Sunday 2nd Aug 2020

Hello friends, how the heck is it August already? This year is running away and for obvious reasons, it has been such a sucker. It has been hard on everyone and I really hope you are all keeping safe and healthy. 

I have an apology straight away as I promised to show my Stillness shawl this week but it is still not blocked so I have no pictures to share. I have however spent the morning taking photos of the socks I have so far completed for Operation Christmas Stocking. For those who haven't heard of it, we are now in the third, (I think), year of providing hand knit socks for the homeless in the Edinburgh area at Christmastime. They also get a free foot treatment from a podiatrist and our hope is that they realise that someone truly cares for them. I am slowly but surely filling a box with the socks.

I am using a hybrid pattern of Fiona Tulloch's Milkshake toe-up sock and the ever-popular Vanilla Latte. This is such an easy and intuitive sock to knit and they just fly off the needles. It also works with all yarns whether they be solid, variegated, or self-striping.

I have slightly modified the vanilla latte pattern to centre the strips of purls and love that the pattern is unisex. Both patterns can be found on Ravelry and are free.

 The Knitting Toolbox

Since we are talking socks this week I have chosen my two favourite sock knitting tools from the toolbox. First up is something which was a true gamechanger for me, the sock ruler.

This simple gadget, which I found on Etsy has made knitting the right size socks so easy. As I knit toe-up I just pop the ruler into the toe and can see at a glance how much further I have to knit to get to the heel. For you top-down knitters you simply pop it in the heel and measure towards the toe. 

The second item is my sock blockers

These are Knit-Pro blockers which I think I got from Wool Warehouse a few years ago. I have the large for man-size socks and the small for ladies. I use them mostly for taking photos as the make the socks look so good. There are many types out there from plastic to metal and hand-cut wooden ones.

On the Needles

I was catching up with the Grocery Girls podcast on YouTube and Tracie showed her Sweet and Tartan socks which is a pattern she released around the start of the lockdown and I fell instantly in love so bought it there and then. I could picture using the leftovers of my Stillness Shawl to knit a pair. I cast on right away but haven't got too far.

This is a great pattern for using up leftovers, and I am knitting these as a treat for me. 

Hopefully, I have not bored you to bits, that's all for this week. Stay safe and look after yourselves

Mary

Find me on Ravelry as mazbil and Instagram as The_Sunday_Sock

Podcasts I am watching, The Grocery Girls, and listening to, Curious Handmade.

Sunday 26th July 2020

Hello friends, sorry for being MIA last week, we had an awful week after finding our old lady cat Connie passed away on the living room floor just a few weeks after we lost her twin brother Frankie. Coming on top of everything else I simply did not have the wherewithal to get the words out to you all. Luckily as always, I had my knitting and my stash to keep me sane.

The Knitting Toolbox

As a new segment, I thought I would give you a glimpse into my knitting toolbox, having the right tools for the job is an important part of any tradesman's ability to do the job well and it is the same for any knitter who wants to be able to expand their skills.

This week we start with the box itself,

I got my multi-layer hobby box from Lidl a few years ago but you can find similar at hobby shops or on Amazon and such like websites. Next week we will start to delve deeper and find out more about what I have in there, much like a ladies handbag you just never know what we might find.

On the Needles

As per usual I have way too many things on the needles to show you everything, like many knitters I have different projects on the go to suit my mood at any given moment. 

I joined a new group on Ravelry last week called The Testing Pool. This is a group where designers put a call out to ask people to test knit their patterns and check for any mistakes and such before publication. Within a few hours, I was lucky enough to be accepted to test the Jupiter Shawl by and new to me designer, Sambaknits, from Chile. Into the stash I dove and came up with this beautiful combination

The top yarn is from the Natural Dye Studio and is a Merino/Alpaca blend in gorgeous primrose yellow tones and feels divine to knit with. This was a gift from a good friend and had arrived just a few days beforehand so it felt very serendipitous to choose this yarn.

