I am knitting with a yarn I have not tried before. It is a cashmere dk from Lotus Yarns. I actually purchased the yarn from Skein Queen who are based very local to me - 5 miles down the road in fact!

I thought this would be a quick knit but have to say it is taking longer than I was expecting.

Work tomorrow!

Happy Knitting

Anna

x

I could make a few resolutions but may be I will be better without them! Just a little bit of knitting planned for January and a lot of finishing!

Finish seeded rib scarf
Finish Thea from Kim Hargreaves Precious book
Knit my 5 squares for Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket
Finish 2 pairs of socks already on the needles
and if I get all of that done there is

Sport from Rowan book 25 - another Kim Hargreaves special to sew up
Buttons to sew on to Daisy
Breeze to sew up

So plenty to do but no stressing about it. It will all be done by spring!

I will take a photo of the seeded rib scarf tomorrow.

Happy Knitting

x

One of my purchases was this.

Some Misti Alpaca. I chose an autumnal shade. This evening I have cast on a pair of socks.

Happy knitting

x

This is the december yarn from the Best of British Sock Club. Rather appropriately it is called Sparkle Sock and the colour is Valentine. The yarn is from Fyberspates.

Sock number 1 is on the needles - progress to follow.

Happy Knitting

x

       Opal Handwork & Hobby - Florist

 January Sock's from the Best of British Sock Club

Green Garlands from Knitwitches yarns

February Sock from the Best of British Sock Club

from Ripples crafts

December's socks are on the needle with a little sparkle - well it was approaching Christmas when the yarn arrived.

Happy Knitting

x

2 fronts

Sleeve number 1 is on the needles and I am not expecting it to take too long! There is of course sleeve 2 when it is finished.

Have a great week.

x

This yarn is hand dyed in Wales by Knitwitches Yarns - cash-anova Supersoft Sock yarn. 80% superwash merino / 10% cashmere / 10% nylon and the colourway is Green Garlands.

Eirwen sent us a lovely story with the yarn - The Story of Knitwitches

The Story of Knitwitches

I thought you might like to know a little about how Knitwitches came to be.

Some while ago, a friend, who kept angora goats in Ceridigion, rang me up, and invited me over to visit, saying that she was no longer going o shear her goats as they were all getting on in years, and that she had some of her yarn I might like. Ooooh, I thought o myself, maybe if I'm lucky she'll give me a 100gms or so.

Well dear reader, the 100gms or so I was hoping for, turned out to be 17.5 kilos of the 80% mohair / 20% silk, undyed, DK weight. It blew my brains out, I bought it home, and for three months it sat in boxes under my stairs, while my brain unravelled , and occasionally went and hid , as I tried to work out what I was going to do with it all/

Whilst being a totally addicted yarny, I had absolutely no experience or knowledge of dyeing, but hey, I've never let the fact that I couldn't do something slow me down, and so I set out to learn how to do it. It was the start of the most wonderful journey of my life, and one that is still continuing.

I reached an agreement with my Ceredigion friend that I would learn to dye using her yarn, and maybe start doing some small craft shows. He yarn would be sold at these shows and I would send her all the money that I took for the yarn, which she in turn would give to her charity, which was the Kashmir Welfare fund, which was helping that poor woman who were widowed and left desolate and abandoned after the Kashmir earthquake. The money would help build hones and schools for their children. And so a little bit at a time knit witches came in to being.

That was 5 years ago, almost exactly. From the beginning Knitwitches had a life all of its own, it was as though it was meant to be, and a year after I acquired the mohair and silk yarn, knitwitches proper came in to being, and here I am writing to you.

I am so grateful for the serendipity that gave me the opportunity to do this. Did I sell all the yarn I started out with? You bet. It bought bricks and cement and other things necessary for people who badly needed it. And me, what did I get? Well for one, a house bursting with yarn, wonderful friends who share my passion, and the opportunities to talk to, and send time with some of the nicest, kindest folk ever.

Wishing you all the most splendid, and joyous Christmas, and a new year filled with lovely knitterly things.

Love

Eirwen

xx

                                             The back of Edda is knitted

I am really enjoying knitting Edda. The pattern is fairly simple to follow and it seems to be knitting up quickly. I have 2 fronts and 2 sleeves to knit. Will cast on the left front shortly. I am kind of hoping this has inspired me to get going on more garments and slow down on the sock front. I will of course always have a sock on the needle though!

Whilst knitting away these caught my eye.

I couldn't resist a close up.

Don't you just love the colour. Sadly I don't think they will be out for long.

Have a great week.

x

Edda

This is from the wonderful Kim Hargreave's new book Whisper. It is knitted in All Season's Cotton from Rowan. I am really enjoying knitting this. I cast on this morning and by lunchtime I had knitted all the decreases

I am thinking this will be a relatively quick knit especially as it has short sleeves.

Have a great Easter with lots of knitting time.

XX

I had rather a long hair appointment this morning - http://www.kerastraight.co.uk/ so had time to sit and knit. I didn't think it wise to take my blanket squares so took my sock. Finished sock 1 

  and started sock 2

which is gathering speed and looking lovely! Trust me these are the same yarn but I need to work out why the colours are so very different! Maybe because one photo was taken at the hairdressers and one in my kitchen!

                                                          Square 36 

I will hopefully finish square 44 tomorrow and then at the week-end I will try and photo all the squares. I have no photo's of February's squares but trust me they are knitted!

x

Still 2 squares to knit, square 12 and square 44. Square 12 is beaded up and I have actually cast on but am not convinced this will get finished tonight. I need to check out square 44 but I know it isn't beaded up. I have just had a look and there are quite a few beads to thread - job for tomorrow definitely!

Happy Knitting

x

Sorry I didn't get to photo my squares, I am trying to get March's finished before April's arrive and being my ususal self cutting it fine. I have today finished square 36 and knitted square 10. Square 11 should be a quick win and square 12 is similar to square 10 so that should be done in an evening - maybe Thursday and then we have square 44 - pretty straight forward but I have still to bead this one up so I am kind of thinking may overrun in to the week-end.

I think I better hop over to Ravelry and see if there is any news as to when April's squares may arrive. Monday would be good for me as I am pretty sure I can have March's done by then. I think I will slide straight in to April's or at elast get them beaded up!  I will ain to have them finished for the Royal Wedding!!

Happy Knitting

xx

                       The coffee was so good I had to have seconds so lots of knitting!

I have once again joined Debbie Abrahams's Mystery Blanket Club for 2011 and am enjoying knitting the squares,

                                                  January's squares

I went outside to photo February's squares earlier today but the battery had no charge so had to bring it all back in again!! Battery now charged so here's hoping it stays dry tomorrow.

Happy Knitting

x

Which I wound in to this 

and is on the way to becoming a pair of socks 

February's yarn was supplied by Ripples Crafts who are based in the north west Scottish Highland. Helen Lockhart started the business in 2008, and she gathers her inspiration from the coilours, landscape and traditions surrounding her home in crofting community Assynt and she is heavily influenced by the changing seasons. The exclusive yarn she has dyed for the Get Knitted "Best of British" sock yarn club was inspired by the colours found in a winter sunset over the Minch. Many consider the Highlands to be a bleak place mid-winter, but as Helen says there are still colourful gems to be found if you look carefully enough and a sunset on a cold frosty day often leads to a gem.

She loves her work, enjoying the creativity and thriving on the sense of connection with her customers. Helen's yarns are available from her website and she welcomes visitors to her studio when she is dyeing. 

Happy Knitting

xx

For a starter here are a pair of socks I have finished 

and another pair.

I will be back!

Happy Knitting.

x