My little hat.

I talked awhile ago about my fail hat because I didn't swatch first. here

Well here is the hat all sewn up.. IT barely fits on my head and the punch lace was too tight to have the effect that I was after :)

At least it is something to add a laugh to your day! :)

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Tech knitting and Oh boy I am a bad blogger.

Not even going to try and make any promises about blogging now. I can't believe it's been over a month.
I did get obsessed with twitter for awhile, but hopefully, I think, I may be over it.

Not to obsess with being away, but to post something...

I found this blog a long time ago, I should have shared it then. TECHknitting is an amazing little website.
A lot of the stuff is such common sense, but when you have the problem, it's usually these things you don;t think about.

If you machine knit or hand.. even crochet, I really recommend this blog.

Ideas that don't work (or need tweaking)

I haven't posted in so long I thought I better post something.

One idea I had was for a double thickness beanie. It was to be one layer of lacy material with the second layer of just regular stocking stitch in a contrasting colour.
That way, it would be reversible, but also the contrasting colour would show through the lace fabric and creating a different effect.

Well, it's my fault! I have to start swatching.
here are the failed pictures:

This is why you need to swatch!

Trying cut and sew to trim excess.

Ready for sewing up

I did make the hat, though it would be better for a child than my head. You can also see the problem I had with the ribber (which didn't matter as I was only writing the pattern), I was going to cover it up with a flower or butterfly adornment.

I haven't given up, just haven't had the time to get back at it and have something else I want to do now.

I really need to make myself a roster so I can find the time to do all these things I want to do.

So here is me sharing a failure :)

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Yellowing plastic or brighten up that knitting machine

I had seen this website a long time ago, but has since gotten lost in my bookmarks for things to do.
I do want to try this on one of the yellowing bits on the knitting machine (where it won't hurt), to see how it goes, but of course that is for "later".
Luckily someone posted about it on Ravelry again, so instead of getting lost in my ever growing bookmarks for "to make and do", here it is for me, and for anyone that may want to give it a shot. :)

The site is called Retro bright and you will need a UV lamp (I have one for cleaning). There are a lot more pictures over at the site and could be used in all sorts of applications.
I have not read it all though and would advise, like anything to do so;But it's great to have options. :)

Cut and sew - Stretch and cheating

First up, My hat isn't going as smoothly as I would have liked, but then that happens when you don't swatch and just guess... but all is never lost.

What I wanted to talk about was cut and sew. Just briefly, hence the subject, it is just a quick post.
I am finishing off my hat via sewing and also fixed some "over knitting" with the cut and sew method.

I used it on a lace piece of fabric I have ironed/steamed because it was too long.

As you can see, what I have read is that you sew like a channel; Two vertical lines and cut down the middle.
I did this and it worked fine, no unravelling, nice and strong.

The only thing I would do next time, is to do it in a stretch stitch or something. I assumed they were talking about just a running stitch, which is what I used, and I didn't even think about it, but the knitted fabric has stretch and the running stitch doesn't.

Anyway, if you want your fabric even and stretchy all the way around, don't use running stitch!

On a side note... I see a few machine knitters talking about finishing, and how they like to seam on the K'machine and traditional seams etc etc... It kind of makes you using the sewing machine or serger, feel like you are cheating.
What do they call Hong Kong seams? is that sewing machine done?

Either way, I think it's kind of hypocritical being that they are also the ones who complain about hand knitters saying machine knitting is cheating.
I mean do all these actions work to the end result intended? Who cares how you do it, if it works and the finished result is just as good? (as in a usage, what the end result was intended for, use)
I mean is someone going to come up to you and say " wow that is a pretty jumper? let me look at your seams?"... come one guys, like with knitting machines, the technology is there... if you can afford it, use it?

Unless you find hand seaming soothing, which you would probably enjoy hand knitting better?

I love knitting machines for the creative side, and I am not afraid to say, that if there is a shortcut and the end result is the same, I will take it. The quicker I get the ideas out of my head the quicker I can move on to the rest.

What are you ideas on hand seaming/finishing? :)

Elastic in socks

I got this idea forever ago. It was from my dad, he used to use little elastic bands that he would hide in the fold of his socks to keep them up.

