Natty Hat!

My son had me knitting him a voluminous 'Dr Who'-style scarf earlier in the year - his next request was for a hat with ear-flaps. It has taken me until now to find a suitable pattern and with a little 'customising' it's finally finished!

It was an American pattern and the nearest match I could find for yarn turned out a hat that was just a tad loose - so I knit a second one on smaller needles and sewed it inside: one very smartly lined hat and now my son's head is 'toasty warm' (his quote!)

A brief respite whilst I busied myself with Christmas preparations means I am now mulling over what to tackle next - revisit one of my laid-aside WIPs or start something new....?

Hmmmmm..........!

Finishing off

Oh, I do savour that delicious moment when the WIP comes off the needles AND all the finishing has been done!

The shawl I finished a few days ago has been successfully blocked and looks so delicate. I'm really pleased with it as it's the first time I've used such fine silk yarn. That said, I think it's unlikely I would undertake such a project again in a hurry - it required focussed attention to follow the pattern and I became somewhat of a hermit during its construction!

Also, fresh off the needles and ready to wear - some cosy socks ready for the cold winter days!
Knitted in Sirdar Crofter DK yarn they're soft and snugly and the variegated yarn creates a pleasing Fairisle pattern.

Now, a slight interruption as I look for a pattern to use 200g of this!:

Ideas, anyone?

Taddaah!!!! Finished the shawl!

Well, I finally cast off the last stitch of the pink silk shawl I was knitting for a cousin in New Hampshire - just a year behind schedule (having taken it on from my daughter, who'd originally agreed to do it but had to abandon the project due to eye surgery).

Now, the only remaining problem is blocking it - which will be interesting as I'm not sure where in the house I can possibly do it without it getting in the way! Still, it will (hopefully) look more like the piccie on the pattern when all the picots are pinned out to pointy perfection!

Also, the variegated yarn I bought when over in NH last year has been put to good use. A little too rough for garment quality it is making up into a gorgeous throw/blanket. Just a little left, so with some judicious extra rows of black I might get it another few inches bigger!

After knit-club, this afternoon, I managed to track down the red 'eyelash' yarn I needed to knit the 'Ruby Slippers' that a fellow blogger coveted on one of my earlier blog-posts - (I'm casting on tonight, Jenny!)

It has been great for Miss H to accompany me to knit-club the last couple of times. Although she's had 2 of the 3 operations to repair a detached retina she's able to see well enough to do simple stocking stitch items. And we rather more 'senior' members have been delighted to have her youth to drop the average age of attendees! ;-)

Knitting groups

Finally.....finally managed to make it back the Knitting Club I started going to earlier in the year. We meet twice a month at a local Adult Education centre and although there were informal 'meets' during the summer break I haven't managed to get back into the Autumn season until this week!

I was hastily casting-on something 'simple' last night so I'd have something to take with me today - although I have several WIP's they are a bit tricky and require a fair amount of concentration!

Recuperating daughter (after surgery) joined me and even though she was by far the youngest there she seemed to enjoy it! There was much praise for the slippers she was knitting (to her own design!) - I hope she'll be able to join us again before she's well enough to return to work.

It's lovely to see all the different projects on the 'go' - a variety of skill levels and always something new to learn and share.

.......and I learned that one of the 'leaders/organisers' has a online yarnstore website Knit'n'Caboodle - so I'm off to explore!

On the needles.....

....a piece of lace knitting!

Last Autumn, my daughter and I visited family in New England. On a trip to Portland, Maine, we called in to an amazing shop - Tess's Designer Yarns and purchased a fair few items ! (amidst the gasps of 'oooh!' and 'aaaahhh!')

My cousin's wife fell in love with a pattern for a lacy shawl and my daughter agreed to make it up for her but it proved a challenge too far, (not least because my daughter has recently had emergency eye surgery so 'fancy' knitting is out of the question for a while!) so I have taken up the needles and am attempting to 'save face' and produce the shawl in time for Christmas.

Learning to read charts (and American patterns!) has been a massive learning curve - but I'm getting there.

