Too hot to knit ..

with wool?
 So why not use cotton yarn instead! My hands have been too hot to knit with wool so I've been busy making wash cloths out of cotton yarn. My plan is to use them as gifts with a lovely bar of soap for an event in December. (I'm trying not to use the C word yet!) They are so easy to knit and there are some amazing patterns on the internet and Ravlery, just google wash cloth patterns.
Here is the easy peasy pattern I've been using

knitted wash cloth gift

A ball of double knit cotton yarn - not smooth and silky (mercerised) but 'fluffier' if that makes sense!!
4 mm needles
Use garter stitch throughout.
Cast on 4 stitches and knit a row.
At the beginning of each row knit 2 stitches then yarn over the needle and knit to end of  the row, until you reach the size cloth you would like. Knit the yarn over as a stitch in its own right, so each row will grow by one stitch.
I used 40 stitches for a cloth that measures 22cm.
Then
Knit 1 stitch, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to end of the row.
Repeat this row until there are 4 stitches left.
Each row will then decrease by one stitch.
Cast off.

knitted wash cloth

This is also a brilliant little project to have in your bag if you ever have five minutes to spare.

All the little birdies

Today I have been in the garden taking pictures of my updated birds. They looked lovely in the summer sunshine on my new tree prop and the pictures on Folksy have been updated too!
Dare I mention the C word - but I have also made my first prototype Christmas decoration for this year as well. There I said it!!!!

go tweet, tweet, tweet

Last Friday, Studio Tails blog featured my felt  jammy dodgers in their Fabulous Friday Folksy Finds - so thank-you very much Heather and Gary!

Bauble Blowing

My Bristol blue glass bauble

A little while ago, I had the chance to blow my very own glass bauble!
Ever since watching Kirstie blowing glass on her very first handmade series, it's something I've wanted to try. So when my WI arranged a visit to Bristol Blue Glass I put my name down quick!

Getting ready

There was a chance to look round the (very small) museum and visit the shop and then it was off to the studio where we watched glass being blown and shaped by the professionals and had a short, interesting and informative talk on the story of blown glass in Bristol from James Adlington the master glassmaker. If you watched the Monty Don programmes where professionals taught their crafts, it was Jim who taught the glass blowing and helped them to make their chandeliers.
We discovered that the saying 'Don't grab the stick by the wrong end' originated from glass blowing, by not picking up the long metal tube you use at the very hot end!

Jim at work

I then had the chance to blow a Bristol Blue Glass bauble of my own carefully supervised by James. he told me I had very good lungs - probably from using my best teacher's voice at school all day!

I learnt that the kiln works at 1250 degrees Centigrade, which is very hot

You can see how hot!

and is never turned off, apart from maintenance, all the glass they use is recycled, how the twists and ridges are formed and how colour is added and taken out of the glass.

Beautiful glass for sale