{this moment} - 29 July 2011

{this moment}, a Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

To find more moments, and add your own visit Soulemama.

Year of Projects Update - 24th July 2011

Well, another busy week, both boys finished pre-school for the summer and Alfie had his Graduation ceremony ready to go to 'big-school' in September.

Plenty knitting has been happenening, more work on Erik and Twenty-ten cardis and I started a non-YoP project, my Babette blanket. I just couldn't resist!!
I managed to finish my Jane hat too, what a fantastic, quick and easy knit! I think the best bit about the hat is that it looks cabled but isn't, because I really don't enjoy doing lots of cables!

I can't wait till its cold outside to wear it!!

Year of Projects Update - 17th July 2011

Well, what a busy week!
Lots more work has been done on my Twenty-ten Cardi and very little (read that as none) on Erik and the Guernsey Wrap. The cardi is now measuring 10 inches from the bottom hem and I'm really enjoying it. With the asymmetric hemline its just enough of a challenge to keep me interested without being too mentally taxing.

If you saw my FO Friday post you'll have seen that I have been well and truly mentally taxed by the Monteagle bag this week! Its beautiful and I love it now that its done, but I'm not sure that I'll be rushing to make another, then again, that all depends on whether I can find another pattern that I like as much....

I've also been working on my Fetching gloves, finishing them this morning before rushing off to a 3 year old's birthday party with the boys.......

They're lovely and snuggly and am hoping that the person they're for will like them. It was a lovely, easy and quick knit, I think I'll make myself some for the winter but possible making them a touch longer but I'm not adding to my list just yet!

And finally last night I cast on my Jane hat, I think some mind numbing ribbing will be in order if number 2 son continues his sleep strike! Its in a lovely Teal shade of Rico Essentials Soft Merino Aran but have no photos to show you just yet.

So two more FO's this week, albeit small ones, Mr T is away again this week so will probably get plenty more done before my next update!!

FO Friday - 15th July 2011 It's in the bag!

Well after my WIP Wednesday post I did indeed cast on a Monteagle bag.... I just couldn't resist that amazing Pink yarn!

The suggested yarn in the pattern is Aran weight but it has worked fine with the dk weight Rico Essential Cotton. I used one entire ball and even though the bag looks tiny when empty its pretty big once stretched and could fit a considerable amount of shopping in.

This pattern is not for the faint hearted though. The stitches are very complicated and it almost got thrown across the room a couple of times, and it is most definitely not something that I could do with the children about, or a husband for that matter.... its the kind of knitting that needs to be done in a locked room with plenty of hot tea and chocolate on tap (NOT wine, that really wouldn't be wise!)

I do really love it, but it was very hard work even though it did knit up quickly, I'll be quite glad to go back to some nice boring Stocking stitch or Moss stitch!

I also recieved my Sunflower Swift today, it really is beautiful!! Look....



That's showing it holding a full skein of Cascade Eco wool, all 437m of it!

Have a look over at Tami's Amis to see who else is taking part in FO Friday

{this moment} - 15 July 2011

 

 

{this moment}, a Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

To find more moments, and add your own visit Soulemama. 

WIP Wednesday - 13 Jul 2011 An Old Friend Returns

Hello!! This is my first WIP Wednesday post so bear with me while I get the hang of it!

Well, since Sunday I have abandoned Erik and the Guernsey Wrap in favour of my Twenty-Ten cardigan because I just needed some colour in my evenings! I was tired of knitting neutrals and was a very good girl and picked up an old WIP that had been languishing in a basket because I needed to actually concentrate while doing it. I could have just cast on something new but I'd really like to be able to wear this in the autumn, and seeing that Mr T is away for the next few weeks and I won't have  to make conversation in the evenings I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

Its now measuring about 8 inches compared to the 4 at the beginnig of the week which I don't think is bad for 160-something stich rows in Moss stitch with 2 non-sleeping children.

I've even done the pocket...

I might treat myself by casting on one of the Monteagle bags later in some amazing Shocking Pink Rico Essential Cotton that I bought this morning at my fabby LYS, Love Yarn in Andover........ We'll see!

Pop by Tami's Amis to see everybody else taking part.

Year of Projects Update - 10th July 2011

Well, I can't believe its time for my first update on my year of projects! SO much seems to have happened since July 1st I just don't know where to start!

Firstly I have two, yes two FO's! More on those shortly though....

Sunday 3rd was my birthday and with some money from my Mother-in-Law I treated myself to a Swiss Pear Nostepinne from Purlescence, WOW!

