I haven’t done anything with theKarate Kid’s sock, not even ripped it back into a ball. I will need to do that before I make the ball into a skein to redye the yarn.
I have finished my secret sewing project though!
What is it?
A walker caddy for my sister who has a hip replacement scheduled in a couple of weeks.
I purchased this pattern and made some modifications to accommodate a walker.
It has tons of pockets plus some zippered pockets for more secure storage.
Here it is in action…
I had to put on my thinking cap to change the pattern to my wants, such as lining the pockets with white fabric, adding binding where none was used, adjusting and adding the straps, eliminating zippers, and making slip pockets.
It was worth it when I received this text from my sister:
May marked my 11th year of blogging. It just seems like yesterday when I published my first post. I need to do some housekeeping and clean up some of the headings and pictures.
Well, the Bamboo socks are finished. I l-o-v-e them.
These are my first ever toe-up socks. I started to knit a different pattern and after the first several rows, I realized that I didn’t like it so chucked that pattern and found this bamboo sock that was also a toe-up sock.
There are pros and cons to toe-up vs. top-down socks.
Toe-up Pros: No picking up stitches at the gusset.
Toe-up Cons: Starting the toe. Loosely binding off. Plus it is new to me.
Top-down Pros: Easy to cast on. Familiar to me
Top-down Cons: Picking up stitches for the gusset. Kitchener stitch for the toes.
I’m not sold on the toe-up construction but I’m willing to give it another try. The cast-on for the toe was a killer so if you have any suggestions or techniques to help, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
Since my sock needles were empty, I decided to knit a pair of shorties with some ribbing around the arch. I have a pair of commercial socks with ribbing around the foot. They really support the arch and make my feet feel good.
I’m making this up as I go so once finished, I’ll decide whether or not to knit the second one or rip out this one.I’m carrying the pink up the ribbing section so I can rejoin that color for the rest of the sock.
The last update for May (and I don’t remember if I did this in May or April) is a sewing project. Our front porch furniture needed new cushion covers. I made these covers in 2014 and the fabric faded and just would’t get clean. The print was large and busy.
I tried to order some new fabric in June of 2020 but with all the craziness happening in the world, my order was cancelled in August and wasn’t available anymore. Mr. Aitch suggested a solid red. I like the color but the fabric is slippery and was very difficult to sew. However, I think it will hold the color and clean up well. And the hummingbirds like the color, too.
Oh, one more thing… Brood X cicadas arrived about 10 days ago. We’ll be listening to their lovely (?) mating song for about another month. Then we won’t see nor hear them again for 17 years. This one is sitting on my giant-leaf hosta and is about 1.5 inches long with red eyes.
Sewing is one of my more regular craft-type pursuits. Quilting is a more recent one and I’m willing to experiment with my sewing machine. Specifically the quilting, free-motion, or darning foot.
Without getting too technical when using this particular foot, the feed dogs are lowered and the pressure on the foot is set to light. This allows the sew-er to gently maneuver the fabric in any direction while sewing, not just in a straight line.
I wanted to experiment with free-motion quilting and our heating pad needed a new cover. No one would ever see this so what better way to learn than to practice!
I layered a piece of 100% cotton batting between two pieces of cotton fabric and pinned this all together before taking it to my sewing machine. The total size was 12 inches by 27 inches. I began stitching in the center and made my way out toward the edges.
My stitches aren’t even as I moved the fabric around. Going slowly gave me better control of stitch length. You can see some longer stitches and very short stitches as I tried to make this star.
I drew a leaf with pink chalk and tried to go over the lines here.
More leaves and a heart.
Can you see the hidden messages below?
All quilted.
I added binding around the entire piece (don’t look at the horrible corners!) then folded it in half to make a padded envelope for our heating pad. I also made a new flannel cover to conceal it all and make it removable for washing.
I do need lots more practice using this foot on my sewing machine before I tackle a regular-sized quilt. It was fun and I learned a few things.
Do you sew and have you tried using all of the feet that came with your machine?
I’ve been sewing again and making a couple of small bags that remind me of Mickey Mouse in a red, white, black, and yellow theme.
I asked a friend of mine to make a wreath for me. All she wants in payment is a bottle (or two) of wine. I decided to add to her request by making these…
She is a fan(atic) of Disney World and is headed there sometime early next year. She usually travels with her sister-in-law so two bags would allow her to share one if she wants.
The red and white polka dot fabric was from iPad Aunt’s stash and made me think of Minnie Mouse. It was the perfect fabric for the outside. I also added some black blocks to one side just to make them a bit different.
The bright yellow zipper and lining really brighten up the inside. The zippers are from stash and were an inch too short. The yellow fabric ends on the zippers helped stretch them out and made them work. Did you notice my sewn-in tag inside next to the pocket?
As soon as the clip/hooks arrive by mail, I’ll make some wrist straps that can be attached to the little D-ring on the outside tab. We probably won’t see each other till after Christmas so there’s still time. I hope she likes them!
So do those fabrics remind you of a particular mouse?
Knitting In Flashes 