Monday, 6 January 2014

New Year... what will it bring!

Well here we are in 2014, what happened to 2013 it wizzed by and so I thought like everyone else,"what did I achieve".

My knitting life so far as been amazing and have knitted some wonderful things and have had great pleasure in seeing peoples faces when they get them. I have made some amazing knitter friends in the Knitting groups I attend and within the lovely land of Twitter, and they keep me laughing when ever I see them. Also thanks to www.cityknits.co.uk for giving me ago without them I would have never started to blog and I do so like sharing my stuff even if no body reads it writing it is great for the brain and the fingers while typing!

Also at this time of year I look over the year that has just left us and what happened here is a very quick few things I enjoyed. We had that lovely snow in January and I know not everyone likes it but now I live "up North" and from Somerset we never got much snow and now I get loads and like a kid have to go out and walk, when Hubby and I went out walking on this day in January a 2 hour walk lasted nearly 5 as we got so lost but had a very slippery time and laughed a lot.


 The field only us two had walked in mainly because we were so far away from any where! Lots of snow angels made here.


Just two snowy photos to remind me. Then came the summer which I LOVE, everything looks so much better in the sun. Hubby played cricket and we just chilled in the sun, our garden is not huge but for the two of us its fine. We try to grow veggies and I mean we try, and it not always works but the excitement of seeing little seedlings grow is amazing and one I hope I won't grow out of. My knitting during this time was hard work, sticky hands, but I still did it and of cause sitting in my garden I could take loads of breaks to bung hands under the cold tap.


This summer was the first time we looked after our lovely Buster, who I mentioned before. He belongs to some friends of ours and hates being left alone while Sharon is at work so I look after him and I love it. The photo above shows you what we did to stop him breaking out into next door neighbours garden, but it does show the beautiful sweet peas which are the best flowers you can ever grow the smell is so beautiful and heavenly and I have to grow them every year, so roll on this summer when the seeds we dried we can grow our selves, fingers crossed.

That's enough of going back one of my New Years resolution's was to try and not to dwell in the past but to look ahead at every thing which is to come, so far it going well, but we are only 6 days in!!

For Christmas my Hubby brought me some shelves, I know, "Really he brought you some shelves" but they are what I wanted, as I had decided to make the spare room, where no one came to stay, into  "my knitting room". So trip to Ikea (that was fun) and shelves where in" my room", its what its called now no longer spare room, sounds so much better. 


And here they are and as usual since this was taken I have moved things around a bit, but they still look tidy. 


 My favourite pictures, the "keep calm" one was brought at Skipton Market a while ago and just needed to be put up and the other two are vintage baby knitting patterns and they are just two of my loved patterns the others are kept safe.




I love "my room" and now life has gone back to normal with Hubby gone back to work, (insert sad face here) I will be using it everyday during working hours and then doing my knitting while watching TV with Hubby in the lounge.

One thing I did try during Christmas break was felting and OMG soooooo much fun why had I not had this in my life before. You knit this strange shaped thing see below


 and then bung it in the washing machine with some jeans on a boil wash and something magical happens and this wonderful item comes out.

I made 4 bowls, each are used in "my room" for all sorts of bits that we knitters have! I have since found a knitting bag and some hearts I'm now going to have ago out, its knitting with extras.

Resolution number 2 was to try and use some of my stash which is now nicely stashed away in boxes in "my room". So over the weekend while out for a quick stroll in Bingley my hands were freezing, now I have loads of hand warmers I have knitted but no gloves or mittens, so off I go looking for patterns on the lovely Pinterest, found some, well a few patterns and off I go. Stash was looked at found colours needed had all needles needed so knitting was ago.


They are knitted in merino and silk blend wool sorry cannot give names as I no longer have the wraps to tell me what they are but I can tell you wearing them will be so cuddly and warm which is what I was after.


A close up on the cuffs which I think are lovely and a shame they will be up my coat sleeve and never seen but some how I will show them off.

