knitivity

Well, here is Mary, Joseph and Jesus, will carry on with the rest of the figures next year ready for next Christmas, hope you all have a good Christmas.

2 days to go..

and nativity is coming along nicely. Mary, Joseph and Jesus are knitted, just need minor surgery to attach arms and hands. Hopefully I will post pics by 25th

Knitting has been slow this week due to my kids generously sharing their cold germs with me, think I got 2 sets of germs as was just getting over the cold when another one came.
I am now concentrating on knitting gloves and scarves, we had a frosty week and have loads of gloves, sadly not many pairs so going to sort out the mismatched ones and knit new sets.

hipknits project club

Got the next parcel in this on Monday, 100g sock yarn and a hank of sarisilk. The sarisilk knitted up into this hat.

and this is the socks so far

bye bye NOvember

Yes, I completed NOvember, no new projects cast on last month at all, though very little finished, (bayerische and gloves and scarf to match the dinosaur hat), just closer to finishing 2 shawls and a cardi. I am going to cast on something new soon, going to knit a nativity, I have been thinking about doing one for at least 20 years but now have loads of leftovers to use. Still deciding which pattern to use, Jean Greenhowe or one from Simply kintting last year but have decided that this is the year it gets made. Hoping to get at least Mary, Joseph and Jesus done so watch this space.

Finished bayerische

Finished these at last only to discover that I had cabled the other way round on the second sock. Hopefully its not too noticable in everyday life.

My first VLT project blocked

Finished the scarf a while ago but finally blocked it this week, gace it to a friend as a present and she was pleased with it.

I also finished the bayerische socks today, but too dark for photos, so hope to have those done this week.

Now going to try and finish at least one of my shawls before this month ends.

Still knitting

well. now halfway down the foot of the bayerische socks, the end is in sight!!! Hopefully will finish this weekend
Up to row 140 on Della, and blocked the VLT scarf that was finished ages ago, also knitted 2 pairs of gloves for a swap, getting posted tomorrow so no pics of them until they arrive, should have some pictures to show soon.

NO-vember update

Well, i am still resisting the lure of new projects, and making good progress on bayerische, now up to the heel on the second sock and really enjoying it, so hopefully should be finished this month. I have also done another pattern repeat on the wildflower shawl and more of the einstein coat, and am going to do 2 rows a night of Della so hopefully should make some progress.

NO-vember

Seeing as its the start of the month I have decided that November is the month where I start no new knitting but finsh all my other projects first, hence the title.
So this month I will be knitting

• Della shawl, currently on row 126
• wildflower shawl (halfway through)
• Einstein coat (10% done)
• Bayerische socks (1 done)
• Great american aran afghan (1 1/2 squares done)
• balaclava for son

Hopefully some of these will be finished this month

Ravelry - I'm in

Got my invite last week, so been having a nosy on there, along with having loads of college work to do, so not much knitting at present. Theres a definate nip in the air here now, and fresh snowfall on the hills so need to start on the winter woolies.

Miss Potter mitts

Made these today using left over Sirdar Bonus flash DK, shade Tahiti. The pattern is from the latest issue of yarn forward magazine and they are for a friend to match the clapotis I made her last year.

Grr Dinosaur

Made this hat for DS2 for winter using cascade 220, enough left to make a scarf.

and this is the modelled photo.

ccc back complete

Finished the back of the CCC cushion, just got to decide which way to stitch it.

Boys like the 'in your face ' striped look

I like the subtle version, what do you reckon?

Sorry about bad pics, very overcast today.

Wildflower shawl

Started this last night, pattern is from the posh yarn website and the yarn is PY baby lucia. Lovely to knit with. I'm using 4mm needles for this.

Still knitting

Havent posted for over a week but still here and knitting away. Finished the back of the modular cushion, but no batteries in the camera for pictures. Nearly finished the VLT scarf (on second border) and done a square of the american aran afghan. Also college has started in earnest so got to study as well as knit. Hope to get new batteries soon and post progress pics.

