More procrastination or clear the slate?

There has been simply tons of knitting action here. Hundreds of yards of yarn have spun from the ball, wrapped the needle and fallen as the stitch.As the last stitch has been cast from the needle, the last end sewn in I have cast on something else. Unfortunately the weather is dark! It has been dark for what seems like months. Photos taken both inside or out look like they were posed for in a cave. Which puts me off taking them or organising someone to take them. On a clear day a couple of weeks ago, the photos were taken - they are passable. But, there are so many, so many things to talk about, to tell you about. Rather than composing tangible thoughts it really is easier to cast on something else. So there is only one thing for it. Give you everything clear the slate. Before I cast off again.
Ronnie I found this pattern when I was in Canada and thought it perfect for Inigo as a rough and ready playing out sweater. It was pretty slow going with all of that rib.The yarn a cone from coldspring mill bled terribly blue staining both my hands and needles. I had to leave it alone between each section as the extra hand washing involved chapped hands and fingers It was worth it he loves it.
The next knit off the needles was Everglade in Rowan Cashsoft Dk as a birthday present for my neice. This was a weekly mystery. A few rows for three weeks. I love knitting in this yarn it is so soft and warm and I am reliably informed that it is already much loved.
The crown was a little nerve wracking, as it needed concentration and I was trying really hard to do with kids about. But I think it turned out really wel


Wrenna I knit this in an afternoon -yes an afternoon!!!
when I was first recovering from the flu. It was another stashbusting exercise with a cone of como from coldspring mill. The trouble was I really didnt fancy the lacing. I tried it on and then chucked it on the bedroom floor where it stayed for several weeks whilst I looked for inspiration. It came in the form of a blast of cold air. I really needed something warm to wear to work. Two minutes before I left the house I raided my button collection. A button from my grandmother's raincoat is just perfect.

Then came Lush and Lacey A saga and half. I bought the yarn, Mission Falls when I was visting my cousin in Canada.



I ran out with 8 rows to go. Luckily a wonderful friend in Canada Nan came to my rescue and popped another ball in the post. I love this cardigan, it is warm, sexy, and the colour is probably the most delicious in the whole spectrum.

The last knitting for this post though not everything I have done(there has been some xmas stuff as well is Entrechat The yarn is Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica. The colours are just amazing!

I fell in love with it when I was at Harrogate. It has turned out ok but I don't think I will knit in it again as it is spun to a thread in places which isn't that enjoyable to knit and I am also not sure how long the shrug will last

Wonderful Wollmeise

In the summer I was really lucky to take part in the Rowan Knitting Exchange. This is organised every year by some wonderful Rowan members. I don't know if you remember but I made Ishbel in Rowan Damask for a lovely canadian lady called Nance. In turn my parcel was from a lady in England called Marie France sent me the most wonderful pair of Malabrigo socks (really too nice to put on my cloven hooves)a very cute poncho which I have had a ton of compliments for and a skein of Wollmeise.
Now I seem to have a bit of a rep as a wool snob and I do have to admit I do like nice yarn but I have never been passionate about anyone supplier until now. The first thing that strikes you about the wollmeise yarn is the colour it has wonderful depth, there is variation of colour without it being glaringly obvious. The second thing is the smell, and let me tell you it is a smell to die for. Imagine a field of rose bushes just coming into bloom combined with a soft summer rain. That it is the smell of wollmeise. I have since found out she washes her yarn in perwol. So if you are in Germany, rush to the shop and buy some you won't be disappointed!
I was busy looking for the most perfect project for this wonderful,squidgy, yummy yarn, When my friend Monica bought me a copy of Aestlight. Perfect! A match made in heaven the most wonderful yarn in the whole universe coupled with a very attractive shawl that was interesting to knit and very easy and enjoyable to wear.

Stockport

Way back in the summer the Rowan winter popped through the letter box and I fell in love with stockport. I promised that I wouldn't start winter knitting until the 1st of Sept which I didnt' but then I knit like crazy.
We went to Flamingo land and I knit in the freezing cold whilst the rest of the family screamed on rides.
I knit in the car when the cold became too much.
I loved it when finished. The yarn is so soft it is like wearing a hug but it grew a bit after a couple of wearings. So I washed it. Thousands of bubbles emerged from the cocoon as soon as it hit the water and Stockport grew enormously! I nearly had a heart attack. When dry it did shrink back but it is still a little big in the neck.
I still really like it but I am unsure that the design plus the cocoon are really that flattering to anyone over a size 6. I have however seen it made up in a finer yarn which was gorgeous so maybe I will have to make it again.

