Diary of a novice knitter

Blogging lull

2010-01-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't updated for six months! What a lazy mare.

I have been knitting in that time, of course, but I barely even remember to upload my projects to Ravelry anymore. This is because since July I've barely used the laptop to go online, owing to my wonderful iPhone. Unfortunately Ravelry is not very easy to navigate as there's no mobile version.

So, since July what has come off my needles has been (as far as I can remember): a hat, two dinosaurs, three nativity characters, a big cuddly pirate, half a sock, LOTS of blanket squares, and some colourwork intended for a surprise for my husband. Wow, that doesn't seem like much for six months! Surely there's more than that?

Another reason I haven't been online much is that I've been diagnosed with epilepsy and despite being signed off work for a couple of months the medication I started on was pretty shocking, so for the first couple of months I did nothing but sleep. It's pretty hard to knit in your sleep!

More recently, I've been quilting. Along with knitting quilting always seemed to be one of those things I wanted to do but didn't really think I could do. Turns out I can! Nick's been buying me gorgeous fabrics and I've been putting together a patchwork bedspread, which will eventually be quilted.

All of these things are helping me to be the woman I always wanted to be. By the time the doctors let me start trying again I'll be the kind of Mum I want to be too :)

Ramble and no photo?! WTF?!

2009-07-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I take back everything I said about socks being simple!

I don't know whether it's just the pattern I'm using but I really can't understand what I'm supposed to be doing with the heel.

I could look it up on youtube or knitwitch or something, but of course what I've actually done is scout around for patterns for toys knit in the round instead. Boooo to socks! I really don't get it.

I do want to finish Nick's honeymoon socks at some stage, but while I'm feeling so rough (I have a cold on top of my post-wedding crash now too) I just don't want to have to concentrate too much.

I came across Danger Crafts on Etsy and have completely fallen in love with the Daphne and Delilah pattern, but I'm not sure I can manage it just yet. I haven't mastered Magic Loop and I don't really have any spare DPNs (apart from the ones free on Let's Knit a while ago), plus I shouldn't be buying patterns when I'm already stressing about not having any money since the wedding.

I'm still trying to get hold of Alan Dart's Irrisistable Gifts To Knit book which is supposedly available in Sainsbury's and on the MyFavouriteMagazines website, but the only place I ever find it is on Ebay. I can't afford to buy it this month so I'll probably see it everywhere I go.

Well, this was more of a ramble than a blog post so I should probably sign off here!

Socks!

2009-07-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated this blog in so long! I can't even remember how many projects I've finished since that ugly little clown (I think if I take the awful hat off he might look okay!) but the hearts for the wedding invitations and the top tier of the wedding cake are certainly worth a mention!

I'm also on my first pair of socks now, which I consider a massive leap for a novice knitter! I went to RingARosie in Whitley Bay while I was on honeymoon and as I didn't have a specific project in mind I didn't know how to choose from all of their lovely yarn! They had a display of sock yarn so I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. Nick chose some self-striping yarn and I bought some bamboo DPNs, and despite every other (short-lived) attempt failing, I got it straight away!

Okay, so I was doing it inside-out, but a quick message on Ravelry had that fixed and now I have half a sock hanging from my (four) needle(s)!

I'm having a hard time recovering from the wedding and honeymoon so I haven't been doing much of anything, but picking the sock up from time to time is surprisingly relaxing. I still don't think I'm going to turn into a sock knitter though :s

I don't know when I'll stop feeling like a novice knitter, but I don't feel quite so nervous when I walk into a proper yarn shop anymore!

Clowning around

2009-04-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Since I finished Sam's teddy my health has dipped seriously and I've been avoiding any *real* knitting (even though I STILL haven't finished the wedding cake).

I've done a clown from Jean Greenhowe's little gift dolls because I wanted something small, simple and colourful, but I don't like him - the curse of Jean (I always either love her patterns, or bloody well hate them!). I don't think I stuffed him properly and for some reason his hat just wouldn't go right no matter what I did.

