Well darn it!

No, I’m not in angst over a frayed pair of handknit socks.

Although, that was a good guess. Well done

It’s more a case of blasted technology ><

My memory card refuses to play nice with my computer and cough up the pictures that I wanted to write this post around.

*sigh*

Sedgemoor is chugging along nicely with only minor tinking required.

In my zest for mastering the complicated parts of the pattern I managed to overlook some of the simpler details.

Easily rectified (well, with some patience and the help of a cable needle it was fairly easily rectified….okay it was a minor pain in the behind but worth the hassle).

Froodie’s Throw is…….resting…..while Buttons rests on it.

My stash tidying spree has resulted in my 3 drawer storage….thingy becoming chock full of fairly neatly wound balls of yarn.

No wonder one of the Teen’s friends asked “….do you think you’ll knit all that before you die??”

At this point I’m starting to wonder!

It’s not *that* bad.

Really.

Honestly.

No, really!

Other knitters have larger stashes than mine.

Of course, many of them may be designers……or yarn store owners……..

In other news, I seem to have a nagging desire to knit baby clothes.

It’s sort of been swirling around in the background for a while.

I’m pretty sure it’s down to my thinking of baby knits as satisfying quick knits.

Nothing to do with the Teen swiftly growing into a towering Amazon-like young woman with no desire to wear hand knits…….other than this pink scarf…….

Trawled through hundreds of photographs on my computer to find this.

Also saw so many of my Teen looking so much younger just a few short years ago.

Tempus truly does Fugit.

 

 

Making space and letting go

Sometimes very nice ideas become invested in and produce things which just don’t work out.

Sometimes the fact that these things won’t work out is obvious from the get go and we do the right thing promptly.

Sometimes we blithely ignore our gut feeling and decide that at some point the very nice idea will work out.

These are two very nice ideas that are going to be frogged.

I haven’t worn them in over a year.

They’re taking up valuable yarn.

This is something I frogged earlier.

It was this.

Of course, it was meant to look like this as far as the designer was concerned.

I just changed a few elements.

 

Rumours by Sunbeam

Another vintage yarn from the huge black bag that I was gifted.

It seems like a mohair.

The receipt indicates that the yarn was bought in Roches Stores on July 2nd, 1987.

I’m making the assumption that the receipt refers to the yarn as there’s nothing to indicate otherwise as the receipt was tucked into a Roches Stores bag with said yarn.

We still had Irish pounds when this yarn was bought.

Fancy that.

 

School tomorrow!

Such a relief!

If these holidays were to continue much longer then this household would surely become night owls.

Plus, this crafter would probably end up with repetitive strain injury from knitting overindulgence.

I’ve been frogging.

The yarn in the picture should look familiar to you as it has been used, among others, to create the Log Cabin Throw along with a slouchy hat which I don’t appear to have blogged about.

These pockets are a mother to frog

Any old how, this yarn came to me via a former neighbour of mine.

There’s life in it yet and it would be a shame to throw it out.

It does take a goodly amount of patience to frog the yarn from the garment.

Upcycling and recycling for the win though.

This lovely mustard is one of several colourways included in the vintage yarn stash.

It is Aran Double Knitting Sunbeam Pure New Wool.

Made in the Republic of Ireland by Sunbeam, Millfield, Cork.

Shade 81 B Dye No. 2157

A similar mustard yarn from the stash has been incorporated into Froodie’s throw.

It’s the strip of rather vivid looking mustard at the bottom of the throw.

Honestly, it’s not quite that bright in real life.

With regard to Sedgemoor, I seem to have turned a corner with following the pattern.

All of the border is done now and I’ve gone onto the body of the back.

*happy dance*

 

Women’s Little Christmas

Farewell Christmas.

It was great while it lasted.

This yuletide reanimated my interest in baking.

I got the recipe from a student cookbook which is chockfull of recipes requiring a limited list of ingredients.

My first attempt bombed. Never again am I going to add bicarbonate of soda to anything I bake.

Self-raising flour for the win!

My second attempt, however, yielded yummy results.

Gingerbread fingers and One Pan Chicken

The teen was also interested in baking, albeit in the theoretical sense……which basically means that she chose the cookie cutters while I did the actual baking of her gingerbread holly.

Yes, holly.

She decided that they didn’t taste like store bought gingerbread cookies…..which they don’t, in fairness.

So, I’m tasked with the duty to make use of them . They go grand with a cuppa and a bit of Sherlock Holmes 

We’ll find a better gingerbread people/holly recipe.

Technically, my second attempt at gingerbread was my 3rd attempt at baking per se over yuletide.

The teens bravely tried it & their taste buds were overwhelmed by the sugar content

My first attempt truly did bomb…..or implode or……whatever it is you would deign to call it.

I’ve since been gifted Hazel’s cupcake recipe. Yay!

She’s currently embarking on a Pinterest challenge.

No clue what Pinterest is? I bid thee tarry over to Hazel’s blog and have a look see.

