Just a short text entry today - my web-host is bombarding me with messages about my bandwidth being about to run out but isn't replying to my messages asking for a bit more! It will get sorted out...
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Sadly, my mother-in-law died this week. She had been very ill for a number of years. The funeral takes place next week and we will be spending some time with my husband's family afterwards. I'll be back in a week or so.
I cast on for some basic socks this week using Elann's Sock It To Me Colori, I think the colour is called Tiffany Roses but look what happened just when I was whizzing along towards the heel:
Too much pooling for my liking...
I thought about living with it and then decided that I couldn't. So I ripped it and after seeing Emma's lovely socks, I cast on again for the Broadripple socks. Lovely, lovely pattern - here's where I am so far:
I'm hoping the pooling colours won't matter so much with this pattern
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It's a good job that knitting (and blogging) is a sitting-down activity - I've just signed up to run the Race for Life and started training in the last few days - these legs are feeling a little creaky. I'm not a natural runner - yoga is more my thing but I'm determined to do it, it's only 5km after all.... How about you?
You can't really tell, but there are really cute little cables all the way up!
Got my act together and finished up the final fingerless glove. I think they're pretty cute.
Pattern - Natalya (January 13th entry) from Savannahchik. Thank you so much!
Yarn - Rowan 4 ply soft in shade 377 - it's called Wink!
Needles - 3.5mm dpns
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My husband had an appointment earlier near to my local LYS. I asked if he wouldn't mind popping in and getting me a little something. The ladies in the shop laughed as he came in with his mobile glued to his ear saying "You'll have to tell me exactly what you want." I did and he brought me home two lovely new Rowan books. He's such a sweetheart.
I need to check out the yarns before planning to cast on. Some cute patterns though.
I tried out a little of the new Cotton Rope yarn from Rowan with this little hat for my eldest Bohemian. She's going away for the entire week on Monday for a residential activity course. I know she'll have a great time but I will miss her so much. At least her head will be warm. Couldn't resist adding a little trim - the hat in the new pattern book is just a little too dull...
It's interesting yarn to knit - I used a 6mm needle and it works up very quickly but can split easily if you're not paying attention. The finished fabric is smooth and surprisingly lightweight - I can imagine a sweater in this being useful in the evening after a day at the beach come summertime. Add a nice glass of chilled white wine......
I treated myself to two of the new pattern books. The Cotton Rope collection has some simple, pretty knit patterns and some frankly frightening crochet patterns. Sometimes I get the urge to learn more than the basics of crochet and then when I see things like this, I think again. At least they told Martin Storey - no hearts or beads this time, love.
The Beach Cool book is so pretty, I love the styling and the photography. When I grow up I'd like to look like the cover model - such a pretty girl. Again a lot of crochet and no instant hit patterns with me - maybe when the sun starts shining properly.
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I joined the UK Knitters Webring this week - very timely as I was only thinking the other day that there were several new-to-me UK knitting blogs out there. Must update my links sometime soon.
Not much knitting to show since my last post, despite inspiring new knitting books. Lots of things going on here - life getting in the way of knitting! My girls did a school production last week which meant hauling out the sewing machine to run up a few costumes. I can't believe sewing takes so long given the fact that your fabric comes ready made unlike a knitting project.
I knit one of those pointless projects last week - garter stitch, easy increases, not much thought involved. It was the kerchief from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.
Looks okay around the neck except when I have to breathe out.
I'm not quite sure what the yarn is (lost the ball band), I do know that I bought it because I felt sorry for the yarn store owner. I think I may have been her only customer that week.
I also started another project from Last Minute Knitted Gifts - the hourglass sweater. I think there is a knitalong for this one somewhere - must look it up. I'm using some Rowan Silken Tweed which I found when sorting out my stash - it's actually a lovely dark green, mossy colour which is pretty hard to photograph.
Miles and miles of stocking stitch to go before I sleep
It works up quickly and is pretty straightforward but the amount of errors in the pattern is pretty bad - I think there are at least six.
Just to show that I haven't forgotten about it, here's the progress on the Batwing sweater from Rebecca, it's been 'resting' in the knitting box for a little while!
I'm just ten rows shy of casting off for the neckline, then it all gets faster!
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My local newsagent has started stocking 'Knitting' magazine so I've just bought the April issue. It says that there's an April Fools joke in there - couldn't spot it myself, anybody else?
See that little patch of blue sea? Just behind me is a house - what a view to wake up to!
Thank you so much to everybody who left birthday wishes - it's very kind of you all. I had a lovely day - I was taken out to lunch and enjoyed a lovely walk through Trebah Gardens, rounded off by an ice-cream on the sea-front at Falmouth. A perfect day!
The day yielded a few little goodies. Mr Champagne Bohemian surprised me with a new digitial camera which is a perfect size to slip into my handbag when I'm out and about. The girls (with a little guidance from me!) "surprised" me with a clutch of new knitting books.
I love knitting books
Some really cute little bags in the Emma King book, good for using up oddments. The Stitch n'Bitch book is good fun with a variety of patterns which are growing on me - no plans to knit anything from it just now. The Knitted Gifts book is a good source of ideas and I have to admit to casting on for something from it straight away - more on this next time.
My mother just laughed when I said that I would like some new knitting needles for my birthday... There's a couple more pairs but they're holding onto some knitting for me at the moment!
The postman also brought the new Rowan 37 which hasn't leapt up and grabbed me - might need to come back to this one. I love the photography but I'm a little ambivalent about the designs. This usually changes when I start to see a few things knitted up! Also the latest Interweave Knits which has some interesting stuff in it.
So, lots of reading and a little knitting going on here.....
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Did you see the latest Magknits? I really like the Nothin' but a shirt pattern.