Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny once again.

Knitting and reading, two of the very best ways to relax and enjoy.

Still beavering away on the gift makes, so many done, yet still more to do. This is the cowl I'm working on for middle big girl, to match with the mitts and hat previously shown. I'm making it up as I go so hoping it will be ok:

Actually it's a bit risky all this top of the head creating, there's already been a few ripped back pieces. Maybe sticking to a proven pattern would help speed things up a little more......

Reading......well that hasn't happened so much the past week. Books still open include Anger and Oliver, as previously blogged, but no further into. I have gotten a few pages further into the one shown though but knitting is at the fore with only a few weeks to go!

Also on the needles are the ribbed scarf of biggest littlie, and the gloves for the man, which have both stayed the same since last mentioned. I could always give the man the one glove to keep the chain holding hand warm whilst walking Saffi. The other hand is always in his pocket anyway......

Off for a quick look at what you're all working on before it's back to the cowl again.

And thank you for your comments last week, about replying to other blog posts. I think I might have to be a bit stricter this week and make sure I only have a quick look at other posts, I have so much knitting and so little time, although I would love to be able to spend the time enjoying every ladst post.....

-x-

Did you see....?

I have added a new page to the blog. 

Did you spot it up there just below the header?

I thought I would use it as a safe little storage space for the patterns I think I will use again, because storing them in my head is just not going to work is it?

And because they are so quick(ish) and easy I thought you might like to use them too!

So, a seasonal gift to you all ;)

Right, back to the needles (one little girlie is sleeping on the sofa - wow, that hasn't happened this early in over a month, best make the most of it!!).

-x-

Many hands.......

If only I had all the hands to fit the projects I have finished this weekend! I would fly through the gift makes I still have to start :)

The Hitchhiker is no longer middle big girls yule gift, I just couldn't face the idea of having to knit up a matching hat and gloves in the KC Riot, it is such a fine DK it would take me all of the time I have from now to Christmas! Instead I cast on these on Saturday evening:

Middle big girl wants gloves she can wear whilst driving and thinks fingerless would work better, and she loves all the chunky cable designs that are everywhere in the shops right now. These worked up really quickly on chunky/bulky weight yarn and used just under 100g for both. And best of all I used stash wool, the Patons Symphony found at a car boot sale during the early summer, so super pleased.

I also managed to finish the bubble rib scarf for biggest girl this weekend:

 Worked in Stylecraft aran so that I wouldn't hear the news that she had shrunken it (last years pure wool Mirasol gift....!) this scarf has taken forever. I have picked up between other makes and tried to squeeze in at least one repeat every night, but this weekend I decided I just had to get it done as I was avoiding my knitting corner altogether to avoid this looking back at me. Very pleased with the finished result though and I hope biggest girl is too. Just a pair of gloves to complete the set.

But instead of casting on the gloves (still have the mans on the needles and one pair is enough for now!), I cast on an instant gratification knit:

Thick warm chunky soft mittens for tallest, smallest big girl. Worked in Wendy Serenity super chunky on 10mm straight needles, these were finished almost as soon as I cast them on. I used this pattern to make this an almost mindless knit, perfect for late night tiredness, waiting for littlest girlie to sleep. If you're thinking of using this pattern I have to tell you there is an error in row 10 and 11 which is easily sorted, but if you have any problems shout out.

And last, but only for now, I cast on this hat for middle big girl, to go with the fingerless mitts from the very first post:

I came up with the pattern to match the cable mitts and I'm very, very pleased with it :) I think it may even become the hat of the season, with one for grandgirlie, and maybe even littlest girlie too. Cast on, knit, and cast off all within an hour or two, just perfect for a quick gift. I may try writing up the pattern if anyones interested?

I still have a pretty long list to work through but it finally feels as I'm getting somewhere. And right now I only have three projects cast on, I wonder how long that will last?

Hope you're all enjoying your Christmas crafting and NOT putting yourselves under pressure to complete. It's fun first of all, remember ;) And I'll be the first to shout out when I've had enough!

-x-

Cable headband

Chunky Cable headband.

Using 10mm needles and super chunky/super bulky yarn (I used Araucania Limari) cast on 4sts using cable cast on (this gives a slightly firmer edge but you can use any cast on you prefer).

Increase section

Row 1:  k1, p1, k1, p1

Row 2:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, k1, p1, inc 1 in last st.

