Sitting and Knowing

What do you do when you don't have a knitting project? Sew!

Courtesy of Marnie O'Loughlin-Gwynne

Having rediscovered the wonder of knitting garments (as opposed to accessories, like socks and mittens), and maybe also because the weather's warmer, I'm finding it hard to get enthusiastic about knitting socks. I have two socks which need a partner and one pair which hasn't yet had its first sock finished, but all I really want to do is go and buy some yarn to knit another jumper.

I've got a lot of experience of starting a project without having a clear idea of what I want the end result to be, so I decided to exercise patience.

I do, however, have a queue of sewing project waiting, so, Yesterday, I decided I'd get the sewing machine out and, although this is a knitting blog, I thought I'd post the result here.

Project number 1 was a clutch, pouch, handbag organiser. The interminable hunt for the ideal handbag goes on and I've made too made unsatisfactory purchases online to get excited about shopping for one on eBay. So, I've started using my beloved gold leather shopper. The only trouble is, as with most totes and shoppers, it's just a big sack, so all my stuff just swims around in there.





I started using one of my large pencil cases to carry all the bits and pieces (like lipgloss, handcream, painkillers and tissues), but it wasn't quite big enough.

So, I made this beauty!








Yes, I'm very pleased with it.

I left the machine out, on the dining table, overnight. This morning, I decided to make some slippers for Noah. He'd worn his old slippers for about five years. They were once two big for him, then they were too small, then his feet just burst them open and they had to be thrown out a few months ago.

He has sensitive skin and so shop bought slippers often itch on his feet, as would knitted and felted slippers. I new I had about a metre of black fleece and some wool jersey which had survived the severe, pre-move cull, so I'd told him I'd make him (a long time ago) some new slippers.

I had no pattern, and no previous experience of making sewn footwear, but I just started.
I'd felted the New Geometry blanket and few days earlier, with no real purpose for it. I ended up making these little seat cushions.


Rough edges, still. Folded and hand sewn together,



I had a small piece left over, which I used for the soles of the slippers. I used the fleece for lining and a double layer of the wool jersey for the outer shell - double layered for structure.


Threads need tidying up, but he tried them on and then wouldn't take them off. 





It wasn't the most enjoyable experience - I broke four machine needles and almost broke my machine (a had to use a hammer to fix it!). Hopefully, I'll never have to make another pair. Now, I just need to tidy up.



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