Another update on all the things!

So, what has been going on here (other than a serious dearth of blogging?)

Well, firstly, the jumper is finished!!!! It is amazing and I love it, and so could the weather over here please get colder so I can wear the thing??? I’m curretnly working in short sleeve shirts it’s so warm at the moment!

(TAkins selfies is really hard…any tips, anyone???)Ok this one works better (note to self: protrait rather than landscape…)

I also went to my parents place this past weekend and finish-finished the two cross stitches I’ve done. Very happy with these 🙂

I haven’t yet started another cross stitch to replace that- I’m thinking of saving the wolf for Christmas and I’m not feeling the love on the stockings cross stitch. No need to rush it, I’ll work on them eventually 🙂 I have also just ordered the Wedding ABC cross stitch online for a wedding, so I guess I should probably start that soonish…

Instead I’ve been adding squares like crazy to the pillow case scrap ‘thing’ I’m doing. It’s still going strong, and I’m having great fun choosing which colour to add next 🙂

This is a close up of the current square because that stitch marker is so tiny!!!! And so cute!!!

The rainbow cardigan is also now back in the WIP pile since I finished the jumper. At the time of writing I am about to start sleeve shaping on the second side (which I’m not doing right now because my brain is tired), but I may be later than this when I get around to taking a picture of it… (as of taking the picture, the armhole has been shaped and I’m one the home run of *decrease every fourth row for 41 rows then cast off… Very excited!!!!)

And look at the stitch marker I’m using! It matches the yarn scarily well at this point!!! And the bell even works, which is amazing I think 🙂

Also, thinking ahead to Christmas- my mother has requested a pair of socks (well, she commented several times on how pretty the yarn colour is… ). I had her try on a pair of my socks and they fit her perfectly, so there we go. She’s also bought the yarn and pattern for a large shawl (400g of 4ply large), so I get to knit that for her for Christmas as well…:) The yarn is white and glittery which will be fun to knit. I also want to knit a triangular shawlette thing (I’m currently thinking Age of Brass and Steam, but feel free to shoot my other suggestions. I’m also thinking tassels sound fun…) with the leftover yarn from the jumper.

 

Oh, and one final thing. I’ve decided I want to start using stitch markers. I bought some lovely ones off the internet just after getting my row counter, so now I clearly need excuses to use them 😀 Hence the very little stitch marker in my scrap pillowcase knitting! Isn’t it so cute! So, random question but…does anyone have any tips on incorporating stitch markers into your knitting? I’m thinking other than at the start of the round if you’re knitting in the round. I’ve just never seen the need before and I want to start!

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WIP Wednesday

So, why does Christmas only have 25 letters???

Becuse there’s no l!!!!!

Yeah, I know, I’m hilarious 😀 The stocking is coming along slowly- I keep finding excuses to not work on it, which is hardly ideal, but on Sunday I had a tidy up and reorganisation and then immediately picked it up to work on while I watched Les Miz. Excellent musical 🙂 This is 3hr 20mins of work, so I’m hoping that I can finish it this evening…wish me speedy fingers!

 

The sock is also continuing along apace 🙂 I measured it against the recipients foot on Friday, (which is the cause of this somehow amusing photo), and then it was 4.5 inches shorter than the foot, so I needed to do 2.5 inches more before doing something clever for the heel (I’m trying an afterthought heel this time, so that if it wears through rather than felting, it’s relatively easy to replace). The sock at that time was 4.5 inches, which makes it easier to keep track of (although I will measure again when I think I’m far along enough).

I now only need one more inch, so coming along well 🙂 The pattern is from socks a la carte 2, since I might as well use the patterns I’ve bought… I’ll hopefully be at the measuring stage again on Sunday, when I have a movie evening planned with the recipient!

And of course the scrap blanket is getting worked on 🙂 I’ve done 4 hexagons this week, so yay for that! And this last stripe is more than half done, so yay for that too! Nearly finished this blanket!!!!

Next up: either garter stitch entrelac or mitred squares…hmm…decisions decisions decisions…ahh well, I still have a while before I need to decide, I guess!

Merry Christmas Everyone

The hat is basically finished (I have a few more repats to do, then darn in 2 ends, but it’s downstairs and I’m upstairs in bed and I don’t want to get up to photograph it!)

So all that is left for me here is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and may your WIPs go smoothly!

Here’s a Christmas cracker joke my aunt gave me: What do reindeer have that no other animal does?

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Ready for it?

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Baby reindeer!

Down to the wire

So clearly I was slightly optimistic about getting everything finished soon…my mum’s hat is still on the needles (and still on the ribbing to boot). The pattern does almost knit itself, however I had forgotton (perhaps deliberately) the faff the twisted ribbing is. *lesigh*. I have until Saturday night to finish it, or it wouldn’t be the first all-nighter I’ve pulled on Christmas eve to get everything finished…

Well, I’d best get back to knitting… I guess I’ll just be happy that I’m far enough ahead that this doesn’t mean I completely fluff Christmas!

