Wrap Over Felt Shoe

Using varicolour wool gives an interesting look

 I have been sewing some felt baby shoes. 

I love this thick felt, although 3mm thick was just about on the limit of what my sewing machine can handle.

I made the first pair as part of the process of designing my wrap over baby shoe knitting pattern. This is not the way I normally work when knitting. Usually I have an idea in my head, and just sort of go for it, adapting and altering as I go along. But for the wrap around on the knitted shoes to work, I knew the shape had to be precise. The best way to get this right was to make a pair, first out of paper and then out of felt.

This green pair was my first go, and they are completely stitched by hand. The button is just sewn on through all the felt layers without a buttonhole, as I was just checking the shape. But they turned out so cute, I thought I would have a go at making a few more. 

To make these a bit more hardwearing and practical I have machine sewn the seam, and just oversewn around the edges by hand with wool. The buttons are functional, and really useful when putting them on a baby's feet. On some I have handsewn around the buttonholes, though explain on the pattern how you could machine sew them if you have this available on your sewing machine.
 
The pattern for these shoes is available to download on Etsy. It comes in two sizes - 0-3 months and 3-6 months. It is very good value (that is to say cheap). The little shoes are very easy to make, and I think the wrap around makes them quite different to other felt shoes I have seen. It would be really fun to customise them with a bit of embroidery, but for the photos I wanted the shape of the wrap around to stand out. I suggest you use the best quality felt you can find. 

If you don't have a baby to make some for, I think with a ribbon attached they could make a really nice Christmas decoration, perhaps with some sweets popped inside. I know I shouldn't even be talking about Christmas at this time of year, but I may have a go at giving some of them the Christmas makeover.

I am sure than there must be software that is useful for creating sewing patterns (I would really welcome any advice with this), but the only way that I know is to very carefully draw the pattern pieces by hand, and then scan them on my printer. So this pattern has the same rustic charm as these little shoes. 

As you can see, I just can't stop making them.

If buttonholes are really not your thing you could us a little velcro.

Patchwork Cuddle Ted

Hit play before you scroll down. 

Guarantee this song will make you feel chilled and happy.

This year I have been running a lunchtime knittting club at the school where I work, with a very lovely lady called Joyce. Throughout the year our little group of novice knitters, all aged about 7-10, and so far all girls, have been creating knitted squares. Everyone successfully learned to knit, and we have great plans for next year (possibly to learn how to purl). My other ambition is to get a few boys to come to knitting club.
 

But what to do with our knitted squares? As you can see we did not worry too much about needles sizes, number of stitches, or the tedious matter of tension. Sewing them together I treated them a bit like a jigsaw, and I love the variety in sizes and textures. We only met for 30 minutes each week, and it has taken all year to make the pieces for this little blanket.
 

... And with the addition of a head and some paws, the blanket was transformed into a snuggly teddy, a gift for my class teacher's new baby, which is very imminently expected. Isn't Patchwork Cuddle Ted adorable? It was so nice for the children to have created something this special together. 

Stitchwort Slipper Pattern

There is nothing nicer to have a pair of slippers to pad around the house in. This is my second go at these, and this time a bought some super chunky wool, so I could be absolutely sure what I was working with. I also made them a little bit smaller, but still with enough room to fit a pair of woollie socks on for when it gets colder.

As you can see, we are having a bit of a heat wave here at the moment. I am not very good with the heat, but am trying not to grumble and make the most of the good weather while we have it.
 

My pattern only comes in one size at the moment (4-5 UK sizes), which is because that is my size. The wool that I used is Wendy Serenity Super Chunky. (Be careful as there is also Wendy Serenity Chunky, which does look quite similar.) I usually tend to knit with quite fine wool, so it was lovely to use super chunky and knit something very quickly.

I have just done a bit of free style embroidery. Why not gave a go at this? It is really very easy, but instantly makes your shoes a bit special. I think making the sprigs of flowers asymmetrical looks nice.

Apart from all the usual places (Etsy, ravelry and Craftsy) I will also put this pattern in my new shop on LoveKnitting. Felt rather enthused when I saw this online London-based shop store, so I have put some of my patterns for sale there just to see how it goes. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I forgive you for munching your way through my strawberry plant, because you are so pretty.

After some internet research I think this is a caterpillar of a Knotgrass moth, Acronicta rumicis. (Please do let me know if I have got this wrong.) There are a baffling number of caterpillars. Click on the name Knotgrass moth, if you would like to see what he will become. Not as bright as I had expected, but still very beautiful. I was amazed when looking through the list of UK moths to see the enormous variety.  Did you know that there are 8 times as many moth species as there are butterflies? Perhaps they need a PR agent, moths just are not getting the publicity they deserve.

Taxi

I have finished my New York cab knitting pattern, and knitted it has reminded me of the TV comedy Taxi. Oh the lovely drivers of the Sunshine Cab Company. Taxi never seems to be repeated on UK TV, so I have not really thought about it since I used to watch in the late 1970s early 1980s. I used to love this show. I think mainly at the time because I had a bit of a crush at Tony Danza. (OK, I was very young.) I have been watching some clips on YouTube, but these days I just find myself drooling at glimpses of those lovely shiny yellow cabs in the background. How times have changed!

So many great people! First time I had seen Danny Devito, and also Christopher Lloyd. I think my favourite character was Latka (played by the late Andy Kaufman).

As you can see I have used a bit of trickery to transport my cab to New York. It is just balanced in front of a computer screen, but I think it has done the job.

So having discovered how to link to Youtube clips, here are the show credits. This instantly takes me back in time?

My knitting pattern is finished, and available Craftsy, ravelry and Etsy. It is really not a hard knit, but there is a bit of fiddling sewing up. (Have I managed to put you off?) I hope not as the end result is really cute, but if you just can't wait to own a taxi, I am putting my two samples cabs into my Etsy shop. I am sort of hoping they might find their way to someone in New York.

"You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone ..."

This is just a sneaky peek at my new pattern. I don't usually do this - that is show a pattern until it is ready. But I have nothing else in the pipeline, and although the pattern is almost written, I have to make a few tweaks, and then knit another New York vintage cab, before I hope I will be set to go. 

If you are interested in knitting your own taxi, then keep watching Ginx Craft, as I will probably release the pattern in another week.

I hope most folk will get the song reference in the title of this post, so if you would like a reminder I have linked Joni Mitchell singing Big Yellow Taxi. Love this song!

Rainbow Spiral Shells

I have been working on a special commission, which for me has been made a bit of a change, and as don't often knit to order. Some of my spiral shells, but in very specific colours. 

These colours were asked for in order to represent various stages in recovery. At first I had thought to knit the shells in pure bands of colour, but so that they still had a natural look, I decided to use the shell shade wool (Sirdar Crofters) together with each of the nine colours that had been asked for. This has made it an extremely firm knit, and I actually for the first time in my life have a knitting blister. But I was delighted with the way they have turned out, still looking very much as if they could be found on a beach.

It is really nice for me return to my own Spiral Shell pattern. But it was also fun to knit the shells in a slightly different way. Four shells delivered, but this is just the first batch, so back to the needles.

This is a really fun quick knit. The pattern is available in my Etsy and ravelry shops, and although I currently don't have any shells in my shop you can Etsy message me if you would like to order some.