baktus

whilst snuggling up in front of the wood burner last night i finished off my new scarf {& i've been wearing it since} it is just so warm & snug - really much warmer than the other scarfs & shawls i've knitted, i think this is down to a combination of the soft chunky yarn & the garter stitch, which makes it's extra thick, it was a treat to knit, as i love the mindless ease of garter stitch, this was a super easy pattern - which can be found here {if you're interested} i knitted it up in the noro kochoran {which if you follow this blog you'll know had been knitted up three times previously!} i'm happy with this knit though, so it can stay

waiting

i'm ready & waiting for the snow to arrive, i've done a super market run, as i normally do the shopping on a weekend when the hubs is around {so the kids don't have to come too!} despite planning our meals weekly, i've never been organised enough to do the internet shopping thing regularly but i really should, as it would save a lot of time, i've also be rather naughty & stocked up on a little woolly goodness, all brought at sale prices, so rather a bargain really & i know what it will all get used for {i can get organised when there is yarn involved!}

some beautifully soft & cosy sublime chunky merino tweed in the bramble & whistler colour way, brought from kemps , & then some of the equally soft sublime extra fine merino dk from get knitted, {it would have been a better deal to get it all from get knitted, as their prices are slightly cheaper in these yarns & with free postage, but they didn't have the colours i wanted in the chunky, & as i didn't need too much, kemps still worked out a good deal}

so once i've prepared this evenings meal & got the wood burner going, i'm hoping to settle down in front of a film {the small folk have voted for Aladdin}, maybe even with a hot chocolate & definitely some knitting

let it snow

the missing pom pom

we're making slow progress with the house, but then that's to be expected with small children & work to get in the way, i've picked up the needles again too & it feels good, i felt the urge to start a new project, partly because little O is in need of a new cardi & partly because Kemps have got a load of lovely new clearance yarns in, so i've got a few small, quick projects planned, but today i'm sharing a project i started & finished just before we moved,

a pompom hat - but without the pompom! i made this for a friend, it came out a little big really, which is why i missed off the pompom, as the weight of it would have just pulled the hat down too much

despite it's faults, the yarn is super soft & warm (Sublime Organic Merino Wool D.K ) & i also really like the pattern, so may plan to make myself one for next winter, but will used the suggested weight of yarn next time, you can see my notes on ravelry

hope the sun has been shinning on you too today (& i really hope it comes back tomorrow)

a whole heap of effort

my 'effortless cardigan', really wasn't all that effortless, but i guess that the name of the pattern refers to the actual wearing of it & not the making

as i really haven't wanted to take it off, it's such a pleasure to wear

just one of those comfortable, snug & easy to wear woolies

it took me a couple of months to make, but then i did do a few things in-between & it was definitely mindless sitting in front of the telly knitting,

the pattern is straight forward & easy to follow, the yarn is ever so soft, warm & comfortable, just hoping it will wash okay 

pattern: effortless cardigan by Hannah Fettig

yarn: merino bliss by Wendy, brought from kemps

;

my details over here

all about the hats

it really is all about the hats round here right now, i have spent the last few weeks trying to make up my own pattern for a mini hat, to gift as the perfect presents for two little girls just about to turn two

i now (almost) have two finished hats, just need to finish the flower for the second one, as you can see little O wasn't too delighted to be modelling a hat which she knew was not for her (i had to make this point very clear before showing her the said hat, as i know how attached she becomes to these things)

(there you go, without flash & looking slightly less grumpy)

i had to knit each hat twice as well, as one came up too small, then the next too big but i am very pleased with how they have turned out, 

for this one i used some patons 'merino wool dk' which had come out of an odd ball bin, & was surprisingly lovely to knit with, then just added a crochet flower, which i also made up as i went along

i have just cast on for another aviatrix hat today, as big G's teacher is about to go on maternity leave, so i'll be back with more hats soon! 

hanging on in there

so many things to share & so little time spent at the computer! 

well the house has gone, we got it empty & clean in plenty of time for it's new owner to make it her own, the past week & half has flown by & so far so good, we are all coping well with the changes life has thrust upon us, that said i am so EXCITED, as we have been so lucky to find a house to rent in the village (i really miss being able to walk to school / work) & a lovely little house it is too! we move in at the beginning of July, i can't wait to get settled in & make it home, even if we only end up being there for 6 months, it will be so lovely to get back a space of our own, 

however we have been making the most of our time at the in-laws, they live in a beautiful part of surrey, down a country lane, so the children love getting out in the fresh air

i'm still really missing my sewing machine but know it won't be long before i'm reunited with it, i've been taking the opportunity to get more knitting done, i've just about finished little O's latest Cardigan, just the ends to sew in & a button to find, 

i love this wool so much, that i've gone & ordered a load more from kemps & found a pattern so i can knit myself something with it (just ignoring all those unfinished projects stashed about the place)