Row 3:  *P1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 4:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, p1, k1, p1, k1, inc 1 in last st

Row 5:  *k1, p1, rep from *to end

Row 6:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, inc 1 in last st

Row 7:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 8:  Inc 1 in 1^st st, *p1, k1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 9:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Row 10: Inc 1 in 1^st st, *k1, p1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 11: *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Row 12: Inc 1 in 1^st st, *p1, k1, rep from * to last st, inc 1 in last st

Row 13: *k1, p1, rep from * to end

You now have 16sts

Commence cable pattern

Cable pattern row 1:  p1, k1, p1, k2, p6, k2, p2, k1

Cable pattern row 2:  k1, p1, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, bring yarn to front of work p2, k6, p2, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, k1, p1

Cable pattern row 3:  As cable pattern row 1

Cable pattern row 4:  As cable pattern row 2

Cable pattern row 5:  As cable pattern row 1

Cable pattern row 6:  K1, p1, holding yarn at back of work sli k.wise, bring yarn to front of work p2, C6B, p2, holding yarn at back of work sl1 k.wise, k1, p1

Cable pattern row 7:  As row 1

Cable pattern row 8:  As row 2

These 8 rows form cable pattern. Repeat cable pattern 7 times more then first 2 rows of cable pattern once more.

Decrease section

Decrease row 1:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 2:  p2tog, *k1, p1, rep from * to last 2sts, k2tog

Decrease row 3:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 4:  k2tog, *p1, k1, rep from * to last 2sts, p2tog

Decrease row 5:  *p1, k1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 6:  p2tog, *k1, p1, rep from * to last 2 sts, k2tog

Decrease row 7:  *k1, p1, rep from * to end

Decrease row 8:  k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k1, lift p.st over last k st on right needle, p1, lift k. st over last p.st on right needle, (2 st cast off), k1, p2tog

Decrease row 9:  p1, k1, p1, cast on 2sts, k1, p1, k1

Decrease row 10: p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog

Decrease row 11: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1,

Decrease row 12: k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k2tog

Decrease row 13: p1, k1, p1, k1

Cast off final 4 sts.

Weave in ends and attach button.

But I said I would give away one handknit, from beautiful Araucania wool didn't I? Sixteen names, multiple entries for being a follower or sharing a link, so a long list of names to turn into numbers. How? Well I assigned all comments a number, then I added you onto the list again if you were a follower, and then yet again if you had mentioned that you had linked to the giveaway. This gave me a list of 30 in total, so off to Random.Org I went. And the number that popped up?

Five

Otherwise known as......

Claire from Simply...Life!

So Claire if you email me via the address up on the top right I will get your headband into the post asap.

Thanks everyone for all your comments and I hope the pattern above is compensation for not winning :)

-x-

Never wasted..

You know how sometimes you see something and it just brings back lovely memories? Well I spotted some lovely, yarn on Ebay and kept watching and watching, determined that I didn't want it, I just liked to look at it. And as the hours ticked down I tried hard not to bid, really I did. But right at the final seconds I gave in and tapped in my bid. With baited breath I watched the sale end, and yay, you know it, I won! A week later a package arrived. I carefully cut it open and inside was my lovely bundle of yarn.
Want a peek?

Such pretty, cutesy colours, reminders of knitting with Nan many years ago. This yarn is long, long discontinued, Marriner's Heritage 3ply pure wool, full of  vintage loveliness. And included in the parcel was a beginning, started by someone else, at some time gone by, and no longer wanted. I wonder what the story is behind this unfinished project? The stitches are so delicate, the colours, so bright, the pattern so pretty, I wonder why it was never continued? 

Idea's for this yarn whilst awaiting it's delivery ran through my mind, all being brushed aside now on sight of that little piece of knitting. Should I take the design and use it for a pretty cushion, or perhaps a scarf. Or maybe I should carry on that project, the size looks about right for a jumper for the girlie. And before you start wondering how I could get far with that little selection of yarn then let me show you, it wasn't just that tiny selection. Oh no, it was all of this:

13 misty blue, 5 coral rose and 4 leaf green.

Oooh what a lucky yarn lover was I?

And if you were watching this yarn, bidding on it even, then oops, sorry, but hey at least you know you weren't alone in appreciating it's prettiness ;)

So what would you do with this lovely, old, possibly never found again yarn? 

Idea's on a postcard :)

-x-

PS - don't forget to leave your comment to be in with a chance of getting this little winterwarmer/handmade gift.

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny again.

Very quick today as I have a long afternoon ahead of me in work (training, so sitting on bum for a long while...)

