Own your knits

When I chose a knitting pattern for myself one of the key things needed is you have to really really really want to own/make that item. Watch it come to life, add it to your wardrobe, test your skills... there has to be a drive.

If your knitting project bores you chances are you won't actually want to finish it and it will be one of those things that sit in the bottom of your projects bin/bag/pile.

One of the things I really wanted to own was Cobalt by Kim Hargreaves. I chose burgandy, before the actual autumn fashion lines were out and luckily for me that colour is bang on trend. This of course had nothing to do with my selection and much more to do with the fact I really suit burgandy and couldn't find a cardigan I liked in the shops.

I finished this piece on a train from London to Rugby. Who knew there was an actual place called Rugby! I didn't get to see any of it, but the train got me there. Also, since I finished this on Monday I have worn it three times - today is only Thursday.

Here is my finished piece, worn with the dress that inspired the colour choice and the garment choice.

friday nights in

I love a good Friday night in. Usually, after working all week I am not in the mood to go out on a Friday.

Today I set to work on my Maxfield, sorting out which colours to use. I have two balls yellow, one gold and one light orange... and chose to use the two I have the least amount of yarn for. Perhaps not my brightest moment, but the pattern only calls for two balls of the contrast colour, so lets just hope it all works out in the end!

I am using larger than called for needles, as I knit really tightly. Its a bit bigger than gauge, but this means that if I somehow shrink this baby it will still all be okay!

And voila! I think I might be in love already!

Solving the puzzle

As some of you might know I have been deciding my future. I think I've kinda made up my mind and this revelation comes at the same time as many of my UFOs (unfinished objects to those non-knitterly peoples out there) are coming to a close.

I am almost done my Cobalt cardigan - sleeves are blocking, neckline is completed and the right side has been stitched up. Perhaps this weekend it will be done!

I have also been working on one of the Purl Bee's Shawl Collar cowl's, and that too is just about done. Need to knit the bottom together (more than already has been done as I have started that process) and stitch up the fronts and it will be complete as well.
One mitten from the green pair before is still just one mitten, but I will need a break from all this stitching up so I will probably start that this weekend!

That's me in a nutshell. Working to the finish line! Hurrah!

Oh, and I bought the pattern for the the Maxfield Cardigan by Amy Christoffers  from my last post, so might need to cast on for that this weekend... Keeping busy!

late nights, no sleep

I have stash.

I have a lot of stash. Believe me! I trolled Ravelry for hours trying to find something suitable, what to do with all this yarn?!

Inspired by the Maxfield Cardigan, I thought about how very sad it is that I do not suit yellow. Its so bright and sunny! How can it not look good on me?!

the maxfield

But imagine this sweater on me, mostly in navy as in the picture, but also with these colours: 

And maybe some sort of crazy stripe pattern? Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue, orange, yellow, orange...lather rinse repeat? 

I'm thinking, what combination would use up my stash AND make this suit me? Maybe if I did the body in the smaller stripes and the fronts in the "less stripe" option... 

This yarn is the Nashau Creative Worsted (now discontinued but still sold under Rowan's brand). The stuff is amazingly soft. It does split as you knit if you don't catch the whole loop but any mistakey loops sort themselves if you fix it then move on. One thing to note: do not knit in bed. It sheds like crazy at first, but once you remove the preliminary pilling layer it doesn't do it again, so over time it sort of felts together into this smooth soft flexible fabric.... dreamy. 

Oh, THATs what those were.

So, all these photos appeared on my phone.

How did those get there? I deleted them one by one.

Oh no, they are back.

So I delete the whole album.


And now my whole blog is photoless.

Surely that's a flaw Google?! Not impressed!!!

Multi Tasking.

When knitting mittens I do tend to get the bulk of the work done then look at those forlorn thumb stitches and think "I'll do those later" and promptly move onto the next project.

Well my friends, not today. 

Today I did the whole "knit the thumb while STILL knitting the body of the mitten". Oh yes, I multitasked. And it was amazing. It did involve digging around a bit within the ball of yarn to find the other end, but I gotta admit, that was a bit fun. 

And don't worry too much about twisting the two strands as you're knitting as the thumbs are only what, 12 small rows at most (fingerless mittens here), then you can snip the yarn and untangle very easily.

The mitten shown here is Autumnal Mittens, and I am using King Cole Baby Alpaca in Sage (not quite so greeny as in the pictures)

front showing the natural thumb and body separation after a couple rows. 

the back; you can see how it is knit in a straight line, but using different ends of the ball to keep them separate.

inside and outside, at the same time.

If this seems daunting and something that would just confuse you don't worry. You can't panic too much, it's just a bit of string! 

Just take your time, and if you have any questions just ask! 

Failed my driving test.

I did fail. I was stupid and failed on a major. I only had a few minor mistakes that the examiner said I did really well.... aside from the massive crash I almost caused, but hey ho!

I'm off to drown my sorrows in yarn galore! I have my knit group tonight and my friends there are my favouritest people ever so its always nice seeing them when I have a crappy day!

Another thing that cheers me up?


Harry Potter. So, I went to the studio. I got some picatures of me there. Here are some...

In front of Ron's bed, with his handknitted blanket on the bed...but im sadly blocking it!

all the fun packages used

us in front of the scenic filming stage of the castle exterior