The problem is, I was hoping he'd be one of the toys for the entertainment packs for the wedding - we're doing boxes for each child so they don't get bored, and I was hoping to knit a little gift doll for each box. Considering how much time I'm going to have to spend doing nothing I think I should manage (I'd need another six dolls), but I don't know whether he's good enough to put in or whether he's an embarrassment?

It's always difficult to tell when it's your own work as you get so critical, but as I really don't like him I think I'd be uncomfortable whatever.

Sam's teddy

2009-04-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is a teddy I made for Sam's first birthday. I decided to make it on the Thursday night before his birthday party on Monday afternoon. It was a bit of a constant knit but it was worthwhile and I ended up loving the teddy. I know that with Jean's patterns I tend to either utterly fall in love with the finished objects or completely hate them, so I took a chance and was lucky. Sam seemed to like him as he gave him a slug (kiss) as soon as it was unwrapped. I don't know whether he'll be allowed to play with it until he's older as it's kind of fuzzy yarn and there are places where you can see the stuffing through the shaping, but he'd look good sitting on a shelf in his bedroom anyway.

I forgot to blog about this while I was knitting (mostly as I didn't even have time to eat, let alone blog!) but I wanted to put him in here so I could look back at him. I think he's probably my favourite project yet <3

Yarn appreciation!

2009-04-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

My coffee table AFTER stash sorting <3

"If you're going to leave your stash everywhere, why not make it look pretty?"

That was the thought in my head when I balled all of the skeins sitting around my living room and put them in a fruit bowl. I'm knitting a blanket in squares in between all of the stressy wedding knitting, so I tend to just leave skeins of DK all over the place. They look much prettier in the bowl!

I'm quite tempted to get some long glass vases and ball up various colours purely for decorative purposes. Yarn just looks so scrummy!

Dwip creation

2009-04-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

As requested, here is the story of the creation of the Dwips.

The little Dwip named Bub was created after my niece got excited about aliens, although I wouldn't like to upset Bub by calling him an alien.

Bub was created using 3mm straight needles, Dk yarn and a little imagination. Dwips can be any size or colour, but Bub was 25 stitches wide and around 5 or 6cm high. He has a couple of stripes, three toes on each foot and a long tail.

Bub's body is simply a rectangle. By stuffing him lightly and pulling up the top corners (which should be the cast-on edge if you want ears/horns) his head had little spikes, a bit like ears. The shaping just comes from the way you stuff the body.

The feet were created by casting on two stitches and knitting one row and then increasing into both stitches and knitting another row, breaking the yarn and repeating this twice more. Then knit across all stitches and knit a couple of rows. Each toe will have threads that need weaving in, and they can be used to stitch the toes into shape.

The tail can be given vertical stripes by simply knitting a couple of long rows, or horizontal stripes by knitting a couple of stitches and increasing the number of rows.

Stitching on the toes and tail make the Dwip stand up, so don't worry about the base not being flat.

Alternatively, Dwips can have long dangly legs to sit on the edge of shelves, or they can have short tails. They can be multicoloured, they can be one colour, they can be knit in the round, they can have beads and buttons... the possibilities are endless!

There will be more Dwips, so stay tuned!

Bub the Dwip

2009-03-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is Bub, and Bub is a dwip.

I had an awful crash in health today, at which point I was unbelievably scared of relapse. Consequently, I have confined myself to the sofa this afternoon, and Bub is what emerged from my needles.

For the last couple of days I've looked after my BEAUTIFUL niece Ellie, who I don't get to spend nearly enough time with, and which is why I'm so exhausted, and this morning she was spotting aliens on my paperchase bag. This inspired the birth of the Dwip, who emerged from the needles as I was too tired to knit anything complicated but wanted to create something new.

I miss knitting toys now I'm knitting for the wedding so I thought I'd have a go at a little creature, and this is the first time I've drawn up a picture and then tried to create it. Bub looks nothing like the picture as he seemed to have consciousness and told me he didn't want long dangly legs and actually wanted toes, but I do love him.

There will be more! Stay tuned for his friends.

Flat garter stitch heart

2009-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the pattern for the flat heart I've designed for my wedding invitations. The red one in the picture is slightly more angular than the finished pattern, but I stuck it to a prototype invitation so I photographed the original version.

