The next installment

I've been busy with the next installment of the Yarn Forward mystery blanket squares, this month it was lace - much more my cup of tea I have decided, thoroughly enjoyed these and there were far fewer errors in the patterns this time than in the previous set which helped me whizz through (whizz being a relative term, I was probably far slower in completing them than most people would be, but at least I had them all finished with plenty of time before issue 14 hit the doormat)



In fact enough time between finishing and issue 14 arriving to knit a few more rows on Buttony (my! those rows are long) and for a bit of instant gratification I made these

BSJ Inspired bootees - Quick, easy and so cute. The pattern is written for worsted yarn, but being a 'relaxed' knitter, I used DK and 3.75mm needles and they still came out new baby sized.
I have now made all the bits to assemble another Baby Pack Project pack, so these will be on their way to South Africa shortly.

One track mind

I think I must be obsessed. We have just booked a short trip in the Lake District, DH and DD will be coming down from Scotland where they are visiting relatives, and I will go up to meet them in the Lakes, a 5 hour train journey on my own, and my first thoughts – yes you guessed it – KNITTING TIME, woohoo!

So the second it was all finalised I dashed into my work room to choose a project – I have to carry everything including heavy walking boots in my rucksack, so weight and space are an issue, but I will have two long train journeys and the spare time when I am there, so it needs to fill enough time..… Now I know my choice is going to come as a surprise to anyone who knows me – but I have decided to knit socks! I know to most people it is the obvious choice, but I don’t do socks, not that I haven’t tried, I’ve made 3 (and a half) pairs, I’ve tried dpns, two circs and magic loop (and with the last ones DD banned me from ever making socks again because apparently I moaned the entire time I was knitting them), but time is a great healer, and recently I have found that I love wearing the offending pair (the other two were for DD) and I really would like some more, and for a non-sock knitter it is surprising how much sock yarn I have in stash. I searched Rav, and found Sock Stew , adapted it for two circs, my preferred weapons of choice, and cast on ready as I needed to follow my step by step instructions which are spread over several pages and didn’t think that would be very practical on a bumpy train. So I’m all set to go – the only problem is I’ve got 4 weeks to wait!




I’ve just had a thought though - I’m quite happy travelling on my own but with all my luggage and no one to keep an eye on it, it could make it more difficult to go to the buffet car or the loo …..though come to think of it, if I don’t go to the first I won’t need the second !

Two cuties

Lucy Lamb - (you may well have seen her in M&S) DH bought her for me for easter -he thought she was appropriate given my knitting and the fact that I had a lamb to bottle feed most years when I was young. Only trouble is, I don't want to eat her!

And perhaps I shouldn't say this is cute, but I'll say the pattern is instead



It's the Baby Pack Project bear. This one is made from one strand of something soft, fluffy, variegated and label-less which was acquired from a charity shop for 10p, together with a strand of a harder boucle (again details unknown) from the bottom of the stash. My knitting sat down between the bedside cabinet and bed, and I knit a few rows while drinking my morning cuppa each day and it soon grew into a soft squishy little friend for someone.

Playing with my new toy

I've finally given in and bought a new sewing machine - my old one, an 18th birthday present from my dearly loved and long departed Nan, has finally given up the ghost, it's been on it's way out for a very long time and I've limped on for sentimental reasons. Twenty seven years is a long time to have a machine, and it has had a lot of use, but it has now been replaced by a rather swish Pfaff, not a computerised one, but top of the range mechanical one, so I have been playing with it's stitches and generally getting used to it and created a little project bag - like I need another one but hey,it was fun, and having also bought a new larger handbag I now have room to carry a little knitting something so it seemed the obvious experimental project.


On to another machine - a knitting one - which I have had for many years but only sees the light of day occasionally. Inspired by those folk over on CT'n'Y I decided to have a little go again recently and created a baby gown for Bonnie Babies.


