Flutterby Patch

Woolly pencils

Don't you just love coloured pencil crayons?

I have a polished wooden box containing 72 different shades and it excites me just to look at them.

New crayons were always a gift to be treasured when I was young and I still have an old box containing the much used remnants of my crayoning childhood.

My pencil crayons and a colouring book kept me busy for hours.

These days my creative colouring is often done with knitting yarn so I decided to marry the two and experiment with knitting a pencil crayon.

First I made a blue one.

Then I made green and magenta ones. If you'd like to give it a go here is what you do...

DK yarn and 2.25 mm needles (US size 1). Stocking stitch throughout. The knitted fabric should be quite firm as you don't want a lot of stretch.

Choose your colour and cast on 9 stitches. Knit to the required length (I did 20 rows). Change to beige (wood colour). Knit 1 row then knit 2 together at the start of the next 4 rows (5 stitches remain). Change to main colour and knit one row. Remove stitches onto a sewing needle and gather tightly. Roll the knitted piece to create a pencil and ensure all the loose ends are tucked inside. Stitch to close. Make the pointed (sharpened) end as 'pointy' as you can. To knit a fatter pencil simply cast on more stitches and knit more rows, its as simple as that. Perhaps a child's old hand knitted sweater could be cheered up with the addition of a few knitted pencils in bright shades! 

Pencil Cosy
This was an after thought and I think it could catch on!


The previous pattern (nine stitches on 2.25 mm needles) will create a tiny tube that perfectly fits a standard pencil. The cast off edge is at the top. Finished with 2 rows of garter stitch. You should weave in the loose ends then wrap the knitted piece round the pencil which makes it easier to stitch the seam and close the bottom. A few beads and a woolly tassel produce the finishing touches. Little girls will love these pencil cosies and they'd make cute little gifts for their friends. (Warning... As the cosies will invariably be placed on the 'writing end' they could become very stained if fitted on fibre tipped pens and ball point pens and that would be a shame! )

Making a little woolly tassel like mine is easy but I'd like you to go over to Down the Rabbit Hole where my blogging chum Selia has created some extra ordinarily beautiful and unusual tassels.

Selia recently gave me this 'Marie Antoinette Award for Inspiration' for which my humble thanks Selia, I will pass it on to others in due course.

Mice and a dusting of snow

We awoke to snow this morning which meant my day could be spent indoors keeping cosy and warm... Hurrah!

I thought this little line of white mice and snowflakes was just right for today. The mouse pattern repeats every eight stitches, the snowflakes every six so its easy to knit and floats on the back are kept short.

I haven't added colour to the chart as it makes it easier to follow.

Yes, I did say we'd had overnight snow... Here it is!!!!!!!

It had all melted by mid afternoon!

Christmas is coming.....when the carpet arrives

You can see through the study window that our pretty festive pre-Christmas snow has all melted and we are now back to dismal days of drizzle and mist. Never mind, we are keeping snug and warm indoors and there is plenty to do. Thankfully the newly re-decorated study is finished and is ready and waiting for the Christmas decorations. 

 
We are very pleased with the oak floor my husband spent so long stripping and polishing and the new rug makes a welcome change from fitted carpet.

Although the rug is 'Persian' in design it has never been anywhere near near Persia! It was made in Belgium and very nice it is too. 

After he'd finished stripping and polishing the study floor hubby decided it might be a good idea to do likewise in the dining room. The old carpet (and it was old) was lifted and a new carpet/rug ordered. That was 3 months ago and we are still waiting for it to be delivered! After a very heated conversation last week with the supplier I have been assured that it will arrive before Christmas. I don't want to decorate the dining room until the carpet is here, so watch this space!

Meanwhile my job is to lengthen the dining room curtains which are too short now the old fitted carpet and underlay have gone.

After a grumpy week of carpet chasing I needed cheering up so treated myself to a box of 'Quality Street' chocolates. I read in the newspaper that Cath Kidston (the much revered interior designer) decorates her home at Christmas in 'Quality Street' colours. I thought that was a wonderful description.

I never decorate the house until 3 or 4 days before Christmas but when I do I can guarantee you'll find plenty of Quality Street colours (baubles not chocolates as the box will be empty by then).

There are still quite a few things to attend to before the big day. For example, this little knitted fairy must have wings before she can fly onto the tree and I have dining room curtains to stitch, so excuse me if I get back to work.