The large (pink) heart was knit on 3mm needles with baby double knit (to the original 'large heart' pattern).

The small (red) heart was knit on 3mm needles with double knit (to the original 'large heart' pattern). The 'small heart' pattern allows baby double knit to create the same size as this heart.

I don't know why the babyDK seems to have knit up so much bigger than the DK, but I don't have the label for the DK so I can't tell you its properties. Sorry!

Large heart:

If knit in baby double knit this knits up at the size of the pink heart in the photo.
If knit in double knit it knits up at the size of the red heart in the photo.

*CO 3sts
K 2 rows
Inc 1, K to end of row (repeat this row 5 more times)**
Break yarn and leave on needle
Repeat from * to **, casting on same needle sts have been left on
K across both pieces
K row
Inc 1, k across row, inc 1
K 2 rows

# K2tog, k across row, k2tog
K row ##

Repeat from # to ## until 3sts remain

Slip 1st st knitwise, k next st and pass 1st st over (as cast off), k last st, pass 2nd st over.
Break yarn, fasten off, bury ends.

Small heart:
This pattern is for use with baby double knit. Using double knit will create a much smaller heart.

*CO2sts
K 1 row
Inc1, k to end (repeat this row 4 more times)**
Break yarn, leaving stitches on needle.
Repeat from * to ** (casting on to same needle sts have been left on)

K across both pieces
K 1 row
Inc 1, k across row, inc 1
k 1 row

# K2tog, k across row, k2tog
K row ##

Repeat from # to ## until end.
Cast off, break yarn, fasten off, bury ends.

An update

2009-03-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I seem to have been quiet on here for a while, even though I have been knitting away as usual.

I've designed hearts for the front of the wedding invitations and I'm in the process of knitting the wedding cake pattern Alan Dart wrote for Simply Knitting. It's going slowly because the actual wedding planning keeps getting in the way (who knew it took so much organising?!) but it's looking good. Quite a nice size, too - I'm planning on using it as the top tier of the actual cake.

I think I might do smaller versions of the invitation hearts to put on place settings, but I'm not sure how many I'll be able to get done. It seems as though I need to knit until my fingers bleed now!

I've been doing effort-free blanket knitting while I've been poorly too, and have got one square done: pastel stripes 60sts by 80 rows. Hot!

There was a photo with this post, but blooger's being a pain and I'm too tired to keep trying. Being ill is crappy no matter what, but M.E. makes me a right mardy cow!

Edited to add photo after I stopped being mardy. That was the first version of the heart. It's been adapted since then, but it's not vastly different.

My Valentine

2009-01-26T13:41:00.001-08:00

I think I may make these hearts for Nick for Valentine's day. We don't usually do Valentine's day, but I know he's bought me something so I should make some sort of effort - and as I will definitely not be crocheting the Link from Zelda I was hoping to give him, these are a cute alternative.

However, this all depends on Cinderella's skirt getting finished some time soon. And I also have a birthday present to knit for February... eep! I have a pattern in mind but I need my 3mm needles, and Cinderella's sitting on them right now!

Mistake!

2009-01-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

Cinderella has been on hold for a couple of days because I made a mistake and couldn't work out whether to rip out a few rows and do it over. I needed to think objectively, which meant giving myself time to stop being so upset about it!

Anyway, after careful consideration I decided not to undo an hour's worth of knitting just because I'd joined the next colour on a purl row instead of a knit row, as even though any knitter can see the mistake instantly I'm making the doll for a four year old girl. Not only will she not care in the slightest, but it's the thought that counts. It takes a lot of energy for me to knit a big project like this, and one extra band of white doesn't matter too much.

Obviously, it annoys me whenever I look at it.

Cinderella shall go to the ball... eventually, maybe?

2009-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Cinderella's poor side

Cinderella may take some time!

The skirt took me two days of pretty much solid knitting, and she still needs another skirt, four arms, two sets of hair, patches and flowers. Grr!

But actually, she's quite fun to knit. Just tiring.