It was ok, but it's back in the cupboard again and the needles are out in preference. I am thoroughly enjoying making the Mystery Blanket from Yarn Forward Magazine despite all the errors in the patterns (there is a very useful KAL thread over on Ravelry if anyone is interested). Here are the first months, cabled, squares (please excuse the expensive and technical blocking system).
Having now seen the pictures in issue 13, three out of the six were exactly as they should be,one I knew I had done extra repeats (the only way to get it big enough), one is not quite right, though it will do, and one is, in my opinion better. It definitely made me realise just how much we rely on pictures as well as instructions.

It's lace this month, and the proof reading seems to have improved (she says tempting fate) and I am really enjoying this. It is a very long time since I have been so enthused with a project, I like the manageable deadlines, I'm using up stash and I have always wanted to make a sampler type blanket but never got round to working out the squares.

Dish cloth swap

Now that it has been sent and received safely, I can post a piccy of the cloth I made for the CT'n'Y dishcloth swap

I have to say, it nearly didn't get made, there were several errors in the lace pattern, the stitches just did not add up - at one point I even screwed up the pattern in disgust and threw it away, but I liked the design, I thought my recipient would too, and I am a very stubborn determined person and it was niggling me, so I smoothed out the pattern, got out my fingers and toes and did some counting, and hey presto!

The cotton is Anchor Magic (which sadly I believe has been discontinued) and there were some little gifts that went with it too, in matching colours, which I didn't think to photograph.

In my lovely parcel from Aknita there was a beautiful cloth in Rowan Handknit cotton, a lavender bag (I love lavender) some chocolate (ditto, but not together - have you ever tried Lavender chocolate - I thought it was weird!) a sweet painted bookmark of the Malvern Hills and some stitch markers in a cute little box.



She had clearly stalked me and put together a lovely package just for me.

Not afraid anymore

I may have been knitting for ever, and I don’t think I am too bad at it, but it’s the sewing up that lets it down, I’m not sure whether I never liked it because I wasn’t any good at it or if I wasn’t good at it because I didn’t like it (iyswim), but I’ve seen the light, or rather been taught it.

I attended Jane Crowfoot’s finishing course at Kangaroo at the weekend and it was brilliant, there were several occasions when a little light bulb came on ! Jane is an excellent teacher and showed us so much in the day. The setting is good too, once I got over the shock of going down an unmade lane past small industrial units and a scaffolders – I have to admit that it was then that I severely doubted the ability of my sat nav, though I did it a disservice as it delivered me right to the door. The class was in a nice workroom with plenty of natural light above the shop (very handy for shopping and the kind lending of needles when I discovered I needed to change sizes and had only brought what was on the list – typical me, any other time I would have brought everything but the kitchen sink)

As well as sewing up using mattress stitch (easy when you know how rather than guessing) she taught us different types of increase (found a new one) and decrease (discovered a variation that makes it sit better) how to do neat button holes and picking up stitches round a neck line plus several other little tips. And as for short row shaping, it actually makes sense now!

My little samples don’t look much but I really benefited from the day and am quite chuffed with my efforts.

Would you believe this is sewn up using orange yarn!

And no those aren’t mistakes on the ‘sleeve’ it’s where we practiced increases and decreases, and the buttonholes are examples of the good, the bad and the ugly, though not necessarily in that order!

And of course with a 10% discount I had to do just a little shopping - well it would have been rude not to wouldn't it?

Apparently I'm knitting a sock.

DH and I went up to London for our favourite walk from the Dome to the Eye, and naturally I passed the time on the train knitting. A wee boy kept staring at me then whispered very loudly to his mum "What's that lady doing?" to which mum replied, sounding very certain, "Oh, she's knitting a sock" Well I know it was on a circ and in the round but really, do I look like the sort to wear a sock like this...

I mean, what on earth did she think the blue fluffy line is all about?
I appreciate there was no reason why she should know it was a comfort doll but why not just tell the poor little lad I was knitting and leave it at that.


This is what my 'sock' turned into

Anyway, it was a lovely day, the sun shone and the sky looked like it was going to throw rain or snow at us at any moment but it waited until we were safely home. We walked our legs off and enjoyed ourselves in the process, I only took a couple of photo's but really had to share this one, to say I was surprised to come across sheep in this setting - in the middle of London with Canary Wharf in the back ground - is a bit of an understatement.

