Square

A recent sorting of the yarn stash has inspired a bit of a knit-a-thon in these parts.  It was decided that several birdies could be knocked senseless by the same stone, so to speak. 

THE BIRDIES:

• I want to get to grips with gauge and tension and make the best of my very simple little knitting machine.  It does a mean stockingette.
• I have a ridiculous amount of inherited yarn-stash, which is lovely but not too precious.
• I have a lot of ideas about garments* based on squares and rectangles, which I'm itching to explore. 
• I've recycled lots of clothes into a rag rag and can justify restocking the wardrobe with a whole heap more.

*I also have a lot of ideas for using recycled knits for bags and purses, in the case of unwearable experimentation.

THE STONE:

I've been knitting squares and rectangles with the yarn I have to hand and seeing what I can make from them. The pieces are just machine stitched together with a small zigzag.  It's all about instant gratification and the learning processes along the way.  Nothing to do with finish.

This one is a bit rough.... well, quite rough....with a different size rectangle used for each sleeve (lesson learned about writing notes on exactly how many stitches cast on and how many rows knit).  I like the general look and feel and think it'll be a wearable toile (muslin), in a kind of comfy-around-the-house sort of way.... once I fix up the back a bit....

If all else fails, it's a huge gauge swatch that will be recycled into purses. 

I have ideas for an improved version.

 

 The green scrunchy cotton became a Pattern Magic 3-inspired top.... as planned... only a little scrunchier than planned.

And the grey wrap got a little bit of a re-working at the back.

 Here I am, all grey-ghosty.... to show you the new silhouette....

 (And I'm off for a haircut tomorrow).

In other SQUARE news, I've been sewing squares together to make a new patchworky Petite Bag.

I had a bit of fun making this one.  The back made me smile...

 There will be more sewing here soon.  I went to the GJ's 25% off sale on Friday and bought more dress-lengths for little-girl dresses....

...And yes.  Quilt batting.

Fancy that.