I've drawn out some patches that will spell out Ellie's name across her dress and have managed to get the hang of that technique whereby you twist the yarn at the back of the work and carry both colours along with you. What's that called? Fair Isle? Well, I managed it, whatever.

Unfortunately I've been too tired to do much today, and have only managed two plain patches, one stripey one and one with an E on it. Only L L I and E to go :)

Cinderella-ella-ella

2009-01-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

Recently, knitting has been my therapy. This means I'm getting through patterns quite quickly and I'm enjoying it because when I finish something it feels like a big achievement, given how distractable I am at the moment.

I've just started a topsy turvy Cinderella doll for Ellie. The intention was to make it for her birthday, but I had expected it to take longer than it is seeming to. I guess I hadn't planned on the power of stress making me knit faster!

I'm planning on knitting for the boys' birthdays this year too, and as they're in April, October and December I think I should have enough time for them all.

Ooh, and what shall I knit for Nick for valentine? I think the Link from Zelda crochet plan might be put on hold... hs birthday's in December so I might make that the deadline instead ;)

Stash tidying and elephant knitting

2009-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Alfie Elephant

Stash organisation system!

I bought some drawers today to keep all my knitting supplies in as they were taking up too much space behind the sofa and I could never find anything. I'd thought about it this morning and then spotted the drawers today - that NEVER happens!

I also finished my little elephant today and lovelovelove him. He's deliberately wonky (unlike most of my accidentally lopsided knits!) and that's because Nick thought he looked cute before I straightened his head on. He was quite fiddly but the more I did the better I got, and I'd be tempted to use the pattern again.

I'm thinking of making a larger size for Sam's birthday, but I'm not sure whether to just use two strands of wool together or to get some chunkier yarn.

In the meantime I'm going to start a topsy turvy doll for Ellie. I started it today but frogged it after eight rows as I spotted a hole and couldn't rest with it there. If I'd been further in I might have just fixed it, but I thought I should try to do it properly. I'm doing the Cinderella one from the christmas patterns booklet, although I might change my mind for the sleeping/awake baby as it looks simpler. Hmm...

I'm also considering knitting the boy dress-up doll for Thom's birthday (lucky these birthdays are all a long way away!) but if I knit for the others I'll need to find something for Mart too... not sure what he might like, bue I'm sure I can think of something.

Crochet for beginners

2009-01-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

I do remember being frustrated when I started knitting. Following written instructions is not the easiest, and yet I tried it again when I decided to learn to crochet.

I got hooks for christmas (from Sair, again!) and was over the moon because I've found a pattern I want to make for Nick (a tiny Link from Zelda). I looked at a couple of YouTube videos but didn't get much further than chain stitch (or any further, actually). I didn't know whether I was using the wrong yarn for the hook, or what size hook I should actually be using, or whether I was just making the loops too tight (or how to make them looser!) so I thought I'd order the Happy Hooker book, having had so much luck with the Stitch 'n' Bitch knitting guide.

Well, it arrived today and confused me more than ever! It had some great bits (although the patterns aren't my taste, really) but the guide to single stitch had me wanting to throw the hook. It didn't give me much more info on selecting hooks and yarn, either. But with the help of both the book and the knitwitch's youtube videos, I eventually moved from chainstitch to single stitch - and voila - I have created a tiny little rectangle of crochet! Woo!

(It turns out there are two ways of moving into single stitch from your chain stitches, and the Happy Hooker tells you to do the more complicated version. The KnitWitch simply gets you to poke your hook through the hole and carry on. Fantastic!)

That's enough for today. It's exhausting learning something new! Whoever said crocheting was easier than knitting had obviously been born with a hook in her hand, or was needle phobic. Or simply deranged.

Jimmy Bunny

2009-01-13T09:29:00.001-08:00

I bought another skein of brown Big Softie to finish the bunny as the Denim Ultra didn't look right when I tried a leg and an ear.

Unfortunately, I've run out of Big Softie again because I kept messing up the sewing up today - I stitched the ears on and then found that the seam was on his side rather than the bottom, so I unpicked it all (which took bloody AGES) and repositioned them, and yet again the seam seemed to move when I was sewing it up! It's still not in the position I wanted but it's on the underside so I'm not messing around with it anymore.