Making the strangest things!

I'm at it again, making strange things in the name of charity.


These are for Algerian Action as part of Project Washables, and I am sure I don't need to explain what they are for.
Many moons ago, when I used to do patchwork, I bought a large pack of sheeting offcuts and it contained lots of 10" squares (cut from the corners of fitted sheets) which I have discovered are the perfect size for making these. I know they are a strange colour but if the current alternative was a plastic bag or bin liner (!!), the last thing I would worry about was the colour.


They are so simple to make, just an outer pocket and an inner pad made of (in this case) old kitchen towels. I set up a 'production line' and rattled off 8 this afternoon. Just need to find some more old towels, and I'll be off again.


Earlier in the week I did a bit of sewing for me, and made a(nother) knitting bag - this time a small one using dragon(knit)-flys tutorial, very well written and I love the end result - though next time I would make it a little longer.

Night, night sleep tight.

DH has just come back from his annual business trip to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, yes honestly it is for work (at least he assures me it is ;-0) and on his pillow in the hotel, instead of a chocolate, was this....


and being little jelly sheep he just had to bring them back for me.

While he was away a friend gave me some oddments of 'fancy' yarn, and though initially I wasn't too struck, another friend suggested how good a little lady comfort doll would look in 'denim' jeans and a bobbly jumper - so I had to give it a go, and at some unearthly hour sitting up in bed knitting (well while the cat's away....) I decided earrings would be in order so that it was quite clear that she was a girl. I wanted to make sure they couldn't be pulled off so I came up with the idea of stitching loops of gold thread firmly where her ears would be (round a pen to get them even) and then button holed around them - voila, hoops!


And finally I finished Baby Blocks blanket from The Shop on Blossom Street pattern, although I quite enjoyed this pattern, and don't think it will be the last time I use it, I wasn't sorry to come to the end - there are too many patterns out there shouting "make me!" at the moment.

Not another knitting bag

Yep! This one is based on the Vintage Cloth Holdall from issue 3 of Sew Hip magazine - though I had to make it smaller to fit the material I had. I have to be honest and say I didn't think the instructions were very clear, but as I have made quite a few bags in the past I didn't think this would be a problem, and set about doing my own thing. I was very careful to make sure the handles weren't twisted and there I was congratulating myself over the finished article, when... I realised I had very carefully sewn the handles together incorrectly, and even topstitched them ever so neatly - oh well, they do say pride comes before a fall.

The saddest things I've ever made

Angel's Pockets

Sometimes I see an appeal which I know I just have to respond to, and this was one. I've knitted various items in the past for them, but in the newsletter that I receive from Bonnie Babies the challenge for January to April included trying to collect 2000 sewn burial items from supporters. In the past I've seen knitting patterns for these, but didn't realise they could be sewn too, so off I went in search of a pattern.

I know this is a very sad topic and hope it doesn't upset anyone, but Bonnie Babies send so much to Special Care Baby units across the UK, for those little ones that are born prematurely and those who sadly don't make it, and the thanks that they receive show how much it is appreciated by the recipients, that I can't help but draw attention to their work. I feel so lucky that DD was born on time and healthy that I think 'there but for the grace of God, go I'
I'm hoping to find time to contribute to the rest of the challenge which also includes 5000 knitted burial items and 1000 4ply blankets (for which they included a really nice Bubble Blanket knitting pattern) or maybe just make hats or cardis which they always need, but I really do want to try and do something else for them.

First FO of 2009 and a good idea

This hat took me months to make, and it's only preemie sized!



Well actually there is a very good reason for that - it sat in one of the cubby holes in my car, and when I had to wait a few minutes (or more), usually to pick up DD or DH from a train, out it came and I knitted a row or two, I even got into the habit of parking under a street light so I could see what I was doing! It took a long time to complete - but it was only time that would otherwise have been wasted.

I thought I'd add a picture of a little something else I had at Christmas time that I didn't include in the last post.

