At last!

I have a finished thing!

But first I just want to say a huge thank you for the offers of help in response to my last post. We have had some very kind offers of help across the web and Jen is so grateful. She really didn't imagine that virtual strangers friends would help so greatly.I haven't posted in over a week as I wanted to keep that message up as long as possible but we have had so many lovely offers that i think I can safely allow to glide down the page. I will keep you updated with how things go :)

So back to the finished thing.

It started off like this many weeks ago:

The one on the left! ArwenMakes hand dyed sock

And then it became this:

The one at the top.

Two different sized needles started it growing:

The increase section moving along nicely

And then several weeks of a row here and there turned it into this:

Just one more icord edging to go

Before finally, last night, it became this:

Sallah cowl by Bristol Ivy

The whole thing is knit by using one 3.75mm needle and one 6mm needle alternating the rows. It is a lovely twisted rib pattern knit on a bias so there is an increase and decrease on every other row. The twisted knit is created by knitting into the back of every knit stitch so needs a fair amount of looking and feeling to make sure the stitch is taken up properly. The yarn itself is wonderful to work with. A splitty yarn would have had me tearing at my hair but this yarn is so smooth and quite soft. The twist is gentle so it runs through the fingers nicely and the colour....well, what can I say? The colour is amazing. A deep pinky red with lighter pinky orange tones running through, and a lovely silver sparkle throughout. You have to see it to appreciate what a great job Sarah has made of dyeing it. I am trying so hard to stay away from her Etsy store and splurging on gorgeous yarn that I really can't afford right now...or even have time to use!! In fact the only issue I have with the whole cowl is that it is not as drapey as the pattern shots imply, knit to gauge it is quite a snug fit with only a little drape, far less than it seems on the pattern page. Also it states after shaping to knit the main body until the left side measures 17 inches. Well my left side was almost that before I even started the main body! I did think of keeping on knitting until the piece seemed a reasonable length before starting the decreases but wonderful Ravelry came up with a Sallah cowl KAL group where it was suggested that working 64 rows (16 pattern repeats) made more sense as that would give a total of 156 rows, the same number as the amount of stitches to be picked up for the icord edging. This worked out just perfectly. The icord edging was a doddle to work and really sets off the finish on the cowl, it's definitely one I would use again.

Thanks Owen, for doing what your Dad didn't ;)

So that's another one for the gifting box then, time to knit up a couple of cardi's for the soon to be here baby bump, and some bits and bobs for Jen's stall. Oh and another Sallah cowl for the lovely man only in a darker shade and far less sparkle ;) Yep, he tried it on and loved it.He wouldn't model though so you'll just have to imagine a 40+ year old guy gruffly stating how great that would be for on the motorbike, whilst wearing a cherry red sparkly cowl......:) Apparently it's a nice snug fit so it will pull nicely up over his lips under the helmet.

I'll try to make it back soon, so taaraa for now.

-x-

PS - did I tell you I have a new addiction? Twitter and Instagram - who'd of thunk it?

I'm mamabex9 on Instagram and Bexmama on Twitter so please come and say hi. Because I want a real reason to be hanging around there, not just to randomly browse strangers posts and pics......

-x-

Procrastinating.....

I set my own challenge right?

One pair of socks.......blah, blah,

So it's only me who can be disappointed, or not, if I don't do it, right?

So why did I fib about SSS? Of course I have it. I haven't even thought about casting on Old Joe number two. And the mystery knit? Well that's growing. But not as quickly as it should.

But I do have at least one finished object for this month. You know the one skein per month knit? The one that I planned on spreading through till March? Well I couldn't keep from rolling that last skein. Sock yarn is so hard on the fingers don't you find? So, well, thin! But the Manos Silk DK? Sooo soft, sooo silky, sooo lovely to work with. And once it was balled then I had to knit. And knit. And now?