I don't know whether to knit him his final leg in black yarn and then stitch some black patches onto his fur, or whether to get yet MORE brown yarn....

I also don't know what to do for his eyes. I've got some hella-cute buttons which might look nice, but I haven't decided.

He looks a bit wonky and weird but I actually love him. I didn't think I would and hadn't decided what I was going to do with him, but now I'm keeping him. Maybe it's his imperfections that make me think he's perfect!

Flopsy bunny

2009-01-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

After far too many hats, I have finally got back to knitting for pleasure.

I started a little elephant from a very old Greenhowe pattern, but it's so very fiddly and has been driving me absolutely crazy. Subsequently, a nice easy pattern was calling for my attention today while I was exhausted. Enter Flopsy Bunny.

http://promotions.drgnetwork.com/newsletters/creativeknitting/pages/CKNL1707_patt.html

The only problems I had were these:

1) I didn't have any bunny-coloured yarn other than Big Softie, but I fancied knitting with big needles anyway so I just went for it.

2) I got UTTERLY bored of row after row of stockinette and wanted to throw it a couple of times.

3) I ran out of yarn after the head and body, and so have to decide whether to knit the ears and legs in Denim Ultra (in a grey/beige kind of colour) or to wait until I get some more Big Sofite. I do have more Big Softie, but only in pink or black. Hmmmm....

The bunny has been stuffed and has a ribbon and nose, so he is looking cute already. I just don't like leaving projects half-finished when I've made time to get them done, so I feel a bit sad for him now. Poor bunny.

Santa baby

2008-12-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

Little Jean Greenhowe Santa! Only took a couple of hours, but I completed him in little pieces over a couple of days to fit around college, teaching and writing an essay.

Really, really easy knit. And in a good way! I didn't get bored because it was little and cute.

I cut the cardboard base a bit too big and couldn't be bothered to change it so he's a bit wobbly, and in future I would probably glue a 2p to the inside so make him a bit heavier at the bottom, but on the whole I'm happy with this first attempt at a Santa.

I'm sure there will be more Santas over the years.

I have been considering knitting the nativity scene but can't convince myself a christian scene is an atheist-friendly christmas decoration! My friend Emma suggested making it into a Jeremy Kyle story and giving Joseph a DNA test which obviously appealed to my frankly crap sense of humour, but it's still a lot of work to put in to knitting a scene I won't explain to my niece and nephews. Do I want them to play with bible toys? But they're so cute! I've got another year to decide anyway, as I'll never finish them by christmas. Probably even next christmas.

Sirdar Big Softie knitwear

2008-11-17T02:27:00.000-08:00

I knitted myself another hat to replace my dark grey Rowan one (it pretty much broke my heart when I realised I'd lost it!) and then decided to use the leftover yarn for a pair of mitts (pictured) and a neck warmer (waiting to be blocked, and I need some cute buttons for it). The set of three could probably be completed in a day if you didn't have anything else on, and it took three skeins (of Sirdar Big Softie) so a total cost of approximately £6.60 which is such a bargain.

Snowman

2008-11-10T10:52:00.001-08:00

I adapted a Jean Greenhowe pattern to create a snowman for the Moving Beyond Rectangles winter KAL but I'm not overly happy with the way he turned out.

Because it was a pattern for a baby, the head is not quite as big and round as I would probably like for a snowman. The colours I used for his hat and scarf are nice and bright though, although they were awful to knit with!

I also need to work on my sewing skills. I'm pretty confident with knitting now, but my sewing lets me down and as I'm mostly knitting toys it looks pretty messy.

I've found another Jean Greenhowe pattern for a real snowman and it looks really cute so I might see how that goes, but for now I'm knitting a christmas tree fairy as we've just bought our tree but don't have anything for the top of it. I don't know if she'll weigh the whole thing down or fall off, but I'm giving it a go!

