Happy

On Thursday I was feeling kind of "overworked and underpaid", you know what I mean - so I decided during lunch to take a trip to John Lewis in Oxford Street, to cheer myself up by looking at and touching some yarn.

Yes, I did have my project bag with me...yes I could have done some knitting during lunch but I didn't want to...I wanted a different sort of "cheer me upper" that only new yarn could bring.

To be honest, I was also looking for some new yarn for a project scarf, for my daughter in her favourite colours, lightweight enough for spring/summer and that didn't cost too much, (its still a week and a bit from payday and this girl is on a budget)!!!

Anyway, I browsed for a bit, feeling happier and happier - I just love John Lewis - and then I came across this perfect number:

Loved it straight away and knew it would be just perfect for what I wanted. It made me smile, made me want to hold it and never let it go. Even when I got back to work, I had to show all my colleagues, even if they thought I was off "me rocker"!!! I felt great, had to cast on as soon as I got home, abandoning all other WIP's in the process.

How can one ball of yarn make me feel so good???? I can tell you why because it's name is Happy (seriously - Happy by Wendy) and I didn't even pick up on the name until I got home, I just loved it!!!



So far its meeting knitting expectations and I will post photos of the finished project, as soon as I can.

In the meantime here is a photo of my finished Darkside Cowl (I've named it Purpleside Cowl - Darkside sounds well "dark") by Sarah Fama, made with another yarn that I have fallen in love with, Silk Twist by Rowan.:

(modelled by Jade)

I hope you have a happy day too.

- Cheerio

Productivity

It seems that I have been on a month and a bit break but I can safely say, not an unproductive one. I've been busy, I've had a birthday in between, tinkering on my brand new swift and I've been finishing off some projects as follows:

Firstly, I made a Mizzle for myself, with Rowan RYC Cashsoft 4ply Aran yarn. I'm not going to show a photo of it, purely because I'm not sure that I like it.  For some reason it doesn't look right on me, so I may frog...I've left it for a while though in my little knitting box of FO's, just in case I change my mind - but it's not looking good (unless someone rescue's it!).

Secondly, I finished the following Noble Cowl, made for my friend who like me, loves throwing things around her neck:





I made this from some spare bamboo yarn in my stash and I must admit I love it and she does too. I wasn't too sure at first, messed up the pattern early on because I wasn't concentrating (as you do), so frogged and re-started.

Thirdly, I finished my Birthday Scarf (aptly named because I started it on my birthday...dah, dah).  It's correct name is the Chinook Scarf, by Ali Green. 

It is modelled by the lovely Jade (who I have bought out of retirement...well therapy, (she was suffering from the symptoms of neglect, although my daughter doesn't see it that way at all!).  Jade also had her hair cut and braided for the occasion, the ultimate professional, despite her ongoing troubles  :)



 

Love this scarf, love this yarn, its called Katia Tupa, in Navy Blue - 50% Merino Wool & 50% Silk - beautiful.  Not very warm (I think) but hey it makes a great accessory.  I think this is going to be a staple in my wardrobe.

I am still beavering away on my Lace Leaf Wrap, Lord knows when I will finish this one, it surely is a Work In Progress (in every sense)!!!

I've also started two new projects during my hiatus, which I will let you know about on WIP Wednesday.

So all in all, I have been an extremely productive lady...how about you??  What you been up to??

To see more productivity, check out these knitting professionals on Tami's Amis blog.

(Disclaimer (or something along those lines): I hope you all are Ravelers or you may have difficulty viewing some of the links!!)

- Cheerio

Excitement Friday

Something went wrong with my blogger and I lost my original blog on Friday.  I can't remember all that I said, so I'm kind of re-telling a shortened version:

I was excited because I received the following swift (first one ever) in the post for my birthday, bought by Mr H - the star that he is.  It's a Sunflower Swift and I had great service from them, a lady called Claire actually packed my swift ready for posting before I had even paid:

(n.b. this is not an actual picture of my swift, it is taken from Sunflower Swifts website, as mine is still boxed!!)  Not my birthday for a couple of weeks and I'm not allowed to use it yet...mmmmm)

Secondly, I'm excited because I finished my first ever Poncho, in all its lovely chocolatey brownness.  Love it!!

Sorry it's so quick but the technological imp took over and lost my blog.  Hopefully, though you'll see what I've been up to.

Until later....cheerio.



Winter White

Well another two projects are off the needles and into the hands of someone I am finding out to be quite knit-worthy. They were actually her Christmas presents but as she doesn't live in London, I had to wait for her to come down (which was good as I hadn't quite finished by Dec 25th....), so they have been re-classed as New Year presents and here they are:



The Canaletto Cowl and the Twistygoo hat. I used up my Sirdar Denim Sport Aran stash on these.

I absolutely love the Cowl, lovely and warm, this is how big it is:



The hat mmmm...ok. I had to frog it a couple of times and I messed up a bit on the decreases, (I really am Not An Expert Knitter) but its passable I guess and Jen loves it. She's already twittered about it and sent a picture. To be honest I tried it on and it really doesn't suit me (big head), so I guess that's why I wasn't enamoured as well.

I love the colour - I call it Winter White. Not the technical name of course, I think that is "Ivory" but the colour does remind me of snow in winter.

So what have you just finished and like/dislike or, not sure about?

For more finished projects, check out Tami's Amis blog.

Cheerio

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Happy New Year to all my followers and those that pass by my little knitting blog. I pray that 2012 is all you hope and wish for.

2011 was a strange year for me, and to be honest I'm not unhappy to see the back of it, although all experiences go to making me the person that I am and I have learnt a lot about myself this past year. However, knitting wise I think I have progressed somewhat, I've learnt magic loop, how to read a knitting chart, my lacing has come on leaps and bounds and I am most definitely a faster knitting, (why by the end of the year I've been positively churning out stuff) - latest editions:

Mohair Capelet:



My Azzu shawlette:



and there's more, I've just not taken the photos yet.

I don't make New Year resolutions, I firmly believe that my destiny and all I do is in Gods hands but I do want to learn some more techniques in 2012, like entrelac and finally getting around to knitting socks (no I haven't even attempted that yet, should be interesting!!! I'm either going to love or hate it, but at least I would have tried).

Thanks for reading and again Happy New Year!!

Cheerio

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