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That Not So Little Scarf

This took much longer than it should as it required some concentration!

The reverse unblocked, rather like a mogul field. I'm not a skier but was once launched down one of these.

The front.

and

So you won't get too bored of photos, the blocking shots.

Pattern: That Little Scarf, Knitspot

Yarn: Dream in Colour Smooshy, Ruby River.

Very hard to catch the colour but one of these pictures will be near.

The Detail:

I used 4mm needles and did 13 extra pattern repeats, so 32 in total. This gave unblocked dimensions 44" x 6". Blocked aggressively, is there any other way, 71.5" x 9.5".

Despite being opened up much more than the pattern suggests it is still warm and perfect for what I wanted, see next photo. It will not be worn by the stairs on a regular basis!!

Maybe I'll do another some day, I'm thinking Bamboo.

Happy Easter.

Blue Jeans

One thing finished in readiness for Easter. This pattern got better as it went along. I think it shows the lovely colours of what looked like a very blue skein off. Certainly has a look of flowing water.

Pattern: Go with the Flow from Interweave Favourite Socks.

Yarn: Yarn Yard Sock, Blue Jeans

Sock Blockers, part of the Socktopus Sock Club, newly arrived and a much better size than my others.

I am amassing a few bags of yarn, I know I said I was banned but one lot is for himself a jumper. One is for a Hemlock Ring Blanket, I am going to have to stop looking at Ravelry and Blogs. Will it be the Glace or the Juniper?

Jaeger Merino Aran in Juniper. Rooster Aran in Mushroom and Rooster DK in Glace. They were all relative bargains.

You may have gathered that this house has not just a passing connection with Railways, I am saying no more.

Man at the Post Office was intrigued by the Customs declaration that said Sock Blockers!. I left him wondering.

Getting a bit of extra knitting time in as I have 2 unexpected days off work due to a certain visit I made on Tuesday, 1.5 hours in the chair, lovely swollen face.

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Very sad news yesterday.

BUT

Good news is Alexander McCall Smith was on Breakfast TV with Mr J. L. B Matekoni of Speedy Motors and they are hopefully starting filming a 13 part series in the summer!

More to come it would seem.

Its Raining, its Pouring.

The South Downs! Honestly.

Shoes, you can never have too many. My first Pair, Start-Rites and they almost match one of my newest acquisitions!

Is anyone else looking forward to The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Easter Sunday?

Still Here

If a little distracted by the usual sock problem.

It all started so well with these.

Yarn Yard Sock Yarn, Blue Jeans .

Pattern: Go with the Flow from Interweave Knits Favourite Socks.

They weren't growing quickly enough, 2.25mm problem!

So I cast on these. Chameleon Colourworks Evolution, Figgy Pudding.

Pattern: Evolution Rib courtesy of Gilraen. 3mm very quick.

Can you tell I got distracted here as well.

A Swell Yarn Duet Middy, sorry can't remember the colour!

Pattern: Yarn Harlots Basic Sock recipe.

2.25mm again, oops.

I really need to get these 3 finished for Good Friday as I have big plans for Easter weekend. The latest Socktopus Sock Club socks, finish That Little Scarf , pattern and yarn poised for Hypotenuse, I seem to remember someone mentioned a Knitalong?? !

AND

I am itching to knit a bit of Lace, please don't give me any more ideas, well maybe one or two perhaps. I have Kiri, Spring Things, another Montego Bay and various others in mind especially if I manage to snaffle some Silk tonight, I'm not going to tell you where from because I need a fighting chance. Although I am confident, if the silk eludes me, that I have a few other yarns that will do.

There's Mitts aswell, think I need a lie down.

Genteel

Yes, its another pair. The others seemed to go down well. Thank you for the kind comments, I only followed Jane's instructions.

This time in Sooty Cherry and Genteel. Aren't they just more genteel.

This is what I have left without breaking into a 100g ball. I think I'll have to wait for some more plain?

Finally, the person guilty of this crime is on his way to work. Scissors aren't exactly a new invention!!

Back to socks.

Cranford Mitts

Knitted in Yarn Yard Merino Sooty Cherry and Mysteron
Pattern by Jane

Very easy knit but also very effective due to both the pattern and the lovely colours of the yarn.

Now I really must get on with the ironing!

Playing catch up

Did you think I'd been doing nothing knitting wise recently, perhaps I've been knitting a jumper?

Wrong.

I think I have to admit that socks are definitely an addiction, one which I appear to have. Despite saying this year was for knitting other, even bigger, things I have already knit 5 pairs two of which were more than one colour. Have to say I prefer a pattern rather than multi coloured knitting.

The first two are Beaded Rib, Toe-up. I have now knit 4 pairs of Toe-up socks from patterns written by Diane and the way they are written make it very easy.

Posh Yarn Helena, colour Crisp. Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop, colour Mustang Sally, this was quite a different yarn to knit with as it is handspun and a first for me but I like how they turned out.

Next Karenina Socks, pattern by Jane, from The Socktopus Sock Club. These are knit in The Knittery Merino which is a bit splitty but still very nice to knit with. Sadly I think they will need more than blocking for them to fit me. This is where tension is important!

