From Blanket to Cushion

I was making a Bright and Bold Blanket in the knit a square a week challenge from the book 200 Knitted Blocks but I changed the plan and it is now a cushion cover.
Why the change I hear you ask?

The reason is simple I needed a cushion for myself as I have a prolapsed disc in the spine pressing on the sciatic nerve and I can barely walk.
Laying down is not an option any longer last night I was in a lot of pain and could not move without assistance. I need a cushion to go under my knees as I sit propped up with pillows so I can try to sleep.
This problem has been slowly getting worse since Christmas and I am to see the Physio Therapist on Friday. She thought I would be going in saying things were a whole lot better well the reverse is true.
So I got the cushion filler I had put away for another project and decided to use it for myself. The only thing was I had no Cushion cover to fit. Then I thought of the squares I had made and sewn together. I folded them in such a way that I created a pocket and sewed the sides together. I made some I-cord ties to close the top and sewed them on so I could make a neat bow and hey presto the perfect cushion for under my knees and for using in a chair as well.

The I-Cord was really easy to make I have never tried doing it before but know I know how to I will be making it again.
Here is a link to show you how to make I-Cord  How to Knit I-Cord
This is what I did.
I used 3mm Double Pointed Needles (DPN's)
DK yarn in this case a nice yellow
CO 3 stitches
Knit across the row and slide the stitches to the end of the needle  and knit across the row again.
The yarn is always on the left side don't forget to slide the stitches each time to the end of the needle.
Some people Bind off some finish off the same way as in the video link I gave either way works.
I made my I-Cord 6 inches long and made four of them for my tie closure it was enough to make a neat small bow with.

New Life Foundation

I wanted to find a Charity that needed help in the UK and hunted around and found this Charity.

New Life

So I phoned them on the free phone number and a lovely lady answered and was happy to tell me what they needed. Basically anything I want to make from Baby items, toys, blankets ( afghans), hats, scarves and fingerless gloves. They also have a pattern to send out to you a toy Nurse that has its own Birth Certificate and you can name her yourself.
So I will have a go at it when I get it and see what I can do.
I love making toys so will dig out my Jean Greenhowe patterns and see what I have and make something for them.
They sell the items to get the money they need for families to cope with various things and get the help they need.
So knitting needles get ready you are going to clicking away making something special for New Life.

Innocent Smoothie hats

I have decided that whilst I am knitting squares I can also make hats for the Big Knit that will take place this year around October time ready for Age UK. The Big Knit

This is a lovely thing to do and the hats great fun to make.
Here are mine so far.

BASIC POMPOM and TASSEL

BELL FLOWER and PIGGY

Sort of MEXICAN and FISHERMAN HAT

 

Basic FUN POMPOM

So 7 hats that will eventually be part of the BIG KNIT 2014. I bought two bottles of Innocent Smoothie so that I could not only have a nice drink but they are handy to make sure the hats fit with ease.
I like Piggy a lot and will try out different animals as they are fun. I will keep them in a bag and by the time the BIG KNIT comes around I should have a fair amount to send off.

I had a nice surprise in the post as this.

and inside the card  a personal message

That made my day  I did not expect to get this so it was a really nice surprise.

This was the other message in the card. It is always nice to know that people appreciate what you have done and for them to do this means a lot.

Bright and Bold Blanket

I signed up for the Knit a Block a Week challenge using the book 200 Knitted Blocks.
I wanted to make a blanket that would be colourful and have some structure to it, I found the blanket on page 24 and decided to make it.
So I have made a start and so far have two rows made up. I am sewing each square together as I go then each row that way it is less daunting than having to sew all the squares together at the end.

I am using these blocks 87, 120 and 132
                                                                                                                                                    

BLOCK 132

BLOCKS 87 and 120

 

This is the Right hand side of the Blanket

 

 

 

I am making the squares in different colours using the yarn that I have but keeping the continuity of the pattern.  I will be making all the same squares and keeping to the same colours throughout just in a different order. I have more of some colours than others and I do not want to buy in yarn so will mix and match as I go.

14 Hats

I belong to Knitting Paradise forum and joined a KAL ( Knit Along) to 14 hats in 2014.
I chose to make hats for babies from tiny preemie to newborn. I have used up some more stash making them and enjoyed the challenge plus I have used new patterns and learnt to shape crowns in different ways.

The green and white one in the front looks odd but it is knitted in a rib pattern and stretches to fit the babies head, the tiny one in yellow next to it is for a tiny preemie baby all were easy to make as I used these  knitting patterns.

Wondersoft 8615 Stylecraft knitting pattern

UKHKA 50 knitting pattern

Lisa's Stars Hat patterns

Care Wear Patterns Perfect Preemie hat

My Prayer Shawl Completed

I have managed to finish my shawl today and I am rather pleased with it.

The lace effect top and bottom add a  feminine touch to the shawl, it will drape nicely and will be warm yet light.

Keeping it simple made it easy to knit I made this for the: 

Ringing in 2014 Stash Buster Challenge on Knit it Up Team on Sparkpeople and it will be part of a package for a charity.

My Prayer Shawl Pattern

I love making Prayer Shawls and have found some nice patterns but none that I thought was just what I wanted so I came up with a pattern that I liked.

Nutty Knitters Prayer Shawl

I used 5mm knitting needles
DK Yarn but Aran weight yarn would work as well just remember it will be wider and longer.

Cast on 105 stitches

Rows 1- 3   K3, P3 across the row

Row 4      * K1, YO,  K2tog  repeat from * across the row

Row 5      Knit across row

Rows 6-8   K3, P3 across row

Row 9       K2,  YO, K2 tog, * K1, YO, K2 tog repeat from * ending with YO K2tog

Row 10      Knit across row

Repeat these 10 rows until you have 7 holes

Then K3, P3 across every row until you have the length you want then repeat the first 10 rows again until you have 7 holes and cast off.

This makes a shawl that has a nice lace effect at both ends.

I used the basic pattern from the Shawl Ministry link is here Shawl Ministry
As I wanted a simple lace pattern I chose to with a basic pattern combining the two patterns created a lovely effect.
By having an odd number of stitches I always start every row with K3 this makes it nice and easy whislt watching TV in the evenings for the main body of the shawl.

This is what it looks like so far

Numbers and colours have meaning:
The number 3: Significance of Three

The Number 7: is the number of completion.

The colour White:  Colour Chart

So the Shawl will represent Healing, Love and Comfort, completion and protection all the things I wanted to add to the shawl.