Thursday 13 January 2011

My Wednesday

Hello Lovelies , thank you all so much for the kind comments about my flowers, you are the best.

How's your week been going? Today was a busy work day for me ,but yesterday was different.
I always have a million jobs to do around the house.But time time off in the week is such a lovely luxury, I can't bear to spend all day doing boring jobs.
No Wednesday generally consists of a couple of hours of housework ( I can actually get a lot done in a relatively short time if I don't get distracted! ).
Next came a little crochet time, I'm sewing in the ends on these.........




This is going to be another cushion cover in some of my fave Kath'esque colours.I think I'm working such bright, springlike colours as an antidote to the grey weather we have been having this week.
The inspiration for this project is definitely bloggy. Mostly from here and here.

I've recently had a rethink about the way a sew in the ends on my work.
On my circle blanket I simply caught the previous rows end under the next row , which saves a lot of time ,but looks messy on the back .....



And,I've found lots of little ends are starting to appear on the right side of my blanket too, which drives me crazy.
So this is my 2011 modification....... I make sure I leave a longish end of yarn at the start and end of a colour( about 6 to 8 inches )


Next I tie the end from the beginning of a round to the one at the end, using a reef knot , you know , right over left then left over right. Sometimes I add a third knot for luck :0)



Then I use a sharp needle to sew in the ends....



I'm hoping this is better than a blunt needle as it goes through the yarn , not just between the strands.
I go one way ....


Then back the other way...



And only snip off the little end I cannot weave in .....



What does everyone else do ? I'd love to here your method.

Next on Yesterdays agenda was a trip out with my Mum . Our favourite place to visit is a local market town. It's not the closest shopping to us, but we don't care for the big city, and the journey there is so picturesque . Lots of my favourite countryside shots  like this.....



and this.........



(both taken last spring)
have been taken on this route. I love driving along these quiet lanes , stopping here and there ,to admire and capture the view .Yesterday was another grey day so sadly not good for taking pictures.

Once we get there I generally have a little list of items I need to purchase on these trips , you know , boring stuff . Yesterday it was, cough medicine, fruit , light bulbs and envelopes :0)

Once this was done we got on with the more enjoyable bits. A pot of tea and something to nibble in the charity bookshop / cafe.
I think these are a great idea, it's so nice to peruse a few books whilst you have your drink . ...



This week I found a lovely Ladybird book on astronomy , ideal for the master BM who's quite into stargazing at the moment, you can see it next to my teacake,I bought this book .
I also enjoyed looking at a Kaffe Fassett book, then popped it back.........


I'm not sue why ,but sadly I haven't found a crochet book here for ages. Maybe because it's so popular ?

Next we took in a few regular charity shops, I was very good this week and I didn't buy anything , probably because I had already treated myself to a couple of balls of yarn . More about that and my latest project next time :0)

Have a great Friday .

Jacquie x

18 comments:

  1. I hate sewing in ends, absolutely hate it - so I crochet them in as I go!

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  2. That has started to be my method too although I usually don't knot. I bring one of the threads up so I can weave it through it's own colour with the other one. Crocheting them in as I go left me with a blanket unravelling so I don't do that now. Also you can see them. Looking very loely anyways. x

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  3. I can't comment on crochet ends as I'm a novice and struggle with what to do. I weave in and out with a darning needle and hope for the best. :)
    Enjoy your lovely quiet time while your boys are in school. You will have worked very hard so far mothering and homemaking so enjoy these times to yourself.
    B.T.W., love your crochet colours.
    Anne xx

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  4. I love making the motifs, but also absolutely hate weaving in the tails. I have been crocheting since I was 12 (will be 60 on Tuesday) and I was always taught not to knot, never in crochet, knitting, cross stitch or embroidery. I suppose it really doesn't make a difference as long as one does not cut the tail at the knot. I made an afghan (no knots) before my oldest was born, she is now 34, the thing has been washed a zillion times and still it holds together! I guess I am just not a knotty girl. :)

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  5. what a lovely day you had. I can't comment on crochet ends either as i can't crochet yet. But looks like your doing a great job. Have a lovely weekend. Dee x

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  6. I hate sewing the ends in when knitting - seems to take so long sometimes :(

    Love the book - not seen that before - my youngest would love that. Might have to try ebay for one.

