Of Dodgy Ankle, Work Ethics & Knitting Progress

So a couple of weeks ago, I tore a ligament in my ankle....oh the pain, the pain!!!!

Long story short I was walking to work in a daydream and my foot slipped on the kerb and over I went....nearly got run over by a cyclist (bicycle one, not motorcyclist,otherwise I probably wouldn't have been here). Anyway ended up in A&E being pushed around in a wheelchair. Can you imagine.....I'm in a suit, got handbag, one shoe and coat on my lap, the other foot stuck out in front of me and I was almost delirious with the pain. 

Anyway after much prodding and poking, x-rays and painkillers (painkillers were the "bomb", sent me slightly ga-ga but reduced the pain...yeah!!), I got sent home, with instructions to rest, elevate leg above heart, as much as possible...ice and more painkillers, for a week.

So I thought...RESULT I can knit, without interruption......

Nah, how wrong was I?????...ENORMOUSLY.

You see I made the mistake of letting work know that I can log on/work from home...take it from me whatever you do, don't let your workplace know this!!  To be fair, they are well aware of this fact, I do it on a constant basis...but I shouldn't have brought it up on this occasion.

So the result for that week....

Emails, Conference Calls, Telephone Calls, Spreadsheets, Reports, more calls....3,699,001 (and maybe more, I lost count)

Knitting WIP's...... 0

So not much to show you here knitting wise BUT I do have a WIP, that I am so excited about, that I had to share.

I've been trying for a while to get my daughter involved in knitting, to no avail....not interested.  I even went out and bought her a special set of needles, just for her....not interested. 

Anyway, last week after feeling sorry for me and my dodgy ankle and possibly (more importantly) consternation at my lack of knitting (she hates watching TV with me and I'm not knitting), she decided to get these special needles out and ask me for some of my wool.

I thought she was taking the "Michael", so told her no....but after much nagging and "getting on my nerves"....I gave her some of my cheap acrylic, cast off wool, taught her the basics of garter stitch....and bingo......she took to it like water and after a couple of hours.....here folks is my daughters....WIP:

Not quite sure what she's making, I think it's a scarf for one of her toys and if you ignore what's going on in the bottom left hand corner, it's not too bad really!!!

I guess you can say this is a WIP for me too.....I finally got my daughter to knit.  Now let's see if she can purl too......!!!!!

What about you, what have you achieved lately???

For more WIP, check out Tami's Amis blog.

Cheerio

Four.....

No not Golf - Finished Objects!

One, Two and Three were completed last week and this week makes Four...get it...four in two weeks wow!  I think that will be it for a while though....

Now if you remember from Teenage Fashion, I urgently needed to finish a hat before my son lost his swagger, and dear readers I have, here he is wearing it:

Pattern:  (Cabled Watch-cap by Kristen Orme)

I quite like this hat, was thinking about giving it to him!!  However, I'm chuffed to bits because he has worn it every day since it was made, (he didn't even want me to block it as it just had to be worn the next day, to school - crazy kid, (actually the mornings are quite cold now).  I have to admit though, there has been a few mornings of , "...mum have I got it on right??...". (sigh)   (You'll have to read Teenage Fashion to understand what I'm saying here, if you don't know what I mean).

Oh and guess what, after months of thinking I couldn't do it, I finally figured out Magic Loop and used it on this project - it was super easy.  I'm feeling more proficient everyday...So proud of myself!!

For more FO's please check out this link:

Cheerio

One, Two, Three....

Yes folks not one, not two ....but a mighty three Finished Objects this week...how cool is that, eh???!!!  

Not that I have finished them all this week, no that would be madness. To be truthful, it was done over the past couple of weeks but it's all exciting stuff and I feel like a proficient knitter.

So here goes, first FO is Mr H's Cowl:

Knitted in black chunky yarn, pattern is Mistakes - I've made a few!, by Susan Ashcroft, it was the fastest knit I think I've ever done but then it was done on beautiful shiny chunky needles.

Second FO is Miss H's cowl, in beautiful purple:

 I have to admit that's have worn this twice myself since knitting it, love it. The pattern is Sunset In Seattle, by Seattle Yarn.
 
And last but definitely not least, yes folks it's the Baby Blankie....finished at long last and with a week to go to the birth...ta da:

I know I said previously that I was bored of knitting the lace (see previous blog) but once completed, washed and steam blocked, I kinda fell back in love with this. Handing it over this weekend!!

