FO: Socks!

Wow! Two blog posts in as many weeks! I’m on a roll. 😊

I finished these earlier this week and they’ve just been waiting to be photographed.

As some of you may be able to tell, these are made using my go to pattern, the No Purl Monkeys by Cookie A.

I love making these socks. The pattern is so easy to remember, but not boring and they seem to just fly off the needles. I’m sure I wrote the same thing last time I made and blogged about these!

The yarn itself is from The West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply Cocktail Collection and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the colours. I did try and resist and spent the whole of the knit night ignoring it, but it fell into my hands as I tried to make my escape through the door. I’m glad I bought it, because the socks look amazing!

Yarn: The West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply Cocktail Collection in 06
Pattern: No Purl Monkeys by Cookie A.
Needles: 2.5mm KnitPicks Circulars
Notes/Modifications: My standard 5 repeats for the foot and 6 repeats for the leg and a German Short Row heel. These were worked toe up. So I used the Magic Cast On to cast on 16 sts and then increased from there to 64.

Diane asked how I was going to match the stripes over the heels and I laughed a little and said, I wasn’t going to. I’ll just knit and see what happens. I think she was a little horrified at that! 😄 But that’s exactly what I did and honestly, I think they look fab!

Now that the pics have been taken, they are going straight on to my feet! I know the weather is lovely and sunny, but my feet are still cold, so these will do nicely!

So tell me, what are you all up to, now that the sun is finally shining and the weather is improving? My dogs are loving being outside most of the day. Barking at people and other dogs and cars as they go past!

The FO that I WIPed and FO’d again…

I love my Tangled Yoke. I loved the pattern the minute Eunny Jang released it. I loved the yarn I chose to make it with from the moment I got my little hands on it. I loved the thought of wearing it and I loved the cardigan from the cast on all the way to the cast off.  But I didn’t like one thing on it. The neckline. The yoke was perfect. But the neckline was way, way too high on me.

I couldn’t face ripping it back. My hands were in such a state after finishing the collar and button bands I just couldn’t face having to re do the whole thing again. So I didn’t. And I hated wearing it.

About three-ish years ago, after speaking to Diane about her Tangled Yoke and finding out that she had EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE, I ripped it back to the yoke and reknit it. All fired up, I completed that part and was so, so pleased. But I put it away again, because I couldn’t face picking up and knitting the button bands. And they involved a little maths, cos of course, I didn’t actually pick a yarn and needles that I got gauge with. No, I picked a yarn and needles where I would have to do some maths and figure out the difficult bits myself. Of course, I also didn’t make any notes on what I actually did. Oh young knitter, how you failed to learn. *shaking head at younger self*

Anyway, the poor cardi has sat unloved in a box somewhere since then and been forgotten.  When we moved back to the UK about a year ago, I came across it again and fell in love all over again. But the dreaded button bands were putting me off pulling it out and finishing it. It sat in a box a while longer.

Once again, Diane was the catalyst. She’s been talking about yoked sweaters during our conversations and she mentioned her Tangled Yoke again and how she was definitely now going to make the changes we spoke about originally. I pulled mine out. I found the magazine with the pattern in it. I found the bits of the ripped out button bands. I picked up the button band sts and FINISHED THEM! Oh the joy! And I didn’t stop there! I found the original buttons I used and I finished the whole thing!

I LOVE MY TANGLED YOKE!

I think this counts as an old project now becoming a completed project… right? So I get to cast on something new, right? I have itchy fingers…..

So tell me, what’s the FO you love the most! Did it give you trouble? What’s the FO you want to reknit but are dreading?

Are any of you as bad as me!!?? 😂 

New year, new ideas..

It was my birthday over the weekend and because of that we normally don’t ‘do’ Valentines Day.  This year I spent the day chilling at the spa and then going out for a wonderful meal in the evening with my hubbie.  I thought it was one of the best birthdays ever and I really wasn’t expecting anything for the 14th.

Well, lo’ and behold.. I got some lovely flowers, some chocolate truffles and a lovely card! He does spoil me and I love him for it! 😍

And, as an extra treat to myself, I decided that I would cast on a new project… I know, I know.. I said I wouldn’t cast anything on until I finished an old project, but I’m making these from left over yarn and I NEED these! I promise!

