Early

It certainly is, I have been up since 7am today, I know for a lot of people that isn't early, but I haven't been up at that time in a while, there is a reason though, I finally got a job :) it is only a temp position, but its back working for Waterstone's again, which I loved. It will also be nice to have a little more spending money, especially as I am finally going to be able to see the Irish Boyfriend next month and it will be nice to do that without worrying too much about limited funds.

Heading back towards knitting content. I recently joined a lovely group on Ravelry called the Random acts of kindness group, the idea is that you put up a wish list every month and if people can they will send you one of the things on your list, I think its a great idea and have already sewn up a project bag for a lovely Scottish lady, and I have also received a glittery crochet hook (which I don't have a picture of as it is supergluing, the postie broke it in half, but it should make a full recovery) and this very pretty sock yarn:

It's perfect for me, I love a bit of pink. It is hand dyed too so super cool, and the first ever sock yarn I've ever had, so I started winding it into a ball so I could make myself some socks, and this happened:

Not good. Basically a small tangle formed, in trying to sort the tangle the chair i had the skein over fell over and it turned into a BIG tangle (the photo is actually after several hours of untangling). So anyways, there is over 300m of really thin yarn in that tangle, it took me literally all day to sort out, so no socks yet. When I finally got the tangle nearly completely undone I discovered it had formed because some looks of fiber had formed around some threads, you know the ones I mean, that form when the fibers rub against each other too much and are just made of dense fuzz. so when I had separated them it got easier, but socks will have to wait until I have gotten over the trauma of untangling for a whole day.

So what else have i been up to in my last few days of unemployment? Well I finished my Haven scarf!

I thought I would have finished this sooner, but it got really heavy on the needles and my wrists have a tendency to keep clicking when they are strained and this kept happening, but it is done now, and I LOVE it! It is amazing, all soft and huge and chunky and should keep me super warm. Here I am wearing it :)

I am not sure I am going to block it, I thought I should but it is already huge and soft and I haven't a clue where I would put it to let it dry, though if I didn't pin it, because I don't need to change the shape, then I wonder whether I could let it dry folded in half? Maybe with a tube through the folded end so that it wont get a crease. Hmmm I shall have to look into it.

Now I am developing some chunky mittens to match, they are very in the development stage, previous to this I had done drawings, and now I'm onto swatching, so watch this space!

Autumn

Today I have another autumn picture.

This is what I did today:

It's a display at my local library where I am volunteering, this week is a special children's reading week aimed at encouraging families to get together to read books. We got lots of colouring sheets and a couple of books in an info pack and I turned it all into a great autumnal tree and a bunch of red and orange card leaves that the kids can write which books they have read and who with and then put up on our tree. It was great fun, I love crafty things and have always said if I ended up as a teacher I would only be able to do primary school as the others are too boring!

Anyways, as you can see there isn't a huge amount on it at the moment, but I am also hoping to pick a couple of the poems from one of the books we got with the pack and blow them up a bit to decorate the board too, and we are doing an extra special 'Mr. Big' area for the book with a poster and a giant sized copy. Should be great!!

I am going to try and keep the tree going by turning it into a winter tree with snowy branches once it has really gotten into the winter months, and hopefully get the kids to snowflakes at an activity day.

I wish some of the employers I am sending applications to could see this sort of thing, because as the librarian said today they would be stupid not to hire me (it is a shame my village library is too small to have any more staff too :( )

Squashhh

Soup that is, Butternut squash and sweet potato. Yum.

Here it is, in the pan, lots of chopped squash and sweet potato, with some stock and spices, nice warming spices.

And here it is after I had had a little bit and suddenly thought I had better take a picture before eating any more.

This really perked me up today, I haven't been feeling too great, I know its just a cold and things but you know how they can really get you down, there's nothing better then home made soup on a cold day to fix that.

Not much knitting content I am afraid.

My haven scarf is now over 140cm's long, I'm onto the 16th pattern repeat so over half way now :) I love knitting this scarf but it's now getting heavy and i really want to know if I will have enough yarn to knit my mittens!! No picture yet though.

I DO have a picture of some bargain yarn I got lately.

I got some hand dyed and tweed and some cotton all for bargain prices like £2 when it was supposed to be £10, and I did some sums and realised I have saved over £30 by buying yarn from websites with sales and things going on!! Fab!!

Also got all the stuff for my little christmas puddings, the brown wool is only some acrylic stuff, which I usually hate using with a passion, but I am going to be making quite a few of these and I can't afford to spend loads on them so it will do. Also got some nice coloured cottons for the brandy sauce and holly, and the right sized needles came through over the weekend, I am sure the woman thought I was crazy because I rang and requested specific colours, I like pretty things :) They are more of the great casein needles, though because they're so thin they are reallllllly bendy, hopefully they wont break on me!

Sew..a needle pulling thread.

:D

That is what I look like right now because I stole my mum's sewing machine today and finally finished my red zippered project bag! Here it is:

I am so proud of myself! My sewing skills aren't amazing, I can hem things, and play around a bit but I always dodged textiles at school so things like zips and linings made me feel a bit nervy. Sewing the lining in wasn't very neat because by that time I had sort of had enough, and it was quite difficult, but oh my do I love that zipper foot!! My first attempt I had to hand backstitch the zip in because my machine wouldn't fit a zipper foot on it, but that thing made it so easy this time! Here is the lining, i think its quite neat considering it was my first time doing it.

And here it is with a project inside! This is the purple Bella's scarf I am knitting for my sister and it fits nicely with a full ball of yarn, circular needles, a cable needle and copy of the pattern and there is plenty of space for more bits and bobs, definitely the perfect size.

I got some blue polka dot oil cloth today, so I am hoping to make one in that too, maybe one large and one smaller one, and maybe a little notions pouch. Then I am not sure what i will do with the rest, because there's quite a lot of it, either a bag for all my sewing stuff or a small weekend bag for visiting the boyfriend.

Another thing I have finally finished is this little guy:

I finally managed to get some toy stuffing on friday and so it is nicely stuffed and ready for having pins stuck in it. I veered from the pattern a little bit and made the cake separate from the case as I am hoping to make little christmas puddings in this way, that I am going to stuff with sweets instead of stuffing, for little christmas presents.

I also didn't have the right size needles so mine is a bit bigger then it is supposed to be, and the case is made of wool not cotton. As you can see from the picture below I am also a bit rubbish at sewing it together, I shall hopefully improve on this before December!

I think Sunday shall be spent knitting more of my Haven scarf and reading this week, hopefully the weather will be a bit nicer then it has been today and I will be able to venture outside.

Enjoy your weekends people!

Bella's Cable Scarf

Yay!

I have permission to pop this online. I wasn't really sure how to go about it, so I turned it into a PDF and have just hosted it with google, but this might change if I figure out a better way and I am also hoping to get it on Ravelry at some point too.

So here is the link. Enjoy.

If you need any help then just send me a message, though it's a pretty easy pattern so I can't see there being too many problems :)

Studying hard.

That is what today has felt like, I have been beavering away working on a couple of patterns.

I have never really done pattern writing, I adapted a pattern to make the Bella's scarf, and my version of the Bella's mittens is different from the original as I changed the palm from garter to moss stitch, but actually designing something outright I have never done. So today I sat on the living room floor surrounded by pieces of paper, lots of patterns I have been studying and my stitch dictionaries and did some doodling.

It all started when after receiving the yarn for my Haven scarf, and starting to knit it up I began to think I wouldn't have enough. I promptly ordered two more balls and it has now occurred to me that I might actually have had the right amount first time around, so I might have extra. To solve the potential problem I decided I needed gloves too. I already had some DK weight merino to make some ladylike gloves but I thought what if its colder and I want chunky gloves? After all I do live in England, and in the north, when I used to come home from Uni I would get off the train in Doncaster and promptly put on some gloves and a scarf. So chunky mittens became the idea.

So I am now sat having chosen the branch lace pattern for the top of the mitten having to choose from 7, yes 7, different types of stitch that I like for the palm. I don't want it to be plain garter because I like a textured palm to a mitten, but I also don't want to use anything too far away from the lines that garter gives when knitting in the round in case it looks a little messy, decisions, decisions.

I also don't want to start knitting it up because I might have been right the second time, and may need the yarn for my Haven, so this will be a slow burner I think (though if I am honest Haven is going pretty quickly, so it wouldn't surprise me if I was attacking this next week).

See, a long way to go but still growing quite a bit. Also look at the pretty KnitPro needles, I have fallen in love with the Spectra needles, they are fab. I find metal too slippery and these have just enough slip and just enough grab, as well as having nice pointy tips unlike my Addi metal needles, I shall definitely be adding some more sizes to my shopping list.

On another note about a finished object, I received a lovely compliment from this lady today. I have been reading her blog being a lurker for a while and she said my Bella's scarf was beautiful, which made me very happy. Incidentally I am currently awaiting a reply from Subliminal Rabbit, the writer of the Bella's Mittens pattern, I thought it would be polite to ask if I could put my scarf pattern up for all to see and knit as her mittens were my inspiration. So watch this space :)

My yarn is sprouting toadstools!!

Where be the fairies?!

Do you like my pins? Don't they look great stuck in the yarn to dry! I am so chuffed with them, they are definitely worth the time it took to make them, and the glue and paint fingers. I have only done half the tin of pins so far and there are loads of them so I am not sure if I will do the others. My dad said I should sell them in little sets of 20 or something, they are really cute but I am not sure anyone would buy them, and I haven't a clue what I would charge consider the effort that has gone into them.

Also, there are two without dots on yet, can you spot them?

Other then pricking myself many times with pins I have started the yellow yarn project, which will now simply be called Haven, as I am actually using the real pattern now I have managed to commandeer the book (queen of the book buying I got 10% off because it was creased muhahaha) and a very pretty book it is too.

Here it is:

Along with the pretty yarns I got during my trip to John Lewis. I went purely for Rowan yarn and that is what I got. I was tempted by some Debbie Bliss but no Rowan and only Rowan. I got some Kidsilk Aura to make the 'Calm' pattern from the book, it requires 6 balls, but I can't afford that all in one go so I thought I would get two and get another every so often to make it drag out a bit, I have never understood the hype about dye lots, I guess I am just not fussy about those sorts of things.

I also got Cherry Glace for some lovely Little Cotton Rabbits cupcakes I am knitting up to be a new pin cushion (the ice cream cone one wasn't successful, note to self, cotton wool is not a good padding) and also some Alpaca Cotton for making the bunny on some bunny egg cosies also from the same marvelous woman. If you haven't read Little Cotton Rabbits before you really should, it is one of the few blogs I was reading before I actually started knitting and helped inspire me to actually start. Her animal creations are the most adorable things I have ever seen, I desperately want a fox so I shall have to see if one appears in her Etsy shop next time she releases some of the animals to new homes :)

It is also Julie that put me onto my Swallow casein needles, she has quite a few pairs and they are fab, so i definitely recommend popping over to her blog for a read about her family and crafting and gardening, and if your a knitter you should definitely get her patterns!

I think that is all for the next couple of days. I am working on a sewing project too at the moment but I broke my sewing machine making it on saturday and still haven't gotten round to borrowing my mum's machine yet so more on that when it is complete!

Finished Object!!!

Oh yes, you read correctly, the Bella's Scarf in PINK is finished!!!!!!! I am so happy about this, mainly because I was getting a little bit of cramp from all the pattern repeats (I did 35 in the end) and also because this is my first finished object that i can wear, it is functional, which is what this learning to knit lark was all about.

so without further ado, here is the beauty:

Isn't it pretty :) I am off to the library for my Agatha Raisin fix in a bit and I suspect I shall have to wear it, it looks a little chilly out there.

Anyways some technical stuff, the scarf now measures in at a really quite long 170cm. This is after blocking obviously. I used a wet block method, just dunking it into some water and then squishing it back out with a towel before pinning it down, I pinned it to my old yoga mat as I don't have any of those foam board things, but actually it wasn't quite long enough, one of the ribbed ends hung off it so I just prayed that as it is k2, p2 rib it will be ok as its super stretchy anyways.

I used 100% Merino on 5.5mm needles for this, and am really glad I did as it's lovely and soft and now it is blocked it flows fantastically, before it was all stiff because it was so tight but now it has a great drape to it.

It is so exciting getting to wear something that you have entirely made yourself, I enjoy wearing things I have altered because there is a sense of achievement but when something used to be a ball of yarn and now after some time, care, and attention it is a scarf it really is satisfying, I was so excited that I wanted to put it into last night's post but I refrained!

While that was blocking yesterday I got down to some crafty business and painted the heads of my pins and glossed them, now all I need is some craft glue with a really tiny nozzle so i can glue them back together!

To Arthur!

As many of you may have seen on the telly and around the towns, today is the 250th anniversary of the founding of Guinness.

I actually had to be reminded by my (Irish) boyfriend today, I knew it was coming up but not which day, so I promptly sent the home delivery wagon (Dad) to go and fetch me a can. Not as good as the real thing, and I wish I was in Dublin (though mainly because I miss the Irish boyfriend a lot.)

I have had a love affair with this drink for many years, since about the age of 13 I think (I am 21, that is a long time for me!) and I have had many happy times drinking it. Several funny occasions that I can recall are the response from men much older then me when I was 13/14 of: "a GIRL drinking Guinness?! And only 14!!!"

Also many a time at college parties where a pint was drunk in one as a party trick in order to use as a bargaining chip, "I will only do it if you do..." (this one was really rather fun).

I had a hiatus from the drink while at university, mainly because of a bad incident with some Bacardi, I am happily sitting enjoying a pint now though, reminiscing about my youth, which while not really over yet, I feel the most outrageous parts are definitely behind me. I feel much more grown up nowadays (today I was a little miffed I couldn't join an over 55's dinner at the community centre).

So today, I would like to join the millions of others to say "To Arthur" thank you for many wonderful memories :)

Special Delivery!

I am really rather behind on this so this will be a long one.

First, I have finished my ice cream cone pin cushion! My first real FO! (I'm not including the one mitten I have done as obviously it is part of a set) I am quite proud of it, I used the "scooped" pattern on Ravelry. I did make a change, the pattern called for 5 rows at the beginning of the scoop pattern, which makes up the melting part of it, but this is where all the ssk's that were hurting my wrist were so I only did 3 rows and then continued the rest of the pattern. I used some lovely squishy Lana Grossa cool wool to make it, and the effect is nice and soft. I stuffed it with cotton wool but I am not so sure this was the best idea and may take it apart and change it as it isn't as good at accepting the pins as I thought it would be.

Other then this I have been merrily knitting away on my pink scarf, I have now used two balls of the yarn, and am onto my third, I am not sure how many repeats I am actually going to do, I will just judge by putting it on at intervals, so far I have done about 30.

In between this and that I have been popping to the library. I have access to two library areas, both North Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire, the knitting sections aren't great from what I have seen but I have found a couple of things I'd like to make.

I really rather like this tote bag, it calls for felting, which is something I haven't done before but really want to try. It would make a great bag for storing yarn that wont fit in my Cath Kidston knitting bag where i keep projects. Though saying that it would just be a really nice bag to have really, great for transporting all the stuff I carry around, especially books.

These are a cute little Christmas decoration, also felted, both projects are from a book called Holiday Knits. It also has a couple of other cute projects too, well worth having a look at.

Thee stockings are a lace pattern, and the ones below are felted slipper socks. I love both of these, they are from a book called "Knitted Sock Sensations" again something I haven't done before, making socks, but which I keep saying I will, when I get some yarn that is suitable.

Now for the special delivery part. Look at my haul!

This wasn't all in one day i might add. My Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky arrived in the middle of last week. The Black Sheep whom I ordered it from were really great with the order, and it arrived only a few days after I had ordered it, I had great fun throwing all the balls into the air :) I got the Katia and the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino from Tricot only yesterday. It should be the right amount to finish my pink and purple sets! I'm glad I finally managed to get what I needed so I can plough ahead. The random hand wound balls on the left are some nice 100% merino that i got from Boyes purely to have in my stash for little jobs.

My lovely books that you can see I got over the weekend, they are the reissues of the Harmony Guides stitch dictionaries, the pictures inside are fabulous and the amount of different stitches in each book is great. I really want to try and insert them into some of my knitting.

Here is my favorite collection of new things, they arrived this morning:
Lovely Knit Pro items! I got some 5mm DPN's, a 5mm inter-changable wooden tip and an 8mm new Spectra acrylic tip, and the cables i need to make things on them.

Here is a close up of the spectra tips, they are really cool! I can't wait to use them, I got them for my Yellow project, which I will make sure I don't cast on until I have finished something else, I am promising myself!Here are the DPN's and the 5mm symphony wooden needles too, look at the pretty colours! They are for making the hat to go with my Bella's scarf, and hopefully another hat for someone else :)