Where did Christmas go?!

Well, that’s that done for another year… Isn’t it a bit disheartening that it goes so quickly! But next year, I really will start much earlier. Honest.

Christmas stocking for my honorary niece

This is a little stocking (I’d guess about 9″ tall) that I knitted in a couple of evenings using a mash up of 3 different patterns. It was really simple, and I even managed an afterthought heel Anyway, this is her first Christmas, so I hope she can hang it up next year for Santa

Now Christmas knitting is over (not that I got a lot done, but anyway…) I’m hoping to do some Etsy-related stuff done soon. And I’d like to finally get to grips with Mr Y’s Space Invader Knucks - I had major issues with them and temporarily abandoned it. I just can’t seem to make it look like a Space Invader. I have a chart that looks fine on paper, and worked fine on the swatch I tested it on, I just can’t knit in the round and do intarsia at the same time! It’s really frustrating because I know they’d look really cool and he was so excited about me making them for him

Anyway, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas

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One Christmas present made…

Zillions more to go *sigh*

Mittens for my gal Gaenor

These were a nice, quick knit, (look on my Ravelry for details and a link to the pattern) and judging by her face when I showed her one half knitted, they’ll go down a treat. Sorry for the dodgy picture, haven’t got time to wait for decent daylight, plus I had to get them straight in the post.

Currently, there’s bits of Knucks lying around the lounge because I got fed up with undoing the intarsia I was trying to do (and failed at). I’m trying to do a Space Invader pattern on the back of the hand, but the strandsarecoming out too tight and pulling the fabric in, but if I leave it looser, there’s big gaps where the colours change. Grrr. So I’m abandoning that for the moment so I can knit a Christmas stocking for my baby (honorary) niece.

I still have SO much to do - I hate this feeling! I’m not getting anywhere either! Plus now I’m puting off filling in this job application for Subway, becausea s much as I want a job (so I can buy and run a car), I don’t think I’m good enough and calm enough to deal with it. Ergh.

Anyway, better get something DONE.

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Aaaaaaaagh!

13 days ’til Christmas!

*runs around like a headless chicken*

I’m not getting anything done!

On a non-Christmas note (I can’t think about Christmas right now!) I’m toying with the idea of organising an indie craft fair in my area (East of England) and I’m wondering what you guys think? Any pearls of wisdom? Do you think it’s a good idea? How should I go about it and where do I start? And is there anyone out there who might be interested in helping/participating? I’m just at the very early stages ie not committing myself to anything just yet, but just getting some ideas and seeing if it’s plausible. I’d appreciate your opinions and advice as always

*runs around madly a bit more*

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Finished and frogged

Finished mittens

I’ve worn these every day this week, I love them! I may try and knit some more with a flap, you know those mittens that you can either wear as mittens or as fingerless gloves? They might be more practical!

I also finished my first sock this week. I nearly cried. I can’t get it on over my stupid toes. To be honest, the pattern is very plain - I’m going to frog it and find another more interesting pattern (hopefully one that fits!) Anyway, I’m going to leave socks for a bit I think, and focus on Etsy and Christmas knitting. Can you believe Christmas is only a month away?! Or is it just me who is surprised?

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Yaaaaaaaay!

I made my first sale on Etsy!

Now I need to make more things to list, because the buyer bought two items! (Actually, the only two items in my shop…)

Oh, and I finished the mittens - I’ve been wearing them all day and have been having great trouble doing things like using my iPod and getting things out of my bag! But warm fingers are worth it.

I find it quite a bit easier to quickly update my Ravelry notebook with small project updates than to type and format posts here, so if I don’t post for a while don’t think I’m not here, just look at my Ravelry! But I’ll still post here of course, and I’m aiming to do so more regularly (and with more interesting stuff :P)

Anyway, woooo!

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Juju!