One completed baby blanket blocking nicely. All ready for a spring grandbaby. Slightly envious that little babe will get to be snuggled in all that poor wool and silk squishy softness...... And Jen is under orders to let Granny wash the blanket when needed, well Jen is a bung-it-all-in-together kind of laundry person.

Of course Jen is less concerned about the blanket being knitted on time. There's still the pressing issue of pram shopping to complete. Or even start. Guess the man needs to dust off his wallet ;)

Hmmm, wonder if there's any yarn shops near to the baby goods shop.........

Knitty reading

We found this book in the charity shop quite a while ago and rediscovered it whilst sorting out the bookshelves:

It tells the story of Mr. Nick, who loves to knit on the train in the morning with his friend:

 One morning his friend isn't on the train so he has to knit alone:

He discovers his friend is poorly in hospital so he goes to visit:

She doesn't like it there as there is nothing to see so he has an idea:

He knits their train journey up into a lovely blanket to cheer her up:

And then each morning they can knit together and enjoy the views once again:

Don't you think that's a lovely book?

We do :)

-x-

It's not SSS, honest!

Second sock syndrome - do you suffer with it?

I finished up the first of the Old Joe socks over the weekend. And immediately cast on..........something different! Not going to reveal what just yet, maybe you can guess:

The reverse side, very pretty tight stitch.

The right side,much loopier when gently stretched. This is more like it's true colour.

Love this texture, wouldn't it be great in silver yarn? A perfect chain mail singlet for dressing up. 

Hoping this is a quick make, although it is needing some attention whilst I get on with increasing AND maintaining the pattern.

Hmm, ten days of February left. One skein of baby blanket and one sock done. Plan was for a pair of socks, a skein of blanket, a gift make and a random piece within the month. I'm beginning to think that won't happen.......

-x-

Friday fun and fluff-ups

Fun:

Looking beautiful in big sister's make up

Looking beautiful whilst blowing raspberries

Fluff-ups:

Do you see that KNIT stitch right in the centre of the stocking stitch column...grrr!

OK so it's only one stitch, the photo's taken pretty close up to see it, and only I know it's there - but I KNOW it's there! Hmm, can I ignore it or do I look for a 2mm crochet hook to fix it? At least it's on a stocking stitch section so it'll be easy to do ;) Easier than threading the 140sts of the baby blanket BACK onto the circular needle. Well if you leave your knitting under a magazine, at the bottom of a project bag, at the back of the sofa, then you can't blame a little person for deciding to have a root around......just before she wanders off to do her make up....... :)

And seeing as I have a cherrypicker in my yard and a gang of men on my roof right now I guess a bad stitch and some picked up stitches are the least of things that could go wrong today.......

-x-

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny once again.

This week I have had an elastic baby (see here) so knitting and reading time has been limited to the brief moments when she has been with Daddy or big sisters, or else taking the shortest of catnaps. This means that knitting has to be something mindless, an easy pattern held in my memory, soft silky yarn to soothe my emotions. What suits this purpose? The ongoing baby blanket. I set a target of one skein per month into this project and February's target will soon be met.

Reading? I finished The Woodcutter shortly after posting last week and so I picked up The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. It's quite heavy going though so I have also opened up My Antonia on the kindle. Only thing is every time I settle to read the little elastic girl wakes up......

Hoping to find time for more knitting, reading, and checking out all the yarn along posts but now the little one is calling again :)

-x-

Today was all about......

turning these:

ArwenMakes sparkle sock, Wollmeisse We're different sock, Manos del Uruguay Silk blend DK

into these:

Rubbish colour representation, check above for shade :)

All wound by hand, think I need to get myself a swift and winder.....

but anyhow, now I'm ready for February!

Especially as I finished these at last:

Hard work trying to get a photo of your own feet, especially in slightly too long socks!

Basic ribbed socks in cheapo Cesana Zettl which actually looks pretty nice and feels ok 'ish although a little rough on the hands when knitting 90 rows straight.....

Loving them, nice and masculine, and with a good amount of stretch on my footballers legs! Think one of the males in the family are going to love these too. Now which male to gift them to......?

