knitting neat edges

g'day again

thought i'd write about knitting a nice neat edge on an item, this is new to me & only read of it since finding Rhondas' blog & forum. there are a few who do this & i'm a new convert, it takes a conscious effort i must admit as i've knitted without for 30 odd years & breaking this habit is taking a bit of doing, even getting the odd headache but the result is well worth it! 
been practicing on the mittens i do on the straights, certainly makes sewing the seams up less painful lol.

see the nice smooth edge?

this edge is done by slipping the first stitch, using whichever stitch is there, if knit, slip knit wise, if purl, slip purl wise & i must say it looks very professional. though as i mentioned before i have to make a conscious effort to do it, so if you're a new knitter, it's probably a good idea to get into the habit now, then it will become 2nd nature to you.

am quite pleased with the smoothness of the edge, i know it doesn't look like much in the photos but it does make a big difference or am hoping it will to the look of the finished garment, which i hope to show you soon.


been warm here & really looks like spring has sprung early, hope everyone is having a good week, keeping cool or warm in your part of the world


thanx for visiting

comfort knitting

well, i've done nothing but knit since the passing of cuddles, it was too hard to garden without him, pushing me from one end to the other. 
i've thoroughly enjoyed it, i mostly made fingerless mittens to sell at our markets shop with a few headband/ear-warmers thrown in.

large brown mitts

2 headbands & cowl

finished mitts & headband

4x4 rib done on DPNs

beanie for a friend

made myself a beanie

made myself a cosy

medium size cosy (3-4 cup pot)

a cowl for another friend who gave me the wool

forgot to take a photo of finished mohair beanie

many items i forgot to take photos of the finished product, sorry! i made many mittens & thoroughly enjoy using the DPNs, getting in lots of practice for when i tackle the sock knitting. was also doing the mittens on straight needles too, as i had trouble keeping up with our stall, so could do 2 at a time on the straights.
i got fed up with my tea going cold & so quickly made a cosy, also made another one for our shop/stall, 3 beanies, one for me too & a lovely cowl for a lady who gave me the wool, i couldn't take it without at least making her something from it. i also helped out a friend by finishing her jumper for her which was for her partner.

finished , made from a denim cotton

B.J. stayed close the whole time i knitted this one

  










i'm still knitting, just picked up my daughter's cardigan again & redid the front bands & have pinned in the 2nd sleeve & started the collar again. as i had done some booboos there, will post photos of it a bit later.

what have you all got on your needles or hooks?

hope everyone is having a good week & keeping warm or cool

thanx for visiting

the last little one left ...

i have one remaining cat here from my mama cat Minka, well she is a descendant of Minka, about 3rd generation? i think, great granddaughter? if there is such a thing with cats?
B.J. is her name, has soft fur like Minka but only a spot of Minkas' colour on her, blended in all her gray.
                                   ******************

i was crying too much to continue with my post, it is now a month or more since writing that little bit, here's some pictures of B.J. 

on her own pillow by the window

enjoying the sun

she is a funny thing now that she has me to herself, demands attention when i'm at the p.c. by standing up tall & leaning on my shoulder! for such a little cat she can stretch far! she sleeps on her pillow while i knit & sometimes she will come & want a bit of a cuddle on the chair next to me when i'm knitting, especially on cold days.

it will be sometime before i venture out & get myself anymore pets, even though i miss having many around me, it will have to wait til i can get a fence up.

hope everyone has a great weekend

thanx for visiting

for our beloved fur babies...

after losing the old man (Cuddles) i didn't really feel like being here much. did you know we are literally killing our beloved pets by feeding them commercial foods? i stopped feeding it a few years ago but the damage was already done, it's irreversible. so, if all my other pets had survived they would all suffer the same fate, renal failure, kidney failure & all that goes with it.
did you know that cats are descendant from a desert animal? they are still pretty much the same as their wildcat ancestors. Cat , they get all their moisture from their foods, even after being domesticated they still have this unique system of getting their moisture from the food they eat, so cooked food is not the best option but way better than dry food. dry food shouldn't even be considered, it's giving your cat a slow death as they really can not digest this food. like most of us i was ignorant & fed all this to mine, thought they were getting good nutrition. boy was i wrong.
this website "Feeding Your Cat" is a really good read, she/he also recommends good canned food over dry food provided there's nothing else in it than meat (no grains or vegies) but i would still give them fresh as often as possible. 
Feline Nutrition is another good read & site. this one i have found to be most helpful as they say cats should only eat raw meat.
have also put them both on my sidebar under the 'helpful links'. 

i hope this has helped anyone wondering about this disease in our beloved cats, when i was at the vets he also said that domestic cats were the only sufferers of this debilitating disease, so i guess it is from the food we give them, so, i say to you don't be fooled into buying canned with all the trimmings, just plain & simple is all they need, no added salt, sugars, vegies, grains, etc, if you must feed canned food & try not to give them any dry food at all, this is what will start them down the road for renal failure in their future (some are born with the disease too) be sure to treat them with some fresh & let them kill hares, rats & mice, it's good for them.
p.s. they also need to eat grass, it helps with the hairballs 

til next time

thanx for visiting

R.I.P. Cuddles

Cuddles passed this afternoon sometime before 3pm, vet rang & told me he had a heart attack, they tried CPR but it failed.

sad news

my daughters' cat, Cuddles, (affectionately called 'the old man' by me) is in the vet hospital, with kidney failure, he crashed early last night after a couple of days being a bit sick, he came good the same afternoon, vets don't come out for small animals, i couldn't drive him in til this morning & sitting here now i'm a total mess, barely see what i'm typing. they have put him on iv fluids for now & hopefully he'll pick up after a few days (everything's crossed)
the final decision will be my daughters, i really don't want to make it if he isn't going to pull through but i will be there for him though, if it does go south 
will post more later on in the week

enjoying a bit of lap time (last winter)

UFOs challenge

recently some ladies on the DTE forum put up their UFOs & some dared others to show theirs, mmm, i have a few, not too many going, well at least that i know of...
a beanie (have 3 more to make of these) head/ear/neck warmers, coat hanger cover & still have my daughter's cardigan to finish as well.
are projects that i want to do, counted? i often wonder as i collect wool, when it comes on sale i grab it, intending to find a project for it too. i guess they could be UFOs in the making...
                                    
                                     *********************

my UFOs, which 2 of are finished now

well, been a bit slow with this post, started it last week! i've since finished the headband & beanie! about to start new ones though.


thanx for visiting