One week to Christmas

and everything is going swimmingly 🙂 The cat butt coasters will be blocked today, and then they’ll just need wrapping when they’re done. I had rather a lot of fun making these, and it all helps me learn to read my crochet, which is such a useful skill! It’s taking a while to get used to the idea that I have to go all the way around when I want to fix something, rather than just dropping a few stitches the way I do in knitting!

I realised the hard way that starting a new pattern in black yarn is not a good idea…next time I’ll start with the grey!

I was correct about my mum’s hat- it is too big, so that needs restarting. I’m going to take out a pattern repeat, rather than mess around with needle sizes. I’ll get around to starting that today. This really won’t take very long to knit (must remember that I need to finish it early enough to block before Christmas…)

How do you mark the new year as crafters? I felt that I needed to mark the ending of the year by finishing all the loose ends around, such as the socks(photoed at the end of this paragraph) and the current hexagon (that scrappy project was not about to get finished by Christmas!). The cats were also finished before I got on the train to Salisbury for Christmas with the parents (which I’ve labeled as the end of the year for me, I think!). I started a new project for over the holidays(and it’s a 6 hour train ride…). A garter stitch entrelec blanket in the scraps left over from the 2 attic24 blankets, with 4.5mm needles. It feels right to start Christmas/the new year with a project for me, especially a blanket after making so many for other people 🙂

Unfortunately, the socks are considerably too large for me(they’d make a good pair of slipper socks, if I wanted some!). They may fit my mum though, I just keep forgetting to corner her to make her try them on!

Although I also have the needles for a sparkly cardigan if I can find the yarn and pattern for it, and decide to start it. I love the idea of working on what I feel like, rather than rushing to finish Christmas presents, and I definitely want to savour it 🙂 A bit like coming home and wrapping up in a blanket after rushing around shops all day (assuming the heating isn’t on too high for blanket wrapping!)

2 weeks to Christmas…

…so let’s get on with the presents, shall we? The scarf has now been blocked, so looks rather more appetizing than the pile of knitting it was last week!!! The bit which is pulled in is because there are some cables in it, so it’s a lot tighter than the other section. I think that if I do it again (and I’m very tempted), I’ll skip that section.

The hat has also been proceeding apace. The twisted rib was surprisingly alright (I suspect the size of the needles might have played a part with that!) and the body of the hat has now been started, and is racing along. Which I am slightly alarmed by as I was rather hoping to be knitting it on the train on Thursday…it may not last that long. Alternative ideas, anyone??? (Something other than socks???)(and not the other Christmas present) (Or the scrappy blanket for that matter)hmm, maybe a double sided blanket…(knit in squares, don’t worry, I’m not that insane…)

I currently have three projects on the needles right now. Firstly that lace hat, with 3mm needles. I also have a pair of socks on the needles(2mm), and my scrappy blanket(1.5mm). I am rather amused that the thinnest yarn gets the largest needles!

I’ve also been steaming along on my scrappy blanket. I’m loving it, although it is getting a little heavy these days 🙂 That’s what comes of knitting it on 1.5mm needles, I guess!

I finally figured something out the other day, which I thought was worth sharing with you all (aren’t I lovely? ). This pattern involves picking up stitches, which is all well and good until you realise that picking up the second stitch (which is nice and easy to see before you start picking stitches up…) becomes rather difficult as it tries to hide (it’s involved in a k2tog on the first row, so you can’t really blame it, I guess!). BUT, if you stick your darning needle in the stitch before you start picking stitches up, it can’t hide anywhere! I figured I was a genius when I realised this!

I’m planning on doing one more stripe to add to the blanket, then calling it done (it’s not as though I won’t keep adding random hexagons at odd times just because 🙂 ). I’m also thinking about my next scrappy blanket, which may or may not involve me dipping my proverbial toe into pattern creating waters… Wish me luck!(But is going to need my 2mm needles, so I’m going to have to finish my socks before I can start, and then not start more socks…maybe I just need more 2mm knitting needles…)

I’ll be home by Christmas

Well, given how quickly the presents are coming along, I’ll be home and dry long before Christmas! As of today, there are exactly three weeks until Christmas, and I have two Christmas presents still to go. Yarn and patterns have been chosen, all that is left is to actually start making them!

My pen-pal’s cushion has been finished and posted off to her! Woot! I finished just in time(it was sewn up on Thursday just before getting wrapped and posted!)

The pattern for the flowers(free on ravelry) was really clearly written, but I’m never doing it again! It was very tricky, and involved crocheting into the loops left behind from crocheting in the front loop of 5 stitches for one round… But I am glad that I tried it, and the effect really is worth it! I also learnt that I dislike large granny squares! So I’m never going to crochet a large granny square blanket, even if I like the final effect of it.

