Ripe Picking (or thoughts) tea box.

One of my granddaughters chose Ripe for Picking, Anna Scott's design of a galah on the branch of a vine for her tea box lid. I was aware, when I offered it, that it involved stumpwork. I was also aware that it was a small design and would require enlargement to do justice to a box lid.

I managed the enlargement by photographing the template, then printing it on to an A4 sheet. In the kit, the design appeared to be drawn on to a generous piece of pale green slk in archival ink. I turned the silk over and copied the enlarged design on the reverse side, mounting it, with it's calico backing, into a 10" hoop.

So far so good.

The branch embroidery was slow and meticulous. I could see the effect intended, which made it easier.

The felt padding was fun to add before the tricky bit began, the needle-lace body of the galah.

This is where I felt the impact of having doubled the size of the design! It took me quite a while to fill the whole body, and it was a relief to be able to move on to the crest.

My favourite bit, however, was the leaves.  I really enjoyed stitching them.

I had difficulty deciding which of the two shades of green was which from the illustration but settled for using the more vibrant shade in what I decided were the bits getting more sun (the top of the leaves above the vine and the bottom of the leaves below the vine). For the sides closer to the vine I used the more muted green.

Because I didn't want to hold a very small hoop in my hand to create the stumpwork wing, tail and head, I attached the linen fabric to a piece of sheeting so it would fit in an 8" hoop and worked from there.

That worked out well.

Placement and attachment of the wing and tail was relatively straightforward. 

The head took a little more adjustment.

By this point I was having doubts about the appropriateness of stumpwork grapes - 10 thread-covered beads - on the lid of a tea box. It seemed to me that these would likely be a nuisance on a box lid, likely to get caught and damaged in use. The recipient agreed, so I omitted them. The design (if not its name!) is fine without them.

I had a moment of fright when I blocked it. Rather than wash it, I attached it tightly to the board and sprayed it with water. Immediately the archival ink on the other side of the silk showed through! I went to bed planning how I would create more leaves and vine to cover it. Miraculously, in the morning, when I plucked up courage to look, the ink had disappeared!

By now I have improved my mounting skills! The new wadding I have bought is thick enough to require only one layer and I secured it with multiple pins before slowly tightening and securing the lashing. I have also given in entirely on the use of double-sided tape. It shouldn't be used with archival material, but without it an embroidery will not stay on the lid.

Again, I am very pleased with this result, which is now with its owner. The colours are  complementary. It is, I think, elegant, and thoughtful,

I hope it brings pleasure.

Stars of Winter Tea Box

This was the last of these designs Create in Stitch had in stock when I was choosing a range to offer as lids to the Tea Boxes I was preparing for family members. It was a quieter, softer design than the others I found. It didn't leap out, but I liked its subtlety. 

I was pleased when one granddaughter chose it ahead of other designs on offer. 

It was very enjoyable to stitch. As usual, there was a variety of stitches. 

Additionally, the colour contrasts and blends were a delight, especially in the central flower.

Each addition of sprig  or stem added both stitching and design interest and pleasure.

While the red lifted it, there was gentleness and perfection in the soft, pastels.

 

Rather than the small red bird (robin?) on the top branch, I decided to add a Superb Fairy Wren. This tiny Australian bird seemed more appropriate, defined and special.

I am very pleased with the result - and glad I made the switch.

It blocked well, and I padded it with two layers of some newly-purchased acid-free wadding. 

It probably didn't need the second layer, but it lifts the section behind the design.

I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favourite amongst these boxes, but this one fills me with joy.

Jewels of Summer Tea Box

Eighteen months ago I bought two of these boxes when they appeared at Create in Stitch, along with two Anna Scott kits for embroidered panels to fit in the top of the boxes. I finished one which my Adelaide daughter has in her office. The second was promised to my eldest granddaughter when she too gets an office or decent work space of her own. The boxes take up too much bench space for an average kitchen. 

Recently it occurred to me that the time may have come to see if my Canberra daughter would like one. Affirmative!

I bought another box and checked out suitable available designs for the lid. When I consulted with younger granddaughters, they too wanted one (for their glory boxes, which have nothing to do with marriage!) 

So back for more boxes while  they were in stock. 

