Diary of A Knitter - Jan 14th

More In Than Out


Oh dear, not a good week for the diet this week. 4 skeins of Ripples Crafts yarn dropped through the door on Tues morning. One was from the monthly yarn club which was an extra surprise Christmas gift from DH. Two were a treat to myself from money given by MIL also for Christmas and the final one was a surprise from Helen the wonderful Ripples Crafts herself who was emptying out a basket of unsold yarns to make space for new stock. Oh well, on the bright side more yarn to choose shawl patterns for.
I have only managed to finish 1 skein of yarn this week, so I have a net gain of 3, oops!!!


Progress in Other Things

There may be a net gain in yarn, but there is a loss in projects on the needles, albeit not a net loss (will come to that later).
The Damask I was knitting for my friend in The Netherlands is off the pins and waiting for blocking, here is a pre-blocking photo

 I am so pleased with this as it is my very first attempt at beading and once I started using larger beads the end product pleased me so much. I can only now hope Yvonne will love it too and wear it with pride. Maybe it will even give her the push to try knitting lace for herself. I know she can do it.



I have also been spurred on to update my other projects with photos, so here is a wee taste of what I currently have on the needles,

Girasole

Reminiscence

Mystery KAL Clue 1

Hitchhiler

Stratosphere Swirl Jacket

It would seem I have a theme of pinks and purples going on in my knitting. I will give you three guesses as to what my favourite colours are!!

Stay safe and happy crafting

Diary of a Knitter - Jan 8th

One Week In

So here we are one full week into 2012. I have lost one further skein of yarn weight, but I had to rip back one of my projects and start again. The shawl for my friend Sylvia's grandchild had a yarn join with which I just wasn't happy. It was near the start and very visible so I took the decision to start over. I will certainly take much more care next time. This will certainly slow down my diet progress, but I will be so much happier with the end result.
One project which is going well is the shawl I am knitting for my friend Yvonne. It is growing quickly now that the rows are much shorter.

 I have also started adding beads to it in place of the fiddly nupps which the original pattern calls for. The first beads I used were so tiny that I fear they will be lost in the overall pattern, but I got some more bigger ones which I added in the next area and I am much happier with the look.

The first of my mystery KAL's will begin tomorrow and I am excited to see the first clue and to get started. It will be such fun to watch the shawl grow and see the pattern emerge. I have a long distance knitting buddy for this project. My awesome kayaking friend Laurie in Canada and I will be cheering each other along every step of the way.

I have also taken on a Pay it Forward challenge for 2012. This is where you make something for the first 5 people who reply to your post, in this case it was on Facebook. They in turn offer you the chance to reply to them and you get a handmade good in return. I have until the end of 2012 to make my 5 things, so plenty time and it gives me a plan for the year. Spreading the love of crafting around the world.

Talking of plans, this year I think I will try to complete one shawl every month, or 12 in 12. As I already have 3 on the needles I hope I can manage this challenge to myself. This will be alongside all my other projects. Hey I love to knit.

Stay safe and happy crafting.

Diary of a Knitter - Jan 2nd

Start Weight - 485
Weight Lost - 1
Weight Gained - 3
Balance - 487

Happy New Year

So here we are in 2012. Time for resolutions for some, time for reviews for others. For me a time to take a look forward to what new things I might want to try in this coming 12 months.
2011 ended for me with a lovely yarnie surprise which didn't do the yarn diet much good. A few days before Christmas I decided that I wanted to see just what all the fuss was about by ordering a couple of skeins of Madelinetosh yarn. So I ordered 2 skeins of Tosh Merino light to give it a bash. I chose a sweet pale purple colourway and then promptly forgot all about my order. So you can imagine my delight when on Hogmanay morning the postie arrived with a parcel from the USA. Upon opening this parcel I discovered not only the lovely yarn I had ordered, but also all this,

A wonderful surprise!!

