Knitting Update

Various projects have been started and finished and not shown here for a number of reasons: Some were Christmas presents, others because DH has been too busy to take photos and also because my mojo left the building. I've found my lifestyle change very hard to take in and just because I have a lot more time to knit because I can't walk, doesn't mean that I want to, does that make sense?


Lady Eleanor the Second

Pattern: Lady Eleanor.
Yarn: 400g of Noro Silk Garden in shade 264
Needles: 5mm circulars
Time taken to knit: August 10th 2008 - September 25th 2009

When she saw my Lady Eleanor a few years ago my Step-Mum LOVED it & wanted to 'borrow' it indefinitely.


Lady Eleanor shawl in Noro Silk Garden 264

So I made another for her.


DD having fun modelling the Lady Eleanor shawl

It took me such a long time to make as I associated it with pain having started it when I came out of hospital after surgery and wanted a familiar easy knit.


Lady Eleanor shawl

After the seeming disaster of my Noro Fake Isle Hat Arianwen saved the day with the use/loan of her wooden hat blocker.


Fake Isle Hat before blocking


Fake Isle Hat after blocking

I love it but unfortunately rarely get outside at the moment so haven't worn it yet. DD also loves it so I made another for her:


Fake Isle Hat

Pattern: Fake Isle Hat.
Yarn: 21g of Noro Kureyon in shade 159 and 36g of Cascade 220 in Jet
Needles: 2x 4mm circulars knitted in the round
Time taken to knit: December 26th 2009 - December 27th 2009


Fake Isle Hat

Lastly (for now) what seemed to take forever as it bored me to tears:


Baktus Scarf

Pattern: Baktus Scarf.
Yarn: 90g of Opal Silk Sock Yarn in shade 1121
Needles: 3.5mm
Time taken to knit: May 9th 2009 - December 28th 2009

This scarf took forever as I'd started it for a work colleague & then lost my job so it sat unfinished for a long time and I also found the pattern tedious to be honest. I finally made myself finish it just to get it out of the way and doesn't have a home yet.

So an update of my finished knits. Lots of other things have been started, abandoned & then then reluctantly picked up again but that's for another day.

Noro Hats

Turn a Square Hat

Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood.
Yarn: 32g of Cascade 220 in Jet & 16g of Noro Kureyon in 70
Needles: 2x 4mm circulars & 2x 4.5mm circulars
Made for: My husband
Time taken to knit: 8th -10th November 2009


Turn a Square Hat

And now one for me:


Fake Isle Hat

Pattern: Fake Isle Hat.
Yarn: 39g of Cascade 220 in Jet & 26g of Noro Silk Garden in 232
Needles: 2x 4.5mm circulars
Time taken to knit: 6-9th November 2009


Fake Isle Hat

I reversed the colours as I wanted a subtlety coloured hat & the Silk Garden is the same I used for my Lady Eleanor.


Fake Isle Hat

I'm REALLY happy with the colour scheme but the hat doesn't fit me very well. It's not too bad on my daughter but I've got a lot of very thick hair so it lifts off my head & is too pointy! It'll be frogged soon....

19/11/9 A possible reprieve. My friend Arianwen has a hat blocker & is going to try & reshape it. Plus DD has announced that she likes it. She showed the photos to her friends & they all wanted the hat!

Crazy Color Fingerless Gloves

Crazy Color Fingerless Gloves

Pattern: Basic Fingerless Gloves.
Yarn: 29g of Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Crazy Color in Passion
Needles: 2x 40 cm 4mm circulars
Time taken to knit: January 20th 2009 - October 17th 2009



This was another project that got forgotten about but it shouldn't have taken more than a few days.



Now that the weather has turned colder I've taken to wearing them in the house before the fire is lit & often work in them.


Lyra helps with the photoshoot!


The excitement was too much!

A Lesson Learnt....

I've been on a finishing spree recently as I have too many projects on the go at once.


'A Lesson Learnt Bed socks'

Pattern: Little Shell Rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Just over 100g of James C Brett Pure Merino in red (PM10)
Needles: 2x 60 cm 3.5mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: December 2007 - October 13th 2009


The blocked shot as always

These socks were started over Christmas and then put on hold for MIL's Broad Sprials (and because I'd reached the Short Row Heel & I HATE SRH's) but not picked up again until now. Which is where the lesson learnt comes in...


follow the line from the Short Row Heel

See the problem?



Have another look....

Because I left this pair for so long my tension had changed and it's really obvious.

horrible toe

I also don't like the fit to the heel or toe. The heel is hard to stretch over my foot (I think I have high arches) & the toe seems huge but in future as mentioned previously I'm sticking to David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook so that doesn't worry me.

But as bed socks they'll do and will be a reminder not to leave projects so long in future. However I have more old WIP's to clear before my conscience is clear.....

