Monday 30 December 2013

Socks are done

 As you can see I have finished no.1.sons socks and I have started a new project more on that later x

Sunday 29 December 2013

Woollie bargains

I hit the sales at a mad pace and bought squillions of bargains!  I've got them all stashed on my ravelry page making use of the camera function on my new ipad.  When I get chance I'll take pics to share with you but the highlights include some alpaca cotton for a lovely Kim Hargreaves jumper, some felted tweed for a Martin Storey cardigan and some cocoon for another jumper and some KSH just because! and some fyberspates DK and laceweight also just because!  think thats it .. no! wait .. some purelife renew .. for a jacket! phew .. thats the lot I think.

I'm completely run out of space officially now in my craft room and its over spilling which tells me I need to make 2014 new year resolutions to resolve to KNIT MORE FROM STASH .. every one of my purchases has a pattern or plan in mind so I ought execute this throughout the year or else I shall be feeling very stressed!

So far I have resisted the temptation of HofF sales but no.2.son wants to visit town to buy clothes and cds so I might have to slip in and see what they are offering?  ho-hum so much for no space for more yarn?  If anyone else has the same problem as me they will understand how finely balanced the thrill of a bargain vs. stress of more projects is but we are like addicts aren't we?  and we can't resist - its almost painful - at least I am admitting it!

Happy New Year to everyone - I hope that 2014 is a craftily good one for us all in which we see our stashes diminish and our projects finish - hurrah! x

Monday 23 December 2013

Happy Christmas

Just to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and look forward to blogging and sharing my knitting with you all in the New Year - I am working tomorrow and expect to be late home then a quick dash up to the local pub with our two sons for a festive evening ahead of Christmas Day which we will spend quietly at home, possibly with my Brother (it depends, not sure as yet what his plans are) or just the four of us.  In any event I wish everyone a MERRY Christmas and hope you gets what you wants for pressie!

Sunday 22 December 2013

Socks and Sherry



Socks and Sherry! what could be nicer on a Sunday morning ahead of a nice relaxing day of knitting?

Being as we are having a pre-Christmas family gathering tomorrow I started making the sherry trifle today and had a slice of swiss roll and a glass of sherry for BREAKFAST! how bad is that!!?

My lovely noro socks are coming along nicely, I love the colours and am glad now that I ripped back and restarted a bigger size, I have CO some 68 stitches this time as the sock was a little snug at 60 st and I didn't want to over stretch them.  The colours are lovely in real life, the photo gives a flavour of it but not as good in fact.

when no.1.son asked for another pair of socks (actually.  it might have been me that suggested he might like a pair.  I forget.  conveniently! he-hee!)  anyway he chose this lovely regia highland tweed dk weight and they are knitting up beautifully and so FAST too!  I did this in just two days, how brilliant is that?  anyway, I hope to have them done before he leaves for uni in the New year but not sure how much I will get done, he may have to wait until his birthday in March.   21.  he will be 21!  how did THAT happen?  I can't believe how the time flies, I can remember being 21 - I still FEEL 21! lol!

On a sad note, my brother, David, rang on Saturday with the very sad news that his Dad, John, had passed away peacefully and in his sleep early on on Saturday morning.  He was there and sat with him peacefully until the end, which I am glad about as the circumstances were such that the Hospice had arranged a meeting with a social worker with a view to transferring him to a nursing home - as "luck" would have it it was postponed as the SW was on holiday, I'm sure John had a much more peaceful time in the Hospice and staff that he was familar and comfortable with - not to mention the stress this situation placed David in.  Keep them both in your thoughts and sympathies please.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Socks - Noro sock yarn & hiyahiya circular needle

Last night I had the urge to CO for a sock using my new 2.5mm hiyahiya circular needle I bought ages ago, I've resisted temptation to CO yet another project in favour of other more pressing patterns but gave in when I "discovered" I had a lovely ball of Noro sock yarn!!  hurrah! its lovely and knitting up SO nicely on my new lovely needle.
I shall knit this when I travel down to fetch no.1.son from his Uni digs next week.

The reason for starting this is for the travel knitting but its good to have a sock on the go especially one that is simple to knit and this will just be a plain sock as the yarn and colours are quite pretty enough without overloading with a pattern.

Finished! my Gala Loop scarf!  I love it, its warm and chunky and keeps my whole front warm which is just what I need this cold weather - the ends are turned up and attached to the knitting to create a "loop" to tuck the end in.