I've started Della

This is the first item in the Hipknits project club, its going to be a lace shawl and I am plodding along slowly, now up to row 65

CCC is finished

Finished this this morning, really enjoyed doing it. Think I am going to knit a garter stitch square for the back

My first toe up socks

Finished these last night, pattern is 'falling in lovve' from Magknits, yarn is Posh Yarn Emily in shade Jig, they are lovely and soft and the yarn was a joy to knit with.

Baby knits

Did this baby cardi and hat for a friends wee girl, yarn used was James C. Brett Marble DK, lovely to knit with, and cardi pattern is the wee einstein cardi from 'The Knit Stitch' by Sally Melville. Going to make myself the ladies version for winter. I've also been knitting socks, will post pics tomorrow, but knittings been slow as caught an awful cold/ sore throat from kids.

I can steek!!!!

Diane M on the AY forum kindly did a tutorial on steeking (cutting holes in knitting for armholes etc) This is my sample and also my first attempt at fairisle too.

Here is the sample after cutting, the edge was neatened with crochet prior to cutting.

This is the edge that was cut then neatened with blanket stitch, it unravelled a bit but the stitching has hald it in place, i've given it a good tug and stretch and it hasnt unravelled.

And finally here is an update on the modular cushion, now done 14 shapes.

Mystery knitting

Well, ms3 is finished and blocked, here is a picture as modelled by a coathanger,and I've now joined another mystery knit, this time its a cushion in modular knitting organised by woolly thoughts, now up to clue 8. sewingnoddy told me about it.

Bank holiday Challenge update

Well, heres how I got on.

My DD got a new top made for school,

Made a pair of gloves for my friends birthday

and I finished MS3 (had nearly all of clue 7 to do) Now I'm going to try to finish a cardi for my friends wee girl while I have the urge to finish things.

And yes mum, I did do the housework too!!

Bank holiday challenge

The folks on the crafty yarns and threads forum have set a challenge to make a garment in a weekend. I have decided to make fetching from knitty and to sew a top for DD for school. Both need doing asap, the gloves are for a friends birthday next week and DD has been back at school for 2 weeks. Come back monday evening to see if I was successful.

The tangled skein took all weekend to unwind, and I have now worked 20 rows of shawl, will post pic next week.

Look what the postie brought

Well, I was sitting there this morning winding (by hand) the skein from the hipknits project club when postie knocked on the door. I had a parcel, Angel Yarns forum have organised a dishcloth swap and this is what I got. Thanks stuffie.

Here is a close up of the pattern.
The downside is that I had to put my skein down, my son had a look and it now looks like this.

Guess what I will be doing for the rest of the day.

Talented Daughter

My oldest son was 11 on Tuesday and DD offered to decorate the cake, she picked a pokemon theme and drew it freehand using writing icing, then painted the colours with food colouring. DS1 was most impressed. Seemingly its a space virus rare pokemon.

On a knitting theme, I have finished my sons socks

He insisted that I match the stripes too, normally I dont bother, what do all you sock knitters do, match or not?

I also started a scarf from VLT in malabrigo lacewieght, pattern is victorian ruby. Its for a friends birthday.

Finally nominated

Decided to nominate http://www.yarnstuff.blogspot.com/ for a rocking girl blogger award, not only does she do this blog but also did a great one about being backup for a runner in extreme racing. I found it entertaining even though i am totally non sporty.
Knittings been on the backburner this week as I have been helping with crafts at Kilmallie Free Church holiday club. We had over 60 kids each afternoon and the theme was based on the story of Joseph, it was a very enjoyable week.

Thanks Linz

Just been nominated by Linz for a rocking girl blogger award, Thanks for this, especially as i have been blogging for such a small time, though been posting on forums for longer. Now got to try and work out how to get the button in my sidebar, and how to link to other peoples posts. Will let you know tomorrow who I nominate, will sleep on it first.

