The moses basket has sat in our bedroom waiting for someone to sleep in it for nearly three weeks now. The hospital bags are all packed and one of them's even ready in the boot of the car. The baby car seat is all fastened in on the back seat too and the double buggy is assembled ready. My wonderful knitting group have even had time to knit some extra booties. Both sets of booties from Holly and her magical knitting machine. But, we're still here waiting for member number four of the C family to join us. My impatience is really showing - not helped by the fact that we've ... read more
Knitted gifts for the new baby
I've written before about the talent and generosity of the knitting group that I go to every week, but even the excited looks they exchanged when I told them I was pregnant didn't prepare me for the knitted baby shower that they threw for me at our meeting last week. My photos aren't exactly amazing, but I'm still lacking a model to wear most of the items I've been given - one thing's for sure, I'm going to have a very well dressed baby who is going to be kept lovely and warm! Mary has made this lovely ball for Baby C to play with - complete with ... read more
Good enough to eat?
Sadly I can take no claim at all for this tin full of goodies. Instead it was one of my knitting group, the very talentend Mary, who passed these round at this week's meeting. They all look fantastic, but the details on the donuts deserves special attention - the beaded bits apparently took an age to sew on individually, but the end result is definitely worthwhile. My knitting progress is at a crawling pace at the moment, but with people around me sharing completed items like this there's constantly more and more inspiration for things I want to knit just as soon as I have the time! ... read more
Cables, of the knitted variety
Here's a sneak preview of my next knitting project. This is the cable yoke of the Top-down Baby and Child's Cable Yoke Jacket designed by the wonderful Cotton & Cloud. As recommended I'm knitting it in Jamieson's Shetland Heather in shade 517 Mantilla. The pattern starts with the cable yoke that you can see above. Not easy to kit, especially when you start it, but once you're in the rhythm it's not too bad at all. You then pick up stitches from the two edges of the yoke to do the hood and then the body and sleeves. As the rest of the ... read more
Lace scarf
It's quite shocking that it was way back in September when I started this scarf and when I first wrote about it here. There was an update in December, but in the end it took until February to finally finish my first chart based piece of knitting. Whilst I really enjoyed the challenge of this complex piece I have to admit to being relieved that it's over. Trying to keep track of where I was all the time (there's a 60 row pattern in which doesn't have any repeats within those 60 rows!) meant that I ended up using a lot of stitch markers and had to refer to the ... read more
Another stripy hat
There's a new baby in St Albans (local bloggers Claire and Alex's third child, an adorable little boy, to be exact) and as everyone knows every new baby deserves something handknitted when they were born and I was delighted to oblige here. The pattern is the same Sublime one that I followed for the first hat that I made for LMC nearly two years ago. This time I was just using up some ball ends from my stash - possibly James C Brett's pure merino - and at first I wasn't too sure about the colours, but once the stripes came together they really ... read more
A sneak preview
This is one of those projects that I can't say much about yet as the recipient will probably come on here and read this blog before Christmas. There will be more details, but all I can say at the moment is that I'm using Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxary Tweed Aran in colourway 360029 and I'm following a free download pattern that I found on Ravelry. Once I can reveal all I promise that I will link to the patter and provide a more detailed photograph that shows exactly what it is that I'm knitting. I'm loving the pattern though as there's a relatively simple repeat that gives ... read more
Still on the needles
Today's crafty insight isn't something new and isn't anything festive, but is instead an update on the intrictae scarf that I started knitting several months ago now. It's grown in length considerably and following some help from the lovely members of my knitting group I'm now doing quite well actually following the pattern and not getting to the end of a row and suddenly discovered that I have lost or gained stitches! It's not all been plain sailing though and if you look carefully you might spot an error that's crept in there that I'd decided to leave as ... read more
Introducing Mr Owl
There's not been much blogging here lately as I've been desperately trying to get on top of the stupid number of craft projects that are in progress at the moment. I'm far from breaking the back of the problem, but I have at least managed to get one particular Christmas present for a very special little girl finished. Meet Mr Owl. This lovely chap came from a pattern in Knitted Toys by Zoe Mellor and I completed him using some 100% acrylic yarn from my stash and a large assortment of felt in coordinating colours. The knitting didn't take too long (despite an annoying chart in ... read more
Off the needles…
I know I shouldn't have, but another knitting project found its way onto my needles this week. I'm afraid my little model was in bed asleep as I sit here writing this post so for the time being this photo will have to suffice. This is the Rosy Posy Hat from The fourth little Sublime hand knit book, but at the moment due to a complete lack of time it is missing the flowers that should be on it. The sudden cold snap made me realise that all the hats I made for Little Miss C last year no longer fit her and there was no way I could justify buying her a new one when I have a stash of ... read more