I was going to do this with the first socks I made but incorporate them in; Then I ran across this blog post and thought it might just be easier to put a link here, being that I am not the best of getting ideas across right.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Socks falling down? Consider elastic

Socks won't stay up? You're not alone. Socks are a very popular item to knit but recurrent discussions on Internet knitting forums show falling-down socks are a problem to many.

There are many, many ways to solve this problem, but one of the most direct is elastic. Here are four different methods.

Elastic garters inside the sock

Click on the test to be taken to the website. There is a whole  post about it, and while your at it, look through the rest of the blog, she has some great ideas for knitters... I love logical thinkers :)

Punch Lace and Nylon cord

This is probably a bit premature...
I wanted to do a punch lace pattern and it called for "nylon thread". Having no idea what it is, I mean you can probably buy it from knitting machine suppliers, but I wanted it now, I just tried my over locking thread.

It worked great for my little test, as you can see in the pictures ( though clear would have looked better up close).
I am going to try it on a pattern I am doing any day now, so will see how it goes on a big lot of knitting.

As they say, the proof will be in the pudding *crosses fingers before I start big knit* he he

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UPDATE 16/02/2011

I just finished a large piece for a pattern I am doing and the serger/overlocker thread seemed to have worked just fine. As I am unsure of how it feels with the nylon thread I can't say it was perfect, but I can't see anything wrong with my larger sample.

Standing when Machine knitting

Just a quick video, as I haven't done one in forever, but hopefully I plan to change that!
Basically (so you don't need to watch it). I found that when I was knitting on my Singer machine I would get long floats and the patterns would muck up.
I found that it was only happening at a certain section, and further I was ever so slightly lifting the carriage up.

Now I just stand and knit and make sure to apply slight pressure all the way along, being careful of course when you are using the full bed.
So much easier!

This is where all the seasoned knitters say " I told you so" lol... I haven't seen it said yet :)

Now... a butterfly doll beanie - Machine knitting

It wasn't meant to be. It was the first time I had set my ribber up and wanted to do something easy, so I thought I would try a beanie pattern.
The only problem with the pattern was it wasn't meant for use with a ribber, so I thought I would just divide the numbers of stitches used for the mock ribbing in the pattern, between my main bed and the ribber and all would be well.
Well I am not sure how small a babies head is.. but I would imagine a lot bigger than how it turned out.

Also, I lost some stitches transferring the ribbing to the main bed, which you can see I tried to mend.
Other than that worked like a charm, I must say with the Singers, it is easier, and you have less problems standing up and doing it so you have pressure on the carriage, I have found.

When I was practicing doing tuck, I was sitting down and getting all kinds of problems with longs floats and missing the pattern, It was because ( I am pretty sure), that I was slightly lifting the carriage sometimes.

OK: the pictures:

It was so quick and easy to do! But then I just used blanket stitch for the side seam as I was going to line it.
Yeah I am a cheat, but whatever works.. I know when I buy or get given things I don't look at how someone did the seams.. I don't care as long as it works!

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Knitting machine drum seized, now fixed

I finally got around to start to clean up a knitting machine I bought a little while ago, now that I have the spare room re-arranged.
I just couldn't bear to set another up in there, I can't stand clutter and needed space, so I am getting rid of the double bed that was in there, and in it's place will be this neat trundle type bed that hotels use; That way I have room to sleep 2 people while also having room to move when no-one is staying over.

So, the first thing I did was to "try" to slide the carriage across the rails.. negative movement. The drum had seized up almost totally on on side.

Long story short, it is working excellent now!
Here is what worked for me...  NB: I have no training nor been told/shown what to do, this I just experimented with and worked. Please be aware before trying yourself and check into it maybe with a qualified person.

Undo these two screws at the back of the carriage and keep safe somewhere.

I did a boo boo here. About in between the front of the carriage and the lever on the side, is a little clip of sorts that clips under a lip on the inside.

It looks nothing like this, but is how it works, so you understand how I got it off.

I broke one of those clips because I didn't know they were there and couldn't see what was still holding it on.

Next time I would, squeeze the area in that spot above and slide forward.