& thanks to this lovely lady for the sale tip, i also had to increase my fabric stash a little with some of the Amy Butler 'love' fabric from here, 

no idea of-course what i'm going to make with it yet, but it is ever so pretty to look at

opps new yarn, how did that happen?

being a member of the 'kemp's wool shop fans' group on ravelry is fatal! as it means i am alerted to any new clearance yarns they are getting in, so at the end of last week when they let us all in on the fact they were getting some lovely sublime yarns in stock, i really couldn't resist, an order turned up on Saturday & it was so very lovely that i went back for more! (did i mention they've got free postage on it too at the mo - how could i not!)

so after a fun morning with 24 two - four years, i sat myself down in the garden (nana was entertaining little O) & i cast on for another little cardigan, i'm using the soya cotton in shade 080, & it's lovely lovely to knit with, i have more yarn, waiting in the wings, with project ideas lined up (but i've ever so tempted to buy more!)

i also took in the view of my lovely garden at the moment (& the divine smell of the wisteria) whilst i can, we've got to be out of our house in two weeks, & currently don't have anywhere to move to (eek)

noro

what can i say, the sun must have gone to my head! i gave in, i have been admiring the noro yarns from afar for a long time, loving their beautiful rich colours, but having no idea what i would ever make with them (other than socks - for which i really don't need any more of for the time being!) that is until i found a shawl pattern on ravelry, i just couldn't get this one out my head, so set on a quest to pick up some noro kureyon sock yarn to knit it up in, 

it was a hard choice to pick the colourway, but i settled on shade #188, & i'm in love, 

all my other knitting (& sewing projects) are lying neglected, as i can't work on anything else right now, it has been the perfect project this week, as i've had to keep the house pretty much ready for viewers constantly (well that is how it's felt), thank goodness the weather has been so great, so that the small people can eat their tea out in the garden, thus keeping the floor clean!

& i'm trying so hard not too get excited* about someone coming back for a 2nd viewing!, then the reality sets in - 'but then we are going to have to find somewhere to move to!' & things start to get a little scary (but quite exciting too)

*i'm going to have to try a little harder i think - but do keep your fingers crossed!

getting a little sick of sick

what a week, we took a family trip over to Italy, but about half an hour before leaving for the airport last week the sick bug struck little O, we went on our merry way, convinced at first it would only be a 24 hour bug, but that little bug had other ideas & my poor little O was sick every day of our holiday, it only stopped the day we flew home! so whilst i should have lots of lovely photos & tales of what we have been up to, i have very little to report, as little O has been a little limpet for the last 6 days & i barely left the house, 

luckily my in laws came with us (& we were staying at my folks place) so with two sets of grandparents around to help, at least i didn't have to worry about anything other than taking care of her & at least they got to go out & enjoy the lake a little, 

this also meant i have spent 6 days with absolutely no crafting, thinking life would start to get back to normal now we are home, i was rather disheartened to find myself looking after big G, who went down with the bug this morning! not much fun i tell you, 

so i will just have to share some pics of yarn i recently acquired from kemps, 

some of this Rowan bamboo tape, for which i have a little project in mind (also providing the first of my stash destined to become a Christmas present, see how organised i am, hehe)

next up some more sock yarn (i just can't enough)

oops & some more sock yarn, i've started on this one already & am almost halfway through a pair for myself, 

i'm just hoping i will be able to get on with them soon, as i'm really suffering from knitting withdrawal!

a formal apology

to my nearest & dearest husband, as i found out yesterday, he does in fact read my blog from time to time & he was not impressed by the previous sock post (oops!)  it seems we had a little mis-communication, whereby he has no recollection of telling me he didn't want a pair of hand knitted socks, well as luck would have it, i had just ordered some more sock wool (thanks to periwinkle for pointing me in the direction of Kemps wool shop) so i was quickly able to resolve any ill feeling (& also felt far less guilty for buying yet more wool)

it arrived this morning, & at £1.20 a ball i felt i was very restrained (or possibly crazy some might say) at only buying four of the little beauties

i have also been getting on with my 'granny a day' you can see more of them over on my flickr page

although now i have started to crochet enough of the cirles for a row, & then i'll join them all together when i do the final round on them.

