Cleaning Up

Just relaxing a bit this weekend after a very hectic Friday. We had our usual craft morning at CWA, followed by the break-up Christmas Party in the afternoon. Home for a quick freshen up then out to dinner with the family to celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday at a lovely Thai restaurant overlooking Lake Ginninderra. One of her work colleagues had given her this beautiful arrangement - aren't they lovely.

Anyway, I did manage to get one row of knitting done this afternoon. In my clean-up I came across a UFO that I must have started quite some years ago. Its a baby's hug-me-tight which is done in white baby yarn with soft baby coloured dots every now and then in the yarn.  I'll show a pic when (if) it gets finished.  In the meantime, so I won't lose the very old pattern which is on a scrappy piece of paper, I thought I'd post it here.

Hug-Me-Tight

2 balls of baby wool (mine looks like an Aussie 4ply). Sizes 10 and 12 knitting needles. Crochet hook, 1 metre ribbon.

Measurement from cuff to cuff - 20 inches.

Using size 12 needles, cast on 40 stitches.

1st row - K2, then P1,K1 to end of row. Repeat this row until work measures 4".

Next row - Increase once in each stitch. Using size 10 needles, work 16" in garter stitch (all rows plain). 

Next row - Using size 12 needles, knit 2 together all along row.

Repeat 1st row until work measures 4". Cast off.

To make up. Using a flat seam, sew up cuffs and side seams for 2". Fold cuff ribbing in half. At centre of one side fold over an edge for 2" to form a collar. Sew ribbon to front of collar. An edge can be crocheted around garment to finish.

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On the same piece of scrappy old paper, here's another idea for anyone into recycling.  This could be used (filled with sand) for a door stop, or as I'm imagining it, if you used a smaller bottle, as a vase.

A Door Stop (or vase) - with a leather look

Materials. A bottle with a pleasing shape. Masking tape. Shoe polish (oxblood or mahogany give a good colour). Polishing rags. Sand or gravel.

Method. Tear off lots of small pieces of masking tape. Cover bottle with these, overlapping them to make sure none of the glass shows. Rub in a thin coat of polish. Buff up well. Repeat with 2 or 3 more coats of polish to get a good effect.

Fill bottle with dry sand or gravel and seal bottle carefully with a plug of paper. Cover plug with masking tape and polish this to match the rest of the work. Use to prop open your door.  (NB: obviously if you plan to use this as a vase, don't do the last bit!!)

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Have a great week everyone.
xoxox