So now I had good access to the drums, after fiddling around I found that spraying an electronics cleaner (the ones that practically evaporate on contact),in and around the drum gave me a little movement.

From there I sprayed a little more till everything looked tip top, then just started turning, adding some sewing machine oil, turn, add, turn add.

Now it glides just about as sooth as the other.

The turning is a must to work the cleaner, then the oil into the mechanism.

Just a reminder... this could be totally wrong... I have to stress constantly that I am just experimenting and don't know what I am doing, so please, ask your friends, guild, etc, but this worked for me and just thought I would share because I didn't like the prospect at first, of pulling the carriage completely apart, nor buying a new drum :)

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Little Horde Logo scarfette

I am just going to post pictures for now, and post the pattern when I make it properly and well.

For the most part it worked, it was only that I was very tired ( I was making it for an Xmas present) and I kept forgetting to check that the yarn was in the right spot after each sweep of the punchcard pattern which made for annoying jams etc...
As you can see the pattern didn't turn out right, I had to do a little embroidery in the middle to make it look a little more like what it is supposed to be, but it doesn't properly, AND it is upside down!

I didn't give it as a gift and will instead sell it off in my Etsy shop as a 2nd or MISTAKE.

It is more suited to men ( there isn't a whole lot out there when looking for men's gifts), I wanted to make something less bulky and "cute" and more streamlined, less "fuss" and more manly.

Here are the pictures... when I get a proper one out I will post the pattern :)

 Happy Anniversary to my gorgeous husband and Happy New Year to everyone else! I hope it is a special, wonderful one :)

Machine Knitted scarfette - sneak peek

My slackness at posting is getting terrible, I have been sorting through and trying to get rid of the things I don't use... don't think I will ever finish!
I need to take some pictures of the things I have done and start on my bloggie again, I do enjoy it.

Here is a sneak peek of my next post once I get another sample knitted up and know that it works OK.
I had a little problem with the punch card and tiredness...it was only supposed to take an hour or so... LOL yeah right!

I bet you know what it is already!.. I will show you my mistakes etc in another post and hopefully get a good sample knitted, then a pattern, punch card pattern and all!

On a sombre note, I wrote about a lady that I had a problem with awhile ago on Ravelry... this lady passed away 10 days ago.
It doesn't matter whether people are your best friend or worst enemy ( she was neither), it is still sad when they go, they were someones best friend, mother, sister, daughter and they will be missed.
The sadness is for those they left behind and I like to think that they are in a place so much better and are finally at peace and blissfully happy.
I did not post anything on Ravelry under the thread as what I  know of people, would not believe my sincerity anyway :(

Another note, my beautiful little huge stray gentleman, kitty boy whapped at my little small, tiny boy they other day, in fact it wasn't a whap but a jump on top and bite his neck.
It surprised me greatly as my stray gentleman, is just that, such a gentleman to my husband and I, he is a gorgeous kitty who just loves to be near you, happy to just sit in your presence.

Because of the size difference, we have decided not to inter grate them, we have to think of every ones safety and happiness.
I did list him on Oztion ( I just about cried doing it, actually would have if husbie wasn't in the room).
I had a lovely lady email me offering suggestions, which I was grateful for, but, sounding daggy, I am a big believer in life shows you what to do, just watch for the signs.
For now, all I am seeing is to list him in the one place... I would prefer a quality enquiry over quantity. I can't let him go unless I know he is going to a good home... so hard, see what happens; Like I said to husbie, one step at a time :)

Old Pictures in a new age. and lots of babble!

O wow, I have been away for a little while, never said I would post everyday, but didn't think so long in between.
This time of year, my gorgeous husbie works constantly, sleep is very lacking and will be till after new year ( I hope he gets a holiday!), so when he does get sleep I try and make sure there are no tramples ( from Miss kitty girl) and no opera singing (from Mr kitty boy), that means momma (me), has to stay awake and keep them quite, which means momma ( me) is a walking zombie! ha ha
It's OK though, I can take lots of short naps to make it up, husbie can't... that's what I tell him when he worries about my sleep.. but we all know that tons of short naps never makes up for a good REM sleep..but not to whine, that is a tiny little things in the grand scheme of things.