Tiny hat

2008-11-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

I've had lots of requests for knitted items which makes me feel like my knitting must look okay or they wouldn't ask! I have to remember to knit a snake for Kate, a kitty for Carla, a hat for Chris, a hat for Jenny, and a hat to replace my slouchy grey one as I lost it in Lincoln :(

I've done another kitty for Jules and a mini version of my stripey slouchy hat for Ellie. It took about an hour and used the leftovers from my hat. I just cast on fewer stitches and then knit to the same pattern and it came out quite cute. She'll like matching Aunty Su anyway.

I ordered a whole load of yarn today ready to get as many christmas presents done and I'm looking forward to taking delivery of it. I don't think I've ever had that much yarn at one time before, let alone lovely soft beautiful gorgeous Sirdar Big Softie.

I've started the Winter Knitalong but it's going slowly because of the fun chunky knits I've got going. Small needles are just so slow! I WILL do it though.

Another kitty

2008-10-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

I loved Katy the Kitty so much that I decided to try another. I used chunky yarn and came out with the above kitty, named Pele by Nick.

I'm going to do one for Nick's Mum for christmas, so I need to find some nice cat-coloured wool. I have a ginger in mind, but it might turn out grey.

I always wanted to knit toys, and now I have done my first two in one day!

Kitty

2008-10-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to knit toys, and although Mo and Mary will probably be played with they don't really count.

Today I did it though!

The penguins are on hold for the Winter KAL on Moving Beyond Rectangles, so I got this fantastic free pattern from http://geobabe.livejournal.com/195349.html and made a kitty today :)

This was so easy to make and I intend to make a lot more as christmas presents. They only take a couple of hours and they're so cute!

This one will probably stay with me <3

She is as yet unnamed. I don't know what suits her?

Mary the draught excluding snake

2008-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Mo's girlfriend, Mary.

I haven't started the penguins yet as I lost the pattern and needed something to keep me busy while I was feeling poorly.

So I decided to make Mo a girlfriend. I wasn't happy with how Mo turned out and wanted to see how it would look if I used decent colours and changed the size slightly. Mary has a thinner tail and a flatter head, and I think she looks better for being in nicer colours too. Losing the weird tongue was the best part!

Her eyes were not as intended and she's ended up looking a little bit evil, but I do like her. The colours are much brighter than the photos suggest.

We have a couple of draughty doors in our house, so I may try another style next time I feel low. It's an easy task that requires little concentration, making it perfect for crappy M.E. days, and it always feels better to have accomplished something on the rubbish days.

Mo the draught excluding snake

2008-10-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is Mo, the recycled draught excluding snake. He's made out of scraps of yarn from my Mum's knitting bag, old clothes I shredded to make the filling, and a couple of buttons from the shredded clothes to make his eyes.

He looks a bit dated and like something your grandma could have made, but I'm quite pleased for a first non-scarf project. He was really just an exercise in increasing and decreasing, and I even put in a bit of knitting on three needles to make his tongue (which looks ridiculous!)

I've always wanted to knit toys, and the thought behind Mo was that the kids can play with him but he'll also be useful for when they're not here.

Next, a family of penguins...

Poorly Soozy

2008-10-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

(£6 bargains!)

I've been disgustingly ill for the last week. I was stuck in the house from the moment I got in from work on Monday morning until the moment I had to leave for work on Friday evening. And I did not want to go to work!

I did manage a *bit* of knitting in that time, but not a lot - a couple of rectangles for the blanket and a few stripes of Nick's scarf.

Today I did manage to get to the market after work, and there I got knitting needles for 25p a pair and double knit yarn for £1 a skein. Bargains! I checked out the new craft shop too but it only stocks designer yarn at ridiculous prices. Yeah, some of it looks a bit like heaven, but I'm not paying £7 for a 50g ball!

I'm too tired to knit again today. It sucks big style. But at least the claw is beginning to heal!

Blanket beginning

2008-10-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've been poorly for a few days so I haven't been able to knit. For some reason it just wasn't working while I was feeling rubbish - I was dropping stitches, knitting purls and making a mess.

Luckily, this evening I've been able to do a bit again, so I've done the first square for my blanket.

I tried stockinette stitch (which I've only done on sample squares before) and I also designed a very basic pattern for a raised heart and managed to put that onto my square. It's not too easy to see on the multicoloured yarn, but I think it's sweet all the same.