Its beautiful and functional all at the same time, I never realised something so simple could make my life so much easier! They were fantastic to deal with and once my gift voucher from my brother arrives I will be buying a Sunflower Swift to make winding those huge skeins of Cascade Eco wool just that little bit easier.

Saturday 9th was my Mum's birthday but as we were travelling the 200 miles up to stay with her for my Dad's funeral on Tuesday night her present had to be finished by then, so fortunately it was. My Something Pretty cushion was a dream to crochet, combined with my bargain £1 charity shop jumper for the backing and buttons from my button tin I am very pleased with how it turned out, and most importantly so was Mum!

Whilst staying up there I also managed to finish my Textured Shawl, which now only needs to be blocked and is tonight's job...

...as well as casting on Erik for my brother after winding the skein into a lovely centre pull ball using my new Nostepinne.....

...and a Guernsey Wrap which you got a sneaky preview of in the Nostepinne pic.

Black Sheep Craft Barn also got a visit from me yesterday before we had to travel back south where I managed to get yarn for the jumpers for the boys, my hat and the boys' hats.

What a productive week!! It'll never last....

Blog-a-long Starts Today!! (1 July 2011)

Well here goes!!! I am committing to blogging about my knitting and crocheting for the next year and am very excited to see how it goes!

Over here in the Blog-a-long group on Ravelry a group of us are each getting together a list of projects that we aim to complete over the next 12 months. Every Sunday after that we will blog about what we have achieved from our list during the previous week and I am hoping that it will help me to clear up lots of WIPs that I have dotted around the house!

Some people are choosing to knit/crochet all the patterns from a single book, others are choosing compliations from their Ravelry queue, whereas I aim to do a combination of unfinished projects, new ones that have been languishing in my queue for far too long, and gifts for family members.

My List

UFO's to complete.....

1. Twenty-Ten Cardigan for me - started but then got sidetracked

2. Hemlock Ring Blanket for Alfie - I HATE HATE HATE knitting this, I think its a combination of the pattern and yarn but I don't have much more to do

3. Baby Kimono for one of the many babies we have arriving within our circle of friends this year

4. Granny Stripe Blanket for the sofa - this is a king-sized blanket so a very long term project and won't mind at all if I don't finish it during the next year, I'd just like to do a bit more of it

5. Mojo Socks for me -these live in my handbag for 'Waiting Room Knitting' so are another long term project

6. Japanese Flower Shawl -I love this however have been knitting more than crocheting of late but would love it to be finished for the Autumn
7. Textured Shawl for me - so nearly there I can taste it!
8. Something Pretty cushion for Mum

Gifts.....

9. Erik zip up hoody for Dan (my brother) as a birthday present

10. Monteagle bag for Nanny
11. Monteagle bag For Chris for her birthday

12. Owls jumper for Sarah (Dan's girlfriend) who fell in love with mine
13. Monteagle bag for Bez
14.  Fetching gloves (or possibly Owlings) for Sarah - because she works in a draughty office so wears these that I knitted for her last birthday all the time

Others....

15. Hiker jumper for Tom
16. Cardy me - Deco or Paulie

17. Hats for boys - either Astronomer or Modern Rib Hat

18. Remembrance Poppies

19. And So Are You shawl
20. Stitch Sampler Shawl because I fell in love with Sarah 's (from Crafts from the Cwtch)

21. Guernsey Wrap - because I love all of the Brooklyn Tweed patterns

22. Japanese Crochet Slippers for me

23. Sally the Eco Fairy as an Angel for the Christmas tree

24. Kalajoki socks

25. Damask shawl

26. Tamara gloves for me - I WILL learn to do colourwork!

27. Asymmetric stripe shawl - either Stripe Study Shawl or Different Lines

28. Still Light Tunic with hand dyed yarn

29. Lego Man for the ever Lego obsessed Alfie

30. Hat for me - either Wabbit Season or Jane (or both maybe?)

31. Jumpers for kids - this Fisherman Jumper I think, or maybe a Bergere de France one I saw at my LYS...

31!!!! Wow!! That's a lot!!  If I finish 20 of them before June 30th next year I will be over the moon because I just know that there will be other things that I end up knitting or crocheting between now and then because I just can't resist!

All of the projects from this list will be tagged with 'YoP' in Ravelry and I have created a Project Set for them all here where I will easily be able to keep track of what I have achieved.

I'd better get knitting hadn't I? Wish me luck....