Meanwhile, I have a completed (but not 'made up') short sleeved cardigan sitting in a bag (how I hate the 'making up' part of knitting):

Some random-dyed yarn I was knitting up with a vague idea of a cushion cover in mind, just something easy to do while watching T:

- and yesterday I finished unravelling a jacket that just never did 'feel' right, but the yarn is gorgeous:

Meanwhile, I'm still on the hunt for the 'right' pattern to use some gorgeous random-dyed wool I bought a while back. Still looking......

Finished the jacket!

I went back and frogged back to the waist shaping to add extra length, then re-knit up to the neck finishing. Just need to make a button loop at the waist and it's done. This isn't the best picture, but my internet use has been hampered by the demise of my laptop - hence I'm on an ancient PC that turns the pages very ponderously! Hope to be back up to speed shortly - when the computer shop says the shiny new laptop is ready!

Project updates!

I realised it's been a few weeks since my last entry here - I wish I could say it's because I've been so engrossed in knitting...! (some of the tardiness is down to a spate of DIY and also 'movement' on the publishing front... !)

Anyway - here's the current state of play on some of my projects:

Sage long-line cardigan. Not sure I'm happy with the length - it's correct according to the pattern but doesn't match the proportions on the modelled item on the pattern. May rip it back to before the commencement of shaping and add a couple more inches (luckily, I bought extra yarn!)

'Ice Cream' scarf - my ongoing 'in-between' project.....grown a few inches since its last photographic outing!

Next project - all ready and rarin' to go!


Knitting has been interrupted by changing this:

....into this:

...interspersed with plenty of this:

I hope to get the Sage cardigan finished by the weekend - will post pics of the finished artical, but I have a writing deadline to meet (in five and a half hours!!!) so I'll have to abandon the knitting needles for a while....(sigh)

Knitting Loot !!

On a short break to Truro, I ventured into a shop called 'Truro Fabrics' recommended by other Ravelry knitters.

On the upper floor there was a good selection of yarns for me to drool over and plenty of other little knitting related goodies - so this is a picture of the 'treasure' I picked up! (and I was pretty restrained, I can tell you!)

So: two patterns; 2x50g balls of Sirdar Crofter DK in muted natural tones (have used this in a different colour-way and it's delightful to knit with!); 100g ball Wendy 'Happy' 4ply Bamboo/nylon (used this before - so silky!); 2.75mm circular needle; set of 2.75mm bamboo dpns and, finally, a size 4mm Tunisian Crochet hook!

I tried TC ages ago and was fascinated with it, although I had to improvise by using an ordinary crochet hook, so I could only do a small swatch. At the time (over 25 years ago) I found it impossible to find TC hooks - I remember walking into yarn shops and meeting blank looks when I made my request!

I'm afraid you'll have to wait to see what I produce from this, although the short-sleeved cardigan pattern (pink) has me wondering if I should frog out the navy 4ply jacket I started last week.......!


Also - I picked up a copy of 'Simply Knitting' magazine as I was strolling round Truro this afternoon and came across the mention of an excellent blog - well worth a visit! (anyone who mixes knitting and books is a must, as far as I'm concerned!)

Red and Yellow and Pink and Green.....

I knew I had some photos knocking about of some previous projects - here's a few in mouthwatering shades!

My first ever pair of short-row 'toe-up' socks!

A cuddly 'Thomas'!

There's a story behind this - I knitted an original version of this for my son 20-odd years ago - he had a TT plastic shape-sorter that he would try to take to bed to cuddle, so I measured it up and recreated it in wool - much more snuggly. Recently, when my Great nephew was born, (named Thomas, of course!) I decided to create TT#2 - much to my son's horror! (he's nearly 25, for goodness sake - you'd think I'd given his original away!)

Ruby Slippers!

My daughter is a 'Wizard of Oz' freak - so one Christmas I created these for her using sparkly red 'eyelash' yarn, and sewed anti-slip mesh on the soles so she didn't keep falling over on her laminate floors!

'Stained Glass' blanket

This was designed to use up bits of stash wool - I'd crocheted 'Granny' squares but had never tried hexagons! With the uniform black edging it does indeed look like one of the 'rose' windows you see in old cathedrals!