Below is yarn from one of last year's Rosie's Moments Beatrix Potter mystery boxes. The yarn is Merino wool and Donegal Nep in the Mr. McGregor's Garder colour. It is also a dream to knit with.

I have completed Section 1 of the pattern and am about 3/4 through Section 2

I must say that it is a very enjoyable experience so far and I will have a beautiful shawl at the end.

Finished Items

I only have one finish to share this week, or rather 12. 

Hubs and I nipped into our local wee Scotmid on Tuesday afternoon for a couple of items and we were speaking to a staff member who was saying how their ears were hurting with the pressure from the elastic on the masks we all have to wear here in Scotland when in shops. It is very easy for us shoppers to not realise how it must be for them as we can take our masks off after we have shopped but the have to wear them for many hours. I had seen these mask extenders popping up all over Ravelry in the last few months and decided that in the spirit of local support I would knit a few. They were so easy with each one taking just 30mins to complete that I managed a full dozen. Now hopefully wearing a mask for many hours will be much more comfortable.

Coming to my Needles Soon

Next week I will be able to share with you the full glory of the Stillness Shawl MKAL which came off the needles yesterday. I had such a good time knitting it that I really wanted to do another straight away. Luck must have been on my side as up popped Casapinka's The Sharon Show MKAL. This one will certainly be fun as it is not designed by Casapinka herself but by Sharon from Security her 1-year-old cat. I duly joined her group on Ravelry and will buy the pattern tomorrow. There will be 6 weeks of clues beginning with the first on August 7th, which gives me time to finish my test knit, and I have already chosen my yarn which has also been approved by Sharon herself.

I really love the colours and am chomping at the bit to get started but will have to be patient for a while longer. 

I think that's it for this week, thank you for reading my ramblings and happy crafting,

Mary

Find me on Ravelry as mazbil and on Instagram as The_Sunday_Sock

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

Monday Musings

Today is known as Blue Monday, according to theorists for many it is the most depressing day of the year.  I take issue with this theory as I for one would not choose a Monday. Monday is the start of a new week it should be a day that brings hope that the week ahead will be all it can be. Now Tuesday is an altogether different beast. What is the point of  Tuesday? It is neither the start, middle or end of anything. It is too far from the weekend to be like Thursday with it's tickle of frisson that the weekend is just around the corner. Nope, Tuesday is a non day, good for nothing and this year it will be Blue Tuesday for me.

The last few days here have been particularly blue of their own accord. Since Friday evening I have been floored by some nasty bug, so much so that my best friends have been, in no particular order, sock knitting, Lemsip and Audiobooks. I lost nearly all of Saturday racking up just 38 steps in 24 hours on my Fitbit, I was out of it. Every time I turned over in bed it felt like I had been hit by a monster truck. Luckily by Sunday I was able to sit up and I got stuck into one of my favourite sock patterns.

Knitting 

This is my progress on the socks. Not too bad for feeling so poorly. The pattern is Socks on a Plane a freebie on Ravelry. Not being a fan of cables this pattern is a surprise favourite of mine. It knits up so quickly using a 6 row repeat and simple short row heel.

The yarn I am using is Reliable Sock from RipplesCrafts. It is my go to sock yarn, hand dyed in gorgeous colours in Assynt which is in the North West of Scotland. 

Books

When I feel awful the last thing I want is anything too heavy or grizzly so at times like this I turn to lighter reads. This was one of those times so I chose A Holiday Yarn from my Audible wishlist. This is the 4th book in the Seaside Knitters series and Sally Goldenbaum's words are once again beautifully read by Julie Mcay. 

The story does have a murder or two in it but the setting of Sea Harbour and the knitters themselves with he wonderful food they share is like a balm to the soul. When listening I feel swept up in a warm and safe haven and I am looking forward to many more mysteries with the four knitting friends.