Waffle House Socks

Waffle House Socks

Pattern: David's Toe-Up Sock Cookbook with Waffle House stitch pattern inserted into the formula.
Yarn: 56g of Opal Petticoat 1251 & 19g of Stylecraft 4ply in Navy.
Needles: 2x 2.25mm circulars
Method: Toe up
Time taken to knit: August 3rd 2009 - September 19th 2009


The blocked shot!

Both yarns were given to me in swaps and I went toe up to make them as long as possible. This is the 4th time I've used this pattern & I love it.


Waffle House Socks

Previously I used it to make Toe-up Cho' 7 socks, Out of the fire and Diagonal Lace Socks and will be swatching again soon for another pair





Waffle House Socks

Hermione hat

Hermione hat

Pattern: Hermione Hearts Ron
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton. Used 70g.
Needles: 2.75 & 3.25mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: August 26th 2009 - September 1st 2009


DD loves her hat!

The only modification I made was to knit 12 rows of rib rather than 10.

This hat was knitted in ‘snatches’ of time whilst we were VERY busy working on our house. A round whilst DH drove us to the builders merchants or sat up in bed late at night. The yarn was a bit splitty but workable. I've got loads left and already have plans for some of it.

Big Bad Berries Blanket

Big Bad Berries Blanket

Pattern: Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
Yarn: Wendy Fusion. Colour Juniper Berries. Used 256g.
Needles: 5mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: February 5th 2009 - May 24th 2009.
Size: 78cm x 73cm


Big Bad Berries Blanket

Inspired by another project on Ravelry I sewed 4 flowers onto the corners of the blanket so that they wouldn't cause discomfort if the baby was laid onto the blanket.


Full frontal of the Big Bad Berries Blanket

I wonder how many people will find my blog for the wrong reasons with that title!


Big Bad Berries Blanket

A friend reminded me of my rusty crochet skills when she showed me how to make these:


crocheted flowers

then I got a bit more adventurous and made these:


Meconopsis Flower from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet


Scabious Flower from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet

A number of friends are due to give birth very soon & it'll be given to the first baby girl!

Kiwi & Custard

Ribbons Baby Blanket

Pattern: Fiber Trends 'Ribbons Baby Blanket' by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: King Cole Smooth. Used 100g of Moss, 49g of Buttermilk & 57g of Cream
Needles: 4mm Knit Picks Options Interchangables
Time taken to knit: June 18th 2008 - May 28th 2009.
Size: 58cm x 58cm

This blanket sat for a long time ignored in a corner as 2 stitches came out at a colour change. I managed to sort it out but am not 100% happy with my fix.

Ribbons Baby Blanket

It was intended for another baby but she is too big for it now so next week it'll be heading off to London as my best friend at school is having her second child in a few weeks.


Ribbons Baby Blanket

Finally February Socks.....

After 3 attempts I've finally made a pair of socks with the beautiful Koigu yarn I received as part of the Hot Socks Swap. . My
first attempt last year was a disaster as was my second. But finally I'm happy with the combination of yarn & pattern:


Diagonal Lace Socks

Pattern: David's Toe Up Sock Cookbook for the structure & maths with Diagonal Lace as the pattern. The construction of the two patterns is the same but I wanted the reassurance of the formula from the first.
Yarn: 2 skeins of Koigu KPM 115711
Time: March 22nd - May 4th 2009
Needles:2 x 2.25mm 60cm Knit Picks (or KnitPro as they're now known) circular needles.
Technique: Two at a time toe up with a Turkish cast on & a very stretch cast off. .


see how well they fit my feet!


Diagonal Lace pattern

and finally the blocked shot:


opening up the lace pattern

The colour is a bit dark in the last photo & more accurate in the others.

I'm pleased that I've finally made a pair of socks with this yarn that I'm satisfied with. I've already cast on another pair but will be frogging them later as the toes need another plain row between increases so in the meantime I cast on for a quick project last night.....

Dual Dishcloths

In a recent swap on the Crafty Threads & Yarns forum I was spoilt by Modelwidow who spent a lot of time stalking me which is evident by the wonderful items she sent:


Everything was very neatly wrapped in pretty lilac tissue paper.....


Dishcloth & gifts


Leaf Allover Cloth in Anchor Magic

and then as I was tidying up our 'studio' I found another little gift:


Purple & Silver Stitch markers

Thank you so much Modelwidow. Everything was chosen with great care & I really appreciate it. The cloth is great to use in the kitchen & the yarn is far more absorbent that any I've used before so I'll be keeping an eye out for it.

I sent to LadybirdLinz who loves the colour green and anything to do with ladybirds.


Summertime Spa Cloth

Pattern: Summertime Spa Cloth
Yarn: Texere's Double Top in Turquoise
Needles: 3.75mm
Time: March 17th - 20th 2009. The cloth kept me amused whilst I was sick with mumps but don't worry Linz I washed it before I sent it to you!


close up of the Summertime Spa Cloth

I also included a few extras in green with the 'ingredients' to make some Ladybird stitch markers!