Knitting - for want of a needle

I finally got hold of my teeny tiny circular to do the sleeves on my cardigan.  I love this little pattern.  In fact love all of Pekapeka patterns I have knitted so far. The fact that most of Kelly's newborn patterns are free is an added bonus.

This pattern is called Emma Asked -

Check out these beautiful flowers I was given this weekend. Flowers from Miss Pickering in Stamford - thank you Beck and Tim xx

Chasing my tail

It's been a very busy week.  Lots of driving up and down the A1 helping out with the boys.  They are currently tucked up tight here for the weekend.  I have managed a bit of knitting.  Mainly clothes for various sized rabbits.

This is my Simply Knitting star letter prize.  No plans as yet what I will knit with it.

Our youngest daughter finished work today and is starting her year long maternity leave.  Baby is due in 2.5 weeks or thereabouts.  I still have knitting to finish, though in fairness I have been waiting for a very small circular to arrive.

This is another body warmer for Jess

You are more or less up to date with my week.  We have the annual Yesteryear Run passing the house on Sunday and the family here for lunch, so I am sure I will be sharing a few photos.  Have a good weekend

Weekend - waiting for it to warm up

We woke to a hard frost but bright and sunny, unlike yesterday's rainy day.

Whilst I am waiting for the garden to warm and dry up a bit, I thought I'd share some photos I played around with on Friday while Jess was napping (and it was raining). But before those.......

Rather than stay home yesterday and watch the rain we went down to London for our quarterly Ikea/Costco/Green Lanes trip.  We took Rachel and Jess as they really needed to go to Ikea and Stu was on a bike ride (mad or what).  Jess was sporting her new body warmer, and even if I say so myself she just looked so cute in it.  You see girls don't have to wear pink - she is also wearing her bead necklace that we made on Friday, as was Pops. I think he was very brave walking around Ikea in a necklace don't you?!!

Anyway back to the photos from Friday,

Right must get on, a few shrubs to move today, and it sounds like the washing machine has finished.  Enjo your Sunday.

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!

Weekend - why do you go so fast?

I can't believe it's Sunday evening again, where did that weekend go?

We certainly had some amazing weather and have spent our time working on the garden.  Even though Peter wasn't feeling too well, he has a bad throat and a very husky voice, he has finished cutting back all the hedges, amongst other stuff.  In fact we have gone crazy and cut back hard, so much extra light. We also decided that after 17 years - can't believe we have been in this house 17 years -some of the shrubs were past their best, vastly overgrown, so we have cut back and disposed of a number.  Lots of gaps to fill now and some to move if possible.

This photo was taken yesterday after the grass was cut but before the hedges and borders on the righthand side were attacked.

The girls enjoying the sunshine, in fact they were after our lunch!

Just look at that sky

I also managed to get Miss J's cardigan finished.  Pretty happy with it.  The sleeves aren't as puffy as I thought they would be, so thats a result. The pattern is Autumn Cardigan by Kelly Brooker

Peter has cooked dinner, venison casserole, after which I am looking forward to putting my feet up with a new project and another glass of wine. Not sure we'll be able to move later but it's been a good weekend.

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.