Long overdue

Belated thanks are owed to Random Knits. We did a swap at the end of last year and with everything that has happened since I hadn't managed to say Thank You.

The lovely Donna had a skein of Wollmeise that she wasn't particularly attached to and I've always wanted to try it and adored the colour:


Wollmeise, Knitabulous sock yarns & a project bag!

I'll let the pictures do the talking:


Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin in Ruby Thursday


Knitabulous Ultimate Sock in New Jeans

The composition is 60% Wool, 20% Silk and 20% Bamboo which sounds as if it'll be lovely to use as well as wear.

I also love the project bag as it's got a firm base so stands up with a drawstring but didn't realise Donna had made it herself until I spotted the little 'Random Knits' tag.

Also included were a packet of Tam Tams, an Australian music magazine for DD and a black skull shaped rubber which went straight into her pencil case. DD came back from Australia last summer with a packet of Tam Tams and we all love them so they didn't last very long.

I sent enough Drops Kid-Silk for a decent sized shawl, an English magazine for her daughter which featured loads of Twilight information and a poster and some very nice chocolate. The chocolate nearly didn't make it as it had been 'found' by somebody but I managed to save it.

Thank you so much, I really enjoyed the swap & loved shopping for you!

And just because I couldn't resist here's another pic:


Wollmeise & Knitabulous sock yarns

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.

A month later

and I'm still here sat on my butt in same the chair. The brace is still on and I really hate it. The crutches/brace give me blisters and I'm hobbling around.

Being in constant pain definitely gives life a different edge and my priorities have changed. It's now an ordeal to do anything and I REALLY miss walking the dogs in the morning. I've been told it'll be 3 months before I'm walking but one month on and I've had no progress to speak of so I'm not holding my breath.

But life goes on: Frankie kitten is now 6 months old & was neutered this week. He went out for the first time this afternoon & the woodshed was VERY interesting. He's developed a love of dog food so we're trying to persuade Oscar to eat his food so that Frankie doesn't steal it.


Frankie aged 4 months as we haven't taken any photos recently

I started a new job a week before the accident but luckily I'm based at home so haven't had to take time off sick. It's been interesting trying to arrange an invalid working area as I can't sit at my desk but it's doable, the work is interesting and I'm enjoying it.

Out with the old

Perhaps to be expected we didn't have the best Christmas or New Year celebrations.
2009 was a difficult year for our family on many levels most of which isn't to be shared here. 2008 was also hard on us so we could really do with a change this year....

Knitting is taking place but I've discovered that when it's one of the few things I can do it loses much of it's appeal. My husband is snowed with all the burdens that my injury has heaped on him, so for now you'll have to make do with a photo of a new WIP (taken with my phone) Thummbed mittens.

ETA 2/1/10 to add links

Merry Christmas

I hope you're all having a wonderful day with loved ones and enjoying a peaceful & joy filled day.

Our Christmas is a bit different this year as I had an accident 2 days ago involving a lovely farm dog, who obsessed with a moving quad bike, ran into my knee at top speed and sent me crashing to the floor. It's too swollen at the moment to be certain of the damage but for now the Doctors think I've hurt my medial cruciate ligament and possibly the cartilage as well :(

So my Christmas this year involves minimal movement but that means lots of knitting as I can't do much else. Poor DH has to do everything else including all dog walking which he's not happy about as he'd planned a few lazy mornings in bed but I'd swap in an instant.

As I'm typing DD is happily checking out her presents and playing a new CD and I'm pleased that all presents were bought and wrapped well in advance.....

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!