Knitting Club week 4

Here are some examples of some of the girl's work from the morning session of the Knitting Club. Masha Allah they are doing so well, although I don't think we are going to be finished in two more sessions! I think I will have to extend it indefinitely! I am always tempted to correct holes and fix mistakes for them but I have to restrain myself as I want the girls to be able to appreciate the difference in their work from when they began to when they finish. I want these sessions to be about being able to make something from beginning to end, that is time consuming and requires patience and dedication. It's not about having a perfect sample at the end of it, but what they learn through the process. Already there is a girl who I thought would not come again because she didn't grasp the technique as fast as some of the others, but masha Allah, she has persevered and I think she reached a turning point last week. Is this too much to ask of 7-9 year olds? Definitely not. Maybe in these times we are too used to instant gratification, so it is encouraging to see that these girls are capable of ploughing through to reach their goal, even if they are progressing in baby steps.

Knitting Club Update

Form one group of mini knitters, to three groups! MashaAllah, the girls are all so eager to learn.
We are currently in the 2nd week and I'm just writing this update between my next session ( which is a bigger group). I never realised how difficult it is to teach how to knit!!

Any way, we are hoping to have a little bag at the end of the 6 weeks, which should look something like this.

Maximum security prisoners, knit their way to Freeeeeedom!!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384376/Maximum-security-prisoners-Brazilian-jail-knitting-create-designs-high-end-fashion-label.html?ito=feeds-newsxml



I happened to come across this article which in the Daily Mail... I have to admit, it was the picture of the prisoners in their prison jumpsuits armed with...knitting needles?! I had to read on.

Autumnal Treasury on Etsy

Thankyou to Jenny for featuring my Cinnamon & Honey Autumn soap on her Autumnal Treasury.
https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjAwODMxMXwyNzI1MDk1MTk0/autumnal

Slipper Socks Round 2!

OK..I said next time I knit socks, I would use a different rib stitch, so I did..and it has worked. It's a lot more stretchy at the top..yay. Yes I know, the colour (again)! It's a good job I don't let the boys dress themselves..yet.

Knitting Club

I am excited to start the girls Knitting Club next week. I have been wanting to start one for a while, just needed a little nudge!! Over 6 weeks, I aim to teach the basics in knitting and they should have a finished product by the end of it! Will be nice to hang out with some girls for a change :)

Finished Slipper Socks

Here is a pic of the finished pair of slipper socks I started. I think if I was to do this again, I would do a K2 P2 rib, I think that would make it a bit more stretchy on the top. I have to say, they are VERY cosy.

Creativity as Therapy

I have recently been going through some difficult times Alhamdullah, but I have found that knitting is a really good way to ease tension and stress. Not only that, it is a comforting way to combat loneliness and sadness. In my mind, there is a beginning and an end to each project, and in between, is where I work out my feelings with every stitch.
 And I'm not the only one who has found this to be a great way to relieve stress. And it's not just knitting. Many different crafts can help. I have found this really good website that explains it better than I can, http://www.stitchlinks.com with lots of useful information. So if your feeling down, sad, stressed or even just bored (and we all do!) try something creative. You might re-discover a hidden talent or find new ones!

Etsy Shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandCraftedTrail

Here is the link for my Etsy shop. I have a few things on sale there at the moment and will be adding more as I go. Have a browse!

Slipper Socks

I have been knitting some nice, thick socks for my son. I know, the colour's a bit shocking but at least it lights up the room! I'm knitting in the round with double pointed kneedles. Socks are not as difficult as I imagined and you get lots of practice because you have to knit two!

Winter warmers

Is it too early to be knitting woolly cowls and slipper socks?? well it is England...so no, it's not. I am already feeling the chill in my drafty house!
I usually use this brown chunky yarn for teddies but I was inspired to knit a cowl instead and this lovely over sized button adds a finishing touch!

Sharp and Mild

Lemon and Calendula 75g

Fresh New Soap

Cinnamon & Honey 75g

Here is the link if you wish to purchase!

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/164386465/hand-made-luxurious-family-soap-autumn

Autumn Seasonal Soap

I decided to make a seasonal soap, so I raided the kitchen cupboard! I decided to make a Cinnamon and Honey Soap! This is the soap when it has just been poured into the moald...

And this is the soap once it has set.

