October 2005 Archives

Lucky is whizzing along. I finished the first sleeve last night but was a little concerned as I used more than half a ball of yarn for it and I had 3 balls of yarn for this project - one for the back, one for the 2 sleeves and one for the 2 fronts. I therefore cast on a front and hope this will take less than half a ball.

Sleeve and Left Front

Spray is still looming and once that one is finished I shall concentrate on Marianne ready for the Christmas party season.

Spray just needs sleeve 1 finishing and sleeve 2 knitting - then sew it all together, give it a neck line and away ....just in time for the autumn.

Happy Knitting

Brights

They got the name of this project right - there sure are some vibrant coloured yarns used in knitting this cushion. It is fun though. I started late afternoon and once I got going the pattern is relatively easy to follow. I haven't quite cracked the length of yarn needed for each block yet but there is time before I finish.

We then move on to not so bright

Back for Lucky

Sleeve number 1 for Lucky

Not sure what has happened to the colour here - I am using the same yarn for the sleeve as the back! Hopefully I shall get this sleeve finished this evening and make good progress on sleeve number 2.

Happy Knitting.

I have bought the yarn to make

the cabled hat

from

Before I begin this I must finish Lucky

just about to begin to shape the armholes

Happy Knitting
x

Debbie Abrahams new book courtesy of Amazon.

One day I shall make one of these - big decision is which one? Debbie's first book had some lovely ones in too.

This shall be tonights horlicks reading.

Happy Knitting.
x

an excuse to knit for a baby - well I have one.

My friend Debi is expecting her first baby very very soon - like due date of 11th November. I remember my sisters first came 4 weeks early...better get knitting!

I decided upon

Lucky

and to quote Rowanette Liz - "shouldn't take more than a jiffy to make". 3 balls of Rowan All Seasons Cotton to make the 6-12month size. This baby apparently is on the "big" side - god bless the child.

I am using

dusk - shade 219

Jill Richards has kindly sent me some bootie patterns so I am planning a few pairs of these too.

It is a good job my schedule for November is not as hectic as my schedule for October has been.

Here are my latest completed socks

knitted in opal yarn.

Another pair of scoks are already away on the needles

knitted in

Fortissima Colori 1000 Socka Color.

So far so good however I am sure a lot more progress would have been made if I had opted to knit on these whilst on the M1 as opposed to Spray.

Variety is the spice of life!

Multi-projects on the go......having been to a workshop recently where there was confession by some of the ladies as to having "lots and lots" of projects on the go I don't feel too bad about my WIP list!

has been good to me of late - delivering me books.

Cornelia Tuttle hamilton's NORO revisited

I took this book to show Bradley, my 6 year old nephew - why you may ask? Well it has pictures of trains in - Cornelia's father couldn't get enough trains - whether miniature or life-size - he had a passion for them. Bradley loves trains and whilst I tried to explain to him it was a knitting book to him it was a book of trains.

I have had a good look through the Noro book and

Sparreholm

takes my fancy knitted in Silk Garden. I think it is the buttons which set this off and one needs 46 of them.

I also received a copy of

.

I shall peruse this with my mug of coffee!

There are other books I am tempted by but I think I shall save these for my letter to Santa!

Happy Knitting
x

to visit Liz Jenks in Nottingham to help her celebrate her 60th birthday. Liz's daughter and son-in-law Sue and Graham had a party for Liz on Saturday night at their house. Liz very kindly invited David and I to the party. It was great - there were a few of Liz's other knitting friends at the party - Sheelagh Kendra and Suzan Minton.

Sheelagh has made a fantastic job of knitting Aine from Colinette's book Akashya in Giotto. She looked great in it on Saturday night.

Sheelagh paid attention on the crochet workshop earlier in the year - hence she was able to crochet the motif's and insert them in to the front!

I was kind of hoping that although I didn't finish Marianne for the wedding I would finish it for the party - no! Instead I wore my Jaeger twinset knitted in Odessa.

Sorry about the lack of heads but they weren't the best of shots - it was 11.30pm on a Saturday night after red wine had been flowing!

After "enjoying" our breakfast at the Holiday Inn on Sunday morning we drove over to Liz's for a coffee before heading south. The coffee lasted longer than planned and turned in to lunch and departing several hours later. You may well have guessed by now but it was Liz's Tumbling Blocks cushion which has inspired me!

Liz has knitted a second cushion in less than a week and also backed it. Liz's sister Christine is over from Canada for the birthday celebrations and brought her cushion kit with her as Liz had offered to knit it up.

A great week-end.

This week-end I had a little journey to make which required some stocking stitch knitting to do to pass the journey away.

I decided to begin a jumper in Rowan Plaid having never knitted with this yarn before. I was lucky enough to acquire 6 balls of Sea Mist shade a couple of week-ends ago at one of Rowan's workshops. So I decided upon

Spray

I cast on on Friday night late and got a little hooked - 1.30am later and I was up to the armholes. Enough I said this was meant to be your knitting whilst on the M1. I went to bed.

By the time I had arrived at the Holiday Inn where we were staying the back was finished - it was dark so I couldn't the whole journey. When we got back to our room last night I decided to cast on for the front and by the time we were home this afternoon I am 4 rows away from the neck on the front.

Dilemma though I am itching to start my tumbling blocks cushion - I have it sat ready staring at me. The hanks of yarn have even been wound in to balls - must have done that when the kit arrived and I have received at least 2 freegifts from Rowan since this one. I wonder if knitting this qualifies to join Sam in her

Shall mull this one over for a day or two I think. I have undertaken to finish the cushion by 29th April 2006. I think I can manage that!

In case you are wondering it is seeing a cushion knitted up which has inspired me to want to knit this out of the blue albeit the one I have seen is in the "neutrals" and mine is a "bright".

My friend Emma got married last Saturday. Back in the summer I bought a pale pink trouser suit for the wedding and kept my fingers crossed the sun would shine - it did. We had a superb day and couldn't have asked for better weather for the middle of October.

A couple of weeks before the wedding I thought I need a top to go under this suit. I thought it was in my ability to complete

Marianne

in time for the wedding. Liz and I even took ourselves off to Marks and Spencers Meadowhall after the Rowan workshop in search of a slip to wear under Marianne.

Sadly Marianne is still awaiting one and a half fronts. Perhaps she will make her debut at the Christmas ball.

Instead I wore Bon Bon and it worked just fine.

It has been a very busy couple of weeks, in fact non-stop!

2 training courses with work - one in Southampton for a day and the other in London for 3 days - residential!

A hospital appointment week before last followed by an MRI Scan last Tuesday - results this Tuesday so fingers crossed.

Last week-end we went to Yorkshire and I got to spend the week-end with Rowanette Liz Jenks knitting. We went on the Classis Knits for Real Woman Workshop and had lots of fun - pictures to follow.

My best friend Emma got married yesterday to Matt and I wore a handknit! - pictures to follow. For a clue what I wore - think of sweets!

I am so......................tired.

Good night