Hanging in there

I can totally empathise with Amelia. I'm in a bit of a knitting funk. Definitely pointless trying to take photos at the moment. Juliet is coming along but I can't show you because the project is in black and I still have not replaced the camera. I've completed all that endless mindless garter stitch. I've divided for the fronts and backs and completed one side of the front. The cell phone camera is doing the job, but alas not to my satisfaction. I feel as though I'm plodding along out of duty at the moment. I can't seem to find the enthusiasm to pick up any of the other projects too. I think I may know part of the cause:

Number one son does not want mum to knit his school jumper. I'm devastated!! This is when you know your child is on the slippery road to growing up (Am I being too much of a drama queen???)

I've been sewing in name tags to his new uniform (in the most inconspicuous of places of course) and I won't start on the craziness of uniform hunting - and it almost feels like I've regressed to his very first day at school. He's not around at the moment - I've had 2 weeks of my own space - you would think I'd be knitting away, but no - it's probably a good thing, he'd be huffing and puffing telling me it's no biggy, he's only changing schools. I feel quite stupid. For me he's at a life changing moment in his life and I want to scream and shout this to him. I want to tell him that in years to come he will be looking back to this time. I want to tell him to make the most of it , to revel in his youth and innocence, to hop skip and jump (and stay off the twiddly games) because this time will go in a blink. I want to give him tons and tons of hugs and kisses and beg him to stay small and not grow up. Instead I'll carry on sewing in name tags and get ready to rant at him on his return at the state of his bedroom.

Definitely need to work off this energy at the allotment!!

Rewind

In my last post I boldly declared my joy at reaching sleeve level on 2 of the projects I'm working on, Faye and my own design - well I'm still there! Both use 4 ply cotton and I'm suddenly finding both yarns hard going, in other words my sleeves are not growing - period. What better justification to start a new project. Not any new project, but a project in the colour (or not) black. And if memory serves me right, I did declare on this blog, never again to work in black after completing 3 of 4 projects working in black. The project is gorgeous however, and the hard work slogging away in a pattern I can barely see will be worthwhile. Its Juliet from the Debbie Bliss Rialto book. The fronts and the back are worked as one piece - endless garter stitch (nearly 250 stitches worth of the stuff!). I'm still using the camera on my cell phone so I'm not even going to attempt to take a photo of a sea of pitch black - not in our glorious grey summer weather. I'm not complaining for once about the weather, the heaviness is keeping my allergies in check and affording me some greatly needed relief.......

The summer holidays are ploughing ahead. Our days have been filled taking measurements and fittings for a new school uniform. As the day fast approaches, I see the growing apprehension and excitement in number one son as he prepares himself for his new school. I see the emotions changing in him on a daily basis as he looks forward to his first day. My heart goes out to him because he has left a very small school and will be starting (in my humble opinion) a huge school. It does feel like the very first day of school all over again. As I write this, I wonder whose apprehension I am writing about - mine or his....... He does look handsome though!!

Congratulations to Nicki and Andy on the birth of their son Peter Tybalt Walker last week!!

Congratulations to Mike and Gerry on their third wedding anniversary today.

Busy as a bee

Sharing
The only problem with having an allotment is splitting my spare time between it and knitting - the competition is fierce. To the point that I went down to the plot at 7am this morning just so I could have a decent knitting session this evening, knowing I have a clear conscience !!

Knitting progress

Faye

I've finally completed the back and both fronts. I get a satisfied feeling when I reach the sleeve part of a garment - it signifies I'm near the end!!

I'm still enjoying the bead work - although this will be the third garment with bead. I think once it's completed that will be enough with the beads for now!

My design

Fronts and back are completed. I have fantasies of lacy sleeves.....

And finally......

A little something from the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino Book 1 for a lovely little lady.

Heart Broken

Not only did I miss the sales at Liberty and John Lewis, I've just learned that many of the much loved Jaeger lines have been discontinued! As a pure cotton lover (obviously more by necessity) it pains me to discover there will be no more Aqua, Pure Cotton or my absolute favorite, Siena. The colours available in Siena were stunning and so alive. I'm not sure if this also means the end of the whole of the Jaeger line, as I seem to remember that the Extra Fine Merino range went on sale early this year (missed out then as well!! ) I think it is such a shame. Jaeger has always signified classic style and quality. I recently discovered that the yarn types and colours were made to complement the Jaeger clothes line in the same season - how fantastic is that?

Very fortunately for me a recent visit to Liberty yielded one pack of Aqua (in a deep red colour, its simply sumptuous) that someone else did not want. I suppose there's always Rowan Cotton Glace.....

Nature and Nurture

As the school holidays get under way we have been busy outdoors......

picking, digging and of course eating. We normally help my dad at this time of year with the harvesting of the produce at the allotment which is close to where he lives.

We've enjoyed it over the years, so much so that we have acquired our own piece of paradise close to where we live - well it will be when it's cleared.

The plot after day 1 of clearing - stupidly I forgot to take a photo before we started work.

The plot after our third visit minus anthills and too much junk to mention here!!

The plot has not been used for over 15 years - so we are at war with brambles at the moment. And yes, those are trees you see on the plot - there is a plus side though, we have an inexhaustible supply of blackberries!!

In the pink....

I think I'm back on track. Everything I see I want to knit - I take that to be a good sign. And I'm knitting on multiple projects. I found it really difficult to focus on one project at a time for college - had to because the work had to be processive to the point of being prescriptive -and ignore 'my' usual knitting. It's taken me a little while to get to know them again. For some of the projects, just leaving them for a month has caused absolute chaos. My lack of order put me in so much trouble trying to identify where I was up to, or rather, how I had gotten to a particular point because there were no notes - well none that made any sense and I nearly always deviate from a pattern So in reality the college course has taught me a few things about hand knitting:

1. Make notes
   
2. Make concise notes that can be used as a reference


3. Use a pen that does not bleed so badly into the next page, you can't read the text.


4. Don't put your note book/journal next to the cooker when frying chicken so that the splatter makes your samples sticky!!

The frantic pace of life has also slowed down due to the start of the summer holidays - so more knitting time as son goes off to explore his world:

Fortunately he came home minus the snake.

Finished object
I finally finished the cable cardigan and have pictures to show.

Ribbed Cardigan

Pattern Source: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK book
Started: May 2007
Completed: July 2007
Yarn used: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK in Teal blue
Comments: This is second time around for me. I love the pattern. This time I used the stated yarn. It knits very quickly. The yarn has a tendency to fuzz a little bit, but it is incredibly soft and cuddly. an enjoyable knit with good attention to pattern detail.

I'm working on this at the moment. Something that has been lurking in the back of a wardrobe for some time.

Oh, and baby clothes for a special little lady, soon to be delivered.

Congratulations!!!

To the Shah family, especially their new edition born the wee hours of Saturday morning. Mother and daughter came home yesterday and are doing well. I know Karin will want to post so I will leave the details to her.

She is soooo cute!!

Suffice to say I'm broody... again!!

I have been an exceptionally bad host of this blog and promise next to normal business will resume soon. I've been doing a little knitting and lots of felting......

My version of Shibori knitting/felting

My second attempt to make a felted bag. First attempt ended in disaster when I tried to felt yarn that was not pure wool (obviously unknown to me!!).

Pinned to the bag is a swatch of the unfelted knitted fabric. I'm pleased with it. this is a proto type for something else I have in mind. However, I'm off to recover now. Should have known better than to go anywhere near pure wool....

We have a lack of sunlight.... have you noticed?