Finally! the TREE!  .. and Bertie joining in by claiming one of the santa stockings as "his" - Lilly can just about squeeze in underneath the tree and even then it wobbles a bit but poor Bertie can't as he is too big!  he tried a couple of times with a worrying wobble that saw the tree tilt alarmingly, he backed out and hasn't tried since which is probably a good thing!
I remember one year coming down stairs to find the tree tilted at a funny angle and thought it must have been my bleary not quite awake eyes, I ignored it the rest of the day until the children (quite small at the time) told me that "daddy had fallen on the tree - picked it up - shook it - and replaced it" after a particularly boozy night with his tennis club pals!   And I hadn't noticed and probably wouldn't have had they not dropped him in it!  (he was in trouble that year!).  anyway, I shall know who to blame this time if this tree collapses in a sorry heap - Bertie!




Wednesday 4 December 2013

Festive gift and knits

This week I started my festive red knit and when I saw the same yarn on a 3 for 2 offer at local HobbyCraft I bought some in black for another version - a cardi for under a tenner can't be bad?


Its knitting up quite quickly on my 6.5mm needles and I will share a photo when I've knit a bit more but its the same as above except in red.  The black is nice its sort of a smoke-black rather than a jet-black and it has silver sparkles through it - I plan to sparkle next summer - ha-ha!  as if there is a chance of sparkling at Christmas at my rate of knitting?

The gift set I knitted for no.1.son's flat mate at Uni for his Christmas swap is done and ready to be posted!

I am pleased with it and I hope she will be too - the scarf is nice and twirly!  the mitts are lovely and warm knitted on sized smaller needles and the teddy is just fun!  all are ravelled on my project pages.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

A pair of Fetching mitts


Finished!  a pair of Fetching mitts ..  just the scarf to go and then I'm done with gift knitting ..

Monday 25 November 2013

Half Way There - festive knits


I am halfway there!  I finished up the first ball of yarn in the scarf - see above - and have knitted one handwarmer - see below - and will use the remaining yarn to finish the scarf which is such a wonderfully easy pattern to knit I can watch tv, chat with family and knit all at once!

I have had this handwarmer pattern in my queue for ages and feel it would be better in a plain yarn and possibly a bigger needle but its lovely and quick to knit and dead easy!


Friday 22 November 2013

Festive Knits to go on the needles!

popped into Christines the lys for some scarf yarn to knit a gift for no.1.son's flatmate at his request and got THIS as well!!  three balls of  Rico Design Creative Reflection at just £2.99 a ball and a lovely pattern this is my festive knit treat!






Scarf Yarn


I wanted the red Katia Azteca but they only had odd balls of it so I went for the blue and purples and just hope she likes it!!

I shall be busy now and will put all other projects on hold in project bags - I've quite a collection of them over spilling down by my sofa.
And talking of sofas - BERTIE the naughty cat has been caught out right SITTING ON THE SOFA!  sitting, to be precise, in MY side next to my knitting!  He (and Lilly) both know they are not allowed on the furniture and although Lilly tries to get away with sneaking on and shutting her eyes quick, Bertie has never shown any interest and has done a good job of indicating he has NO mind to sit on the sofa - but now we know better!!
Unfortunately for Lilly she moults so we know when she has crept on as a telltale patch of white hairs doesn't lie!  but Bertie doesn't shed cat-fur as much so he has got away with it - until now.

Bertie



FINALLY another finished knit:
"Link" from the Frost book - a nice textured cowl which is very warm at the neck, this was a quick project to knit and I love it - the pattern is dead easy but looks good.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

A little lace knitting

Well its been such a dreary wet day that I have stopped in and baked some rock cakes, our Christmas cake is into the 3rd hour of baking and I have ripped off Umero and CO for Sarah Hatton's multiway stole in Rowan fine lace - you can see the start of the pattern forming after just 10 rows.  Best of all each ws row is a k4, purl, k4 so only one lace row!  Easy-peasy I shall enjoy knitting this!

I shall be CO for another hat soon - I can't believe the WWMKAL has finished already!  I've worn my hat twice and appreciate its warmth as we've gone colder all of a sudden here in the Midlands and I am missing knitting it already!

Although its quite similar at least I know it will FIT and SUIT me - this is the hat next to go on the needles: Limpetiole.

Monday 18 November 2013

The Woolly Wormhead mystery hat KAL

As you can see I have finished my hat!  I am wearing it at the moment and although its slightly on the big side it is nice and warm and there is room for all my thick hair!  The pattern was lovely and easy to follow and the knitting enjoyable, I shall enjoy wearing it and am already looking forward to casting on another hat - I am officially hat-MAD!




I made a mistake: my son's flatmate wanted a red scarf for herself! and not for "Teddy" the little bear I'd knitted by request from no.1.son so it looks like I've got to get knitting a scarf now!

I have CO for a stole using the lovely Rowan fine lace but this will be a project needing concentration - I have not knitted enough to take a meaningful photograph but this is the pattern I am using.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Baby Bear and hat progress

This week I made another baby bear for no.1.son who had requested it for part of his Christmas gift to one of his new flat mates at Uni - he wanted a red scarf and I looked high and low for a bit of red and even asked a knit-pal if I could have some of hers, before finding a left over ball of red angora haze which fit the bill perfectly!  A little bit of luxury at his neck, I hope she appreciates and enjoys him!





This week I got on with the WWMKAL hat which is half way through and I have done with the second clue and just waiting the third and final installment due today sometime - I opted for the slouchy version and doing the non peak option.  The yarn is lovely to knit with although the dye comes off on my hands as I knit I end up "blue"!


Monday 4 November 2013

Guernsey Triangle


What a difference it makes to block a shawl?
Now its blocked and dried completely its a much better shape and I like it!!
I wasn't really taking to it while it was in its just finished unblocked state as I feared it too small, but this blocks out exactly to the pattern measurements and is much more wearable.
All I need to do now is buy some blocking wires for a more professional "finish"?  Can you see the slightly fluting edges? where I have pinned it out to shape?  its relaxed a bit since wearing it but the edges ought really be straight.

Sunday 3 November 2013

WW KAL and Guernsey Triangle

I finished my Guernsey Triangle and its currently blocking quietly in the sunshine - with the help of one of our two cats - ahem!  (naughty cat-Lilly she knows she's not allowed!  I caught her napping on it this morning!)
If I'm honest I'm not over keen on it.  The pattern was lovely and straightforward to knit and the yarn nice, but its too triangle and, I think, too small.  I did have plenty of yarn so could have made it larger but I wanted to finish up to start the next project and it does, afterall, measure up to the suggested small size dimensions.  never mind I expect I'll throw it round my neck at some point even if thats about all I will get it round!!


Next up the lovely Woolly Wormhead mystery KAL hat!  I am loving this yarn its SUPER to knit with and I have finished installment 1 and can't wait for next Friday to knit further!


Buckland is progressing slowly but now I've finished up a few things I ought to be able to press on with the back, I expect I'll knit some while XFactor is on tonight.

Sunday 27 October 2013

Keep Calm and Keep Winding ...

keep calm and keep winding .. FASTER and DON'T STOP ..
I borrowed my knit-pal-Brenda's nifty gadget of a swift and ball winder to wind the hanks of alpaca colour I am using for Buckland after seeing her demonstrating it to wind another ball for a pal - MUCH quicker than by hand!
It took me a few goes to get the hang of it and I had a few disasters along the way with things flying off, tangling and collapsing but eventually I learned that you just keep calm and keep winding and don't stop for anything!!
After 45mins all THIS was wound and sitting prettily in varying stages of neat balls:

At the weekend my knit-pal and I went to the locally held last minute Stitch Up Event at Stitch Solihull, Notcutts and we both bought a couple of hat patterns including the lovely mystery KAL 2013 Woolly Wormhead hat which promises to be good.

I am hat MAD at the moment and poor Pretty got a huge soaking last night after her first outing to town ended with a terrific downpour.
Our no.2.son had expressed a desire to go to the Museum & Art Gallery and visit the new library in town and we made an afternoon of it enjoying a cup of tea and cake at the scrummy Rep Cafe before finding a nice place to eat at the nearby Mailbox.  The only thing that spoiled the day was the rain which soaked us completely through for the walk back from bus stop!

Other wool that got bought included a nice grey from Babylonglegs - Semi Precious dk in Granite to knit Limpetiole, the Fyberspates Vivacious DK in Peacock is for the mystery hat.





Friday 25 October 2013

Monday 21 October 2013

"Pretty" is finished


"Pretty" is finished bar sewing up the back seam!   I have posted the two photo's because actually the colour is more accurate in my WIP photo - its a nice dark colour and not a washed out one but I think its the dull wet day we're having and I have two bulbs out in my light too - not the best conditions for taking photographs but I wanted to share the finished project today while I had chance.

Dingle is finished and Buckland is OTN's!

"Dingle" is finished! at last, I started it in March and put it down over the summer as I went "off" knitting a bit and found myself at the bottom of a bottle of gin mostly but now I am back to knitting with a renewed energy!  I finished off the ends and buttons over the weekend and promise to take a better photo of me wearing it maybe - soon - when I can get someone to oblige by taking a photograph.  It looks a bit like a dish rag above, its nicer in real life and the cotton is lovely I'd knit with it again!  I omitted the faux pocket flaps but have plenty of yarn left so might do them - not sure yet.

Newly OTN's this weekend is "Buckland".  I CO and started it watching X-Factor and so far so good - its lovely alpaca to knit and too soon yet to see the colour shading but it promises to be a cosy knit.  It took me a few minutes to get used to the difference from the cotton but my needles are gliding now!

I've spent the last week with a raging sore throat and flu/cold symptoms and have now got a headache and shivery feeling but seem to have got over the worst - I don't know whether to blame the flu jab I had or believe the Nurse thats its a coincidence.  Either way I still feel under the weather but looking forward to the weekend.  We were going to Fibre Flurry, but as thats been cancelled we're off to Stitch Solihull's "stitch up" instead (love the name they've given it but not brave enough to comment on it on Ravelry - he-he!!)  should be a fun day out and looking forward to seeing lots of socks and hats both of which I'm keen on.
I shall report on that next week no doubt with a hat/yarn purchase to show off too.

Sunday 13 October 2013

knitting projects - success and failure!

SUCCESS! I finally finished my gloves, and I knit a hat!
FAIL FAIL FAIL ... in my plan for resolving to knit only one or two projects at a time as per setting of New Year Resolutions.  bah!  I wouldn't mind but I've nearly got to the end of the year and I've gone mad and had a fit of caston-itis to spoil my whole year!


First to be finished is a quick and simple hat - Nova - knit in Rowan's Thick'n'thin yarn there is a mistake, the pattern requires two balls of yarn and this is on the page on Rowan's website.  Nice and cosy this will keep my head warm!

OTN's is a lovely hat, Pretty, which is knit in the yummy scrummy Angora Haze from Kim Hargreaves' book - Smoulder.  I'm enjoying knitting this and its good practise as I have this yarn for a jumper next to go onto my needles!  I've gone hat-mad at the minute!

I love knitting gloves and mitts almost as much as socks, and in some ways its more useful to knit gloves and this week I finally finished my 5-in-1 adventure gloves but I've yet to take a photograph, and I started a second pair of Autumnal Mitts in felted tweed :

I signed up too to another Craftsy class - the blocking one and am half way through it and enjoying it, I have the seaming garments in my wishlist and am waiting for an opportunity to download and watch that one soon. 
I learned to knit at Grandma's knee as a small girl and have pretty much knitted off and on all my life and yet I still feel there is more I don't know or have to find out about knitting than I DO know but thats the fun and the pleasure of knitting!?
Someone asked what was the "point" of knitting socks - after 40 mins her head nodded and her eyes glazed - I could go on about knitting until the cows come in!  (and frequently do!)  This is why I like the knitting clubs and forums like Ravelry - you get to talk about knitting to other like minded friends and I've made some super friends through my knitting too so it has been very good to me throughout my life.  I hope others get as much out of it as I do!



Friday 27 September 2013

more yarn bargains and knitting update

At knit night last night one of my friends had bought a pack of ten novelty scarf yarns from local Wilkinson store and dished them out - I remember when these were a craze and I had about three but they are long gone now, we are all going to knit them up and wear them together!!  should be fun!  funky fur scarves - lovely!

Some lovely better than half price yarn bargains!  three balls of the delicious cashsoft 4ply these will be made into lovely gloves for the winter.

And finally, two lots of the scrummy-yummy Fine Lace by Rowan!  three of the top, and five of the bottom I hope to have enough to knit a cardigan and the rest will be used for shawls!

Elsewhere, Dingle sleeve two is coming along nicely and guernsey triangle is progressing too, I have got my knitting mojo back and am looking with interest at future patterns!

Tonight we go out for a meal to say "goodbye" to our no.1.son who goes back to Uni this weekend, and "goodluck" to our no.2.son as he starts HIS uni on Monday having had "freshers week" this week.  Our elder son is studying Politics and our younger English Language, we are proud of them both with neither of us getting anywhere near a degree its lovely to see them have opportunities.

Finally the weather has been glorious this summer and its all washing on the line to finish off the summer holiday and prepare for winter it has been getting chilly so I can't wait to get the winter "woollies" out again, we knitters do prefer the winter for obvious reasons and I always feel more inspired to knit at this time of year.

I hope to catch up with long time knit-pal-Sally soon so if she's reading this - give me a ring! I want to see your lovely new sewing machine and squish some wool!! ha-haa!!

x