Important Announcement - my blog is moving!

Hi everyone,
I'm changing to a new blog!
I'm shortly going to open a second Etsy shop selling sewing patterns, and as I know I will never find the time to write two blogs everything is going to be in the same blog for both knitting and sewing.
This is where you will find me from now on www.mackandmabel.blogspot.com

I do hope you will join me over there. I have zero followers at the moment - I look a real Billy No Mates!!!.
I promise to still post about knitting pattern related things. I shall also be having some give-aways, so make sure that you "Follow Me" so that you don't miss out.
See you on Mack and Mabel!!

Julie

Tegan - Baby Hat with Top Knot Pattern

A few weeks ago, (well probably a couple of months ago by now!!) a customer asked me for a top-knot beanie pattern. I've eventually got round to it. I've made it very simple and knit in the round, and I'm offering it for free on Craftsy and also on Ravelry

It's knit in double knit/8 ply yarn and the pattern has photos of all the stages, so it's ideal for anyone who is quite new to knitting in the round. There are instructions for 5 sizes from premature (4 - 6lbs) to 2years

Like all my patterns, you can use it to make items for sale - but please don't copy the pattern and pass it off as your own - if you want to share it, be friendly and post a link to it either on Craftsy, Ravelry or here - thank you so much :)

If you have a go at knitting it, let me know what you think

Blue squares, Brown squares

Like many crafters I know, I can never just work on one project at a time..... that would just be far too logical, and down right boring, but I must have been in a "blue/brown squares" sort of mood when I started these two projects.

The quilt is a queen size nine patch made from a jelly roll from the Sweetwater Pure collection. I bought it at the Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, UK  last August and pieced most of the top last year, but then I wanted some more fabric from the same range for a border, and as often happens with Moda fabrics, it was hard to get. Luckily SewLux on Etsy came up were able to help me out, and within a few days I was able to finish the top. Then as so often happens I flitted onto something else, but now is the time to finish this quilt! I can only do so much at a time as getting all that quilt into the throat of my machine and keeping it supported is hard work on the hands and arms, but it is staying on my desk until it is finished!

The second project I'm working on also happens to be blue and brown squares! Its a crocheted granny square throw for the spare bed - well Ruby (one of my cats) would tell me it was her bed, if she could! As the number of squares laid out on the bed increases, she has had to sleep further and further up the bed! She's a sensible cat... she knows she'll get thrown off if she dares to sleep on anything I'm in the middle of making. The reason for making this was that I have a lot of oddments of organic cotton yarn left over from other projects, none of the dye lots match, and its the perfect "on the go" item to carry around with me to do in odd moments or whilst (hopefully!) sitting in the sun with a cup of tea this Easter. I would say that I will post the finished pictures soon, but I know myself better than that! I've still got to crochet them all together.... and that is going to be a long. boring job!

Super Model for Jaden Boots

I thought I would share this picture that Jessica from River CityKnits sent me of the Jaden Boots she has knitted.
The Super Model is under one day old!!!! so there is plenty of room for growing, but she is showing the boots off nicely and seems quite happy in front of the camera.
If you want to knit these boots I have the pattern for sale on Etsy or Ravelry or Craftsy
They use double knit yarn and come in three sizes from newborn to 12 months. As Jessica is on her fourth pair I think I can safely say they are quick to knit!

Dresses for Malawi

Wow! It's been a busy week!
I had initially intended to make a couple of dresses for dress a girl around the world . There is a UK co-ordinator ( sewscrumptious)  that the dresses are sent to and they go to Malawi, Haiti, Uganda.... wherever there is a need.
I had just cut out the first one when I received an email from a friend asking people to donate items to a container that was shortly to go to Malawi. They needed stationary, computer items and of course... clothing! How timely, I thought, my dresses can now go direct, and I'll know exactly where they are going. But I only had two weeks!
I have cut and sewn like mad all week and now have a grand total of 10 dresses ready to send. Phew!
I have to confess, although I know the pillowcase dress is ideal - it uses minimum fabric, minimum sewing techniques and will fit a variety of sizes for a long time, I am heartliy sick of this pattern - so much so that the last - the white one, had to be different.
They are all packed up ready to go, and I think the sewing machine can have a well earned rest for a few days.