Sorry for the short and sweet post, bed is finally calling :)

-x-

End of the month

So how did the month go? The plan was - one pair of socks, one gift knit, something for pleasure/wearing/instant gratification and one big knit WIP. Well, yay, I did it! What, you don't believe me? How could I possibly catch up when yesterday I said I hadn't yet cast on the second sock? You want to see? Well here you go......

The gift knit:

Multnomah shawl in KnitPicks Stroll Hayride

The big knit WIP:

One skein worth of baby blanket.

The socks:

Lacy rib socks

Hmmm, not quite got the colour right, try again:

Nice colour and fit don't you think?

The pleasure/wearing/instant gratification knit:

Tofino surfer hat.

What's that you say? I didn't mention working on a couple of those things? And those socks don't look like the ones I blogged yesterday? Well I did start late due to that awful flu illness we all had. And I did say I had a sneaky plan just in case ;)
The Multnomah shawl and the lacy rib socks were both longstanding WIP's found lingering during the stash sort out and relocation. Both cast on many months/years ago but both finally finished earlier this month.
The Tofino surfer hat was cast on at the beginning of the month as a quick make for Heather after her proper winter hat disappeared, although now it has been rehomed with the lovely granddaughter after she tried it on and "loosened" the knit.See how big it was when Heather got it back for a few moments?
The second of the actual January socks is cast on and at round 30 of 90 from the top down, so I'm going to carry on blasting along with them until they're done. Hopefully I'll be at the heel by this evening.....

So anyway, I reckon that's a pretty good first month for my year long goal, don't you?
Back tomorrow with February's hopes and plans.

-x-

Yarn along

Joining in with Ginny over here.

There is only one thing I'm picking up at the moment - the January socks. I think it's a losing battle though, no way I'm going to have the pair complete before the end of the month. Sock one completed last night, sock two shouting to me to cast it on. But as I said earlier - I have a plan......

Current reading - Woodcutter by Kate Danley. I love this book, which is probably why the socks aren't flying along. It's a tale of all the mythical Fae folk and fairytale creatures. A battle to take over the twelve realms of human and magic with only the woodcutter to protect them all. The reviews mention the one dimensionality of the Woodcutter and yet I feel that the lack of emotion and background makes him the ultimate hero, intent only on protecting the kingdom. The story combines all the characters we remember form childhood, Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, but in a very much grown up setting, with a heavy focus on the "dust trade" and it's effects on the senses of human folk. I'm almost at the end of this book though and will be sad to see it's end. Any recommendations for similar tales would be very welcome :)

-x-

Not a present present post

This is so very late isn't it? A Christmas present post! I never did share did I?

You know that all presents given with love are just so wonderful right?So I really didn't mind that no-one picked up on the heavy, heavy hints I left. Yo know - webpages left open on Knit Pro interchangeable sets, a lovely blanket kit from an online store, yeah, you all did the same ;)

But the gifts I did receive were pretty much there.

This came from Helen:

Available here (or Amazon if you don't mind all the tax stuff!)

The commemorative edition too so lots of colour photos - lovely. Guess what I'm hoping February's project will be......

This came from Emma:

Available here

I was clicking through the John Lewis website and mentioned to Helen that it was cute and wouldn't you know it, there it sat on Christmas morning. Really really planning on using this gift and creating a lovely banner for on the mantel wall.

This came from my man himself:

Hmm, did I ever mention my husband also share my OCD type personality traits. Only his manifests itself in the need to obsessively collect things of a type. So it seems he thinks he needs to buy every spinning wheel he sees. He has no idea what he's buying but does have an ultimately trusting personality, hence this wheel DOES spin wool......! Me,well I've not even had a proper look at it yet. Still longing to get to grips with Wee Peggy upstairs when I can loosen the elastic that connects the littlest girlie to me.

Did you all remember to share your crafty gifts?

-x-

Where do you keep yours?

