We three kings.

Well the kings for my nativity are finally finished,

so now its all complete.

I have also sewn up a hoodie for my younger son and reknit the border of the goddess knits anniversary shawl, just need to block it now.

Christmas knitting

I knitted these cute little baby socks as stockings for all the kids in my sunday school class ( I teach the 3 & 4 year olds). They each had a sweet and wee toy inside and the kids loved them.

The rest of my christmas knitting ground to a halt, the nativity kings still aren't finished, but I suppose they could get done in time for January and the hoodie is still waiting to get sewn up.

I decided to dig out the goddess knits mystery shawl, I ran out of yarn while doing the border on this so I ripped back the border last week and restarted it using black Jaggerspun zephyr (left over from MS3), so have been knitting that all week and finally finished last night, just got to block it now.

I'm now going to spend the rest of this year finishing off some of my outstanding WIP, so hopefully I should have some more finished things to show you this week.

NOvember update

Well after vowing to cast on no new projects in November, my knitting ground to a halt thanks to DS2 very generously sharing all the germs he brought home from school. I also was invited to a wedding at the end of November so made a cross stich sampler for the happy couple, forgot to take photos but they loved it.
I have been knitting this month though, finished the aran hoodie for DS2, just needs sewing up now, and the chunky jumper got frogged and knitted into a cloud bolero and urchin beret, my kings are almost done too, need to knit the hats and presents and then sew them all up, guess I'm going to be busy with a needle this weekend.

NOvember

Yes, its nearly November already and after looking at the piles of WIP that I have I have decided to repeat what I did last year and make November the month for NO casting on of new projects. Currently I have OTN :-

Great American Aran Afghan (I am ashamed to say this was being knitted last November too)

Spider Web shawl from VLT

MS4

Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl

Nativity - just the kings to do now.

Aran Jumper for DS2

Chunky Jumper for DS2

Socks

Crochet hat

and have just signed up for Woolly wormheads mystery hat.

Hopefully I should have made a dint in these projects by December.

Anyone else up for the challenge?

Guess who got a spindle.

Yes, I succumbed at last after seeing all the lovely fibre on various blogs . The spindle was from the Yarn Yard with some lovely fibre as packaging too. The fibre I spun here was part of the hipknits project club, and was intended to make felt beads.

Its a bit thick and thin and isnt spun very tightly in places but I am so proud that I made it.

Its a mystery !!!!!!!!!!

Yes, its been a month since I blogged, I have spent all last month working on 3 mystery shawl KALs.

I started the Goddess Knits anniversary shawl in July, but have been knitting it on and off, finally got to the edging this month to discover this

yes, I ran out of yarn 5/6 of the way around the edge, think I will have to frog the edging and reknit it in a contrast yarn, I have about 40g of black Jaggerspun zephyr which should do.

I have also been working on Secret of the stole III, I am knitting this in Baruffa cashwool, in denim

This is clue 4 just finished, I am behind on this as clue 8 has just come out, however I am hoping to have this finished by the end of the month.
I am also taking part in MS4, using yarn from ebay, I have done up to clue 3 so far and clue 5 has just come out

I also took part in a swap on the crafty threads n yarns forum and got a lovely package from Linz, I was very well stalked as she had read somewhere that I love the gingerbread men that you get from Greggs in Yorkshire.

The socks are monkeys in opal prisma and fit perfectly.

I crossed the finish line

Well the ravelympic knitting got done, finished the socks and the February lady sweater just before the finishing ceremony.

After all that I was all knitted out for a couple of days. still slowly knitting the Goddess knits mystery shawl, now 4 rows from the edging. I have also joined Secret of the Stole III, just finished clue 1, hoping to get clue 2 finished this week before clue 4 is published on Friday. I'm using Lane Borgeosa cashwool in a denim shade from stash for this.

For respite from all the lace I knitted a hot water bottle cover, again using stash yarn -2 x 50g balls of Knitpicks telemark. Pattern was with last months Knitting magazine, its in the artesano supplement.

It's now hidden in my younger sons bed, where his big brother cant find it. I can see me knitting another soon to stop any arguments.

olympic knitting

Currently I am taking part in the ravelympics on Ravelry, the aim is to cast on during the opening ceremony and finish before the closing ceremony. I am knitting the February Lady sweater for team Mission Possible 2008 (replacing the vine leaf cardi on my list) and a pair of socks for team Scots can do it too. No pictures at present as I cant find the camera, so will post pictures at a later date.

More GAAA squares

Well here are the rest of the GAAA squares I have knitted so far.

I also knitted this wee cardigan in James C Brett Marble in Marble DK for my friends wee girl, the pattern is the Albert coat from 'The Knit Stitch' by Sally Melville.

GAAA

Been knitting squares on the Great American aran afghan. I was hoping to have this finished by christmas so will have to do a square a week.

The Goddess knits anniversary mystery shawl is still coming on slowly, up to row 34 now on clue 4, and it looks like a blue blob. I still have 75 g of yarn left so not even half way yet.

Slowly knitting

No pics today as blogger is playing up on this computer, cant upload pics
The Goddess knits mystery shawl is coming on slowly, on clue D and done 14 rows (out of 96), this will take a while.

I have also realised that I have to dig the Great American Aran Afghan out of hibernation and do a square a week if I have any hope of finishing this year, will post the first pics of my squares next week. (blogger permitting)

Woolfest Goodies

Well, I am just back from woolfest having spent a fantastic 2 days there. Here is everything I got.

Collected my Yarn forward sub , got the skein of laceweight for resubscribing and got 3 back issues as a present for a friend.

Collected my Hipknits project club bag, I asked Kerrie if I could collect it from her at woolfest rather than getting the refund, the yarn is lovely, going to have fun making beads this holiday with my kids too.