Should have been sharing progress on the double rib scarf from the previous post but seeing as it's already ripped back after 12cms then there's no photo to show ;) I am going back to it later but have decided on bigger needles and a 4x4 rib instead for a little more flexibility.

Instead I could show progress on the bubble rib scarf for Emma, only that looks exactly as it did last time, only longer, 120cms now, woohoo, the end is in sight.

So what to share today?

How about these, my top secret, middle of the night knits - gloves for the man!

Apologies for the poor photo quality once again, this home barely gets any natural light through the shorter days.

Reading this week, well again, pretty much the same as last time, but with this book added in. Lot's of different ideas for makes by little people, planning all our Christmas crafting sessions and checking that we have in all the essentials we will need. 

I love this last week of November, the anticipation of a funfilled month ahead, don't you?

Oh, a question too. When you read all these lovely yarn along posts do you feel obliged to leave a reply to every one? Or is that just me? I always feel that if you have been kind enough to open up a little part of your life to me, then I should show my appreciation. Even if it takes several days now to read through all those posts.....

Happy yarning everyone.

-x-

And on and on and on and on..........

Scarf knitting!

Seems a good idea in theory, maybe less so in reality, huh?

Finished knitting the hat for Owen, plain and simple, all in red, just like the one he showed me:

Matching gloves, quick and easy and all in red again:

Oh dear, another awful picture. And they aren't really that twisted honest, besides, what's the point in blocking something that's going to be a snug enclosed fit anyway?

And then it's the turn of the scarf. Still wanting all red, and just like a big boys, so double rib it is. 

Hmm, maybe if I'm really good Santa might bring me a decent camera?

44sts, k2, p2 repeat, 4mm needles..............not a lot else to say is there? 

Fun - no. 

Enjoyable - no comment. 

Mindless - too right. 

Ah well, perfect for knitting whilst watching Harvey. 

Oh what a party girl I am :)

And for when the scarf knitting gets too much....I can flit back to the other one, 90cms done, the same left to do. Gah, winter knits....

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the much quicker, and prettier, winter knit. Pattern being written and hopefully posted by the end of the week.

Enjoy creating everyone.

-x-

Sharing the love.....a giveaway!

Time to move Nan down the page. It's been lovely having her smiling at me each time I logged into these pages. Only thing is I didn't want to move her by posting a new entry. But then it has to be done at some point so how better than sharing some bloggy love?

Inspired by my incredible good fortune at winning Lucy's recent lovely giveaway, I thought I would host a little giveaway of my own. So what could I come up with that you might want? Well it's turning cold here so just the time for something warm and cosy. The time for gifting is also just about here and so I thought something that would make a great stocking filler if you don't want to keep to yourself. And because I so enjoy all your lovely comments I wanted to share something special I have been holding onto for a while.

So here we are a little something crafted from a favourite part of the stash, a yarn that has waited so long for inspiration to hit:

Araucania Limari super bulky 70% merino, 20% alpaca, 10% silk

Only one 100g hank of this in the stash so very much enjoyed for it's softness, and colours, and for the ideas it brought forth.

And so today I grabbed the needles and settled to work. 

Do you want to see what I came up with? 

Of course you do....

What do you think?

Would you like to feel the softness and warmth of this beautiful yarn keeping your ears and head cosy and snug? 

Would you like to own a very much in style but one off accessory?

Or do you know of a special person who might like to find this in her stocking on Christmas morning?

And a big button to combat that annoying habit wool has of stretching over wear.....simply move the button further along! Clever huh?

For your chance of getting your hands on this then all you need do is leave a comment after this post. Open to all who read. If you're a follower then you get a double entry, so go on click that follow button :) If you want to share this giveaway with your own blog readers then link away, and if you do and come back to let me know I'll throw your name in the hat yet again. Hmmm, when to draw? How about one week from today - Sunday 27th November?

The pattern for the headband came straight from my imagination so this is truly a one off although I will be writing the pattern up shortly if there's any interest so if you aren't lucky enough to win you could still make your own in just an hour or two.  Oooh the joys of super bulky yarns......

Beginnings.

A look back today at how I came to love yarning crafts.

My paternal Grandmother, my Nan, Marian Culshaw nee Churchill. The lady who gave me a safe haven through a harsh childhood, and with whom, as a young teen, I spent many lovely weekends in knitting companionship in front of a blazing fire. Thank you Nan for your love and for sharing a lifelong passion.

