Creating Memories

Yarnalong - July

Joining yarn along on Ginny's blog today for July.

I'm still working on the Silvermine shawl, and long rows of 388 stitches. I've developed a bit of carpel tunnel (or similar), from the long purl rows especially, so it's very slow going with 2 or 3 rows per day, usually at lunch time.
In the evenings I'm working on another Happypotamus as a gift for later in the year. It's a good project for this lovely summer weather we're having, with small shapes in lovely cotton.
During this past month I made two Baable hats, thankfully before the heat set in! My first time doing stranded colourwork and working with a colour in each hand which I found so easy and thoroughly enjoyable. I finished the first one, the grey, and dear husband instantly claimed it, so I decided to do one for me too. It was all in the name of learning and mastering the colourwork in anticipation of doing the Birkin sweater! I don't have yarn for it yet, but that is easily remedied!

Reading. I started Emma by Jane Austin as a 'I really want to read a classic' project but I found it way too hard going and didn't get far at all. It's abandoned, for now.
I finished Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman over the weekend. What an AWESOME read that was. WOW.
And then started The Break by Marian Keyes.

Thanks for stopping by and if you're a yarn alonger, thanks for sharing your knits and reads!

C xx

Yarn Along - June

I'm joining Ginny and the Yarn Along crew today.

This is the Silvermine shawl, that I'm knitting in Amano Ayni yarn. It's a beautiful knit!

Last night I finished the first instalment of The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman. It's quite a scary book considering it's for late teens/young adults. I can't wait for the next book to come out now, although I think that may only be in the spring of 2019.

So looking forward to looking at what everyone is working on this month!

C xx

May Yarnalong

It's a rainy miserable May day Yarnalong here in Hertfordshire, England today. But we are hopeful that the weekend, a holiday weekend, will be warm and sunny. Perfect for a spot of gardening and hopefully a braai (BBQ to non South Africans) or two. And maybe a few pages of my latest read, Philip Pullman's, The Book of Dust.

I am working on tiny crochet hexagons in a lovely baby bamboo double knit that I had lurking in a drawer. I'm not sure what it will be but I am hoping it will stretch to a little pram blanket, and will likely go into the village fete raffle draw. It's growing pretty fast and single colour hexi's mean less ends to sew in when I'm done!

Speaking of ends...................VOILA!!

My little circles became a blanket! I used the join as you go method taking a row at a time off the bed, until they were all joined up. I loved watching the finished pattern effect emerging with each added circle. The edging isn't overly complicated but I couldn't resist a little picot 'edge of the edge'.

As usual I had the best intentions of sewing in my ends at the end of each joined row, but excitement took over and then I was faced with just over 300 of them to tackle. Ho hum. I was doing a few each evening until my husband reminded me that there is a little girl waiting for her blanket!

I absolutely adore how it's turned out :)

What are you currently working on? Thanks for stopping by

C xx

A spring day yarnalong

At last the sun has got his hat on! And these happy circles are reflecting the bright mood that comes with that sunshine. Over the past 3 weeks I have been working on creating little crochet circles out of my extensive stash of Rowan handknit cotton and Debbie Bliss cotton DK. And last weekend my husband and I started to split them up into blanket size bundles.

The top photo shows an ombre'ish rainbow colour wash blanket layout which was the idea that started this flurry of circle making in the first place. And to test the 'circle to a square join as you go' round, I made a rainbow pram blanket. Ahem, what you can't see in that photo are the million ends still needing to be sewn in! Oh happy (NOT) days.

Last night I managed to get two rows of the top blanket joined so I'm hoping to be able to start the edging by this time next week. I wanted to try that continuous granny join but just looking at the instructions frazzled my brain.

And with what's left I will get one single bed or two pram/cot blankets made. These along with the rainbow pram blanket will go into our village fete raffle. We are raising funds for some much needed refurb work to our lovely old village church.

I can't wait to photograph these blankets in the sunshine!

C xx

 

March Yarnalong

I'm so glad that yarnalong is back, but so far this year I've not participated much. In January I joined the link up but didn't have time to look at any of the other blogs due to work commitments. I missed February yarnalong as I was on a lovely holiday to New Zealand. And I'm late for March. Ho hum! Must do better.

Anyway I am here and even though I have been busy and trotting all over the globe, I have been busy with yarn craft.

