Hello yall I'm back

Once again I'm writing a guest blog. No, Mum isn't as sick as a dog (again) I've just decided to be a good little boy and do as mummy says so that she'll let me experiment with stuff from my new dangerous book for boys(Mum says that hopefully they are soon going to publish an equivalent for girl's. She wishes.)
AAAHHH there is an ENORMOUS SPIDER(Did I mention my massive arachnaphobia?) scuttling across the front room floor! It scared the crap out of me!!! I put mums clunky phone next to it so you can see just how big it is.


I have had 4 presents in one day and it isn't even my birthday! 1st was my dangerous book for boys from mum,
2nd was the highlighter pen that looks like something that could be incredibly painful from mum's consultant, 3rd was the really cool Oriental hat that I got from Sue(who's just returned from China),4th also from Sue were a load of excellente! pearl beads. So my next holiday is definitely going to be to China just because of those. If you ask really nicely I might just think about bringing back presents just for you and only you (which will be quite a lot of only you's).

I bid Thee farewell, Goodbye. It's my bedtime now!
Shea

Gone Ribbing!!

I have just noticed that my last 3 projects are or have been rib based. The wrap cardi in blue using Debbie Bliss chunky merino is finished - my sewing up pile is growing, still not in the mood to 'finish' my projects. I find it hard to let go sometimes. I normally do not knit the same pattern twice, unless it's a baby project, and if I have particularly enjoyed the project I don't want it to end (are you still with me?). This can often result in 5 or 6 projects waiting to be sewn up. The fact that I detest sewing up is neither here nor there. Sewing up is a precise art, a bit like buying buttons for a project. As I have often heard told, if you are going to spend lots of money, time and effort in making a beautiful garment, you can spend effort and time to sew it up properly (even if you end up with eye strain and back ache) and you can definitely spend money buying decent buttons that compliment the garment rather than looking like they were the cheapest you could find. Can you tell I'm having a grumpy day?? The sun is streaming through the windows and I'm stuck indoors so I'm allowed a grumpy day. And now to knitting and ribs














The wrap cardi is done although I may undo the shoulder below that does not quite match. I used the 3 needle cast off.































This is the ribbed cardigan I Cotton Cashmere, it seems to be working out OK















Cables without a cable needle!! I feel proud of myself, but not sure this will grow on me.

This is the beginning of Sparkle - can you see I'm on a roll with the rib projects? The yarn is Silk Wool DK by Rowan. It feels lovely. I chose grey since it's this years colour - my effort to relate to the world of fashion - I am normally happy not to have a fashionable or co-ordinating bone in my body but I go through the odd phase where I feel I want to dip my toe in the pond. I love the colour grey, sorry, shade grey. I think it is lost to business suits, it's lovely as a casual colour too. After the ribs I feel a cable thing going on, St brigid, a three quarter length cable coat/jacket something for Shea maybe........

If anyone can help me with my layout poblems I'd be grateful. When I'm drafting and previewing the post it looks nothing like the above, when i try to fiddle, it makes no difference. Please tell me there is a magic button I can press.

Quick and easy...

I'm still on a leash - 1 hour of knitting a day!! This is what I have to show for my rationed time

The baby jacket is all knitted - just needs sewing up (no, I will not be blocking this one)

This is me trying to be clever. Since I have rationed time at the moment, I decided to make the best use that I could by starting a new project on size 8mm needles!! This is a pattern by Sirdar that I fell in love with. It's a very simple 3x3 rib - not a lot of effort but quick. I'm on the sleeves and panicking about having enough yarn. I'm using Debbie Bliss Merino chunky in pale blue.

This is Karin's fault. She wafted this under my nose. Like her I'm doing this for my mum (because the Jaeger cardi has well and truly stalled - not sure if it's the colour or the pattern I have a problem with). So far I've ripped it out 4 time - this is not a bobble household!! This is an experiment in progress. I'm using Cotton Cashmere instead of Cashmerino DK. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. By the way. All of the above are from Stash. Haven't I been a good girl??!!

This isn't. More on this later!!

A pain in the neck

Figuratively and literally!!
I've had to beg to be allowed to update the blog.
I was on the mend - i.e. no longer lying flat on the floor all day; no knitting and no blogging. I was up and about just in time for a heavy week of family visiting from abroad and family get togethers only to relapse yesterday, so I'm back on the floor and no knitting - technically. Big thank you to number one son for keeping the blog afloat. More from him soon. Thank you to everyone who wished me well.

Progress




























The log cabin blanket is coming along nicely. It's too big to carry about now. The only reservation I have is the colour scheme. I'm going to limit the colours to the two purples the light and the dark.





























Baby clothes don't count as knitting do they?
This is a moss stitch cable jacket that I spied here
and just had to make since the yarn was sitting at
home doing nothing.
It's from Debbie Bliss' The baby knits book.















Faye is coming along aswell. I'm up to the armhole shaping. Don't you just love it when you get to that point? Decreasing, there's a psychological thing going on, less stitches means shorter rows, means you somehow knit faster and get the project finished in record time - well that's what it feels like!! Especially when you're working in 4 ply yarn and beads. It's time to go for now, my minders and clock watching.