Sick,Sick,Sick!

Pardon my absence. We were doing presentations on swine flu at school and it looked so exciting I just had to try it. Five weeks later I have been back at work for a week but my energy levels are low, I still have a hacking cough and I am reliably informed by everyone who sees me that I look like sh*t!

I started knitting two weeks in the first week I just slept no energy for any thing else. finishing somethings and starting lots of others. I really can't face the idea of my photo at the moment so instead here are a few pieces without models.

I finished the Lotus Blossom Tunic it is very pretty and I enjoyed making it but,because I was knitting from stash I couldn't add another pattern repeat this meant that sadly it was too short for me. It is however a perfect fit for my sister.
Two of my very close friends announced with days of each other that they were expecting. Neither knew what they were having so I took a gamble, something for a boy and something for a girl. I went for stripey in case they were both the same sex.
The sailor top came from the sublime baby book. Rosie Hope was born first so she got the yellow.

I have to say I wasn't very happy with the construction. The sleeve head was curved but the armhole wasn't -very strange though I think they turned out OK. I just wish the bottoms wouldn't curl so much. Maybe after a couple of washings it will sort itself out.Casey James got the blue


The slippers I bought from knitting 4 fun as a kit at woolfest. I saw the bunnies made up and fell inlove.
at that point I only knew about one baby but I had more than enough yarn for two pairs of slippers. I really love these though I have to say
I have a real soft spot for the bunnies as all of my children had bunny slippers.


An update on Molly, she really is a going concern. In the early days she would sleep comfortably under what ever I was knitting. Now she has discovered yarn-kitten heaven. And is rarely still for photo's.

She has made friends with the other cats. This is whether they want to be friends or not. Luckily most of the time they tolerate her jumping on them.

Meet Molly.

Well today hasn't exactly been the Sunday I had in mind. We had a leisurely start pottering about then there was a banging on the door and my mum had arrived carrying a little brown bundle. At first I thought she was holding a little hedgehog but it turned out to be a very tiny kitten.
A quick wash of her very sticky eyes and a syringe of egg nog were partaken of before we rushed off to the emergency vet. She is about 5 weeks and has conjunctivitis. So I am now in charge of eye bathing and putting in drops which I know she is going to hate me for. She isn't eating solids yet but we have picked up some kitten formula from the vets and she seems to have grasped how to lap from a spoon. She is so tiny a very big name wouldn't have worked so for now she is called Molly.

Tinkering

I have been told by several people that since I added the new comments widget that they could no-longer leave me any comments. Which is, as far as I am concerned one of the main reasons for having a blog! Anyway I have just deleted it. Unfortunately this means that I have lost all of the lovely comments that had been left before. So to all of you that have been leaving messages I am truly sorry, especially to Charity who responds to all of my ponderings.
Another note I have been busy knitting the last of my summer projects, Lotus Blossom Tank. I brought back some beautiful linen from Canada and I thought the pattern and the yarn would be a match made in heaven. After one round of the pattern the yarn seemed to be growing extraordinarily. So much so that I had to pull it out and re think the yarn. I settled on 5 balls of Rowan Cotton Glace that I had in my stash. So now not only is it looking really lovely but, I can feel virtuous knitting from stash!

Anticipation

It's not that I don't have yarn. It's not that I don't have plenty of wip's. But sometimes I just really want to make that certain something. I looked in stash, I even went to coldspring to try and find something cheaper but, it just wasn't happening. So when we went to the Trafford Centre earlier for the termly pilgrimage for school shoes I took the opportunity to slip into John Lewis and came out a few moments later with 500g of Rowan cocoon in Lavender Ice to make Stockport from the latest Rowan Magazine. I promised myself no winter knitting till Sept 1st so I will have to just play with my yarn and anticipate for the next week the delicious casting on.