I don't know what else I'll do for the blanket, or what I'll do for the squares to send Maddie, but I think it's a nice project as it's small and manageable for when I'm not feeling up to anything big. i can do simple squares or try something more complicated, and then hopefully it will all go together at the end.

It's quite exciting!

Mother-daughter bonding

2008-10-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today while I was at my Mum's spending time with my niece my Mum dug out her old knitting bag (by bag I really mean suitcase!) and gave me a load of old patterns and yarn.

We found an old piece my Nan had been knitting and it made me so glad I'd got back into knitting now she's not here. It feels like a link between the generations, and reminds me of when she taught me.

There was also an old toy my Mum had started and was midway through. Looking closely at the stitches and seeing how simple it was made me feel much more confident that I can move on to more than scarves.

Mum then taught me how to do cables, and I was utterly surprised at how simple it was. When I saw the pictures in my stitch and bitch book and saw the three needles I thought I'd never be able to do it! Every time I try something new I'm blown away by how complicated it seems to start with and then how quickly it becomes something you barely have to think about.

I hope I never stop knitting again. Right now I'm addicted and I really want to keep it that way, even if my left hand is slowly turning into the claw of pain! I just hope I won't be one of those people who gets bored easily, or who messes up a project and throws it aside in frustration and then never comes back to it. It's like therapy, and I want to keep it!

No praise today

2008-10-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

I've finished three scarves this week, and as these are my first three projects I've been really excited.

I know they're simple, but as much as I've wanted to move on to more complicated stuff I've also been aware that I need to learn to walk before I can run (and other clichees).

However, I told Phyllis about the scarves thinking she would be full of encouragement, and she just scoffed at the lengths I'd made ("that's too short!"), laughed at the fact that I'd only used one stitch ("what, the same stitch all the way through?!") and rubbed it in that she's knitting jumpers. She's been knitting for about seventy years and she can't muster up a bit of praise for a newbie?

My Mum was nice to me. She even said the one I don't like was pretty.

Anyway, it's stopping me from thinking about how tired I am and it's not too tiring in itself, so I shouldn't be bothered about people being crappy. It's my catharsis and even if what I knit is utter shit, it doesn't matter.

I think everyone's going to hate me when I give them all wonky scarves for every birthday and christmas for the rest of ever, though.

In other news, the Stitch 'n' Bitch book is marvellous. I feel like the whole knitting world is at my feet now!

Sair is the most thoughtful person in the world. Getting me back into knitting and introducing me to Ravelry was fantastic. I feel like I owe her a lot.

More scarves!

2008-10-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

Today I've bought a big bag full of yarn ready for knitting scarves for christmas presents. And for me.

I'm getting better at working out what size to look for and I don't feel like so much of a novice when I venture into the wool shop. I can speak to the staff without feeling as though I need their permission to pick up a pair of needles.

Speaking of which, I also bought some new needles in the Fabric sale. I might get some more while they're half-price, so I need to work out what would be useful. How do you work out which needles to invest in and which are going to serve you well for years to come?

See, I'm still a novice really. But the Stitch and Bitch book makes everything so much simpler!

My first project

2008-09-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

My pretty boyfriend, Nick, modelling my new scarf:

I've been knitting for around a month now but after TWICE being told I was doing things all wrong I have only just managed to finish my first project.

I'm pleased with myself because I had never used 20mm needles before, never used chunky yarn before, never used two colours before, and never actually tried to make anything specific before - but a couple of hours later I had a hella-long two-colour chunky-knit scarf!

Using the big needles and chunky yarn made it so much easier to see what I was doing and gave me a real sense of instant gratification because I could see it all happening in front of my eyes - one row gives you over an inch of knitting! It took much less concentration and didn't seem so difficult to keep hold of, so it wasn't as tiring on the old M.E. while I was getting started.

It ended up a bit wonky and untidy, but I was happy with it all the same. I'd definitely do more chunky knitting now.

If I get this sense of euphoria every time I finish a project then I'll definitely be an addict in no time at all! It's so exciting!

I can't wait to move on to more complicated stuff now. I know I should probably work on getting neater but I just want to do more!