It’s a pair of Yoga Socks from Yarnspirations. I’ve made these before and changed the pattern up so that they were much longer.  I find that, even though I love them, they’re a little on the baggy side.  Which isn’t much of an issue when they’re this long.  But I’m sticking to the smaller version of these this time round, so I want them to be a bit more fitted.

With that in mind, I’m using a 2.5mm circular instead of the suggested 3.25mm and I’m not going to do any of the increases.  It’s just going to be the 64 sts through out. Hopefully they’ll knit up quickly and I’ll have them ready to go before this Friday when I have my Pilates class!

Also, I’ve been more naughty…. Diane sent me this lovely notebook for my birthday and suggested I might use it for some design work. Well, who am I to argue?! So I started a new design that’s been percolating in my head for a while.

Here’s a hint:

It’s Lacey. It’s spriongy. And I know I’m going to love it when it’s done!

What are you guys up to? Any naughtiness on the horizon?

FO: Small Socks!

I started these just before Christmas 🎁 for my little niece, but never quite finished them.  She’s just over two years old and I have absolutely no idea about toddler foot sizes so there was quite a bit of research done on the length and width of the socks that would best fit her.  Honestly though, I finished the first sock and thought ‘No way! That’s going to be huge on her!’ I’m still not sure if they’re the right size. 😊

The pattern itself is made up. I cast on 16 stitches for toe up and increased to 44 and started working in seed stitch for the main pattern. As always, I used a German heel.

Yarn: Superba Bamboo Superwash in 013
Pattern: Seed Stitch Toddler Socks by me
Needles: 2.5mm Knitpicks Harmony Circulars
Notes/Modifications: I made the pattern up as I went along and added seed stitch in the mix to liven it up a little. I made these toe up and used my normal German heel.

Hopefully they’ll fit my little munchkin and she enjoys them!

This year has started well and I’m relatively happy with how the crafty side of it is going. I don’t like making resolutions because they eventually become obligations and tedious and would hate to give up on something just because I’ve made myself do something that I’m just not enjoying. So this is not a resolution, just something I want to keep in mind before a start anything new. I want to try and finish each if the projects that I have on the needles. Over the last few years I’ve had a tendency to start multiple projects and then get bored and start something new. That means I have plenty of WIPs sitting in my multiple knitting baskets just crying out to be finished. Poor things. Now I know that just plugging away at each of the projects that I have already cast on isn’t going to work for me. I’ll get bored again and then just not knit. So, I’m going to try and finish off one WIP and then when it’s done, I get to cast on a new project. Finish that and then move back to another WIP.

That’s the plan anyway. Let’s see how it goes!

And in theme with that, this is the WIP that I’ve picked up and want to finish before casting on a new project.

This is a beautiful scarf that I started in Winter 2015. It’s a Houndstooth Scarf for Ollie.

He picked the colours when we visited a lovely yarn shop, called Fies Strik on Aero Island, Denmark 🇩🇰 (it’s the island where we got married in 2013!!)

So far I’ve struggled a little with this pattern. I’m finding it hard memorising the 4 rows making up the pattern and this is leading to some very slow knitting! It was the reason I put the scarf down and cast on a new project. Since picking it back up after finishing the little socks, I’m finding that I’m liking the pattern more. Still haven’t memorised the pattern but I’m not worrying about that!

Slowly, slowly but I’ll get there!

As expected though, I already have a list of patterns that I want to cast on next.

There’s Water from Sylvia McFadden. Then there’s the Linney Cardigan by Amy Christoffers and finally there is Constellate by Hunter Hammerson.

Choice, choices!

Let me know what you’re knitting and what you want to be knitting next!

FO’s: A Cosy neck and very warm feet

The cowl is finished! And it’s just in time for this forecasted very cold snap that’s supposed to be coming in tomorrow. Yay!! This makes me feel more prepared to face cold weather. 😊

It was a very easy knit and just flew off the needles. The pattern was fun and the different sections definitely made for a more interesting knit. It kept me very entertained from start to finish! And now I can’t wait to show it off.

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Party of Five Tough Love Sock Mini Skeins in Golddigger
Pattern: 3 Colour Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli
Needles: 3.5mm, 3.25mm and 3mm KnitPicks Karbonz Circulars
Notes/Modifications: I used 5 colours instead of  3. I didn’t have enough of some of the yarn to follow the pattern exactly, so I knit until the yarn ran out and then moved on the the next section. I used three needle sizes so that the cowl is tapered at the top, making it fit better around the top of the neck. I think it also makes the whole cowl sit better.

