MIA due to sock knitting

So I finally found a way to learn how to knit socks, find a local teacher through ravelry, the lovely unionmaid. She got me a wonderfully easy sock pattern which I have created a pattern link for at ravelry, its called Easy Sock Pattern It's top down with a flap and everything I have messed up I have easily fixed, hurrah! I am currently in the knitting the foot length section, I may have to ask her assistance for the toe joining but we'll see.

She amazingly not only gave me 2.5 mm bamboo DPNS but also a ball of Middlearth Yarn in Balrog, 330 yds, 50/50 Merino Alpaca, it is squishy and lovely. Unfortunately the creator Lothlorian who's in her 20's like me has a husband in hospital, so she is far more MIA than me.

I'm loving the sock knitting and am almost finished my first sock after a week and a bit which is great. There still looks like heaps of yarn so I'll definitly have enough left for darning if I need to. I don't have any pics right now sadly, but imagine a orange sock with stripes of park purple and nearly black.

Cute polymer hijab pins

I saw these on etsy yifatiii's Sweet Sewing Pin Toppers and thought they could make good hijab pins. However on discussion and thought, they are sewing pins which are generally weak and short. I thought they would be too difficult to make myself however after watching these videos I thought it would be worth having a go:





I'm not sure where I could get straight pins in NZ, maybe a bead store but there are also these:

Many Horses' Hijab Pins

Or I could cut the plate off these or use it as the base for things like muffins or buscuits:

Brooch Stick Pin

Islamic embroidery

As a Muslima I prefer not to stitch animals or people in my cross stitch, as artistically creating an animate object is seen as attempting to imitate the creator and is therefore sinful. Toys however are ok so I do make knitted toys for when I have a child.

I have nearly completed and Indian cross stitch carpet based on a Mughal tent hanging, which is great as it has a Mihrab - point to mark direction to Makkah that Muslims pray towards and the Tree of Life. I really like it and I'm very excited to have it on my wall. So I'm thinking what to make next.

Traditionally Muslims have decorated their homes with geometric designs or curved designs called Arabesque. I really like these designs also, especially in architecture.

I would really like to make another cross stich pattern based on a carpet but was not able to find one. I messaged a French flickr member Barbarasyl who made this beauiful cross stitch carpet

Cross Stitch Carpet Originally uploaded by Barbarasyl

She was very helpful and opened by eyes to the beautiful patterns of Annie Cicatelli. She makes carpet inspired designs, Tapis in French, using North African carpets as inspiration. She has also done some designs from Morrocan arts like jewelry and lettering. Theres are the ones I like:

Morrocan Jewelry for €15


A collection of illuminated manuscripts for €10

A collection of Afghan carpets for €15

I've also found this wonderful carpet by sister Banu Demirel, a Turkish cross stitch and blackwork designer -

Blackwork Prayer Rug for USD$9

If I knitted socks

Drawstring Bag for small knitting projects with Japanese flowers for USD$18

This would fit needles up to 20cm but I love my 30cm Swallows at the moment so I'm not planning to buy this bag althourhg it is gorgeous. I really wish I could knit socks but I'm still learning and doing scarves.

Art yarns

Listening to Lime & Violet's episode 62 and laughing outloud as usual I was very much impressed by the homespun goodness they talked about from StudioLoo. I never thought about the fact that you could spin things into your yarn although I have read descriptions of how to knit in beads to projects. I thought I would profile some of this delightful art yarn and I am now wondering if there is a name for yarn that has decoration added to it.

If I was to buy some of this arty handspun I would probably cut it in half and use it for each end of a scarf. Or perhaps you could match similar shapes of art yarn to create a very special scarf. Granted this yarn is expensive but when you think that it is hand carded, handspun, artfullly dyed, quality ingredients and loveling cared for its a bargain.

Studio Loo's Patria 176yds for USD$55

Snowberrylime's Pink pearls 72yds for USD$34

Enchanted Yarn's Clara Bows 82yds for USD$26

AuthenticFiction's Raspberries 'n' Cream 125 yds for USD$33

Snowberrylime's Blue princess 59yds for USD$30

How to torture baby in knitting

Knitted Dancing Star Baby Bunting

"Knit this attention-grabber in stockinette with Jiffy. It has separated legs, so it fits easily into a car seat. It's soft and washable. Closes with Velcro. Fits infant to three months."

In my mind I think of an irritated baby rolling about in this thing trying to grap something, its like a star shaped baby staight-jacket. I mean its sort of cute, but practical only for one day at Christmas time if your baby decides to sleep all day as the fairy on top of the Christmas tree. Also the insantiy of having seperated legs for use in car seats, if you are going to give your child no hand openings why would you be so practical as to make them strapable into a car seat, I guess to give your child extra restrictive torture.

The Genius!

While knitting my Creamy Feather's Scarf I found a knot in the brushed mohair yarn I am using. I had really hoped this wouldn't happen as I have struggled to tidyily weave in or knit in ends. As I am knitting the two halfs of the scarf independently and then kitchenering in the middle to ensure I get a pretty cast on ruffle and the right feather and fan pattern, I hoped to not have to join yarn together. I did a search for join techniques and found the felted join!

Knitting Help's Felted join video

Essentially you split the ply, wet the ends and felt the ends together by rubbing between the hands. Crazy Aunt Purl has a great blog post here.