Half Way to February

We are now half way through the first month of the year and what a first 15 days it has been. Floods have wrecked homes and lives and for a while it seemed the rain would never stop. Every day it was just grey and wet.
Then came the shock of two men passing.
David Bowie was the epitome of a star. His ability to re-invent himself to suit the music tastes of the time was flawless. He could take a feeling, capture it and make it his own. From Major Tom to Dancing in the Street with Mick Jagger there was something for everyone. Even to the end the last photos of him showed a stylish man who gave nothing away that he was so ill. He will be sadly missed but his music will live on forever.
Whilst still reeling from the death of David we were hit with the passing also from cancer of the wonderful actor Alan Rickman. Although best known to younger folk as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films this man was so much more. Through decades he has entertained us on stage and screen. The world of acting is so much poorer today.

Knitting

Moving forward this month I have a new MKAL to look forward to.

I love Susanna's patterns and will be looking forward to a new clue coming out each week. There is still time to sign up via Ravelry if you want to join in.
As it is a winter theme I have chosen to use Drops Lace yarn in a beautiful icy baby blue and silver lined blue beads.

I will keep you updated with my progress each week as the KAL continues.
The red jumper for my Mum is growing and I am almost at the place to put it aside and knit the sleeves.

Walking

My walking has slowed down this week as a cold has kept me mostly indoors. But as soon as I can I will get myself back out and get steps added to my journey.

Books

This week I finished  The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, read by the actor Robert Glenister. This is the first in a series of novels written by JK Rowling using this pseudonym. It took me a while to get into the book but once I did I really started to care for the characters, especially Robin. I will definitely be looking for more of these.

It Has Been a While

Gosh, how time flies.I am having difficulty believing that I last posted in January.
However I am still here knitting away and dreaming up new challenges for myself to keep life interesting.
One of the things I have challenged myself to I have been thinking about for a number of years and now I have finally figured out how to take it forward and continue with my main passion. Way back in 2003 the BBC commissioned a year long survey to find the nation's favourite books, full list of the top 200 can be found here, I have often thought about trying to read as many as I can but was foiled by the fact you cannot turn pages or read words and read patterns and knit at the same time. The bingo! a solution came to me. I have an Audible subscription, why not have the books read to me whilst I relax with my sticks and string thus combining two of my favourite things.
I took the plunge and started at No 1. The Lord of the Rings. I have now finished the first of the 6 books and am a way through the second. You may find it hard to believe, especially with all the hype there has been in the last few years, but this is a book I have never read nor have I seen any of the films. I will admit that at times I am struggling to stay focused with the story but I will persevere and I am sure I shall enjoy it.
Another challenge to myself is to knit 24 pairs of socks this year. To many folk that will sound a lot but in my mind it is 2 pairs a month, not so bad. So far I have 7 pairs completed so am bang on schedule.

To keep things interesting I am trying to use a different pattern for every pair. My Ravelry queue has expanded madly as I have added nearly 500 of the free sock patterns available. In my mind this equates to roughly 20 years of socks. Hey, we can but dream.
I am not just knitting socks though, I have a few other projects on the go and one of my Ravelry groups has a basket challenge about to begin. This involves filling a basket, real or imaginary with yarn, or wip's and trying to do as much as you can from that basket within a set period of time. It is a great way to stay focused and work your way through the stash.
Speaking of stash, mine has taken a bit of a giant leap in the wrong direction twice already this year. Firstly when a dear friend was de-stashing and I got some gorgeous yarn and a very good discount and secondly when I took myself along to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival. What a wonderful day out that was. Over a hundred stalls packed with yarnie goodies of all descriptions. It was heavenly. However being me I was like a deer caught in the headlights and there was simply way too much to choose from. I ended up just buying yarn from my favourite hand dyer and a beautiful basket for my basket challenges.

