Done!!

I'm in trumpet blowing mood here! I know, I know that pride comes before a fall and all that but I just cannot help but feel more than a tiny bit of smug self satisfaction that I've ventured into the scary grown-up world of Fair Isley knittage and made something wearable!

Mitten #2 was completed last night :) :) :)




Due to the colour stranding my tension was far tighter than usual and I was concerned at the snugness of these babies.

Then I 'invented' myself a pair of 'mitten blocks' (patent pending ;-) ), using some very hard thick card wrapped in clingfilm. The mittens were then stretched over the Moogsmum Mitten-blocker MKI (pp), dampened, shaped and left to dry overnight.

The result was a pair of perfectly fitting, rather loverlyifIdosaysomyself, mittens (with wibbly wobbly unblocked thumbs - mitten blocker MKII required?) .



All I need now is COLD COLD weather and lots of it.

You have me to thank for whatever the coming winter throws at us ;-)

xxx

Doing as I'm told

I was under no illusions as to what I had to do on this, my day off.

Minx had stated quite categorically that it was about time I got on and sewed up the dolly I cut out over a month ago.

Who am I to disobey orders?!

So here she is - on the right - Amelia. Named after the character of Minx's favourite book .



Tilly has made her new BFF most welcome. They've compared dresses.

Played climbing on the cushion mountain



and chatted about all the exciting things they've got planned for Minx.



One or two of you out there may even recognise their dress fabrics :)

Of course, when I picked Minx up from school I pretended I'd done no sewing at all today. Therefore, I got a nice big squeal of surprise when I sent Minx up to her room to fetch me 'something' I'd left on her bed - and a lovely big hug when she came back down with her two lovely Kinder girls.

After all that excitment, I'm going to settle down for an evening with my knitting.



So far so good :)

Have a lovely weekend xxx

Baby ripples and some ripping back

Is it me, or has this past week flown by?

The stitching that I did last Friday has been very well received. My s-i-l phoned me to say how thrilled she was with her new knitting bag :)

This week has been all about hooking and knitting. Last night, I finished the baby ripple blanket for Moogsdad's colleague's new, soon to be born, baby girl.



I'd have liked it to be a bit squarer but I ran out of yarn and as the baby is likely to be here before payday, I made a 'design decision' to have a slightly more rectangular blanket.



Although this is an acrylic yarn - Patons Smoothie - it has great stitch definition and a nice sheen. It's also beautifully soft and, most importantly, easy to wash!

I used Lucy's Neat Ripple pattern and it was just what I was looking for - lovely ripples and really quick!

Something that really pleases me about handicrafts of any sort is the tremendous scope for learning new skills. It seems no time since I thought I'd never be able to knit a sock and here I am 10 months and 11 and a half pairs later. I've taught myself to crochet and, to date, have crocheted 6 blankets, numerous cushions and several toys. I've learned how to insert a zip!

Most importantly of all, I've learned not to be scared. Not to listen to those little voices that say 'oooh no, that looks far too complicated...you'll never be able to do that'.

My greatest help during these moments of self-doubt has been the internet - from all your fabulous blogs, to sites such as Ravelry and YouTube. The endless inspiration and also evidence of 'normal' people just like me who can make these fantastically beautiful, scarily complicated, things gives me the nerve to just give it a go.

Over the past week I've lurked - for far longer than is healthy - on any website with even the tiniest smattering of Fair Isley type knitting. I've scoured every book and knitting magazine I own. I've bombarded my Knitting Guru with endless 'shall I/shan't I' emails.

It would seem I have a need for a new challenge - which is odd, as I always shied well away from anything involving multiple strands of potential knots in the past. It's very scary. There are tension issues. Don't even get me started on trying to follow charts.....

.....but I've dipped my foot in the water.....



.....and now I've plunged right in at the deep end.



With some beautiful Araucania sock wool.

To make the challenge even more 'fun' I'm even going to try knitting my first ever pair of mittens at the very same time - these ones for you Ravellers out there.

This little bit took just over an hour.....



.....and has since been ripped out as I was pulling the yarn far too tight.

I didn't even swear.

I just sighed, ripped and prepared myself for 'First Attempt at Mittens and Fair Isle MKII'

Watch this space!!

xxx

My day

Ooh I have enjoyed myself today :)

My very own day off, spent with my little sewing machine.

Making pretty things.



A knitting bag, needle roll and little zippy pouch for my (nice) s-i-l who has recently rediscovered knitting. These are very late additions to her birthday present but I think she'll like them.



After all, this knitting habit needs encouraging and nurturing, right?!

Talking of knitting, this is my latest WIP.....



......like them?

xxx

Cheeky enough for you?

Loving this hat :)



So soft.


So big and floppy.



So quick!

I quite fancy making another but even sloppier, by maybe knitting a few extra rows before starting the shaping.

I just know I'm going to love wearing it this winter.......all snug and cosy in my Cheeky hat :)

xxx

FOs, UFOs and WIPs

Er......ahem.......(shuffles into view and clears throat)......hello?!......

.......feeling somewhat like I'm going to the confessional here......

.......so, let's see.....what is it that I've been doing of late that has meant I have nothing to blog about?

Well....the thing is yr'honour, I do seem to have been somewhat otherwise engaged.....what's that y'say?.....entertaining the children?.....getting them back to school?.......housework?......ironing?......sewing?......work?......reading?

Nope.

I have to admit to spending hours on the internets......but not blurking, lurking or commenting......I've been on here rather too much....and also here quite a bit.

All in the interests of education mind you. Learning all about this
and this , in order that I might produce something new and exciting.

Ta daaaaaa! My first ever attempt at knitting socks from the toe up on two circular needles!


So, y'see my absence was not in vain.

Then there's been a bit of new baby knitting for a friend's soon to be born baby girl.


I just had to put the cotton reel there for scale - this is a weeny little jacket :)

For Ravellers here's the pattern.

I tried a first attempt at knitting patterned socks - Glynis from this book. An almost whole sock had to be frogged and restarted (on bigger dpns)- and is now hibernating - after I knitted it and then found I couldn't even get the darned thing over my heel - pah!



A few of these were done earlier in the summer. They may become cushions - or possibly a lap blanket.....one day....

Some ripply action has been started - and briefly stopped. A possible blanket for the same new baby girl. Or possibly not, as she's likely to be a teenager by the time I get back to it!

Because.....this week I 'are most been knittin' 'ats!

Or rather, a hat. For me. A soft, floppy hat. For me. Using another Ravelry pattern - a hat named Cheeky :) For me.

I may also have accidentally bought the wool to knit one or two (five) more.....not all for me.

......and you'll never guess what......

......I even knitted one of these:

I'm so proud of this. I never thought I'd be able to do one of these. I feel like framing it.

My first ever tension square!!!

Also, this coming Friday, for the first time in over two months, I have a day off. A. Whole. Day. Off.

For me.

Sewing may be done.

Sewing had better be done. I have a daunting to-do list that needs some action.

xxxx