23 years ago,our oldest child being cuddled by her already devoted paternal Grandad. Wrapped in a mama knit cardigan in garter stripes of yellow and white acrylic yarn. Many hours were spent by this 16 year old mama-to-be knitting up item after item of warm cosiness for the firstborn child. 

Our firstborn boy, wrapped in yet more mama knit loveliness, big fluffy hats and bobbly cardigans.

And the fourthborn child,  dressed up in yet more mama made labours of love.

I won't apologise for the poor quality of the photo's, they are old, and re-photographed, I read you shouldn't scan old photo's because of the harsh light? Precious memories all entwined with a wonderful crafting journey.

-x-

Yarn along.

Yarning along with Ginny once more.

Knitting and reading, enjoyable  ways to spend those moments relaxing.

This week I finally found my copy of the last issue of "The Mother" magazine. It arrived the morning of the big Autumn clean and ended up tidied into suitcase of prefold nappies??? A nice surprise to come across it yesterday and to delve between the covers of this conscious parenting, gentle, thoughtprovoking magazine.

Also reading our favourite autumn book "The Lost Acorns" from the Percy the Parkkeeper series. Much enjoyed and read several times a week just now. Also reading another family favourite "Brave Bitsy and the Bear" a story of the changing of autumn into winter and then into spring, and the animals who live through the change.

On the needles, well, what can I say? The pink scarf is growing slowly, a few repeats each night. I have cast on the Multnomah and then stopped, to be picked up again tomorrow on my train ride between bases. The crochet mega blanket - well that is as was. I did finish the garter stitch cardigan from last time, blogged about earlier in the last post I think? And the socks - they are still hiding in their project bag. 

The photo shows the latest cast on - a winter hat for Owen. He asked for red, I'm not so sure? The red is a nice deep red but I would like it to have a little more colour added. I'll have to think some more before I go much further.

So that's about it for this weeks yarn along, time to take a peek at your lovely projects and interesting reads.

-x-

Finishing again.

Ooh, two finished projects in one week, steaming ahead!

This one isn't strictly a gifting one though, although I may well make it a part of a seasonal gift outfit, depending on how things go.......

The girlie suddenly hates to pose:

And yes, I cropped this photo! The mess on the chair is enough, I'm not showing you the mess around the rest of the room too!

Gah! These photo's are awful!

Haha, wouldn't you know, the camera just went flat so I can't upload the only decent photo!Hmm, maybe I should have finished here rather than updating Rav too?

This cardi was lovely to work on, the yarn is supersoft but the pattern very quickly became boring. A super easy pattern for a beginner knitter, just cast on, garter stitch and cast off, with some picking up of stitches to create the body. The sleeves and yoke were worked sideways with some casting on and off to form the neck opening but no other shaping at all. If you can knit a scarf you can knit this cardi!!

Technical details on my Ravelry page (ooh, can you tell I'm still loving having finally "got" Ravelry?), but for those of you who haven't joined up, or are awaiting your invite, then here you go:

Pattern - LionBrand Sideways yoke cardgan. (Have you checked out LionBrands pattern database? Lots of free knit and crochet patterns for a simple login).

Yarn - Rowan RYC Wool Tweed (aran weight) 4x50g with only 15g left over.

Needles - 6mm (yarn states 5.5mm and the pattern states 5mm with a different yarn but to get the right tension I had to use the 6mm).

Difficulty level - super easy!
Size - a generous 2 years I would guess.

Issues - The neck seems a little "gapey", maybe I'll add a collar or trim it somehow?

Would I make again? - Yes I probably will, maybe a more sunshine toned one for the spring as I think it would make a great cardi for those days when it is too warm for a coat but still nippy.

So yay, another project done and dusted, and I can get back to the gifting makes again. I still have lots of hats and scarves to get started yet.............if I can remain undistracted by pretty shawls :)

-x-

Sharing.........

....the blogging love.

So many, lovely, crafty, inspiring blogs out there isn't there? And being a mama to a teething, two year old means I am awake into the wee small hours when the only peaceful, quiet, relaxing thing to do (with said two year old snuggled up close) is to look for ever more inspiring places. As well as hoping that my favourite bloggers are just about to hit post on their screen and share a little more of their crafting adventures with me........

So I thought I would randomly pick three of my favourite blogs of the moment and share them with you, just in case you haven't seen them before.

First up is Claire who writes Simply...Life and who has recently detailed a very exciting project where she hopes to recreate a much admired store bought dress using all her spinning and knitting skills to end up with the ultimate local, ethical, and beautiful piece of clothing.

