Knitting: apple

Recently I was asked to knit an apple for one of my children.
While I was knitting it I got a bit worried that it wouldn't look as good as I would like it to look. I followed a pattern by Susie Johns. By the time it was done I was very pleasantly surprised as it looked very good.
The one that I knit it for has used it for its purpose as that was only short lived as it had something to do with her course work.
So now it has been handed to my youngest children so that they can play with it in their kitchen and shop :-) Multi purpose apple :-)


Here is a picture. It knits up really fast :-)

I used Womens Institute Unique Yorkshire yarn from Hobbycraft. This is a 100% wool yarn, as I prefer to work with 100% wool yarns, as this makes felting and needle felting at the end really easy to do.

Making the stalk was very very easy. It was a 3 stitch i-cord and it knit up really fast and easily.

Adding it to the apple was once again super easy. The stalk created the indents at the top and bottom as I left the thread very long, so that I could use a doll making needle to stick it completely through to the bottom and go back and forth a few times, while leaving a little brown visible at the bottom, so that is really looked very much like a real apple.

It was such fun to do!

I've made photo's from various sides of the apple, so you can see how it turned out. I knit it in the round as I really do not like sewing projects up, so I'll knit a project in such a was that I can knit or crochet as much as possible together before resorting to the needles. As this was a project that was with 2 colours and in the round I twisted the yarn around each other all the time. On the photo to the left you can see how this ended up having a really cool effect. Through the green you see the red, as it is twisted round all the time. You also see some green through the red. I found that that gave the apple a much more natural apple effect than just having a part red and a part green. Apples don't have that :-)

Quite pleased with the result all round :-)

Knitting: Henrietta Hedgehog test knit

On 9 October 2015 Linda Dawkins started a new test knit. I decided I wanted to participate. So after I received the pattern I started knitting the small project. I love her designs. They are usually fairly easily knit and the patterns are always very clear. This design used the loop stitch, which I never done before.
I had decided to use my handspun yarn as that would suit perfectly for the project.
Below you can find a few pictures of the progress of the project.

My choosen yarns

Right after the first few loops

And some more loops.

Finished knitting

The belly

Only the eyes and nose left

And finished :-)

Spinning: Spindle

For years now I have found spinning yarn from wool very interesting. So a good year ago I did a course on Craftsy, which Drucilla Pettibone taught. I learned a lot and have since been trying my hand on spinning.
My first yarn was from Coopworth fibre. This is at the moment on the way to get twined, so I have no photos of it at present, but as soon as I get to the twining I will put it up.
My second yarn is presently being made from Jacob fibre.
Below you will find a photo. I am halfway through the fibre. I love doing this. It is a wonderful craft.