OK Jo.. babble off! HAH

So the post relates to what I have been doing in all my craft time.
Scanning in very old pictures from Great-grand parents, Grandparents and parents.
I was in a hurry because that side of the family is getting old, not that age has anything to do with not being around, but you know what I mean,... just wanted to get them scanned in and onto discs, and sent out before Christmas.
...all done, just have to send them now!

I have to say that if you are reading this, that  you should get out your old photo albums, or whomever in the family has them and scan them in.
I found that most of the really old ones, are these really little pictures, but after having been scanned in, and being able to zoom in on the computer etc, these little "detail-less" pictures take on a new life... it's a must do.. plus, now each member of the family can share in the wonders of old family pictures instead of waiting to see them from whomever keeps the album.

Anyway, this post is TOO many words long, I just wanted to say that I will be sharing some of these old pictures, not just of the people, as while I think it it neat to see my family, I am sure a non-family member would be bored crazy!
Also, I have been watching for a Singer/Silver reed/knit master knitting machine for awhile, I like the punch lace and the idea of only one carriage to do lace rather than the two with my Brother... I have seen some, stupid prices and some too old to do lace (hard needles), husbie, as always says to just get the expensive ones, but me, "no, when I am meant to have one, I will".. well!!.....

The other night I thought I would do just a quick check on EBay (really thinking it was a waste of time), and I must have just caught the listing as soon as she listed it. It was for a Singer Memo-matic machine, no model but says in excellent condition with table, original cards , ribber etc etc..
I first sent a message to find out what model it was, but straight after, just bought it. It was $45 bid and $50 buy out. I figured that for $50 even if I couldn't use it, I could still pass it on to someone who can.

The girl selling it doesn't know the model, it is her mums and she is bringing up this weekend, and I am going to pick it up on Monday night... (So EXCITED)... By the picture of the manual in the listing it looks like a 327 or 700.. that more streamline look... however it could be anything, they could have just found that picture online and used it... but it does say excellent condition, so hopes are high!
Either way I am going to take some extra money with me, in case it is worth more than the $50 I paid, I know that's all they asked, but it wouldn't seem right.. and not everything is about making a buck and bargains to be had... honesty and fairness first!

Blah! anyway.. too much babble!I will end the post with one of the old pics, because every post needs a pic!

This picture was called : "5' Squ Bush Desert "      my grandfather was in the air force.. to give and idea of how old it is.  Imagine flying these planes back then in combat?!? compared to what they have today! :)

I love knitleaders. knitradars

Just a quick post to link to a great website in my reader!
I love the knit leader/ knit radar. I love to follow schematics rather than K1 P1... probably why another reason I couldn't handle knitting.

Anyway, Steelebreeze just sums this little awesome tool up nice and simple... as it should be.
Even mentioning drawing the intarsia on it rather than a graph.

Using the knitleader

 

On my Brother built in knitleader I use coloured pencils for this reason, it's quicker and easier to follow the knitleader than a graph, but you say " if I draw it onto my knitleader it won't be there for future use", you're right! But depending on the pattern you could photocopy it? or draw it onto your graph paper first then trace it onto your pattern sheet?

As for patterns, just start out with a basic pattern and change it to the way you want it, ie: measurements, shape etc.. just like a regular sewing pattern! 

I haven't tried the air knitting yet, but I like the idea!

Anyway, from what I see, the knit leader is so under used by the online knitting machine community.

Ravelry shitiness

I am going to have a big old whine right here right now, because it is my blog and I freaking can.

I wasn't angry at first but now... let's hope curses are not real!!!

Story thus far...
Long story short, there is one lady that likes to debate things with me, like everything I say, I have played nice and excused many a thing she has said horrible (husbie agreed on horrible things when he read them also), but I played them off like I didn't see the intent and tried to lighten the subject.

On the other hand, I am an honest person and WILL NOT lie and say I was wrong with something or they are right if they are not... I will not lie just to make someone happy.

Anyway, this person is obviously emotional, as you can see different emotions coming through on different days, I liken it to a a lady permanently on PMS... you know baby steps.

