I bought another gadget!!

I can't resist a gadget - its my Dad's fault, he had to have the latest gadget, but then in his day (sadly he died 20 years ago) there were no electronic knick knacks to fill pockets and bags. Dad bought gadgets for the garden and kitchen - a strimmer, toasted sandwich maker, soda stream, etc. I've inherited his love of little machines and when I saw this one on Pinterest I so wanted it! I do love the Knitting Nancy of my childhood and have a few - a couple of dolls and a red topped mushroom and I remember using the empty cotton reel with four nails in the top.  But I've been asked to do something for the charity shop's Halloween window display and had an idea for bunting made of long strings of knitting with small woolly pumpkins hanging down.  But I'll show these later. In the meantime I made these woolly bracelets.

You can knit SO FAST with this little gadget. It would have taken me days to knit strings long enough for two large shop windows with a Knitting Nancy but I did them in a couple of hours!  Wonderful! Bracelets take about 5 minutes and are just right for this cooler time of year. Here's one on me!

And I've tagged some bracelets for sale using my lovely new stamp from Clarise Crafts. Been wanting to order one for ages and when I saw there was already a design featuring a dandelion clock I knew it was meant for me - Plowmen's Clocks - get it?!

The knitter is quite easy to use once you've realised how it works. There's a video demo here using a different brand machine but it works in exactly the same way. It is quite mesmerising to watch the stitches forming.

I do have a couple of tips learned whilst trying to get started however:-

1. On the first turning of the handle make sure the yarn is hooked on only two opposite hooks.After that the yarn will be taken up by all four hooks.

2. Watch the yarn and turn slowly until you are sure the stitches are forming correctly - you can hear a little click as each stitch is pulled off the hook and through the stitch below. After that you can turn faster.

3. Attach the heavy weight as soon as you've got going to pull the knitting down - otherwise you'll end up with a big tangle at the top of the tube.

4. Make sure you unwind the yarn from the ball as you go and let it feed through without any tension. As soon as you feel any resistance through the handle unwind more yarn.

Happy French Knitty!!

September's here!

There's a purple haze on the hills which to me means Autumn is here.  But it seems Summer doesn't want to leave us just yet. The last two days have been beautiful but there is definitely an excuse to light a fire in the evening when that nip in the air is felt.

My colouring (yes, I'm still at it!) has taken on the colours of Autumn too. I know I'm going on and on about these Zig Clean Color pens but I'm so enjoying them. I love to make single layer cards and as these colours don't bleed through to the back I can get out my outline stamps again without having to add another layer to my little cards. And an imminent birthday has allowed me to add new colours to my collection as I asked all my family to buy me a few.

I've been experimenting with larger cards too - very brave of me! A friend asked for some birthday cards so I put together a little bundle for her and packaged them up in a recycled acetate box. I'd love to do more of these boxes for an upcoming craft fair but the only ones I've found for sale are very expensive - £15 for 25 - so I'm not sure its financially practical. They do look good though.  If anyone has found less expensive boxes (C6 size) in the UK I'd love to know where.