This wonderful basket of lush handknit cotton will be a blanket for our great niece who we met last month in Auckland. I wanted to take a blanket to her but wasn't sure if her mom and dad would like that sort of thing. It hard when you don't know people and as it was my first time meeting them and at least 21 years since my husband had seen his nephew, I just needed to be sure they were into handmade.

I'm getting 12 circles from each ball of yarn using a 4.5mm hook. I'll make all the insides then do a join as you go when I turn them into squares with a linen colour. The idea is a rainbow ombre like this one.

I do have a couple of newly finished projects to share so i'll get to that soon!

Thanks for stopping by.
C xx

Welcome 2018 and welcome back to Yarnalong

I spent the last 13 days of 2017 (and the first 5 days of 2018!) with a cold. A yucky cold that is like a boomerang and keeps coming back. Blog plans had to go on hold!

Anyway on to today and the first yarnalong of 2018. Thank you to Ginny for bringing it back to your lovely blog.

I am currently knitting the Kim Hargreaves Darkness Hoody. I made a summer version back in 2016 and had always planned to do the winter version. I've started with the sleeves, 2 at a time, as they are my least favourite part of a garment to knit.

Thanks as always for visiting.

C xx

A seat with a view

and joining Keep Calm Craft On.

This is pretty much my view when I'm not at work, or paper crafting, or on my treadmill. I have finished (to the point that the pattern orders) both sleeves of dear husbands ranger cardigan. And I am only a couple of inches off starting the short rows on the body. Once the back has been lengthened, we're ready to add the sleeves. I had hoped to get an outdoor photo of this yummy yarn but just as I was going to take one, the heavens opened and the hail came down.

I am thoroughly enjoying Rosy is my Relative, by Gerald Durrell. It's such a light hearted and entertaining read.

I have been actively gathering sock patterns thanks to the inspiring yarnalong bloggers. Thanks all who share their sock WIPs.

Speaking of which, Ginny has decided to stop hosting yarnalong. Thank you Ginny for hosting and introducing me to so many wonderful crafters!

Happy Wednesday!

C xx

2nd sock

and joining Ginny for Yarnalong

Last Thursday I travelled up to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Yarn Fest. I took along some yarn and a sock pattern as my travel companion. On the way up to Scotland I didn't do much knitting as I was reading my book and looking out of the window as the beautiful English country side whizzed by. (I have photos and my story to share later this month)

This sock is Marlee by CabinFour. And it's a pretty quick knit, for a newbie sock knitter like me.

I'm reading Rosy is my Relative by Gerald Durrell. It's a delightful story, and I'm so enjoying it.

Back to dear husband cardigan by the weekend I hope.

Looking for sock inspiration if you have a favourite pattern to share. I prefer plain(ish) socks and like to knit in solid colour. Thank you!

C xx

2nd sleeve

And joining Ginny for yarnalong

Photo from last nights stitch and bitch in our village pub.
I'm progressing well with dear husbands cardigan, having finished sleeve one over the weekend. The sleeve rounds are far easier than the long body rows and although I was trying to alternate my working I enjoy the sleeves much more. The artificial light is really not doing the colour of this yarn any favours. Looking forward to the Voila post photography shoot for this one.

I'm 20 pages off finishing my Wilbur Smith book. Good timing as I have a 5 hour train journey tomorrow and a new read (interspersed with a bit of knitting) planned.

I'm off to The Edinburgh Yarn Festival. So excited and a little nervous as it's a lone venture although I'll meet up with a friend on the Friday at the fest. So much chat on the Ravelry EYF board has my bank card twitching!

Happy day
C xx

Sewing buttons

And joining Ginny for yarnalong

I finished this cardigan a year ago, or was it two, and bought some buttons for it at last years Hitchin Festiwool. I was using a shawl pin to close it but was keen for buttons. A work colleague helped me with placement and I stitched them on last night. Because it's not strictly a button down cardi there are no button holes so I needed to crochet loops. I love how it's turned out!
And now back to dear husbands cardigan.

About 50 pages from the end of my Wilbur Smith book, Pharaoh. And still enjoying it so much.

Last week's yarnalong saw me adding a few new projects to my Ravelry library so I'm looking forward to see what everyone else is up to thins week!

C xx