And then Christmas happened!

Jeez I'm not doing very well on the blogging front at the moment!
Promise pics and never post them, promise to post more then don't, forgive me?
Been doing a few bits, started a few more socks (natch!) and made a couple of things called Tribbles out of the copious amounts of cotton I seem to have! They are really good as it happens, just the right texture for exfoliating (ooo using posh words!) and I've been pleased with my self that I found the pattern on Ravelry. And made a dishcloth, tho I'm hoping it won't be destined to wash dishes, they are too nice to be scrubbing food off of things!

Speaking of Ravelry, check out my swish work in progress selection on the right hand side! That is every thing I've got on the go at the moment, pretty cool eh? Any updates I do on Ravelry will show up there, I think it looks pretty cool any way and I like the fact that it shows on my blog exactly whats going on!

So any way, instead of posting a load of photos, I've put together a quick slide show, first ones are of the stuff I've completed recently and the next ones are just larger pics of the ones I've got on the right :-)

Been Offline

Blimmin Bt messed up leaving me without access for best part of 3 weeks. Not fun.
I did manage to get a bit of knitting done, but I found it difficult without the inspiration or motivation on the net! When I see other people completing projects and all, it gives me a gee up to do my stuff, but without the internet in front of me, my knitting was sporadic to say the least.
I did, however, manage to finish two pairs of socks, cast on 2 more pairs and start a mitred square blanket to use up my left over sock wool, yes this does mean it will take years for it to be a useable blanket but I'm hoping it will serve more as a memory blanket of projects I have done, rather than some thing I need to finish right now this second!

No photos of finished items just yet, but will edit later to add them on! (already edited to add link to the blanket, should have done that before...)

Bit quiet again..

I've petered off again! But I'm sure you'll forgive me, I've not been too well and family life has been a bit ick to say the least.
What I have been doing tho, is participating in a fingerless gloves swap on Angel yarns.
And of course, I wanted to give a good show, so I chose to do Fetchings!
Yes that does mean it was my first go at cables, I wasn't too worried I have to say, the principle seemed pretty simple and as I'd assumed, it wasn't too bad at all!

Fetchings in SWTC Karaoke Wild Cherry

Fuzzlewett, my recipient of the gloves seemed pleased with the result!

And I got mine in return the other day and they are very smart indeed!

Aren't they fab? Not sure on what the pattern or yarn was yet, but I will be asking cause I'd like to make another pair. Do really like them tho, tad bit tight round the top but its not restricting and will stretch with use :-) I love doing swaps like that!

In other knitting news...I've come across a hooded top that I would kill to cast on right now this second! Its called Rogue and it looks just stunning! I've even got my yarn picked out already, Elann Peruvian Highland wool, in Garnet, I'll buy it direct from Elann which makes it less than $3 a ball and so cheap for making a sweater of this size, in my size! (I once sized up a jumper for dp, skinny little guy, wool that was recommended would have made it £50! *faints* I love him but...) See I've fallen so much in love with cables I feel capable of tackling that! I must be mad..

Ah, theres my mojo!

I did wonder where it had gone!
Not picked up this project for months as it was hacking me off, every time I picked it up, I made horrible mistakes and had to frog back to my lifeline every time :-(
But inspiration struck and I dug it out of my cupboard with only 1 repeat on the needles and all of a sudden I'm up to 6 and still going strong! Supposed to do 10 in all, but I'll see what the yarn situation is before I decide to do more.
Yes there is a couple of mistakes and half the leaves on the left on one row, are out by 1 stitch, but hey thats what makes it unique! No one elses will look like that... and it looks good overall!

I'm looking forward to getting it off the needles and hopefully will be able to carry on with other things once again!

Nearly came to a complete stop!

After a flurry of knitting baby things, my knitting almost ground to a complete halt.
Not picked up any of my on going projects for a while any way due to doing a few other bits, but was put off immensely when the charming woman I called a mother had the nerve to accuse me (amongst other nasty things) of spending all my money on wool and gadgets instead of paying my bills and rent. How she arrived at that conclusion I have no idea, bills get paid and my rent is bob on! I hardly ever leave the house and go shopping round town, don't buy clothes for my self, I get the occasional game for my Nintendo DS or PC but thats once in a blue moon when some thing comes out that I fancy, usually sims related! Yarn is all I get some times, so what if I spend (on average) a fiver on my self once a week or so, hardly a crime is is? A lot less than some I know who have a lot less money than me to throw around, but naturally thats forgotten in the urge to accuse me of some thing...
Any way, even tho I shouldn't feel guilty, I do feel guilty, and it made me not want to pick up the needles, but then Dave to the rescue with a request for a knitted phone cover! Wayhey some one to please!
Instantly I thought of a felted case, as its to protect his phone from being knocked around in his pocket when he goes bike riding, but I didn't have a pattern, until the very next day I got a new magazine, Lets Knit, thru my door (thats £1 for 3 issues..) and in it was..a..felted phone pouch! Spooky! Perfect!
So, quick look on Get Knitted, found a some South West Trading Karaoke, for £3 a ball, right weight and it felts!
Have to confess I did play it safe and went for the black sheep colour way (kind of a silvery black) as I didn't want to scare Dave with some thing really bright!
Knitted it up in one evening and have spent most of the day trying to felt it in to submission, which it has done, some what, but not quite enough, so I'm going to have to take a pair of scissors to it I think and borrow Daves phone and cut it to size (leaving enough for the seams naturally!). Well I can't get it spot on every time can I?
This is it so far, I forgot to take a before picture but it was much much bigger!

You can just about make out the silver flecks in it, it will be trimmed down a bit, folded over with the triangle making the flap which I'm going to use velcro to secure and that should be a nice functional piece of knitting!

Ah well, onwards and upwards!

Ickle bitty baby booties

A one evening project that can look so so cute!

Converse baby booties, in lilac DK yarn. Pattern from Etsy.

Ever so please with these! Did them over the course of a late afternoon/evening, I had every aspect of them completed before I went to bed, including the small embroidered circle for the authentic look! Baby Rhiannon is going to be a well kitted out baby when she makes her appearance in to the world!
Already had a request for an adult pair from a certain some one, little does he know I've already bought the adult pattern for these....hehe

Baby hats!

Hmm realising I've only got 6 weeks to knit the bits I promised my little sister for her baby, I thought I'd better crack on with knitting them, once again my other projects are on hold, so I've got 2 socks with no partners at the moment!
So far, I've cranked out 2 hats in 2 evenings, and they are really sweet!

Vine lace baby hat from knitting daily, in opal petticoat, newborn size


Modified umbilical cord hat, in regia 4ply, newborn size.

The second hat is a version of the umbilical cord hat from the SnB handbook. Originally I think its done in an aran weight which I don't have any of, but what I do have is plenty of spare 4ply! I don't have the pattern for this either, but it was easy enough to work out. The vine lace baby hat, I cast on 81 stitches, so I cast on 8o, knitting until it had a nice curl on it, then knitting till it was about 2inches long from the rolled up edge, decreased k5 k2tog round, k4, k2tog etc with a knit round in between until I had 4 stitches left which I turned in to a 4stitch icord and the job was a good un! Looks just like the version from the book! Was quite pleased with my self..
Going to do some socks today if I can, and probably some mittens. My sister has already got loads of cardigans from my friend kirsty so I'm doing some little things that you need lots of!
Going to be one well kitted out baby by the end of this!