Granny squares, cat blankets and a little something to make you smile

I've been trying to use up some of the odds and ends in the stash to make space for more lovelies for a while and as usual, I fall back on that age old stand by the granny square. I've been doing them for as long as I can remember - they were probably the first thing I learned to crochet all those years ago. (I think I must have been about ten). Anyhow, back to the point on the post. I discovered I had a pile of blue yarn left over from knitting for DS so I thought what better way to use it up than to make a big comfy floor cushion for him to roll around on. I managed to get a copy of 200 Crochet Blocks from the library and found myself a rather nice alternative to the usual treble blocks and so I began.

They turned out a little bigger than expected (about 6 inches square). I don't know why I was expecting them to be smaller, it's not as though it was the first time crocheting or anything. I just plain didn't think! So the cushion is either going to be huge or maybe a blanket. A cat blanket perhaps? Here's the lovely Amber showing just how much she appreciates our efforts and this is mum trying to crochet her own granny blanket around the cat.

Daft animal, I can't decide whether she loves us or the knitting more!

I think maybe it's time that I made her a blanket of her own so that maybe she'll leave ours alone. Will it work? Maybe. Probably not knowing the cat. Still it'll be worth a go.

Thanks SusanCrowe for posting the link to the Granny Along blog, this one really made me smile. It certainly gives a whole new meaning to the granny square!

Enjoy :D

My second Forest Canopy

I'm all excited I've finished knitting it already - and in only a week! I'm very pleased with myself, can't wait to block it. This time it's in 100% wool 4ply and it's the first of my hand dyed yarn that I've knitted up. The colour's perhaps a bit bright but it'll look really funky, well as funky as a shawl can. There's been a bit of a happy accident with the way that the colour has pooled in places.

I know that I wanted to use as much of the yarn as possible with it being hand dyed (well, I wanted it as big as possible too) but talk about cutting it a bit fine, there's only about 2 metres left! I did three extra repeats in the end and I kept weighing the ball after each one. The last repeat took almost 10g which left me about the same again for the border. I wasn't sure whether I might have to do one less border row but in the end, I managed to complete the pattern. Just. hehe

Anyhow, hope to get it blocked in the morning so that should mean pictures of the finished article over the weekend. Yay.

Now just have to decide which of my UFO's to work on. I think I might break out the sewing machine and get my Noni bag finished. I'd love to be able to take it along to the knitting group next week and show it off again.

I must resist new projects.

Who am I trying to kid? What was I thinking of saying I'd finish all my outstanding projects before I started another? I can safely say I have successfully failed that one already! I am not only now halfway through a pair of socks (licketysplit), a Forest Canopy and now I have started a sockalong. Talk about getting carried away! hehe, do I care. Hmm, I think not.

Back to the project amnesty, I picked up my IVY again last week and have now transferred it to a set of Denises. So far only done a couple of extra rows. I'll have to have a proper bash at it again this week if I get a chance. It's such a lovely pattern but I just haven't been able to get motivated to get it finished. (Actually I think it was after picking this up that I started the FC again. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something!). Having been off and taken a picture and come back again, I still love it. Can't believe I was considering frogging it an hour ago! I must be nuts.

Anyhow, while I had the camera out I thought I'd have a fish around in a few of the bags strewn over my bedroom floor and see what I found. Look, UFO's!

An aran waistcoat for DS, just needing it's zip stitched in.

My beautiful Noni Bag, awaiting lining.

Some aran mittens that I started in February. One of which I made fingerless and the second I knitted the full glove for some reason (which of course now eludes me!).

The yarn chosen by DS when I dragged him to my LYS the other week. I had to bribe him to let me browse with a new jumper! He chose the colours himself. Luckily he's forgotten about it - as you can see it didn't get started. Oops.

The slightly worrying thing is that I am sure that there may be another one or two knocking about among the stuff in there. I really must have a proper tidy up at some point. Looking at these projects, I think I'm beginning to develop a bit of a theme here. I hadn't realised that I was so bad at getting things stitched up and finished off! Mind you, I do have rather more projects on the go than usual too. The trouble is, there's always something new I want to try. Short of cloistering myself away from the outside world (lol, like that's really going to happen!) I can't see how I can avoid discovering new projects. Does everyone else really have more will power than me or do they have UFO's stashed away all over the place too?

Sunshine and knitting don't mix

Well, not all of the time anyhow. Wow, where does the time go? I can't believe it's nearly a week since the last post! So, what have I been doing? Well, I did say I was a fair weather gardener so that's exactly what I've been doing - making the most of our somewhat unusual spring heatwave. The garden's beginning to look lovely but the knitting's been on a bit of a backburner.

Having said that, I do seem to have got quite a bit done. Lorna's baby shawl did indeed get frogged as I wasn't happy with it. There were a couple of imperfections in the yarn that were a little too noticeable. I might just be lazy and knit a cardigan instead. Hmm, will have to have a think. Either way, I need to get a move on and get it reknitted as the baby is due in about three weeks!