The Canberra one was immediate, so I set to work on the chosen design, Anna Scott’s Jewels of Summer. It is a pleasure to stitch. Anna’s instructions are both concise and precise. The stitches are nicely varied and there is a logic to the sequence. I usually use up thread from a finished section elsewhere to avoid wastage, but didn’t with this, feeling compelled to obey instructions to get the best possible result. 

Each time I finished a section I really wanted to move on, to see how the next one emerged. The combinations of stitches and colours are ingenious.

It was a lot of fun and very hard to stop. I worked in a 10" hoop on a sitting stand, so minimised strain on my hands.

 I finished it around 10pm one night, and blocked it straight away, in the hope it would be dry in the morning. It took a few hours into the morning, but I had a piece of acid-free backboard and wadding, so, after a lot of checking, was able to mount it later that day.

I stitched the corners down first, with cotton thread, then laced it using a waxed thread from a reel that has survived from my childhood.

There were many jobs for which my mother would tell me "Go and get the black thread". I'm pretty sure I have some cream waxed thread somewhere, but I don't think the black will shed colour. It certainly won't give way.

I did use double-sided tape to hold it on to the lid. I can't guarantee it is archival quality, but as far as I could ascertain, it should be OK.

I'm very happy with the result. I can see why one of my granddaughters has also chosen this design, and stitching it again will be enjoyable. Another has chose a Galah - which will need a bit of adapting, and the third chose Stars of Winter, to which I am also partial.

It's an uplifting mission to be on.

Berwick Cardigan: Try reading the instructions - carefully.

I bought the kit for this cardigan back in April 2024 and moved it to the top of my knitting queue on 2 May this year. From the beginning I made several mistakes. First, I assumed I had ordered the kit for the largest size. The pattern had three standard sizes, but in the fine print, there were two larger sizes available. I missed these when coming to knit it and simply assumed I would be working the largest size in the pattern. Only when I had finished knitting it did I discover I had, quite appropriately, ordered the second to largest size and had, quite inappropriately, been working instructions for the very largest!

It turned out to be quite a knitting journey. With 404 stitches on the needle and the main body knitted in the round with a steek, it took every extender I had (4) to get a cord that would accommodate the stitches. While I tightened the joiners as hard as I could there was still a slight bump as the stitches passed over, so moving stitches around required care and attention.

Even ensuring the round had no twist in it was an exercise. In the end, after a couple of rows, I pinned it out on the arm of a chair, cut it and rejoined without twists. 

It's been hard to get a handle on the all-in-one-piece method and how to keep the growing garment manageable. I must have succeeded because I put the cardigan on today. It has flaws, but is wearable.

On the plus side, it has a nice hang, I learned a great deal and when it drops below 10C in Adelaide it will be just the ticket.

On the downside I struggled at every turn and would have benefited from working it in a class. Some of this is a consequence of not realising I was knitting a size too large. Much of it is because of the complexity of the pattern and more because it's the first time I have knitted a cardigan in the round.

The next issue to arise was the dramatic curl that developed as the band progressed. It drove me mad. A bit of research revealed it was caused by continuous knit stitches without a ribbed border. In 70+ years of knitting I had not learned about this. I damp ironed it flat as best I could, knowing it would eventually have a ribbed band added. 

Sure enough, when I moved into the main body where there were purl stitches in the pattern, it stopped curling.

Even with the largest cord I could manage, the stitches were not fully stretched out. While this made it easier to move stitches around, it made it difficult to try on without dropping stitches. When I eventually managed it I was horrified at the size.  I was not, however, going to undo it and start over!

Two further steeks were added to accommodate sleeves. These gave me less trouble than the shoulder decreases, which were knitted back and forth. I found myself trying to work the mini-cables on the wrong side of the work, and soon worked out to add in a plain row so I could work the pattern from the right side.

Cutting the steeks did not give me palpitations. I've learned to run two rows of machine stitching to give myself confidence.What was awkward was the need for numerous stitch holders once the Fair Isle fronts were done.

There was a choice of working the sleeves next or the total ribbed border. Either way was awkward.

Reluctantly I went for sleeves first, as the pattern decreed, trying to work out the length without losing any stitches off the various stitch holders all over the garment.

