More progress

The problem with knitting with really lovely soft comforting yarn is that it distracts you from doing anything else remotely useful - all you want to do is curl up on the sofa with the nice yarn and your needles. And with such a simple pattern as the IK Greek sweater it's the knitting equivalent of comfort eating.

And so I now have a front and back to the Greek sweater and lost no chance of pinning the sides together to have a try on:

It looks quite good as a tank top! I'm also glad I added an extra inch to the length - it's just perfect now. So on ewith the sleeves - I've cast on the first one but we've just spent the weekend visiting family so it was socks for the travelling knitting - watch this space for news of what will be a relatively short visit to sleeve island - so great knitting on 5mm needles!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Round Two! all done!

well ta da! Round two of the Socks of Doom are complete:



The yarn is Rowan Wool Cotton which I've never knit with before and is very soft and snuggly - I hope it makes good socks and doesn't wear out too soon.

Now all I need is the address for assassin Purla Hari - the weapon is armed and waiting for the post!

I'm trying to work out how many people must have worked on these socks - I know they aren't my target's first target socks and P is a good way down the alphabet from both of our e-mail addresses so it could be quite a few.

I should add that there has been a small contribution to these socks from my lovely husband. Last night coming home on the train I was knitting away as usual without really noticing the boy watching me quite intently. Then gently a little hand came across and took the yarn out of my hand and wrapped it round the needles. We kept going like this for some time, me moving the needles and the boy moving the yarn. All went well until I finished working across the bottom of the foot (st st) and needed to Rib of Doom across the top. First three stitches were knit and all was well. Then I put the needles in to purl and was met with a blank expression! He gamely tried a number of different methods of wrapping to purl without any coaching from me but eventually the yarn was handed back. Lovely husband later reported that he had been watching for some time but he just couldn't figure out the patterned bit because I went too fast. So perhaps if I start knitting really slowly in front of him I might just draw him in - what do you think? Boy if you read this you can comment too!

The possibility that the lovely husband reads this blog on the sly is the reason why perhaps some of my current projects need to stay under wraps for the moment. However, I am making good progress on my IK Greek sweater - I love the way the yarn knits up so softly and it is beautifully warm even when just spread over my knees. The only problem I have is that the Kid Classic can be a little splitty at times but perhaps that's just me. That and jumping from sock needles to 5mm and back requires a bit of getting used to!

Anyway happy knitting one and all

I'm back!!

And sad to say I've been no-where - I just can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. My only defence is a very busy week followed by a busy weekend. Anyway time for a little update...

What's off my needles?

Ta da!


A finally finished Smoulder (finished just before I had to change it as my computer password at work) with buttons:


I love the buttons they remind me of the little black pebbles and bits of slate you pick up at the beach to skim with and they fit the very geometric design and stop it being either twee or little stripy child.

The pattern is Rowan's Smoulder from Book 31 I think in the original colours which as half of them have been discontinued is somewhat of an achievement. Followers of this blog will know that the yarn for this cardigan came from Birmingham, The Netherlands, the US and Shipston - it's quite a combination! It is a real pleasure to knit and I loved the colour changes (the ends were a knot in the yarn though to be honest). It will be a while before I do stripes again although I still love fairisle type colour work so perhaps not!

There have also been various secret projects on and off the needles which for the moment will remain under wraps.

What's on the needles?

Well the IK Trellis scarf still gets a bit of attention occasionally although it has been neglected recently. Perhaps now it is colder I'll feel more like a KSH scarf. For the moment my Drizzle scarf is doing me proud!

The IK Greek sweater has also reappeared from the basket now that Smoulder is finished and I've cast on for the back. It's strange to knit with 5mm needles after all the small needles for Smoulder but it does make it grow a bit faster.

And....

Socks of Doom (Round Two ding ding)

Yes they arrived in the post this morning. I'm not entirely sure who knit them apart from Karen (my target) but they are for Purla Hari who is some way down the list from us so they've been around a bit. Funny that having come all the way from the States they're in Rowan wool cotton!! Coals to Newcastle perhaps.

Anyway I took them on the train this morning and turned the heel and did the arch shaping on the way in and they won't take long to finish now. All I need is a target address! And still I'm not dead - yippee but with cold feet!

Other Random info

Look, pretty cakes from Sunday... St Clements cake and Clotted Cream Cheesecake - now sadly diminshed!


Also Interweave knits arrived this morning and it's fabulous as always -yippee!

Now must go knit like the wind for Round 2 socks!

A productive weekend

But first the news:

A report has reached me of the sad demise of Assasin Karen. She fell at the feet of a pair of pinky red wooly socks which FINALLY made it to the US! I am now waiting for the next pair of socks to knit to reach me before I too join the list of the warm-footed! I expect there's at least another two weeks left in me given world postal services! I feel very lucky to have lasted this long in the game especially as I haven't really done anything - I'm the sock wars equivalent of hiding in the cupboard under the stairs!

Anyway this weekend has been put to good use. First we have these:

So very Stepford but they taste gorgeous and I was feeling in a very kitch mood! The round one is a vanilla cupcake and the square (ish) is a French Fancy. Were I a french pattiserie chef I would be fired for poor presentation but happily I'm not.

Then this afternoon we had this:

And now we have this:

I don't have any buttons yet so it looks a bit strange because of being held together with pins but I love it - it is surprisingly warm and really comfy and I really enjoyed knitting it. The ends I could do without and the seams take ages because you have to be so precise to make the stripes match but with the benefit of hindsight and half a glass of wine it is all worth it.

Buttons on Tuesday and then it counts as an official finished object.

Now where did I put those cakes.....

A little bit of sunshine

Here at last is the finished Florida Sunshine bag - made from yarn bought on our honeymoon and now finally lined! - So pretty




In other news:

1. I am not dead
2. Neither is my target

Sock Wars continues

(Ps lovely husband has decided a much more efficient sock wars involves throwing handknitted socks - personally I agree - it is a lot of fun but then he only has two pairs of socks and runs out of ammo pretty quickly whereas I can keep churning out socks for hours!!)