I like the word juju

My mittens - one down, a bit more to go

These knit up so quickly - I started these on Thursday (15th) and today I’m halfway up the second. I’ve had a bit of a “thing” for mittens for monthsnow, and I’ve finally got round to knitting some. I wantedto do a flat sock-toe-type decrease but I couldn’t figure out how to do it with a set of four DPNs, so I just did even decreases throughout the round instead.

Fetchings!

I started these in FEBRUARY and I only finished them last week. They’d been languishing in a drawer, only needing ends to be weaved. How daft am I?! Anyway, I’ve worn them every day this week because it’s been so damn cold here - I’ve worn four jumpers every day.

My first sock

The pocket scales that I bought from eBay finally arrived this week, so I was able to weigh my sock yarn to see where the middle of the ball is. To be honest, I can’t be bothered to knit half the yarn in this sock because it’ll be really long and I’ll need to add inceases, which is just going to complicate matters, so I’ve started the ribbing anyway. I’ll probably find something to do with the left over yarn (ha!).

Azure Allure sleeve #1

Finally finished the first sleeve, I just have the second sleeve to knit now, and then I can sew it all together! I’m worried the body will be too short, but I suppose I can just pick up the stitches along the bottom edge and knit a few more rows.

Hmmm… I think I’m all out for now! But I’m in a very positive mood

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Ooops…

Sorry for no-postage! There hadn’t been any crafting or anything else very interesting going on anyway (oh, except for a weekend in Brussels but that’s a whole other story :D). Anyway, I’ve been knitting like a fool for the last few days, the juju’s come back with avengance! I shall hopefully have some tasty pictures for you all tomorrow (I say hopefully, because it depends on the light and if I remember to take some).

Until I get round to properly updating (tomorrow!) I leave you with this…

x

Mundayz

Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Plum

This and 10 balls of this, along with copies of Yarn Forward was my loot from the Knitting and Stitching Show this year - not as good a loot as last year but at least I’ll actually put it to use! I really need some socks that don’t have holes in them (although I’m worried that if I wear handknit socks with shoes, they’ll wear out quickly). Anyway, I’m planning on knitting the Jaeger DK into a raglan jumper of some sort. I really need some warm winter clothes - I’m constantly complaining about how cold I am (probably because I’m little and don’t move around much :p) plus being warm never seems to be in fashion. Srsly, it’s not until about December that shops actually have reasonably thick jumpers in stock. I cannot fathom how girls are still happily wandering around town in hotpants and tshirts. PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! I resent seeing people wearing so few clothes when I’m freezing my bits off under two hoodies and a coat.

I’m in a fairly grumpy mood, if you hadn’t noticed.

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A little eff-oh

Fetching fingerless gloves for my friend Bliue

I started these on Sunday morning and finished them yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) - these knit up so damn quickly! I started a pair of Fetchings in FEBRUARY, and to be honest I can’t even remember if I knitted the second one or not. So I’ll have to dig those out and see what I’ve got.

I cannot WAIT ’til this weekend, it’s the Knitting and Stitching Show! I’m so excited! Anyway, that’s about it for today

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Socks and soup

Closeup - click for the full view,

I had real trouble trying to knit the heel flap on this, so I took it along to my knitting group (yes, I found a local knitting group! :D) and a lovely lady (I think her name was Lucy) taught me how to do it. Now I’m steaming up the leg towards the ribbing and cast off! But I have no idea how long to knit for - I don’t have accurate scales so I can’t weigh the yarn to check hen I’m at the midpoint. Any ideas?

Homemade carrot soup with crusty bread - tonight’s dinner.

I made this (roughly) following a recipe my mum has used for years. It’s so tasty, I may go and get myself a second bowl

I’ve just remembered I never blogged about this top whorl drop spindle I bought on Etsy. I bought a bottom whorl drop spindle last year and I never got to grips with spinning, so I thought I’d try a top whorl spindle. I still haven’t got to grips with it, but it’s pretty. I wish I could spin

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