Twinkle Sews

I bought the Twinkle Sews book ages ago and finally got around to printing off a pattern a couple of weeks back.  Today I got around to playing jigsaw trying to get the pattern together, have to say my first impression is not good. This how the pattern matches up on the first part I came across with any features, the dip is the neckline. 

   

How on earth could it be so far out?  I printed off sized 16 on letter sized paper and matched up the corners. 

I'm hoping that I can salvage it as the pattern piece is for the full front, I'm simply going to slash down the centre and make it an on the fold pattern.  I am hoping that I don't find other discrepancies among the rest of the 63 pages the pattern took to print out.  That's one of the things I've heard complained about these patterns, that because every pattern piece is printed full it takes so much paper to print.  I heard it described as one pattern, one tree.  It's a pity there isn't the option to print the patterns at a copy shop, much rather do that than piece them. 

I wrote the above a couple of days ago, left the pattern until this evening to continue on piecing.  I found the above picture was of the lining, I didn't want lining so have been piecing together the front and what did I find?

Not only that, the pattern pieces are supposed to be surrounded by a dotted line on each side, this is the line to match when piecing after about the first 8 pages the side lines disappear completely, I've had to rule lines myself for matching.

I did end up cutting the pattern in half and here is the finished result.

At this stage I said to myself that this is stupid I should cut my losses and give up, to which the TV agreed, I had been watching/listening to Time Team.   At that moment Tony Robinson made the remark "This is madness"  followed by "sometimes you just have to admit defeat".  Even he agrees with me.  I could go ahead and spend more hours working just to get the patterns pieced together but I'm admitting defeat.  Such a pity because there were a few patterns I liked from the book and I paid good money for it.  

Would I recommend the book to others?  Right now probably not.  

Stitch Markers and Down to Earth Book

Last week I bought Simply Knitting magazine and it came with free stitch markers, I liked them so much that I wanted more than the 6 provided so out came my beading supplies. 

Beads and charms on pins and add large jump rings.

And Voila!

They came in handy when casting on knitting, put them every 20 stitches, made counting so much easier.  Even for counting rows.  Can add them to the ends of the needle to represent each row needed.  I simply removed one at the end of each knitted row.  I am terrible at counting rows, I think it's what takes me the longest, having the danglys on the needle helped me.  Though my husband said it made for noisier knitting,


The book I used as background is Down to Earth, written by Rhonda Herzel.  I've been reading her blog for years and she always writes the most wonderful posts about living simply.  Whenever I want to look something up, such as bread making, Down to Earth is my first choice.   I found my copy at The ABC Shop.