Finished cardigan

Well here it is.  I managed to get it done just before the hot weather hit us last weekend.  I’ve really enjoyed knitting this garment but I’m now back to the shuttles and maybe get a little design finished that I started last year!!!  

Who knows!!!!

Oval version number two!

The only difference between this one and the last is a slightly longer lock chain at the top and bottom.  Again this is the original pattern.  

Did you see Tim’s ‘spooky’ post on his blog last week?  Here’s the link.

Monday moan - follow on to the last one

Well last Monday’s moan (which you can find here) opened up a can of worms so I’m giving the link so you can read any comments you might have missed. 

Now this has led me to think further about the ‘other’ problem that designers have too.  That’s the problem of intellectual property.  

Now I consider if I’ve done something totally unique that’s never been done before that this is then MY intellectual property even if it has been changed a bit.  Whoever would’ve thought of taking what we call plain bangles and turning them into a dragon or ‘tattysaurus’.  Well I know I was the first to do so but it seems that somebody thought it was such a good idea she’d copy it and never give credit to the original (which was already on my pattern page).  As far as I know this has never been acknowledged as ‘inspired by’ me but has been shown off as ‘hers’ and hers alone.  I’m mentioning no names as it’s well hidden online and I don’t want to embarrass the person concerned.  It’s happened with another design and after a ‘firm’ conversation that person did eventually put ‘inspired by’ on her version which was very close to my original.

By the way - my Monday moans may make you think I’m a real old grump - I assure you I’m not.  Honestly.  To prove it I’m showing you a picture which is titled ‘exterminate, exterminate, exterminate’!!!!  With apologies to Dr Who fans!!!

  

Oval version Celtic ferris wheel

I have some gorgeous small gold picture frames that I’ve always wanted to put something in but never quite got round to doing it.  I bet you’re the same too.  Time goes by and they’ve sat and looked at me for several years.

I’ve got some special people I want to give special presents to and that’s what I’m going to do with the frames.  

Now, what to make as they’re pretty small?  In the end I decided to use this pattern as it would bring in three colours.  It looks lovely in the frame and I will show you when I’ve got it finished.  I used a size 40 thread.  Size 80 was just too small.  

One sleeve finished.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!  Hooray!!!  

Monday moan. Cut off in my prime

There’s a Facebook group which used to be my favourite place when it was run by it’s original owner.  Unfortunately she disappeared and the group was taken on by three others.  

There are now two admin and one moderator who keep the list going.  I had no idea what the difference is between admins and moderators until I googled it and this is what I found.  ‘An admin is a person who created a Facebook group and has complete control over its settings. On the other hand, a moderator is someone who assists the admin in keeping track of the group's activities and ensuring that everything is running smoothly.’  All sounds like a good idea to me.

A few days ago in this particular group there was an interesting discussion going on about designs that people have done and which are very, very similar and could be classed as copyright theft.  This particular conversation was not accusing anybody of theft but was more about the fact that ‘accidents do happen’ in simple generic designs and this was being pointed out and discussed.  

What I am very puzzled about is the fact that the moderator put a total stop to the discussion.  This felt to me as if we were being treated like naughty children who couldn’t be trusted to behave when in fact it was developing into an interesting discussion.  I am now wondering if it was because the moderator has insufficient knowledge or expertise in our craft and was afraid of the outcome.  

No matter - I will not be offering my opinions on that list again.  There are other groups where life is a lot more comfortable and discussions are allowed to continue even if it does lead to a lot of disagreements.  Everybody is entitled to their opinion and we should all learn to live with that fact.

Back to the shuttles

As the cardigan is progressing pretty well I thought I’d allow myself a bit of a distraction from knitting.  There is a reason for making this motif but I’m not going to spill the beans just yet!!!!  Sorry. 

Here is the link to pattern, though!

Before sleeves

The cardigan is progressing - slowly!!!  I think part of the problem with this project is that I want to make it last forever as it’s such a lovely pattern.  I will finish it though.  I promise!!!

Look what I found!!

I was rumbling around in my VERY untidy tatting cupboard a few days ago and found a little box of bells!!  I’ve NO IDEA when I made them but it was probably after I got back from Palmetto Tat Days in 2019.  

I think the idea was to make a Christmas dangle with them to take to America two years later but then, of course, Covid hit us all.  

Why?  Well I’d done a silver cluster for the silent auction and the person (I think it was Sherry) who won them paid a considerable amount to get them.  The money raised from their silent auction goes towards their scholarship scheme, I believe.  

I may just put this little cluster together for the same reason now I’ve found them. 

Meantime I have the urge to make more but I think I’ll do silver ones next time.

Now for a bit of sewing

With the machine!!!!

I’m a member of ‘Freecycle’ for our area but have a strict rule with myself that I’ll only ‘pick up’ (IF I win an item) if it’s within walking distance.  Seems pointless to pick up something that’s free but have to spend money on petrol (gas, for you Americans!!!) and pollute the planet by using the car.  So this somewhat restricts me - but not a lot!!!

I’ve gained a brand new iron from sticking to this ‘rule’ and often good fabric too.  A few months ago I picked up a lovely, lovely lot of good sized pieces of fabric and brought them home.  There were a few pieces that I really liked but others that I didn’t think I’d ever use so I sent a WhatsApp to a couple of lovely neighbours to come and help me out!!!  They were very happy to do so!!

I made this top from one of my favourites.  I used a top I bought some years ago as the ‘pattern’ which I laid on top of the fabric.  I then used newspaper to make the neckline pattern.  It’s now classed as a ‘totally free’ top!!!  The only damage to the planet is using electricity to sew it!!!

Job done!!!

Stitching still progressing.

Again this is just a progress report!!!  

This is the first side of a tote bag.  I THINK it’s finished but I may add more to it when I’ve done the other side!!!   

I’ve decided I’m not very good at forward planning on this type of work but I think it’s OK.