Happy New Year?

Well here we are in 2009, and we are off to something of a vain glorious start.  The world economy is in meltdown, the Middle East is in chaos and my knitting stash is in uproar.  Ok the last of the three will not impact on anyone else's life but when the puppy gets hold of the Funky Fur your dear daughter begged you to buy and makes the worlds largest knot it turns into something of a minor crisis.  

On the subject of disasters, dear daughter was bitten by her pony during the holidays and her confidence to be in its presence has taken something of a knock (bloody Shetland ponies bad tempered little bas***ds) still she loves the little brute so it has escaped the glue factory this time.  Its partly my fault, we have not been doing any riding since the weather started to turn icy at the beginning of December due to my paranoia about horses slipping and injuring themselves or their rider (been there done that got the scars to prove it) so the horses have had very little exercise or contact with the children for months.  Hopefully by the time the weather turns for the better she will have forgotten the whole affair and be ready to interact with it again.

In other news, I seem to have started many projects over the festive season but been particularly bad at getting anything finished! I did manage a pair of gloves using Opal Harry Potter sock wool in the Dumbledore colourway 

and a Republic hat using Rico Designs Roxy wool/acrylic chunky

Not much to show for almost three months is it.

In contrast to this poultry amount of finished objects my "works in progress" pile is huge!  Currently on the needles are a Stephanie Japel Thick and Thin Cardigan Coat http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaryModern/thick-and-thin-cardigan-coat  ,a pair of Urban Necessity Gloves http://www.subwayknitter.com/uphtml/urban%20necessity.pdf, a pair of two at once socks (making these up as I go along, wish me luck), an Isadora cardigan and a pair or grinch gloves.

Will keep you posted on progress (if any) as it happens.

I really hope that everyone managed to have a lovely festive season (despite all the gloom and doom) and that the new year brings great joy and prosperity to you.

Slacking?

No as it happens, I may not have shared any of my knitting projects lately but that does not mean that there have not been any.

With the run up to Christmas, I have been busting my stash with small one ball items to augment peoples Xmas prezzies.  I tried to think of things which would be useful, (no point in making a crochet bikini for someone who lives in the North East of Scotland) unusual and attractive.  I've been doing quite well with the women and children but the men are a real pain in the rear.  Every man I know has mega large feet, so socks are out of the question as I would still be knitting rounds in July, I can't find a gents glove pattern I like and hats are dull! (end of rant)

So, to share what I have done so far:

The Flower Scarf   

These scarfs are great, you can have one knitted up in an evening using a single skein of yarn. I used double knitting yarn (worsted weight 8ply) but the pattern calls for 4ply (fingering) I like the DK version, it makes the finished article so cozy yet still retains a modicum of style. I can see a few of these in my immediate future

The Tamarind Cowl

Another easy knit, this time using aran weight yarn. The yarn I used is Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton which I reclaimed from a tank top I knitted and hated , so never wore. Its amazing just how many projects I will get from the reclaimed yarn from my frankenknit.

Knotty Gloves

I rather think I missed the point with these, I should have used a plain dye yarn instead of the self patterning so that the cable work on the wrist could be seen. They are a good fit though and I will be making further pairs in the near future when I lay my hands on a suitable yarn. These are made using Wendy Happy 4ply in the Pisces colourway, I only used half a skein because of its generous length so I may make another pair of Knotty but miss out the pattern section.

So as you can see, I have been working away quietly trying to make a stack of stocking fillers before Santa comes.

Gotta Love It

OK, take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a second, and let it out

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Can you smell the sea air, hear the waves lapping upon the shore, feel the crisp bite of the wind stinging your face?  No, well we could. 

You really do have to love Aberdeen.  There are not many cities in this world where you can walk for 10 minutes from the city centre and be greeted with scenes like this.

Yet here are the little stars sledging, and the only footprints we can see are our own

Its not often that the North Sea looks like a mill pond either but it did on Sunday.

  The little stars had great fun sledging, they were given these Ski-Doo boards last year for Christmas and never got the chance to use them.

It felt like there was not another living soul for miles around, yet there is a huge housing area right behind the hill, thousands of families going about their daily lives yet from this side of the hill you could be in the countryside not in the centre of town.

It was good for the little stars to get some fresh air into their lungs and some healthy exercise running back up the hill every two minutes only to come whooshing back down in under 5 seconds. 

It was a Happy Hallowe'en

Thought I'd share the pumpkin photos:

This is my sons pumpkin, its a skeleton looking out from behind a grave stone.

and my daughter made a spider in its web.

The kids had great fun making these, and my thanks go to 

http://www.pumpkinlady.com/pattern.htm#2008

for the terrific patterns.

knitting update

Do you remember the toe up socks I was trying earlier this month? Well here they are

Loud aren't they!

I went back to the usual cuff down method for my next pair.  I don't like the way I have cast these off the dpn's its far too tight.  I like the yarn to work with though (even if I'm not too sure about the colour scheme)

Talking of the next pair,

I don't have a photo of the finished pair, but you get the idea.  This is also Wendy Happy 4ply, I much prefer these colours ( this is the Aquarius colour way), and that its not just self striping, it pools in pattern too.  I can't wait to try the other colour ways in this yarn range to see what they do.

I also knitted an Irish Hiking Scarf for the Knitting Purls Winter Warmies KAL on Ravelry

I am quite pleased with this, so much so in fact that I might even give it to someone as a gift (I don't normally inflict my knitted items on other sentient beings).

I am in the middle of yet another pair of socks ( honestly sock knitting is more addictive than crack) and I am going to look for a pattern for a dog jumper for the new puppy.

So much to do, so little time!

What have I agreed to?

After years of begging, pleading, and throwing of tantrums I have caved in.  The kids are getting a dog!

What kind of dog I hear you cry, is it a sweet little lap dog that will fit neatly into a pocket?  NO! its a great big Deer Hound Bearded Collie cross which, at 9 weeks old, is already 3 feet tall when standing on it back legs.  In fairness, she is very cute and seems quite calm.

We went to see the puppies last Saturday, so she is reserved and waiting for us to collect her this Saturday.  The little stars wanted to take her there and then but I still refuse to have a dog in the house when they are at school and we are at work, so we had to buy a kennel for the garden before she could come to stay.

Here are the little stars picking the puppy:

The one on the left is the one they chose, the larger one of course

And here a better photo of the puppy the little stars eventually chose:

The excitement in the house is incredible, and the sole topic of conversation is the puppy and what to call her (Holly look to be the favorite at the moment) .  

If I am to be completely honest, I am looking forward to having her in the family too ( but don't tell the little stars, it will ruin my credibility)

Toe-UP

Several months ago I decided that I would like to learn how to knit socks.  I had been reading other peoples blogs extolling the virtues of sock knitting and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

So after searching Ravelry for a suitable starter pattern I decided to try http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/

I can highly recommend these tutorials they are well written and so easy to follow.

Anyhoo, I have just about got the hang of cuff down socks on 4DPN's and have knitted several pairs with varying degrees of success, so, its time to try toe-up.

So far so good (although the first round after the cast on is a bit difficult to get the hang of)  I am using Wendy Happy 4ply in the Capricorn colour way.  This is lovely yarn 75% Bamboo and 25% Nylon and because I took the photo at work (it was lunch time)  the ugly strip lighting does not do the colours justice.

This is another work in progress to add to the ever growing pile but Hay Ho I'll get through it all in the end.