Socks, socks, socks

Thought i'd show you the socks I have on the needles at the moment . First up are socks for my son in Sirdar Town and Country, using a basic sock pattern.

Next is bayerische, knitted as part of a sockathon on the Angel Yarns Forum

And finally my first ever toe up sock, 'falling in love' from magknits, using Posh Yarn for the first time

Hoping to get at least one pair finished this month to enter in the sock a month challenge on the Crafty threads n yarns forum.

Rainbow star

Finished this for my son today, used 6 x 100g balls of DK, its on an 8ft trampoline to give you an idea of size.

MS3 clue 3

finished this yesterday, finding it a bit easier to keep place on the charts now, but can only do about 10 rows in a session before brain overloads.

zippy socks

Finished these yesterday, pattern from yarn forward magazine issue 2, knitted using Tofutsies, lovely to knit with and feel gorgeous on.

MS3 part 2

Well finished part 2 this morning, heres a picture, along with a blurry close up of the beads, you can really see the pattern now, wonder what next week will bring, can't wait until Friday.

My first Booga bag

Well, everyone else seems to have made one so heres mine for posterity. Nice and bright to contrast with the dull summer weather. Hope to post more MS3 once I have finished clue 2 (20 rows to do)

yarn spree

Went shopping today for fabric, and while there got 6 balls of DK for mindless summer crochet, one ball each of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Yes, I'm making a rainbow throw for DS2. wanted something to do while watching kids, and MS3 is a bit too intricate for that. No pics as camera batteries dies, now recharging them.

MS3 beginnings

Started this yesterday, along with over 3000 other knitters. I'm using ebony zepherspun and grey iridescent beads. done 50 rows so far.

Opal rainforest socks

Finished these today after a break, so long a break that I sat down yesterday halfway through the second sock and thought I'd look at the first to see how much longer to make it, only to discover I'd lost the first sock. Panic and frantic tidying followed, finally found the first sock so now I have a pair.

Baby Albert coat

Finished this baby cardi this week, a present for my childminders newborn grandson. It's knitted in Sirdar Countrystyle, pattern from The Knit Stitch by Sally Melville, very easy to do as all garter stitch but boring. Now going to do a bigger version in a raspberry colour for a friends daughter.

Another WIP finished

Finished this cardi yestersay, been on the needles since christmas, its from a magazine from at least 25 years ago, knitted in acrylic which I got for £1 a ball, the yarn has a shimmery thread running through it.

Queen of the waves is blocked!!

Finished blocking this yesterday,heres the fence modelling again, Dh tried to take pictures of me wearing it and failed dismally, now cameras out of batteries. Its stretched a bit during blocking but think I could have blocked it a bit harder.

Queen of the Waves is finished

Finished this at 11pm last night, its blocking now. the pictures shown are prior to blocking , displayed on the garden fence with a close up of the pattern too.

Even more shawl knitted

Well, I'm on the home stretch now, 150 stitches left on the needle, halfway through the last garter stitch section and one pattern section to go, then final shaping. Hope to have finished this over the weekend.

decisions, decisions

Well I got the yarn and beads

for my next project, its the Pink Lemon Twist mystery shawl 3, yarn is ebony zephyr but do I use silver beads at the top or grey AB (think oily puddle) at the bottom, veering towards grey but not sure, well I still have a few weeks to decide.

more progress pics

Well after rescuing the dropped stitch, got a bit more done today, now halfway through the first pattern block and its about a foot long now, definately feeling it knit up quicker now theres less stitches on the needles.

progress so far

Wel as mentioned the other day, making Queen of the Waves, getting on quite well with it, heres progress so far.

The shading in the yarn is starting to become more clear, unfortunately just after taking this picture I discovered a dropped stitch 10 rows down but managed to save it with a crochet hook. Phew!!!!