I managed to screw up a mini blanket. yes really.

p>I should rename this blog “knitty no and no” or “knitty woe and woe” to be completely accurate.  What with my near misses with cakes and cutting up fabric that shouldn’t be cut up…

Anyway. 

The original plan was to make a mini blanket for the child.  I had some raspberry pink wool left from when i knitted her a cardigan about 18 months ago and i decided it was time to use it up.  by making a mini blanket.  it would be easy!  i told myself that.  So easy – all i needed to do would be cast on some stitches, knit till it looked like it could just about cover her knees, and then cast off.

but i got a bit carried away when casting on the stitches.  and lost track.  it was taking me about 20 minutes to knit a row, but i told myself it was because i was getting sidetracked by Being Human or watching repeats of Doctor Who. 

it wasn’t.  it was because i’m a bit of a dolt.

last night, i went for it – i deicded the time was right to cast off.  it looked like it was going to be the right size for covering her knees and i was getting a bit bored.  and had run out of Doctor Who on the Sky+.  So i duly cast off (caught off?  casted off?  i’m clearly not a knitter, i don’t know all the lingo. CAST ME OUT knitting community, I DON’T DESERVE TO BE PART OF YOU!!”) and that’s when i realised what had happened.

 

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i’d made a really bad mistake.  this mini blanket was too long and too narrow.  it is useless.  i’ve knitted it really well,

but unless i can wear it like a snood

or convince my daughter to wear it like a toga, it’s still useless.  and i can’t bring myself to rip it out and start again because i’m BORED of it now.

 

i don’t really know what to do with it. perhaps one day when i’m bored i will have a flash of inspiration and realise what to do with it. until then, i’ll wrap it around my daughter when she isn’t looking.

Look at me, I’m a pretty ebook cover!

I was going to attempt to write all of this in the style of a Grease song, but I couldn’t be bothered.  So instead I’m going to make up for my lack of posting by havering away in a slightly confusing manner about the kindle covers i’ve made.  And, wonderfully, i’ve only got pictures of one of them available.  But no matter!  These things are set to try us, onwards and upwards, and all other cliches I can think of.

Last birthday, I was given a kindle.  I didn’t really want it, i love books.  i love reading books and up until last August, i used to make sure i had a spare book about my person at all times just in case of emergencies.  I used to take two or three books on holiday (and a secret emergency one) and maybe buy another when away.  Having a physical book in my hand was just something I always did.  What could possibly be attractive about having an electronic book?  Tut.  that’s not how books work.  you turn pages!  you write a little bit on the side when you don’t understand a word (that’s not just me, is it?  my first version of Pride and Prejudice is littered with highlights and underlinings and stars showing the words that my 14 year old brain had never seen before).  Books ARE books, it doesn’t work electronically.

Except… it sort of does.

I’ve learnt to love my kindle.  it is really convenient, i can take TEN books on holiday with me.  and a few spare ones!  i can just pop it in my handbag and i’ve literally MANY emergency books available to me.  i’ve even got Pride and Prejudice on my person AT ALL TIMES!  i still read books, physical actual books, but now i don’t have to ruin my shoulders and back by carrying them all with me at all times.

But Lo! A whole new set of worries/things to think about. They’re a bit boring looking, aren’t they?  these electronic books.  Another lovely things about yer actual books is the covers of them.  with the electronic book i’ve just got a black case that has a pop up light (sadly none of my paper books do that.  design flaw i think).  it’s dead boring and doesn’t change.  So how can i Jazz it up a bit?  by making padded covers for it of course!

hurrah!  sewing projects!

The first one I made was for me (i’ve made another for my mum and a third for my cousin) and i thought i would combine my love for messing about on the sewing machine with my love for stationery, so came up with an envelope style.

it was fairly tough to make to be honest – i hadn’t a clue how to do it.  my brain comes up with these mad fantastical ideas (just ask the GIS guy at work for examples on that…) and then i have to figure out how to make it reality.  Anyway, i got there:

1. layer of wadding attached to a bit of fabric
2. “quilted” the wadding/fabric by freehanding on the sewing machine in loops and lines.
3. did that twice
4. stitched them together (think i did right sides together and left a little gap so that i could pull it out at the end.  hand stitched the gap closed)
5. pulled corners in to the middle in an envelope shape.  had TWO attempts at this! i had to make sure the kindle would fit.
6. added a bit of ribbon and a button to fasten it.

hurrah!

photos:

oh, blimey, look – a four tile photo montage!  But there you see it: closed, open with ebook, open with nothing in it, and a close up of my “quilting” ahem “technique”.  hem hem.  As Any Fule No, this isn’t proper quilting but a really bad attempt at it.

I had originally thought I would make loads of different cases and would change all the time, but i really love this cover so i’ve been using it since i made it.  which was about 4 months ago (i’m not that quick at blogging.  many apologies.)

Hope you like it!