The dates for next year's festival have just been announced and I have already made a promise to myself that I will branch out and try some new yarn.
Other than that I have no major planned yarn purchases this year so it is time to climb back on the sheep and work my stash down. I will however have one skein of yarn arriving each month as my wonderful hubby gave me the most amazing gift this past Christmas. He has signed me up for the Yarn Notes from Assynt yarn club which includes a skein of hand dyed sock yarn, a beautiful picture card and some very well researched and written information about the area around the picture. The first 4 months of this club have been a joy to receive and I look forward to each and every parcel arriving.
That is all I can think of for now.

Stay safe and happy crafting
Mary

Catching Up. Islands 8 - 13

Happy New Year everyone.
Gosh I have really got behind in sharing my finished projects with you so I will keep this post as brief and factual as possible.
First up is Island 8 - Barra

These socks for hubs are knitted in Ripples Crafts 100% BFL yarn in the club colour Post Office Run April 2014. The pattern is Hermione's Everyday Socks which is a very popular free pattern on Ravelry. Bill has declared that these are the most comfy socks he has ever had and wants all his future socks in this pattern.
Which brings me nicely on to Island 9 - Berneray

These are his 2nd pair this time knitted in Ripples Crafts reliable sock in an Assynt Storms colour.

Moving on Island 10 - Auskerry

This is a fabulous warm winter jumper knitted in one piece from the bottom up. The yarn is Drops Karisma which I purchased from http://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/. This yarn was a dream to knit with and I have ended up with such a cosy jumper to wear whilst out walking the dogs.

Island 11- Boreray, St Kilda

I knitted this shawl in just 5 days. The pattern is LaLa's Simple Shawl which is designed as a top down knit. I decided to do it bottom up and cast on 305 sts and worked backwards. This is knitted in DK acrylic yarn which I bought from The Wool Shop in Woodburn Dalkeith.
I gave a similar shawl to my M-I-L a few years ago and she loved it so that is where this one also went.

Islands 12 & 13 - Barra Head & Bigga
These are socks for me.
Barra Head are some plain Vanilla socks in Opal yarn, Thelma colour

And finally Bigga are in my favourite pattern Dragonfly Socks knitted in Yarn Pirate merino/alpaca yarn which is just soooooo soft and comfy on my feet.

I do hope you enjoy the trip round these Islands and I will try not to be so tardy in posting in future..

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Socks TAAT - There is Another Way

Whilst I do credit myself with some intelligence I can also at times be astounded by how incredibly dim I can be sometimes. This came to light this week as I was reading a post by a friend on Ravelry.
I love to wear handknit socks as does hubby and I love knitting them but I find sometimes that second sock syndrome kicks in and things don't get finished as quickly as they might. I tried knitting TAAT toe up but I had to give up as my preference I have discovered is to knit top down. I also struggled with not having the usual space that I was used to on the cable, (I knit my socks using magic loop).
However as I previously said whilst reading a post on Ravelry this past week a lightbulb moment and a half struck my brain with all the force of the Blackpool Illuminations. Rona, my friend, said she knitted her socks TAAT using two separate needles!!!! She first knits the cuff of one then the other, then moves on to the legs each in turn and so on........ Why oh why had I never thought of doing that before? Dim as a dark night I am! It is so simple and I have plenty needles to make it happen. So before 2 minutes had passed off I was collecting yarn and needles, dividing said yarn into 2 balls and away I went. Progress is happening and I now have cuff and leg of one sock completed and cuff and partial leg of the other. I am over the moon at this and hopefully I shall have a completed pair of socks to share in the not to distant future instead of in a months time.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Who's a Lucky Girl Then?

Me, that's who!
Last year I was delighted to attend the first ever Edinburgh Yarn Festival. It was a lot of fun and proved to be such a success that the organisers have started preparations for an even bigger and better event to be held in March 2015. As part of these preparations they ran a prize draw on Ravelry, Facebook and Twitter to win a shawl pattern, yarn and project bag. I was the lucky winner of the Ravelry contest and early this morning the postie brought my prize.