Guest blog

Today things are going to change. Well you see the thing is that Mum (the usual writer) is as sick as a dog.She is lying down completely flat with a trapped nerve in her neck. She's so sick she cant even knit!!!
Which is an utter disappointment(between you and me it isn't) but she can't see the screen so i'm lucky I can say whatever I want.Ha ha ha!!!
Feeling so sorry for her I decided to tell my grandparents to bug off (well I didn't quite say it like that) so I could look after my mum. Just for being so kind she's knitting Jesse's flames for me from stitch and bitch nation!!!!

Who told me to say that!!

I have been severely chastised - why you might ask? Well I had the gall to mumble I wanted to start something new. Big mistake. I have a mountain of UFO's(unfinished objects of the throwing in the corner kind). One springs to mind immediately - MARY. It's way past time to finish her. Also, I forgot to mention that has been lurking:














Above is Lucille by Jaeger (book JB25), in Jaeger pure Cotton,
for my mum- umm birthday pressie 2 years ago!!














In a small whisper - I still want to start something new. I'm putting it down to the change in weather. I've also signed up to do the St. Brigid knit along which started or restarted on 1 September. I haven't been cabling and this pattern is very intricate - I think I need to ease into her. Perhaps a baby garment in aran yarn and lots of cables might do the trick....

Knitting and holidays

You would think they go together wouldn't you? 3 weeks of nothing, reading the odd book and time to sit back, relax and knit - yeah right! First we have red alert at the airport. So even though one was not going to knit on the plane, one can't take a knitting book to flick through or yarn to rewind on the plane because one can only take essentials in a clear plastic bag - we are off to a great start. I had 2 projects in my suitcase. We arrive at our destination staying with a friend, who has taken time off to spend with his guests and the words rest and relaxation are now out of the equation. They are replaced with hiking, biking and swimming in the lake!! All joking aside we had a wonderful time the weather was kind and I did manage to fit in a little knitting - not as much as I'd have liked but some all the same.

I've been eyeing this from Twilleys Denim Freedom book 2. Definitely a holiday project one would think, especially if there is the prospect of being able to wear the finished project. In the words of number one son - NOT!!! Danielle, a lovely lacy camisole top, and I, just didn't get on. I loved the top as soon as I saw it. I didn't read the pattern in any great detail until I was ready to start the pattern. The back is done in 2 pieces, the top half first then the bottom half in an inverted manner, stitches were picked up from the cast on edge and the diamond pattern worked from the midriff down to the bottom edge. The diamond is a 16 row repeat and not rocket science. But right from the beginning it was war not love. I was constantly ripping out the upper section of the back, a combination of stocking and garter stitch to give a ridged effect. Finally after 5 attempts the upper half was completed, then on to the diamond lace pattern of the lover half. No problems there, but I had to keep my nose in the book. I couldn't get the hang of the pattern off by heart, so total concentration was necessary. So I'm beavering away, I'd chosen the largest size to be on the safe side. When I was almost finished (about 3 rows to go), I took a breather and actually looked at the piece of work, only to realise the whole thing was huge. I know the denim yarn shrinks, but in length not width, so we have gone from this














to this














Fortunately for me, there are many other projects I can put the yarn to....
I also managed to finish my dad's birthday present - his birthday was in March!!














The yarn came from hipknits and was very fine to knit with.
I also started and finished a multi coloured pair while on holiday. They were for my very saintly, patient friend whose home was invaded and, as he put it, rearranged!! The yarn was Aktion by Lang/Jawoll. We have no pictures because, foolishly it didn't occur to me at the time to take any!! To give you a clue, I did keep the ball band...



























A little blurred but you get the picture.
I was very restrained whilst away, I bought some sock yarn that I've been wanting to try for some time and some Silk Dream by Lang. Since returning I have spied one of Rowan's new yarns, that has the same 50% silk and 50% merino wool - that is where the similarity ends. The yarns are very different in consistency, texture and feel. The Lang feels very silky, whilst the Rowan feels wooly.





























Cotton and wool sock yarn by Opal, I love the colours. All the yarn purchased came from a very local yarn store, just 5 minutes walk from where we stayed - how cool is that?

I have returned to the dilemma of Gwen from Rowan 39. When I can face her, I'll sort out the sleeves and finish her. I'm still working on the log cabin blanket, a row here and a row there. I have parted company with the Mason Dixon instructions as we were not getting along, so it's a suck it and see job now. I want to start something new, so I'm off to flick through my books, whilst I wait patiently (not) for my Rowan 40 which as yet has not arranged, but I am assured it is on the way....

Hello Again!!

We've been away.
It's great to be home though.
I had a moments panic when I couldn't log into my blog and was all a flutter.
More pictures and stories tomorrow.
For now I'll leave you with these.

















































Beautiful lakes, chateau's and snowy mountain tops!
I'm still having layout problems and cannot anotate as I would like.