Tag Archives: Debbie Abrahams

January 2025

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

Crafting wise, 2025 has got off to a good start, with some done everyday. I always aim to do some everyday,but this year as I want to craft everyday and make more items, I have noticed that occasionally, I would have gone to bed without doing it. So I am making a proper effort to do it.

I started the new year with a few knitting WIPs , including Debbie Abraham’s mystery blanket 2024, my Wicked tank top, my Meadow Slipover , Debbie Abraham’s baby blanket 2023 and the Good morning blanket by Purl Soho. Progress has been made on all except the baby blanket and the meadow Slipover. Sewing has been a big plus and so far I have managed to complete a number of items.

Amongst the items I made were 2 of @Adamsews EPP Keeper Case from the Alice Caroline Christmas sewing festival. All fabrics and notions were from stash as I am still aiming for a no craft purchases year. I made padded matching needle case so that the needles won’t pierced the plastic pocket.

EPP keeper case

Also made a pouch which was supposed to be a 10 minute make, this was an epic fail as it took much longer. I have a much easier and quicker way to make the same item.

I love sewing so sometimes if I don’t have anything in particular I want or need to sew I will find a pattern I like and make a few of the same. These reusable coffee cup sleeves were one of those projects, a few have gone into the wild are in use already. Some are reversible, so a festive fabric one side and something else on the other.

A few of the coffee cup sleeves

If you scroll down you will see the Anjou Slipover I made that was too big, so I took it in and made a drawstring small pouch with it.

And after a couple of years I finished the embroidery kit I was gifted one Christmas

Looking forward to a year of working through my stashes. My wonderful granddaughter will be helping me to. Her sewing confidence is growing fantastically.

December 2024

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

t’s a little earlier than usual, this post, while I am in the zone. My WIP list  doesn’t seem to be getting much shorter but I am making progress on them. 

Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket for this year still has 20 squares to be knit and I don’t think it will be finished this year, I am determined to complete it and send it off before the next one arrives.

The wicked tank top is still very much where it was after seeing the film for the second time. I do want to see it again and was contemplating the sing a long version, when I realised I don’t want to watch it with loads of people singing, yet.  Although if my granddaughter wants to go I may be persuaded .

There is another vest/tank top I have on the go.  For this one, the Open Trails Sweater Vest by Ashley Lillis ,  I will be utilising the yarn I bought for the Fletcher cowl. It is a beautiful Blue Sky Fibers yarn  from Tribe Yarns ,  the cowl frustrated me when wearing it so much that I frogged it and am repurposing it. It is going to be so cosy. 


I have managed to get a few bits sewn and hope to progress and complete this embroidery which was a gift a couple of Christmas ago. Not sure what I will use the finished item for.

In the sewn items it has mainly been the grandchildren using the machine, but I have managed to make some gift bags and reusable coffee sleeves. I want to make at least one  of my PDF patterns a month next year.  I also plan on destashing a lot of my craft books and am not buying any more knitting or sewing patterns next year. Well that’s the plan anyway.

November 2024

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

I haven’t completed a lot in the last few months, at least that is how it feels. I am working hard to finish this years Mystery Blanket before the next one starts. I’m making good progress and I really enjoy the knitting of them, however I came to a realisation recently that one of the reasons I have started signing up to them again is FOMO ( fear of missing out] , as there are a few that I wish I’d signed up for in the years I didn’t .

Melpomene is still on the needles and I never managed to get past the cast on Stage for the Sisu KAL, the yarn and pattern are still all kitted up to be knit at a later date. I did manage to finish the MMosiac blanket, I haven’t blocked it as the recipient will wash it once they get it. The only thing I don’t like about it is how the garter stitch edging waves pre blocking.

Mosaic Blanket

I took part in a test knit for Anjou Slipover using more stash yarn. I knitted a size that is way too big but I shall use my sewing skills and take the side seams in. It is lovely and soft and warm. The yarn is Leader of The PAC from Hobbycraft, which I bought with a voucher from work last Christmas. Once I got my head around the very simple pattern it went really quickly.

Anjou Slipover

Sewing has gone reasonably well, a quilted zipped pouch was made as well as some gift bags, pencil cases and book marks. I did fall of the wagon and out of the Last Sewist Standing event , as Liberty launched two Wicked themed fabrics and whilst I know there will always be more fabric, I still think about the Liberty Hello Kitty fabric I didn’t buy and still, regret not getting it. So I bought 1 metre in each of the designs. I’m going to use them to sew a project bag from the Alice Caroline Christmas sewing event. Hopefully will have a few more pictures of finished items next month.

August 2024

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

I’m still knitting the two blankets mentioned previously , the mosaic one has the finishing line in site. As well as signing up to the Sisu berry KAL, I have signed up to the Ravelry Romi Hill group one skien , one month KAL, pattern I have chosen for this is from deep stash Melopemene using yarn from RiverKnits that I’d frogged from another project, so far it’s looking good.

I have also signed up to the 10,000 yard challenge, encouraging you to knit from stash , if you buy more you have to start again. As this included WIPs I should do okay. This years mystery blanket from Debbie Brahmas is back on tracking, or should I say getting there. In an effort to help I bagged a few squares up with the yarn, pattern , beads etc and it seems to be working. One tip I have for hooked in beads is to use a water bottle lid to put a few in at a time. I find this really useful and portable.

Sewing wise I am still in #lastsewiststanding heavyweight section. I haven’t sewn a huge amount but have managed to finish my first Lena Shift Dress. Will definitely be making another one but will make a smaller size for the next and shoulders. It has pockets ,

Lena Shift Dress

January 2024

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

Well the year started reasonably well with my crafting. I finished the Kyra sweater which I love, although I am thinking of using some of the left over yarn to make the roll neck a bit longer.

Kyra

I was catching up on my mystery baby blanket 2023 by Debbie Abrahams I will definitely be knitting another one of these. You will be able to buy this kit once the mystery blanket has been completed from Debbie.

Mystery Baby Blanket 2023

I cast on Artus and this was going swimmingly, then, I kept going wrong on the slip stitch and had to undo section multiple times, finally finished that section then started the Mosaic section and had to rip back the first row 3 times, so this is hibernating in a bag.

I also discover my part knitted mystery blanket from 2017 which will have to wait until I’ve finished this years one. I started a lovely cable sweater it’s supposed to a be a little over sized, at the moment the rib looks way to wide. I know rib can come in the more you knit so will give it a few more rows to see otherwise this will be ripped back as well. To be honest – I seem to be using this phrase a lot this week- nothing is really inspiring me or making me want to knit at the moment. I do have a couple of sewing projects lined up, small ones and have just received the yarn for this year’s mystery blanket which has a wonderful palette so am hoping this will be in the inspiration and bring back my sewing mojo.

August Crafting

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

I’m still crafting most days and recently finished the second baby blanket . I used Debbie Abrahams Mystery Baby Blanket pattern from 2019, using some leftovers and a few new balls. It really is interesting to see how different colour ways change the whole look of it. Really enjoy knitting this and have signed up for this years one .

My colourway
Original colourway

Silver Lining

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

I am a realist, however I also believe that whatever the situation you can find a silver lining. It may be a tiny one

In the COVID-19 lockdown I have found a few silver linings. The latest one was getting to the last of the boxes in the old craft shed. In amongst them was a complete boxed kit for Debbie Abrahams Fish blanket. When I say complete kit . I mean complete. It has the beads, the sequins, the bobbins, the yarn and at the bottom some needles.

This is not only a silver lining because I found a complete blanket kit, this is a silver lining for another reason. Let me tell you a tale of Rowan Cotton Glacé shade 724 bubbles. I was knitting another DA blanket and needed a pink so I borrowed a ball or two from the Teatime blanket I started in 2010. This was cotton glacé shade 724 unfortunately I forgot to replace it. I am on the final two strips of the Teatime blanket and need another two to three balls of , yes you’ve guessed it CG shade 724. Now I have found the fish kit with the needed CG shade 724 yarn in it The silver lining arrives and I can finish the teatime blanket without worrying about running out of yarn. It may have gone from the fish kit but I can change the colour for this. Happy days

Needles

#jensewsandknits 1 Comment

In lockdown I managed to break 3 of my short 2.75mm bamboo needles. Specifically the needles for my Debbie Abrahams blankets. I bought two pairs of gorgeous Lykke driftwood needles from Tribe yarns to replace them, I cannot stress enough how beautifully smooth and wonderful to knit with these are. After knitting a few squares with them, I found that when knitting at my desk they are a tad too long. Looking online for some 20-25cm needles there just just weren’t any that made me want to buy them. Then the light bulb moment came, I have a box of beads, some 20cm DPNs and super glue. Out came my creative side -not that it’s ever in-and my DPNs transformed into short needles to continue my blanket. I have a feeling that this will be my path if short needles are needed again and I have the right size DPN.

Lockdown

#jensewsandknits Leave a comment

I have been isolating since 19th March and it has had it’s ups and downs. There was a week near the start when I was very snappish and an emotional rollercoaster and now for the most part I am settled in my routine. I am lucky, that through out my isolation I have been able to work from home. I still get up and at the same time and do some chores before I start work. I think this has helped, although the one thing to suffer is my sleep pattern. I go to bed at the same time and spend most of the night tossing and turning. I have tried all the usual tricks, reading, knitting, warm milk, deep breathing, nytol, nothing works.

One good thing about the isolation is that I have managed to get on and properly tidy and sort the rooms I’ve been procrastinating about for months. Normally I would start sorting, then think of a reason to leave the house and not finish it. Now of course, I haven’t been able to leave the house so it is finally done. I have also sorted out the old craft/junk shed and it has been sorted and filled with boxes ready for when the charity shops open . I donated two large bags of fabric to my local scrub hub which made me feel like I was helping the cause, as there was enough fabric for hundreds of scrub caps and a few scrub sets. if I wasn’t up to sewing them at least I could provide the materials.

Craft wise I am still knitting the Afternoon tea blanket which is coming along nicely. Five strips have been knitted and sewn together and am midway on the sixth. I have also been sewing, mainly masks for the family and extended family. When my daughter asked me for masks I obviously said yes and just got on and did it, I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t a joyful process. When I chose a different style- the full faced masks- I found the process of sewing the masks very therapeutic and want to sew some more. I am lucky as I did not need to buy anything to sew any of the masks, everything came from stash, well apart from one fat quarter of Star Wars fabric my grandson requested for his masks. One WIP I did manage to sew was The Raglan Dress by The Avid Seamstress. I absolutely love this dress. The fabric makes me smile and the pattern is a dream to sew. The instructions are clear and raglan sleeves are for me the easiest to sew. There will be many more of these in my wardrobe. I think I may need to do a post on this at a later date.

Talking of WIPs, I am the worst for having a day where I will cut out a few projects ready to sew at a later date. Some of these projects have been untouched for a few years so I decided to be ruthless and have decided to bag up those that didn’t inspire me any more and donate as a kit – fabric, pattern, pins- to the charity shops when they reopen . This actually made me relieved, as if a pressure had been lifted as now I only have two projects cut out ready to sew.

I really need to start a simple knit project, something I can pick up and knit mindlessly when I need some mindless knitting. Just to be contrary and play devils advocate, I also want to knit something intricate and lacy. when sorting out I discovered the Year of Lace 2009 patterns, only one of which I got around to knitting . Now if I can just find the yarn these came with …….

Afternoon Tea Blanket

#jensewsandknits, 2020, Blankets, debbie abrahams Leave a comment

I cast on this blanket back on 2010. It never really grabbed me, I think it bored me to be honest. Now with being in self isolation and working remotely from home, it is the perfect project to pick up between calls. So far I have completed 25/81 squares. The blanket is worked using four colours and the cream is used in most squares.

I am knitting this the Debbie Abrahams way, knitting a square, casting off and then picking up stitches from the cast off square to knit the next one until the strip is completed. To save sewing in too many ends I have found a way to ease this. This works on most strips but in particular the even number strips.

Strip four use the pink and a full ball of the cream for the first square, then cast off in pink but leave the cream attached and pick up stitches for square 2 using the same cream. Once this square is cast off pick up stitches for the third square and carry on using the cream. If you wish to you can thread beads for the fourth square at the start and push them to to middle of the ball and continue until end of square 5 using the same cream ball. I didn’t do this, however I used the cream yarn from square 6 of strip four to complete the strip.

When knitting the 19a and 19B squares I left the cream attached after the first one and when it came to the next cream row and the yarn was at the other end I just slipped all the stitches across until I was at the cream end and purled the row.

This means less weaving in and using less yarn. I hope this helps, Stay Safe everyone