Huh!

After about 18 months of non-use, I have just remembered that this blog actually exists.  I'm going to try and remember to post at least once a week.  Whether or not I manage it is another thing.

Haven't been around much lately, life's been pretty hectic but the attempt at being knitty and crochety (and yes, I'm aware that neither of those are actually words) is going well.

I've joined in a couple of knit-a-long type things on the forum I belong to which is turning out to be very interesting, as well as forming a tiny little group with a couple of very lovely women that I met on Ravelry and we meet about once every 3 weeks for knitting and chatting which is hugely fun.

I'm also slowly picking up on the crochet thing but I'm still having trouble reading the patterns.  It's weird, knitting patterns and cross-stitch charts give me no problems at all but crochet patterns just confuse the hell out of me.

Speaking of crochet, me and mum are both doing blankets (just basic going round and round with the same stitch) but we have entirely different styles.  Mum holds the yarn in the same hand as her hook and sort of throws it round the hook as if she's knitting, whereas I hold the hook in one hand and the yarn in the other, picking the yarn up with the hook.  I don't know, maybe it's because I was taught to knit left-handed that I can actually do it that way because Mum says she's never seen anybody else pick up the yarn instead of throwing it around the hook.

*meeps*

Thanks to a certain dog who will remain un-named, my attempt at a lace shawl was dragged around the garden and had to be frogged.  I didn't have the heart to re-start the same one so I started on the Upstairs shawl from Ravelry which is going much better.  I do have photo's of it and will post them at a later date.

I've also signed up for my very first knit-a-long for a scarf.  It starts today and I've cast on already for it.  I only hope that I can do justice to the no doubt gorgeous scarves that are going to be sent to me to work on.

Hold my coat, I'm going in!

This morning I embarked on my biggest knitting adventure to date, a lace shawl.

It's called the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl, I'm knitting it on 5mm needles (did try it on 3.75mm but the fabric was coming up too dense, the bigger needles are giving it a much better drape and it feels so much softer) and using Manos Silk Blend, colour #7338 (a variegated blue) and it seems to be coming out really well.  So far anyway.

Thanks to the lovely people at the Phoenix Knitting Forums I've discovered the wonder that is lifelines and am sorely tempted to use them for everything from now on because I have a nasty habit of dropping stitches if I don't concentrate fully on what I'm doing.

I've also been advised to use stitch markers but I don't actually have any.  I would really love some of those gorgeous beaded ones that you can get but I just can't afford them right now *sighs*

I know it's not the most complicated lace pattern in the world but seeing as it's my first time, that's great for me.  Especially as it's written out instead of charted.  Ill try a charted pattern next time when I (hopefully) have a little more confidence and experience and know what the lace stitches are supposed to look like.

Bitch without the Stitch

Things are being finished at an alarming rate in my house at the moment.

Since Christmas I've completed the following:
Dad's cardigan
My socks
Kate's socks
Kate's hand-warmers
Claire's hand-warmers
Mum's hat
and my very first crochet square (been teaching myself with the aid of a new magazine)

Went to my first London Stitch and Bitch meeting last week and loved every single second of it.  Was really looking forward to going to tonight's meeting but my knee went pop when I got out of the shower leaving me in too much pain to even think about walking.  The pain probably hasn't been helped by the fact that my foot slipped off the top step yesterday and I bounced down the stairs on my bum, leaving me with some quite impressive scrapes and bruises.

I'm working on a scarf at the moment and, even though it's on 12 mm needles in super-chunky with a slight cable pattern, it's driving me completely insane!

Yippee!!!

Dad's cardigan is finally finished and it looks pretty damn good if I do say so myself.  Unfortunately, for some reason, my stupid laptop won't let me transfer the picture from my SD card so I can't prove it *grumbles*

I'm so incredibly proud of it (which I know is vaguely daft).  It's the biggest, most complicated thing I've knitted so far with it's shawl-type collar and raglan sleeves.  Apart from sewing in the sleeves (thanks for that, btw, Mum) it's all my own work and it actually fits him which I was really worried about as he's quite a big man.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go figure out what's going to be next...

New Year Knitolutions

1. Conquer my fear of lace and have an actual lace shawl finished by Christmas next year.
2. Knit at least 1 pair of socks a month.
3. Finish 1 extra project per month.
4. Use up current stash before buying more (sock yarn is not counted as stash).
5. Learn how to knit using the Magic Loop method.
6. Learn how to knit toe-up socks.
7. Take photo's of finished projects and post them here, on Ravelry or at Phoenix Forums.
8. Save up for a Namaste knitting bag.