At the very least it”ll be pretty. What’s not to love about that? Hmmmm?

In other news, it’s amazing how fully occupied I can be by yarn.

Detangling it and washing it.

Of course, the black yarn had been nicely detangled before I took the notion that it needed a wash. *sigh*

My teen’s friend was much amused by how much time I devoted to the task.

 

 

Supporting my local LYS

I just had to….

 

Sirdar Escape Wool Rich Chunky Shade 0197 Lot 111 275 - 50g/65m

Beautiful reds and pinks

Buy local is the way to go……

Sirdar Escape Wool Rich Chunky Shade 0198 Lot 41962 - 50g/65m

Some of these comforting creams are destined to become socks

Especially at €2 – €2.25 per ball!

All of these were puchased in The Singer Sewing Centre, Foxes Bow, Limerick.

I love the place. Despite the fact that it stock such a narrow variety of yarns, it keeps getting my custom for several reasons.

• Delightful & knowledgable staff
• No pressure to buy
• No scoffing at how long I linger versus how much (or how little) I buy
• They do wonderful sales on lines that I would buy anyway at full price

I honestly did go in with the intention of buying just two balls of chunky……..but then I was faced with all the lovely sale offerings.

So, I figure I did my bit for Limerick city centre today

The colour is warmer than it appears here.

Sirdar Click Chunky with Wool Shade 0129 Lot 8842 - 50g/75m

 

Buttons, Stash & Tee in Shannon

Peek - a ....

....BOO!!

While making my way through every stack of paper in my office in an effort to find an important document……I came across this.

It wouldn’t have done to just leave it in such a state.

My poor stash!

....turned into knitterly potential

My red Tee is already starting to clock up miles.

Tee on the go in Shannon

 

Project the third: Zip & Zing

Seeing that the last two projects were for gifting to other people (my offspring included). I, and the remaining chill in the air, have decided that I should benefit from my knitterly skills this time around.  So last night, after spending a lovely while poring over (a fraction) of my knitting magazines, I decided to cast on for Zip & Zing.

Simply Knitting Issue 68 Summer 2010

It’s a teen knit, but the sizes go from 8 years to size 14. A pretty unusal size range to be sure. It’s a nicely straightforward knit with very little shaping.

Zip & Zing by Ruth Maddock

As usual, as those of you who have read my blog for a while will know, my take on Zip & Zing is unlikely to look anything like the garment pictured above.

My take on Zip & Zing

The pattern suggests Stylecraft Sirrocco & I’m using a mix of  Patons Smoothie in the red colourway & Stylecraft Life in a colourway called Berries.

So far so good, apart from Smoothies usual splittiness. This minor irksome feature of this yarn is more than made up for with its crisp stitch definition and beautiful handle (i.e. it’s heavenly to touch).

Now, I’m going to get back to knitting my hoodie.

Happy crafting folks!

 

Happy New Crafty Year to all :)

Project 1 of 2011

Megs Skinny Scarf

Garter stitch all the way. Cast on long side then worked up the width. Knit using Wendy Pure 100% Bamboo Shade 888 Dye Lot 080313-8. Lovely yarn to work with apart from being a tad slippery. I boght 5 skeins of this yarn in Hickeys for 99 cent each!!! A bargain. I used my beloved Harmony Interchangable KnitPicks circular needles to knit this up. Perfect telly knitting once I got used to the feel of the yarn.

Project 2 of 2011

Blizzard Scarf

On the 3rd day of New Years what a yarnboi to do other than stash bust?

I have no idea how many stitches I cast on for this. I just kept going til I got fed up and it seemed long enough for a scarf. I chugged away with garter stitch until I got a decent width & without running out of yarn to cast off with. Whoop! I’m getting better at planning ahead. (It only took 3 decades! Lol!)

The yarn used is Tivoli Blizzard. Quite aptly named too as the yarn looks like a whirlwind of peat, sky and foliage all blended together and frozen midair. Knit up it forms subtle colour bands which are quite pretty.

This scarf had been destined to become a tea cosy. That idea was duly frogged however. The yarn is happier being a scarf and hopefully its intended recipient will be as taken with the FO as she was with the yarn She was with me the day I purchased it and spent quite a happy minute testing its squishy softness against her cheek. Nothing beats the cheek test!

4 days and 2 handknits later & I’m feeling quite good about this year so far.

Happy crafting folks.

 

 

Stash busted: Slouchy Hat

Modelled by offspring as I didn't like any of the photos she took of me wearing it :/

Much fun had this evening at SnB in the Old Quarter. We had newbie knitters!

Much kudos to this plucky trio who cast on & knit their microfibre socks off for two causes.

Cause the first – The Big Knit - A fundraising effort by Innocent Smoothies to help make winter warmer for older folks.

Cause the second – The Project 366 Things - Dan got on board with the miniature hat making as one of his 366 things & roped his mates in too.

Delighted they came along as much fun, banter & passing on of skillsets was had. 

Happy crafting folks!