The yarn is so soft, a 50-50 silk and merino mix, and the shawl pattern looks like it will be such fun to knit. The pattern is Gilver by designer Jo Kelly.
So as I say I am a very lucky girl.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Arran - Island 5

Modeled by my long suffering DH

A recently released pattern on Ravelry is the Yewll Crescent by my designer friend Cheri McEwan. I was privileged to be a test knitter of this glorious crescent shawl and my lovely MIL is now the proud owner. It was knitted using the Loopy Ewe solid series fingering weight yarn in Vintage Rose and a 4mm circular needle. The pattern is very well written with clear instructions and help is always available in Cheri's Ravelry group Dartfrog Designs. I was delighted with the resulting shawl and I am sure I will be knitting another one or two in the future.

Island link - Arran


Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

I Have a Vision

Yes, I do have a vision. I can see the day where I have only 5 projects on the go at any one time. One large, one shawl, a pair of fancy socks, a pair of plain socks for travel and hexi-puffs. When that day comes I shall be so happy. I shall be in control once again. What shall I do with all the patterns I want to knit? Well I shall put them in my Ravelry queue and work my way through that only allowing myself to cast on a new project when the needles from the last one have been reclaimed. My journey to that point starts here and now. It will take me a long while but at least I have a plan. As I said on Facebook earlier today, every journey requires you to take the first step. Well here I am taking that first step.
Join me on my journey.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Inchkeith - Island 4

As you will have noticed I normally knit shawls or socks. One reason is that I love lace and beads and who doesn't need socks. Another reason is I detest sewing up. It is one thing I have never mastered. I try, oh boy do I try, but it would seem the sewing needle is just not my forte.
However once in a while something comes along that screams KNIT ME! and when that happens needs must. This is what happened when I spotted the Galanthus free pattern on Ravelry. I fell in love and just had to knit it. I adapted it slightly as I had sport weight yarn and I knit the body to the armholes in the round. I knitted the whole tunic in just over a month but as is true to my form it has taken 2 months for me to get it sewn up. I have finally completed it this evening and I am going to so enjoy wearing it.

It is knitted in Ripples Crafts Sport Weight Yarn in the colour Crushed Blackberries which Helen very kindly dyed especially for me last year.

Island link - Inchkeith
This island I see every day from my kitchen window. I am so blessed to have such a beautiful view.

Keeping One's Eyes Peeled

Every now and again something comes along which takes your breath away. Today was one such day. I was nosing at the Ravelry radar when a post caught my eye. It said that designer Patti Waters was gifting all her patterns freely to celebrate her wedding. Sounded too good to be true but I had a wee look see and yes it was true. What a wonderful generous gift to the knitting community and what an inspiring way to celebrate such an occasion.
I would like to wish Patti and her husband many, many years of happiness and I will be thankful for this gift each time I pick up the needles to knit one of her beautiful patterns.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Knitting, A Trip Round Scotland's Islands

I keep track of all my knitting projects in the wonderful tool called Ravelry . The projects section ask you to name your work which can sometimes task the brain. Some people come up with all sorts of fantastic names for their projects whilst others just use the pattern name.
Recently I have been giving some thought to how I should name my projects, in the past I have used the stories of Sherlock Holmes, and looking out my kitchen window I stumbled on the perfect answer.
On a clear day I can see right across the majestic Firth of Forth to the shores of the Kingdom of Fife. However clearly in my sights is the Island of Inchkeith. Hmm, there are roughly 700 islands in the waters off the coast of Scotland. BINGO!! There was my answer staring my straight in the eyes. I will name each of my projects after a Scottish Island.
As an added bonus t anyone who happens to take the time to read my musings I will add the link, where available, to what Wikipedia has to say about the island. At last I have my project names all sorted.
I may from time to time waiver off on a tangent if another name is more appropriate but my intention is to stick for the most part with my plan.
I have already used two of the island names on completed projects so look out for those appearing soon.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

579

579! How the heck did that happen. I just checked the ticker and I have 579 skeins or balls of yarn. Holy cow!
I really must get to grips with this yarn addiction. Now I know I have 3 more skeins on their way and I have a planned visit to my friend's shop coming up as soon as I have the pennies but seriously I must end Oct with fewer skeins than 579.
So my friends that is my challenge to myself. Wish me luck,  please! 