Next is a blogger I have mentioned before, Sarah, who writes at Knits and Crosses. Sarah knits and sews beautifully but even more inspiring are her gorgeous handwoven scarfs and other creations. And incredibly, Sarah only acquired her loom this year, yet she weaves as if she has been doing it forever. Check out her lovely yarn and BINLINER clutch bags......amazing!

Third up is Lucy from Lucy in the Sky, who spins, knits, crochets, and includes lots of lovely recipes in her blog too. I would love to be close enough to pop round to Lucy's home, watch her spin, and enjoy one of her delicious cakes or cookies! And if you pop over to Lucy's this week you can join in her wonderful giveaway of a scarf pattern and enough yarn to crochet it. Lovely yarn too, in fact I just used it for my little girlie's hoodie so a little bias going on ;)

So there we are three of my very favourite blogs for you all to spend even more time following. Now wouldn't it be a great idea if you all listed your top three crafty blogs to help me the rest of us while away those sleepless late nights?

-x-

Sometimes.......

.....I finish things too!

After sharing so many started projects, I thought I'd better show a finished one too :)

Remember the big hat I told you about? The yule gift for biggest girl?
How difficult is it to get a decent photo of a beret when it's not on a head?

First I tried a pumpkin:

And then the rest of the yarn pretended to be a head:

And I gave up on the crown and allowed it to look like a pancake:

So there we go, a finished project, and it's not cheating to show it now even though technically I could have shown nearly a fortnight ago, is it?

Right, back to the knitty business. And shhh, I'm off to check Ebay too.....

-x-

Oh dear me....

Many months ago I spotted a lovely project on this blog. I admired it, went back for a second and third look, and knew that one day I would make the very same. And then I forgot about it. Recently I was busily working away on the laptop, ok, really, I was browsing through Ravelry, you know that, and I came across the same pattern once more. So I saved it and knew that I would knit this very beautiful thing, for myself, immediately after the festive season was over. Skip forward a few weeks and I found the lovely KnitPicks yarn on Ebay and knew it would be perfect for my lovely project. And because it would be so perfect I couldn't decide a colour so bought three different shades. As you do. So browsing through the YarnAlong posts yesterday I discovered a post featuring my lovely project, and it was knitted in one of those very shades of the lovely yarn I had so recently acquired. Well that's got to be fate right? So last night I gave in to it, picked my shade and wound the skein into a workable ball of scrummy yarn.

Hayride

Just getting prepared you see for when the festive makes were through. Yes, I would be already to go. In fact so ready that I cast on. And so here we are. No further done on the festive makes, and another project added to yesterdays list.

Well didn't someone once say "a girl can never have too many shoes"? For me it's projects on the go, obviously. But there is a redeeming feature to this latest project......it's a train knit, yippee! I haven't a little portable knit since the Hitchhiker, well socks are ok I suppose but a bit awkward to work on whilst chatting to that stranger across the seat who wants to tell you what a great knitter his/her mum was, and how they wished they'd learned, and is it cheaper to knit your own? Yeah right,you'd better stck to just wishing you knit then........

-x-

Yarn along.

Sharing with Ginny's Yarn Along posts again.

Knitting and reading, my two best ways to know me.

So after finishing the Shalom I  thought I would have to share the scarf of little progress, or the stalled Granny Stripe mega blanket. So I collected the project bags and prepared to share. The Granny stripe has, as I said, stalled completed and is exactly as last shown so I won't bore you with you a photo of that. The scarf is looking like this:

It's looking a little longer - right?

And then I opened up another bag and found this:

Green lacy socks, on the needles forever. And no, I'm not part exing my old chair for £250, it's the back of the pattern magazine, hmm, advertisement targetting?

Before opening the final bag and remembering this:

A garter stitch something for Heather.

So I did have something to share after all!

Reading, well, still The Green Buddha, and still only a few pages in. Oliver Twist is still in the kitchen being read a page or two at a time, and another booke opened is Anger, something I feel the need to return to once again just recently. This is one of those books that needs to be kept, and remembered, when the dark clouds show, wise words always needed and to be remembered.

So what are you making and reading this lovely wednesday morning?

-x-

And it is a.................

Shalom!