Yes, I have officially become a Loopy Groupie. Apparently this was my 6th order from The Loopy Ewe and I qualified for this lovely welcome pack of a clear tote bag, calender, sock pattern, sweeties and a surprise skein of yarn (Dream in Colour Everlasting sock in Henna). 

Wow I sure ended 2011 with a bang. 

The yarn I ordered was just lovely too. 

La Vie en Rose

You too can check out all the lovely yarns The Loopy Ewe has to offer by clicking the button on the right.

So moving into 2012. I still have lots on the needles to keep me going, but I have been tempted and have signed up for 2 mystery shawl Knit Alongs. This is where clues are sent out on approximately a weekly basis and the pattern emerges in stages. A bit like a treasure hunt. 

So I have one by designer Susanna IC beginning sometime this month for which I will be using this combination of yarn & beads,

Mulberry Delight and Lilac beads.

And a second one beginning in February for which I will show you the yarn nearer the time.

I also plan to learn to knit socks this year. I have promised my friend Gillian that we will learn together, so now I have told you I will have to do it.

I wish you all happy crafting in 2012. Stay safe.

Diary of A Knitter - Hogmanay 2011

Shawls of 2011

Start Weight - 489
Weight Lost - 4
Weight Gained - 0
Balance - 485

The Year's End

So here we are on the last day of 2011. A time of reflection, a time to look back at what was achieved or not in the last 12 months.
My own year got off to a not so good start with illness striking me a blow early on in the year, this caused me severe anxiety issues which in turn led to agoraphobic tendencies. Not good. I spent a good few months not leaving the house unless I really had to. But all was not lost, I discovered the delights of watching road race cycling on the TV and I re-kindled my acquaintance with Ravelry, which in turn opened up a hitherto unexplored world of patterns, yarns and friends.
Around June I cast on my first ever lace shawl using a charted pattern. I was terrified, I had steered well clear of charts up to that point. The shawl I chose was Girasole by Jared Flood, not for the faint hearted some may say, but I was up to the challenge and produced a piece of knitting which I will always be proud. It was knitted in baby yarn for the 12th great grandchild of a lovely friend. Baby Sophie seems happy being snuggled up in her lovely shawl and that thought makes me happy.
So moving on through the year I used my love of all things knitting to help me overcome my fears, and by the end of September I was ready to start back to work taking things very slowly. All that time when I was off work my hands kept moving, so here are some of the fruits of my knitting year 2011.

General Knitting

If I discovered anything about my knitting this past year it was,

1. Circular needles are for me.
2. Charts are just mind over matter, one stitch at a time.
3. I love knitting shawls.
4. I love knitting bottom-up shawls
5. Stitch-markers are my best friend

The last day of the year for me is also a day to look forward. 

So what will 2012 bring, well who knows?

I know that for me I will try to be a stronger person mentally and I will try not to take things so personally that they eat away at my self confidence. 

I will continue to knit and enjoy my passion for lacy shawls.

I will continue with the hexi-puffs, and one day a quilt may appear.

Hopefully my stash will deplete somewhat.

And finally hopefully DH will be given some relief from the constant pain he is in and he can start to lead a more normal life.

I leave you and 2011 with a Scottish blessing of sorts,

A guid new year to yin an a', an mony may ye see.

Happy New Year everyone, stay safe and happy crafting.

Diary of a Knitter - Week 4 Begins

Start Weight - 487
Weight Lost - 2
Weight Gained - 4
Balance - 489

Christmas, been and gone.


So it is all over for another year and whilst the diet took a bit of a hit, both yarn wise and food wise it could have been a lot worse.
I as you can see gained 4 skeins, these were all part of a lovely gift of sock weight yarns from my lovely hubby who encourages my passion for shawl knitting.

Ripples Crafts delightful yarns.

He had ordered this surprise pack from Ripples Crafts who is an independent dyer in the North west of Scotland. Helen the owner had asked him a few questions about what I like to knit and colours and she put together this gift for him. The colours are from the left, Ginger, Assynt Jewels, Very Plummy and Mulberry Delight, these were accompanied by the cute wee project bag and some locking stitch markers.