Well I used to keep mine in the living room but it got a bit out of hand :) I had the whole big sideboard, the bureau, a couple of wicker chests and a large decorative leather type box. And of course the basket that lived by my chair. A little unfair of me to keep all that storage to myself wasn't it? So I decided to sort it all out and give up all the storage to the children. The sideboard is now home to the jigsaws, the lego, the meccano, the wooden construction sets and one drawer full of important bits and bobs (purses, phones, keys and that kind of stuff). The bureau is now the children's writing/drawing area, filled with pens, crayons, paper, pencils, stencils and so on. The wicker baskets are home to little girlies teeny toys and the leather kind of box thingy is a nappy/muslin store and sometimes seat.

So where did all my stuff go? I know you know what stuff I'm talking about. My stuff......yarns and fibres and needles and, well, stuff! I'll tell you. It all found a new home on the top landing. 

A whole day spent sorting it out, fitting it into boxes and storing it on these shelves. Aren't I a good girl? All neatly sorted out and yet still so easily accessible. The boxes all contain my yarns, except the bottom two shelves on the right which holds the fibres. If you look closely you can see Owens peg loom, a couple of small weaving frames, and even my lovely spinning wheel (which I really need to get back to now my legs are working again!). The baskets at the bottom is filled with embroidery threads and charts and Aida and all that kind of stuff It all looks a bit boring though doesn't it? I need a good think about how to brighten those boxes up. Ideas anyone?

Oh, maybe I should give you a peek at a little of what is in the boxes:

 

Well except the children of course.Not a good idea to keep them in boxes on a shelf, although sometimes............

As for actually using some of that stuff - well I only just turned the heel on sock one. Not sure I'm even going to finish the first pair  of socks on time for my personal "one pair per month" challenge. Although I do have a sneaky back up plan, shhh! I might have to reveal that in a couple of days ;)

Well they won't get finished if I don't get sleep so I'll wish you all sweet dreams.

-x-

Bringing coals to Newcastle

Or in this case - this to mama:

Knit & stitch weekly collection part one - 99p, part two - 2.50

Helen went shopping a couple of days ago and brought me a present home. Well it was to do with knitting and it had wool! Thats what she said. So I loved it for the fact she bought it but what to do with? Hmmm.....

Well there's a couple of ok patterns 

Helen likes this....I don't!

Would really like to knit John a squishy, warm dog walking jumper (or sweater/pullover depending where you're reading from...)

Cute top, not so sure about the poppered legs- much easier to just pull on and off surely?

Ooh a scarf, a beginners nightmare surely, yards and yards of the same stitch, ESPECIALLY moss(seed) stitch...eek, no thanks!

Ever so slightly scary, maybe good for a very young beginner and the aawwww factor?

See, who needs Ravelry?

The not-so-soft yarn may come in handy for something, and of course I could always do with more hooks and needles.......

And no - not one person picked up the heavy hints at a Knit Pro interchangeable box set over the gifting season :( Oh well, they'll know for my birthday..... :)

To anyone thinking of buying this weekly collection - stop right now. Get yourself a pair of 4mm needles from the local yarn shop, choose a couple of balls of stylecraft or similar DK and go sit in front of youtube for a while. Just search "learn to knit", you'll find exactly the same as on the DVD that accompanied the first issue of this collection. And save yourself 4.50 per week after the initial purchase of yarn and needles! (Did you spot I lost the pound symbol again....?)

Oh and if you're here for the January knitting  update.....the socks are boring progressing. Almost to the heel on the first sock, think I'm going to work two at a time in future. Not sure I want to do this all over again....

Toodle pip everyone, off to do a couple of rows whilst the littlies are playing/eating/snoozing.

-x-

Yarn along

Getting back into things and joining in with Ginny's Yarn Along.

