while I was away.........

.......I did some knitting.  I never need a break from knitting, so I was happy to fill a bag with yarn and needles for those quiet times between walking, biking and enjoying the food and wine of France.  We had a great holiday - more on that in another post - but I thought I'd show what I made and what I am currently making.

You may remember a request from a friend a few weeks back, well this is what I have made so far.

Composite by Pekapeka patterns

Two strands of Regia sock yarn held together for this oddments hat

Leftover yarn from the Composite top

Hundreds also by Pekapekapatterns

made this little hat to match the Hundreds cardi

I have now cast on a couple of patterns yet another Pekapeka design

Then a Debbie Bliss unisex coat for Jess

Gus is growing so fast that I have been given back  sweater I made him to have extra length added to the body and arms!!  He's going to be long and skinny.

Whilst on the making front, I have been doing some preserving - 16 jars of damson jam and 4 of Delia pickled spiced runner beans

I have plenty to do and that's a fact, more preserving, gardening, cleaning ..........and on it goes.  I now need to sort some photos for the next post

FO Friday - Ode to Doris

I am currently knitting for a new baby girl due in September, a friends 3rd granddaughter.  Knitting for girls is a treat, so much choice.  I am also in love with the patterns from Pekapeka, and am working my way through the free patterns until I get to need the next size up.

Ode to Doris - I have used King Cole Big Value DK for this one.

As I finished this last night I immediately cast on - Composite.  For this one I am using some of the yarn I won recently from Stylecraft - Lullaby, a very soft squishy DK

There is a good chance I will cast on Emma Asked as well.  I need to sort through my stash for 4ply, I know I have lots of cream, but I may have enough of something more colourful.  Kelly has just released this one - Taraxacum which is very sweet too and in DK. I also like this one, Hundreds, also DK and will use up those oddments of stash.

I have just treated myself to some of Kelly's pattern books for larger sizes, so expect to see some more knits for Miss J coming soon.

Knitting - on and off the needles

Another week has gone by since I last posted.  I honestly don't know where my weeks go!

What have I been doing this past week?  Well, Friday I picked up the boys for the weekend, we had a fun day, making the most of getting out in the garden in between showers, playing with trains and lego when inside.  Those boys would play with lego all day if you let them!

Saturday, the girls and I went to the Aqua Sana Spa at Woburn Centre Parcs.  We had a wonderfully relaxing day, doing not much at all, just dipping in and out of the pool, steam rooms and just generally lounging around and chatting.  We had a very jolly pedicure, it was fun that all 3 of us got to have our treatments at the same time in the same room, much hilarity ensued - most of it at my expense. Peter and Stu managed the children, spending the day at Wimpole Home Farm, sounds like they had a good time.

Sunday, after we dropped of the boys off for a party, we picked up Rachel and Jess and spent the day mucking out the cars..... cleaning up the buggy...... making a cushion seat cover and a peg bag.... generally ticking things off Rachel's "things to do before baby" list.  I think she is feeling a bit more in control now.

Onto the knitting - I have completed a body warmer for Jess and picked back up a cardigan for the baby. Made 2 snuggly bunnies for the boys - one as an alien - no photos of these completed

The body warmer is the Per Body Warmer pattern from Millamia . I used Stylecraft Special aran with wool for the main colour and oddments from stash for the colourwork.  I added the hearts to make this a bit more girly, especially as its in navy. I also did the armhole bands narrower as I think the ones on the pattern look too bulky.  The cardigan is Emma Asked by Pekapeka.

Photographs in no particular order......

trying to coax the chickens to eat the food they made

Miss chickenpox face

Getting to grips with a new skill

Last night I finally got to grips with the drop spindle , a friend from our monthly knitting group kindly showed where I was going wrong and I spent the evening making some thick/thin yarn for a while, but I seem to be getting better at pulling it out and it is slightly more even.  10 minutes practice this morning turned into 20 minutes..... time certainly slips away quickly. I will now keep at it until I have something that resemble something I would want to knit with.

I have completed a little cardigan for the new baby.  Its Ode to Pinstripping by Kelly Brooker (PekaPeka). I used Sublime Baby Cotton Kapok, which had been knitted up and ripped out previously, so it was a bit crimpled.  Another problem I noticed was the change over from my main circular to the smaller Hiya Hiya for the sleeves, you can really see my change in tension.  I am hoping that it all evens out in the wash.

I have another small cardigan on the needles, another of Kelly's patterns - Emma Asked.  I'm using some Zettl Cortina 4ply - 80% wool 20% nylon - in a black/grey/white mix.  Photos to follow when there is enough to photograph.

I am enjoying using Instagram, and am sharing some of my previous knitwear to a whole new audience.  Pop over and  have a look.

In other news Miss J has chickenpox, bless her she seems ok, but getting spottier, but is happy with the calamine lotion look!

Knitting - WIP Wednesday and a bag of soft

Good morning.  Wednesday already. I love a short week, only another day for me and its the weekend again!

Today I am working on the Autumn Cardigan by Kelly Brooker (pekapekapatterns), another pattern which Kelly is giving away for free.  I really like Kelly's patterns, so well written, and as her free patterns only come in one size, you are tempted to buy the full patterns which come in multiple sizes and yarn weights, should you want to knit again  I like her style.

The yarn I am using has been languishing in my stash for a while - Sublime Baby Cotton Kapok in a crushed raspberry shade. I may change the sleeve on this as I'm not sure I like the puffed effect, it may however be too late for that but I will have a fiddle and see how it turns out.

Whilst rummaging through my stash I found a bag of roving(!?) and a drop spindle.  I made a failed attempt at spinning a while back (see top right, more thick than thin), not really my thing I'm afraid, so it went in the back of the cupboard.  I need someone to do something with it for me!

I still have plans for an Ellen cardigan for me.  The yarn sits waiting with the pattern.  But the requests just keep coming in for Miss J, she is a delight to knit for and as the projects are small, quick to do, I really don't mind.  I also need to make up a few items for the new baby which is due in 5.5 weeks, time is flying by.  Of course it could be late so maybe 7 weeks who knows.

Knitting - another finished project

It's been a busy weekend in the garden but I found time yesterday evening to complete the Hine is a girl top for Miss J.  I love it. A casual top made pretty with the easy lace sleeves.  The pattern is free but only comes in one size and aran weight.  You can purchase the Hine pattern here  which goes from 12 months to 6 years and also 3 different yarn weights.

I now need to finish off the Cat Cushion and write up the pattern which I will share, so watch this space.