Got an Ilga Lega pattern from KCG trading along with a tape measure, and a booklet on broomstick crochet from another stall.

Got 800g deep purple 50%wool 50% acrylic, some of this is destined for the above Ilga Lega pattern.

Various yarns destined to be socks.

Sock yarn from the Yarn Yard (I also ordered 3 skeins of merino tencel in porage but as n only had 2 of each shade at the show, they will arrive later.

3 balls of wool and knitting needles for my younger son, he wants me to teach him to knit. He has already found a project bag to keep it all in. I think I will get him to knit strips then we will make them into a pencil case.

Goddess knits mystery shawl, clue 2

Started this last week, using Cherry Tree Hill merino lace from stash, clue 1 was pattern A, clue 2 was pattern B

Hipknits silk cardi finished

The hipknits project club silk cardi is finished, and heres a close up of the fairisle pattern. I modified it slightly by doing one band of 2 rows on contrast rather than 2 single rows between each fairisle band.

8 months early or 4 months late?

Well, these are the shepherds as part of the nativity I'm knitting, they are made using left over sock yarn, think these are mostly the blue stripy colourway in sirdar town and country.

Need to knit some more bright socks now so I have more leftovers to make the kings, got some opal neon lined up for my next socks.

My first fairisle attempt.

Well, I am finally up (or should that be down) to the colourwork on the hipknits silk cardi. Here is progress so far

and here is a close up of the fairisle.

I am really enjoying knitting with the silk now, think I could get used to luxury yarns,

slowly knitting

Still here and progressing slowly. Central park hoodie needs one sleeve and the button band, and the hipknits cardi is halfway down the raglan shaping. Hope to have the CPH finished by next Saturday but we shall see, not looking forward to all the button band ribbing.

I also bought my first yarn for 2 1/2 months, some black crochet cotton, now I am busy making a shrug for my duaghter.

4 ply shawl, CPH and Hipknits silk cardi

Finished the 4 ply baby shawl, this is for a friend who's daughter is expecting a baby in summer. Wasnt difficult, just repetitive and seemed to take forever.

I also cast on for Central park hoodie, think everyone seems to have knit one, Its going well so far, here is the progress on the back

The latest installment of hipknits project club also came, silk to make a short sleeved fairisle cardi. This is the first top down cardi I have tried, and the first time knitting with silk. You can see my progress in the bottom right of the picture

Sweet pea shawl

Pattern from 'Happy Hooker' made using SWTC oasis, one of my Mission Possible projects, started as a clapotis, then frogged and transformed into this.

Lace,lace, lace revisited

Well, the 3 lace projects from the start of the year are now all completed.

This is the bobbin lace I was doing, finished and sewn onto a hanky, this is for my Mum for Mother's day so I hope she doesn't read this until Sunday

This is Della from Hipknits, took nearly 6 months, the first time I have knitted with such fine laceweight, I really like it now its blocked

This is the Wildflover shawl knitted in Posh yarn, a very simple knit, I did a different edging

Knitted animals

Mum knitted these chicks with a creme egg inside to be sold at church to raise money for youth activities. This is the 3rd year she's done this so think its now a tradition. Here's the pattern for those of you that are interested.
Using DK yarn and size 3.75mm needles cast on 26 stitches.
Work 8 rows in garter stitch (each row knit)
Increase a stitch at the beginning of next 6 rows (32 sts) Cast off 10 st at beginning of following 2 rows (12 sts)
Work 8 rows garter st
Cut yarn leaving 12" -18", tread yarn through loops on needle and pull tight.
You can sew eyes and beak on now or when it is seamed up, (sew down head, across cast off sts and down to cast on sts).when it is seamed up place toy stuffing or a cotton wool ball in the head and insert egg in, you may need to work a couple of sts into cast on edge if the eggs are loose (depending on how tight you cast on)

This pony purse was crocheted from all my leftover aran acrylic for my niece, thers a bag of dolly mixtures in it. The pattern was from here She has loads of cute patterns.

This was bunny purse from the latest issue of Yarn Forward, this is for my nephew and also has dolly mixtures in its tum.

Della is now finished and is blocking so hope to have pictures soon.

Hipknits project socks done

Finished the socks today, they are lovely and soft and the pattern was a good one to knit, this was only my second pait of toe up socks and the first with a heel flap done toe up so I am pleased with how they worked out.

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Mission possible

Joined the Mission Possible group on Ravelry at the start of this month, the aim is to pick 12 things from your stash to knit up and if they aren't done by 31 December then you have to donate the yarn, my 12 are in my side bar, I have finished 2 of the list, halfway through the hipknits socks and 4 squares (out of 24) of the aran afghan done but still have a few large items in there so hoping it all gets done. If not, then next year will begin with a yarn give away.

Knitting from stash for me.

This is an einstein coat, pattern in 'the Knit stitch' by Sally Melville. It was started in September then put to one side, but picked it up last week and got it finished. Very easy to knit as its all garter stitch with minimal sewing and cosy to wear too. Knitted in Sirdar bonus chunky thats been in stash for a year.

Knitting from stash

Girls cardigan size 5-6 for my niece

barbie trousers and calorimetry headscarf from knitty, made as pattern but in 4ply sock wool using 3.25 mm needles, both are for my niece.

The wildflower shawl is blocked too, but no pics yet, della has ground to a halt, I'm knitting a cardi for myself for this cold weather

lace, lace, lace

This is the lace pillow I brought back from my Mums, havent touched it for 20 years but hoping to finish this hanky edging this year.

This is Della, from Hipknits project club, I am now ready to knit the border, done an extra repeat of main shawl and still have loads of yarn left.

This is the wildflower shawl in Posh yarn, pattern from posh yarn site, but the border is from VLT. It just needs blocking