The scarf for my aunt has also been finished, but as is the way with lace knitting, currently looks rather unappealing! Although I did try it on, and decided that I may make one for myself next year! I love it, even though I dislike scarves in general. This is small enough that I think I like it anyway! The fact that it’s made from lace weight might have something to do with that!

I have also chosen the patterns for the last two presents: catbutt coasters and a hat. In fact, I’m so on top of my Christmas knitting, I’ve gone back to working on my scrappy blanket! I had forgotten how much fun it is to knit this thing, although I’m sure soon enough that I’ll be bored of it! (It should perhaps be noted here that the final two presents are not a surprise, and therefore do not need to be finished by the time I go home for Christmas!)

So how is your Christmas crafting coming along? Happily, or are you starting to think that you should maybe have started sooner?

4 weeks until Christmas…

…and finally the slight panic sets in. This post is just going to be informative- a reminder to myself of what I have to do, and deadlines for everything, so no pretty pictures (because I went on a long fast cycle ride this morning and I still haven’t recovered enough to make getting up from under a blanket a good idea 🙂 )

So, what still needs to be made, and deadlines:

1. Cushion for my American pen pal-deadline 1st December to be posted, so really needs to be finished by the end of Wednesday. If I get around to sewing the front together, I can then just make a giant granny square for the back on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and put it all together Wednesday evening.
2. Advent scarf for my aunt. I’m going to Salisbury for Christmas on Thursday 15th, so really if possible, this should be done by Sunday 11th, so it can be blocked here
3. Advent hat for my mum. This can be knitted in Salisbury, but I do need to remember the yarn if I don’t start it before then. I also need to figure the pattern, so I should probably start it here in case I need anything funny… Deadline for this really is like the 20th, so it can be blocked.
4. Cat butt coasters for my sister. This is the third thing she asked for this year, I think she keeps forgetting what she’s asked me for! But this is the easiest option so I’m going with it! Again, doesnt need to be kept a secret, so the deadline really is Dec 25. I’m making them out of acrylic, so blocking them will be with my mum’s iron on the ironing board.

This is ridiculously straight forward. I feel as though I’m missing something…But no, that really is everything. Just have to remember to pack all the yarn/presents when I go home!

And another one bites the dust

Another Christmas present has been finished! I’m getting slightly fidgety at how well it’s all going… I’m completely on track, which I think I think is less like me than it actually is. Although I can’t be bothered to go through the blog to see if everything was done on time last year or the year before, so I’ll leave it all there.

Tom’s Advent calender is completely finished, which is good because my self-impsoed deadline for posting it is tomorrow 🙂 I already have plans about how to improve this (next year I’ll try to embroider numbers on it, in some sort of glittery thread), and however Tom thinks it could be improved upon 🙂

I also got my piece of embroidery back from the framers on Monday, so yay for that! I’m visiting my aunt at the begnning of December, so I’ll give it to her then, rather than post it, but it’s good to have it ready here.

Now on to the next present- a cushion for my American pen-pal. I have a week and a half to finish this is, as we agreed to post presents to each other at the start of December, to make sure they arrive on time. This gives me a week to make a number of squares(I’m doing pansies as she said that her favourite colours are green, yellow and purple), then next weekend I can get a cushion pad and make the back and sew it all together.

I hope that all your Christmas preparations are going as well as mine seem to be right now 🙂

 

The blanket is done!!!!!

Well, blocking anyway. I am ridiculously impressed that I’ve made another blanket (so’s all of KnitSoc too, so I’m not the only one!)

What I learnt from this: take a couple of days away from ‘post date’ to find ‘finish by date’. This was supposed to be posted tomorrow, but it’s not going to be dry *facepalm*. Although things are still a little up in the air about what my friend is actually doing- she may come up and see me, so I wouldn’t be posting it anyway. So let’s hope that I remember this when I do need to post things…

I also need to think about floor space when deciding on whether or not to rent a room… if I knew my housemates better/there wasn’t a resident cat, I would be more inclined to block this in the sitting room, but hey ho! It’s not like I’m planning on blocking anything this big again (except the Dick Bruna blanket, hmm…) I think I need to think about that more

I’ve also been keeping up on my NaNo project. I haven’t yet done today’s (v is for violin), but there are a few big ones (v, y and z) which is annoying because I’ll be doing the whole work thing again next week so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time to do them. I’ll give it a good go, and try not to beat myself up if some of them take two days!

On Friday I also started knitting another Advent scarf. People may remember that I started one in blue and black mohair for my aunt last year, only to learn that she dislikes mohair… so I’m making her one this year in green non-mohair yarn. I’d forgotten how fiddly beads are, but hey ho. Theyre a better option than nupps…