Well, that's all for now - on with the knitting!

(and thankyou for allowing me to 'show off' my wares!) ;-)

Interruptions....!

Don't you just hate it when you're halfway through a project and you get the urge to pull out that gorgeous yarn you bought a while back and get stuck into it?

I'm knitting a navy wool jacket with lace panels, but my mind is fantasizing about the 'Reflections' wool I bought to make a cobweb-lace shawl.....

I'm so tempted to push the jacket down into a bag and start casting on for the new shawl.....but I already have another scarf on the go, too, plus a half-finished pair of socks and I need a small-ish project to take away on holiday.....and I fancy a go at another 'granny-square' quilt.....

Still, they say a change is as good as a rest!

Steal a peek at the stole!

Taddah! Finished the stole earlier this week and was hoping to have it modelled by a friend, to be pictured here but sadly events got in the way of that!

Still, here it is in all it's glory - and I'm well impressed with it! The yarn is wonderfully soft and SO light, you hardly know you're wearing it!

I love the shades of green through to yellow - so when I saw the blue colour-way I HAD to have it!

Scrummy, isn't it! It conjures up images of waves and the sea. I have a project in mind for s circular 'cobweb' shawl - just need to find the right pattern. ;-)

Other WIPs are progressing: the 'ice-cream' scarf will be continued during a long car journey over the weekend and I started a lacy jacket in navy 4ply yarn - pics will follow!

Vintage Knitting 'Treasure' ! (and WIP progress report)

Over the years I've collected a fair few knitting patterns and books - looking back at them you can see the progression of fashion, mainly throughout the 80's & 90's, plus newer items since my resurgence of interest!

However, one of my treasured possessions harks back to a much earlier decade!

This cloth-bound book, despite it's rather dilapidated condition, has been knocking about in my family since it was purchased 'new' in the 1940's and is a real insight to the fashions of the day!

This picture is supposed to be what the well-dressed 'teenager' would aspire to - but she looks a tad older than that to me!

Although designed so many years ago, this bolero beach-jacket "for those cooler days by the shore" would not look out of place over a light summer frock today!

...and who wouldn't be tempted to revert to their alter-ego and play the 'vamp' wearing this!

In other news: after another trip to the yarn shop, the 'stash' has grown again, slightly! More on that later.

Meanwhile, the WIP stole/shawl is growing in all it's magnificent 'green-ness'!

It was much admired at Knitting club, yesterday! I think it's about 2/3 'done' - will be posting pics of the finished article in due course!

That's all for now - back to the needles :-)

Casting On....

Excuse the title of this blog - I really don't go around stabbing people with knitting needles or garotting them with yarn! (well, not really, anyway!)

Perhaps I'd better clarify that last remark! In another blog-life I write fiction, (usually crime/mystery/thriller) and the name 'The Knitting Assassin' was bestowed upon me by a writing-buddy because I occasionally include a knitting element to my 'yarns' - excuse the awful pun!

Anyway - this blog is dedicated to all matters of tricotage (with a side-order of other crafts!) so let's start as I mean to go on:

The current 'stash' - selectively culled recently, so not too ostentatious!


The WIPs (Works In Progress):

This is a beautiful lacy shawl knitted in Creative Yarns 'Reflections'. A 'new' yarn to me - love it so much I went back and bought more in a different colour-way for a future project.

A simple 2-row patterned scarf in four shades of Quince & Co.'s 'Chickadee' 100% wool yarn, an impulse buy on holiday in America last year. The colours remind me of a brick of Neapolitan icecream!

An idea I 'pinched' from one of my colleagues at the knitting club - using leftover sock-wool to make a tube-scarf on double point needles (...or it might become a bolster cushion....or a draught excluder..!) - this is useful 'mindless' knitting to keep my hands busy when I'm watching TV or reading!


A recently completed project;

It started life as an unravelled sweater that just didn't 'work' but found a new identity when it was 're-invented' as a blanket of squares (although I had to buy extra yarn to finish it!)


So - there we are - successfully 'cast on'! More knitting 'notions' will emerge in future posts! ;-)