Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Just be close at hand

Monogram washers

















Finished and sent away very recently - a pair of little washers for a small baby and her bigger sister. You may remember seeing the likes of these before. I'm still working through the same bag of purple cotton. From memory, the smaller one is about 15cm square (ish) and the larger one about 22cm. I don't think I've managed to make a washer yet that stays square with use, they always stretch sideways. I'm sure everyone has their own ideas about the right size for a washer - that is, a face washer or washcloth, to use in the bath or shower. I know I like a handknit one to be a bit smaller than a commercial towelling one, because they tend to be a bit thicker. If it was too big, it would be hard to squeeze out effectively.

Monogram washers 2






























And, I've added a couple of rounds to this. The photos aren't great, I think the bulb is going on my big daylight lamp and it keeps flicking on and off. I will try with actual daylight next time.

I tend to knit these pods with two strands of at least 8 ply, and the chunky fulled fabric is not the most stable base for embroidery. Every now and then a stitch will shift - it settles into a gap in the fabric, I suppose - and I end up with weird loops and loose stitches. The base also puckers a lot as I stitch and I had to iron it flat, which has made the pod an odd shape, with a crease around the middle. It's all an experiment so I'll just see how it goes. Maybe I can dampen it and re-block when it's done.

1 comment:

Donna Lee said...

I wonder if you could put a light bulb (or something else vaguely pod shaped) inside the pod and then steam it back into shape? I really like the ebroidery. I can see where it would be slightly difficult but it looks fantastic.