The pattern is a joy to follow. It reads well and there wasn’t a section that I didn’t understand. I will say though that I still can’t do jogless colour changes.  I followed the instructions in the pattern and it most definitely didn’t work for me. I think  it’s something that I’m going to have to practice some more to perfect!

The second (but actually the first, as I finished it before the cowl!) finished knit is a pair No Purl Monkeys.

I like having a pair of socks on the needles all the time.  It’s something I can pick up and when I want to knit something easy and small and on the go and put down when a pretty something catches my eye! (Like the cowl. 😜)

The No Purl Monkeys by Cookie A. is a fantastic pattern and so easy to memorise. I’ve made a number of these and so far I haven’t tired of them.

Yarn: Superba Bamboo Superwash in 013
Pattern: No Purl Monkeys by Cookie A.
Needles: 3.5mm, 3.25mm and 3mm KnitPicks Karbonz Circulars
Notes/Modifications: Just knit as written until the heel and I did my normal German Heel and normal toe.

That’s the rundown on the finished projects, but obviously, I have other knits on the needles.. don’t I? Well, of course I do. 😁 

Now I know you can’t really tell what this is, and I’d love to enlighten you all, but it’s a little under wraps at the moment until it’s finished and published.  It’s a new design I’ve been working on and I’m hoping it’s a hit!

Also on the needles is a little something for my niece..

They’re toe up and I’m using seed stitch as the main pattern. Nice and simple and good for TV knitting. 😊

Now I just need to start and finish the second sock.

There are a number of WIPs that are lounging around or in hiding somewhere, but if I start cataloguing them, I’d never have time for the actual knitting! So, on that note….

What projects have you finished so far this year? What do you have on the needles?

Happy New Year! (2017)

Well that was a little hectic!

The run up to Christmas (like every year) is full of crafting for presents and each year I think I have it all in hand and I most definitely won’t be knitting/crocheting up until the very last moment. And each year, I’m wrong.

Well, guess what??!! This year I wasn’t! 😊 I actually had all the gift knitting finished a few days before Christmas and the pressies that needed to be posted were finished at least a week and a half before! Yay!

I made all the ladies in the family a Daisy Stitch Facecloth and then bought a few other bits and pieces to make up a little pampering kit. I love the facecloth pattern. They were so easy to make and knit up really quickly. And the plan is to make some for myself in a whole rainbow of colours! Daisy Stitch Washcloth project details here.

There were a few non knitting related pressies received, but of the knitting related, there was a gift from Diane that I fell in love with straight away.

I knew exactly what I wanted to make as soon as I opened the present 🎁 the 3 Colour Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli.

I’d seen the cowl that heathwitch made in person at our weekly knit night and decided that as soon as I could, I would be making this stunning cowl.

It was all going so so well, until I decided that I didn’t quite like the way some of the colours were working up, so this happened…

Thankfully, it was only a small amount to take back, and the new colours are working so much better

Just a few more sections to complete and then I can use it for the rest of the winter! I’m off to knit some more now..

So tell me, what’s on your needle(s)? How’s your new year so far?

New Pattern! Cabled Christmas Wreath

Hello Lovelies!

I finally got around to writing up a wreath pattern today.  I actually sat down and made it last year for Christmas as it was going to be our last Christmas in Germany.  I wanted to make a wreath for my own front door.

I searched high and low for a pattern that worked for me and found that there wasn’t one that I just fell in love with.  So I did what I normally do in situations like that.  I sat down with a couple of stitchionaries and made up a pattern my self.

I love the end result and wanted to share the pattern with you all, especially now that Christmas is just around the corner!

I can’t wait to start decorating the new house in the UK this year!

I hope you all enjoy the new pattern!

You can purchase and download the new pattern from the Patterns page or from Ravelry

Boo hoo!

Esmee and me chilling on the sofa, watching really bad tv while I try and get better from a stomach bug.

Actually, it’s more like me stroking esmee’s belly while she chills!

Anyway.  Hopefully there’ll be a better post soon with actual knitting content.

Well hello again!

