There are Gremlins about the house

I have come to the conclusion that we have gremlins, not the Bagpuss type that put things right, but the nasty sort that get into drawers and create havoc.

I am not the tidiest person in the world, but I do try to keep my ever growing stash in a semblance of order. While on the subject of tidy I will let you into a secret - Mr S is even worse (he will deny this), but if he is the super tidy person his mother told me he was, who or what covers the worktops in the utility room with 'things'?  Regularly, but not weekly, I clear off the things that have accumulated on the worktops, wipe it down and leave everything fairly neat and tidy - wow!  No sooner than the worktop is clear, than somebody or something starts putting things in the clean and empty space..... 

Now there are only two people and a cat in this house, and Molly doesn't have much in the way of possessions, the odd ball with bell, and other cat type toys, but she definitely doesn't have an electric drill, or an electric screwdriver or, for that matter, any sort of tool electric or otherwise, nor does she have any paint brushes gradually drying out in jam jars, or tubs of wood glue.  I on the hand, do have an electric screwdriver, but mine's pink and lives in its special case in my work room!  So if it isn't Mr S then it must be the gremlins...............

My stash is divided into four types - yarn for knitting and dyeing, fibre for dyeing and spinning, material for quilting and largest 'everything else'.  For long term storage I have large Ikea plastic tubs with clip down tops, for the more day to day, must be able to get at stuff,  I have, again Ikea, black pop boxes and large plastic bags. The theory here is if the bags and boxes aren't in use then they can be folded up and stored thus saving space. In reality I just keep buying more and to date not one has ever been folded up. But the option is there should the need arise!. 

Today I needed some black wool to work the faces on some little snowmen, so I went to the relevant black box, the one that contains my sock yarn skeins, and low and behold the gremlins had been at work!  Instead of lots of neat skeins there was a tangled mess, skeins had twisted together and there was a bit in the middle that looked as it a mouse had made a nest in the middle - this is just small part of the mess!

 

Now a couple of hours later order has been restored, and the snowmen have faces, but how on earth did these inanimate objects interweave themselves around each other? 



These cute snowmen, who are waiting for their hats and scarves, are really easy peasy to make.  I have used my own hand spun, but any White DK will do.  I use the two circular needle method, so start by casting on 18sts using 3.75mm needles and divide between the two needles and make sure the stitches aren't twisted.
Knit two rounds,
Round 3: Increase 10 stitches evenly
R.4-18 knit. 
R19 Decrease 10 sts evenly
R20-21 Knit
R22 Increase six sts
R23-30 Knit
R31 Decrease six sts
R32 Knit
R33 K2tog to end of row and leaving a long tail cut your yarn.

Thread the yarn back through the sts on the needles and draw up tight and finished off.  What you have made is a tube, larger at the bottom, the decrease and increase forms the neck and head - very simple. You could knit a straight tube, but I find that the decrease forms a nice neck for the scarf!

To make a larger snowman you can use more stitches, and for a smaller one use less - for example for the snowman on the left I cast on 18sts, for the middle on 16sts and for larger one on the right 20sts.

Stuff and using the tail from the cast on drawn the edges together and finish off.  With some black yarn give your snowman some eyes, mouth and buttons, for the nose make a french knot in orange.

If you want a hat - Cast on 24 sts, join as for the snowman, rib 2 rounds, then knit for 8-10 rounds and then decrease to form a point - you can really have fun making hats, or head bands, just be imaginative.  For a scarf I either plait or work an i-cord for 6-8 inches.

Just couldn't resist adding this photo of Sam and Sue Snow, he sports a stylish hat and scarf and she has a beaded head band and shawl...................

And here is a really sweet Christmas Tree from Mr S

I have commissioned two very tiny trees to make some earrings - but I fear that they may be to heavy!