How cute are these????

 Photograph: Philip Sowels/Mollie Makes as in the UK Guardian Oct. 18/11

Apparently it is apple day in the UK on Oct. 21 and the Guardian posted this picture and the accompanying pattern for crocheted apple cosies!!!  Cute, cute, cute.  Makes me want to learn to crochet!  Here is the link to the pattern.

Have you looked at the Mollie Makes site before?  Oh my goodness!  There are some hilarious and wonderful tutorials.  I like the book review a pattern book for knitting your own cat!!!  That may be worth buying the book!

Check it out!

Sunny Sunday...

I drove back home today with a van full of treasures.  Husband was hoping I would detour to the dump before coming home.  He is such a thrift store scrooge!  He was, however, most delighted with the giant box of cherries that I brought home.

While at Mum's, I busied my hands with dishcloth knitting.  I can knit a dishcloth in an evening while blabbing away or watching TV.  Husband says these are the best for washing dishes bar none.  Since he is the dishwasher in the house, I will take his word for it.  I cannot help but think about one of my teachers, whenever I knit a dishcloth.  She taught most of her grade three class to knit a dishcloth before Christmas.  The students then sold their completed dishcloths to their families for a $5 donation to the food bank.  It was a win win all around.  The children learned to knit.  The families got a great dishcloth and the food bank received donations.  How awesome!  Even the students who did not quite master knitting had a part in at least wrapping the cotton when it was time while an adult actually manipulated the needles.  This was referred to a co-knitting.  It works.  At the end of the school year, there was still knitting going on in her class.  I think she created a whole group of knitters single-handedly.  And that is a wonderful thing.

If you are interested in knitting up a dishcloth, all you need are a pair of needles, and some 100% cotton. It is readily available at any craft or department store.  I have my favourite dishcloth pattern, from one of my aunties,  here.  

On a Saturday...

love those buttons!

milk glass

Husband stayed home this morning.  He was BUSY.  He had a to do list that did not include driving around with me to thrift stores.  I don't think he missed waiting for me while I poke around a thrift store but I missed him!  I bumped into one of my buddies at one of the stores.  We marveled at the quantity of STUFF and had a quilting discussion about using spray baste.  Neither of us have used it yet.  I am planning to use it for the blue quilt because it is going to be so big.

As for the blue quilt, I have made 30 blocks but I think I need another 5.  I will crank those out tomorrow and see if I can get it sewn together.  I cannot start on the quilting though as... trauma... I took my sewing machine for a tune up today and they said it will be 2 weeks.  Yoiks!  I still have my old machine which is in great running order so I can use it for piecing but definitely not quilting.  It was so strange to thread the needle and I kept pushing blank space where the needle up button is on my new machine.  I am so spoiled.

vintage pillow ticking

And for thrift store finds today.  I found the sock pattern booklet that I have been looking for.  And one for dolly clothes and last weekend, I picked up the one with patterns for Bazar items.  Lots of toilet roll covers which I won't  be knitting but lots of tea cozies which I will be knitting.  I am determined to knit a pair of socks this year.  With the pattern book I am that much closer!  I also found another milk glass footed bowl and a bag of buttons from someone's button jar.  And check our the vintage ticking!!!!!!  50 cents each!!!  Still have labels.  100% cotton, down proof cotton.  Awesome!  They are in great shape.  I could make a pillow ticking quilt.

and for more flea market finds, you can check over at Sophie's blog.

knitting...

I am a self-confessed ADHD knitter.  I love to knit but it has to be something that I can finish really quickly.  I need to see results and I need to see results fast!  My Gramma was a knitter.  She would knit huge blankets!  She knit my Dad and my Grampa their socks with really fine wool.  And she knit mittens.  Great mittens!  My Mum gave Gramma's last mittens to daughter and my 3 nieces this past Christmas.  Mum had to finish one pair.  They weren't quite finished when Gramma stopped knitting.  The mittens are keeping hands warm and memories warm too.

I thought I should knit something last winter.  One of my aunties gave me a pattern and a couple of sample dishcloths for inspiration.  Oh man... dishcloths are so addictive.  You can knit them up fast and furious.  They are useful and appreciated.  Just my kind of knitting project.  I think I have probably made about 30 of them in the last 2 months.  I have given away a lot of them.  They stuffed nicely into Christmas stockings.

Cast on 4 stitches.  Knit a row.  Next row, knit 2, yarn over, knit to the end of the row.  Repeat until you have between 42-44 stitches on the needles.  You decide.  Next row, knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end.  Repeat until you have 4 stitches on your needle.  Cast off.  Sew in the yarn ends.  Use for dishes or a gift.  You decide.  It's a win win, either way.