I realise it’s been a while (3 years!!!) since I last posted and I truly apologise to anyone who is still reading this blog.  Life kinda caught up with me and even though I was still crafting, I was mainly using it to keep me sane.

There have been completed knits, crochet projects and even some cross stitch and I’ve had fun completing things, but haven’t really kept a catalogue of what’s been done.  Sorry again.

Hopefully I’m back now and I can concentrate on getting this blog back up and running.

In the meantime, we moved back to the UK about 3 months ago and I’m slowly finding my feet again.  I love where we are living. The area, the people, the house etc all is fabulous.  I just need to find some activities that get me out of the house a bit more! But that will come with time.

As we’re settling in I’m finding that I want to add some home made comforts to the place and with that in mind, I finally took the plunge and bought some t-shirt yarn so that I can make a rug for the lounge.

It turned up and I started my project using a pattern from Mandalas to Crochet and found that I was really struggling with the hook.

I’d bought a set from knitpicks and previously had no issues with the hooks at all.  They’re a pleasure to use and the grip made them easy to manovouer.  But with the t-shirt yarn I just seemed to struggle.  I was using the 10mm hook and at first I thought it was just because I don’t really crochet with the larger needles.  After a couple of evenings I changed that opinion.  It wasn’t the size of the hook that was the problem, it was the actual hook.

If you take a look at the picture you can see that there’s a bit of a ledge between the hook and the grip.  That’s what was causing the problem.  With the yarn itself being chunky, that gap is just not big enough. Especially when working stitches other than chain, slip, dc (sc in US).  The bigger stitches were just so much harder to work.  I put the project down and did a quick search to find a more suitable needle and ended up purchasing the HiyaHiya 10mm.

There is no ledge. It’s a smooth hook with just the grip and it’s amazing!  I only literally just got this hook and already I can feel the difference.  My hands aren’t cramping and the crochet is coming along much faster and much smoother than with the knitpicks hook.

I still love the knitpicks hook, but I’ve learnt that for chunky yarn, I’m going to have to but hooks that don’t have that ledge…

Hopefully this helps someone else when they’re picking out hooks for projects.

It’s nice to be back.  Let’s see if I can post a little more often! 🙂

Happy Sunday to you all!

FOs: More socks!!

It’s been a few weeks, and the knitting has been interspersed with a little garden work and watching tennis (French, Queens, Eastbourne and now Wimbledon!!) a lot. So with that in mind, the knitting has been small projects.

First up, another pair of baby socks.. I think this is a great way to use up the leftover bits of sock yarn that I’ve accumulated over the years… This is after using a little for the crochet blanket I’ve had going for an age!

Yarn: Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball in Brombeeren
Pattern: Eyelet Baby Socks by Lion Brand Yarn
Needles: 2.5mm KnitPicks
Notes/Modifications: As instructed, but I changed the heel and toes. I worked a German Heel and my normal toe.

This definitely used up the last of that yarn and it was such a fun and cute little knit. It’s a good way to stock up on handy little gifts for when friends have babies and at the moment I have a couple who are expecting!!

Next up, it’s another pair of socks.

I have a thing for feather and fan… Always have. But for some reason I haven’t actually knit that much of it at all. It fascinates me with the way that I looks so complicated, but is so darn easy to achieve! It also fulfills my need for the occasional stint of lacework.

Yarn: Arauncania Ranco Multy
Pattern: By the Seine River by Dona Knits
Needles: 2.25mm KnitPicks
Notes/Modifications: I started these on the recommended 2.5mm needles, but they looked huge to me, so I went down a needle size and these worked much better. The heel is my new favorite (if you haven’t already figured it out!) the German Heel.

I loved making these socks. They fell off the needles, when I had a chance to work on them. I love the yarn too. It’s pretty squishy and works up beautifully. The colors in this particular skein are stunning. The little pops of bright blue really do it for me! I think the yarn also makes for hard-wearing socks. I’ll definitely be buying more of this yarn.

I have plenty of yarn left over from these beautiful socks too, and as you can already guess, I’m making more little things for little people. This time it’s going to be booties.. So I’ll be back with those soon.

In the meantime, I’m going back to watching Wimbledon and knitting a little more.. If any of you have any tried and tested baby patterns, I would love to hear about them. Let me know in the comments! Have a great week, my lovelies…