Featureless Multi Coloured Bears

I had fun making these two! Came out better than expected and were the most popular knitted toys so far. Available in Flamingo (left) and Sherbert (right).

Official Member

I am pleased to announce that I am part of the Europe's premier directory of soap, cosmetics and candle makers!!

Sweater course

http://30daysweater.com/

I have been so nervous about knitting a jumper or something more substantial than a headband!! But I couldn't resist once the people at  http://newstitchaday.com/ introduced their new program. It's a bit of a knit- a-long I guess but it's what I need to kick start my big project. I think I'm the only one from the UK so I'd better do a good job as we need jumpers more here than in California!!
At the moment it's day two and we've designed and measured our jumper. Still need to do the stitch gauge and then hopefully should be able to start!!!

Knitted Dolls

I had lots of fun knitting these guys, it was a bit fiddly but worth it in the end (and the colour combos are endless!)

Young Entrepreneurs Challenge

We had a fun day yesterday at the event. It gave the boys a taste of what it's like to work in the day!! They were my little packers and cashiers. We even sold the little rainbow hat and booties in one of my previous posts, but the best sellers were the soap and the lace headbands. Now I can continue with my knitted book covers

Raw Soap

I thought I'd post a pic to show the beginning stages of what soap looks like. In this pic the soap has just reached "trace" which means the oils has combined with the lye solution and is now letting of heat. It is a bit like cake mix. When this happens, I always let out a sigh of relief because the last thing I want is a batch of ingredients that DONT REACH TRACE. That would mean I went wrong somewhere with the measurements.

The next picture is what the soap should look like once the additives have been added and it has been poured into the mould. This one is lavender and smells lovely!! The next stage is to wrap it up in a towel and leave it alone for a day. It should then go through a gel phase and then turn opaque, ready to cut.

Ebroidery class 101

A kind lady has offered to teach a few of us "mature " students embroidery. I feel very privileged to have such an experienced lady teach us. so far we have been taught a few different stitches such as running stitch, couch stitch, chain stitch, blanket stitch and stem stitch. It is quite addictive and therapeutic... don't worry knitting, my love, you are still my number one :)

In the meantime...

Between knitting overload, I just about manged to squeeze in some soap making. A friend ordered some cold process soap so here is a pic of the finished product. Shea Butter and Rose Geranium..smells gorgeous

OK...well it seems I was a little over enthusiastic with my latest project. I am still only half way through the first one! But it's not because I don't want to, I just got busy with a few other things...more knitting of course.  I would like to have a stall at the Young Entrepreneurs event which will be held in just over a week. It's for a good cause so I need to start knitting up some stock! I think headbands and a few other bits should be OK.

A Blank Canvas

I found these realy nice (all be it a little plain) craft books when I went shopping today and I got the idea for my next project... Cute knitted covers for personalised craft books. I'm excited so I got started right away! Hope to have the first one finished by the end of the day!!

Say No to Hats and Bootie

When I began knitting again (thanks to a reminder from a good friend that we should be using the skills that we already have in life), I took the traditional route of scarves, hats and booties etc. It was ok to get me re-acquainted with knitting but I want to knit something other than the norm. Dont get me wrong, cute baby stuff is realy fun to make and make realy special gifts but I'm sure there's more to knitting. Anyway I've got lots of ideas so watch this space as they say...

Ode to a Knitted Tale

Well here's a crazy addiction if ever there was one....I am taken over with the love of knitting...Sorry, not as eloquent as John Keats as the pun in the title may have suggested! Slip one, purl two, pass slipped stitch over... the more complicated the knit, the better. I almost feel, dare I say, that I have found my hidden passion. I'm not a complete novice to knitting (and not at all a pro) but I've never been so excited by it.
I learnt to knit when I was about 9 years old but then my teenage years rolled on and it wasn't cool to knit anymore...especially as I was likened to a "granny". So the needles were put away and the yarn slowly disappeared along with any aspirations of becoming a pro! In between I managed to learn how to make handmade soap, which I also enjoy, and even became certified to make and sell, but compared to knitting, it fades into second best. But 20 years later, I have been reunited with my needles, like a long lost friend, and I find myself spending many hours catching up. Testing different yarns is like finding out their personality..how flexible are they, soft, rigid, easy to work with or just too stubborn (ok, I don't get out much.) So here I am with my needles and yarn and I will keep you updated as my skills as they progress and I hope new ideas keep flowing.