My next craft projects

OK- this will be my next project for our flat- 

I'm going to use a dark orange coloured felt I think- for the front room (to match our sofa). I'm not sure what pattern I till do yet.. maybe a tree?

You need quite thick felt for this- you draw the design in taylors chalk- or print it out and tape it down. you then punch the holes using a braddle and hammer- so you need to put an MDF board down under the project- this is deffo an outside job!

The felt is quite expensive thought- about £70- that said, I doubt you can buy a decent Metre square rug for £70 so as long as I don't make a mess of it it'll be an investment!

I'm also going to make some scatter cushions from some old t-shirts and jumpers from my youth/teenage years.
I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to do that to my sex pistols 2004 tour t-shirt... we shall see...



I've also found a knitting pattern for a hot water bottle cover- although I'm pretty awful at knitting so it's not going to be one of my projects maybe someone will make me one!..

I'm also still in the middle of making a "pretend patchwork" blanket and a rag rug. athough I think I'll be making the rag rug until I die. We used to make them for victorian exhibitions at the museum when I worked there- and now I see why they were only ever 30cm square- not 1.5m by 1m. O_o I don't have enough rags or patience!

Materials:
100g DK wool (any DK should be fine for this, I used an acrylic so that it would be machine washable and also has less stretch than other yarns).
4mm needles (UK)
Cable needle
Sewing needle

Skills:
Knit, purl, cable, basic sewing

Abbreviations:
K = Knit
P = Purl
RS = Right side
WS = Wrong side
Sts = stitches
C8B = [cable 8 back] slip next 4sts onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit 4 sts from left needle then knit the sts from the cable needle.
C8F = [cable 8 forward] slip next 4sts onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit 4 sts from left needle then knit the sts from the cable needle.

The finished cable-knit cover

 Pattern [body]:

Cast on 52 stitches.

1st [RS]: K2, P2 [K8, P4] x3, K8, P2, K2
2nd [WS]: K4, [P8, K4] x4
3rd [RS]: K2, P2 [K8, P4] x3, K8, P2, K2
4th [WS]: K4, [P8, K4] x4
5th [RS]: K2, P2, [C8B, P4] x2, [C8F, P4] x1, [C8F, P2] x1, K2 {updated to add correct line! - Aug 26th}
6th [WS]: K4, [P8, K4] x4
7th [RS]: K2, P2 [K8, P4] x3, K8, P2, K2
8th [WS]: K4, [P8, K4] x4
9th [RS]: K2, P2 [K8, P4] x3, K8, P2, K2
10th [WS]: K4, [P8, K4] x4

Repeat these 10 rows until the panel covers the base of the hot water bottle to just covering the shoulders. Cast off. Make two panels.

Sew three sides together (mattress stitch will give a nice flat seam) leaving the top side open. Then...

Pattern [neck]:

Pick up 26 sts across the middle of the front panel. Knit in a double rib [K2, P2] until length can be folded in half so that it reaches to the top of the bottle neck and back again to meet the cast on edge.

Turn. Repeat on the back, picking up 26 sts across the middle and knitting in a double rib until length matches the other side.

Sew shoulders and sides together. Fold over neck and sew a couple of stitches at either side of neck base to secure the cuff.

Double rib cuff neck

 

Fold your hot water bottle lengthwise and insert.