So, jump foward today, said lady makes a remark to a person to make sure they use the right yarn etc and that "other people" buggering up their machine etc... which was VERY clearly diected at me as many post previous to this one on the same thread was this lady trying to tell me what I did on my machine didn't happen... umm duh.. anyway... I posted this:

The first thread is actually pushed to one side to have the other knitted beside it… if you read the schemeatic in the above link I provided, you would see this.
My machine is not buggered, in fact it is very Hetro.. no buggery for it!
I agree, as I said above, I recommened anyone NOT to do what I did my first time(fat yarn).
I however will continue to experiment.
You see there are sheep and shepherds…. I myself,never learnt how to say BAAAH
That is all.

And received a big old reply about how I give instructions like a wizened guru and she can't say anything right with me, but doesn't want us to argue as anything other thamn friends etc etc   you know... making me out to be the bad person again...
So I reply, because I will NOT be the matyr here and fall on my sword.. why should I?

I was on the debate team.. and Chess. and… LOL but I wasn’t a geek, just bored… The point I say this is I know how to debate, not argue. I tend not to argue with people, it’s not worth it, I do however retort to something reffered to me or put to me.. well until I can’t be bothered with it.
Life is short, I can’t be bothered making enemies, but also I am a VERY hosnest person, a whole lot of people just can’t handle that, so I am used to people either liking me or not, if not, who cares… at least of they DO like me, they like me for me, no charade.
The diagram and shemeatic provided was of the “previous” way plating was done ” ie the current machines”, further down was the person creating the patents now idea on this OLD idea. So it doesn’t really matter who this person is, because I don’t care about their particular patent, just the diagram they provided as to how the usual way of working is. ;) So, very relevant;)
Every post where I offer “advice” or really “m,y experience”, I have made VERY clear that I am learning and I am a newbie, I also do not usually say anything unless the post has been sitting there for quite while, it feels rude NOT to say anything, so I try and say something so the person doesn’t feel like they have BO or something. Point being: I always make it very clear as to my status on the knitting machine world.
Don’t worry, you would never squelch the way I do things… been pulling things apart and putting them back tgether since a tiny tot.. and as you can see by now, while I listen to what people have to say ( only way you can learn), I also do what I want… maybe as you can see stop posting stuff on here, but that is just from lack on intrest from here, not from me having fun with things. If you have ever read Plato and seen how he thinks… welcome to my head… nothing you or anyone else says is going to make me differ from my course unless it is logical and makes sense down the tree of things. :)
This is certainly not being horrible, but I am trully interested on where I have given instructions on something. Just for my benefit, so I don’t repeat it. As I said earlier I thought I made it always vERY clear that I am a newbie and what I say is from my experience. Just an example or post of where I have done this, so I know what constitutes as giving instruction. ;)
It wasn’t rubbing me the wrong way, it was an offhanded metion at how other people do things and might buggertheir machines etc etc… whatever it was, was VERY clearly directed at me, so I just had to retort, nothing more, nothing less, if you met me in person you would probably understand this.
I used to try and dumb myself down and sugar coat things etc etc… you know play the little happy social butterfly, but it never seems to work, so now I am just happy old me.
People always comment on how happy I am etc etc, even strangers (embarressing), but some people feel… see here I am trying to think of another word for a word I need to say here, to sugar coat it but can’t.
Either way, I find people with a little bit of learning behind them, (they know how to do things they have been taught), maybe a few letters after their name etc, but no real logical thought don’t get me, because I go outside the way they were taught to think. Sorry bor that, but like I said, my thought process is like Plato… I break things down.. don’t listen to what people say because EVERYTHING is relative… everything… you have to work things out for yourself…provided you know the basics of course.
Either way, as you have hopefully noticed, I have stopped posting to a point, I thought it would be cool to fit in here, but I don’t. It’s all cool though, lots of nice people so still stick my head in now and again, but just working things out formyself as I go… never had any problems learning from books… hell I learnt mechanical engineering because we couldn’t afford a tutor for my ex, so I could tutor him.. atop of the zillion of other courses and self learnt things I have done, but it’s of course not as social is it ;)
I am not your enemy Aunty Sue, but I will retort, never lost a debate yet, probably because I don’t say I am sure about something, unless I am. Anything else would be lying and I don’t lie… in anything.
So never mistake my retorts for an attck, you would know it if it was ;)
Besides, you owuld be amazed at what you can learn and discover between two people debating.
How big is the Universe is a crazy bad question for me, I break it totally down and used to debate the point with a friend of my Ex’s for hours… really hours, but it was wonderful!! How do you think they get the ideas which lead to experiments, then to new discoveries or inventions… from debates with philos…etc etc..
Debtaing is a powerful and wonderful tool! ;)
Anyway… this is a whole big story book, but maybe you understand me a little better???? I dumb myself down greatly, but without telling you my iq, please be assured I am not stupid… just spell and type that way LOL