I am also at breaking point with projects (can never see past the Oh Shiny!) so in one of the groups I frequent on Ravelry I have set myself knitting goals. They are as follows

October Goals

1. Finish Swirl Jacket
2. Finish FLK socks for me
3. Finish Wild Violet
4. Start and keep up with Flutter of the Wings  MKAL

So there you are my knitting soul bared.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

May Musings

Life

Frankie in hospital.

April was a wholly shitty month for us. Our beautiful wee boy cat Frankie nearly lost his life by eating some type of elastic which got would round the back of his tongue and ended up lacerating his stomach. We went on an emotional roller coaster ride whilst the vets at PDSA - Edinburgh operated again and again to save his life. Happily after the worst 3 weeks we got our wee boy home and he is back to his mischievous self with his fur beginning to grow back.

First day home

When he came home he looked a poor soul with almost half of his fur shaved off due to having had the operations, multiple drips and a feeding tube. He is also now eating us out of house and home which we do not mind at all as it was the fact he stopped eating and his weight plummeted that was the only sign he was ill.

Onward into May and life settled down for a while. This was of course not to last as now we have the worry of Bill's dear mum in hospital for the second time in two months with a fractured shoulder. Oh boy we could do with an extended period of calm. 

Onto some brighter news. I am delightedly proud to be part of a team whose workplace has gained a Certificate of Excellence from the Tripadvisor website. This means we are amongst the top 10% best rated visitor attractions in the world. My job has to be one of the best and I love what I do. Our wee place is in the back of beyond, but we must be doing something right if people keep giving us great reviews. 

Knitting

Yes, yes I kept on knitting through it all. I even got some things finished!

Elementary

First was an Elementary shawl a beautiful design by my good friend Cheri McEwan whose Dartfrog Designs can be found on Ravelry. 

Second was also a design by Cheri

Montego

This Montego was a MKAL over about 8 weeks and I think to date it is my favourite knitted piece.

I also managed to finish 2 pairs of socks for me

This pair were knitted using Wendy Happy. The bamboo yarn has been in my stash for years and finally I am knitting with it. I must admit it is not my favourite yarn to knit with, too splitty by far, and I will be glad to see the back of it. Mind you the socks are comfy.

The second pair were knitter with leftovers some of which you might just recognise from the shawls above

Both pairs were knitted to the Totally Vanilla pattern In the Socktopus book by Alice Yu. A great pattern and I learned so much. It will be my go to now.

Talking of Socktopus I have decided since I have the book I will take part in a KAL on Ravelry to knit every pair of socks. This will be a fun undertaking over the next 17 months and I am sure I will learn loads.

My other knitting plans this summer include taking part in Camp Loopy a fun virtual camp run by The Loopy Ewe. I look forward to sharing my adventures.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Talamh

Those of you with keen eyesight may just have seen my ticker of skeins jump alarmingly by 7 this morning. There is a very good reason for this, I decided as a treat to myself to join in an impromptu KAL of Talamh, a delightful cardigan pattern available to purchase from Ravelry.
What is special about this for me is that the yarn has been dyed especially for this project in my chosen colour and is just delightful.

The colour is Crushed Blackberries and is from my favourite dyer, the wonderful Helen at Ripplescrafts.

My plan is that this yarn will not linger in my stash, but that I will knit at least 1 skein a week to finish the cardigan and I will wear it to the inaugural Edinburgh Yarn Festival on March 16th. 

Wish me luck and I will keep you all informed of my progress.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Needles

What do You Use?

Talking with my DH this morning after a squeal of delight by me (more on that later) I got to thinking about my life's journey thus far through knitting.
I first learned to knit when I was just a wee thing, taught by my gran and using the standard long needles which for all I know were all that were available back then. They as I remember were about as long as my arms and I struggled so much with them, but I persevered and mastered the basics of the craft.