So KnittingNix, Julie and Sarah, you win the Ravelry Geek award, and Dawn and Karisma, well, you had a guess..... ;)

This has been a lovely, speedy knit, despite the poor picture doing it a great injustice. I'm certain Emma will like it, a feeling backed by both her big little sisters. I still need to block it and find a button I like, but I just wanted to share with you after keeping it a very shortlived secret.

I used exactly 2.5 skeins of the Sirdar Denim Chunky so I had plenty left despite the initial worries. No idea why I thought it would use a lot more, maybe because it's a chunky and I didn't counter in that no sleeves meant a good two skein saving? The yarn suggests 6.5mm needles whereas the pattern asks for 7mm so as I knit slightly under tension much of the time I decided to go with the 7mm. Having finished I think I should have gone with the 6.5mm as the knit is fairly loose, although not loose enough to be a problem. Also I think I would have preferred it with buttons down the ribbed yoke rather than just one at the neck but then Emma will probably prefer it this way. When I was working down the main body I began to think that sleeves would be kind of nice too but I had already cast off the arm openings so I didn't want to go back and start messing about, although I guess it would have been simple enough..... Again I know Emma likes layering short sleeves over long so she should be happy with sleeveless.

So it's blocking now and waiting for it's nice big button to be stitched in place, rather than that knitpro that's currently holding it together.

Would I knit another? Definitely yes. But if for me then with the mods already mentioned.

Technical details:

Pattern - Shalom, found on Ravelry

Yarn - Sirdar Denim Chunky 2.5 skeins

Needles - one 7mm circular

Size - pattern states 34" bust I think, I would say this came out around a large 10/12.

Difficulty - simple. Top down, worked in one piece, some mid-row cast ons, a few simple psso decreases and make one increases,  but basically stocking stitch, garter stitch and twisted rib.

Adjustments - I shortened the body by stopping at the penultimate increase row and then starting the garter stitch border. The pattern states this was designed for a 6' tall woman and Emma is only 5'2" and she likes her cardi's to be on the shorter side anyway. Having said that even if I had worked exactly to the pattern it wouldn't have been much longer, maybe only just on the hips anyway?

So there we have it - mystery knit revealed, now back to the scarf......or the socks......or maybe something using that lovely KnitPicks yarn I received last week?

-x-

Phew!

Well the time consuming section of this knit is done at last. 

Can you work out what it is yet?

It's a free pattern on Ravelry, and it's for my biggest girl. (So if you follow regularly you will know that I have already knitted her a slouchy hat and that I'm working my way along the matching scarf). 

Go on, have a guess:

And double phew - I just discovered another skein of this yarn trying to pretend it was Sirdar Click. So I started with what I thought was five skeins, had you all finger crossing for me, and now I have only just joined in the second skein whic means I still have almost five skeins left! So you can all uncross your fingers now, that should be way more than enough. (Thanks all and a special thanks to Jacqui for offering surplus stash x).

Right back to it. it's a very addictive pattern you know :)

-x-

Fingers crossed.......

...that the five skeins of Sirdar Denim chunky I acquired at a car boot sale many months ago will be enough for the project I have just cast on:

Because if it's not then I'll be doing a lot of ripping back! I got just a little bit bored with the scarf, but I will get back to it. It's a long way off till yule isn't it?

-x-

A teeny little parcel....

filled with yarny goodness:

Knitpicks Stroll sock yarn in Hayride.

Knitpicks Stroll sock yarn in Frosting

KnitPicks Stroll sock yarn in Ponyride.

Oh Ebay, you swayed me. But then, it's gifting time and what lovely makes these yarns can become.

So maybe I should get back to the needles.....

-x-

Yarn along.

Joining in once more with Ginny over at small things.

My favourite "me-time" activities, or rather, the me-time I can grab whilst small people are eating, sleeping, playing happily.

Awful picture quality - my camera battery is flat AGAIN and my mobile isn't great for photo's.....but it rings and calls so good for me :)

Reading this week - Oliver Twist, the study guide edition. I have never read the original version of this book, only the child-friendly, heavily adapted versions. More darkness evident from the very first page. This is my kitchen read, whilst stirring soups, eating supper whilst children sleep and such times.

On the needles is yet another gift, a scarf to go with the hat I made Emma but haven't yet revealed. This pattern is in my head and I'm hoping it goes well with the hat which is a simple rib and stocking stitch beret.

Off to browse more yarn-alongs and gather inspiration.

-x-

Well.........

Ravelry.............Loving it!

Finally got "it" after being there for over two years, hence no time for an update today :)

Find me over there as Bexbistle, although I'm a work in progress just yet!

-x-