Author: Cathy Tremain

Cathy Tremainhttps://austerity101.wordpress.comI am a successful self employed bookkeeper. I am self taught as a seamstress and this has been my passion for years. By the way I am a little loopy!
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weekly photo challenge: Resilient

 

crafting is resilient to all of the modern gadgets and continues to be reborn. DSC01669

Happy New Year.  I needed to create a ball of cotton for knitting.  As I needed 350 gr for the project, I kept weighing the huge ball.

I was gifted some years back with more than a dozen spools of weavers cotton from the 1960.  The cotton is a lace weight and my Gemini Pullover by Jan Richards needed a heavier weight.  So, I matched two colors, rigged a rack and some poles to easily create the above ball of cotton.   

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weekly photo challenge : anticipation

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I am anticipating the sun reaching back up into our northern sky. Soon, it will reach the lowest point on the horizon and then head back. 

For the first time in our Earths history we as humans have the ability to change how our seasons transpire across this fabled jewel. Sadly, based on our current culture of “I” and “profit”, it may only ever be saved in a series of photographs and stories. 

We need our jewel so much more then our jewel needs us. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle and use only naturally sourced products that will leave only riches behind in the natural recycling process. Make your  choices wisely.  If you are unsure of how to dispose of it, don’t purchase it in the first place. 

A playful muff for my gran

This is a playful two sided muff for my gran.  I knit it with some foundling wool at the thrift shop.  One side is a variegated green and the other a fusion of reds and purples. My Gran will be 95 in the spring and has the early signs of dementia.  Apparently these muffs  help keep those with dementia calmer by allowing for the hands to fidget in a warm place. 

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I picked up the instructions on Ravelry.com. With chunky wool – a mix of colors and textures is best.  Cast on 88 stiches and make the whole muff about 20 inches long.  Knit to your hearts desire – the more stiches and variance in the texture the better.

Then comes the fun part.

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The bobbles, bits and button that are large, shiny, smooth, bumpy and just fun.  Chains, zippers, laces, and other nice things that will survive an industrial wash or two are good too.  

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So I delved into my stash for these bobbles.  Once I had chosen the bobbles, button and such, I threaded groups together in random colorings and textures. I found some nylon/cotton kitting ribbon that I uses as my Gran would love the color.  I used a doll makers needle – the really long one in the center of the photo above for most of this treading.

I pulled some cotton laces into a long squiggly thing .

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Threaded together buttons to form a couple of chains for her old fingers to find in the warmth. 

Next I picked up a threaded set or a button and sewed it firmly in place by weaving though a few kintted stitches and then though to the back where a placement button was waiting for the tie off.

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The shot below  is the  underside of the placement with the button and knots.  It is ok to leave the long bits, they will add to the texture and weight and that is good.

 

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So, when I had attached all of the bits that I had set up, I then folded the two ends and attached them securely with a slip stich using the tail of the knit.

Apparently this playful muff will distract her from the frustration of loosing her memory. So, I hope at least.

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Thanks for reading.  Pass it on, care homes in Canada have found that these really do help.