Quick Autumnal Knit

Really easy "mitt-knit" using 4 double-point needles and soft baby cashmerino yarn. Took just three evenings to make and if you download the pattern from Ravelry, Cranford Mitts, you can make an optional donation to Medecins Sans Frontiers!

Stitch Markers - "sorted!"

For a number of months I've been contemplating stitch markers - yes, a bit sad, but bare with me! I really wanted to find something that didn't use a split ring and had as few "snagging opportunities" as possible, especially when working with lace yarns. Now, I am aware that I could have pinched some of Tilly's tiny braid elastics or even resorted to loops of knotted yarn - but I also wanted something that was pleasing to look at and big enough so it couldn't be "knitted in" by accident......... I couldn't really find anything, so decided to make my own.

Inspired by the bead stands at the Ally Pally knitting and stitching show last week I stocked up; bought a book from Amazon and visited, quite by chance, a wonderful bead jewellery shop, "The Birds and Beads", where the lovely Val Parker gave me an impromptu lesson in crimping, .......... and voilà.......I now have the stitch markers I've been craving. I can see this becoming a side-line and have put the first sets on the Yarnsmith website - please take a look!

The Green Man

This project has been a while in the offing, but is now complete and I am really proud of him! Designed to be part of a permanent exhibition at Cressing Temple Barns, Essex, he will join a plethora of other interpretations of the Green Man and also a unique weaving project undertaken by fellow members of the Mid-Essex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers.

I think it's quite fitting that not only was the majority of the yarn taken from my stash, but the project transmuted organically as it progressed. The leaf background was taken from the Deciduous pattern on Ravelry, and the leaves developed from patterns found in "100 flowers to knit and crochet". As I'm not a proficient crocheter I decided to give it a go as the backdrop of the face so it could be "disguised" by the features if it went wrong. The eyes were also a crochet experiment which worked well and the straggly beard developed from a lovely scrap I found at the bottom of my work basket - it just begged to be incorporated! The green eye-lash yarn, again a scrap found (where and why did I get that!) was perfect for eye-lashes and brought the face to life.

I will be sorry to part with Green Man - he has definitely become part of the family; but look forward to visiting him from time to time!