Dorset buttons in production

This afternoon being one of torrential rain, it was a good day to make the Dorset buttons needed for the blue vest. So, before my hand started to cramp up, I got a few done. They're small, as you see, so I couldn't do any fancy footwork with the designs, just stuck to needleweaving wherever it fitted. I'd already tested that they would actually fit through the buttonholes.

When I do the other vest, I'll use a finer cotton thread and have a bit of a good time with more designs. The thread I've picked out is used for whitework embroidery, so it can stand some use, as buttons will need to.

Vest complete, Dorset buttons next

The cozy vest is now done, and my inner stitcher comes into play, because I now need ten Dorset buttons. Both front and back of the vest are buttoned. Shown here not yet blocked and pressed, but the iron is two floors up, and the makings of the buttons right to hand.

That's what all the little threads are about, marking both buttonholes and buttons. The holes vanish into the fabric as soon as you make them, so it seemed advisable to mark them. Keeps the volume of cursing down to a dull roar.

The ball of yarn is crochet cotton, which I dyed with blue, variegating as I went. It's proved useful, what with knitting budgies and tiny doll clothes, and now it will be good for the buttons, able to stand up to buttoning and unb. Without fraying. At least, usual disclaimer, that's the plan.

Photographer's note: the vest is a sapphire blue, not with the purply cast shown, and the crochet thread is sapphire to white mix. The rings for the buttons, since I don't have any sheep horn handy, are from a fellow stitcher's grandmother.


The pattern designer airily says hardly any finishing, just the shoulders. Which is true if you don't count stitching ten buttons, and in my case, making them first, as finishing. I did enjoy the design though, just a minor quibble. Pattern is from Sally Melville's The Knit Stitch.

I'm halfway through another, in cotton thread, for a different season. As you see, the stitch definition is pretty good in both the wool and the cotton.

Whether it gets Dorset buttons depends on how the current ones work. Oh, and credit where it's due, the idea of the buttons came from Mary Anne of Magpie's Mumblings. This is all your doing, MA!

Dyeing and felting made a dubious item into a lovely one

The dyeing ended yesterday morning after 12 hours cooling in the vat. Rinsed it thoroughly, dried and noted the improvement.

I used red onion dye I made last year and froze. A reddish color. The idea was to knock down the harsh green (opposite on the color wheel, color theory comes into play) and blunt the effect of the acid yellow and bitter mustard, both of which brought up a taste in my mouth. And they worked nicely. Partly it was the gentle dye change, partly the felting, just a bit, which created a nice fabric.

So we're set with this one. The second picture is a truer color.

 It's the same pattern as the one I knitted a few weeks ago.
A bit hot for modeling wool felt, but I expect days will come when I'll be glad to wrap up in it.

New natural dyeing caper

Inherited a nicely knitted long tail shawly thing in colors I don't like at all, I'm trying a bit of dyeing.

Here's the dye bath with red onionskin dye, from the freezer, thawing gently, with mordant of alum and cream of tartar, and the shawl resting on it. I'd soaked it in water for a couple of hours, then moved to lukewarm water before squeezing it out and adding to the thawing dye. Gradual temperature change to avoid felting. It might be superwash, no way to know, but best to be cautious.

I'm baking bread in the oven, but all the dye ingredients and mordant are food safe, so no worries other than finding room for everything.

So I'm interested in seeing what shade I get from this experiment.

Socks done and ready for their new owner

Finished and pressed the socks today, very pleased they're done and the yarn juuust lasted long enough. I liked the idea of literally knitting them together alternately, so they matched, and both got finished. I'm going to do that again. I didn't Kitchener the toes, but sort of invented my own version which seems to work fine, looks neat enough. I really prefer toe up, but this was embarked on so I followed the pattern of top down.

Now I can return to my vests. They're much bigger yarn and needles, after the fineness of the sock yarn and size 2 needles. They'll feel Brobdingnagian by comparison.

Knitting group creative byways

Yesterday's meeting included the reveal of his first zine by Randy. He's a self taught crocheter,

gardener, working on cooking, going to college and doing delivery driving, creative guy. And here he us with his hilarious zine, and funny and sweet story of hat wars. We want him to write more exploits of his main characters, and maybe he will.

We passed it round the group

and gave it several stars.

Collaborative art! knitting style

This is how women's art works. We learn from women long gone, and once in a while we get to collaborate with a departed sister-in-knitting.

I've finished the first heel turn, and to say I'm pleased with it is putting it mildly. I think Jeanette's lending a hand. Now I'm on to the second, following her plan on doing both of them simultaneously. That way they match and get done together. See that cool seam effect up the back of the heel? And the lovely triangle as the shortrowing starts to work. Easy stitch pick up is guaranteed by the slipped stitches at row beginnings on the flap. Best work I've done to date, thanks to this design. It's worked on four needles,which I much prefer over five. I just like working around a triangle rather than a square.

Once finished they're promised to my friend, js sister.  And I've messaged the author via Ravelry to thank her, too. Wonderful instructions, clear and friendly. And another way women preserve their art, by retrieving and updating long ago patterns to share on. We have Nancy Bush to thank for reviving these nineteenth century treasures.