Little red shoes

At long last I've got around to finishing these little red shoes. The pattern is 'tiny shoes' by Ysolda and they really are tiny! They're only 6cm /2.5" long and very dinky! I'm hoping they will fit straight away but I may have to knit an outfit to match them as they are a lovely bold red.

The original pattern doesn't have ribbon but as the design has a little row of lacey holes around the top as a detail, I thought I could use them to thread the ribbon through. I stitched the bow in place too just for stability although it also makes it possible to gather the edge in too to emphasise the shaping.

The pattern is very cleverly designed using an I-cord for the strap and then the shoe shape developing from picking up stitches from the cord itself. It's much more unusual to knit the shoe from the top down but it flows very well and only needs a little garter stitch grafting on the sole and you are done.

I had a little difficulty choosing buttons for these as the back fastening loops were quite deep and seemed to leave too much of a bump from the inside and I don't want to be bruising little feet now, do I? So I ended up going for a lovely bright daisy and I'm thinking some lovely stitched daisy flowers as a hem on a little red dress could be lovely. I think I likey:-)

Vintage embroidery

I've been meaning to show you these hand stitched vintage textiles I picked up at a car boot a few weeks ago. (It's weird to call something vintage that is only about 50 years old!) There was loads of old style linen, quite a collection, and a few caught my eye because of the stitch detail. My favourite was this apron with hand stitched flowers in a variety of soft colours and a lovely cross fastening of the straps on the back.

Someone must have spent a lot of time sewing away on these pretty flowers and they have paid close attention to the placement of the colours too to get a good balance overall. I love the little dots and dashes that make up the flower heads! I've just noticed the flower on the left has a yellow stem when all the rest in this section are green. I wonder why?

But they are yellow on the pocket and yellow at the top so maybe it was to stop a total green band at the bottom to soften the feel. The pocket is a little damaged and it needs a wash too but it all adds to the charm of the piece! You can just see in the top left of the picture where the strap joins the apron with a button fixing.

A little close-up of the pocket stitching....

I found quite a few long runners I will show you later on but I wanted to show you this small sachet. It has been very prettily embroidered and it seems like it has been loved and cherished in its time. It's sad to think this was someone's collection of prized belongings that are now sitting in a car boot sale for any and everyone to rummage through the essence of their life. Any sentiment, meaning or memory is gone.

This is looking a bit worse for wear and it's yellowed along the top fold but it still suggests secrets safely hidden or maybe it was more prosaic and held tissues:-)

But still, someone spent time and effort making and decorating this and I shall keep it and start building new memories for it to hold.

Magenta with daisies

One of the hats that's been waiting to be shown. It may look a bit familiar to you. Yes, it is another pink thorpe hat but this time in a bigger size so I can wear it! I decided to make a few modifications like embroidering more daisies on the side - well, the flaps need more decorating on the bigger size - and I thought the top could manage a big daisy and some french knots.

As you can see it does look a bit big on the model's head and it is a bit long over the ears on me but at least it's not too tight anymore. A little big I can do. Anyway, the white border and plaits may look asthetically pleasing in the overall design but it looks a bit too much of a contrast against the skintone. I don't think it works for me - although I will wear it inside, even if I look a bit stupid:). The plaits are a bit Heidi too!

I do like this hat, and the model always makes the hats look great. Shame they don't look like that on me! But I am aware that I don't really have the face shape for many styles of hats. Now give me a heart shaped face and that would be perfect!! But if I don't suit them all then at least I can get the pleasure of giving them to those who do and give them a choice of hat wardrobe. Ha, ha! Sis, you'll need a new piece of furniture, a walk-in hat stand wardrobe! Rows and rows of dummy heads sporting verity berets, gretels, and earflap hats in a dazzling array of colours:)))

(If you ever do that, send me a photo?!)

Drifting gently back on track - here's the detail on the top of the hat, chunky daisy with french knots decoration. I did actually rein myself in here:) it could have been a french knot fest and the poor hat would have looked more polka dot from a distance!! But sometimes less is more (did I just say that? Shhh, don't tell anyone!)

So for now, I'm leaving this pattern for a while unless anyone particularly wants it for christmas. Suddenly time seems a lot smaller until the big day and there is still lots to do.

Oh, I've managed to finish the stripey scarf at 23.57pm! Need it for tomorrow when I go and get some christmas orders. I would've liked to have had a matching hat but you can't do everything, I suppose. Anyway, hopefully pics over the weekend. Don't know if I will catch any light for photos tomorrow and don't you know, it's meant to snow! It's not even december yet. What is the weather thinking? I have this theory. We missed summer completely. Autumn was over summer and winter is now the new autumn so where does that leave us over winter?? Maybe I shouldn't ask that. Someone may say that there are now two winters - cold winter and even colder winter!

On that cheery thought, I'll leave you for the night wishing for warm mittens and snuggly scarves to cuddle whilst sipping a hot chocolate smothered in marchmallows, chocolate and skooshy cream if you have any. Sweet dreams!

Daisy update

The more and more I looked at the posted pictures of red daisy, the more unhappy I felt, but why? I like the stitch and the colour, so what was niggling at me? I realised it looked incomplete, unfinished and severly lacking in daisies all the way to the crown. So, pretty much straight after I posted, I started to stitch, and stitch, and stitch, and voila! All over daisies and a hat that is now definitely, positively finished.

I did think a few french knots on the rib band would be a nice addition but the knitting was too loose and they kept slipping through the fabric - ah well. It probably would have been overkill, I suppose:)

The Dashing fingerless mitts are taking slightly longer than planned but I am just about up to the thumb on the first one and should have more interesting pictures than just a tube on some needles! A very yummy variegated yarn tube, but there is only so much photography can do to make a tube look interesting!! Until tomorrow...