When Father Christmas was shopping for bits and pieces for DD's stocking (yes I know she's 15 but you are never too old are you? and actually I'm not sure who enjoys it most - the one buying or the one receiving) this pencil case and little tin was spotted, and knowing what a good girl I've been this year, they were added to the basket just for me - I am keeping stitch markers in the tin and scissors, tape, cable needles etc in the pencil case - perfect, and don't you just love that little sheep.

Now on to the good idea. I was reading Yarnforward (issue 9) the other day, and came across the article by Natalie from The Yarnyard about p/hop, which really appealed to me, so this year each time I knit a free pattern I'm going to pop some money in a pot and at the end of the year I'm going to donate it to Medecins Sans Frontieres. For anyone who doesn't know what on earth I am on about - all the details can be found here over on Natalies 'justgiving' page or from the widget on the right.

Merry Knitmas

I think my lot have finally cottoned (or yarned?) on that I'm a knitter and as a result 4 out of the 5 books I received for Christmas were knitting related - yahoo!



Mind you, I did do Mum's Christmas shopping for her so having heard a review on the Knitpicks podcast of No Idle Hands I decided I/she could buy that for me. DD arranged for DH to buy me books 2 and 3 in the Blossom street series by Debbie Macomber, as it was hard to tear me away from the first book, and he also paid for my subscription to YF, and finally MIL bought me the Yarnharlot book (though I do think DD had a hand in that too, bless her)
Then at our Lace group we have a secret santa - but instead of pulling a name out of a hat and buying for a particular person, as we are all ladies of similar interests, we each buy a gift pop it in the sack and take turns at 'lucky dip', so how strange that I should get a scarf!

No, this isn't a knitted flying saucer

it's a beret for DD,


we went up to London yesterday intending to have a nice long walk - but I can't remember when I was last so cold so we shortened it a bit - anyway having got completely frozen DD actually asked me to make her a hat!!!!! So I let her loose on Ravelry to find a pattern and she came across A Country Beret I only had one ball of suitable yarn (Jaeger natural fleece) and much to my surprise she liked it! So out came the needles and the beret is now blocking on a dinner plate, with fingers crossed that it fits.

He sees you when you're sleeping...

He knows if you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So you'd better be good for goodness sake.....

You'd better watch out, You'd better not cry,
You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why....



Santa Claus is coming to town!

(with apologies to everyone who now can't get the wretched song out of their heads)

Slowly,slowly, Continent'ly

Having just read



I just had to knit the Baby Blocks blanket that was used for the beginners class in the book, so I grabbed some inherited yarn in a bright colour (this will be for the Baby Pack Project so I think cheerful is better - I love the idea of a little coloured babe wrapped in a bright blanket) and cast on.

Now I have finally got to the stage that I can no longer kid myself that knitting is not affecting the speed at which my RSI is healing, I have a special vertical mouse at work, weekly physio and daily exercises but though improving I have hit a plateau, So.... I have decided rather than give it up completely (even the thought makes me quiver) I am learning to knit continental style to see if that will help - the theory being less repetative movement of the right hand should have an effect. As you can imagine, it is a bit of a challenge after nearly 40 years of english style knitting - but it is coming..... slowly.

(Incidentally the little dots on the blanket aren't dirty marks! they are different coloured slubs, red, yellow and green - but for some reason they will NOT come out on the photo)

I have also finally got around to mounting the little sock decorations on to cards for my 'Lace friends' but managed to seal two of the envelopes before I thought about taking a photo - duh! Still, I was quite please with the result and am already thinking what I will do next year (provided they go down ok, of course!)

Children in Need

If you donated to children in need last night, then there is just a chance that we may have spoken. My company was one of the contact centres for donations and I was lucky enough to have the chance to man the phones.



Our office was decorated to within an inch of its life and fun was had by all. Management were co-opted to serve refreshments, clear rubbish and run errands, we had a couple of clowns who came around to 'entertain' though probably the most entertaining bit about them was when the one on stilts couldn't get in through the doors! The fire brigade came in to encourage, hand out food and drinks and parade round the room with posters telling us how much our call centre total was until they had a shout and had to drop everything (but not quite as much as some of the ladies would have liked!!) and dash off.