The resulting sleeve turned out to be too long so I improvised by folding it back. Undoing Fair Isle is not for me!

This meant though, that I had to repeat both the mistake and the fix on the other side to keep the sleeves the same.

Around this point I began to doubt I would have enough of the grey wool to finish both the second sleeve and the band all the way around the edge. I weighed and calculated, eventually deciding I would need one more ball, which I sourced and ordered from Queensland. I had enough to pick up the 650 or so stitches around the edge with about a metre to spare, but the rib itself remained to be done.

The extra ball arrived the next day.  Each round of rib took me one hour to knit. The pattern suggest 6 rounds. After 4 rows my calculation was that allowing for cast-off, I might have enough for a fifth row. I decided not to risk it, and cast off. I had 10 gms left. The fifth row would just have been possible. I still made the right call.

 

I had got up early to finish the cast off, planning to wear the cardigan to a lunchtime concert today.  I chose the dress and brooch to match the cardigan. Just before leaving I had doubts. I walked out on the balcony and decided I would be far too warm. It is winter in Adelaide, but the cardigan is made for much colder conditions that a windless 18C. I changed it for a lighter silk and alpaca cardigan, and was very pleased to have done so.

The experience, however, drew my attention to the fact that the neckband is too wide so I have now turned in and stitched down the lapels, much like the sleeves. As I write this, wearing the cardigan, the temperature has dropped and I'm cosy. 

For me, the big moral of the story is to only buy what I can keep up with. Had I stitched this when it arrived I would have known the size and stitched it accordingly. All the adaptations I have made are to reduce the size. While I'm grateful that I can adapt, and I will wear the cardigan, I'd have saved myself a lot of work had I knitted when I bought it and my intentions fresh in my mind.. 

Here's hoping the learning sticks!

Shetland Beanie2025

I bought the yarn for last year’s Shetland Wool Week beanie a year ago, when the Yarn Trader put together the Jamieson & Smith colourway, but it sat untouched until I was invited to a friend’s birthday celebration. The friend’s ancestors came from Shetland and she had hoped to visit her ancestral home again this year, but too many things got in the way. It occurred to me that the beanie might be a welcome gift - a connection as she walks along an Adelaide beach this winter.

I made a mistake straight away, using the lighter shade of purple for the band instead of the dark shade (more haste less speed). Luck was on my side. It produced a bit of a softer look.

I now use Lantern Moon ebony needles for preference (in the photo above). They don't bend, have fine points and are gentle on your hands. The finest gauge they make is 3mm, the size for the medium version of the pattern. Unfortunately, towards the end of the first pattern repeat, one of the ebony ends snapped in the middle of a row.  I have two sets of Lantern Moon exchangeables, but only one pair of 3mm ends. I also have a number of bamboo fixed circulars, but not 3mm. The only 3mm circular I had was a fixed steel. It was the right length, but the steel ends were quite long - about 15cm. They worked well enough on the main body of the beanie, but were too inflexible for the crown. Once upon a time I used steel needles for preference (when the choice was plastic or steel)  and I had forgotten how hard on the hands they are.

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After my error with the band, I set up a set of reminders, with a loop of each colour threaded to its label and marked with it's alphabetic letter in the pattern. As the label also contains the colour number, this constitutes a complete index. I made no further colour mistakes.

Lantern Moon needles are not easy to come by in Australia. I managed to find a retailer in country NSW with some replacement points and ordered some. I continued, however, with the steel rather than waiting.  

This meant I had to switch to DPNs to finish the crown as the steel circular was simply too long and inflexible to manage the decrease.

I really like the pattern, but it was a challenge to knit. Shetland wool is a little course and splits easily. The pattern requires vigilance, a mistake of one stitch will disrupt the pattern. I made a mistake in the second row of the crown and had to undo a whole round - a very slow process as it is very, very easy to miss picking up a stitch. With 3m needles the stitches are small. The pattern sequence however, helps identify an error.

I worked on it intensely over a weekend, pushing on to finish. The design is crowned with a tassel rather than a pompom to finish, so I went with that, using all 8 colours. 

It was a surprisingly challenging project. Fortunately I really, really like the result. 

I held posting this until the gift was given. I reckon my friend likes it too!