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  7. I tend to crochet the ends in as I go so I then dont get left with lots of ends to sew in :-)
    A x

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  8. I only learned how to crochet last year and have fumbled my way along. I also knot threads together and thread through with a needle. It seemed the most secure way. I wanted to avoid unravelling. But it is tedious.
    Jo x

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  9. Dealing with all the threads at the end of a project is the worst part of crocheting I reckon! I have been using the same method as you used to , but am finding the threads are poking through the front as well, so i might give your new method a try on the next thing I make! Cheers Julie:)

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  10. I've always found sewing the ends in as opposed to crocheting over them much more preferable in terms of durability - albeit it's a tedious task. It's almost as though the yarn "relaxes" after a while when a project is finished and I think this is why ends tend to start popping out.

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  11. I completed my first crochet project recently and it took me ages to sew in the ends. I'm going to try out this way next project, thank you.

    Yummmm to the toased teacake x

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  12. Sewing the ends in is a pain in the proverbial, but it is much better in the long run than crocheting over them. I try to sew in so that some of the tail splits the yarn it's sewn through - it probably doesn't work for acrylic, but with natural fibres you get some degree of felting with this that helps it not to unravel later. I try not to knot, but that's just a personal thing!
    I wish you hadn't posted a picture of a toasted teacake - I want one now!! Have a great weekend x

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  13. What alovely day, I am quite jealous!
    I hatesewing in ends but it definately pays off to do them as you finish a square!

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  14. I sew my loose ends in with a sharp needle also. I agree with you that it does look a lot neater and seems more secure. I have to use your knotting method though. I usually just knot my yarn by pulling the loose end through a loop.

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  15. I sew as I go, I couldn't leave them until the end as I hate them so! I sew them into the top of the stitches so that I also crochet them in too :)
    Loving the look of those little squares, My next project is Cathyish!

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  16. OOh I've had plenty of ends with our 'Sunshine Blankets' Not the SIBOLETTES I add,my own. Mom still comments now on a purple large granny square blanket I made for my single bed at home. I never finished the ends off. I think I have proved her wrong now, because she cant understand how I have the patience with all these Blankets. I'm just coming up to 52 now. haven't showed the last two yet. But the one is Black and White, and the other has red in it.
    Jacquie your crocheting is beautiful. I love the cushion you have made, such beautiful colours. I must add you deserve the 'kind words' too! Helping out with SIBOL, and sending such beautiful squares deserves praise! I must apologise I meant to link you yesterday. I wanted to check the address and then it slipped my mind. I shall do it now,
    thanks a lot and enjoy your crocheting. I do the same method as you!
    Hugs and love Suex

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  17. Mmmm teacake...

    Oh the sewing in the ends is the WORST bit isn't it. I don't think I have a particularly good method - I tend to just use a wool needle to weave out and back again, diagonally (rather than along the stitch), and, if I can, going through the same colour. But it takes such a LONG TIME. Yawnerama. I don't tend to knot, but that is laziness rather than a deliberate method choice.

    Looking forward to hearing what the wool was for (unless it is the beautiful cushion cover, in which case I likie a lot!).

    Jones xx

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  18. Like some of the ladies here above, I also rather sew in the ends. And yes, I also "feel" that it's safer for the blanket as a whole (won't easily unravel when it gets thrown in the washing machine). It's not "just feelings" either; I made this granny square blanket some years ago, and now it looks kind of ratty in places.

    And... like everyone else I also feel really fed up when having to sew in ends, but I keep telling myself (much like a Buddist novice do?) that "this will teach me patience, this will teach me patience..." I tend to think the same mantra when I'm on the computer too. Yes, mostly when it's bugging like the grumpy, old machine
    it is.

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