Well fellow readers that's it (although at the rate I am going I may have another FO for next week - does that mean I really need to get a life???!!!)

For more FO's check out these.

Cheerio

Teenager Fashion.

Teenage fashion is a phenomenon all by itself and my son's is no exception to this rule.

For him it's all about his "swagger", whatever that means. I can't begin to tell you the amount of times our conversation can go along the lines of... "Mum, should I wear my Nikes or my Vans?", I'll reply the Vans, then it's "what colour"?.....so I'll say the black ones.....then he'll say... "no because it doesn't match anything that I'm wearing", (are you kidding me. .. black goes with everything he wears!!!!). 

Anyway after much to-ing and fro-ing over Nikes and Vans, I'll say something along the lines of why don't you wear a nice pair of shoes, to which the reply is very often "Muuuuuuummmmmm" ( meaning Mum I'm not an old man)....and then he'll change clothes and we have to go through the whole dialogue again....I give up!!

So it was with MUCH trepidation I decided to knit a hat for him, for the colder winter months.  I didn't tell him I was doing this of course, in case he poo-pooed the idea and I would be much hurt.  To be honest, I had some yarn left over from making his cowl (which he does actually wear so I must have some fashion expertise!!) and thought I might as well make a hat plus, I also wanted to make something with cables (which I haven't done since making my Quilted Throw).

So there I was on my sofa, blissfully cabling away, when my daughter let it slip what I was doing (last time I tell her anything...uh!!).  He looked at me and said.."you do know mum that I may never wear it, what does it look like?"

What????!!!!!

Well I showed him the pattern (Cabled Watch-cap by Kristen Orme), although I wanted to punch his lights out...cheeky... and then he said..."actually yeah that's the kind of hat all my friends are wearing, it's ok..yeah".  Now to translate that means..."Mum, you've hit the jackpot this time, you are a fashionista in every sense of the word, you "get" me and you "get" my style, that's my "swagger"".....Yes, folks I nailed it!!!

So just to let you all know, I am now knitting with enthusiastic frenzy, I need to get this finished soonest before he changes his "swagger" again..!!!   Here's my progress so far:

For more WIP's check out Tamis Amis blog, but for now, I have much knitting to do!!

Cheerio

Picture WIP

OK I was trying to be all deep and artistic 'cos I don't have time to write - (so much work to do).  It's my latest WIP (my daughter's cowl).

Loving the colour (purple), knitting with Wendy Mode DK, pattern Sunset In Seattle by Seattle Yarn

Promise next time I will chat more but for now, for more WIP's (with hopefully a little more information) check out Tami Amis.

Cheerio

Finished Object Friday (No. 5 - I think)

Good Friday all and as promised here are my Finished Objets D'Art (ok I'm feeling Frenchy & pretentious - well it is Friday...)

Firstly my son's cowl and actually my first attempt at knitting a cowl:

The design is Neckwarmer #1979, by Bernat and I used Wendy Mode DK. it was a nice simple knit in the round (I made it slightly longer and wider so that he could use it as a snood if he wanted to). My son is loving it at the moment. I think he particularly likes the fact that he can tighten it around his neck (I actual worked out the toggle, so proud of myself), when the weather gets nippy (which it did yesterday, boy was it cold!!).

Second is my Stockholm Scarf. Lurve......this. Oh my Lord, it is the warmest thing ever.......:










Knitted this with Rowan's Cashsoft DK, so soft, so squidgy, so warm!!!  Wore it for the first time yesterday and I have fought people who wanted to take it of my body, who stole it from the back of my chair and who put it their bags (can you believe it...???!!!).  The only thing is that it didn't like my coat and kind of "shed" on it, as you can see from the photo but that's OK, I'm getting a new coat anyway!!! (an excuse for Mr H methinks..)

Anyway, I'm off now got another cowl to finish and that lace to do...

For more FO Objets D'Art...click here:

Cheerio.

Progress Check

Yes, there is definitely a nip in the air, an easterly wind blowing and I my friends, have been busy.

Since my last post, I have knitted and finished two cowls (one for me and one for my son - think I may have told you about this one already but didn't post any pics), anyway I will tell you about these on Friday.

I'm definitely in the "Cowl" mood, so I have now casted on another one for Mr H.  It's the first time that I am knitting on 9mm needles (nearest I have come to these are 6.5mm, so this is a bit of an achievement!).  Think this one is going to go very fast, which is good because Mr H will need it as he works outdoors.

