Capes for Beginners

Hedley: the novice cape

This pattern is so simple that even with beginners dressmaking skills I was able to knock it up in a couple of days.

I had pictured something a little Jane Eyre (the melancholy cape)...

Jane Eyre

maybe a dash Red Riding Hood (the sultry cape)....

...I think I added too much Margaret Rutherford (the no-frills cape)....

...but if you look closely you can see a delightful little detail...

Clasp detail: from The Textile Garden

...which makes me smile with satisfaction.

Now I just have to make a sophisticated wardrobe of Downtown Abbey style clothes to match.

Troll slippers

Once upon a time there was a stinky old Herdwick full of bits of straw and crispy beetles (and a spider or giant tick):

 

but with a little help from Rumpelstilskin we now have a fine pair of Troll slippers:

Hand spun Herdwick slippers

Lovingly lined to protect delicate feet:

Bobbles made with hand dyed Cheviot wool

and edged and bobbled with the same hand dyed wool featured in the Afghan (they looked like a couple of dead rats before these bits)....

...I'll let you in on a little secret...

...the pattern from The Knitter's Year (Debbie Bliss) was for a pair of UK size 5 delicate ladies slippers:

I guess I should have factored in the homespun quality of my still sheep-greasy yarn, for how else to explain the final size-12-and-counting slippers?

I think this calls for a smaller set of needles.

Hat recipe

Take 100g of  18.5 mic 100's superfine merino top (£2.50)....

spin...

look no slub!

ply 2 strands together....

make lichen soup.....

don't get nervous about the colour....

add wool and simmer for 45 minutes....

lovely yellow wool.....

run out of wool halfway through pattern...

take 100g of 21 mic 70's merino top (£2) and repeat steps 2 and 3...

make onionskin soup (with alum)...

don't drink it....

add wool....

carry on knitting...

le voila!