Finally, one of my favourite knits to date, Evolution Rib Socks in Black Cherry. The pattern has been devised by Gilraen and works perfectly with the yarn which doesn't have a lot of elasticity. I have another colour in this yarn which will be cast on very soon.

After knitting so many pairs of socks I have experienced most types of DPN's, Boyes, Britanny birch, Knit Picks metal, Clover, Crystal Palace and Inox. Bottom of the list are Inox, I like 5" needles ideally, followed by Knit Picks these manage to provide me with many wounds. My favourite are Lantern Moon Ebony Sox Stix and as luck would have it they are soon to be adding a 2.5mm to their range. The very, very nice lady at Loop is going to let me know when they arrive, that will be a long lunch.

Enjoy our weekend, I'm hoping there's a delivery of Merino today for me to start some Mitts.

Loop

Yesterday I visited a shop that is, in theory walking distance from where I work, silly me chose to get the bus. Of course it would have been quicker to walk.

Loop is a bit of a hidden treasure, this is my second visit and I managed without the help of an A to Z. I was very reserved, mainly because I have yet to think of a use for the lovely Blue Sky Alpaca Cotton although the Silk was very tempting. So just came away with this Berry coloured sock yarn.

and

These gorgeous buttons. No idea what for yet but I just needed them, thought at worst they would go together without too much trouble. I was tempted by some others until I saw they were £4.50 each!

After this very pleasant shop I met up with friends for a Chinese buffet meal, never again, its only saving grace was it only cost £10. Wagamamas looked so tempting across the way.Thankfully we usually like to try a new venue every time we meet.

Quick question, have any of you plans for 6th September? Do tell. Clue is here.

Lots of knitting news tomorrow followed by mitts, I hope.

Pay it Forward

Both dispatched and now received.

I only photographed one item, and not very well, in my haste to get them sent.

Midwest Moonlight from Interweave Knits Scarf Style, knit in Hand Maiden Seasilk. Wouldn't mind one myself. This is the second version, the first was almost twice the width and although nice I didn't have enough yarn to make it long enough.

Here's a couple of links to better pictures from the recipients blogs, hope they don't mind.

http://spasticshepherdknits.blogspot.com/2008/02/thank-you-debbie.html

http://theyarnyard.co.uk/newsite/content/blogsection/2/9/ - 11th December entry, if you're interested. These are the 187 stitch socks!

P.S. You may have notice this blog template changes regularly, I have ideas but not time to actually execute them so hopefully this will at least be neat!

Acquisitions

From Stash in Putney.

Dream in Colour Smooshy, In Vino Veritas. Hand Maiden Casbah, Fruit Punch. As you can see I have 1 project in mind, the Casbah was just too rich a colour to leave behind.

This morning we have been out for breakfast, you have to when you've run out of bread, don't you? With Mothers Day in mind we ventured into our local book seller, bad, bad, extremely bad idea.

This is the Pressie book, notice the sticker? BOGOF

Not one to refuse an offer like that I bought these for me! I am as dangerous in book shops as I am in yarn shops.

I am frantically trying to finish 3 pairs of socks before Natalie updates her shop next week. Will definitely be knitting a few pairs of these.

Enjoy your weekend.

Walk to Work

Not exactly from Brighton but these are a few views from my journey from St Pancras International Station to the Office.

So from top left we have the departure board at St Pancras with Eurostar departures displayed, it was tempting. This has a wobble, sorry, I was running late.
Two side views of the outside of St Pancras which I think is a fantastic building.
The additional modern structure from where I emerge everyday into a building site which is Kings Cross side entrance.
A view down platform 8 at Kings Cross towards the concourse.
The "Lighthouse" at the junction of Pentonville Road and Grays Inn Road.
A wall of words which is a feature of the new Regent Quarter, this is part of the Kings Cross regeneration project. Believe me my walk has improved noticeably in the last 13 years.
A famous Italian Deli which stocks everything but has retained its original facade, behind the metal gates are paper bags full of baguettes. If I had photographed the opposite way you would have had a lovely view of Tesco Metro which will no doubt put this lovely shop and others out of business.

Finally

I pass platform 9 3/4 every day, usually a little busier with photographers than this.

Prizes

I left a comment on this very nice ladys blog and look what I got.

Hand Made Notecards, Stitchmarkers (which actually say "Made with Love"), Chocolate of the very nicest kind.

And 3 balls of this deliciously coloured Bouton d'Or yarn. One I will have to investigate.



I took the camera today and managed to get a few pics despite being delayed. Tomorrow.

Prospecting

Tomorrow I am using up the final half a day of last years leave with a little circuitous journey home.
Stash in Putney via Vauxhall so if I haven't had enough sproglett dodging I may venture into I Knit. Of course its only for window shopping, maybe that might be an itsy white lie.

I'm also contemplating taking my camera to give you some views of my daily commute, watch this space Harry Potter fans.

Picasa

It is an easy way to waste a few hours with quite acceptable results. Picasa

Tulips 19 February 2008

Crafty

Sorry for the different picture sizes but I am trying something new out.

Tomorrow I knit!

Enjoy your weekend.