The type I started with.

I continued knitting with this type of needle all through my younger years until I gave up due to sad circumstances and never picked up another needle for about 15 years.

When I did begin knitting again it was with the same style of needle and I must admit that looking back I had the same problems, I still found them difficult to manoeuvre and my hands would begin to hurt after just a few rows.

I then decided to try bamboo needles which I was assured were much lighter and would not be so cumbersome. Whilst it is true that I found them lighter and slightly easier to manage I still was not totally convinced, although you will see I still use them for some projects.

Bamboo Needles

Moving on I discovered that there was an alternative, circular knitting needles where two needle tips are attached to each other with a long cable. So I thought what the heck I may as well give it a try. What a revelation these were light easy to handle and I did not get sore hands. I could knit for hours at a time. 

Circular needle

I then discovered Ravelry and this opened up a whole new world of knitting to me. New techniques and patterns, different styles and ideas and of course I learned even more about knitting needles and the endless brands that are available at the touch of a few buttons via the wonderful world of the internet.

Now whilst I was quite happy with the circular needles I had in my tool box, I had also discovered that I wanted to try new things. Something which appealed to me was trying for the first time in my life to knit socks. I tried and failed spectacularly with double pointed needles and actually broke a couple of sets in my endeavours to master them, (so I have none to take pictures of). 

Then I was pointed in the direction of a technique called Magic Loop. I duly studied a few You Tube videos on the subject and off I went. Wow!! What a revelation. I could knit small things in the round, I could try socks!! And so I did, but there was a fly in the ointment for me. I just did not find the cables on my needles malleable enough and I started to struggle once again. I then heard about a certain brand of needle whose cables were more pliable and I decided to give them a try. And so lo and behold I mastered Magic Loop 

A sock in progress on my chosen needles.

And so, back to my squeal of earlier. So far the smallest needle size I have in this brand is 3mm, as I have the interchangeable type. This limits my choices in sock making as most patterns call for a thinner needle, so imaging my delight this morning when just on the off chance I discovered that this brand I use makes fixed circular needles in sizes down to 2mm in my preferred length for magic looping. Today I am one happy bunny. I will order some soon and you will surely see some more pictures of socks in due course.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Diary of A Knitter - Feb 8th

One Week In

So a full week of February has passed already. Wow time goes fast in these parts. So you will be wanting to know of my progress. Well I am pleased to report some progress has been made and a new (yes another one!!) project has been started.

Clue 1 completed

First to the progress made. My Blooming Fuchsia shawl is a bottom up affair with a huge cast on of 527 stitches then the rows slowly decrease in size as you follow the clues. It has been slow going, especially with the 2nd row as placing 260ish beads takes time. Mind you all the effort will be worth it as only 1 clue in and I am in love

Beads along the edge.

The second  photo here shows the beautiful beaded edge.

The next project which has had some big progress is Sylvia's Shawl the baby shawl for my work colleague. I have finished the main body of the shawl and am now working the border which incorporates the cast off. The border is worked sideways and you join as you go along. The shawl does not look like much just now as it is bunched up on the needle, but it will soon begin to blossom.

An ugly duckling about to transform.

Finally for today I have begun yet another mystery KAL, this one I stumbled upon purely by chance whilst browsing Ravelry. It is being run by one of my favourite designers, Cheri McEwan, who is a wonder with both knit and crochet lace designs. The KAL is free to join in and the clues are coming at the sedate pace of one every 2 weeks giving everyone plenty time to complete each one. There are also 3 options as to which style of shawl you choose or you can make it as a blanket or throw.  More details can be found here Mystery KAL.  I have decided to go with a fingering weight circular option using yarn I was given in a swap last year.

Clue 1 complete

Boy did I have fun getting the circle going. Memo to self, do not try to begin magic looping when tired.

That is all for today.

Stay safe and happy crafting.