Book - Still with me by Thierry Cohen

Knitting - NapTime baby blanket

So I took this photo last night and wouldn't you know - I went and finished the book straight after. Actually it feels a bit weird to say book when there was no paper in sight! Still, it was a good read, mixing themes of suicide, eternal damnation, religion, and a good old love story but not at all smooshy. I don't do smooshy. It begins with a suicide attempt and unrequited love. A year later the main character wakes up and slowly begins to realise that he has lived an unknown life for a year, suffering total amnesia since his attempt to take his life. The story relates his subsequent awakenings and how he comes to realise what kind of person he is, and the life he brings to others. His awakenings happen at increasingly infrequent periods during which he tries to plot the downfall of his vicious uncaring other self, the self that is around for years at a time. The ultimate theme is the battle between the good and bad in ones self and is played out well. A well recommended read.

The knitting, well that's going well. I've finished the first skein of the Manos Silk, if you read my previous post you'll know that was my January target. Go me. I've realised that there isn't enough to make the blanket to the size expected but never mind, it will still be a decent size. Still loving the yarn, it's so soft and warm. The colour is rubbish on the photo, it's actually cream with pink not the peachy colour it seems! I'm going to put it to one side now though and go back to the socks - the other January target!

-x-

Well hello and happy new year.....

It's been a while hasn't it?

I did think I'd start the new year with a new enthusiasm for crafting and a sparkly new and exciting blog. Well, that was in my mind....in reality we have had a crisis ridden few weeks here. First the laptop died, then aboy got sick, then he recovered and a mama got very sick (the kind of sick where she couldn't hold her baby for 3 days never mind a knitting needle!!). Then a dog got held to ransom by an overenthusiastic dog warden and cost 2 days of worry and an 85 quid ransom fee. Then another boy got sick then, the baby got sick, and still is. Oh and we had a radiator die and need replacing, then two windows replaced, so afreezing house for two days. No, it wasn't the best of starts to the year...........

So anyway, things are getting better and I'm going ahead with my crafty plans for the year :)

2013 is going to be the year of being organized. 

And the year of the sock!

Every month I'm hoping to finish one pair of socks, one gift knit, and work on one larger item. If I can fit anything else in then all good, but these are my main targets. 

I was going to say I wouldn't buy any yarn until I'd used all the stash too, but thats boring isn't it? And besides I've already bought 3 skeins of Manos Silk and a lovely hand dyed sparkle sock yarn from the lovely Sarah.

So a peek into my craft bag:

Do you remember that bag? It's been hidden away in the bedroom for ages but I found it when hiding the yule gifts and knew it had to come out. It's such a happy, smiley bag isn't it? So now it's my project bag, and just the right size too:)

A closer look at the contents:

This months socks, starting with an easy basic pair, and probably destined to be the gift knit too due to losing so much of the month to all the above....I know, cheating already, ahh well..... Yarn from stash though so there's a plus there.

The larger item: 

Well thats for a baby we're going to be meeting late April. Yes, I'm going to be a Grandma for the second time, Jen is expecting a baby girl. Woohoo, isn't that exciting? Another of our girls all grown up and starting a family of her own.So the knitting? A baby blanket knitted with the super soft, squishy Manos I mentioned earlier. Soo enjoying knitting this, and thinking of that new little baby all bundled up in it's softness..... The plan is to try and knit through one skein per month for three months and so have a blanket all finished up by time Jen is 36 weeks. I'm thinking this way I won't get bored, and I won't be caught out at the last minute. What do you reckon?

And if you peek closely you'll just see that skein of sparkly sock I mentioned earlier. I already know what that's going to be, but I'm not ready to share yet. Hopefully if it will be this months gift knit, but if I don't get round to it then I will be looking forward to next month.

So there we go, my crafty, yarny plans for 2013. I wonder how long I'll keep to them?

Oh and it goes without saying - more blog updates, less webtime, yadayadayada..... (lot's more watching all my House box sets though whilst knitting - the broadcast tv is gone again and hopefully not coming back and I do love House....).

Ooops baby awake and big girl wanting her laptop, gotta go. See you soon :)

-x-