Firstly, yes I have been knitting but no, I have not been blogging. Unfortunately work has been hectic (year-end, audit, staff leaving) so I’ve been getting home late and last week worked Saturday. Also, some of the knitting I’ve been doing is for gifts for people who may read this blog so I can’t post about them!

However, this post is a catch up on everything I’ve been working on since my last post nearly a fortnight ago.

This –

is what I did with the Winter Scarf Knit Kit I posted about in my last post. It’s a super long. super warm scarf in the wonderful Manos del Uruguay. Evelyn suggested the “my so called scarf” pattern but (sorry Evelyn) I decided I have lots of shorter scarves and fancied a really long one but also a scarf that was reversible so I just improvised with a rib pattern from an old knitting book.

this was knit on 8mm needles (US 11), cast on 24 sts (any number divisible by 6 works)

Row 1 (k3 p3)  to end

Row 2 (k1 p1) to end

repeat these 2 rows until the wool runs out, cast off.

I added a fring by just pulling through doubled lengths of wool and knotting.

I really love this scarf and it knit in 2 evenings, I’ve been wearing it ever since. The colours go with so many things – blues, reds, browns, purples…..

My second completed item is another scarf, this was also wool received in a swap – the Magic Yarn Ball Swap - the wool was Garnstudio Drops Alpaca in a lovelyn shade of blue. This wool was SOOO nice to knit with, it’s very, very soft and it just slips over the needles.

The pattern was from the Garnstudio website and is one that my swap partner, Embla, printed and sent along with the yarn ball. It was a very easy repeated pattern to remember and so great knitting for watching tv. I knit it over the past 3 weeks in between other things. It was on quite small needles so took a litle while.

This scarf is wonderful to wear as it is so soft and, being quite long, it’s easy to double up and wrap around so very cosy.  I like the way the pattern bunches up and looks like tree bark -

This was one of my projects for Project Spectrum.

Final finished object is another Halfdome hat

A friend of ours is having radiotherapy at the moment and has lost a lot of hair so just shaved his head. We’ve been having some cold weather and he needed something to keep his head warm but that would be soft on skin made sensitive by the treatment – he needs all the TLC he can get!

I had knit J a Halfdome a few weeks ago and knew it was a super-quick knit so ordered some more Cashmerino Aran which is very soft and knit this in one evening.  Hoping to deliver it tomorrow.

Several UFO’s still going strong …

…yes, that is the second “Monkey” sock in the Sockret Pal yarn finally on the needles.

I have also been continuing to teach myself to crochet, I have been practising with simple granny squares using left over yarn. These three were the tiny bits of yarn left over from knitting socks (l-r, Socks that Rock “Xmas Socks“, Natural Dye Studio “Jewel” and “Cherry Blossom“)

I intended to just use these as practise but I like the way they are turning out and am thinking of making a crocheted blanket from squares made from left-over yarn from other projects as a sort of “Memory Sampler” to remind me of things I’ve knit. Will post more as I complete them.

All of this crochet practise was intended to enable me to complete Jasmine which I am still confident of doing but I’ve also decided to start a crochet project as a surprise gift (can’t say too much – blogs have ears you know!)

This is a sneak look at the yarn and a few completed squares - 

Well, there you go – I haven’t just been sitting on my hands! Off now to decorate J’s birthday cake and prepare for the dinner party we’re having tonight to celebrate. 8 people for dinner – I must be mad.

technorati tags:crochet, knitting, scarf, socks

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I nearly got them finished for Valentines, just had the toe to do which I managed to finish at lunchtime. J seems very happy with them, I’m pleased with how the stripes arranged themselves on these socks, particularly round the heel and gusset.

These socks are for the Vintage Socks Knitalong – Feb/March sock was this, the Gentleman’s Plain Winter Sock. I really enjoyed knitting this sock and it’s perfect for self striping wools. The unusual Dutch Heel looks good and J says it fits well. I think he’ll probably wear these a lot, which is good. This is definitely a pattern I will knit again.

I made one mod to the pattern – I used the Kitchener graft on the toe whereas the pattern says to simply draw the wool through the stitches and pull up. I didn’t like the way that looked and it didn’t look good on the foot.

I am also submitting these socks to Project Spectrum, the Feb/March colours being blue, grey and white.

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I discovered Project Spectrum about a month ago whilst browsing around in blogland and decided to sign up. The basic idea is that you create something/somethings from a designated set of colours over a two month period. The whole project runs over 8 months and for each two month period there are three designated colours.

This appealed to me as I like the idea of the challenge of working within a limited colour palette. Obviously my creations are likely to be knitting but as I want to have a try at dyeing there may be some colour creation going on as well.

The February/March colours are Blue, White & Grey and these are the ongoing projects I have which fit in this colour band –

The full list of current projects (some are detailed on my UFO page) is

1   Gentleman’s Plain Winter Sock in Opal (Magic I think – not sure which colour as I’ve lost the ball band) knit from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush on 2.5mm bamboo dpns

These are the current sock for the VIntage Sock KAL as well.

2   Garnstudio Scarf in Drops Alpaca. The yarn was sent to me by Embla in Norway for the Magic Yarn Ball swap, she also sent me the pattern printed from the Garnstudio website where they have lots of free patterns, many in English. The Alpaca is beautifully soft and a lovely shade of Royal Blue.

3   Railway Pattern Sock – grey & blue, details in my previous post!

4   Chrissy sweater from Rowan 31 in Rowan All Seasons Cotton indigo colourway. More details on my UFO page

5   Baby Shawl in Patons Fairytale 2ply in white.

For more details about Project Spectrum check Lolly’s blog

technorati tags:knitting, Knitalong, project spectrum

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Here are my completed February Socks for the Sock-a-Month 3 Knitalong –

They are the Railway Pattern Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, knit with Regia 4ply in Grey with Regia Stretch in Denim for the contrast stripes on heel and toe. I used addi 2mm dpns. The only mod was making them much longer than the pattern dictates (like 93 rows from the gusset not 69) as my DH has very long feet, no need to make them wider though as he also has very narrow feet.

These were one of my listed UFO’s so that’s another one ticked off the list! So far I’m managing one a month – I really need to finish two a month to stand a hope of getting them all off the list by the end of the year. Especially as I keep starting new projects along the way…

Anyway, J appears very pleased with them and they look like they fit perfectly. I haven’t blocked them but I’m not sure they need it. These are also perfect for Project Spectrum Feb/March colours!

technorati tags:sock, sam3, railway pattern sock, Nancy Bush, knitting vintage socks, knitting, Knitalong

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