Hoping I explained myself full well... I was still happy at this stage.

I come back to check later and see that the post has gone.. check my postings and find that whilst I was writing a forum mod had "archived the post", I did not see her two postings till after it was archived and checked back on it.
Because I am now worried that maybe this emotional bane of mine on the forums was right about me comming across as actually knowing stuff I start a thread :

Just a short note.
Apparently when I have posted things, I have not made clear enough that I am a newbie.
Apparently I have also posted instructions for things.
For safetys sake I have removed all posts (that I was able, I can’t remove the ones on the archived thread) that I have done on any forums.
If you have read something posted by myself and taken it for an instruction or assumed I am a wizened hat at this, I am sorry for giving you this impression. As I stated in every post about the way I do things, I am a newbie, learner, I didn’t think I could make it any clearer.
Please ignore anything I have posted, as I AM NEW to machine knitting and am learning also.
I will not be posting further :)
Thanks, and happy knitting!@ ^-^

 Just to make sure that no-one mistook anything I said and in-case she was right about people thinking I knew stuff, even though I said I was a newbie.

I come back later and find it also has been removed... now I am sooooooooooo pissed off. Especially because I spent like an hour removing every forum post I made  inacse something was misconstrued, and I do a post to explain myself and my removal of posts and IT is removed...
Now I just look like a crazy fucking woman... Pissed off NOW, but I don't think crazy... as yet... the only fucking thing crazy of me is trying to do the right or good thing by people all the time and getting shunted for it.

That's it..... stuff it all... I was going to delete my account on Rav but there are nice people still, and I have a whole lot of faves that would take me a gazillion years to find again.

Will someone please tell me other than laying down and letting these people pull the strings ... how can you do anything right?? I should have known never to get involved... it always ends up shitty...

Yes you can do 8 Ply on a standard gauge knitting machine!

My manual said you could knit with thicker yarn and I believed it, I just had to try it.
I left every alternate needle out of action and loosened the tension on the mast.
I started at tension 7 on the dial and ended in tension 4. The carriage was still easy to move, so you probably could to a smaller stitch again, but I liked the tension 4 stitch.

This is wonderful news for new machine knitters IMO as you can buy the sport weight or 8 ply 100gms for like $1.99. No need to worry about throwing away money on more expensive yarn when learning... anyway not going to blabber on. here are the pictures "after":

This is the purl side

This is the knit side

And just because I can, a poor quality video showing the experience... sorry I only used the crappy camera rather than the video camera as husbie is home on holidays and I needs his computer for the fire wire card to download the video camera... anyway here tis :)

 
As you can see my voice is still all silly like from the thing I had.. yay! for things hanging on in there! he he

Video blog entry- Topsy Turvey doll fail

This was from 2 weeks ago, but I forgot to post it.
My husbie drew what I asked for onto my knit leader, and I started  my idea, but never finished.

Miss Tabbie Completed -

Pattern from Machine knitting Monthly June 1997 - Lady Tabitha Doll design by Betty Meeds, changed around a lot by me :)

Just a picture post mainly, as I have posted previously my mistakes and the making of her.
As you can see I fixed up the face a little and in the process learnt how to do a chain stitch.
Here are the many faces of Miss Tabbie, the kitty with hairstylin' goodness!

here are the links to the making of Miss Tabbie ( or just scroll down and click on the older posts button):

• Lady Tabitha quick project update 12-8-10
• Update on Lady Tabitha machine knitted toy 16-8-10
• Mistakes I made on Machine knitted Lady Tabitha Toy 26-8-10

120 year old knitting machine... and you thought yours was old!!!

