Another Real Bishop - and a lot of fabric ones!

My first order of merchandise from the original embroidered Bishop’s bag was intended as a trial run . It enabled me to reject the calico bags as a way forward, and to adjust (or try to adjust!) the position of a couple of images that had been cut off in the printing process on the purple tote bag and the cushion.

What I hadn’t foreseen was the appointment of a new bishop. Tiffany Sparks was appointed Assistant Bishop in Grafton on 5 December! The bag said Bishops 2025 AU so I really did need to add her name - on the original and the spin-offs.

The original was now lined, but I managed to find a space at the top, near the handle and embroider Tiffany Grafton 2025 without going into the lining. 

I also eventually managed to source a purple archival pen with a tip that allowed me to add Tiffany's name to the existing printed bags so it is both visible and waterproof. The much greater challenge was to re-photograph and amend the templates on the VistaPrint and Snapfish websites to reorder.

It took me around 20 hours to manage it. Combining up to 15 photos into a single jpeg (the format the template requires) is a challenge. In the end I imported photos into a Word file and saved it as a pdf. There is no provision on a MacAir to convert a pdf into a jpeg.  A screenshot of a pdf will produce a jpeg, but too small for the printing process. So I sent the pdf to OfficeWorks to print a colour photograph, then placed the photo on a piece of purple card, scanned it with a purple border and saved it as a jpeg. Whew!

I now understand from a friend that a PC will convert a pdf to a jpeg. She has offered to do it for me if there is a next time!

Eventually I had a cushion ready to order for printing in Australia, and a revised two-sided tote bag ready to order from an Australian company that will print it in China. With some trepidation I ordered 3 cushions and 6 tote bags. It's a risk, but ordering one of each to check the print ends up prolonging the process, expense and inconvenience. I took the risk. I think I might need more than I've ordered. Hopefully if so  this might be a straight repeat without messing around manipulating images. 

Both orders arrived by courier - presenting me with challenges. I managed to divert the cushions to my local Pack and Send. I wasn’t expecting each one in a large box taped up into one metre-high parcel! Fortunately they were light, as I had to park a block away.

The print is clear and the names can be read. The copyright message is missing, replaced by a repeat of the title in small print - but I’m not redoing because of that.

The bag courier sent me a message at 8.00am to say they would deliver that day between 9.50am and 1.50pm. I cancelled Pilates. At 4pm they sent a message to say they'd tried to deliver but I wasn't home! Lie! At 6pm they informed me they had taken it to Pack and Send.

I picked it up this morning.  This is one side. When I ordered, I had ticked a box saying "remove background". While I like the purple , the letters do not come out clearly on it. 

This called for more archival pens than I had, so I took myself off to Art to Art, discussed the problem, and bought a range of permanent, archival and water-resistant pens.

I have now repaired three of the six bags (example below). The other three will be done tomorrow. I think they pass muster - just. I do hope a few bishops agree with me.

While I am satisfied with the four cushions and 9 bags I now have, if I need to order more I will:

• not choose the 'remove background' option
• have them delivered somewhere that a courier can leave them.

It's been a really interesting, mad project. I've learned quite a lot and I very much hope they bring a smile and sense of pride to a few people. 

Christmas headway

I've been adhering to a strict 'buy no more knitting yarn' vow for a couple of months, making small inroads into the 3 drawer knitting yarn stash I have accumulated. At the recent Guild stash sale I caved and bought these three balls of acrylic with sparkle. I immediately saw beanies to wear at Christmas lunch. In the past I have made the Christmas bonbons from reusable cloth, cardboard cylinders, a snap and ribbon, knitted beanies and a non-plastic novelty. Last year I trialed eco-friendly bonbons from the Leprosy Mission Shop. They were well received, so I've gone for them again this year. The only thing in them whose eco credentials I doubt are the paper hats. I still have 4 of the Christmassy beanies I made in 2023,  These balls of Christmas bling struck a chord. 

Buying them was the easy bit.

I began with a ball of the red and k2 p2 band. While knitting I began to wonder if I could make crowns, or coronets instead of beanies. Beanies are not especially appropriate on an Australian Christmas Day. I went on a hunt for a pattern, and found one. It had a k2 p2 band and garter stitch peaks. I didn't much like the garter stitch peaks, so thought I'd just substitue stocking stitch. I  had already knitted the band, so began on a peak, using stocking stitch. To my surprise the peak kept falling over at the stocking stitch row. When I switched to garter stitch it staightened up, although it flopped at the stocking stitch rows. I had no similar problem when I used garter stitch all the way on the next peak.

I finished the coronet sticking with the pattern, then found some wire to insert in the weak peak and moved on. 

I wasn’t fond of the garter stitch peaks, so my second try  kept the rib going on the peaks. I liked the result.

Next I tried the band in plain stocking stitch. I should not have been surprised when it curled over as I knitted it, but I was. I stopped and did a bit of reading. 

Yes, stocking stitch always curls because the knit side pulls tighter than the reverse. This can only be countered by edging with  either rib or garter stitch. In 70 years of knitting I’ve never thought about this - although I’ve experienced it. When you mostly follow patterns, you rarely ask why. It also explains, of course, why my stocking stitch substitution above did not work!  I’m very pleased to have (belatedly) learned this.

To confirm, I switched to rib and, lo, the curl was contained. 

I decided to make use of it on a headband, hoping the curl would work neatly on the cast-off as well, which i did.  

The band sits nicely with a bit of hair adjustment.

I continued with the ribbed coronets, shortening the peaks, one with a k1, p1 rib, one with k2,p2. 

I wasn’t confident the 10gm of wool left would make another, so switched to the ball of multicoloured chenille.

It has a chunkier, firmer, knit. Although the finished coronet looks smaller, it has more elasticity and fits as well as the other.

I used the remaining red to work, first the centre of a headband edged with a multi-colour roll, and then the reverse, red edge with coloured fill. I think this is my favourite.

It was hard to judge how far the remaining yarn would go, so I used a k1p1 rib to knit a band, then judged I had enough for peaks. This resulted in the one at the top of the right hand column. You can see the left-over. It might stretch to 4 rows. Not sure I will try. I'm pleased with the results and will put them away for Christmas Day.