Caught without knitting !

It's extremely unusual for me to be without knitting, normally there is something to knit in my handbag but on the one occasion that I actually needed it last week with the prospect of a 2 hour wait - I didn't have any! DH suggested I bought a magazine so I could read about it instead, but I had a better idea...
I popped into a charity shop and bought a ball of (weird) yarn and a pair of needles all for the princely sum of £1.50 and while I sat waiting I started knitting this little chap
He's my version of the Angelbear (well it was from memory) done all in garterstitch this time with loopy ears.


We were actually away in the Lake District and unfortunately I was still suffering a bit from the lergy so I wasn't feeling up to walking as much as usual, so on one day I sent DH off to bag some more peaks and happily sat in the rented apartment knitting, quilting and just generally enjoying the view Well, with a view like that from the window it seemed a shame to waste it :0)

While we were up there I also finished my wwwww #1 by Kate Davies of Needled perfect for keeping my ears warm when walking
If you are not familiar with Kate and her work then I would highly recommend that you wander over to her blog and have a read, - not only is she a very talented lady, she is also overcoming a serious health issue too. One of the most inspiring and determined people I have come across in a long time.

Other knitting included the Noro Sekku scarf from the yarn and pattern I got the previous week at Ally Pally but it just wasn't doing it for me so it has now been frogged and having had a wander around Ravelry to see what others have done with this yarn (what a brilliant search tool) I think it is destined to become a Revontuli instead - a pattern I printed off yonks ago but would never have thought of using for this without Ravelry's help. Fortunately I always take far more knitting projects on holiday than I usually need so I had the yarn and pattern to start another charity baby blanket, which is currently just a square of garter stitch so no photo yet until it is a bit more interesting to look at.

Finally, back home I finished off number 4 Christmas Stocking for the charity Bonnie Babies Christmas Challenge (beware of the music on the site if you follow the link!)
and these have now been posted off to grace the cribs of premature and poorly babies in SCBUs over Christmas.

My 'puter is back

...a bit of a long catch up post

I've been without 'puter for a couple of weeks as it all went pear-shaped and had to go away to have a new motherboard (whatever that might be). It was rather disconcerting to have a man come and collect it and drive off into the sunset, but then a machine rang up every so often to say where it was in the chain of repair, and I am pleased, and relieved, to say that it is back with me now, feeling better, and so here is a quick (or not so quick) catch up post.

A second co-worker left to have a baby, and again she didn't want to know if she was having a boy or girl so I had to choose another unisex pattern
Cardi for Emma's bump
from a Garnstudio pattern

I do hope the next person to leave decides they will find out the baby's gender, I am dying to make a sweet lacy cardi or a cute boys jumper - oh well, this one went down a treat and there were plenty of compliments (isn't it great when you work with people who know the basics but aren't knitters, so they think you are SOOOOOO clever!)

With the weather turning chilly I decided it was time to get over my SMS (second mitten syndrome) and get myself ready for winter - I do suffer from such cold hands, even at the best of times, but this year hopefully I am prepared
Matrix from Knitty
I used New Lanark Aran on 3.25mm dpns (I am a loose knitter) and lengthened the cuff because I hate having a gap between glove and sleeve, and it seems that I may have the makings of warm and toasty hands this winter. (Sorry the photo is sideways - I just can't seem to get it to turn, it looks fine until I upload it, and if I turn it first it ends up upside down!!)

And my 'odd moments' knitting has created this rather strange little chap
A bear for the Angelbear charity
I didn't have a stitch dictionary to hand, and don't know how to do loop stitch so he ended up with plain ears suitable for the under 3s. I think he looks odd (don't all my toys?) but hopefully he might bring a little comfort to a kiddy in need.

So that's what I have made, and now for new supplies.....


Of course it was The Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally at the weekend, and I had a great day. I was actually quite restrained and came home with some back issues of mags, enough Click DK to make Amna , some Knit-pro dpns, some Hipknits laceweight in a gorgeous purple and the obligatory impulse purchase - a ball of Noro Sekku which was displayed along with a sample scarf and free pattern.
My impulse purchase

Now anyone who knows me will be aware that 2 of those purchases are rather out of character for me - the only things I tend to knit for myself are scarves/shawls and the like but DH keeps asking why I don't make something bigger for me, I haven't made myself a jumper/cardigan since I was a teenager, so maybe it is about time I did. I bought the Click from the Blacksheep stand (you know the one, where there is an e-nor-mous heap of packs of wool and it is almost impossible not to dive in head first - intentionally or otherwise) and it was a bit of a bargain at £14.99 so if the cardi doesn't work out it will mainly be time that I have wasted rather than money as well. The other unusual items are the dpns - not that I don't use them, I do, but these are for something I don't generally knit, something I desperately want to like making but so far don't, something I am going on a workshop to learn to do in a different way.... all will be revealed at the end of the month.

Talking of workshops, I also spent a very pleasant 2 hours on Saturday learning freeform crochet,
Freeform sample
and no, I haven't a clue what it is going to be when it grows up, but it was fun anyway!