And I look at the 30 -40 year old knitting machines as being old... check out this sweet little story!

Les Mananov with the 1890 knitting machine he has restored.

LES Mananov will often stand in his Brunswick East factory and ponder the wonders of the 120-year-old knitting machine producing his trademark beanies now stocking Melbourne’s most hip boutiques.
The 65-year-old veteran ragtrader lovingly restored the machine - made in England in 1890 to produce baby singlets - he found in several parts in an unused knitting mill.
According to Alasdair Mackinnon, creative director of Mananov’s new fashion label Otto and Spike: “Les likes to stand in front of it and hum.”
The machine not only symbolises Mananov’s reuse-and-recycle ethic, it represents an ingenious knack for adaptation that has seen him survive the ragtrade’s tumultuous changes wrought by cheap imports.

You can click on the story to be taken to the original FULL LENGTH story :) 

Mistakes I made on machine knitted Lady Tabitha Doll

I haven't finished her properly yet, and in truth have made so many changes that it feels wrong to call her such, but as the pattern was based and followed, I really want to give it credit.
Also, wow, I can't believe it has been 10 days already  since the last post and since the last update.
This doll is so quick and easy to do, if you follow the instructions, it's just that this sick thing I STILL have, has really hit me for a six, on more antibiotics, pleeeeeease let it go away today.
I feel for people with chronic illness as a staple, and always when sick say to anyone that feels sorry for you, that it could be worse, and it could, but wow It's like I get an insight into feeling sick every day.

Oh well enough of the whining.. I will look back and read this post and say to myself " wtf Jo you whiny puss, pump up!"

So here is the picture heavy, almost finished, all my mistakes post. :)

This is the front of Miss Tabbie, yes! I sewed the arm on with the seam facing the front on the right hand side.. duh?

This is her face. I was going to do it in that Swiss darning/duplicate stitch, but just could not see the stitches enough to do it, so I got out books on embroidery and used that, in the pink mouth it looks terrible! This is something that I have to undo and re-do in order to finish her.

This looks so funny, but it is the backside, underside of her hair.

In the pattern she has no hair and is wearing a hat. I didn't make the hat and opted for hair. I was going to do a full weave, but opted out after an hour of putting the hair on what you see. I used the latch tool from the knitting machine, which reminds me I have to write it down to get more, that is one handy little tool, not just for knitting machines! 

So the hair, at least can be styled somewhat, ponytails, to the side etc etc, just like a wig made of wool! :P he he

This is one of the things I am in love with!! The picot hem!

Another mistake, the mistaking of how wide the stitches would be. I drew the pattern on with a  sharpie.. OOPS, now you can see the drawing behind the embroidery, but it looks funny if you embroider thicker. Also, instead of the knitted white spot "sparkle in her eye", I was going to use beads or rhinestones. The rhinestones wouldn't stick to the wool and the beads ( all sizes I tried) looked funny, so I still have to add the boring knitted sparkle.

As you can see from this picture and previous posts, her duds did not line up because I cheated and serged the body seams closed. But this was my first fair isle, which was just a line of dots punched out one row on a punch card and kept in the holding position. I love that idea! You can have several designs on the one punchard! At least the skirt worked... till the next picture.. lol

As you can see here, I sewed up the skirt with the wrong colour. I was going to unpick it and re-sew, but I am telling myself it is like the vaudeville lace ups lol

I am also unsure weather to cut her hair straight at the back, I kinda like it textured.. any opinions?

So here she is so far. There are only little things to do to her now before I declare her done.

All in all it was such an easy pattern to do, the machine knit side where I actually followed the instructions was perfect and had no problem at all, it was when I started playing around with things was when all the fuss came about. It would have been also very quick to do, I would estimate about 4 solid hours total in a newbie stage like myself, IF you follow the pattern and not be all sick like I have been.

Next post of Miss Tabbie (not right to call her the pattern name), will be of her, after declared completion. :)

ooh PSS, and because my baby girl helped my take the pictures,here she is in her beautifullness: