Christmas knitting list - update

Knitting to finish for Christmas

• Lacy scarf - finshed, wrapped and dispatched
• Cardigan one - just needs one sleeve sewing in and a decision about buttons made and implemented.
• Cardigan two - need to finish and sew on the lacy edging.
• Hoodie - the back is finished and I have about 4 inches of front done. The rest of it needs knitting, but it is for a child so is not a huge undertaking. 
• Lacy scarf (new item) - currently almost 14 inches long. If finished in time, this will replace a scarf  already knitted but which I know there is a mistake in and despite assurances that nobody else will notice, it bugs me to give it knowing that mistake is there.

I confess I'm not feeling as confident about getting it all done as I was last Thursday.

Christmas knitting to do list

Knitting to finish for Christmas

• Lacy scarf - currently about 11" long.
• Cardigan one - just needs sleeves sewing in and a decision about buttons made and implemented.
• Cardigan two - need to finish and sew on the lacy edging.
• Hoodie - the back is nearly finished. The rest of it needs knitting, but it is for a child so is not a huge undertaking.

I'm sure that is totally doable by Christmas, even if I am working all week (except Friday afternoon) and Christmas Eve. I don't think I've forgotten anything - at least, I really, really hope I haven't!

I am ignoring the little voice that is whispering that someone might like a pair of socks. Totally not doing that. But I did buy some suitable yarn today so if I do have a moment of weakness and give in, I have yarn ready and don't have to wait several days before I can get hold of some. That's just a sensible precaution - right? But I'm not going to knit them for Christmas; they could be a birthday present next year. The rest is enough to keep me busy.

Now, please excuse me, I'm going to get a few more rows of scarf knitted before bedtime.

Christmas is coming!

Fifteen things I love Christmas and the build up to it.

1.         Finding presents that are just right for a particular person (at least, I think they are – I hope the recipients do too).

2.         Decorating the Christmas tree. Let’s face it, it’s an excuse for loads of shiny sparkly things. Some of which are purple.

3.         Making presents. This starts a lot earlier in the year than now. I had an idea earlier this year that I would have finished all the knitted presents by the end of November. That’s today. I am just about to cast on a hoodie (which may be downgraded to a jumper if I run out of time), so that idea didn’t quite pan out.

4.         Baking presents – or preserving, whatever-you-call-the-fudge-making-process-ing, and other methods of making edible stuff that can be given as gifts. I’ve not done much in the way of jam and chutney making this year, for various reasons, so am not going to give as many foodie gifts this year as I have some other years.

5.         Spending time with my families – my family I grew up in and my in-laws. Each family is different in Christmas traditions, size (and volume!), and atmosphere but I am hoping to spend time with both on Christmas Day this year and looking forward to seeing everyone.

6.         Christmas carols and other Christmas music. When I was at school I was in the choir and we would start practising carols for the Christmas 9 lessons and carols service when we got back after half-term. Now I don’t get to sing them for as long a period. All these years later and I still find myself singing the harmonies instead of the tune for some Carols. I am looking forward to the start of Christmas music on Classic FM (the radio station I usually listen to) tomorrow.

7.         Advent calendars. When I was a child, we had a cardboard advent calendar with pictures behind doors, and each of us would take it in turn to open a door – being careful not to tear it so that it could be put away and used again the next year. I was well into my adult life before I discovered chocolate advent calendars. This year I am having a tiny chocolate calendar (30 g chocolate in total) and have an advent candle to burn.

8.         Wrapping presents – they look so pretty. I am not the best wrapper, some of my parcels look a bit scruffy, but maybe one day I will get the hang of beautiful wrapping.

9.         Unwrapping presents – it’s lovely to receive gifts as well as to give them J

10.     Time off work – I’m looking forward to the break from the office for a few days. Unlike taking other holidays, things tend not to pile up over Christmas because most people we do business with are also on holiday.

11.     The Nativity – as a Christian this is a big part of the Christmas celebrations for me.

12.     Christmas lights – everywhere you go there are places lit up – coloured lights, twinkling lights, flashing lights – with various decorations. Some people’s taste might not be the same as mine, and some people must get electricity bills I wouldn’t want to get, but the overall effect is pretty and cheerful.

13.     Christmas books and films. But it is the ideal time of year to enjoy a spot of murder with Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, cry over It’s a Wonderful Life, enjoy the genius of Love Actually and revisit childhood with The Box of Delights (I have other favourites as well and I’m sure you have yours).

14.     Hearing/reading how other people celebrate Christmas and what their favourite things about it are.

15.     Excitement, fun, love, laughter, togetherness.

What do you love about Christmas?

I got an award!

The fabulous Bert of Make and Bake with Bert gave me an award! The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award:

It is now incumbent on me to pass this on to five other bloggers and tell you seven things about myself.

So, in a decision made more difficult because Bert got there first with some of the blogs I'd choose (check out her list) the award goes to:

Dancing through the shadows

Whims and fancies

Pixieanna

The make and bake blog

Pookledo


And now for seven things about me.

1. I have lots of good intentions that don't get fulfilled (e.g. blogging regularly, keeping the house clean and tidy, finishing that 4-ply lace-and-cable jumper).

2. I have two-and-a-half shelves of cookery and craft books. I do not think this is enough.

3. I am about to take part in a knit-along for the first time, knitting this scarf (that 4-ply jumper will have to wait a bit longer).

4. I consider myself to be a generally boring person and find it difficult to think of seven things to tell you that you might find vaguely interesting.

5. I have many wonderful friends whom I have met (in some cases only virtually) via the Internet. I consider it to be as valid a way of making friends as being in the same class at school, going to the same knit night or any other route.

6. I love being an auntie. I have six nephews and two nieces. They are all awesome in similar and different ways.

7. Apart from nail varnish, I do not own any make up.

Deadline distraction

I am seeing my mother on Sunday and therefore need to have finished her birthday present by then. Her birthday was over a week ago, and I would probably have finished it by then if I hadn't back to rip back three-quarters of one cardigan front and half of the other. But not seeing her until today gave me the extra time to reknit. Anyway, all I need to do now is sew in ends, sew it up and knit the edging. Then I can wrap it ready to take with me on Sunday. I should be able to do that, or most of it, today as I have a day off work.

So I am sitting here, busy knitting this.

Does anyone else do this? Have a deadline to finish a project, one that can be attained quite reasonably, but instead of getting on with it you find you're doing something entirely different.

Oh well, it's still early. There will be time to finish the sock work on the cardigan this afternoon.

End of May stash chart

I had a bit of a yarn clearout at the beginning of May and went through my whole stash and cleared out stuff that was leftover from past projects that I no longer had a use for, some that I bought but no longer like the colour of (it looked different in the shop) and some I bought without realising it had wool in it (tip, don't just believe the labels shops put on the edge of the shelf, check the yarn band). I offered all my unwanted yarn to some friends when I saw them, and sent a random selection in a shoebox to another friend - nothing like destashing by adding to someone else's stash!.

The difference in stash ball/skein total from the beginning of the year until the end of May is -1. I hope to decrease it by more than one ball of yarn over the next 5 months!

May UFO/Stashbusting progress

Most of my knitting from the end of April and during May has been on a non-stashbusting, non-UFO project - I am knitting a present for Mum's birthday (sshhh don't tell her). My sister picked the pattern and I didn't have yarn that was right for both the pattern and Mum in my stash, so I bought some for that, but consider it an acceptable exception.

I have finished off a few UFOs though. Please excuse the squinting - we've had some lovely sunny weather!

I knitted this during March (pattern is Tamarind from Rowan and it's knitted in Savannah and Purelife Revive) but it had been sitting around for about 6 weeks waiting for ends to be woven in and the sides sewn up.

This shrug was starrted as a stashbuster last autumn. I had three bright pink balls of Debbie Bliss Prima, so I searched on Ravelry for patterns for that amount of yarn. This easy peasy shrug took my fancy so I cast on. As I got towards the end of the first ball I thought three balls wouldn't be enough, so hunted through my stash and found a single ball of Prima in pale pink, leftover from a cardigan I knitted last year and knit half of it before the next ball of bright pink and half after.

Finally, I finished this off. I was given six skeins of this yarn (Arucania Tolhuaca Multy) for Christmas and the pattern (sophie) said seven were needed, so I bought the extra one. Every scrap of yarn was used for this - the last cast off (a row early because I could see I was running out of yarn) was cobbled together at the end with some of the bits that tied the skeins! Incidentally, the size large also said it would take seven skeins - I don't think so!

It is entirely coincidence and not planned at all that all three of these a) are pink and b) involve wrapping yarn three times around the needle and dropping the extra loops.

I also grabbed a skein of chunky yarn from my stash last week and knitted a close-fitting cowl with it. No photo of that - it's far too hot to be modelling it!

I'm going on holiday next week. I have decided on a new project for my holiday knitting (after all that finishing off, I think it's ok to cast on something new). It will be a mongrel - part stash, part new yarn project. I hope to have it finished to show you next month. It is not pink.

This shrug is coming on holiday with me.

It's about time I updated this

My poor blog has been so neglected. Back in April, when I last posted, I challenged myself to finish four UFOs in 4 days. Here's how I got on.

Bedsocks

Before the weekend I had got as far as the heel flap on the second sock. Unfortunately it was so long since I'd finished the first sock that I forgot I'd done a very short toe so they don't quite match.


Baby tank top

This was almost finished - I had to sew up, knit the neckline and armhole edges and sew on the buttons.


Baby blanket

Not the best photo I've ever taken. This was about three-quarters finished before the weekend.

More socks

I had one complete sock and the first few rows of the second sock at the beginning of the weekend.

In other UFO/stashbusting news, here (rather late, considering it's almost the end of May) is my April state of the stash chart.

Yes, that is an increase in DK. Not through purchasing but from a birthday present. I didn't manage much of a decrease in April (and the birthday present balanced out some of that - not that I'm complaining, it's lovely yarn and I'm currently considering what to do with it).


When I have photographs, I shall tell you about some of the things I've knitted in May.

Challenge - Four UFOs in 4 days

Knitting in progress (photo from February)

As I soaked in a bubble bath last night with a 4-day weekend stretching out in front of me, the thought popped into my head - can I finish four UFOs in 4 days?

There's only one way to find out!

The state of the stash - March

Despite the increase of 18 balls/skeins during March, I ended the month with only two more than at the beginning. I don't think that's too bad.

The stash has increased again

I had a birthday a week ago and was given some yarn.

I already know what I'm going to knit with it :)

I have found my mojo

And my mojo is pink.

At least for the moment.


In fact my mojo has returned so well that the top in the first photo (taken a week ago) is now finished apart from weaving in ends and sewing up.

The state of the stash

At the beginning of the year, I followed the example of Dancing through the shadows and catalogued my yarn. Somehow seeing it all written down and added up in a spreadsheet made me realise I had a lot more than I thought I did when it was tucked away in baskets in various places. Or even when the baskets were all gathered together

The yarn stash at the end of November 2011

Even with the evidence of how much yarn I own in actual numbers, I still managed to increase my stash considerably during January - my excuses: nearly everything I bought was for specific projects; I was spending my Christmas money; they were having sale at the yarn shop. Then just before the end of the month I signed up for some stash busting.

So, 1 month later, how is the stash getting on?

The increase in January is quite obvious (51 balls of yarn) and has not yet been balanced out by stash busting, but I think I think a decrease of 22 balls over February is not to be sniffed at!

UFO/Stash Busting Project update

Well, it’s 3 weeks since I signed up for the UFO/Stash busting Project, so how have I been getting on.

The first project I started after signing up for the challenge was niecelet's birthday present. I had to go yarn shopping for this, but decided that as I’d already planned to by the yarn and I went shopping on the very day I signed up, I could just squeeze that in under the wire. I was using a pattern I already owned and planned to use a button from my button collection.

I did finish a UFO before I started it:

 The first hitch came when the shop I went to didn’t have the yarn I wanted. With less than a week to niecelet’s birthday, I didn’t want to have to wait and try somewhere else, so I decided to pick up a couple of alternatives to try out. The deal I made with myself was that whichever yarn didn’t get used would be given away, so it would not increase my stash.

So I came home and cast on with yarn 1. After knitting a few rows, I glanced at the ball band and saw it said the yarn wasn’t machine washable. My sister would not love me for giving niecelet something that wasn't machine washable. So I ripped it back and cast on with yarn 2 – which is machine washable. On later reflection I realised that I have previously bought yarn 1 and the label has said machine washable, so I’m not sure what has changed there! It probably means I could have got away with it, but by that time I was well established with yarn 2.

However, before I got to that well-established point, I knit a few rows then decided that for the pattern I was knitting (a dress), the knit was too loose. So changed my plans. After looking through various patterns with nothing jumping out saying ‘knit me’, I cast on and started knitting from my head. I ended up with this top,

which I am rather pleased with. Apart from the fact that stashbusting rules 1 and 2 ended up being completely broken as I didn’t use anything at all – no button or pattern or anything – from my stash and had bought new yarn. My only consolation, is that the UFO I finished had been totally from stash.

The next project I started without finishing a UFO first, as I cast it on at knit night – I also bought some yarn there, but it matched some in my stash which will contribute to the project, so I’m ok there. And once I was home from knit night, I didn’t pick it up again until I had finished a snood from the UFO collection.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve not managed knitting much at all as I’ve been busy and/or tired a lot of the time and my knitting mojo seems to have vanished. Usually I can lure my it back with one or two tried and tested methods – cast on something new or go yarn shopping. I can’t do the former until I finish something, and as none of my UFOs need yarn that I don’t already have, so I can’t do the second either. I am going to have to discover new tactics.

A year of makes - week 5 - and winner of the mystery prize!

At the beginning of the week, I focused on the top for niecelet, as I wanted it finished in time for her birthday party on Saturday (I ended up not going to that due to tiredness and weather conditions, but at least it would have been ready if I had gone). I finished knitting the sleeves at knit night on Wednesday, so then it was just a case of sewing up and knitting the collar. I didn't have the clips to hold it together for sewing up with me, so put it aside and having flicked through some patterns, bought some yarn that would supplement some in my stash to knit a top. As this happened at knit night, I did not actually finish a UFO before casting on this top, so I have decided I must do so before I take it any further, to try to meet the stash busting rules.

By the end of the week, I had finished the top.

On Saturday husband was worried about the birds going hungry in the cold weather, so I made a birdfeeder having read only the night before how to make one in Kirstie Allsop's Craft. I added the last few crumbs and bits of fruit from the Christmas cake to it, so then he worried about the birds getting tipsy instead ;)

It was just starting to snow when I hung it out. I would have filled up the other feeder as well, but couldn't find the bag of nuts!
I'm now up-to-date with my weeks of makes!

Knitting total so far this year: Finished 12 projects. Cast on 6.

So who won the mystery prize?

The January totals were: Finished 11. Cast on 5.

After initially reading the comments as they came in, I carefully did not look back at the guesses, so I couldn't bias my finishing/casting on towards anyone. Nobody got either number spot on, so I decided to award a prize for the closest guess in each category.

Stephanie was closest for finished projects with a guess of 7. Stephanie can you email me with your address (I think you have my email, but shout if not) and I’ll send you your mystery prize.

london bakes was closest for cast on with a guess of 6 so will also receive a mystery prize.

A year of makes - weeks 3 & 4

Week 3

Sunday

Having been not eating properly for a few days, I had a load of veg in the fridge that needed something doing with it pronto. So I chopped it up and threw it in the slow cooker with a bit of olive oil and about half a bulb of garlic (broken into cloves and peeled), then left it for about 4 hours on low.

The result was yummy and contributed nicely to dinners over the week (particularly good reheated to go with jacket potato, and shoved in an oven dish with a bit of grated cheese on top and heated up). I think I shall do this again as it means I have veg on hand easily for meals in the evenings without having to think about chopping and how to cook. Plus it tastes good.

Most of this week I didn't do much making apart from the odd row or two of blanket square here and there. I was either too tired (I was unexpectedly provided with lunch on a training course on Monday and didn't want to make a fuss, so ate the sandwiches on the grounds that they wouldn't kill me and I have been missing bread over the last few weeks, but I was surprised at how exhausted I was just from a couple of slices– definitely gluten free is good for my energy levels) or busy un-making. We are having our bathroom redone this coming week, so in preparation I've been ripping out the old pine panelling.

Friday

I was getting making withdrawal at this point, so I made up for it on Friday evening. I experimented with a bread in the slow cooker recipe. I think it turned out pretty well ...

... although in the interests of honesty, I should tell you it did stick to the bottom of the slow cooker.

I’m told it tasted good though!

I also made jam and flapjack, and finished this hat for my friend's little girl. It's from this pattern on Ravelry.

Now I just need to finish one for her sister.

Saturday

I went shopping for bathroom accessories. 

Week 4

I didn't get as much done this week as with the bathroom work going on, I had to spend more time being organised! We also spent a couple of evenings at the in-laws so we could use their bathroom facilities (most of the week we had a toilet but no bath or shower) and as I was tired, I didn't take knitting with me – instead I demonstrated that the Kindle they gave me for Christmas was at least getting some use! So only a couple of things for this week.

Tuesday

My stash-shrinking suffered a setback as I had a yarn buying accident. You know, the sort where you go into the shop to buy two balls of yarn and come out with two bags of it. Ooops! Now the spreadsheet needs updating! However, the yarn I intended to buy meant I could continue with this sleeve.

Wednesday

I finished the blue cowl. I almost finished a baby cardigan as well, but decided that sewing the buttons on was a job for proper daylight so apart from the one I managed in my lunch break, put it aside for the weekend. I cast on the first of a pair of wristwarmers to match the snood, and a vest/tank top for a baby.

Saturday

I finally decided on a pattern to knit for my niecelet's birthday. I didn't have the right yarn for it in my stash, but had plans to meet up with a friend for afternoon tea and some yarn and fabric shop browsing, so decided to I could buy suitable yarn then.

After making this decision, I signed up to the UFO/Stash Busting project. However, as I’d already planned the purchase of the yarn, I hoped that would be ok. I already owned the pattern I decided on and planned to use a button from my button collection rather than buy a new one, so maybe it would just squeak within the rules. I also bought some fat quarters as a contribution to my hexagon quilt, a lot of which is made from stash. I cast on niecelet's present that evening. There will be a separate report when this is finished on how this fared as a stash busting project.

Total so far: Finished 12 projects. Cast on 5.

Stash busting gets serious

I have signed up to Miss Katie's UFO/Stash Busting Project over at The Little Red Squirrel. I'm hoping this will motivate me to get projects finished and to reduce my stash - both yarn and fabric. My yarn stash suffered an increase this week after I went to the yarn shop and came out with rather more than the two balls of yarn I went in for. My fabric stash is quite substantial considering that apart from patchwork I've done much in the way of sewing yet and even the patchwork is incomplete!

If I've done things right, there should even be a badge for this at the side of my blog. I've never added a badge before, so this project is already exciting!

The project guidelines given by Miss Katie are:

1. Projects must use at least one item from the stash, for example one pattern or one piece of fabric. A combination of items can of course be used too!
2. New elements may be bought but they must be used with an item from the stash. For example I can buy fabric and notions for a particular pattern in the stash, but I can't just buy fabric all willy nilly!
3. For every new project I start a UFO project must be completed. I added this because I know that personally I get carried away with new projects rather than finishing older ones. This way I'm giving myself a bit of structure and discipline!
4. I will find and/or create projects that use leftovers from the stash. I find very often that I have pieces of material and balls of wool leftover when I have finished a project, that aren't enough to make an item of clothing on their own. I want to find ways of using these leftovers to make useful and beautiful things.

I like these. It means I'm not limited to stash only; if I need something new to contribute to a project I can buy it as long as I'm also using stash. Rule 3 is good, as I have loads of knitting UFOs, particularly after my attack of startitis towards the end of last year. I think in terms of yarn, rule 4 is nicely covered by my blankets and hexagon quilt. In terms of fabric this may require more thought - perhaps more patchwork projects to use up oddments, but this year IS the year I will learn to sew clothes. Yes it is.

A year of makes - week 2

I had intended to blog this last Sunday as it's for the preceding week, but had to wait until my photos were accessible. 

Sunday (8 Jan)

I finished the pink thing – it grew into a snood after the realisation that it would be a very short scarf if continued in that vein.

Then as I wanted decided there might just be enough yarn left to knit some wristwarmers to go with it, I finished these warm socks to free up the needles I wanted for them.

I also decided to make another snood as I have a similar amount of the pink yarn in blue, so cast on for the snood despite the wristwarmer plan

I also finished cataloguing my yarns – more of that to come another time.

Monday

I cast on and knitted a wristwarmer. As I had a limited amount of yarn, I weighed before I started, knitted from the top down, and stopped when I'd used just under half of it. The second wristwarmer got cast on and started. 

I received a fabulous package in the post

A contribution to my blankets and hexagon quilt. Some of this has already been put to use.

Tuesday

I finished the second wristwarmer. I think both these and the snood are reversible although I'm not sure if you can see that from the photos.

  

Wednesday

I knitted some more of the blue snood. I also started work on clearing the dining room. This is where I'd like to sit and use my sewing machine.

As you can see, the machine is set up there, but sitting to use it is a bit of a problem at the moment! The usual state of the room has been compounded by things being put there 'out of the way' over Christmas and some boxes currently relocated there from the cupboard under the stairs as we're waiting for someone to come and sort a problem with the electricity meter. I can't blame it all on that though. The dining room has always been used as a dumping ground and we're trying to break the habit. There has already been a slight improvement. Those bars of chocolate over on the bottom left have been dealt with, for a start!

Thursday

I was struck down by a stomach bug, so needed to comfort knitting. Blanket squares were the way forward.

Friday

Still suffering from the stomach bug, I needed something simple and undemanding. These slippers (pattern from Peggy’s Collection) fit the job perfectly

The first pair were a little large for me, so will be a gift for someone I know with larger feet. I was intending to knit a second pair as a gift, so simply swapped their destinies. This turned out to be fortuitous because, as you can see from the toes on the right foot, I ran out of yarn for the second pair and had to finish off with a different yarn.

  

These are ever so cosy, but after wearing them a couple of times they've stretched a bit and got loose, but I think this should be solved by sewing a bit further up the front of the foot.

Saturday

Still needing simple knitting, Saturday's knitting was all about hexagons ...

... and blanket squares. No, I did not knit all this in one day. Yes, I do have a lot of ends to sew in.

Finished this week: 5

Cast on this week: 2

Total finished so far: 9

Total cast on so far: 2

A year of makes - week 1

Sunday

I finished a hat  

and made myself some flapjack. I used the recipe from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights but doubled it and added a handful of chopped nuts and some dried cranberries. It was totally delicious. Slightly sticky on the bottom, not too sweet and very effective at dealing with those mid-afternoon hunger pangs (or any other time of day hunger pangs, to be honest).

Monday

I made some black-eyed bean and roasted cherry tomato hummus, and finished a pair of thick socks.

Tuesday

I had a go at making some earrings - one set following this tutorial,

one set adapted from a bracelet pattern in this magazine, which I seem to have neglected to photograph, and a simple pair.

I also knitted some of this pink thing

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

I didn't do much in the creative line, but did knit some more of the pink thing.

Saturday

I finished sewing up this top

This was my August project, and has been lurking around ages just waiting for the sewing up to be finished. I shall now have to wait until next summer to wear it! I also finished and sewed up this top for a 1-year-old.

I cheated slightly and made it with short sleeves instead of the long ones in the pattern, as although it's a small project it was all garter stitch with no shaping apart from the neck, and I was a bit bored with it by the time I got onto the sleeves.

If anyone's keeping track of my knitting projects so far, that's completed: 4, cast on: 0.