I also got some knitting goodies from my Mum. She gave me a book I had had my eye on for sometime called Knit Swirl by Sandra McIver.

This is a collection of knitting patterns for jackets all knitted in one piece with if I remember correctly just one seam to sew up.
I must admit to having already cast on one of the jackets, the Strata Sphere using some yarn from my stash.

I will keep you updated with my progress. So far I have managed the cast on of 561 stitches and almost completed the 1st welt.
Mum also got me some cute snowmen stitch markers and a set of Knit-Pro metal needle tips which I had asked for.
These tips are also for a specific project I have in mind. I recently bought my very first skein of lace weight yarn and a friend in one of the forums I read on Ravelry has a design that I fell in love with. It is the Persica shawl,

this shawl looks just divine and when I saw it I knew I would just have to knit it.

So with all the other things I already have on the needles I think I have my work cut out for the beginning of 2012.

Hope Christmas brought you all you wished for.

Stay safe and happy crafting.

Diary of a Knitter - Somewhere in Week 3

Start Weight - 487
Weight Lost - 1
Weight Gained - 0
Balance - 486

Getting Lost

So, I kept the diary almost daily for two weeks, then I have kind of got lost. It has been a busyish time at home. DH had his birthday, I had a cold and felt awful. I did keep knitting though and have lost another skein in weight, so the diet is still on track. Mind you it is now Christmas Eve and who knows if I will receive some yarny goodness from Santa tomorrow. Have I been a good girl this year? Well, I was not out and about much due to illness, so I really have not had much opportunity to be naughty.  I have been naughty on the yarn front though, I do know that. Too many Oh Shiny's have crept into my stash, which is why I am keeping this diary and am on this diet.
I really must concentrate in 2012 on finishing what I start, keeping my knitting ADD under control and of course sticking to the diet. Will I do it? Only time will tell.

So am I ready for the big day tomorrow? Well all the shopping is done, all the food bought, presents wrapped, so yes I think I am ready. No tree this year, so our gifts are piled up under the fire, much to the bemusement of kitten Mysti for whom this is all new,

Is there any yarn in there?

Now back to my knitting and a happy afternoon and evening tracking the movements of Santa on the Norad Tracks Santa website, http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track3d.html Great fun for all ages, okay yes I am a big kid at heart.

So all that remains to be said is a Merry Christmas to everyone, stay safe and happy crafting

Diary of a Knitter - Day 13

Start Weight - 488
Weight Lost - 1
Weight Gained - 0
Balance - 487


Back to Knitting

So without pesky interferences like work or shopping etc, yesterday I was able to concentrate on getting some knitting done. I for once concentrated on one project and managed to finish the centre section of Sylvia's shawl.

It looks somewhat bunched up on the needle, but is growing along nicely. I am enjoying my first experience with Knit Picks yarn. This is the Shine Sport a soft cotton based yarn with a lovely sheen which glides easily on the needles making knitting with it a pleasure. This section finishes with 288 stitches on the needle, then the next row begins the pattern section and the stitch count immediately jumps to 432. So the long rows have begun, but the 4 row pattern is so easy to remember that it makes for great TV knitting. 

And at this time of year TV knitting is just what is needed. There are some great looking new programmes coming on the box this Christmas and a few old favourites which I will try not to miss. I love the crime drama genre, both UK based and some US based. Also our own news based comedy panel shows keep me giggling at their unique take on the weeks happenings.

Oops off on a tangent there, so back to knitting. All that effort yesterday also resulted in a weight loss of 1 skein, so with 2 weeks of the diet passed I am pleased that I am down 5 skeins overall. 

A grey dreich sort of day here, so more knitting is on the cards and maybe some baking too, it is DH's birthday tomorrow after all. And we all need cake on our birthday.

Stay safe and happy crafting.