Leftover Bits of Yarn? No more!

Do you ever wonder what to do with leftover yarn?

Confessions of a Yarn-A-Holic posted a wonderful link today: 34 Adorable Things to do with leftover bits of yarn, composed and arranged by Buzz Feed. (Thank you for posting this!!) Below are my favorites: pom poms as bookmarks and a clock sweater.

Maybe I should post pictures of the yarn stamps, the bows and the ahern too.

Maybe you should have a look at the article yourself. Eventually, you’ll like it just as much as I do!

Pom-poms make bookmarks you won't want to stop playing with.

Give a clock a much-needed sweater.

Nexus Sleeve

Sometimes I feel jealous that people are out there coming up with awesome stuff like this!

Neesha posted her pattern for a beautiful, no fuss, unostentatious crochet tablet sleeve.  Very easy to follow, uncomplicated to adapt (depending on tablet size), and a success without fail. So I decided to make this my birthday present for M. What can I say – it turned out great! Hard to show on a picture though.

Tablet Sleeve 1

Tablet Sleeve 2

But then I happened to find the knitted sleeve Dona made … To quote her  – I almost “died in jealousy and envy” and of course I had to make this one too. Here it is:

Tablet Sleeve 4

Tablet Sleeve 3

It’s a streamlined version without pom-poms but with a tweedy button and it fits as smooth and sleek as the crochet one. M unpacked both of them this morning (it’s his birthday today – ta daa!!) and I could tell he had no clue what it was. Fortunately, J and I could help 🙂 He then seemed to like both of them, took the knitted one to work and I am really, really pleased.

Farewell

Years ago, a colleague gave me his mother’s sewing machine. Dusty and old, it had been hiding in his attic until the day I mentioned that it would be nice to have one. I don’t remember sewing anything “big” though as I would rather repair than create.

Over the last years, patches on J’s jeans became an obligation. Zillions of patches … The machine would be reliable, eager to help, buzzing and humming and sewing what ever I wanted it to sew, its stitches being straight or zig-zag. Occasionally, I would break a needle, but that was it.  No serious illnesses.

However, we never became friends. Maybe because the machine is so incredibly heavy: I really hated to drag it out of the basement, to carry it into the kitchen and to set it up on the table. Hence, I would procrastinate my sewing until the pile became high. Finally, when J had no more pants to wear I would start the ordeal. Of course, my little boy had grown in the meantime and his patched jeans would be too short …

Now, why am I writing this? Because I finally decided to find a new home for my 1950s sewing machine by advertising it on eBay for free, looking for someone to convince me that he or she would be the perfect new owner. Within an hour or two a good 20 people responded.

Gut feeling had me decide on a young woman, mother of two, and devoted needlewoman. (After all, that’s what she told me). I really liked the way she wrote, the eMail conversation we had, and (I must admit) I was curious to meet someone called Ritva. Isn’t that a beautiful name? I had never heard that before.

To cut a long story short: an hour ago, Ritva has been here. She seemed to really like the sewing machine, its equipment, and the suitcase that comes with it. Love at first sight. And when she started to praise all the advantages an old machine has as opposed to the newer “plastic” ones, I sort of regretted our breakup.

Have a happy new life Ideal Zick-Zack Deluxe, and thanks for being with me over the last 25 years.  I promise, I will remember you every time J rips his pants …

Ideal Zick-Zack Deluxe

Where’s my Sleigh?

This year’s wrist warmers have Christmas colors – red, green, light grey. And it’s definitely cold enough to wear them … I have packed them all this morning and will go to the post office now to mail them. Lots of snow in Berlin, it actually “feels” Christmas, if only I had a sleigh or a white beard.

wristwarmers häkelmonster.com

But there are others too:

wrist warmer blau grün

And the very warm ones:

wrist warmer grau braun

However, I start thinking about New Year’s resolutions: I really want to learn how to knit Fair Isle. It would be so much nicer not to have loops or snares at the inside of a wrist wamer. Any suggestions (whether it’d be a book or a video) anyone?

Where’s my Sleigh?

This year’s wrist warmers have Christmas colors – red, green, light grey. And it’s definitely cold enough to wear them … I have packed them all this morning and will go to the post office now to mail them. Lots of snow in Berlin, it actually “feels” Christmas, if only I had a sleigh or a white beard.

wristwarmers häkelmonster.com

But there are others too:

wrist warmer blau grün

And the very warm ones:

wrist warmer grau braun

However, I start thinking about New Year’s resolutions: I really want to learn how to knit Fair Isle. It would be so much nicer not to have loops or snares at the inside of a wrist wamer. Any suggestions (whether it’d be a book or a video) anyone?