Thursday 26 January 2017

I've been knitting!

I used to be a very keen hand knitter, making all kinds of complicated multicolour and multi stitch designs. The children were always kitted out in picture sweaters of their favourite characters, and school fetes and local bazaars always got donations of hand knitted toys - do you remember the wonderful dolls and clowns that Jean Greenhowe used to design for the UK edition of Woman's Weekly? I was a keen machine knitter too, which is how I first met Sue of Zouave Cards,  and a fanatical cross stitcher, but I lost interest in all of that about 20 years ago when I discovered stamping and various other papercrafts.

So I'd not picked up a pair of knitting needles for all those years, WHY did I think it was a good idea to return to the fold using 2mm needles and fine crochet cotton?


I knitted on 2mm needles and then slipped the stitches on to "needles" made from cocktail sticks with beads glued on for the heard. The background is made with an Embossalicious embossing folder and the words die cut with the X-cut New Baby Icons die set.

I hope the embossed pink background counts as "white space" seeing as it's so uncluttered, because I am sharing this with Less is More where the theme is New Beginnings.

I'm also sharing it at Cuttlebugmania where the theme is "Hobby - I am crafting"

14 comments:

Sue's Crafty Corner said...

A gorgeous card Jane, I love your tiny pink knitting. Like a lot of crafters I too knit, but on 2mm knitting needles!!! I don't think so.

Sue xx

Barbara Godden said...

Adorable card, super job with the tiny knitting and needles. I too had my children and grandsons attired in knitted fashions. I even knit a snowsuit for one of them.

Di said...

Oh Jane, this is brilliant! I've made cards along similar lines and they were great fun to do. Love the EF you used - just perfect with that sweet piece of knitting!

Oh yes indeed, I remember Jane Greenhowe toys very well - I bet you made a scarecrow, I know I did two or three in my time! I may still have a book or two by her tucked away. Squeal, I just turned round and checked a bookshelf and I do have her Christmas Special with the famous Nativity set in it, without even looking very far! And, the picture sweaters were always such fun as well - in the end I resorted to a technique called 'Duplicate stitch embroidery' rather than fiddling round with little balls of wool. Wasn't great shakes at changing from one colour to another and always ended up with lumps or holes! Memories :)

Hugs

Di xx

Di said...

Would you believe it - I blogged a sweater I made a while back - here: http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/digging-around.html

The other name for the duplicate stitch embroidery is Swiss Darning - I'd quite forgotten that!

Hugs

Di xx

Barb said...

I love this card Jane. It really is very pretty and I love the little knitted piece.

I don't know what size 2mm is. Afraid I mainly work in "old money" but I'm guessing it's very fine. I used to be a very keen knitter all through the 60s and 70s and like you made sweaters with all sorts of characters on. Mainly though I enjoyed knitting patterns in 4ply wool. Barbxx

Jen Nelson said...

this is super cute and love the kniting Thanks for joining us at less is more this week. Jen xx

Sazzle Dazzle said...

WOW! This is so adorable and a perfect example of a new beginning. Beautiful card and knitting!
thanks for playing along at Less is More this week. Sarah

Esther said...

I love this card - the cocktail sticks are fab, and the knitting is so neat (especially compared to mine!). Such a personal and special design. I don't remember Jane Greenhowe, perhaps because knitting holds quite a bit of terror for me so I tend to avoid it, but I did do a lot of cross stitch back in the day. My mum still has a framed Nativity tryptich I did for her, and I've got Harlech Castle tucked away somewhere. I always intend to pick it back up, but we crafters never have enough hours in the day for all our intentions!! Thanks so much for playing along with us at Less is More :)

Swissie said...

Yes!!! Wonderful! I love it!
Thank you for joining Cuttlebug Mania this time!
SwissieDT

Neets B said...

This is soooo cute! Love those little knitting needles, so clever. My mum is a great knitter and seamstress but I never really took to knitting but used to cross stitch a lot. Still have some in a box, hopefully one day I might take it up again if I find the time!
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Less is More, Anita x

Susan said...

What a creative idea. Love that little knitting! Thanks for sharing at Less is More!

Carol said...

Morning Jane. I came to see your CD card and discovered this one I had not seen. I loved your comment about Jean Greenhowe and all those patterns. I knitted those clowns and even one year knitted all those little Christmas Tree ornaments. You brought back many happy memories of knitting for the children when they were little.
Carol
xx

Sue - said...

Perfect new beginnings card Jane, and the embossing folder makes a great background for your tiny knitting! I do remember Jean Greenhowe and probably still have some of her books hidden away in the garage!

Lena Keultjes said...

Absolutely precious! Very heart touching, warm and huggy.