eye of the storm socks

i have cast on for a pair of socks, (using this pattern again), the wool had been ear marked for a pair of socks for my dearest husband, he however has shown little interest in owning a pair of hand knitted socks, he even went so far as to indicate that he might find them ever so slightly itchy on his 'oh so' very delicate feet (what a fool i hear you cry, he clearly knows nothing!)

well  i would agree, & wasting little time trying to persuade him otherwise, these socks shall be all mine!!!

the yarn is regia design line by Kaffe Fassett, in the 'storm' colour way, it's my first attempt at knitting both socks at the same time (no second sock syndrome for me!) & i'm finding it surprisingly easy so far, it was just rather lucky i made two of these little patchwork bags, which have proved rather useful at stopping my yarn getting in a tangle.

grannys in a row

i am really enjoying the granny-a-long, i'm not quite doing a granny a day, some days its none, then the next it might be three! i'm loving joining them as i go though (however i've yet to start sewing my ends in as i go!)

right now i'm thinking these will become a blanket 

which really will make it a year long project.

(so long as i don't fall out of love with them & then they can just become a pillow)

i'm loving them so much i even ordered some more of the debbie Bliss pure cotton i'm using (whilst it's on sale here!) so now i have a few more colours to play with,

on a completely random (yet increasing frustrating) note, i'm waiting on some fabric i ordered from the states through etsy, which was shipped two weeks ago, i'm really hoping it was the snow that's delayed it, as whenever i've ordered before it's always found it's way to me within a week! (& i can't keep up my morning lookout for the poor postie going much longer!)

goodbye 2009

wow, where did that year go, my first year blogging too!

i think i can safely say a very merry christmas was had by all our family (despite the slight blip of little O having a 24 hr. vomiting bug)

& although the little ones were given a ton of toys, it still brought a smile to my face when the second they opened their hand knitted socks, they both put them straight on. big G was also very pleased to open the boys quilt which didn't sell at the xmas fair, (& i can also let you know that dolly Susan was very pleased with her new quilt)

i found time to finish knitting the fern glade hat

and started a little knitting with one of my Christmas presents

unfortunately i have managed to lose the charger for the camera,and so am unable to take any photos of the other things i have been up to,

but did get a photo of my favourtie present the little ones were given (aside from all the things their mama made them of course)

wishing you all happy new year, we'll be seeing in 2010 with a curry & a bottle of bubbly!

(i shall now be spending the day looking for that blinking charger!)

plodding on

i had hoped to be sharing some pictures of my recent sewing projects, i just needed to take some photos, we did get a glimpse of the sun this morning, but then about 10 minutes before the little one went down for her nap, the rain set in, i really hope it's not here to stay today.

so i'll just have to share some other things i've been up to,
socks i've started for little O, using the left over tofutsies yarn from these socks i made for myself, in fact i'm even doing the same pattern, but with a rib all the way up after knitting the heel - so hopefully they'll stay on her feet!

some wool i ordered from here (great sale prices - i'm tempted to go back for some more)
this is for a little crochet project i'm planning, & will probably be what i will be picking up when i get the chance over Christmas.it's Debbie Bliss - pure cotton

& i've found time to start the advent calendar for the little folks, although think i'm just as excited about this as G is.

broken promises

i should have known when i went along to my local knit & natter group without the brompton, i would find it hard to stay true to my promise, i had gone along with the intention of taking my cosy neck wrap to show to someone i had been nattering about it too, well unfortunately for the brompton, my lovely local wool shop had got lots of lovely new yarn in, so much lovely new yarn,

i was tempted & it didn't take long for me to succumb, (what can i say, i have a weakness) i also blame the weather, which was cold & rainy that day, only adding to my yearning to be snuggled up knitting a new wintry project, so what made it home with me?
after lots of thought i settled on some Rowan Colourscape Chunky, i also found it hard to choose which colourway, once i'd found a project, but 'storm' it was, again maybe something to do with the weather that day.
i've wasted no time in getting started, & it's knitting up quick, so i'm very much liking it so far, unfortunately i have two poorly munchkins at home with me today, which have rather hampered my progress for now! but i'm looking forward to the weekend.oh & my sister did love her lavender sachets, thank you for the sweet comments x