I'm almost finished the first of the tabi style socks - just need to finish off the ribbing on the cuff. I got sidetracked again - by another Forest Canopy. I think it was probably as I was getting frustrated with the other shawl :s Anyhow, this one has absolutely raced along (no sore elbow to contend with this time). I started it last Thursday I think and hit the 195 stitch mark last night. I've got loads of yarn left too. I weighed it last night - there's still about 35g left of the 100g hank so I should get quite a number of extra pattern repeats out of it. I'm using 5mm Denises and some 4ply 100% wool that I dyed a while back. Actually, I dyed it with a FC in mind as I enjoyed the pattern so much the first time around. It's not quite as bright in real life as it looks on the picture but the colour has pooled quite a lot in a couple of places. I can understand why some people only knit lace in plain colours now but I think I quite like the effect this time. I've tried stretching the pattern out a couple of times and I think it'll look fine - I'll be able to see better once it's blocked obviously.

On the sock front, did I mention already that I signed up for sockapalousa4? I think I did anyhow, 1000 participants it's going to be huge! Still waiting to hear who my exchange pal is going to be. Back on the AY forum I managed to volunteer myself to start up a Sockalong too. So it's going to be a Sockalong Sockathon as most people were happy to do all of the patterns suggested. In no particular order we'll be tackling Bayerische, Monkey and then an Opal Rainforest of our choice. It should be fun :D I definately need to go and buy some more sock yarn although I might tackle Monkey in some of the Jojoland Melody I bought.

Squishy Parcel

A lovely new parcel and my first experience of getting yarn from the states. I have to say I'm pretty (make that VERY) pleased. So here for your ogling pleasure is Jojoland Melody in blue/rose/wine all 10 balls of it. Yes I did say 10.

To add to that, my first laceweight yarn. It's so unbelievably fine, I can understand why people say it looks like it could break. It's sky blue and sand coloured and should knit up to something lovely - possibly the Spring Things Shawl which has sprouted another KAL. Well, have to see. I might have a look for a free pattern first as I saw on Dee's blog a link to a huge number of free triangle shawl patterns. Definately an excuse to do some browsing.
I ended up ordering far more yarn than I probably need (sound familiar anyone?) and I keep telling myself it's because I can sell some of it on ebay. Is that likely to happen? Hmm, I don't know.

Anyhow, I do have to keep going back and giving it a rub. It definately needs a project. Need to complete another UFO first.

What a lovely weekend.

So much so that not much knitting got done. I really am a fair weather gardener and have been making myself busy trying to get on top of the weeding. I think I might even be beginning to make some progress.

So back to the knitting. I have finished the socks for DS and yes, they look like they're different sizes to me too. I was so careful about writing down what I'd done for the first pair as well. Anyhow, you live and learn. So far he has refused to try them on. Typical, and after all he made all that fuss about me making him a pair as well! So here they are. I will try and gt him to model them at some point. The little monster!

I have been a bit naughty too, I started another project. I know I'm supposed to be clearing the UFO's but I just couldn't resist and my brittanys were calling out for a new project. So, the Tabi socks it is then or Lickety Split from Knitty as they are actually called. I haven't actually bought any new yarn for these so it's not all bad (Who am I trying to kid!) and they are probably going to be given to my sister. Well, the yarn was bought with the intention of knitting her some socks. I'm getting around whether to match the striping (not an unmitigated success last time) by using Opal Uni for the toes, heel and cuff. If the stripes come even part way close after that, it's a bonus. I think she'll be pleased as they're looking pretty funky so far.
I took them along to my first Stitch and Bitch meeting in Colchester last night and have actually turned the heel now too. They're a lovely bunch of ladies and hopefully I'll be able to get along to the next meeting too. It's great to be able to see other knitters in action as I've not been very brave about knitting in public so far. I have no idea why, it's not as though I'm actually new to it or anything. So here's to a new and braver me. I'm a knitter and I'm not afraid to show it!

Oh and I signed up to Sockapalooza 4. Yay my first sock swap. Definately a good excuse to get some practise in.

Do not change your needles half way through a project!

As I said yesterday I picked up the sock I had on the go again over the weekend. I've been merrily knitting away, turned the heel last night and am now on the final straight for the second sock - the leg itself. All fine and dandy you might think, well it is, sort of. I'm using one of the Opal Element colourways which is knitting up nicely but as there was such an obvious stripe around the toe, I decided to match the socks.
Having knitted the first sock (all bar the cuff) I decided to start the second on my new Brittany Birch dpn's. Well, to cut a long story short I think my tension for the second sock must differ slightly, not by much but enough to throw the striping out after the heel. Ho hum. So am I going to frog them? No dammit! I still like them and DS won't care either way.

So, the moral of the story is.... Do not change your needles half way through a project!