See my shiny new Knitpro needles....bought these at the Knitting & Stitching Show...love them...they are soooooo shiny.!!!

Remember my Baby Blankie, well I am progressing (albeit slowly) on this.  The body of the blanket is now finished and I am working on the lace to go around it but its boring.   I have to do approx. 468cms and I am BORED!!.  I think I have about 5 repeats of the pattern to do, which in the scheme of things is not long, but I can't work up any enthusiasm to finish it....arrgghhh!!!  I will have to though as baby is due in approx 5 weeks time and I will need to give something..(wonder if they would like baby booties instead (*sigh*).  Here's a bit of the knitted lace anyway:

The Greenleaf Wrap is still in the same condition it was in, in August.  Nothing to see there, so move on....  Same for the scarf from hell (and that's going back to April)....moving on...

Oh and I frogged the Mohair Wrap, wasn't working for me!  Will have to re-do but not until next year now!!

So all in all that's it.  I have to cast on one more cowl, this time for my daughter and then I need to finish all WIP's before the New Year (or so I tell myself, unless I see another Cowl pattern I like (which I have and then....well.....I've been eyeing up this book - putting on my Christmas list):



For more WIP's check out Tami's Amis blog:

Until Friday then...Cheerio!

Soooooo..... Excited!!!!!

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it.....yes folks, my tickets have come for the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, 9th October. I'm going with my daughter, who's into sewing, she's excited too.

Oh what to do with myself before then I do not know well actually I do...I have a plan of action, as follows:

1. Printed out list of exhibitors from Ravelry, I'm in the process of "Googling" them and then highlighting the ones that I really want to see/buy from - I'm on a budget. (See I can be focused!).
    
2. Make a list of what I am in need of, want to buy and may buy if I have any money left at the end of the day.
   
   Then on the actual day, my plan of action is to:
    
3. Leave early and drive (it's going to take at least an hour and a half but apparently there's loads of free parking - result).
    
4. Wear trainers (loads of walking - I'm wearing my sketchers fitness trainers, so I can keep fit at the same time - I can multi-task!!)
    
5. Wear layers (just in case it gets too hot/cold).
    
6. Bring cash only, no cards, (I'm on a budget, see point 1 above).
    
7. Bring packed lunch, water, etc. ( no time to sit and take in a leisurely lunch. Too much to see. Also I am on a budget - see points 1 & 6 above).
    
8. Bring a big enough backpack to store purchased items in, so I am not carrying huge amounts of bags around and looking like a "bag lady". (Pity daughter is not at the baby stage so I could have a pram, to cart said purchases around in...mmmm - wonder if I could nip out and put things in the car and nip back in again, may have to ask the question).

So you see I'm organised for this one (not like the last show, where I wasn't, ended up overspending (including buying some awful yarn (see previous blog) and couldn't look Mr H in the eyes)!!! If you're going to Ally Pally on Saturday....see ya there!!

Anyway, for those of you looking for a quick WIP update, I've finished my son's cowl (you'll see an update on Friday) and I've just casted on my Stockholm Scarf, which I've named "Greenness Cowlness" (don't ask me why, 'cos I dunno!!). Loving the yarn - Rowans Cashsoft DK:




For more WIP's, check out Tami's Amis blog.

Cheerio

Quick Knitting Update

Hey, they say the weather is going to turn here in the UK and are forecasting snow for October. To be honest with you, I've given up on the weather, (what with the non-existent summer and all).

However, just in case they are right, here's the latest WIP I'm working on for my son, for those bitterly cold morning and evenings that he will be trudging home from school. It's a cowl/snood (someone tell me the difference please, as I'm not sure I know).  I'm using Wendy Mode DK in black (he's a conservative boy!!):

For more WIP check out Tami's Amis blog:

Cheerio.

First Crescent Shaped Shawl

 Guys, I'm on a roll...oh yes I am!

This is the second week that I can post a FO Friday project, how cool is that, (my son says I'm not allowed to say " cool" anymore, it shows my age - I'm supposed to say "sick" ??? I prefer "cool", please don't tell him.......).

Anyway, I've been on holiday for just over two weeks and in that time I managed to cast on, knit, bind off and block my first crescent shaped shawl, as follows:

It's knit with sock wool and I absolutely love it. Yes guys, as we a had a non existent summer, I am now gearing up for Winter. (Note: I'm back to work on Monday, in every sense of the word, so can safely say that I will be slowing back down on my knitting - aahhhh it was nice while it lasted!) For more FO's, click here: