Sunday 21st April

Hello, friends welcome to The Sunday Sock. A very happy Easter to those who celebrate. What a lovely week it has been here in East Lothian with the weather heating up nicely and giving us some nice sunny days. I have been scooting along with a new purpose in my knitting and crochet. I have joined in with the Stash Knit Down Ravelry group's Race to the Bottom challenge in which you give yourself a goal to have gotten through a yarn amount of your choice in the next 18 months. The categories have different yarnie names and amounts ranging from Dryer Lint, (1000 yards) to Yarn Shop, (150.000 yards). I have signed up to attempt Cashmere, (30,000 yards). This amount will make but a small dent in my stash but it is something to aim for and I have set up a ticker in the side-bar to track my progress.
Also, new this week, Lucy of the Attic 24 blog released a new crochet blanket pattern and I was smitten. The Dune blanket uses 15 different colours and is made up of rows of shell stitches. I immediately forgot all the other wip's and trotted off to stash dive and find some suitable yarn. I came up with this palate for a blanket of my own.

FO's

I have finished 2 items this week. First up is this fun wee tea cosy which was a commission from a friend. This item takes us to Oldmeldrum on our trip around Scotland's burghs.

It was so difficult to photograph without a teapot but I'm sure you get the gist.

Secondly, taking us back to the coast of Aberdeenshire, and the fishing port of Peterhead, is this baby blanket for charity.

Both of these projects were quick and easy and satisfied the instant gratification that crafters sometimes crave. 

WIP's

As mentioned earlier I dug out some yarn for the Dune blanket and have completed 5 stripes.

I am just loving how this is crocheting up. There are 100 stripes, (2 rows per stripe), in the pattern and I think I am going to aim to do one per day.

Next, on the needles is the Downtown Chicago cowl, (paid pattern), for my aunt.

I do have other wip's out there but have no photos at present to share. 

Incoming

Nothing this week, much to the delight of my ever suffering DH.

Outings

I will be out and about with my Knitty friends for lunch at Joli, Longniddry on Friday 26th April at 12 noon. I am hoping the weather stays lovely and we can have lunch al fresco and get some nice photos of crafting in the wild for next week.

I think that's it for this week, other than to say if you don't want a huge spot appearing on your chin a la teenage angst, don't read The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Have a great week and happy crafting.

Mary

Sunday April 14th

Hello friends, welcome to The Sunday Sock. I hope you have all had a good week. My week has been mixed with a lovely day out to my old work with my friend Robert from Northern Ireland. It was fun to see things through the eyes of a visitor and great to see my old colleagues again. Then came the not so good when a migraine hit and I was floored for almost a full three days.  Knitting was the furthest thing from my mind and I just mostly slept. Also this week hubby and I decided to see what all the fuss is about Game of Thrones. We have never watched it so started at the beginning as luckily we have Sky box sets available to us. Three episodes in and I still don't see the attraction but hubby seems to like it.
Now for some yarn crafts.

FO's

Two things were finished this week. One I can show and one I will have to keep for later. The one I can share takes us to Huntly on our tour of Scottish burghs and is a wee crochet blanket for charity.

This simple granny square was fun and quick to make and I finished it with a round of crab stitch for a neat edging. I used a 4mm (G) hook and Stylecraft Special DK in White and Rico Baby So Soft Print in Candy. The whole blanket used just 1 ball of each yarn.

WIP's

Of these, I have a few. I have another charity blanket on my hook.

This is a granny c2c blanket which I am finding a lot easier and quicker than the usual c2c.

Last week I showed you the yarn I had chosen for the Downtown Chicago cowl and it is now wound and cast on.

Finally this week I have cast on a hat. 

This was because I needed something really simple to work on whilst watching TV. 

A really short round-up this week as I can feel my headache creeping up again. 

Have a good week everyone and hopefully next Sunday I will have a bit more to share.

Happy crafting

Mary

Sunday 7th April

Hello friends, welcome to The Sunday Sock. I do hope you have all had a great week. My week did not go according to plan. Yesterday I had been hoping to go to The St Abbs Wool Festival in Eyemouth but a conspiracy of bad weather, really bad headache and really, really poorly bank account made it an impossibility. Not to worry, I think I have just enough yarn to keep me going for a while.

As it is the first Sunday of the month I have an Around the World update for you.
In March I knitted 1316 rows and have moved along the A2 a little.

 I am now just a few rows short of 10,000 since I started this mammoth journey.

FO's

I have one FO this week. The Minecraft Socks are finished and have been gifted to their recipient.

I have it on good authority that they were well received.

Close up of the pattern.

This free pattern was knitted with RipplesCrafts BFL sock in the Smokey colour, toe-up on a 2.5mm circular needle using magic-loop and a Fleegle Heel.

This finished project, of course, takes us further on our journey round Scottish Burghs. This time to the Aberdeenshire fishing port of  Fraserburgh. This finish also takes me to 9 projects completed so far this year. it also adds £4.64, 1p per yard, to my yarn savings. 

I did have one other finish this week but being the numpty that I am I parcelled it up and posted it off completely forgetting to take a FO picture. I will ask the recipient to do a picture once it has been opened.

Wip's

I have two main wip's this week. One I can share and one I can't. The one I can share is my Good Vibes shawl.

I have finished the main section and am now into the stripes. This is a lovely pattern and not at all boring to work on.

Forward Planning

I have a wee list of things I have to do for gifts and such and now that I am nearly finished the WIP that I can't share yet I went stash diving for my next project. 

This gorgeous skein has been in my stash for many years and was part of The Orkney Collection of skeins dyed by Ripples Crafts. Helen did this collection after she and her hubby visited Orkney for the first time and she was inspired by the colours she saw there.  This particular colour is called St Magnus Cathedral Floor Tiles and is destined to become a Downtown Chicago cowl This will also be gift knitting but I will be able to share progress photos as the giftee, my aunt has no online presence. 

Incomings

Just one wee thing came into my possession this week.

Another gorgeous project bag from Sew Ray Me. As you will know I have quite a number of one skein project bags from Rachael but I needed something bigger for my shawl knitting so I ordered this beauty. It is plenty big enough for a three skein project and is deliciously well made. 

I think that is all for this week. Have a great week everyone

Happy crafting

Mary