaned the tensioners by removing each one in turn and flossing it with a cotton fabric scrap. For most bits, we used the standard light sewing machine oil, but I did splash out on a can of Lithium grease to use for one metal-to-metal sliding joint which looked like it had been greased with this before.<br />
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The whole machine hums happily now. Splendid! Another £70 saved. Ker-ching.<br />
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<h4>
For my next trick</h4>
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Tomorrow the second ever outfit-along starts!<br />
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I'm taking part again this year. Last year <a href="http://thebuttonship.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/what-happened-to-july.html" target="_blank">I missed the deadline</a> by sewing in yarn ends and buttons. Boo! This year I'm almost ready to go. I'm making <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hetty-4" target="_blank">Hetty</a> and Simplicity K1653 (which is a v-neck mock-wrap dress) in this fabric/yarn combination:<br />
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I already washed my practice fabric which is black jersey and swatched the lace pattern for the cardigan. The real dress will be made in the floral jersey in the picture. £5 for 3m: score!<br />
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Wish me luck!Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02072011122363335523noreply@blogger.com0