And as if the enjoyment wasn't reward enough we each left with a little 'party bag'



Though it was really good, it was a long day - I had been on the phones in my own job for 7 hours then for Children in Need for 6, so to the lady to whom I said I was processing her claim (rather than donation) - I do apologise, my brain had gone onto auto pilot and it was past my bedtime!

Wear your poppy with pride

Based on the downloadable pattern from Knitonthenet in aid of The Royal British Legion, I wanted something smaller than the original design, so I adapted the number of stitches and rows, and didn't 'stuff' the black centre as I prefered it flatter.

I wore it to work today and received many nice comments (and several quizzical looks from the youngsters). With the exception of scarves this is the first time I have been brave enough to wear one of my 'creations'.

Little Brother

Having decided I needed to use smaller needles for my next comfort doll to get a better fabric for stuffing, I ended up with the first dolls little brother



DD had started this one and has a much looser tension than me, so despite trying to take this into account when changing needles, he still ended up with baggy trousers! (actually I quite like them)

Also off the needles is my Pi shawl, just needs blocking now - if the weather ever cheers up enough for anything to dry I'll do it, but in the meanwhile here is an unblocked picture




I tried several different lace borders, but after knitting, frogging and reknitting umpteen times I still couldn't find anything that looked right to me so eventually I settled on EZ's garter stitch with semi icord, which does the job - though I'm still not 100% convinced.

The Time Thief

There is a time thief in our house, I swear there is, he is usually only about in the mornings before I leave the house, (and for some strange reason on a Thursday evening making me late for the Lace group) but over the last few weeks he has been working full time! I meant to post after Ally Pally, but he stole my spare time, I meant to post before I went away for the week, but he did it again, and I was intending to post as soon as I got back, but, you've guessed it, I've been back nearly a week and lo and behold, he's still at it. However, I've fooled him this time, I WILL update my blog - and he can nick the time from something else instead!

Well Ally Pally is old news now, I had a great day, all by myself, it's my day out, I pleased myself and didn't have to feel guilty going back for a second (or third) look at the same things. I didn't buy very much just a couple of balls of sock yarn to add to those I already had to make Kaleidoscope some Serenity in black for Wicked and Elizabeth Zimmermans Knitting Around, which I have been eyeing up for ages.

The following week we went up to the Lake District to stay in my old bosses cottage, unfortunately the weather was a bit pants, and we got rather damp but it could have been worse (as it was after we came home with the Mountain Marathon having to be cancelled and all those runners having to seek refuge where ever they could)



We managed to catch a bit of sunshine, and appreciate the gorgeous autumn colours, but boy was it cold and the wind........ Oh and that isn't usually a lake to our left - it's a field

And as the week wore on, the continuous rain meant that there were quite a few impromptu fords, and the Lakes became rather full, to overflowing


Ullswater
Erm, where does the lake end and the road begin?
Thank goodness for the shrubs!

The upside of the bad weather was that we often went out in the morning then came back for lunch and to dry out, and spend the afternoon relaxing and watching the wind and rain from the comfort of the arm chairs, so needless to say, I was happy, plugged into my iPod catching up on podcasts and knitting away


Not much by a lot of peoples standards, but I was pleased to have completed another hottie cover , (I followed the pattern exactly this time, and DD immediately claimed it) and a Comfort doll for icross. The four little socks are for Christmas tree decorations which I will attach to cards to give to my "lace friends"

And there's more...

to make the total up to a dozen.


Using odd yarns just to see how they come out.

Not sure if I will be making any more, they were fun but I feel like moving on now. I have gone back to my Pi shawl, only 8 more rounds and the border to go, but it's a long way round. I'm also trying to get a piece of bobbin lace finished for 'Show and tell' next week at my Lace group not to mention plenty of walking practice - yes I do know how to walk, but for some inexplicable reason when asked if I would take part in a 22 mile walk at the end of November, the word 'Yes' came out of my mouth! I know I can do it, but with training it is going to be a lot less painful.