I made a few resolutions another one was to try and finish my WIP, now knitters and you know who you are, how many of us have them. I try not to have them but am ashamed to say I have some. Now knitters I no think its OK, but, I can hear mine shouting at me from their various places telling me to "finish me I want to be worn and make you happy" and since cleaning "my room" I found some I had forgot about woops. So sorry jumper, snood and of course those "I've only knitted one sock" syndrome. The socks I need so they need to get done, snood not really liking it so might have to unpick that one, and the jumper well I finished it.


It only took me a few hours to add a few extra inches on to the bottom of the hem, this was knitted from the top down something I had never done before but have found I quite enjoyed it and would love to do one again. So as I am writing this my brain is ticking over with all those WIP which I need to go and get done!!
so I'm off, but first let me wish you all "Happy New Year" and I hope you all enjoy whatever 2014 throws at you and finish the things you need in your life or you would never have started them.

Goodbye and Happy Knitting x x  

Saturday, 14 December 2013

No sleep and ilness while trying to knit

Well here I am 2.20am on Saturday morning and what an eventful week I've had. Last weekend was good got a few ideas for Christmas present. Sorted out my nieces birthday stuff 3 days before Christmas, and she will be 23 years old she's our only niece and we love her to bits even though we don't tell her or see her enough. Sunday morning woke up with no voice which is not unusual for me as I have nodules on my voice box so any change in the weather or basically anything bye bye voice, most people now would say "oh that sounds fun" but its a pain. I once taped my voice while I had lost it cause in my head it doesn't seem that bad, but listening to it back boy was I wrong it sounds scratchy and dry. Well Monday let me tell you was not the Monday I was expecting I felt like a had been in a boxing ring over night, all my muscles were crying out in pain and heat, my body felt like I was on a hot stove and that was the start of my four days in my bedroom with TV, cats and cold drinks for company. I didn't even knit during this time and let me tell you that was horrible, felt like I had lost my hands, I adore my knitting could and do spend hours dreaming over my "getting bigger" knitting book collection, over my ever "expanding wool stash". Reading and planning my projects whether I can bear to give my knits away or be selfish and knit them all for me, its hard decision's to make when your a knitter and one I should be able to cope with but I cant. So like I said here I am when all are asleep typing away listening to the Ashes and Broad has just got Johnson out. Another of my loves is Cricket I don't understand it all but I love to watch it, my Hubby plays in the Summer and is a great way to get a tan. Also am drinking decaf coffee do you think that will help me sleep, I doubt it but hey ho.
 


 
So like I said knitting has been a no go but today off I went. I made three dishcloths as gifts for friends and family. As you can see in the picture a kaleidoscope of colours. This is my first adventure into dishcloths when I mentioned this to my Mum she told me it was the first thing she ever knitted so it seems this new found love is a slightly delayed in my life. I now have five done so far of "Grandmothers favourite dishcloth", such a lovely and quick project, cast on 4 sts knit one row. Next row, knit 1 wrap wool round front of needle knit to end of row. Repeat this row to you have 44 sts then next row, knit one, knit 2 together wool round needle and knit 2 together. Repeat his till you have 4 sts left and cast off leaving one st on needle and make a crocket loop. Why oh why have I not found this great knit before love them and much more hygienic to wash your dishes with and what a great way to use your cotton wool stash.
 
 
                        



 
 
 
 
I also had a go at knitting a cloth with some writing set in, it's meant to say "love to knit with my friends" and it could be going to one of my knitting ladies at the Tuesday Club but as yet am undecided and so it might stay at home with me, going to try and knit one in another colour and see what happens might look better in a darker colour!!
 
Well while I've been writing this two more wickets have gone and too many runs have be made but we've still got time left and it might rain.
 
Am off to meet Susan Crawford of  www.susancrawfordvintage.com  I follow Susan on face book and met her at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show a few weeks ago and what a lovely lady, and her knitting designs are just amazing and I want to knit everything I look at. Go have a look at her sight and see what I mean and you fall in love to. Well on Thursday up came a message that she had some yarns that need a new home and so I left a message thinking that I had no chance, but should not have given up so fast, and like I said off to pick up the stash and cannot wait to make some exciting designs with what ever is coming my way. Will keep you posted of what happens and makes I knit.
 
I have wanted to design some thing for ages and as I am not a very positive thinking lady didn't think I could but I have start to design a head band and matching hand warmers I have already wrote the plan up and started to knit and will keep you updated soon I am quite chuffed with myself for finally giving it ago and lets just take teeny tiny steps and see what happens but how exciting to start something new.
 
This is coming to a close I am finally beginning to feel tired but knowing me and I do well, as soon as I go back to bed I will be wide awake, but who knows. One last thing I am going to knit some mini jersey bunting for the Tour de France which is coming though Harrogate over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of July 2014, you can get the information and pattern details from  www.baaramewe.co.uk they have two shops one in Harrogate and the other in Headingly, Leeds. This is a great idea for everyone who watches the race to see us Yorkshire knitters at our best and hope fully encourage many new knitters or welcome back knitters.
 
Happy knitting in knitting land loves xx
 
PS by the way England are now bating and its 9-0 so fingers still are crossed.

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

December Wool


Well here I am writing blog number two and I'm loving writing ideas that come to me to write down for you all to read and I hope you all like reading it.

Couple of weeks ago while out with Hubby we dropped into a pub for lunch and there in the corner was a lady knitting. She was not alone but with a partner and he was reading his paper and was a lovely sight all they needed was a roaring fire and it was the perfect setting and got me thinking how many of us knit in a public place?  Seeing people knit in a public place should happen more often and as I'm writing this I'm trying to work out where my first attempt out and about should be? I always go to my knitting group every  Tuesday morning but that really doesn't count as public will have to go to local coffee shop and get my needles out. So come on lovely knitters lets get out there and do it in public.

Talking about knitting group we had our "wool swap" yesterday organised by Fiona Drake of Catch-e-Monkey you can find her on facebook. Wool swap is where our group go through our stash and find all those unloved balls of wool you thought you where going to use but didn't, we hand them in and we do a swap. If only one person puts their hand up for the wool then its yours if more than one of you then you throw a dice highest number wins.


 
My wool winnings so many ideas in here just need time to knit them.
 

I seem to hate this time of year and have decided that I am a summer person, but as I'm writing this I think of Sunday morning when Hubby and I went for a lovely walk along the canal the weather was just right and we loved it . By the way Hubby is now clean shaven and back to the face I fell in love with.

This photo looks odd but its me being artistic and looking at the reflection in the water. We went to get some holly for our lounge as I was putting the Christmas decorations up, I know early but I love planning where it is all going to go and love when the blinds get closed and all the twinkling lights and candles are lit, it means Christmas is coming and even though I am  51years of age I don't care I do still get so excited there I've said it is out there I'm like a little kid counting the days down and how many sleeps I hope that feeling never leaves me and oh yes the whole house gets decorated, including the bathroom


Knitting as usual is taking over my life so many things to do and not enough time to get my needles clicking away, but I have done my beret for www.cityknits.co.uk 
The wool was Katia Oxford in a lovely blue it is made of 50% wool, 45% acrylic and 5% viscose. It is 50grs in weight and has 125 mts or 137 yds in length. It was so soft to knit and would use again in fact already am woops more knitting.
 


I knitted the beret in a day and was so lovely to knit as it changes colour as you knit you only need one ball for the beret so works out quite affordable. I have been wearing it have had a few lovely comments. The following pictures shows it in different stages of its life.

 
This one is the ribbing one I haven't done before and really enjoyed it and will be using it again on other projects. You can also see my gorgeous yarn holder it sits on the floor next to me and my two lovely cats are fascinated by it and would love to play with the wool it holds but know Mum won't let them.


Know we are up to the decreases and as you can see the colour as changed a lot and looks amazing.

 
This one all knitted and ready to wear, the colour changes are just wonderful and the pattern so easy to do and one I didn't need to keep looking at it to see where I was.
 

 

A close up of pattern and wool looks even better. I used my ever faithful Knit Pro Interchangeable Circular Symfonie needles, I love these and use them for everything I knit and would recommend these to everybody so much so my lovely Mum has started to buy them and loves them too.

Well this blog comes to an end, have a dog to walk slimming world to go too knitting Christmas pressies to finish and another knitting group to go to later on tonight so busy busy.


 
Buster out walking. 

Happy knitting in knitting land x x