From Little Acorns.

From little acorns, I have been meaning to do this for some time, since I first heard that pure wool sweaters could be felted in a washing machine. So I have machine felted 4 sweaters. These are all plain colours so I decided to add some colour with some multicoloured merino wool that I've had for some time. This is not going to be finished that quickly, as I have set myself a labour of love.

This will eventually become a large patchwork blanket. In the past I have knitted and crocheted blankets but this time I just get to join the pieces and decorate, I call this fun. I have sort of invented my own method of joining. I have done this by making a simple chain stitch around each square. Then I weave in and out of the sides of each chain stitch and this becomes a decorative stitch in itself but is also very strong. It also means that you don't have to turn the edges or worry about it fraying because the weaving stitch covers it all nicely. I am doing this weaving on the back too. When I have finished I will show the final piece on here and then I will wrap my self in it because it looks as though this year, we might be in for a bad winter! It's got oh so cold this week.

On that note, I have also been busy making my grand daughter a scarf. She did ask if I could make her a baby blue one. It's lately become her most favourite colour. I've done some blending of merino and some of my own dyed fleece from local sheep and it has worked really well. I wet felted it and then I realised that the shape of it didn't quite work because it was a too wide for such a little neck. Then I considered cutting it in half length ways and I didn't like the idea of having a join.

The final design then came to me. I did cut it up the middle but I left a section at the end which acts like a collar and sits flat on the back of the wearer, similar to a sailors collar. It worked better than I had imagined.

I tried to keep the designs simple as she is growing up, she doesn't want it to be over the top. The stitching around the edge is made up of blanket stitch, running stitch with a weaving stitch between the two. This is becoming a feature of my sewing, and although time consuming I do enjoy the rhythm of this kind of sewing. To finish it off I made some simple braids from thin rovings and slipped them under the embellisher to secure them. It's in the post to her and I do hope it will help to keep her warm because it is a lot colder up the North East of England.

Just before I go, I must share this next picture with you. This was the view this morning down one of our nearby Kentish lanes. The colour is still on the trees, and hedgerows, it was bitterly cold, the frost can be seen on the grass to the left. The sky was a beautiful clear blue. A picture worth recording, even from the car window. Snow is forecast, so here comes winter...